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

Brain really not functional. Thinking of u mickey I meant and your developments!

Congrats huddle and midget!

Hopefully I will be joinimg you on the other side x soon.

Managed to get a few hours "sleep" tonight. Still having contractions about 8 to 10 min apart and feel a bit Crampy. Going to try and go back to sleep now and then go for a walk in the morning to see if I can speed things up at all.

Envious of everybody with shows - still nothing here . Holding onto what LondonMrs's mum said about possibility of show one day, baby the next!

Just come back from meeting up with NCT group, held a very tiny baby - was induced at 38 weeks, now 17 days old, currently weighing just over 5lb & just impossibly cute and tiny!

Feeling for smorgs begging for sex. Give your DH a poke in the eye from me! Prior notification indeed!

Zara, hope you are home soon.

Mickey, hope things are OK - it's early for everything to be starting, isn't it.

Beeble, sending "come out baby" vibes your way, hope they help.

Will hold off on new list for a day or so, get the impression there might be more changes imminently!

Off for trace in a couple of hours to make sure baby is OK in there. Kind of curious to see what the contraction monitor shows!

Yomping, 37, 40+2

yomping totally with you on the jealousy of everyone else's shows. You sound like youre doing ok though?
Im currently in the clinic and have been monitored for over an hour. Everything fine but as predicted baby is very comfortable where it is. Cervix completely closed. Have a scan in a sec just to double check everything then have to come in every couple of days for the same. Then they induce at just 5 days over!! Crap. I thought they let you go up to 10. I so don't want to be induced

Ps what is a trace? Is that what I just had?

Also have discovered that in the uk I would be 41 weeks today if measuring from lmp, so induced at 41+5 isn't that bad I spose? Gah.

Quick update: Imogen Rose born this morning at 4am after 7 hour labour. Not sure if people want me to share my birth story here or elsewhere?

Lizzie, loads of congrats, really lovely news! Welcome to the world Imogen Rose! Definitely share story here please

Smorgs - 2 belts strapped across stomach, linked to a machine, monitors baby's heart beat and contractions of uterus over half an hour. It's what you have if you go in worried about reduced movement. I'm fine, would like it to get going but chilled about waiting a few more days. Think France's 41 weeks to full term way if doing it is very sensible.

lizzietow congratulations to you too, love the name! Please do share your story when you feel ready to.

Wow is it a full moon today or what?!

Ooh thanks yomping then I had a trace today and will definitely poke Nobber dh in the eye! Although I expect a hippo-sized wife whining 'have sex with me it's your duty' before rolling over and snoring wasn't quite the aphrodisiac I meant it to be

Congratulations Lizzie!

,well just got up and it seems that contractions have fizzled out again. Hiss boo! Lol. Does anyone have a mantra for me along the lines of patience is a virtue?

Wow it's all go on here again! Congratulations midgetm after a long wait and sounds like things were difficult, but glad master midge is here safe and sound. Take care of yourself. Much love.

congrats hufflepuffle adn well done, that's a big baby! Sorry again things sounded difficult but much love to you and husband and lovely new baby. Glad the midwives are being lovely! tell us more when you have time/energy/head space (so possibly never!)

OH zara - hugs for you, poor thing... must be endlessly scary and frustrating, in and out of hospital like that. You're in the right place and they'll be keeping an eye on you, but it doesn't make any of this easier... am thinking of you all the time xxx

londonlivvy I have two giant (6kg) and badly behaved cats and they have been absolutely fine with baby. They like the moses basket and anything i buy for baby, so I wouldn't leave them alone in a room together just in case, but they have never tried pouncing on her or sitting on her or anything. Sometimes they sniff her head and look a bit jealous.

mickey - ooh, developments! Keep us posted. I know babs is a little early for you still so fingers crossed all is well.

congrats to lizzetow, would love to hear your story too

smorgs, yomping, beeblebear and others still waiting - this is the WORST bit but it won't last that long (even though every day feels endless). I know it is so hard not to over-analyse every sign (or lack of) but remember loads of women go straight into labour with no signs at all before hand.. others have weeks of twinges... none of it predicts anything! Please be nice to yourself... I got myself a pregnancy massage at that point, it really helped!

