Due in October 2012 - Part 9...the final few waddling uncomfortably and hoping things start moving soon!

[Kyyria]

Just getting us sorted with a (hopefully) final thread before we all decamp to the PN thread!!

londonmrss from what I have read proper "labour contractions" tend to be felt in the lower back rather than abdomen...like cherry says it sounds promising. Will keep everything crossed for you (well, not everything as I'm keen on getting this little one out myself!! )

I need a general rant. It's so annoying when companies blatantly lie to you. Waited in for a delivery yesterday - was in all day. Nothing showed. Response from the ASDA direct "we contacted the carrier and they attempted delivery yesterday at 3pm and left a calling card as no-one was in".

Not only was I in the house all day but I was doing coursework at the dining table...with a view out of the window of the path at the front of the property that people have to walk down (and past the window) to get to the front door! I can also see the front door from where I'm sitting. There is no sign of a delivery card and I would have been able to get up and open the door before they had chance to finish pushing it through the letterbox!!

Have now sent ASDA and the delivery company a hormonal pregnant lady rant! Grrrr!

Also told them that I will be in all day tomorrow (when they are supposed to redeliver) sitting in exactly the same place so they better not try pulling the "we tried to deliver but no-one was in" trick again...wonder if that means karma will kick in and i'll go into labour tonight and therefore be out at hospital tomorrow when they try and deliver?!?!?

Londonmrss That sounds like proper labour love. All the contractions i've been getting have been in my lower back too. Think it's later on when you feel them everywhere. Good luck!!!!

Kyyria I HATE it when they do that. Bloody lazy delivery drivers

ooooh, londonmrs, i'd be getting excited if i were u!! :)

So, my sweep was a bit sh1t, really. My cervix is effacing and soft, which i suppose is good, but only open at one end and still closed at the other, so midwife couldn't do the sweep :( And apparently i have a posterior cervix, which is more unccomfortable to palpate as they have to go around the baby's head to get to it...so, that will be fun when they attempt the next 2 sweeps and then examine me in labour....tbh, it wasn't actually that bad.

And, just to annoy me further, they can't fit me in for induction on halloween as promised at 41+6, it has to either be 30th Oct or 4th Nov. I dont really want to wait until 4th of nov, but am upset that induction on 30/10 means baby loses a day to come of his/her own accord. Hopefully one of the other ladies booked in for 31/10 will deliver before then and i can have her spot. Think i am probably being slightly ridiculous obsessing over a day, but i can't help it. 41+6 makes me happier than 41+5 - 41+5 is next tuesday!! Not much time for cervix to efface, open and bubs to come out!!

Midwife was really lovely, and agreed to book me in for a sweep on sat and then mon - i think they are normally 3 days apart, and said she was confident the shop would be open for business by saturday.

So, I basically feel I am almost a week overdue and as though i am not making much progress - why am i still closed at 41+6 when other ladies have sweeps and are open at 40 weeks? :( Self absorbed rant over....

Just munched some pineapple and might go for a stompy walk around the park. Hope others are having a better day.

Good luck smorgs, thinking of you. Give them hell kyrria, i wish i had something to get angry over, i am sure i would feel better for it :)

cherry, glad u r chilling, sorry to hear you feel like u r not progressing too :(

Not much to report here. Pains came back every 5 mins for a few hours. Then stopped again and I got another hour's kip (which is good after no sleep last night). Hoping they'll start again soon.
Not really sure what's going on- think it's going to be a long couple of days. Just wish it was either definitely go go go, or would stop completely until tomorrow morning when I'll be a bit more refreshed. Right now, I feel like I've taken ecstasy, not slept or eaten for 48 hours and am just beginning my comedown. Which would be ok, except I haven't had a bloody baby yet! Also feel like I've wasted a day of hubby's work leave because he's been with me all day.
Sorry for the self-indulgent moaning. Much love to you all.

oh beccus that is a bit shit. I am not surprised you feel upset. I can totally share your frustration at being a week over and no sign of anything. I have a sweep in the morning so am hoping that might do something! I didn't expect to be this impatient-you are doing so well at still hoping for baby to do it him or herself and wanting to give it the full two weeks. I feel like I would accept induction tomorrow if they would do it!

londonmrs feeling for you. What a confusing day of stops and starts. I really hope things get going for you properly once you have had a rest. Thinking of you and sending lots of good luck!

kyria that is rubbish! We had a bad experience with Tesco direct-i think the big companies that use outside courriers are often really unreliable. You must be so cross. How is the coursework? How are your ankles?

livvy love it that you are all loved up, that is really sweet! I think going through all of this together does bring you closer.

cherry sorry things haven't progressed yet-fingers crossed it gets going soon for you.

