November 2012 - please form an orderly queue

[StuntNun]

Previous ante-natal thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1602708-November-2012-its-here-at-last-were-ready-for-you-babies

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

Stats list: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1485512-November-2012-Stats-List

brockle surely you can talk to your midwife and get an iduction earlier if thats what you'd like. I hope you can at least talk it through with someone at the hospital.

My MW was really understanding when I explained my concerns but I have seen her only twice in the last six appointments. I saw a consultant last time who was also understanding and said I could be booked in earlier but a different one today who wasn't bothered. Just have to hope I can nudge him along in the next week.

I think I may start to lurk on the december thread and go and see Twilight on friday!

Hi all

Big sympathies to you Stunt and Detective. Really hoping for something for you soon. That'll be me in three or so weeks! Particularly tense after VBAC isn't it - they won't let me go too far overdue or they'll be operating (I don't have the gutsy fighting spirit that you have Detective - I cannot imagine in a million years they'd have let me have a home birth!).

Good luck in Sainsbury's Dixie. I'm off to the shops myself soon, just for something to do! Wouldn't if it was just me but DD is climbing the walls!

Shelly and Pasties - don't feel you have to leave the thread, we need the company and will miss you on here!

Apologies for going AWOL for a week! This thread is so big that my phone wasn't co-operating from hospital and I tried loads of times to post but it just wasn't happening. Asked dh to do it for me but he wasn't keen and so here I am home from hospital yesterday and finally found some time to update.

There are too many for me to remember them all but congrats to everyone who has had babies pasties debussy chunky DH barmee peaky sophia are the ones I can remember but apologies to anyone I've missed, there have been a lot of babies!

So after I went to hospital with ruptured membranes on thurs morning and then came back home to wait to go into labour, which was the last time I posted on here, wanted the TENS on from about 1/2pm, started timing contractions from about 4pm, rang in at 10.30 and got told that contractions lasting 45 secs to a minute for the last 3 hours every 3 minutes could still have ages to go and that I should take a shower and call them back to come in when I wanted the drugs

So, we tried the shower but by the time I got out I was in agony, collapsed on the bed and couldn't move and it took us 2 hours for DH to phone again and say "she is not coping, we are coming in".

Cue more screaming and two trips to the car, eventually getting downstairs 20 minutes later, making it to hospital in 6 minutes (thank God) and arriving at birthing suite announcing that I just needed to go to the loo and then I would be fine .

They declined my request to go to the loo and I managed to flop sideways on to the bed to be examined, at which point it was established that the head was on display

3 more pushes and Abigail Rebecca entered the world at 1.31am on Friday. Mummy and daddy were very very shell shocked - the photos are scary, I just look completely stunned

So we are now home and adjusting - it is completely exhausting but amazing. I will put a pic on fb in due course. Next time I will be going to the hospital in plenty of time :) Yes, it seems amazing and the best thing, to have no pain relief and a very short labour, at least in terms of hospital time, but it was a bit too quick to be honest, and I'm still trying to get my head around it all.

Good luck to all of those still waiting :) babies are awesome, even at 3am :)

Wow that's some birth story Wellie! Congratulations on Abigail's safe, if dramatic, arrival.

congrats wellie !!

Hearty congrats Wellie! What an amazing story. Lovely name, enjoy those cuddles! I want a pushing stage like yours.

All these unexpected home births/almost home births are getting me a bit antsy - we're 40 mins from the hospital in very good traffic, and that's after we've dropped DD off with friends, got DH back from work (45 mins away), etc ... I bet I'll have at least 4 false alarms ('Come back from work now, I have a twinge!') by the time it really happens!

MM which hospital are you going to? As you're over the bridge I'm guessing not the Royal? (Although I bet you'd take less time to drive it! Everyone else in Edinburgh seems to!)

Congrats wellies - can't wait to see a photo!

Georgee as we're classed as Fife we're booked into Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy. If the bridge plays ball though, by mine and googlemaps' calculations the Royal is indeed closer to us. A whole 5 minutes. BUT Kirckcaldy has a shiny brand new maternity suite, and with all the roadworks etc in Edinburgh and on the motorway, it is probably a much safer bet. We're still about 35 mins away from it though!

Need a bit of advice. My dad phoned this morning, they found his dad (my grampa) dead last night. I haven't seen the man for 10+ years and we weren't close before that. He was a chronic alcoholic, the last time I saw him he was so pissed he didn't know who I was. Even so I'm a bit sad, I always said I'd make the effort to see him before he passed away, but I was too scared of what he might have become that I left it too late. I'm gutted for my dad - he wasn't close to him either but is in bits (blaming himself etc.). The funeral is likely to be next week sometime (I'll be 39 weeks) and 3 or 4 hours away up in the highlands. Part of me wants to go, if nothing else then for some kind of closure that I never made it to visit him and to be there for my dad. DP is appauled that I even suggested it being so close to d-day (in fact he's pissed off my dad even phoned me to tell me) and I can see where he's coming from. I barely knew the man, he was never an important part of my life and it's ridiculous to even contemplate travelling so far when I cancelled a trip to Aberdeen (2.5 hours away) a month ago for fear of being too far from home. What would you all do? Sorry that's a bit rambly. I don't want sympathy, I'm fine: he's been on a 1 man mission to drink himself to death for 20 odd years, this is what he wanted.

MM I'm sorry to hear about your granddad, even when you're estranged it's still difficult news to get. Personally I don't think you should go unless it would mean a lot to your family for you to be there. It would be different if he was on his deathbed and this was your last chance to see him. Travelling those distances at 39 weeks could result in you giving birth in a hospital miles away from home which would be a bit of a risk to take. I had an emergency section with DS1 and there's no way I could have coped with a three-hour drive home after that.

