October 2013: Newborn snuggles and waddles to the finish line

[FeministInTraining]

Stats sheet here

New arrivals here

Key:
SC - still cooking (pre EDD)
SFW - still f*ing waiting (post EDD)
OWT - on way to theatre (CS)
IP - induction in progress
SWIL - somewhere in labour
LIT - lost in transition

ready when I had a sweep, I was also 2cm. I had the sweep at 11am, by 4pm I had niggles of period pain, by 10pm I had very mild contractions about every 30 mins. I got some sleep and was woken at 0230 by contractions every 10 mins. A was born at 1006am

Good luck!! X

Goodness! I might actually have a baby soon! Had it at 6.30. Occasional period type twinges now so we shall see. Thanks taking. X

Good luck ready!

Good luck Ready, I'm very jealous!

I'm stealing myself for a rough night- Madam has slept loads this afternoon and i joined her for 2hours of it
But it did mean that my milk had a chance to build up and my boobs at last feel good and full.

I know everyone is keen to have their babies asap, but i do hope we have Halloween baby xx

Thanks guys! Smitten really not sure that its going to go anywhere so don't be too jealous. The reality is there's a good 50% chance I'll be hanging out at the back tomorrow going nowhere except the docs surgery for my bp! Xx

Oh and pink you've converted me! I knitted an actual hat! It's a bit wonky around the rim but I think it will work. Thank you and I hope you have an ok night. I really don't want to wait til Halloween for my baby! X

Hello again from the Rosie in Cambridge. They've now shut the doors on the delivery unit so no more people can come in. They will be diverted to other hospitals.The lady next to me is in labour and has been told she may end up having the baby here in the antenatal ward as there is nowhere to go. There is no pain relief other than pethidine or paracetamol on this ward, no gas and air even!
Obviously I'm not being induced tonight either. Now been here >48h, and no sign of anything changing in a hurry. I asked if they tried to clear the backlog (ie people like me) before re-opening again, but apparently there is so much pressure to re-open that they don't do that. Hey ho.
They don't show this side of things on OBEM!

Oh god sanji that sounds like a total nightmare.

Oh god Sanji, don't say that. The Rosie is my hospital too. Now I'm willing the baby to stay in!

Sanji that sounds horrendous.

You poor thing sanji and poor lady next to you.

sanji that sounds terrible! I feel for you having been stuck in there for so long too. I hope that your labour progresses at just the right time (i.e. When there is room at the inn!)

haylebop thanks for the advice. I suppose it makes sense to give her the expressed stuff if I were to run out!

I'm having a tough night tonight. Feeling like a milking parlour (which doesn't have enough milk) and a nappy changing machine rolled in to one, very tired, mummy. I know A is only 3 weeks old, but why is she always wide awake and nagging for food for 4 hours when it is bed time? She's been quite awake today, so I was hoping for a better night time, but she is alert as anything and constantly asking to feed. It can't be cluster feeding because it is every night and I don't know what to do about it as it's starting to get me down.

smitten you definitely need to cross your legs tonight or you'll end up at a different hospital. Apparently last weekend they closed as well, and the post natal ward was so full they had to send babies up to the ante natal ward. It's just crazy busy. The lady in labour next to me is asleep, looks like pethidine is very effective!

Sanji, you poor thing! I hope the poor labouring woman gets a spot on delivery as cant imagine you can get much sleep! I also hope baby Sanji makes an appearance at the best possible time. All the wards were very understaffed at my hospital when I had A and half the delivery suite is being refurbished meaning ladies queuing to get in there but nothing nearly as bad as you have it! Will be thinking of you at each of my nightly wake ups. Rox, A is the same, she drove me crazy from about 8 - 11 this evening. I had a bit of a breakdown at one point because A thought entered my head that smothering her would make her quiet ( obviously wouldn't have done it and felt like a truly evil person for thinking it.)

Woo hoo, I've finally caught up with the bus! I've been a couple of pages behind for about a week - have finally found a feeding position that gives me a free hand.

