Due in July 2013 - newborns to the left of me, big bumps to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you babe!

[SlouchingPanda]

Hello shiny new thread!

Morning! Well she's here! Now I've mastered the one handed breast feeding I thought I share my birthing story:

Matilda Sofia Shoemaker arrived at 4:56pm today, I share a photo but she's been attached to my boob seconds after she arrived. It's been over two hours now :)

Quite the ordeal. Wednesday went in for induction. First lot of gel did nothing even with five hours of walking. Second gel kicked prelabour in something fierce but they were so short staffed. Went all night no food (they didn't have vegetarian, no monitoring and no update). Was very sore and stayed up all night but thankfully a kind couple of midwives spent the night chatting to me at 4 am.

Induction day two. Woke up contracting thick and fast. She was back to back so very painful and then they told me I had 1 hour to progress. Lots of hynobirthing, ball bouncing, all fours but only progressed 2cm(5 total). So drip went in but contractions were so intense, it also made me hunched over as in between the 30 second contractions was terrible back pain that stayed the entire time. I was high as a kite on gas and air. I could barely remember who I was and playing hynobirthing on loop at full volume. Induction was no picnic for me.

I decided on an epidural (unknowingly) at 10cm as by that point the lack of sleep and constant pain would have just been doped up g&a.

Epidural went in and started pushing 20 minutes later, two hours of pushing and forceps were advised as she was a bit trapped in my pelvis. Two pushes and she was out with a tiny bit is bruising but not much. Latched in seconds and preceded to stay BFing for two hours (thumb sucker too). Whopping 8 lbs 15oz. With such an ordeal we managed to avoid stressing her out the whole induction, not one irregular heart beat, and so glad I pushed a few hours or active birthing even though not my water birth I wanted. After 32 hours of no sleep and constant pain it was lovely to be so alert and personable in the pushing stage.

She's lovely, very content on post labour ward. Came home last night and she was a bit of a boob monster, clutter feeding like mad all night. We got there in the end. DH did all the soothing and nappy changes between feeding last night so I'm downstairs with the LO feeding and letting her sleep on me so super DH can get a few hours and take over so I can power nap/shower later. Hard work this :)

*she arrived Wednesday. I updated on FB before I had strong enough 3G for here :)

Congratulations to the new arrivals photographer thank you for sharing your birth story.

After 2 good nights of sleep last night was not good. J wouldn't settle between 10.30pm- 2am... I then settled her buy she was awake an hour later for more food... Thankfully DH offered to settle her after that feed and she just woke at 6 so I've had a bit of sleep. Hoping for some more now.

Fingers crossed today goes better... I knew last night was going to be bad as she slept a lot in the afternoon but couldn't wake her(she had been awake a lot in the day)... Any tips...?

Cheese - remember its all just a phase. Hopefully tonight will be better. Another bad night here too due to js cold. And Cheek, 4am branch feels about right.

Abzs - if no poo/leak, don't do night time nappy changes. Just pop loads of barrier cream on baby for last nappy change of the evening. And definitely put snoring dh on a different form of duty - maybe 4am brunch preparation...
Photographer - congratulations and glad you're home. Ds1 was a v sucky velcro baby after his birth - lansinoh and air your nipples as much as possible for you and cranial osteopath for m are my top tips.

Thanks Dinky I've just been chatting with DH and we were saying how they don't really have a body clock at the moment... Hopefully tonight might be better like you day.

I hope your little man gets better soon. It must be nasty seeing him suffer.

Congrats to the new arrivals, wonderful stuff. Wombat, hang in there, not much longer to go.

Presents-Sophie giraffe is good & not tried it but would really like a Ewan the dream sheep-agree with the soft toy-jelly kitten or tk maxx sometimes have lovely things.

Sorry to hear about other bad nights-we had an awful night here too-last few have been bad really, Florence seems to have colic. Nonstop screaming from 10-2.30 odd-I was so upset & in floods of tears the whole time, tried giving her a dummy, which didn't really work & she wouldnt feed tho she fed pretty much hourly all day-I'm worried she's feeding so much for comfort as she seems to struggle to digest & then get poo out so the more she feeds the worse it gets-does this sound right? I'm utterly rubbish at listening to unhappy babies & feel so useless as I can't seem to do anything to help. Dh is pretty good in the day but a bit crap at nighttime really so just feeling stressed today even though at least I've slept. She had exhausted herself screaming so much she slept for 5 hours (in our bed), after that. Even though I thought all I wanted was 3-4 hours sleep Id rather she was up feeding all night than crying so hard half the night.

Eventually got her to feed this morning after quite a bit of fussing & now she's sleeping on me but I'm deading tonight.

Going to try for a cranial osteopath appointment for next week even though it's at least an hour away, but if anyone has any advice on treating or coping, please share. I'll try anything.

Sorry this is so long & negative-the emotional roller coaster of newborns :(

Could it be wind, evelyn? It took us ages with DS to work out that actually, contrary to what the BFing advisers told us, rooting didn't always mean hungry. It also meant windy! And tired....

We kept my birth ball inflated after DS was born because very often sitting on that bouncing him settled him and got him to sleep when nothing else would work and he was screaming heartbreakingly. Also walking up and down stairs with him - exhausting but it worked.

Oh and white noise!

Thanks vinegar-I started winding her just yest after every 10-15 mins on the boob & didn't always hear wind coming up but she was great in the day & generally settled-tried dentinox which she really hated, was wondering if there's any point tryng any of the other similar products in the evening?

