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

Sorry if I sounded a bit impatient before - just frustrated and fed up with feeling fat and frumpy!

Normal service has now been resumed!

32, 38+4, #1

Yomping That sounds promising. See you soon on the postnatal thread and hope all goes as easily as possible!

Ooooh Yomping That does sound promising. Have a bath- if the contractions don't die down or makes them worse thats probably it! Just try and remain calm and don't panic- I think that is the reason everything stopped for me the other day. The stress hormone Cortisol blocks the activity of oxytocin (that labour hormone, lol) and that can stop contractions completely. Hope you are Ok :) Don't worry too much about the plug.. some women don't even have a show. Its pretty minging to be fair!

Bella my plug came in dribs and drabs... it started last week as very stringy like discharge.. but last night and this morning I had two HUGE clumps/lumps of bloody tinged discharge.. Ewwwwwwww...!!!

Now, any of you second-timers/those that have the new babies that are still reading this- Did you find your appetite increased in the days/hours before you went into established labour? I'd lost mine completely in the evenings but now I'm starving all the time again....

mickey I lost my apetite when I was in labour, and since it went on for so many days, I wish I had powered through and eaten something anyway!

beeble that is rubbish. I wish so much that men could actually for a minute understand what this is like for us. Our whole minds and bodies are consumed with what we are trying to do and thee is so much to fret about. All we need is them to keep the hugs and re-assurance coming and NOT SNORE!

kyria I understand your frustration! I think this is worse for you because you have the coursework problem too. I would not be able to concentrate at all in your shoes!

yomping I am so happy that things are finally getting going for you. I really really hope you get the homebirth you so want. Will be keeping everything crossed for you. Xx

as much as I knew that the due date is irrellevant really, I do feel a bit disappointed that it has come and gone with no sign of anything. When it is your second time, people tell you endless stories about how second babies are always early, so I guess I secretly thought that I wouldn't be so late this time. Nevermind. Got to try and be patient. And I only have to get through tomorrow and then I will have some help with my wee man over the weekend. He has been so sweet tonight reading stories about new babies and getting so touchingly excited about it all. God I hope it lasts...

At the clinic waiting for my cervix check. Keep having fantasy mental image of my water breaking during the exam.

Walked the mall for nearly two hours today. Not sure if I will make it to yoga tonight. Will if I can manage a nap between now and then.

hi ladies, catching up on all fours and typing lying on my left as my due date suprise has been a naughty baby who is apparently turning the wrong way and may be going back to back!! Poor bubs, not his fault really, more naughty mummy who has been slouching on sofa. Hi Bella, DD buddy, sounds like u have had a rough couple of days, hugs!!

londonmrs, i am the same about the maternal instimct worries- I was slightly horrified when midwife mentioned doing a sweep today - i am think i anti change, I am not uncomfortable enough yet to want to do the labor and the lack of sleep/caring for new born thing yet....i know most other people can't wait to get their babies out by now, so feel like a bit of a weirdo.

yomping, i hope u get the home birth u want - u sound pretty confident of your dates, I can feel when i ovulate as well, and i would trust my dates more than the scan, but it's easy to start 2nd guessing yourself....keeping my fingers crosed this is it for you, so the dates wont matter anyway.

Congrats to all yesterday's babies, master midge, baby huffle and baby lizzietow. :)

Hugs to beeble and everyone else having a tough time of it, glad u r back to your spritely self, cherry.

Everything slowed down overnight, boo! Got about 4 hrs sleep but DH breathing noisily enough to wake the dead so have given up trying to sleep for the rest of the night . I seem to be a bit backwards, as contractions have started again now I am up, isn't it normally the other way around?

Gearing up for a mammoth morning of ultrasound to check placenta, second sweep (interested to see what all those contractions yesterday actually did) and possibly another trace. Not that I have anything else much to do!

This is the first time I have ever posted on my phone luddite

Hope everyone else is sleeping soundly

Morning everyone ? forgive me for not name checking but?

MY WATERS BROKE THIS MORNING!!!!

Yes holy crap that was not supposed to happen yet. It was a 2am ? I turned over in bed and everything just started to leak out of me and I went down to the bathroom and they just came out everywhere?thank god for a tiled floor

Went back up to to DH and said ?don?t want to freak you out but my waters have just broken? and phoned Triage. Popped up to the hospital and have been monitored & had an internal and of course, baby is still nowhere near being engaged & cervix is closed Bad baby?

So they wanted me to stay in but I argued that I?d get better rest at home but heading back out there by either lunchtime or if I don?t feel baby moving ? whichever comes sooner. And it?s likely I?m going to have to have an induction to kick things off which positively SUCKS I have very little idea about what happens with inductions but am aware they are not the most pleasant way to go into labour

Was so expecting to be late so bit freaked out but also trying to keep calm and relax?don?t know if I?ll be able to sleep now, I suspect not!!

