November 2012 - it's here at last, we're ready for you babies

[StuntNun]

Previous ante-natal thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1597357-November-2012-but-that-starts-on-Thursday

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

Hope you're doing ok tits sounds like you'll be meeting your baby today!

I'm up again with terrible pain in arms and hands. I know it's nothing compared to labour but jeez, it hurts sooo much! Just want to cry! All I want to do if lay down but every time I do my hands are going numb within seconds

Marking place and quick message for pass the electric beds are fab. Essential with a section. Wish I had one at home! They provide bedding for baby, nappies, cotton wool etc for changing, mat pads and formula. The food was not too bad. Porridge gross but filled a hole. Showers wonderful.

Thanks Jenbird. I'm a bit clueless as to what is really going on though now. I put a maternity pad on (thinking easier to spot stuff than with a blue lock-away core type thing) and although it is slightly damp, it could be normal 'leakage'. I can't tell exactly what it smells like because the pad itself stinks (I checked with the unused ones!!) and there is no obvious stain/colour (other than the expected iyswim). I do feel like I'm getting trickling down there when lying down and baby's kicking, but no extra 'gush' or fluid when I stand - I assume it would collect and then gravity would help it out. The only explanation I have is that baby kicks/BH force little bits of discharge/wee out. Oh the humiliations of pregnancy??!!! I will monitor though - seeing MW Mon morning anyway, so will mention it.

Detective that sounds pretty scary & a shit time. Drink's in, wit's out as they say... Hopefully the rest of your weekend will be less eventful.

Tits I can only assume that when you are on all fours baby's head isn't in quite as good conact with the cervix, so cx tail off. Bloody painful flat on your back though. You can do it!!!

Pass no advice, although I rarely wake up for a wee, I do need a wee as soon as I wake (plus the panty watch as described earlier) means I've been awake for an hour now. I REALLY hope DD sleeps in until 8.30 again today so I might be able to nap before then.

Kissyfur sounds horrible. My MIL has normal carpel tunnel and has to lay on her front with her arms hanging over the end of the bed when it is bad. Not an option with a baby bump but is there anyway you can prop yourself up slightly so your hands dangle lower than your shoulders?

Oooh good luck tits!

I've had a poo nights sleep, maybe be to do with DH back in our bed. Had a few cramps during the night but nothing exciting. I'm now up watching 'Sweet Home Alabama' and writing a list of things I still need to do. Suddenly feeling like i'm not prepared at all.

Has anyone kept a tally of how many girl vs boy babies there's been so far?

chunky, when my waters seeped last time they only did it once, in middle of night. I wore pad for whole next day but didn't get any more until they properly broke 48 hours on. I'd give MW a call once you're up just to check, but expect tgey'll say keep monitoring pad. Good your seeing her tomoro anyway.

Good luck tits all sounds under control your lovely baby will be here in no time.

kirrin any progression for you?

chunky could be waters, ill be well jel if it is!

Had the shittest night in the history of the world. Woke at half 1 to wee and couldn't get back to sleep til FOUR AM!! This stupid stinking, wretched cold is absolutely pissing me off now plus I think my body will hold off having this baby til the cold has gone so I'm sitting around waiting all the time gah!

I managed to sleep until 5.30 when cramps/tightenings woke me up. They're pretty mild now and certainly not regular (although the fanjo pain is eye watering).

Pregnancy book suggests I'm in the latent stage which can last ooh forever.

Argh completely all stopped.

My body is wanting to move and walk but I can't. Going against every natural instinct is horrible especially for it to have no effect.
I can't see them having any choice but to ARM and drip but I know from past experience I won't be able to cope with the sudden ramping up of pain.
My body is already too battered and exhausted from the previous week.

Feeling like the failure right now.

Tits, please don't feel like a failure. I went through induction last week and the pessary + 2x prostin tabs didn't dilate me at all. I went in with 1cm and 3 days later was the same despite contractions. Cervix was too posterior for ARM. So you are doing a lot better than me! Yes you may need the epidural to cope with the drip, that's what I was prepared for. But I never got to that stage. You have been through so much emotionally, I was wrung out and I hadn't had the added stress of being strung along in the way you have. I agonised over whether to have the CS and lots of people said, when he's here you won't care how he got here. And they were totally right.

It sounds like you are going to need the next stage of induction but you have got to that point and that in itself is an achievement. I felt like my body was letting me down and that I should be able to control it. But I know now it wasn't, and I shouldn't. Sending lots of positive thoughts and oxytocin your way.

awww tits thats terrible. you are doing so well though my love.

ive never had asistence with labour so i couldnt imagine what you feel/going through. just remember we are all here for you to vent your anger on.

best of luck sweetie.

tits you are not a failure. You are bloody exhausted and need a bit of help, that's all. I'm sure you will be having newborn snuggles very soon.

Woke up this morning and was going to take DP to work as we had heavy rain but I can't find my car keys anywhere. And I don't have a spare set. Shit.

Chunky I'm exactly the same and keep thinking my waters are breaking but when they broke in previous pregnancies they trickled constantly whereas at the moment I'm getting a little squirt here and there that's easily absorbed by a pad.

Tits it sounds like the induction drip and an epidural are necessary at this point. If that's what is recommended then your baby will arrive today which is success and you'll have lots of women on here jealous of your newborn snuggles and an end to the wretched spd.

tits there is no failure - so long as your baby arrives safe and well and you are ok then you've done a good job.

I've had contractions on and off all night but nothing especially painful and certainly not regular so I don't think I'll be having newborn snuggles anytime soon. I think, like waiting , that I am in the latent phase - whatever that means! Could be anytime now or ages away. Hopefully now I'm up and moving about things will progress a bit faster!

