Due in October part 8- still plodding along, this time with copious amounts of raspberry leaf tea

[Londonmrss]

Surely this'll be the last one before moving to the postnatal section?

Due Dates:

Sept. 24: Lisbethsopposite DS2 by planned induction
Sept. 25: Squidkid DC1
Sept. 26: Elpis DC2 by ELCS
Sept. 27: Planktonette DC1
Oct. 1: FjordMor DD1 by planned induction, Gigglewhizz DC1(?)
Oct. 2: Firstbubba DC1, Milk DC2
Oct. 5: Yomping DC1
Oct. 7: Crazypaving DC2
Oct. 10: WantAnOrange DC2, MrsConfusion DC1, MidgetM if induced
Oct. 11: Smileyhappymummy DC2 by ELCS
Oct. 14: Hufflepuffle DC1.
Oct. 17: Smorgs, DC1
Oct. 18: Bella2012 DC2, Beccus DC1
Oct. 19: Shellwedance DC1
Oct. 20: Beeblebear DC1, MidgetM if ELCS DC2
Oct. 21: Dosomethingmutley DC1
Oct. 26: Londonmrss, DC1, Zara1984 DS1, Liege07 DS1
Oct. 28: Kyyria DC1, Loopyla, DC1
Oct. 30: Cherrychopsticks, DC1
Nov. 1: Londonlivvy DC1
Nov. 8: Mickey DC1

Actual babies:

Sept. 20: Velo - Max 2.35kg
Sept. 25: Angelico - Mini Angelico, CWest30 - Naomi Louise, 4lb 10oz

go huffle, i sense the thread's 1st easy labor coming on :) hope your fil is ok and DH can get back to you soon. Hugs to zara, stressful times, but u and baby could not be in a safer (or smellier) place x

zara just wanted to send you some hugs. I have very little experience in obstetrics but really don't think they will leave you bleeding without doing something about it. Glad you are in hospital and being looked after anyway, hope something gets sorted soon for you and you get to meet your gorgeous baby!
huffle sounds exciting! Keep us posted. We need more people on the postnatal thread!

Posted this in childbirth too...

I am 40+3 and have had a sweep today in an effort to get things moving...
Not as good news as huffle but am 1cm dilated and she could feel the baby's head.

Was quite looking forward to flopping on the sofa afterwards but mw warned me that baby was currently a bit back to back so I'd be better off going for a walk! Have compromised and am now in Starbucks with a rather nice hot chocolate.

Going to go to yoga later too in a concerted effort to shift this baby!

Zara - you are in the right place and being monitored, hopefully won't be long before the medics decide on a course of action, I'm sure they won't want to wait much longer if you are unexpectedly bleeding so hopefully get to meet your little one soon xx

Just a quick one...
Zara, I hadn't even gotten round to saying congrats for getting out, and you're back in!
I'm so sorry for you, it must be really worrying. But I don't think you'll have to fight for anything - I think at this stage in the game, any abnormal signs and they take the "better out than in" view, as you are full term and it's much easier to figure things out on the outside. They will do whatever's best for you and bubs.
Take care, thinking of you

Huffle, that's great news, I dream of being told something similar and being similarly surprised. Go you!

huffle & Zara sending you both hugs & well done huffle on the 3cm!

Commiserations Lizzie

Had another MW appt with someone else my usual stupid one is on holiday and surprise, surprise she was full of questions & helpful info to help shift baby to the left & encourage engagement

Ooh, Loopy, please share said helpful info- particularly on the engagement. mine was 3/5 last week which as far as I understand it is mostly-not-engaged-but-a-wee-bit-engaged.

Any news Zara?

hi lovlies!

I have been awol for a couple of days because of a busy weekend of pirate partying for my DS turning 3. It was completely amazing! We turned the whole house into a pirate grotto-flags, bunting, banners, treasure chests and we had an absolute houseful of guests including all our neighbours which came as a surprise. dS had such a fab time and we were so proud of him when he thanked people so nicely for their gifys etc. Bless him. When I finally collapsed in a heap on sat night I had a crazy moment thinking 'oh God, my next project is actually having a baby! Eeeeek!' but have come out of denial now and am feeling sligtly more ready. But only slightly. I keep scaring myself by reading the post-natal thread which makes me remember the exhaustion all too clearly and all the difficulties with DC1's. My DH is being great though and keeps reassuring me that we will get through it all together.

zara you poor poor thing. Fingers crossed they induce you soon. Loads of love to you. As the others have said- you are in the right place xx

Hurrah for Huffle and your sneaky 3cm. Soo happy for you-hope it progresses quickly and goes well.

