Graduated elderberries - 30+ and looking forward to DC1! (Thread 5)

[Alexandra6]

Hi everyone, hope you had good wkends, I'm looking forward to my holiday next Saturday (although won't be the usual sunbathing with wine flowing!), still can't wait just to relax especially as I'm feeling a bit rough and sick today! Work are piling on the pressure ahead of my hols but who cares, in one week I will be off for two weeks woop!

Just wondered when the really preggers people started to get lightning crotch/cervix pangs? So I can be prepared and not go into cervix panic!

Oh cavort what a pain in the fanjo arse this all is. Can completely see your dilemma - keep it going and hopefully get baby here sooner, or assume it's going to take ages and have a rest. Poor you, sending a big old elderberry pavlova to give you energy and keep spirits up.

Have completely overdone it today, and scar hurts a bit. I've just been coping so well it's hard to remember I've been through major abdominal surgery so I haven't really slowed down at all. Must do though as don't want it to open up or anything and it looks a bit weird in one place On the plus side I've only got to give myself one more injection now - hoorah - god knows how drug addicts manage it, makes me a squeamish!

Janey are you home yet? Or any closer to being home? How is Miles feeding now?

Yes we're home - let out at 9pm Monday.
And Miles is feeding well... Perhaps a little too well - I've basically been feeding him for the last four hours I'd think I was doing it wrong or that he wasn't latching on properly, but the midwife checked today (latch excellent apparently, and I'm producing enough milk for four babies) so I think in reality my baby is just as greedy as I am

Quod, you must've been overjoyed when you fell pregnant so easily. I never got a BFP after my ERPC last March and I swear those operations ruin a woman Are you enjoying your new house? Is it reet trendy?

Janey, from what I've heard you're very, very lucky to have an easy ride with the breastfeeding. Well done, old chap! Do you feel like an actual mum?

Cavort, how the hell are you?

Juicy - I wouldn't go so far as to say it's easy... My nipples are SORE and the left one bleeding a teeny bit. Lovely. Lanisoh nipple cream is fab though and recommend to everyone to use it every single time they feed to begin with to avoid too many issues just NEVER google what it's made from, ugh . We did turn a corner though on Sunday night when a no-nonsense midwife spent two hours with us teaching me how to get him to latch on and showing me how to hand express. She didn't take any shit and nearly made me cry pulling hard at my nipples without warning me she was going to and I think we owe her a lot.

And yes, where IS cavort?! I'm really really hoping she's enjoying newborn hugs. She's been having contractions for long enough now, surely?

And not sure if I do feel like an actual mum yet, but it is slowly sinking in.

Gosh. I wonder if you will have twins. Amazing if you do- a ready-made family all in one go. Bet you'll get bleeding nipples feeding two of the greedy buggers little angels

Ouch Janey that sounds sore, but at least it's working?

I'm very pro breastfeeding but am starting to waver already.

Am off to go take some pictures of some professional sportsmen - some of whom will be topless. The silver lining to the cloud of having way too much to do before tomorrow

Hi guys, still here and still pregnant.

I am having the longest latent phase EVER I think. I have been contracting on and off since Sunday night but it's been every 5-20 minutes since yesterday morning's sweep. I am miserable as fuck, absolutely knackered and feeling very sorry for myself... and I haven't got to the hard bit yet. Still no signs of active labour but I am thinking of phoning maternity and crying down the phone at them (which won't be hard in my current sleepless state) in the hope they take pity on me and get me in for some lovely drugs or to break my waters or something. It's a long shot but I am desperate.

I really don't know how I would have got through the last 24 hours without the TENS - highly recommended.

Apologies for the bleak post. I wonder if maybe I should stop posting updates of my misery in case it puts the fear into you ladies who are still pregnant? I am sure you will all have the sneeze births which I wanted.

Oh poor you Cavort. I am not surprised you feel at a bit of a low ebb, how exhausting. I reckon a call to the labour ward is worth a go. How do you know when you are in 'active' rather than 'latent' labour BTW?

Juicy I wouldn't say 'overjoyed', more 'overwhelmed'! It was a bit too much to take in at first, especially as the moving house thing was already driving me crackers, but I got used to it eventually. We are enjoying the new place, thanks - not sure about reet trendy though - we are too skint to spend any money on interior stuff so it's all a bit hodge podge!

Oh cavort I really really feel for you! [biscuits]

I am so far having a really easy pregnancy and have a feeling I am going to pay for it by having like a week long labour or something! I really really hope he just slides out quickly and pain free.

A friend of mine was having contractions on and off for days and opted to go in and have an epidural when labour started as she just wanted to sleep, she managed to get 3 hours sleep before she was woken up and told she had to push!

I'm with you on calling them and sobbing down the phone! I would do the same. I am rubbish when tired, let alone in pain!

Hope bubs appreciates the shit your going through to bring her into the world! She certainly won't live it down for a while will she.