DH your cold sounds miserable - hopefully it will bugger off soon :(

ahhhh now I see how our threads go do fast! it's all the middle of the night chat from sleepless ladies!

I'm not too babd with sleep this time but that is down to hypontheraphy.. my friend has been giving me freee sessions building up to the birth and I have been listening to some downloaded on my phone... never fails to send me to sleep when I listen in bed.

and now on instruction on my hypnotherapest friend, I have been doing self hynonisis to prepare for what I will need to do during the birth.
This really helps keep me relaxed and takes my mind of the 'i must get back to sleep' stuff and helps me mamange the aches and pains too.

you can download lots of hypno stuff fairly cheap or even free from amazon or the app store.

Georgee To help avoid you going into that panic when you contractions go full on you can prepare now when listening to your natal cds and still in a hynotic state.
Write yourself a short statement saying something positive along the lines of 'when I give birth I will stay calm, relaxed and in control and breath through the tightenings' (don't mention pain or negagtive elements like I will not panic) look at the paper and repeat your statement 5 times before you listen to your cd, every time you listen and as the cd ends or even during repeat it 5 times again while imagining yourself calm and coping. This is what I am doing in self hypnonsis. Your unconcious mind holds on to suf=ggestions so it will stay with you and help you cope. It's not hippy stuff, it's more like CBT really, just drummimg and alternitive thought into your mind to counter act on your negative and flight and fear thoughts.

what are you doing for your birthday on friday? I'm quite excited as DH has jus told me to keep the day free and he very rairly does surprises...

tits you're not a failure, just do whatever you need to do to get baby out safely that's all that matters.

kirrin hopefully not long for you then!

I've just hoovered the whole place and now have zero energy I don't know what possessed me to even do it, my nesting urge must be overriding my cold/ tiredness!

Got a good lie-in!!! :)

Thanks. Might call the assessment ward and see what they say.

Good luck Tits you're not a failure at all. Your body has been through so much already and it must be so hard to accept doing something so unnatural to you (I.e. lie down etc when you want to move). You and your DP should decide how much you are willing to accept/go on with and if you need an epidural/CS, its NOT a failure (& it might not be your 'ideal') but to get baby here safely ASAP and you can start getting over the SPD, it will be worth it. All the best of luck & hugs.

Thanks mrswee, I have the Maggie Howell VBAC Natal Hypnotherapy CDs (which send me to sleep too!) but it would be v handy to have some sort of statement that I can memorise and use at the time. Your friend sounds very good!

DH will be taking so much time off with this and that in the next few weeks that he can't be around on Friday. One of my friends has suggested a visit to (whoo-hoo) Ocean Terminal to check out their new softplay and go to Pizza Express with the DCs. I think she's forgotten it's my birthday actually but I might as well do that as anything! I'd pretty much written this birthday off really. I'm sure we'll do something like a takeaway in the evening. Your birthday sounds very mysterious and exciting, good for your DH! I find the weather's usually fairly good on our birthday - last year not so much (we went to the Zoo then!).

This is a phrase I never thought I'd type either but I'm really feeling for you tits. Whatever happens I really think you'll have your baby today. Sending positive thoughts your way. xx

Called MW. Said to keep pad on & call if I'm leaking more, baby moves less or I'm concerned. Didn't make me feel like I was mad, which was nice!! :)

39 weeks today and hoping this baby wants to arrive anytime NOW

im so fed up of literally throwing myself around the bed to turn over i feel like a baby rhino. want to be able to bend over without having to squat and to be able to get off the sofa without using a catapult. please god im begging you let it be with in the next few hoursssssss!!!

having a depressing day today feel very hormonal and frankly fucking fed up.

sounds liek things are hotting up for some of you .......please dont Q jump lol i want to be next

Congratulations Madame

Tits you are not a failure, you have shown amazing strength with everything you have had to cope with, don't be hard on yourself!

It's my due date today, no sign of imminent labour, I had some back pain last night which I was hoping would be the start of something. I have a midwife appointment on Wednesday, where they will make plans for induction. Apparently I can't have a sweep until I'm 5 days over, which will be Friday my 30th birthday, at the earliest! Not exactly how I planned spending the day.

Hey Cacacaz, it's mrswee's and my birthday on Friday too! Crossing fingers for lots of lovely babies on that day! Obviously they'd all have to be called Caz, George or, erm, Wee. Bad luck if it's your sweep day - hopefully the baby will make an appearance well before then!

Quick update - no change in dilation over night, I'm next in line to go and have waters broken and drip put up, I'm going to pre discuss pain relief, I know from past experience I won't be able to cope with the sudden intense contractions so I'm hoping by being prepared it might help.

cacacaz your birthday is on Friday too! that makes 3 of us!

georgee I used Maggie Howell cds for DD's birth. The birth it's self was hellish witha 5 day build up and so not completely condusive to hypnobrithing, however I stayed clam throughout the whole long and difficult experience and only had a mini panic when I was being preped up and DH was taken to get gowns on, I manged to pull it back really quickly with a few deep breaths and a re focus and I put that all down to the cds.
I am not naturaly relaxed and generally I stress and panic easily so it was a complete contrast and I really believe it did me the world of good and also preventing any lasting mental trauma!

cacacaz wow what a way that would be to spend your 30th!! I felt kinda sorry for myself on mine, I was 30 weeks with dd, but of course looking back it was lovely really!! We managed to go out for a posh meal.

I've got a grump on, hopefully I will wake up tomorrow feeling a bit perkier.

Sometimes my mind wizzes around and I cant stop listing everyone who is pissing me off! It's no good as it winds me up no end!!