Sorry to hear your news MM I agree with Stunt that the distance is just too far to travel at such a late stage in your pregnancy. I know you were not close but perhaps consider sending flowers and a card.

Congratulations Wellies - Wow! baby out in 3 pushes - brilliant stuff.

MM so sorry about your news. I agree with Stunt - that is SUCH a long way away and you really shouldn't risk it. Can you send a little message/bouquet to create that sense of closure?

I KNEW you'd be closer to the Royal than I am. I think DH is going to have to increase his driving pace or get a better route - that's the average for us but I'm sure we can improve on it! To be fair we've always been fairly leisurely every time we've been (last time we were just driving in for an induction).

Sorry katkit X post!

Thanks ladies, I think that's what I'll do.

The only way I know to get to our hospital is the coast road (quickest way from my mum's house) and DP is clueless when it comes to driving down here. (By boat we'd be sorted, but when it comes to the car we are both far too reliant on the sat nav) so think we're going to do a test run sometime when he's on leave over the weekend. I can't remember what the Royal's like, but we have lots of free parking at the Vic not that that should be a decider for where to have our first child!

detective i know it's prob not what you want to hear as you'd rather a baby sooner, but i had a friend who was a VBAC homebirth who went overdue by, i think, 19 days. She had a lovely homebirth in water and raves about it now. She did have an independent midwife to support her. I think it was a 6 hour labour with no complications at all.

MM yes parking is v expensive at the Royal. I'd go for the other one! Also, you hear all sorts about understaffing at the Royal, it's a real lottery. They do have the swanky new birth unit but I don't know many who have actually made it in there. I won't be in there because of being a VBAC.

Jims I think I can hear Detective sobbing from here at your mention of 19 days!!!

Congratulations Wellies Impressive pushing

Sorry for your loss MM, I've also got a funeral next week, however mine is a 15 minute drive from the house. If it was any further away I don't think i'd manage.

Can I add myself to the list of sweaters?! I feel asleep on the sofa at 1:30am and woke up covered in sweat, I had full on drips running down my boobs
I'm having a lazy day again today, was going to cook a spanish stew but DH has text to say we're going to MILs for tea. Might tear myself of the sofa to do some ironing and have a bath.

Just had last nights Domino's leftovers for my lunch

I've only heard good things about the new maternity suite at our hospital georgee. For the sake of an extra 5/10 minutes travel time it makes perfect sense for us to go there. And like I said, there's no guarantee Edinburgh would be any closer by the time you take the bridge, average cameras and roadworks into consideration!

My dad's just texted saying he doesn't expect us to go to the funeral, but can we have his dog for a week while he sorts everything out up North. I'm annoyed he's even asked. She's a mental collie who's used to 3+ hour runs every day, and although DP is on leave this week and could do it, she hates men and is a liability (growls and snaps at him whenever we're in the same room as her). She doesn't get on with other dogs so we'd have to keep her separated from ours all the time. There's no reason why my sister can't have her. Or any one of the vets at his work. Or if all else fails, put it into kennels for a week! I don't know how to reply, I feel selfish saying no but the dog is more hassle than she's worth.

Sorry I worded that badly, DESPITE the extra travel time!

Definitely say no! Does he not realise you could go in to labour anytime? You don't need to have to think about a mental collie as well. What happens if you're in hospital for a few days, they dog would be on it's own in a strange house. Or if the baby comes, you'll have to introduce a tiny baby to an excitable dog.

Exactly fatima - quite frankly I don't want the dog anywhere near our baby anytime! I know you can't trust any animal 100%, and our own dog (the most placid, lovely thing ever not that I'm biased ) will never be left unsupervised with junior, but dad's collie is so unpredicatable and temperamental - she's a disaster waiting to happen.

MM, surely you can say there is a high probability you could both be out of the house in hospital for several days during the week, and it'd not be practical having an energetic dog around to leave behind?!

Georgee, I too am slightly alarmed by all the quick birth stories. DH is an hour's train ride away in London, not counting the travel door to door, and the hospital is 20 min drive. I was induced 48 hrs after membrane rupture last time so never had the build up and slightly worried about balancing the need to get DH home with not wanting to cry wolf! Let's hope it happens at the weekend...

Sorry to hear that MM but I agree you shouldn't travel.

I'm a bit frightened as I just Googled the effects of codeine on unborn babies (I know, I know) and at term it can cause breathing problems and they can get addicted. I'm taking the least I can manage on but I'm still feeling so ill. Last night I was coughing so hard it felt like my stomach muscles were tearing. I spoke to the community midwife and am waiting for a GPs appointment as no, I probably shouldn't be taking it for more than a few days.

I really hope I haven't hurt him

Hi MM Please say no to looking after the dog. You could go into labour at any point. Perhaps you Dad doesn't understand that things could "happen" very soon.

MM definitely no to going to funeral and having mad dog - as said above explain you might give birth anytime leaving said dog in a strange house for possibly days. As there are other options hopefully your Dad will see the sense in this.

Congratulations Wellies! Hope you are adjusting to life with your LO.

I'm a bit concerned about these short labours too. We're 45 mins + to the hospital (well over and hour if it is rush hour) I'm going to end up having our baby on the side of the road! Also DH has no phone signal at work so that could also cause a bit of a problem. He does come in for breakfast and lunch though so only gone for 3/4 hours max at a time, that will be ok won't it?