The maybies are keeping a close eye on their fruit - due May 14

[CbeebiesIsMyLife]

Will this do? I bet someone's beat me to it now!

That's what I thought but didn't want to walk in with them like a numpty if I didn't need them!

I wish I knew more about the whole birth thing... normally, if you have a hospital birth, do you give birth on a ward with loads of other women around you? Because if so I don't think I want a hospital birth, wouldn't that be really exposed? And what if you're trying to sleep but the woman in the next bed along is screaming at the top of her voice?

Or am I being really stupid and missing something here?

I had a homebirth, but from my tour of the hospital last time around then in this area once you report to the hospital you initially spend some time in the labour ward while they assess you. They try and encourage you not to come to the hospital until the later stages of labour.

Once it is decided that birth is imminent, then you are taken to a delivery room which is just you, your birthing partner and the medical staff. You then remain in there for the birth, unless you're taken to surgery for an emergency c-section.

After a bit to recover, you're then transferred to a ward with any number of other women (28 at my local hospital...) and their babies where you spend the next few days if you're a first timer, or a few hours if you've given birth before and there are no complications.

If your area is anything like mine, Moomin, then they should invite you to attend some classes at the hospital once you're about 7 months. These normally involve a tour and some demonstrations on labour positions and caring for a newborn.

moomin dont stress over labour. The best thing you can do for yourself and baby is be as calm as possible. Keep up the swimming as I am sure thats why both my labours were easy.
Take thr ante natal classes they offer you. Delivery rooms are only you birthing partner medical staff like spirael said. You dont have to have male medical stafd if your not comfortable with that just put it on your notes. You will then be transferred to a ward with other mummies and babies. Do check if your hospital is like mine as I have paid £65 to have a private room for after instead of going onto a ward. No I am not a snob I just like to bond with my babies in a quieter environment.

moomin you will give birth in a private room but will be moved to the ward soon after unless you get discharged quick.
When I was in hospital I was kept in the private room for 5 days so near by the labouring suits honestly it was rather quiet I expected to hear woman howling at all hours but they really didnt must have been thick walls.

If you are unhappy with your care or treatment by any member of staff you can refuse them, never loose sight of the fact YOU are in full control of your care.

You can never be too educated and it is worth reading and researching about birth now.

Ahh thank you everyone! Yeah I'm not fussed about being on a ward before and after... it was the actual screaming crying pushing stages I was worried about, thought it'd be a little intrusive and not very... "intimate" if that's the right word, to be sharing the moment of birth with 24 other women all in various stages of giving birth

Hi PFJ glad to hear you're well! I hope Christmas brings lots of joy to your home! X x

littlebairn pleased to hear everything seems ok so far. Fingers crossed for a speedy and healthy 7 weeks!

moomin your post did make me chuckle (sorry) but the image of loads of labouring women was quite amusing! Have you ever watched 'One Born Every Minute?' That can give you a bit of an idea what it's like although the rate of intervention on there is higher than 'normal' as straight forward births don't make good tv. Not sure now would be a good time to start watching though

You've got to think labour can't be that horrendous otherwise some of us wouldn't be having our 3rd/4th/5th children.

squiffe ah One Born frustrates me the way the midwifes speak to the mothers some time really raises my blood presure.
But it's probably helps you understand birth and hospitals a bit more of you have no idea.

Didn't need my hospital notes at the midwife afterall! Alls well and heard the babys heartbeat so I'm one happy mama (to be).

PFJ Sorry I missed your post earlier! Didn't scroll back far enough when I got home. Lovely to hear from you, glad you're well and hope your Christmas is lovely :)

Squiffie Yeah... I kind of assumed those were people who had paid for private rooms think this is just extra proof I'm not ready for this I love One Born but it does make me nervous! I hope my midwives are as nice as some of the ones on there... I've heard horror stories of the ones at my hospital being really unfriendly and unsupportive, especially to younger mothers... there's no encouragement, just form-filling and trying to clear beds as quickly as possible judging by the reviews I've seen

Just finished queuing up for an hour and a half at the school fayre for DS to see Santa. My back is killing me. But it was worth it... Santa remembered DS and was lovely to him. I am knackered out..... o.O

Lovely to see thepfj again! Hope you're doing better now sweetie, also hope you have a lovely Xmas

In other non pregnancy related news: I've just driven alone for the first time since passing my test! I was crapping myself, especially because ds was in the back seat and I now live in a place with lots of big roads and complicated round abouts, but still. Survived! Yay!