Commiserations Lizzie and October- hope you guys don't have long to wait x

where is yomping? Fingers crossed something has started there too...

Hope you are enjoying duvet days kyria and livvy- sounds lush!

londonmrs no BH here either. I never felt them last pregnancy either and I still got the baby out so don't stress xx

Zara, god, how scary, hoping you are OK and they can give you answers and/or take action soon.

Huffle3cm (it's your new name), well done you! Hope the rest of the dilation is that relaxed for you too!

Bella, can you be my mum?

I am also having those "is it a contraction or just the baby stretching?" moments, really relieved it's not just me, was feeling like a total idiot for not being able to tell the difference!

Had a weird night - woken at 3am by REALLY painful period-type pains coming and going, have not had them thus far so actually got a bit excited as I am so bored with it all, anything new is a good sign! Took 2 paracetomol but couldn't get back to sleep as brain now wide awake thinking of all the ways in which we are not quite ready for me to go into labour so got up at 3:30 and sat downstairs with Horlicks and a book until 6:30 (had very dodgy tummy so got excited about that too) then went back to bed and dozed for a bit. Today have had BH all fecking day (well, see above, maybe just baby stretching!) and bump has felt very heavy, went to our local wildlife park and walked around for 3 hours, feet killing me but baby showing no signs of wanting out! Still no show or anything, so not getting hopes up.

Today is due date number 3 and the most sensible of all the ones we have been given, we are actually 40 weeks pregnant today counted from LMP. Yay! Decided last night that cramps meant baby is super organised and planning to arrive on 40-week due date but if so, it's running out of time!

bella that party sounds fabulous!

Ok bit of an update. It's still all quite mysterious. Bleeding has slowed, and I have some light period pains/cramping. Hospital don't know still what's happening or why. Multiple traces show baby is still happy, bouncy and completely oblivious to whatever the hell is going on in there. M/w said that all they will can keep doing is monitoring me overnight. She says they've marked on my notes that if things don't become clearer tomorrow they will make a booking for induction. She says it could be possible the pains and the bleeding are me starting labour (if its nothing more sinister).

Thank god for DH (he's been amazing today). Fuck that gush of blood & drive to the hospital was the worst hour of my life. Here's hoping things are on their way to a happy, predictable ending!

Thank god for you ladies and MN too, your nice messages have actually stopped me from bawling my eyes out in this hospital bed. Big hugs to you all, I hope you all have lovely, relaxing evenings.

Weird, horrible day. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy!

Glad you're ok Zara, and glad baby is ok too. Did she say when they might induce?
At least the trace and scans today will have ruled out anything serious for either you or baby- if it was, they would have found it and got that baby out of you pronto. You may find in a few weeks / months that there was a pollyp / fibroid or one of those things- or you may never find out and it's just a thing that happened.
Weird medical things like that do happen- a year or so ago, I had a strange thing come up on a routine ECG. Several more ECGs later and I was told there was probably a tumour on my heart. Several more tests and I was told that there is nothing wrong with me- my heart just demonstrates an abnormality a propos of nothing, which will never be a problem!
Anyway, glad all is ok with you and sounds like you might be meeting your babv soon. Try and get some rest.

Huffle that is freakin' awesome - go you!! 3cm without even realising - long may it continue down that road, and you simply cough the baby out

zara oh my love, that must have been so scary. So glad to hear the baby is happy, even if everyone else on the outside has no clue to the cause. Fingers tentatively crossed it might be the start of labour? Hope your night being monitored isn't too stressful or smelly x

Yomping you know I would be VERY excited at being woken up in the night and yay for Braxton Hicks. Another yay for 3rd and official due date too! It sound like that along with the dicky tummy, things are beginning to rumble along?

Due date tomorrow - not sure how I feel.

DH has mentioned he might want to go to a party on Saturday on the other side of London, when I would be 4 days overdue. Part of me got very upset thinking - why would he even want to go to a party?? The other part of me thinks he's actually not thinking very clearly as last week, he cancelled most of his clients as "he didn't want to leave me" I think he's having a mini freak out and have left him to it. He's not going to drink but considering he's someone that really champions making the effort to socialise throughout parenthood, he's saying he might not ever get another chance to go out. Haha! He's also said he doesn't expect to enjoy himself as he'll be worrying about me, which begs the question why bother going but you know - it just adds weight to my thoughts that a) he's freaking out and b) won't go.

zAra so glad all is ok with the baby. Sounds like pinning down a date for induction may be the way to go. The stress is just too much.