OH my days Loopy, Congratulations!!! Hope something starts happening for you soon...

My waters are yet to break. DTD last night, rest of my plug came away, and have been up since midnight with period pains and stitchlike pains in bump; I wouldn't say they are contractions but is there much difference??? Am going to have two paracetomol and get in the bath... if that doesn't do anything then I will ring the hospital. I am hoping things are moving along , its DFIL's birthday today and it would be wonderful if we could present him with a grandchild rather than a box of posh biscuits!!

A bit off topic, but what do you buy an 83 year old retired farmer for his birthday?

Bloody hell Loopy...and you told mine to behave itself and stay put!!

Hope all goes well - will be thinking of you (albeit tinged with jealousy!)

My ankles are driving me crackers - swelled up yesterday morning (BP at midwife yesterday afternoon was spot on at 120/74 so I know it's not that) and had about 5 extra creases in them by the time I went to bed!

This morning my ankles weren't quite as swollen (although they're ballooning as I type) but the whole of the top of my feet are now tight and swollen. Between them and my pelvis I must look funny when I walk!

morning all.

Hope all of that goes well for you today yomping. Will be thinking of you.

loopy hope the rest of your body catches up with your waters! Good luck today.

mickey good luck to you too. You must be fed up of all the stopping and starting!

Well, I am off to hospital for them to do a test to see if my waters have broken or not. Had a leak this morning and yesterday morning and my MW encouraged me to phone hospital. Hospital midwife was really brusque and dismissive and then part way throug the call, said 'yes, you do need to come in' so I ended up having a blub once I came off the phone. I HATE the way they make you feel like you are wasting their time/worrying for nothing when you are following instructions from another midwife! So my poor DH has travelled all the way to Carlisle this morning and is now on the way back. Poor guy. I am sure it will end up being nothing, but better get it checked out just incase.

Love to you all xx

Hi ladies, been admitted to antenatal ward - guess I'm not leaving now unless its with a baby!!

Kyrria sorry for jumping the queue. I had convinced myself that I'd be late !! Trying not to think how much I'm not mentally prepared for this little person!

How exciting loopy. Don't fear induction, it isn't always awful and you may just need a bit of gel to get the cervix moving. Can't wait to hear back from you. I still feel like I have been run over but baby midget snuffling next to me makes up for it. Begged to be discharged yesterday but now wonder if I should have just stayed put. Big waves to all the babies on the inside....

Wow loopy! Good luck! You too Yomping- will be excited about news from both of you.
Well I'm 39 weeks today and still nothing. My mum had her babies at 39 + 1 so hoped I might be an early bird too, but considering I haven't felt even the slightest twinge of anything, it's looking like this baby is staying put. I wonder who'll be the last on this thread... I'm thinking it'll be me!
Went to see Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day last night and even Robert Plant couldn't send me into labour- which just proves he isn't what he used to be.

and to my due date buddy LondonMrs!

Ugh. Its all stopped again. Definately getting fed up with this :-(
good luck loopy- and yomping!!!

Hey ladies, nothing much new to report here apart from... drum roll.... I am typing this in a computer with an internet connection and I have a phone line! At last, only 7 weeks since I moved in?! Had a lovely long chat to my big sister in Australia yesterday. She's had two kids and had pretty good labours with both so it helped to hear her advice. She did say she loved her TENS machine though, and I'm now wondering whether I should have invested in one. Seeing as it's the only other method of pain relief I'll be allowed (other than epidural and warm water )

Went for a walk along the river yesterday in VERy strong winds (gusts of 80mph apparently) which combined with late-pregnancy Weebleness was not a great combo, but I did manage to stay upright. Spent all day at the clinic on Wednesday waiting for the scan. Which showed everything was fine and good levels of amniotic fluid around the baby still. have to go back in on Saturday for a trace then they'll induce on Mon/Tuesday if it still hasn't arrived. I asked about a sweep and was told they'll only do it once your cervix has started to efface and dilate. Which mine hasn't, grr.

In other news, facon italienne has resumed now DH has had 'prior notice' but it's been quite hurty over the last week. Can't work out why, anyone else get that?

Also, I have developed the most revolting eczema on my chin. It's been coming on for quite a few weeks and I've been putting aqueous cream on it, but am off to the doctor now to get some steroid cream as it's get a lot worse.

Orenishii I'm in France and they work your dates out differently here. My due date was still Oct 17th it's just I only worked out my UK dates recently and realised I was over 41 weeks, which makes me feel better about being induced if I need to be induced.

LoopyLa and Yomping Hope today is the day for you both! Good luck!