Still nothing here...ho hum.

bella - coursework is a non-starter. Just really not in the mood...too uncomfortable to concentrate!! Will try again tomorrow (famous last words!)

Ankles are still sore and swollen - got DH to massage them last night which seemed to help bring them down a bit over night but still tight and uncomfortable. Going to sit with them up for the evening.

A tip- get a contraction timer app for your phone. I'm finding it really useful.
Am back to 60 seconds every 6-7 minutes. Ouch.

londonmrss that sounds reassuring - hopefully things will continue from here rather than fizzling out again x

AAARRRGGGHHHH! HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF BEING FAT, FRUMPY, UNCOMFORTABLE, SORE, BEING UNABLE TO SIT DOWN OR STAND UP WITHOUT MAJOR PLANNING, LACK OF SLEEP AND GENERALLY FEELING CRAP!!

For all that is holy I just want to feel normal again!

At what point is it acceptable practice to stick your hand up your fanjo and pull the little darling out??

Can't imagine how those who are over feel - this one is due Sunday and I think I may very well burst into tears if he doesn't arrive!! The thought of going over just really doesn't appeal!

Rant over

Hi Ladies,
Just gate crashing to say that 7 years ago I was cwtching my 12 hour old baby girl.
The first 6 weeks were chaotic and then the next few months a steep learning curve.
And now... oh wow! my gorgeous, gappy toothed, bossy, affectionate, chatty little girl is the light of my life. Enjoy this bit, because the next bit flies, but it is so, so good!!!
Apologies for the interruption!

jazz hands< baby Frederick arrived yesterday about 9pm! He's 2.9kg.

It was, as predicted, a fairly highly medicalised French style labour but you know what? It was totally fine and I was very well looked after. The epodural was amazing - spent most of labour feeling like i was coming down off E in some chill out room!? Bit sore now though but have a few days here in the clinic. He fed well straight away and has been asleep ever since... Wondering whether to wake him for another feed or make the most of the quiet time He's so gorgeous I secretly just want another cuddle.

Congrats smorgs - that's fantastic news

Welcome little Frederick x

Congratuations Smorgs that?s fantastic news! As you say, whether or not it was a medicalised birth matters not when you have your fab son with you. Enjoy!

LondonMrsS I hope we hear exciting news soon?

Kyyria I hope the delivery folk turn up today. And I hope some of your ailments ease. Sounds properly rubbish.

Beccus I?m glad you had such a lovely midwife but boo re being overdue. Hope the stomp / pineapple do the trick.

bella hope the sweep does the trick.

After an absolutely manic day of socialization and jobs yesterday I finally sat down on my own for some quiet time about 6pm and wanted to cry I was so tired and my hips were agony. I wanted to go to bed but stayed up to be sociable to DF. Which turned out to be a good plan as around 9.30 I got a call saying that he was stuck as someone had nicked his wheels from his bike while he was at uni and could I come and get him from x station. Ooof. Anyway, I slept like the dead last night and only woke up 3 or 4 times and so feeling quite good today.

Meanwhile I found myself looking at a cycle race in the Alps for next July and wondering whether I could be fit enough to do it. I am crazy. I am about to have a new baby and will certainly not have 15 hours a week to train for it. Sigh. Must get my head around the fact that my life is about to change. Dramatically.

londonlivvy I hope delivery folk turn up too...will scream blue murder if they say they tried to deliver and no-one was in! They're supposedly coming any time between 8am and 7pm...I'm not planning on going anywhere! Sounds like you had a shattering day yesterday - hope today is a bit more chilled

Midwife is visiting this morning so going to have a chat with her about pelvis and swollen ankles - can't imagine there's much more she can suggest but it's worthwhile asking. Had a disturbed night compared with the last week or so, but don't feel too bad today

Going to have a quick run around with the hoover and tidy up before midwife gets here.

