November 2012 - but that starts on Thursday

[StuntNun]

Previous ante-natal thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1593492-November-2012-babies-arriving-thick-and-fast

Post-natal thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1579907-November-2012-babies-are-here-at-last

The flap jack recipe I used was from BBC Good Food - apricot and pecan. I changed it though. I make double (put most in the freezer) and swapped the pecans for mixed nuts, seeds and berries from Aldi. Makes it more like meausli bars. Om nom

Fear not ladies, I'm still pregnant!

Had a busy day. Decided my inlaws aren't all bad. They've chilled out greatly since they got here and spending time with them has helped me learn a lot about some of DH's 'erratic behaviour'. They're also bloody excellent at amusing themselves and their desire to eat out lots is allowing me to indulge in lots of calories and lovely food!! (Breastfeeding reserves...)

Their dog is lovely too. I want to keep her. She's a tiny little collie. Looks like a fox, size of a young puppy but she turned 1 last week. She's just the most adorable little thing!! I'm now broody for another puppy, although having spet the past few months being sensible and telling DH to wait till next Summer, I really must heed my own advice.

Last ante-natal class this afternoon. A woman who we'd been quite friendly with the whole way through's waters broke on her way to the class! She's due 3 days after me !!

Congrats to caped - saw the photo on fb, she's beautiful!!

FC drugs make things easier for you tits - the treatment you have received so far has been nothing short of abysmal. I'm another one very angry on your behalf!

Oh and MIL has bought us a Medala (sp?) electric breast pump.

Tonight at the parenting class I am going to ask the following:

What the difference is between ventouse and forceps?
How they actually induce labour? At what stage do they induce? Can they do it without breaking waters?
Em, what else was I wondering about?

Hia mm I was starting to wonder if you had gone into in-law induced labour!

Puppy sounds adorable.

And from what I know ( which is shite all) the Medela Swing is the Mercedes of breast pumpage.

Haha pass - it was a close call over the weekend. My control freak stress levels were through the roof! I packed them off into Edinburgh for the day today. In small doses they are lovely, if a little full on!

Will try and post a pic of pup in fb group. I'm more of a gun-dog girl personally, but she is beautiful!

Congratulations Caped Another little baby!

Tits At least you're in drug heaven, it's one less thing to worry about, let that keep you going until Wednesday and we'll all keep our fingers crossed for you.

Just looked at my arse, what's the line in-between bum cheeks all about? Mine goes right up the crack from top to bottom, does that mean I'm in full labour then [hgrin]

Hope everyone is keeping OK, I had the rat bag moods last week, but am feeling much better today.

Congrats caped She looks beautiful

Yes it does feel like the pregnant ladies are in the minority now. Every time I check the thread another one of you has popped. I'll probably be the last one standing.

MM I want another puppy as well. Apart from the sofa eating incident my Lab has really calmed down a lot in the last few months and I think it would be nice for him to have a little friend. Like you we have been talking about getting another maybe next summer. Let's get baby here first then see how things are. DP wants a Jack Russell or a Spaniel.

Now off out for my antenatal class. Final one next week!

shelly I couldn't work out this line malarkey either. I have a line where my cheeks rub together because I have a childbearing arse!

Detective Entertainment Service, at your, um service Shanelle

Eeeeeh. Home sweet home. All fine except I'm quite sure my BP is somewhere in the heavens scan was fine, I am growing an APPROPRIATE sized baby! As the sonographer pointed out . Est. weight 6lb11 (3kg) today, and I am 39+2. So that is FINE! I feel more positive now to be honest, as I feel that I am growing a baby that I have a good chance of giving birth to, as opposed to DS who for whatever reason was an almighty struggle. CTG's were all perfect today. So . Movements completely back to normal, so I'm quite sure yesterday was 'one of those things'.

I was home hours ago btw, I have just been sleeping, due to only getting 2 hours last night! Sorry

Tits Induction process goes something like this - assess cervix using something called a Bishops Score. The higher the number the better the chance of successful induction, and the type of induction agent used will depend on the score (and the protocol at the hospital). Typically a Bishops Score of 6-7 or under would require an induction agent, ie: gel or pessary. Above that then it is possible to break waters usually. The main aim of the gel/pessary is to get the cervix to either labour itself, or be ripe enough to break waters and then use the hormone drip should the breaking of membranes not be enough to get labour going. Usual procedure is to wait for 2 hours after breaking waters before starting hormone drip if regular contractions don't commence.

So, in answer to your question - it is quite possible that the only way to induce your labour would be to break your waters. It is potentially dangerous and not usual practice to use the drip without waters being broken. Occasionally you think you have broken the waters and then put the drip up to find later down the line that the membranes are still present around babies head. This isn't ideal though, and at the point you realised this, you would need to break them.

It sounds as if your ideal induction would be a Bishops Score of 5/6, have a gel or pessary, which encourages contractions and makes your dilate, and then spontaneously rupture your membranes as you are pushing! It could go that way - some times they do! But there is no guarantee as it all depends on your cervix! Basically, you are much more likely to need them broken in an induction process. You are right in saying that after having them broken the pain is more intense - the head is no longer cushioned against the cervix, thus the pain feels increased. However it has been proven in research to speed up labour - so pain for longer vs. increased intensity in pain but shorter labour.