Kyyria I haven't had the feet swelling yet, but yesterday my fingers swelled up while listening to the hypnobollocks. Now wearing my wedding rings on a chain round my neck.

FjordMor So great to hear from you! You sound a lot better, but I'm sure it's still impossibly hard work. That's great you've had lots of BF support, I really hope it works out. I hope I didn't sound like I was trying to discourage you from BF last time, I just didn't want you to feel bad if it didn't work out.

Man, this is so much easier than typing everything out on a phone...

Goodness ? it?s all go on this thread. Meanwhile, at my house, the excitement of the day has been Mr Sainsburys and the handymen putting up curtain rails. I must say that I am beyond delighted to finally have the curtain rails up in our room (we?ve just had crappy Venetian blinds) and in the baby room and finally have the bathroom cabinet on the wall AND (paranoidLivvy here) they?ve fixed the door latch on the baby room so the cat can?t just push it open and sit on her whilst she?s sleeping.

yomping I think your OH may be right ? being the centre of attention is somewhat unavoidable. Though I?m told once the LO is here, you?re secondary! Hope the sweep went ok and some progress has been made without you knowing it?

Kyyria any luck with concentration? I am giving myself the deadline of DF coming home tonight to finish the blasted stuff. Sorry too re swollen ankles and glad you reassured me re the blood pressure cos otherwise I?d have been muttering at you about going to get checkedout! Oh and as for looking funny when you walk, DF told me last night that I?ve started to waddle. Thanks. He also said he?d never known me to walk so slowly. True.

bella Do keep us posted re the waters / not waters scenario. I hope you do get some rest over the weekend at least? Good timing to have support looking after DS?

beeble good effort on the two hour walk! I told DF I?d walked 5 miles on Wednesday and he looked horrifed (visions of me giving birth in a forest, I suspect). I?ve reassured him I was no further than half a mile from a house at any point and I DID have my mobile on me? the Mall seems a little safer though!

Beccus I?ve been wondering whether my baby has moved ?as could this be why I?m suddenly getting evil heartburn having not had it before? Humn. Less sofa tme I think?

Oooh loopy re the dramatic gush of waters. Proper Hollywood style? How exciting. And as ** said, a pessary can suffice to get things started ? you?re not necessarily in oxytocin drip land yet. And I?m told once your baby is here you couldn?t give a stuff about how it got here!

Mickey I can?t believe you?re getting all these signs! But I can well imagine that this stop start business must be super frustrating.

LondonMrsS Boo re lack of progress too, even though I?m kinda glad that someone else is hanging on in there. I shall be the last, I suspect, as Mickey is making cracking progress and I?m due 1st Nov. And, based on my sisters & mothers, our girl will need to e forcibly extracted on the 11th November (or whenever the hospital let us run to).

smorgs I feel like I want to break out the champagne!!!! Crikey that?s taken a long time. Hurrah for that though. And hurrah for sisterly positive stories.

Shitty day. Can I vent? Will try to keep it brief but this is me so I will inevitably fail.

Ultrasound showed polyhydramnios (above average levels of amniotic fluid). Only very marginally above average, I now know, but they didn't say that and took it very seriously and scared us a lot.

Trace showed very wriggly baby and contractions every 4 mins or so. Contractions today are definitely getting fucking painful more powerful and closer together than yesterday.

Sweep today much more uncomfortable, showed some progress but not bloody much considering a whole day-and-a-bit of contractions since last one.

Was then seen (after hanging around for ages) by horrible consultant, she and people like her are the reason I hate hospitals. She was very brusque, she said polyhydramnios means risk of waters breaking in violent way which could jiggle baby out of position and result in something else descending before the head - worst case scenario, the cord. She said this combined with higher than normal blood pressure makes me high risk and they would recommend I be induced today but of course, it's your choice. She said they would not support homebirth anymore. I said surely this is up to my midwife. She huffed and said very unlikely my midwife would still support homebirth as I am now high risk.

What consultant tried to scare me into thinking:
Massively elevated fluid levels
High blood pressure
Baby could be damaged during birth due to high risk of cord prolapse
Baby is massive
Induction needs to happen NOW NOW NOW!

What I know with my calm head on, having looked carefully at my notes and done some research:
Fluid levels are a tiny tiny amount in the "risk" zone (deepest pool of fluid is only 6mm bigger than the 8cm cut off point between "normal" and "high risk")
My blood pressure is always higher than average and it was a hugely stressful situation - it came back down at the end.
Baby is mostly engaged
Contractions are progressing (oof, can definitely confirm that!)
Baby is happy and moving lots
Baby is probably going to be larger than normal as I'm overdue
I am still low risk

It's so easy to panic and get scared though

I'm starting to hate this. Nearly fell to pieces on way out of hospital at thought of homebirth, waterbirth, any sort of calm non-labour-ward birth disappearing, and terrifying (for me) labour-ward, obstetric-led birth becoming reality.