Hi ThePFJ glad to hear you sounding positive :)

moomin in my experience midwives are absolutely at their best when you're in labour/giving birth. Have known some shitty ones before and after but during they've always been wonderful. I love labour and birth and the magical knackered-but-happy few days afterwards. Probably why I'm on number 5

My friends were telling me today about how some of them held the record for the fastest birth in their hospitals... one took 19 minutes!

I don't know if I want it to happen that fast... shorter is preferable than longer I suppose but I feel like I'd hardly have actually realised the baby was coming before it was there. I feel like I'm going to need some time to prepare at least!

My MIL was one fast birther My DH was her longest at 90mins and her youngest was 30mins. They kept her in fr a few weeks with her youngest because they knew she was unlikely to getto hospital in time.
Quick isn't always best both mum and baby can go into shock but then again some people like it my MIL did, she even claims it didn't even hurt.

Shameless name-dropping alert (please don't shoot me, lol)...
Louis Tomlinson's mum was my midwife for the wh

Damn fat fingers!

For the whole of my labour and birth with ds and was my transfer midwife (from labour suite to mat ward) with DD!

She was lovely as were most of the staff!

Hello again, I've been missing for ages it feels. Bloody ms was putting me off the internet again. Seems to be easing off now though. 15 weeks today.

Hi to thePFJ. Lovely to hear from you and how nice that Santa remembered your DS. That must add a lot to the magic of christmas for him.

Yay Dobe, getting the first trip done is the hardest. Onwards and upwards!

Moomin was that time from when the contractions started or just the actual pushing part? My last labour, I was contracting for 12 hours but the pushing part was very quick. First pregnancy I was pushing for an hour. I was quite happy it was faster the second time.

My l

My longest labour was 4hrs 50mins (3rd) and my shortest was 2hrs 20mins (4th). My 2nd came out in 1 push and the second stage was recorded as 1 min :) they don't give you the timing breakdown sheets anymore though :(

Hi everyone. I don't post often but I do keep up to date with you all!

Nice to hear from you PFJ I hope you have a lovely Xmas.

Also little you are an inspiration! you seem to be handling this so well, I can't imagine how hard it must be.

moomin make sure you do a tour of your local hospital so you can see what it's like. I plan to as I am def going to have to go there due to being fat and high risk...

Today I had my nuchal scan take two as the baby wasn't in the right position last week. And it wasn't today either! Baby was doing a headstand so we could see arms, body and legs but it had its head ticked behind my pelvis.
The sonographer had me jumping, walking and banging my pelvis on the table. Nothing. So she sent me off to walk and jiggle around then come back three times.
She was so persistent... THREE HOURS later, baby was in the right position for her to do measurements and we got a fairly good view of baby. I can't believe she kept going so long! She printed off about 10 pics and wouldn't take the token so I think she felt a bit sorry for us!

My tummy is really sore from all the prodding but it was worth it. It actually looks like a baby now, not just a little bean, very exciting,

She put me at 13+5 with due date of 25th May and I have my 20 week scan on the 10th Jan

Nearly out of the 1st trimester, can't believe how quickly time is going now

With my DD my first my labour was about 90 mins from 3cm to birth.

But I had an irritable uterus and contractions regularly from 26 weeks so early labour was v prolonged.

V scared about having a baby at home this time with my 20month old daughter as my birthing partner!

I'm having c section in April. Do I need to change buses??

No thistle. Mine will probably be an April baby too. How do you feel about the c section?

Totally fine- it's elective because I'm diabetic! Just means baby be here
sooner!!! What bout you xav?