I've been catching up and nodding ruefully at all the tales of feeding difficulties, bleeding nipples, babies that will only sleep when held..... My wee girl isn't putting on enough weight, despite plenty of wet and dirty nappies so, unless has put on enough at romorrow's weigh in, we'll have to top up with formula

sanj, you have my sympathy. I spent 3 days and nights being induced. I managed 12 hours on the drip with gas and air though, hope that's encouraging.

Poor you sanj - sending hugs and hope space is found soon!

Had a crap night tonight with LO feeding every 30/60 minutes so feeling like shit :(

Midwife visit today to check his weight again so fingers crossed all of this demand feeding is actually doing something!

Oooh, one more thing which cheered us up yesterday - Boots have there 3 for 2 baby sale on again so we placed a £45 order for 3 tubes of lanisonh, nappies and other toiletries and for some reason they've delivered the order twice! Whoop!

*their

Thanks rubytwosday. It's amazing how much better it can make you feel just to know that you're not the only one (and that it's all normal!) We've managed 4 hours sleep with A still rejecting her cot since I had my breakdown, which helps too!

soupqueen yay for catching up! Fingers crossed yours and xuntitledx 's little girl/boy will have put on some weight. It's a horrible feeling to think you're doing all you can and it might not be enough. We had similar weight issues in the beginning, but A has started increasing her weight now.

sanj I hope things have progressed now for you, and that the doors of the labour suite are back open!

Good luck to all third who are SFW. Every night feed I wake up and come on here hoping to see a "SWIL" from clapham!

Poor u sanji, that does sound awful. Been up a lot with pains in night which are increasing. Hoping I can still go into labour naturally without being induced. Gonna ring hosp in a bit. Can't believe I might actually get to see my little girl soon!
How are you getting on ready ?

Good luck today neenie, hope this is it for you and you don't need the induction.
Thank you to everyone for the well wishes. The lady next to me is still here, she slept all night on the pethidine, a room became available for her but her bloke said let her sleep. That meant that the lady ahead of me in the induction queue got that room, so at least I have moved up in the queue. They haven't re-opened the doors yet, so a chance it could be today I guess, but from what I was told last night it is likely they will reopen when the day shift starts, so I'll have to keep waiting. There are now newborns on my ward as the post natal ward is full. I asked about transferring to Harlow, but when Cambridge shuts other hospitals fill up too, so would likely be in same situation there but at bottom of the queue.

Morning! Still here. Nothing more than mild cramps yet but feel sick as a dog. Hope it's nothing to do with my random high bp yesterday. Off to doc again in a bit so we'll see.
Good luck neen, hope this is it for you! X
Sanjifar this sounds like a total nightmare.hopefully today is your day. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Hope everyone has an easier day today with new babies and that the babies keeping some of still waiting stop being so blinking lazy and get out of us!! I need my abdominal space back please.

Don't give up hope yet ladies!! My friend was due Monday the 21st and was due a sweep yesterday which her midwife cancelled last minute and I've woken up to a text to say baby was born last night....it could be any time!!

Good luck today Ready.

Sanji, I really feel for you. Must be an awful situation to be in. I'd be inclined to tell them to sod off and go home if nothing is happening.

I'd also be fuming if I was Pethadine lady too.

Luckily still no signs of Baby Smitten, but now I'm worried about The Rosie being closed when I need to go. I only picked there because of the birthing centre and I don't want to go to my nearest hospital as they have a bad rep.

I also don't want to end up on a ward, that's my worst nightmare. I'd rather be at home than that.

What happens if it gets time to be admitted and there's nowhere for you to go?

smitten they ring round other hospitals and arrange somewhere for you to go. Sorry to worry you. The MLU is not the problem, they have room there, the problem is the delivery unit, they just don't have the room or the staff. So you may well be fine if you are going to the MLU. They called in all the on-call community midwifes last night to be able to cope. They don't shut the doors unless they have to, apparently they get fined thousands every time they do. Hopefully you will go into labour at the right time!