Thanks Quod. I am just building up to phoning. I just don't think I can stand to be told to wait at home or, worse still, to go in and be sent home again.

Active labour is when you are more than 4cm dilated and contractions are of the same length, strength and frequency. In latent labour you are less than 4cm dilated (I was 1-2cm yesterday) and contractions are all over the fucking place like mine are currently. Many women can't even feel their contractions in the latent phase but I am obviously one of the unlucky ones.

Thanks Mother. I think I am about to start life as a Mum by sleeping much more then the baby!

Oh cavort poor you. Can't begin to imagine how fed up you're feeling

Urgh, cavort, that sounds abysmal and so frustrating

Janey, I clutched my nips defensively reading your post - ouch!

Oooh, brave! Are you a sports photographer? You're not at Janey's newspaper, are you?

I'm 5wks today! Is Quod the closest to me at 16wks? I feel miles behind anyone!

Juicy Frog is 12 weeks.

That's rubbish news Cavort... keep posting if it helps though. We don't mind. Has anyone suggested that baby might be in an awkward position hence on-off drawn-out drama?

Just thinking if there was some way of assisting like being on all fours with bum high or somehting...

Nope Juicy not a sports photographer, or even anything more than an amateur photographer tbh. I work in PR and our professional photographer is away on another job today so in desperation he gave me his other very expensive camera to try and get some decent shots as the sports guys will only be on site for today.

It's a shame my pics won't live up to the lovely bodies on show really... been a while since I've seen an eight-pack... Won't be telling my gorgeous DP though. The trim four pack he had when we met has become a one pack this last 9 months or so... he's still sexy as anything but, I'll be very excited to see the return of his four-pack and I'm sure he will be excited to see me return the favour too!

Oh Cavort, you must be so fed up just be aware that once your waters break or are broken for you they'll only give you 24 hrs before they want to stick you on the drip due to infection risk. You want to try to avoid that IMO.

Fed up doesn't even begin to cover it. I would be absolutely fine if I could just switch it off at night and get some sleep. The knackeredness is killing me much more than the pain.

Yeah I would rather avoid the dreaded drip, but even that is seeming preferable compared to the prospect of spending several more days like this. No sign of waters going though.

I phoned and spoke to a MW at the Birthing Centre, who was lovely but said in a very polite way that I need to just man up and cope with it until contractions get regularly under 5 minutes, because if they give me some pain relief now chances are it will slow things down in these early stages. I did already know all this but it made me feel a little bit better to have a moan about it to someone other then poor old long suffering DH.

Hey Cavort, would it cheer you up to know that I just invoked a 'congrats on the baby' false alarm via facebook?

Posted on there in despair after realising my face has gone all puffy and fat (dammit) and people apparently thought this meant I had just given birth?!

Have spent last half hour explaining that no, I am just a moonface. And baby still very much inside.

Even DP text me saying 'what on earth are you talking about on facebook??'

So fed up at work... have shedloads to do still (not helped by earlier distraction of semi-naked footballers) and boss has just handed me a very complicated enquiry. She didn't say why she was handing it over, but the reason must have been somewhere between 'I'm too busy' or 'I'm incompetent'. Really. Not. Impressed.

Hope the contractions kick into gear soon x

Oh Cavort how horrid.
I imagine you might be hoping to avoid pain relief, so don't know if this will be a helpful story, but my sister had 24 hrs of painful contracting after her waters went, including about 10 hours in hospital, and only got to 2cm. Then she accepted a 'walking epidural' as she was so knackered, went to sleep for 3 hours, woke up at 8cm and had a very easy delivery shortly after. She said afterwards that the epidural was by far the best decision, even though she'd felt disappointed at the point of asking for one. Hopefully all this long preparation you are doing will suddenly yield some results?

Arghhhhhhh the little critter just tried to put his foot through my cervix....twice!!! That is not a nice feeling. He seriously needs to get his pins away from my bits not to mention my bladder little terror.

Sorry, realise that was very me me me.

Cavort I bet you have how shall I put this 'the raging arsehole'. I would be so over the whole contractions malarky, can only imagine how stressed, grouchy and miffed you are. Hope bubs gets a wriggle on soon!!! For the sake of your sanity if nothing else! Thinking of you!

cavort I would ask about breaking waters. It does not hurt and this is what started things for me.

We're home and we discussed here some time ago how we were worried that we get home and panic, as we don't know what to do with this new human. But honestly, not that much to do - feed, change, do other stuff while he sleeps, repeat. Easy.

Dogs were confused when the baby cried, but otherwise have not shown much interest in this new addition to the household.

Hazle they will not break my waters until induction, which will be next Wednesday, unless there is a problem sooner. There are currently no problems. Prolonged Maternal agony is not a problem it seems.

Glad you've made it home with Victor.

Mother I haven't had any issues in, ahem, that area, which makes me think actual real labour is not that close.

Just noticed both boobs are leaking a bit of clear liquid.....is this normal? I can't explain how attractive I feel right now