Just a quick update as in the middle of licking the house clean and having contractions. Had sweep number 3 today. Baby engaged to the point where he feels like he could fall out 2/3 cm dilated and cervix soft and short. All favourable and they aren't sure how he is still in there. But he is. Have To go and pack bag properly and present back tomorrow at 10am when we will start the evict baby midget process. Hoping I go into labour tonight for a more natural birth but he seems a stubborn little devil and had a lot of false starts over this week fecking exhausting but hope adds to a quicker active stage

bella you are crazy . Take it from one who knows. Pirate parties whilst fit to pop? Craziness.

I feel scared and excited and calm and weird. I don't want an induction but I do so want to meet this baby. And if I keep nesting DH may be driven actually crazy. Worried about the whole cascade of interventions but also trust my body to do its bit as much as it can. Just hope it's fit to push out a baby of this size.

Sorry on phone and in pain so not a proper catch up. Must go do productive stuff. Going to pack optimistically and hope I am home swiftly. First day of maternity leave tomorrow will not be the massage I had planned .

Zara glad to hear you & baby are ok, even it still remains all mysterious Just also wanted to check your bed is situated somewhere a little more...errr...fragrant this time

midget things sound very very promising! I hope you do go overnight!!! Otherwise baby will be evicted tomorrow, exciting!

oreniishi funny about your DH's valiant attempts to balance baby/social life ahead of time just make sure he can get to you fast!! One thing I have learnt today is that in an urgent situation every minute your DH is away from you feels like hours! And it only took mine 15 mins to get home from work.

Realised I forgot to update you all on the ward fragrance no poo smells in this one! Am in a different, smaller ward this time (only 6 beds instead of 10). Downside is that it's not as nice/sunny as the stinky ward. It's quite funny b/c it's directly opposite the main ultrasound & fetal assessment clinic - ie loads of people coming in for their scans to see me with tearstained face wandering down to the loo in my hideous oversized Primarni nightie, dressing gown & mismatching Tesco slippers, waddling as I have a maternity pad the size of a phone book in my knickers!

Bleeding really has slowed. TMI but I don't think new blood is coming out, just the existing stuff in fanjo making its way out like at the end of a period. Yes, there's every chance londonmrs it could be fibroid/cervical lesion. I think the way I felt today was the same way as you felt getting an ECG saying you had a tumour on your heart! [shocked] Scary!

Just trying to relax now. Yay for iPhones, have managed to keep family in 3 countries continuously updated today! DMIL who is due to arrive from NZ next week has been up all night waiting on my texts by the sounds of things.

Oh and as for induction it sounds like it would be booked tomorrow, not actually happen tomorrow - ie would be on Wed/Thurs? Doc is going to get quizzed on the AM round by me tomorrow, that's for sure....

Zara very relieved things seem to be slowing down but am sort of hoping they keep you and induce you, you are v stressed. And naturally hope bubba comes by self instead.

Midget flip me, whole lot going on there! Here's hoping the midget baby and my likely v long baby both decide to come tonight!! Hugs! Xx

Yomping all sounding good!! Fingers crossed you on your way too chicken. Xx

Needless to say I don't kno what to do with self. Found it hard to sit and relax. 2 washes done, house tidied again. Hav had a last minute panic to get the changing table changed rooms, the bassinet in to living room and nappies, muslins etc all gathered together. Totally torn between thinking, hmmmm, this is it to, hmmm, might be DAYS yet!! We hav also just been to Argos and Sainsburys...... Are we wise?!

Think I've had the show?? TMI alert.... Lots of gunk but brown in colour? 2 toilet trips, still fair amount of? MW did say would hav spotting due to sweep but this seems pretty viscous stuff.

Tummy pretty tight whole time we were out but no pains at all.

Not quite sure what to do. Bounce? Sleep? More raspberry tea? Tidy house more??

Sorry not to reply to all, bit higgildy piggildy!! Xx

oh midget I do hope it kicks off tonight and you don't need the induction, but either way, best of luck and we'll be sending you positive thoughts!

Zara so glad there is no grim poo smell - you certainly don't need that on top of the worry. Sounds positive too that the bleeding seems to have slowed / stopped.

My DF has asked if I mind if he goes to do a cycle race when I'm 39+3. I said (breezily) "sure, she'll be late anyway" and he looked a bit "really?" at me. And now, with the benefit of hindsight and your experience, I am wondering whether it would be a genius idea after all. He'd not only be an hour and a half drive away but wouldn't even have his phone on him during the (three hour) race. There'd be no point in him having it in his pocket anyway as due to the adrenalin he just wouldn't hear it. Humn. I'd been thinking that it would be a good opportunity for him to do a last race before parenthood kicks in. It's not that I'll prevent him from racing once she's here, it's more than already with work + uni, there's not a lot of spare time in his world.

