November 2012 - the thread where Detective's baby arrives

[StuntNun]

Previous ante-natal thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1608323-November-2012-please-form-an-orderly-queue

Post-natal thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1611078-November-2012-the-birthplosion-thanks-Peaky

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

Well, my waters have just gone in bed! Waiting for the homebirth team to come and assess me.

Thank you all!

Quick birthstory:

Woke up Sunday morning at 3am with painful contractions. Lasted all day, switching between 3mins and 8mins apart, only regular in batches. Caved and went in to be checked at 6pm. 4cm - yay! Checked again later in the evening, still 4cm and threatened with being sent home as no progress and contractions becomming really irratic. Decided to stay put for a few hours as weather horrific and pain becomming unmanagable. Had cocodamol and managed an hours sleep. Contractions then every 10 mins but bloody sore so caved and had a one off dose of diamorphine. Don't remember the next few hours but according to dh I slept and only woke up when I had contractions (and was quite rude to anyone near me ). Checked again at 4am as pain relief was wearing off and although contractions were still 10 mins apart I was now 9cm. Thank fuck! An hour later my waters had broken, I was finally allowed gas and air (fab stuff) and I spent 3 hours pushing. And swearing a lot . And the last hour mainly screaming... and our little girl was born at 8.22am! She tore me really badly, should have been a.theatre job for stitches but mws.managed (more.gas and air and swearing...).

She's totally perfect. DP was an absolute star and stayed up with me the whole 28 hours. Seriously couldn't have done it without him! Never want to do it again, but Matilda was worth every tiny little bit of pain!!!

Those still waiting don't give up hope. I expected to be the last as had had no real signs. Didn't have any show until after my second internal and waters didn't break till the very end. Also, midwives and Kirkcaldy MLU were first class!.We were all so well looked after!!

Now home. Still sore. She's just about managing to feed but is very sleepy so keeping her awake long enough is a bit of a battle. Hoping this might change in next day or two as when she does feed her latch is brilliant and she's like a mini pro!

toomanydicks good luck to you!!

MM Little and often is fine! Just keep offering it to her! Try and hand express a few drops in her mouth if she is a little sleepy to stimulate her. Remember her tummy is very small at this stage!

I just kept putting Oscar on every time he murmured.

Told you she would be worth it . It's awesome isn't it?! BTW, be prepared for a couple of long nights as she gets your milk to 'come in'. These are the toughest days, but so rewarding! And yes, it is normal for her to feed for hours on end with little or no break between feeds. Keep her positioned perfectly, to stop sore nipples!

Sorry if you know all this or have been told it, I just think its worth saying it over and over again, because even I convinced myself in the thick of it that it wasn't normal .

Sympathise with the sore bits. :(

good luck tooManyDicks !!!

Good luck toomany :)

Congrats again MM. Sounds like a tough labour - I'm surprised they only let you have g&a once you were at 9cm/waters gone, but I guess you needed sleep too so G&A wouldn't have worked in that situation. I tore quite badly, although all internally, with DD swear she stuck her elbow out as she came out lost blood, nearly went to theatre, but it healed really well with no lasting effects.

Good luck toomanydicks - hope this starts things off for you (and that your bed isn't too flooded!)

Wow mm - that sounds tough going. I wonder if she was back to back? Might explain both your back ache and the hideously long pushing phase. I'm so glad to hear you had good support from your dp and the midwives. Really good luck over the next few days - as detective says it is tough, especially as you are already tired and broken. But it does get easier bit by bit, and it is so lovely getting to know your little one.

I've managed a couple of hours broken sleep after taking a couple of codeine. Contractions are coming every 4-5 mins but are only lasting about 30 seconds. They're getting a lot stronger though so I've gad to get up out of bed.

mm- hope you're feeling ok. Your labour sounds a lot like my first labour. I pushed for over three hours and she came out sideways! I ended up with an episiotomy.

Wow toomany - it sounds like things are cracking on. Really good luck.

Woo hoo toomany! Good luck!

Thanks for the birth story - and reassurance of no signs mm great you're home so soon!

Do you know, at this rate I'm going to be the last on this thread AND the Dec thread they're popping so much ffs.

Good luck Toomany!!