Congratulations Smorgs, and welcome to Frederick! So glad you're happy with how it went. You sound very calm and chilled, long may it continue!

I lost my mucus plug this morning! I know it doesn't necessarily mean much, but it's certainly brought reality home to me.
On top of that, I think I've been having contractions. Last night they were coming regularly, but not very frequently (maybe every hour or so?) all night. Today they are just very occasional, but they're really painful! I wasn't expecting them to be so painful so early on. I hope this doesn't go on for days. At least they're only short at the moment.
So today, I'm hurrying to finish off all the work stuff I need to do before it all kicks off. All baby stuff is ready, could do with cleaning the house though

morning!

smorgs that is wonderful! I love the name Frederick! Sooooo happy for you that he has made it at last.

livvy I am sorry you had a low patch. You deserve one as you have been so good at staying positive and cheering the rest of us on. I can see that it must be really hard to accept that races and the training time will be hard to fit in for a while. It may not be impossible though. I used to run the great north run every year and had to cancel my place the year after DS was born. i am hoping to be able to do it again even though I know finding the time to train will be hard. One of the hardest things about having a baby from my POV is how the woman's life is completely turned on it's head. Work, hobbies, socialising, your body, your mind all shift. I found myself feeling reeally resentful towards DH who still had a semblence of a pattern to his life going to work and playing rugby. But once I got the hang of the baby stuff and feelt more in control I was in no rush to go back to work and I think he felt envious of me and the bond I had with DS. And then as they get older it is so much easier to share out the care/ house chores/ time for exercise hobbies. You do become like a tag team, but it works for us. (or did work- god knows what we are going to do with two of them! Aaaaaaaaagh!)

kyria hope delivery comes and that you feel less frustrated. Total total sympathy on your 'I am sick of pregnancy' rant! I feel like that a lot of the time now too!

Got my sweep at 11 so am praying that the MW says something positive to me! I have only 2 days left before hoards of family arrive and DH goes on annual leave. The pressure!!

oh cherry that is brilliant! I hope all goes well for you. We are here if you need us xxx

and I forgot to wave my pompoms for londonmrs hope you have exciting news soon!

mickey are you there? Has your little one arrived? Hope you are ok xx

congrats, smorgs!! Your news has really cheered me up as I seem to be heading down induction route myself - if giving birth with induction and epidural is like coming down off an e in a chill out room, i think i can manage that. Maybe i should take some doof doof music with me :)

Thanks Bella, hope your sweep goes well and like huffle, you unexpectedly find you are dilated a few or many cm :)

livvy, i found that i needed a little rest for a day or 2 between hectic socialsiing activites at the begining of my mat leave - it does get too knackering if it's every day, one thing after another and no rest time.

oooh, cherry, excited for u, but hope u r not too uncomfortable.

good luck with the ankles, kyrria

where are orenshi and mickey? hope they r cuddled upwith their babies

off to look at the postivive induction story thread, then have a cookathon for my friend who is coming to lunch tomorrow with her little 3 week old baby.

oh, and i bumped into another mummy from preggo yoga when i went for my stomp in the park - she said to roll my feel over a rolling pin and give mylsef some reflexology to bring on labor - i thought that was a good tip :)

Congratulations Smorgs!! Very happy for you!!

Hi Bella and Beccus Yes I'm still here, with no baby :( Obviously my psychic doula was wrong. I'm so tired. I was SO active yesterday.. Went for a big walk, took the doggy to visit everyone at work, did some shopping, came home, made cakes, and bounced on my ball. All evening! Really really thought that might've done it. I might go on strike today and veg on the sofa all day. Except the dog is looking at me with those gorgeous puppy dog eyes.. she really wants a walk.

Londonlivvy I am also totally loved up in DP at the moment. It's a bit wierd when he goes to work and I realise how much I miss him. [hhmm]

Cherry Wooo! How exciting!!

Londonmrss I hope things moved along for you and you are now holding your LO.