Had a terrible night last night ? got myself in a bit of a state about Fatty The Cat snuggling up to baby and suffocating her (not with malice aforethought, just overdose of loving). I clearly have an overactive imagination. Very glad to hear, squid that yours haven?t tried to pounce or anything. I?m not a cat person (cat was DF?s) and I know nothing about them really. I?m daunted enough about the prospect of parenting in general without needing to add another (perceived or real) danger into the mix.

Zara you made me chuckle re the felliway snake oil. I bought some when I moved in with DF and we evicted him from the bedroom (I couldn?t sleep with a cat on my head). He did not take kindly to the change in circumstances and I don?t think there was any calming as a result of the feliway. However some would consider eviction a just cause for stroppage? BOO by the way that you didn?t get your induction, though I?m sure the docs decided that for the right reasons.

Lizzietow congratulations.

Smorgs It was in a rental car so probably took a while to get through the rental company to then the credit card system and then to us. Annoying though. Very amused by your hubby demanding prior notification. Hilarious.

Sympathy to beeble and yomping who are still waiting patiently. The first baby of our NCT group was born today ? we thought something was up when she didn?t turn up to coffee! I?m v.glad that I forced myself out and to be sociable ? it was fun. And hopefully I?ll gradually made friends through it. I then went for a lovely walk round fields and felt motivated and generally mojo-full. I must remember this when the baby is here and I?m full of doom and gloom and exhaustion that a walk in the fresh air really does make all the difference.

Hi everyone. Thankyou for all your thoughts- and congrats to midget, huffle and lizzie, I am very pleased for you!!

To cut a long story short, I was sent home from hospital at 11am today because my contractions/pains had stopped. And the baby's heartbeat is fine. It sounds awful I know but I am so grumpy. I really really thought that was it. Contractions 4-6mins apart.. runs in the morning.. show.. everything. And it all stopped this morning. I'm 1.5cm dilated. So do I count myself as in the latent phase of labour? Or just having a slightly open cervix?

Although I sound grumpy I am pleased that the baby is OK, they didn't seem worried at all this morning. Having a trace is very uncomfortable- I actually can't lie in that position for long!!

I'm also not going back to work now either. So I officially join those on maternity leave!! Wooohoo!!!

I'm off to go and bounce on my ball.

Zara I am glad that you have been discharged, stay safe xx

And now I'm having braxton hicks. I think my body is enjoying messing about with me.

Ah, and (due to our very good practice run last night!!) take a phone charger in your hospital bags girls!!! If not for you for DP, so you can keep people updated and yourselves sane in the early hours of the morning!!
I would also recommend that you take a toothbrush with you. Sounds ridiculous I know, but I just bought a cheap manual one and stuffed it in, with a small tube of toothpaste, and boy am I glad I did that. :)

*because I would not have remembered to chuck my normal electric one in my bag last night! lol x

Am back. Did not go smoothly. Am not the flying-in-the-face-of-normal-medical-procedures person that I thought I was.

So we get there, have trace, all fine, baby active (as usual), lots of movement, my heartrate a bit high but OK. Then doctor comes to talk to us. So we go through the whole, we're here because according to Stupid Early Scan Date we are 40+12 even though according to LMP date we are 40+2 and so we are not worried but it made sense to have trace and check baby is OK. Ah, he says. So where do you want to go from here. Nowhere, thanks, we say. Do not want induction, know the risks, know my options etc, but confident that dates are wrong as other scan did not give us same date even though they wouldn't change the official one from first scan. OK, your choice, he says. He explains the risks of going overdue again. I try not to roll my eyes as, in my mind, we are not that overdue. During all this the automatic heart rate thing measures my heart rate again and it has shot up to something over 110 which is fecking high but I was cross! He offers me a sweep today, then and there. I decline. He goes off to talk to a senior colleague.

DH and I then chat and (after some persuasion from DH) I agree that a sweep might not be such a bad thing especially as it will tell us state of my cervix, but we decide to see what doctor says when he comes back.