Have updated my midwife after calming down and having a thorough look at my notes and doing some research. She is still happy to support homebirth. Made me cry with relief.

I do know that as long as baby is fine it doesn't matter how he/she is delivered, please don't think I'm being bolshy just for the sake of it. I'm just trying very hard to hold on to my beliefs in the face of increasing pressure and negativity from hospital personnel who just look at numbers and categories and don't assess the risk for THIS baby, who from the ultrasound and traces is clearly thriving and about to be born imminently, yet they want to induce .

Sorry to write such a lot of self indulgent, me me me stuff . It just helps to write it down and then inflict it on others . Thank you for listening, have some on me. Am having evil contractions now but I know I'm not very dilated and there is a long way to go, so going to build a den on sofa and watch Wall.E to cheer myself up.

Loopy, go you, look forward to hearing news!

That really was long, and overly detailed - can I blame my slight autism???. Sorry, no need to have posted all of that, the gist would have done.

Sending hugs yomping - pleased you've got a lovely and supportive midwife.

londonlivvy still no further forward with coursework. Have got a serious case of the can't-be-arseds

Oh Yomping, that is infuriating. Good for you for remaining rational. 99% of the time, I think the NHS is extraordinarily good and we are incredibly lucky to have it. Then there is occasionally some asshole who just wants to frighten people into doing what they are told in order to make their own life easier. Makes me really angry because the reason we have choices is that, as opposed to someone who is sick, we are pregnant- this is a natural process, not a medical one (until it needs to be and then of course, we'd all say 'Do what you need to do to keep me and my baby safe'). Reminds me of that midwife who, when I went in with reduced movement at 27 weeks, told me I shouldn't be there and if I do it again they'll start thinking about early induction. She was just pissed off because I'd created more work. I understand that they are short staffed, stressed and mostly doing an amazing job. But fuck off if you think you can treat someone like shit just because they've asked you to do your job.
Try and relax if you can. It sounds like things are moving and your body knows what it's doing- your baby will come when it's ready. It's great that your midwife is supportive- it also gives you someone to trust because then if she starts to seem worried, you will be inclined to take her advice.
Christ I'm so rational when advising someone else and in my head I'm thinking 'my own body is never bloody going to do anything!'.

Happy due date to me! Of course, no sign of anything happening. Have had a walk and now dancing around to the Kylie tour which we have on Sky Plus. Would love to be able to use that as a reason for going into labour! The MW also told me that if I do have to be induced it will be on Halloween

Yomping I can't believe the consultant! Well I can, but thank goodness you were calm enough to be able to research properly and have a supportive MW. I think you are being very reasonable in your attempts to have the birth you want, whilst taking into account medical opinion.

Mickey Sorry it's so stop, start, I feel your frustration, sending you , surely in the circumstances you deserve it.

Londonmrs Shocked by the Robert Plant revelation, I hope he's very disappointed with himself.

Good luck Loopy.

Hope it is your waters Bella and things are getting started.

Congrats to our new arrivals and those on the way.

don't apologise yomping that is what we are here for, and I love reading your posts. I admire you so much for having prepared so well and for having the balls to stick to your guns. I let a MW make me cry this morning just because she was a bit dismissive-I am pathetic and wish I had the faith in myself that you do. Well done on doing all your research. Whee do you go from here? Has your MW given you a cut off date? Or just taking it as it comes? I had a massive stoppy starty phase before DS was born and it really was torture. I so feel for you (and you too mickey hang in there!) i bizarrely ended yp watching christmas films in a weird attempt to cheer myself up! Ha ha! But I am weird about how much I love Christmas, even in October! Keep us posted, and write as much as you like! Xx

livvy hurrah for curtain rails! That mental list of 'what you need to do before the baby comes' is so satsfying to tick off isn't it? Thank you for your good wishes this morning.

It was a false alarm for me. They did a test similar to a smear and she said that TMI alert: i just have an excessive amount of watery discharge which is what I have been confusing with being incontinant or waters leaking. Not a terribly pleasant experience, especially as my DS cried when I was taken into an examination room, but at least I can stop worrying about that.

So...back home now to hope something starts soon. So hard to be patient isn't it? Especially when contractions etc doesn't even necessarily mean birth is imminent. MW told me that many second labours can be v. Stop starty so not to get too excited if things ramp up quickly as it may stop again just as suddenly. This stresses me out enormously as I can't bear the thought of having to try and hide the pain from my DS if noone is here to help me with him. I feel so guilty about being so distracted and pre-occupied all the time. We did take him to the museum after the hospital so that has eased my guilt a bit!