Disclaimer: I'm tired, so some of this may not make sense! And I have baby brain!

For my induction last week I specified in my Birth Preferences that I didn't want my waters broken artificially if the pessaries etc were working. I think once they break the waters they add the drip in to reduce chance of infection, although you can ask them to give it a chance to work alone, I think I would have had an hour or so after the waters.

It turned out to be a moot point as the pessaries etc didn't even bring my cervix forward enough to try and break the waters. But you can certainly request that at each stage you are given the chance to progress further naturally.

Tits Some times it is just the sample - I had a UTI, I felt I had one - did a dipstick, all the indicators were there. But then the next day the sample I did for the midwife showed nothing. She sent the sample off any way as I was symptomatic. And it came back with a confirmed UTI.

I did my own dipstick when she went, and there wasn't anything in it either!

I can't explain!

Although did the midwife this morning use the full dipstick, or just one which looks for protein and glucose?

Pass and Shelly I just found this website that seemed to explain quite a few things about measuring labour including the purple butt line! The way I understand it now is that maybe the purple line is a lot thicker in labour, perhaps.

wonderfullymadebelliesandbabies.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/dilation-how-to-check-without-checking.html?m=1

Detective put it much better!

Also congratulations Caped on your lovely new baby. I'm sure you will soon be back on your feet but make sure you take care of yourself too so you can enjoy it all the more (I am trying to follow this advice myself!)

Congratulations Caped she is gorgeous!! :)

I have the death farts OMG, its horrific! The dog ran away! She loves the smell of shit .

I want a puppy too Next door but one has two gorgeous dogs that I love to go out and see, our back gardens join on so they come for a stroke. I'll pop a pic on the FB group

tits I agree about the waters thing. Mine were broken in hospital and the pain levels went through the roof immediately.

MM glad to see you're still with us!

Any one broody for a puppy - I have a cocker spaniel you can have! She'll wake you up at 6 whining for food, thieves anything she can lay her paws on and is spectacularly good at barking at nothing. Apart from that, she's great! I love her really

Well Detective you simply can't have your baby any time soon because what would we do without you on the thread? I was induced last time and may be again and it's so good to hear a bit of professional expertise on the matter! So glad all is well. Seriously, do go into labour when you want.

My farts are also deathly today - more sulphur/eggy than anything. Another reason to feel sorry for DD, having to put up with that all day! We did make it to Asda though and she quite enjoyed that and I enjoyed filling my basket with filthy food such as cheese puffs.

Going back a few pages - flabbergasted at that girl/boy conversation you heard today Pass. Why do people feel they can make such comments? Makes my blood boil.

Right, chips for tea and West Wing box set!

Yes, eggy farts is what I have :( The shame!!

I'll still be hanging round like a bad eggy fart smell, so don't worry! I'm not planning on leaving the house for a couple of days after, I have my baby moon planned! And I know I will end up on MN while feeding, etc!!

I wouldn't say expertise, more observational lol

Hurrah for that Detective (the hanging around. The farts not so much).

Baked potatoes for me again! I'm having 2 this time as I requested when DP went to the shop earlier - one just wasn't enough last time! DP is having the grand total of 0. Because he bought a bag of baked potatoes (we never buy bags of them, always loose ones to get the biggest ones!) which contained precisely 2 regular sized spuds, and a whole load of tiny ones. So I am having 2 averaged sized spuds DS having 2 tiny ones, and DP is having 'something else'.

Seriously dunno why he got them, I looked in despair at the bag wondering how I was meant to make tea out of them! I mean fair enough if the baked potatoes were to go along side something else substantial. But they aren't! The potatoes are the kind of size you would peel for some mash! Maybe I'll be nice and make him some mash and cheesy beans.... hmm.

I feel bad now though . DP has finally got round to having his headlight bulb changed after last nights fiasco, and managed to change the living room and dining room light bulb at the first request today! We have progress! Maybe I should let him have a potato! But I don't want to share!!!!!

I am letting him back in bed again tonight . Is it wrong that I really don't want to have sex?! DP said if it was Robert Pattinson, I would - but it isn't true! I don't want sex with anyone! The thought makes me feel queasy! I contemplated getting him to provide a sample and turkey basting it up there, while sniffing clary sage and bouncing on the ball . Seems the next best thing, no?!

The induction process you describe is exactly what I thought was meant to happen detective yet I was out on drip immediately post waters being ruptured :( annoying!

Still hoping for an induction date tomorrow. Going to be massively gutted if I'm left another week in limbo.

morphine is not all its cracked up to be, but the pain is at least slightly numbed, I've just watched the lady opposite be brought in, given the gel and told it will be at least 4 hrs until anything even begins to happen, within 2 hrs she's been whipped back to labour ward with really strong contractions, brings back memories of DS1's birth!

I have had savage wind since being pregnant, luckily DP isn't at all precious about these things otherwise I think we'd have been over before we properly began!

I stocked the freezer up with £1 mcCain microwave jackets with the last shop so I can see them all at home living off spuds with beans and cheese for a few days, there might be a token cucumber on the side to appease me should I ask

I'm going to have to do something amazing for DP after all this, he's been a star... My ex (boys dad) would have fallen apart now and walked out claiming the stress was too much (reason 1,0000546 he is an ex)

I'm really hoping to make the most of Netflix in here, anyone got any recommendations for a good box set?