Orenishii It does sound like your hubby's having a mad moment. By Saturday you may already have the baby, or he may have had a change of heart. Either way, you sound like you're being v.calm about it and I take my hat off to you for that!

Today I am sending happy happy thoughts to John Lewis, who have delivered on their click and collect promise - bloody genius. No struggling into the nearest big town with a multi-storey carpark (I am not a confident driver at the best of times) and walking miles round the store to buy mattress etc, but just drive to local waitrose, park out the front in nice wide space, go in, get, walk out, drive home. So we now have a cot AND mattress AND sheets. It looks super cute and I am all OOOHH we're having a baby! Excited.

Fish finger sandwich for supper... yumn. Not sure I get many nutritional points for that though...

ooh huffle cross posted - had thought your quiet afternoon meant you were in hospital. Sorry you've just been killing time. Sure your LO will be along when good and ready. Frustrating to wait though.

I'm mostly bored now, waiting for DF to get home. Will now wrap Xmas presents to take my mind off it. I am demented.

Oren, the rule I have created for my hubby is that he's not allowed to be more than an hour away from me. I've also told him to go out with his mates now and again (like once a week), but not get pissed. Basically if he's had a couple and can't drive, I can live with that, but if he has any more so that he would be completely useless to me, I'll kill him. In the face. Twice.
I know what you mean about 'why would he want to go?' as I feel a bit like that as well, but actually if I'm being rational, I know he's totally dedicated to me and the baby, but would just like to see his mates when he can.
Not sure about other side of London though- depends what that means in terms of travel time...

Hi everyone- seems we've all had a hectic day!
Yay for huffle for being 3cm dilated already. Go you! Hope things get going for you tonight. Same for you Midget!
Zara So sorry to hear you are in hospital again- Hopefully they will induce and you won't have to worry.

I am also in the "is the baby stretching or are these contractions?" camp! I think, I think i'm having periody type pains too... But I'm wondering if its my pubic bone playing up, a la SPD. Although when I press it it doesn't make me jump off my chair like it usually does. I did have a funny feeling about today... I wonder wether this could be it. I did have a funny tummy this morning too..!

I also wonder how I am going to manage the next 5 weeks continually getting my hopes up and then being let down again

I had my whooping cough jab today. My arm hurts :( Much more than it did when I had my flu jab.

Bella The pirate party sounds awesome. I can't wait for the fact that I will actually have an excuse to dress up as a pirate ;)

Sympathy to those overdue- I feel shitty now, can't imagine what you girls are feeling like. I think I'm going to get the midwife to sign me off work. I can't face the thought of another.. 2 and a half weeks. I can't. Ugh!

Oh lovely ladies!!! Good luck to Huffle, Midget and Zara - it's all kicking off here! Will go and put out more in the PN thread! :)

I know I keep popping in here with unwanted advice like some demented auntie but if you are only going to get one baby book the one that has saved us completely is Baby Bliss by Harvey Karp - cost the princely sum of £0.01 plus postage on Amazon! Baby Whisperer is good for the long term but for immediate short term survival with colic-y newborn Baby Bliss is the difference between sleep and no sleep. It's all about the '5 s's' - swaddling, putting baby on side, ssshhhhing (white noise), swinging and sucking. I tend to only use it ON but poor bean seems to have horrendous windy pain in evenings at minute, sobs on and off inconsolably - it's really heartbreaking :( Infacol helped at first but isn't touching it now, Colief is a pain in the arse if you are BFing (have to express). After awful, agonised screeching all evening I swaddled bean at 10.40, put her on side and 'shook' her (don't worry it's like a little trembly movement not actual shaking!) with radio on playing static as white noise - out like a light in 3 mins flat, sleeping soundly now.

3 hrs of contractions. If this is not the real thing god love me when it does start! Sweet baby jesus...... In between totally ok but when they hit they hit. Currently every 4 mins, hospital don't want me til every 3 for couple hours!!!

Huffle ooooh I think you're not having your induction in the morning, it sounds all on!! Very very exciting!!!!! Can I have your induction instead please

All uneventful now here at my middle of the night checkup. Bleeding has stopped, BP normal, cramps remain mild and period-like, baby cosy inside. WTAF. Am getting a detailed ultrasound in the morning, biophysical profile I think it's called?

Hey Zara! No, my induction 24th. Think midget in morning. Glad u settled but yeah, WTF???? Going bit mental here, no golden light for me. Hopefully go soon and get some bloody gas and air!!!