He comes back to tell us that he has looked into our scan. The private dating one (where Stupid Early Due Date came from) was actually performed by someone who works at the very same hospital and who is a good sonographer (surely they wouldn't say anything otherwise mind you...). He has also double-checked the scan data from the NHS dating scan we had a few days afterwards (long story, were seeing my folks in London, NHS scan too late to have proof that baby OK, and we wanted that reassurance before we told them so we booked private scan for week before), and from that data they would have also put EDD at 5th to 7th and no later. This is big news to us - I swear I watched the screen like a hawk in that scan to see what EDDs they would come up with and they were all a week or so after the 5th - but apparently not. And as DH says, I'm not exactly medically qualified and didn't know what I was looking at.

So... we are back to being quite a lot overdue - somewhere between 10 and 12 days overdue. While I know this is a normal state of affairs and nothing to worry about, it is more serious than being 2 days overdue. After being told this, my resolve started to crumble and I got a bit scared, and we agreed to the sweep as it's not anywhere near as unnatural as pessaries or drips and shit. Good thing was that after being told it would be quite uncomfortable, I didn't find it so - just breathed on through it - thanks hypnobollocks! Cervix is shortening (effacing?) and softening, but only 1cm dilated and still posterior - to translate to English, body is starting to prepare but a way to go yet, nothing imminent. Since we are currently declining induction, we are booked in for an ultrasound scan on Friday to check placenta, and a second sweep, and they want me to come in daily for a trace after that. And I have to talk to my midwife to see if she is still willing to support a homebirth if I go over 42 weeks.

AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH, is really all that comes to mind at the moment. Sorry for the length of the post, but it sort of helps to write it all out and get it clear in my mind.

Off for a hot curry, followed by vigorous sex with me on top so that I am also doing some bouncing!

Mickey, glad you're OK, sympathise on wanting baby out!

Livvy, glad you found your mojo!

Hey ladies! Big congrats to huffle / Midget / Lizzie on your new beans!!! :) Come on over to PN when you get a free minute :o

Zara hope things go smoothly and Yomping ditto! Know it's frustrating but youy are being well monitored. Hope the bouncing helps, whatever you choose to bounce on! :o

Downton Abbey watchers - all I could think the other night was, "Thank God they didn't run this storyline while I was still pregnant!!!"

Friend posted a link on my FB today - very funny. Daily Mail I'm afraid but from a parenting blog so not thinly disguised hatred for a change... New Parent test: are you ready to have children?

oh my gosh I have missed a lot!

midget wonderful news! So so happy for you! Do tell all when you feel up to it.

huffle so happy to hear about your little fella's safe arrival. Sorry it wasn't straightforward. Hope you are recovering!

lizzie congratulations! What a great name! Looking forward to reading your story x

zara how frustrating for you. I am so sorry you didn't get the end result you wanted but like the others have said, I am sure they are taking the best care of you that they can.

Similarly mickey sorry things didn't go to plan. How are you feeling now?

yomping you are being amazing. None of this has been straightforward for you and you are doing so so well to take it all in your stride. Thinking of you and sending loads of love.

smorgs can't believe your DH wanting prior notice! How rude! Xx

livvy well done on making yourself be sociable. You will prob find you have loads in common with some of these women when your beans arrive and you see which of them are likeminded mothers with how you do things. Friends in the same boat can be livesavers.

Well, me and DH had a bit of a barny before bed last night and I felt like he just said sorry to keep the peace with his overly hormonal wife rather than actually listening to me. And I just couldn't sleep because of really bad back, inability to balance my hot water bottle on my back while lying on my side, bad cough driving me mad and making me feel like I was going to wet myself and mind in overdrive as we STILL can not agree on a name and it feels like DH says no to everything. So had the shittest nights sleep ever and ended up just lying there crying. Wrote an (even more) self-indulgent post, but am glad I didn't send it as you would have all thought I was even more of a winer than I am being right now.

Am completely exhausted today as it is DS's actual birthday today so been entertaining a throrougly over excited 3 year old and what seems like millions of visitors on my own as DH is working late again. So tired but am actually dreading going to bed if it is going to be anything like last night.

Due date tomorrow and no sign of anything. winegod my due date buddy-how are you?

cherry how is your crazy agenda of stuff to do? Are you feeling any better?

Much love to you all and sorry for the long rant there. Just feeling a bit lonely tonight.

livvy sorry if that sounded really garbled and patronising!

Sounds like a few of you need hugs, and

I had another day of staring at the laptop willing something to write itself but getting nowhere with coursework! Harumph!

