Martians 2014: thread 10. More scans, bigger bumps and eating for two! Nearly halfway there, ladies!

[IceNoSlice]

Thread 9

Shiny new thread. Welcome all those due to pop out a baby in March 14, whether you're an old hand or a newbie, come join the fun!

Thanks ladies, I'm feeling a lot calmer after my rant and a huge jacket spud with beans and cheese, nom nom.

I got a hypnobirthing cd last time but couldn't stand the whining Amercian accent so I didn't use it in the end. I'll fish it out and give it another go this time as anything and everything is worth a try. I found my tens machine amazing and will definately be using that again.

There was some story on the news a bit back about a baby who died after contracting the herpes virus. They said he got it from his Dad kissing him with a coldsore. There was some discussions on

I'm also doing a hypnobirthing course and am hoping to have a water birth. I really don't want any drugs during labour, even gas and air doesn't agree with me

kara I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed a water birth. Your GP trips haven't been due to a complicated or high risk pregnancy, you just haven't been very well.

Hot I'd love to have a home birth but where we're located just isn't practical incase of any complications and OH doesn't think it's a good idea for baby numero uno. He said next time.. There won't be a next time! :p

kara You could always go for a midwife unit as a compromise between home/hospital.

I considered it. But the decor in the one nearest me is just so depressing. I'd rather just stay at home!

Eda I really like the idea of hypnobirthing. The courses seem really expensive though, so I think i'll order a CD/book. Where did you buy yours from?

I just looked up the Natal Hypnotherapy one on Amazon (which has the benefit of being in an English accent) and it is £11.09

The midwife unit is at the hospital in Dundee Hot I'm petrified of catching MRSA because Ninewells isn't exactly clean :( and I'm just a worrier I'm already worked up about my hospital bag I need to relax.. Haha! :s

I'm going for waterbirth at home as well, my sister has leant me her natal hypnotherapy book and CDs need to get round to reading/listening to them. Luckily one of my best friends who is also a mw is a reflexologist, aromatherapist and masseuse so she's gonna be there, plus my other best mw buddy who can calm OH down if he sees any blood haha, plus the two community mws who'll attend anyway, so I'll have an overkill of mws, mostly so that if I don't like the community mws who turn up I've got my support from my friends who will be like doulas, not actually doing the official care.

Every waterbirth I've been involved in has been a positive experience for all present and I can't imagine birthing in any other way myself.

I am so ridiculously easily swayed. I was dead set on going to the hospital a minute ago (I want to know all the options are available should I need them) but now I'm giving the midwife led unit a second thought.

Not to sway anyone but you can always transfer from home or MLU should you want/need anything. Midwives are trained to deal with all obstetric emergencies as the first point of call, otherwise home births wouldn't be allowed without a doctor? Some of the most experienced and skilled midwives I have ever met were community midwives and birth suite midwives as we are trained to detect problems before they happen, on the odd occasion where things go wrong unexpectantly this can happen regardless of where you have your baby and the treatment is exactly the same. If a midwife at home or in a MLU suspected an issue they would be transferring you early, and if you decide you want an epidural then you can transfer and get one. But it's also perfectly ok to want to be in the hospital from the beginning it's your choice but don't make your choice based on fear from stories others tell you, the worst cases of obstetric emergencies I have been involved in have occurred on an obstetric unit because women tend to be classed as high risk to begin with and have been subject to intervention from the very beginning of their labour.

And I've also be involved in some lovely births on the obstetric unit as well, even with intervention and epidurals etc...

anyway on another topic I'm not feeling any movements yet either, 18+3 and not had the fetal heart listened to yet but not worried as this is quite usual, in case anyone else was worried they'd not had it done. Guidelines state listening to FH is of no value before 24 weeks as it can cause unnecessary worry if it cannot be found, and in me it probably wouldnt as there is more my tummy than uterus!

Just waiting for the anomaly scan on 11th October to see baby again and make sure everything is tiptop with them.

Im going in MLU at a hospital where the consultant led is in the same place - I would do home birth but I'm a first timer and the hospitals you get transferred to are (without blue lights) about 30-50 mins in opposite directions so don't want to risk it!

I thought you meant cold sores were a risk to babies in utero, Fox.
I never let XP near the babies when he had an open cold sore. I didn't want them catching it and being lumbered with herpes for life.

I'd try a water birth if this was my first and I didn't already know that my body is rubbish at giving birth. They look like the calmest births on OBEM etc.

That's pretty sensible greymoose I'm only 20 mins away from the hospital without blue lights and I know from experience it can take about that time to get someone down from the MLU to CDS sometimes so figured I might as well stay at home where I can sleep in my own bed afterwards and eat my own food, hmmm can't wait for fresh white baguette with pâté! oh and prosecco for afters, and red wine for while I'm in labour :) please don't report me for encouraging drinking in labour!
If I lived further away I'd probably opt for the MLU as well.

I cannot wait to tell my DP that you are having a home waterbirth too. He supports my decision, but I can tell he is still a bit anxious about us having the baby at home.

I'm going to get him to read your last post

Thanks bwp I will start taking it again. I'm sure I haven't done any harm seeing as this wasn't advice a few years ago when I was last pregnant.

bn so pleased they found the heartbeat in the end!

I'm hoping for a water birth. It's something I haven't had a chance to try yet so I definitely want to have a go. There is only one pool at the birth centre though so I guess it's luck of the draw on the day.

madwife my friend took a bottle of champers into hospital and cracked it open as soon as baby was born!

I want a baked Camembert with chilli jam, crusty bread, grapes and celery to scoop it up with. Yum!

Thanks Madwife I just don't like the idea of being transferred down the motorway from the MLU to the hospital when I'm in labour. It's a good 40-60 minute drive. I only know a couple of women who have gone into the MLU but both have had to be transferred and it sounds really horrendous. So I was thinking I might as well go straight to the hospital (which is closer to my home than it is to the MLU anyway). It's no slight on the midwifes on the MLU, they seem lovely and I have every confidence in them but they can't do epidurals or C-sections!

Also, one of the hospitals they transfer women to is properly dodgy and is a long journey down very bendy roads.

Having no experience of childbirth myself, I sort of have to go on what other people are telling me & my nearest & dearest had the epidurals

I am hoping c

Stupid phone...

I am hoping consultant will let me go MLU, it is the next ward along to the delivery suite, so no worries on that front. Have appt. next Tuesday so will see what he says. Can't see that he'd have an issue on transfer time, and great if it is full, as delivery suite is right there.

Also re: coldsores, very worried about giving it to the baby, but will just have to be vigilant when the baby is here as cant stop them coming now!

Not to be pedantic Becca but he cannot not 'let' you (is that a double double negative!?) it's your choice, what reason would he give? What are your concerns?

Can you tell I'm off work sick today hence all the posts!

I'm miles from the hospital too and there was still snow on the ground in March last year, so I'll be heading off to the hospital instead of having a home birth. However, having seen OBEM USA I'm going to visit the hospitals in my area before choosing one, in case they do that crazy flat on your back, legs in stirrups thing here in Germany.

Agree that the water births look the calmest but I can't help thinking that it's partly because the criteria you have to meet to be allowed one mean it's more likely to be an easier birth

Oh yeah, OBEM USA is crazy for that! Every woman has the stirrups, they all seem to have had epidurals (although it never mentions it) and then they wheel in the doctor in his surgical gear with all his instruments for the delivery. I hate that show. The editing is so fast, it makes my head spin.

Was thick snow here last March too. It was knee deep. Might not be able to get out to the hospital!