I have the midwife tomorrow... Do you think she'll give me an early sweep to try and get things moving along again? I'm only 38 weeks. I doubt it.
I changed our bed sheets last night in the hope that sods law would dictate that my waters would break all over my new, clean sheets. But even that didn't work!!

Kyyria I hope you feel a little better today. Big hugs.

Well my midwife has just been and my awkward child is showing absolutely no interest in wanting to exit any time soon. Still only 4/5 engaged. Have got another mw appt in a week at which point they will make an appt for a sweep at 40+7 if he still hasn't shown, a follow up sweep at 40+10 and then induction any point from 40+12.

Really hoping he makes an appearance by himself before I get to that stage.

I asked her about tips for dealing with swollen ankles/feet and he best tip was "give birth"...thanks for that!!

kyria that is not very helpful advice for your swollen ankles, you poor thing! Sorry you are not further on.

I am gutted because my midwife couldn't do the sweep. She said that although the baby is heavily engaged (1/5th and has been for weeks) and the cervix is effacing, it is still posterior so she couldn't reach it. So I have to have another go at a sweep with her on Monday and then am booked in for induction next Wednesday which will give baby one day to still be an October baby :-(. So so disappointed. So much for second babies coming easier, cervixes being all prepped and ready to go the second time around etc etc. And I can't even have a bloody good cry about it as I have my DS to entertain who bless him, is like a little limpet at the minute. Plus we have millions of family descending on us tomorrow who have spent a small fortune on a massive holiday cottage in the village next to ours expecting to be coming to meet a baby.

beccus when is your induction date? Which one did you go for? It will be funny if we are still due date buddies! Did your attempt a t a sweeo hurt? Mine really hurt and I don't remember it hurting last time. Ouch.

Sorry to be so miserable, I just SO hoped things would be straightforward for me this time and here I go again with interventions galore. I know a healthy baby at the end of it all is all that matters and that it may still happen naturally but it is so hard to focus on that.

Hugs to all of you waiting too. X

oh bella, sorry your sweep was sh1t, too :(. I also have posterior facing cervix which midwife said makes for a more uncomfortable sweep. It was uncomfortable more than painful - it was just really weird to have her prodding around in there with a baby's head in the way and i think me expecting worse discomfort or pain to come was the biggest issue - i had to really concentrate to relax, had my eyes shut, was doing labor breathing, thinking happy thoughts, etc, and it was better once i relaxed.

I think the harder u find it to relax, the more painfull it will be. Also, i think the midwife needs to know what she is doing with our posterior cervixes - mine asked me to do some manoveure's to help her, eg. wriggle my bum down toward her while she was poking about and also asked me to make fists with my hands and put them under my bum to give my pelvis more of a tilt. She was also really supportive with her voice, calming and saying i was doing well, etc.

It's shit she couldn't reach and do your sweep, but you could be happily dilating away in there without knowing it.

I have more sweeps attempted on sat and mon and they currently think they will have to induce me on 30th as 31st--3rd are fully booked. I'm hoping there will be a last minute cancellation on 31st so bubs can have an extra day to get out on his/her own.

Just spent a small fortune at sainsburys for lunch tomorrow when friend with new baby comes over and on other things i can cook up for her to take away and also made plans to go to pub tomorrow nite and have produced a grotty bit of mucus plug for making plans that will hopfeully need to be cancelled :)

Here is an acupressure link: .

Going to spend pm cooking, bouncing on ball, rolling feet on rolling pin and do some acupressure - i need to find the upper body points as well

Come on baby!!

Big wave to all the ladies in waiting.

I just wanted to pop in and tell you about my experiences of induction just in case you end up that way...

Induced twice. one with an epidural which required no additional intervention and the one without epidural which ended up with lots. If I were to do it all again there is no way I would fear an epidural. Like Smorgs said it makes the process so much more manageable although gas and air made me also trip out like I was on e but then the bastards take it away from you for second stage!

Anyway I just hoped my experiences would help as I know it is never the path we choose. We need you all over on the other thread. Will be checking in to see how you are all getting in. Best go rub my sore boobs with lanolin. Sexy...

Pops in and drops off a pan of brownies and waves... No I didn't have time to bake, they are store bought.

Congratulations smorgs!

And good luck to everyone still waiting. See you on the other side!