Bouncing does seem to calm her sometimes though-was going to try the dust buster for white noise last night but it was out of battery so will get prepared with the Hoover in the bedroom tonight. Maybe it's just a case of steeling myself to cope with it-really wasn't prepared for how shocking & heartbreaking I found it last night-had optimistically put the previous couple of nights down to wind/growth spurt so I suppose it can't get much worse

Thanks for the tips, will armour ourselves tonight-shes sleeping like an angel now but last started feeding at 8am so feel I should wake her....No rest for the wicked!

evelynj guess its too late as you will have woken bubba but special care said its ok to wait up to 5 hours between feeds if baby is fast asleep, sorry if you are one of the mummy's working on baby's weight in which case ignore me but know what it's like to have disturbed night then feeling like you need to wake a sleeping baby! Hope everyone has a better night tonight. I'm going to a wedding this eve so think I'm leaving T with my mum! going to be very strange having a few hours without him!

Sorry, have not been able to catch up but baby boy arrived 5:40am this morning after waters broke at 7pm on due date and contractions started immediately. Fast and furious to 8cm by 10pm but then struggled a bit and had two failed epidurals before finally delivering naturally but with an episiotomy, tears and pph. Reason being baby is 9lbs 8oz !!!!!

Wow! What a whopper! And I thought that junior panda was big. Huge congratulations Mightbe!

Congratulations mightbe and photographer sounds like you both had a bit of an ordeal, hope the recovery is quick. Photographer, I love your name choice it was top of my girls name list

Evelyn I know I keep banging on about it but Infacol has really helped L. It makes winding much easier, so I've giving it to him as required on night feeds. Also I've put a loud ticking clock in the cot, don't know if it helps any but it's supposed to replicate my heartbeat. Also I've been told to wake up every 2-3 hours to bf during the day which helps them go longer in the night. However, there's so much conflicting advice on this I guess you need to find out works best for you and your babe through trail and error. It works for me and L wakes for 2 night feeds and settles ok afterwards. Anyway, good luck

Congratulations, MightBe!

Arrrghhhhhhhh!!!
I did it!! Oscar Edward was born this morning 6lb 14 oz and I am absolutely smitten.
The last attempt at a pessary finally worked and I managed to do my first (and last) birth with no epidural! No time for that!
Will update more later once home etc....
Whoever was asking about presents a really lovely box (tkmaxx usually sell them) that can be used to store memories is always a good bet (maybe stuffed with goodies for mum and baby if costs allow) rings like newspaper from
Birth day, teddies, muslins, chocolate and bath smellies for mum....you get the idea
Back soon after some sleep.

Congratulations photographer Mightbe and Twirlie

Evelyn I know what you mean it can be heartbreaking... I feel in the same boat... Sometimes I find it's wind and jiggling helps. I know what you mean about feeding for comfort- I think Juno does that too. I don't know what to suggest but wanted you to know you are not alone x

I have a querie that I was hoping you clever ladies might be able to help with... Is there a time limit to how long we can carry our little ones in a wrap for? I know it's 2hrs in a car seat and wondered if there was anything similar advised for wraps... Thanks

Congratulations, twirlie! I love the name Oscar. I hope you got a good sleep in & you're home soon.

Great name twirlie

Mightmemad-congratulations! And ouch, hope you're recovering ok

Sunday-thanks-I've got some infacol so will try that this evening-do you just put straight in lo's mouth?, also downloaded a White noise app so fx

Twirled-congrats, that's great stuff and a lovely name, hope you've had some rest by now.

Cheese-thanks for that, it does help to know others feel the same-any new mums I encounter seem so together & I often think I'm the only over emotional wreck about things that are quite common.

I don't think there's a time limit for wraps as their spines aren't constrained in the same way, am sure someone else can confirm though. I think I've decided on getting the close carrier although I'm sure I bought one last time & took it back but it looks the easiest to deal with & will need hands on Monday when dh goes back to work!

Hoping for chilled out nights all round this eve x

Evelyn, yep just squeeze pipet straight into mouth, it's very easy and L seems to love it! I know what you mean about holding it together, DH (disclaimer- D does not stand for Dear/Darling) and I just had a massive fight, I was proper mental he totally deserved it though

Congratulations Twirlie, well done

Super quick check in, my DS was born weighing 7lb3 at 1707 today. On off labour which was helped with a hurry along with a sweep at 5cm and ARM at 8cm, but got the water birth I planned and no pain relief until delivery when I had a little gas and air (transverse head coming down) no stitches, he is beautiful and we are off home in 5 minutes

Congrats Twirlie and Mightbe on your lovely bundles of boy - hope you both get home with your little men v soon. Might be - hope the hypnobirthing helped you remain in the zone despite it no it being quite the birth you planned.

Cheese - pretty sure there's no limit. Just be v careful they are getting enough air sand as rent overheating.

Evelyn - we all feel like that at times, whether on first or third - you are not alone. Sadly with babies there is no user guide so a case of try everything to see what works. No need for hoover in bedroom - if its hit, a fan will provide white noise and cool air. Ds1 liked being lulled to sleep by tropical waves as a baby (you can download nature sounds off iTunes).

Another sleep deprived night last night and v grumpy with dh and the boys as a resukt. Had tickets to the open east festival in the old Olympic park today so went to that and had nice time in the sun ( and ds1 and 2 loved it - j typically slept most the day away) and got home just as the torrential rain arrived - am cream crackered now though!

Xpost - congrats Waves and welcome to your little man!

Congratulations mightbe, twirlied and waves. Hope you are enjoying yo newborn snuggles.

Looks like little bean is following in brothers' footsteps as both were overdue.

Due date today. No sign of baby not even BHs