MM why on earth did they only let you have G&A at 9cm? Normally they take it off you to push but let anyone have it once your in active labour? Fingers crossed you heal quickly - tears are meant to heal better than cuts. It sounds like you did amazingly. I had a shot of diamorphine - it's freaky shit!!! Am envious of the contractions every 10 mins but not the length of the labour.

The best tip I can give about BFing is to relax. Check out KellyMom website for some great tips. Just keep trying her at the boob and ignore the afterpains as your uterus shrinks down - my belly is nearly back to normal now after six weeks and my fat stores on my hips are getting smaller as Jonas gets bigger - it's good stuff that BFing for getting your body back (ignores stretch marks...).

All the best for sweeps today!

good luck ladies with sweeps today.

I didn't get gas and air until I was about that as well. They didn't actually tell me - my waters broke so I was moved into a labour room and finally got gas and air.

Good luck toomany and anyone having a sweep.

good luck toomany waters bursting in bed sounds text book, hope it all goes smoothly for your home birth, how exciting!

I'm still here too clarella to keep you company!
and my sweep isn't today, it's tomorrow, I was getting ahead of myself!

MM well done, sounds epic without complecations though so that's great. I am too perplexed by why they didn't let you have G&A till late on... I was offered it striaght off at 3 cm when I went in with DD.. within a couple of hours I was complianing to DH that the G&A had obviously ran out becuase it wasn't working anymore... he was laughing at me telling me it's plumbed in, it doesnt run out!

Looks like there is no way I'm getting my baby on this thread! Please god let it be on the next one!!!!!

mm it surprises me youdidn't have the gas and air earlier also. Well done you with your long labour.

Hope you are doing okay home today.

Good luck mrswee am certain you must be next'

cervix still very high but baby mega low (1/5th) tmi but she had to shuffle his head out of the way! It was more painful this time so at least she had a good poke but I'm thinking it's induction on Monday so may as well enjoy my last few days doing nice stuff!

We can keep each other company mrswee!

It was my understanding that you had all pain relief options available to you once you were in active labour/4cm. With DD it wasn't an option as I was at home until 9cm/waters going. However, with DS the MW mentioned the G&A almost immediately, once I was examined to be 4cm, but I held off for a bit longer (until maybe 8cm I guess, as I wasn't examined again) and didn't use it when pushing at all. IME I don't think it helps in pushing - I think it can slow things down a bit. A good position and breathing is far more effective in getting baby out. But that could just be me!!

Fingers crossed for those still up-diffed

MM I didn't have a show until Tommy's head was nearly out and it came out as my waters went - 5 mins before I gave birth. I didn't have any signs too except the horrendous 'pootractions' that actually turned out to be proper contractions

interesting what some of you are saying about a show... I have no idea what happened to my waters with DD. they must have gone in the bath or something becuase I didn't think they'd gone but they weren't there when they tried to break them during labour!
However I got a show when my early lalnt labour started and I just presumed the same would happen this time and the was thinking nothing is really happeneing until I get a show. so good ot know that it isn't always the way!

clarella I haven't got an induction date yet but seeing the midwife tomorrow, I wonder if she will give me monday as a date too. seems likely, I'll be 13 days over by then.

In 4 pregnancies I've never had a show. With my waters they were broken with number 1, I asked them to break as I was ready to push with number 2, broke 14 hours before labour started with number 3 and just before head came out with number 4.

The labours have become much easier with every one too. This time my contractions never really became regular (they didn't last time either), but they weren't massively painful either.

Good luck everyone, not long left now

I expected a show this time as it was the first thing to happen with DD, but nothing this time. I also expected to be in active labour before my waters went, again like DD, but this time they started to leak before my contractions were 5mins apart. Weird how its so different!!

Gas and air was delayed for so long because they weren't convinced I was in 'active labour' - although I was 4cm! They wanted it to have maximum effect later on because I was pretty against any other drugs. In fairness to them though all the staff were amazing and really did a great job putting up with my screaming!!

Tilly doing great today. Feeding is getting there slowly, although keeping her awake long enough is proving tricky. We've found taking her clothes off and upsetting her usually does the job though!

Positive baby vibes to all those still waiting and good luck to those who are more imminent than others! Like I said, I had resigned myself to being induced and she showed up!