February 2014 - all our bags are packed, we're ready to go...

[sunflowered]

Well... we're getting there at least, and definitely ready to meet the first thread baby!

thingy we looked at delayed clamping/injection at nct class last weekend. To me delayed clamping makes sense - up to 30% of the baby's blood transfers from placenta to baby (plus some reverse transfer but can't remember what of) so made sense to let it keep going for a few mins to complete process. Facilitator said should only take 2-5 mins so doesn't interfere with care to baby. Wasn't so sold on having/not having injection for placenta. Would prob have aimed to hold off for an hr then gone for injection, but no objections to injection if anything happening in labour meant it was preferable to speed things up.

(ps fat lot of good the £200 for nct was, teaching us about dilation, skin to skin golden hour, and benefits of relaxed birth environment. they've got great active birth facilities at our hosp and when shown pics of the standard non-active/antenatal rooms at sunday's class I said - maybe a bit too loudly - that they're so clinical and non-relaxed that I would cry if I had to use one. 24 hrs later and I was proving my point... )

Thanks for the welcome back!

Dawn, I'm in Belgium...where they don't even pretend to have birth plans. At least it's honest, I suppose... And everything is done through the gynaecologist here (I haven't even seen a midwife, though there'll be a hospital midwife at the birth); I had to change gynae about 2 months ago when I realised that the one I had really wasn't into leaving anything up to the mother at all (quote: 'I don't know why you're asking all these questions as I can't see what choices you would need to make; the decisions will be taken for you' ) The one I have now (I knew her already as we bought her house and I knew I liked her) is much more 'go-with-the-flow, the important thing is a safe delivery but we'll wait and see what happens', which I like. And I've got a doula as well.

sunflowered it's a shame your nct class didn't cover how to make the c section calmer. There are some resources online I think. We were talked through who will be in the room, choices you can make. For example, apparently you can choose music/cd in some c section rooms, you can still ask for skin to skin (either you or DH).

On the third stage/injection thing, I too felt that there hasn't been anywhere near enough information given. My understanding is that the injection is automatically given unless you ask for it not to be. If they give it, they clamp the cord straight away to prevent the drugs going to the baby. So it's not really compatible with letting the cord pulse out. I've decided to have the injection if I'm in the MLU as it reduces the chance of a haemorrhage, but I'll take the risk if I'm the proper hospital. It was on my list of things to ask the midwife today.

Argh, really vivid dream about baby being stolen! Horrid. Can't shake it so no more snoozing for me now. Bah. Morning preggos.

Not sure if this is helpful sunflowered?

Or this or this.

I'd be interested to see what your MW says eeyore, I should have asked my MW yesterday really. I'd like to let the cord pulse out as sun says it just makes sense but I'm not sure if after the birth I'll just want to cuddle him close and get back to normal which also means no hour long wait for the placenta to go. I better make a decision soon though. I'll see what the rest of you are doing and hopefully that'll help me decide.
Morning notone.

My MLU automatically does physiological third stage, so no injection and no clamping until it's finished pulsing etc. They will give the injection if specifically requested but discourage it. (Wording of it goes on about nausea, blood pressure and higher risk of a bleed etc so quite negative) I think I'll wait up to an hour then ask for it. I believe the labour ward is the opposite way round and they automatically clamp and inject. I'm terrified of being sick so I'm hoping to avoid the jab!

They're fab - thanks eeyore Still have one more nct class so will email the facilitator to ask her to add it to her agenda. That nct birth plan is really useful, gives me hope that it's ok to ask that sort of question without getting a raised 'this is a serious complication there's no time for that hippy stuff' eyebrow.

thingy I think you can have the baby on your chest and start skin to skin with the cord still pulsating/placenta still attached. Can't remember if they can clean you up/start any stitches until placenta's delivered - will see if I got any handouts that shed light on it.

Woo hoo! Breakfast trolley! Hospital mealtimes are bizarre. All food provided between 8.30 & 5.30ish. I'm usually at or travelling to work 7-7 or longer then have to cook something when I get in so my poor tummy can't cope with such a long overnight gap!!

We discussed delayed cord clamping at nct last weekend too, and it definitely makes sense for the baby to get the blood supply they need. The cord is long enough for skin to skin and for the baby to find its way to the breast.

Our nct practioner is very much of the opinion that we will be offered injections, medical intervention etc however if we want to take it or not is up to us. Whether that happens in practice I shall wait and see!

Hope you are let home soon sun I know I wouldn't be able to cope with those meal times! Hope the food is half decent.

I had my 36 week mw app yesterday and she said we can talk about birth plans at next appointment (38 weeks) lets hope I haven't gone into labour by then! Might just write my own anyway.

I keep forgetting to ask about predicted birth weight, so I have absolutely no idea

I'm not much help I'm afraid, I'm very much of the opinion that they know what they're doing and hopefully they know best and I will therefore let them do what ever the hell they want. Hence why I have no birthplan. Just a water birth if possible please. But I know that that will only be possible if it's free when I'm on my way in, so I haven't bothered writing it down. Hope that doesn't make me sound like I'm going to be a terrible mother?!