Also had a day of twinges but nothing else. Twinges also seem to be subsiding so thinking LO is just testing rather than being interested in eventually making an entrance!

Have currently got a rock hard stomach and LO has got the hiccups - doesn't make for the most comfortable arrangement!

Have got midwife appt tomorrow so going to update her on the events since Saturday and ask if she'll consider a sweep - although don't know if she'll do that until i'm over 40...will be 38+4 tomorrow.

Pains seem to be starting up again and definate tightenings.. the rest of my plug just came away too. Fingers crossed eh.

Although the doula has asked me to have a word with the baby.. all the roads are flooded, where has this torrential rain come from!?

Bella I hope you have a better sleep tonight love. Everything seems worse on no sleep.

Hi everyone. Trying to master one-handed MN-ing on the phone do please excuse any typos & lack of name-checking.

Firstly I want to say a BIG congrats to Midget - so glad your DS is with you. Hope your recovery is swift and that things weren't too bad in the end. Been thinking of you all last (sleepless) night; to huffle - wow! Someone had a bigger baby than me! . Sorry things got complicated & hope you're all doing well now. Also to lizzie - lovely name! . Congratulations all!

Things are a little better chez fjord. Thank you so much for all the amazing comments & encouragement you gave me after my last self-pitying post! So many of you said so many nice things - squid, bella, your posts made me hormonally bawl and everyone else - your support really moved & encouraged me! I feel so inadequate in supporting you all back

DD is still having bad nights (Angelico - I also saw the DM post you linked to on fb & the 'nights' section had DD wobbling in the breast as I guffawed in recognition of our exact night last night!!) and I'm not coping very well when DP goes to work. I am resigned now to 2-hour long feeds with 1 hour breaks in between. Seems we have colic, which we're semi-managing with 'Miniform' ( simethicone drops) that seem to help and this is complicated by latch problems caused by my tiny, non-protruding nipples (on enormous boobs), necessitating DD to latch onto a breast shield as the only way we can manage. This makes feeding take a lot longer & is logistically hard to manage alone but we're getting there slowly (3 hands would be helpful!) I've been going to the health visitor clinic every other day for weighing & advice & had an LC visit at home. Other complicating factor has been my milk supply but I've more or less given up pumping in favour of getting DD on the boob more often (her favourite sleeping spot!) and a syntocin nasal spray. I had never heard of this but it seems to get the milk flowing - so much so that I woke after my 1.5 hrs sleep this morning to a big wet patch in the bed under my right boob! Anyway feels like we have more answers & more potential solutions now & I am trying to feel more relaxed about being almost permanently shackled to the bed. I was even thinking of a list of upsides earlier that I was going to post ((but this post is long enough!). It included regaining my ankles and that, thanks to EMCS surgeons not knowing how fat I was prior to pregnancy, I think they've given me what constitutes a minor tummy tuck! I seem to be shrinking beyond pre-pregnancy tum and despite 'jelly belly' feel somehow 'tighter' & more uplifted in my lower abdomen!

Thinking of all you overdue, waiting, uncomfortable & frustrated. I read as often as my wriggly progeny allows and hope you all get your babies soon, more simply than I did! I'll try to contribute more often now I'm mastering the long feed & one-handed phone use! Lots of love to you all xxx

Oh and Mickey - good luck. I found your post to me very encouraging. Thinking of you & sending good labour vibes! X

Congratulations Midget! Wishing you a very speedy recovery! How on earth did you manage all that with no pain relief?! You'll have to post some tips when you get a chance.

And congratulations to Huffle! It seems like only yesterday you were still at work. Oh wait, it was! Really hope you're not in too much pain after the mammoth surgery. Poor you

And yet more congratulations to Lizzie! Beautiful name, it's been one of my faves for a long time. Please do post your birth story when you feel up to it. You could always put a warning on it so those that don't want to read it can avoid.

Welcome to the world MasterMidget, SnufflyHuffleBoy and ImogenRose!

Mickey, please stop going in and out of labour. You are not allowed to have your baby yet as you are one of very few people after me on the list! Seriously though, hope everything's ok and you get a chance to enjoy at least a little maternity leave.

Smorgs I'm sorry I forgot to say Happy Due Date to you the other day I'm sorry nothing happened, hopefully it won't be long.
And YY to a poke in the eye for your DH! How rude! Though I'm getting a bit reluctant to do the dead this week as I don't want baby coming yet.

Glad you're out of hospital Zara, must mean they're not so concerned any more so please try and take comfort from that and not worry too much. Easy for me to say, I know! Take care x

Beeble how's it going? Any more progress?

Livvy, the cats maybe very interested in all the comfy new sleeping places now, but I'm sure that once there is a stinky, flailing, screaming baby in there, you won't see them for dust. We always had cats when I was growing up and no probs with 3 babies/kids. You'll be in the same room as baby the whole time anyway, and will quickly get into the habit of checking rooms and closing doors when you're not. Agree we definitely don't need more things to worry about.

Yomping, you're doing the best thing listening to the experts, and everything will be fine with the extra monitoring. I'm sure your little one will be here, safely and naturally, very soon. Don't forget the power of positive thinking! I'm relying on it to get me through

I'm feeling so much better today Bella and Beccus and anyone else who asked, thanks!
I had another terrible night on Tuesday with the heartburn/reflux and my sore throat was much worse. But on Wednesday the doc prescribed me something for both, and after struggling through the rest of Wednesday at work half dead, I took it before bed last night and slept like a baby!
No idea what it was, nothing like Gaviscon, some tablets plus a powder for the heartburn and a gargle for my throat.
Only got 5 days worth but it's for 3 times a day so I'm going to resist it during the day and only take at night so it lasts longer.
Still got the cold of course, but can cope much better now!
Also, today is my day off so I promised myself (and DH) that I would do absolutely nothing. And so far it's going well! Woke up if you don't count the 1000s of loo trips at 11am and am still lounging in my pit at nearly 1pm, having had breakfast and several cups of tea in bed. It is rainy and miserable outside - perfect!
Time for another cuppa in bed, then perhaps a long bath with a book and GBBO final even though I already know who won...

Hope all of you with crappy colds and other ailments feel better soon and

Deep joy. Yesterday was the day I joined the ranks of those of you with heartburn. And oh MY I am sorry I have not been more sympathetic before now. It is HORRID. I didn?t twig what it was initially (I thought it was just breathlessness caused by her feet on my diaphragm ? hence the ouch in the middle of my chest) and it was only when it became more burning and more burpy that I twigged. Shocker of a night?s sleep (indeed I think ?sleep? would be over-stating it). No Gaviscon in the house. Epic Fail. Have been trying fennel tea (I think that orenishii recommended that) and banana (the internet recommended that) but can?t say I?ve seen any improvement. Grr. Whinge Whinge, Moan Moan. I?m cross cos I?m going to the hairdresser today and it?s a right marathon (takes over 5 hours in the hairdresser, so when you add on the commute, it?s pretty much a day?s work!!). I want to sleep and can't. boo. This Gaviscon stuff had better work. (or any other top tips, ladies, do please send them my direction).

Thanks for reassurance re cats, cherry, zara and squid. I think you?re right, when screaming, he?ll keep well away, it?s more when she?s sleeping quietly that he?ll be tempted to cozy up.

Bella it didn?t come across as remotely patronising ? you?re absolutely right that friends in a similar position are worth their weight in gold at a time like this. Hope you?ve managed to make peace with DH and have slept well (or as well as a heavily pregnant lady can).

Yomping Your dates saga sounds complex but it sounds like this latest doctor has been properly looking into it and really looking to do the best by you. Hope the sweep is productive. Lots of ball bouncing?

Fjord Most lovely to hear from you. It sounds like this feeding malarkey ain?t always as straightforward as the books would have me believe ? fantastic that you have the support and guidance to work out a solution, even if it?s a laborious one.

Kyyria you have my sympathy on the coursework front. I?m hoping to finish mine tomorrow when the handyman is here so will be effectively trapped in the house and will want to look productive (I realise how ridiculous that sounds, btw, but I feel bad that I?m not doing these jobs myself ? my dad brought me up to do DIY and I feel useless that I?m having to employ a man to put up some curtain rails).

Mickey Hope the rains stop and your pains make their mind up. I?ve now packed chargers (thanks for the tip) and will buy a toothbrush when on my gaviscon hunt when the shop opens (7am I think!).