I completely forgot to talk to my MW about my 'birth plan' (pretty much all based on VB, so may well be entirely redundant!) yesterday. I too was going to ask about cord clamping/injection... My preference is for delayed cord clamping for reasons given above, and try to deliver placenta naturally but very happy to be overruled if I'm too exhausted or if it's taking forever. Apparently you can ask for delayed clamping even if you're having a CS, so I will try that if I am.

Questions...
Is anyone else sleeping on towels/something to protect their bed now that we're getting close to EDDs?
Has anyone else got incredibly tender/sore nipples?

Nope, Shrops it just makes you sound realistic!

I had the injection to deliver the placenta when I had DD. All I was bothered about when she was born was getting her into my arms as fast as possible, and I was fed up of pushing by then and just wanted it over with! FWIW I didn't have excessive bleeding, nausea, or any of the side effects they warn of, and barely even noticed the placenta being delivered as I cuddled my new baby.

No Shrops I'm the same. As long as baby gets here happy and healthy I don't care about the rest of it. I'm happy to go with the flow, I've never had a baby before so have no idea what to expect or what my body can cope with. I will be one of those annoying women on one born who are demanding an epidural at 1cm dilated!

From what i've read about delayed cord clamping it does seem to be becoming more common. Here's a [ video]] about it that explains a bit about why it's done. I'm hoping to have it and ideally want to deliver the placenta naturally, but will see how I feel. You can have delayed cord clamping and the injection - you just have the injection after they have clamped the cord. I definitely want to have skin to skin after birth (again I think this is becoming common practice anyway according to a midwife I spoke to yesterday), and if you can get the baby latched on that can also help the placenta deliver naturally as it stimulates oxytocin which helps the uterus contract.

From what I remember from NCT class - the injection works by causing the placenta to detach from the womb lining and this also starts the cervix closing which is why the midwife will help it along by pulling on the cord. If I remember correctly this is what increases the risk of retained placenta (not a huge risk I don't think just one of the cons of it). I'm going to play it by ear though as if i'm knackered I might just want it out quickly (so I can knock up my smoothie ).

Midwife is coming round this morning with my home birth kit eeeek. Which makes me think "Shit - any time after Saturday I can give birth at home - best make sure I can fit the birth pool in the dining room!".

I'd best have a look at my birth plan too - we're hoping for a calming hypnobirth but basically what that boils down to is keeping the room calm and quiet, having the midwives talk to DH about stuff instead of me so I can focus on staying relaxed as much as possible, water birth if poss etc. It's definitely the kind of thing you can't predict though so we're thinking about our ideal but open to whatever happens on the day.

Oooooh something I did have yesterday which was fab was an "aromatherapy for labour" session with a local midwife (god i'm such a hippy!). She came round and I got to smell loads of essential oils and she mixed up a smelling stick (kind of like a vicks cold stick thing) to smell whilst doing relaxation etc, an oil to use from 39 weeks to help prepare for labour, an oil for using in labour to help perk me up, plus she gave me some oil for perineal massage and did a leg massage at the end - bliss! Who knows if they'll help but I guess anything that helps distract your other senses will help to focus your mind away from the pain in labour.

I've been reading more of the Juju Sundin Birth Skills book too which has loads of good advice and strategies for dealing with pain during labour.

Phew sorry that was an epic post!

Hope your bp keeps coming down today sunflowered and that your DH doesn't attempt to much furniture assembly! Sending "head down" vibes to all of you still worrying about breech babies too! x

FWIW my doula suggested that the "managed third stage" was absolutely fine, and whilst she'll support any woman who wants to deliver naturally (no problem with that at all) she does wonder why, after hours of effort, they want to go through another period of pushing. I think, all things considered, I'll go for the injection!

Yeah it's the retained placenta risk (happened to one friend) and the nausea (happened to several) that put me off . One friend even had a weird reaction where she couldn't bear to be touched for a few hours after, including by her baby?! Luckily it didn't last too long but she attributes that to the injection...just got me a bit worried! But I'll have it after I've given the natural way a chance.

Another skin to skin fact from nct was that the new baby smell from the top of their heads helps stimulate more oxytocin to help the placenta out. Babies are amazing little creatures!

Oh my god I can't believe we're gonna meet our babies soon! It hits me every so often .

Midwife has just been round with my home birth box and said that baby must be engaged then if what she and the consultant said about it's head is right . Need to go stock up on cheapo shower curtains and puppy pads to protect my house lol! I don't know how she can be engaged yet still have an arse wedged under my ribs - hoping she's not a giant baby!

We went through my birth plan and she explained a bit more about the monitoring etc (listening to HB every 15 mins, checking cervix every 4 hours etc) and was really supportive of all the hypnobirthing stuff . I basically said to her that we're pretty easy going about everything though and as long as we can try to keep the environment calming we'll be happy. She also said how important it is to be eating in the early stages of labour, even if you don't feel like it, and suggested whole grains and slow release things (obviously not stuffing yourself, just making sure you have fuel for energy).

sunflowered fx your bp stays calm and you can head home tomorrow. I was sure you'd be our first but maybe that accolade will go to someone else now.

eeyore I have asthma too and like you it has been pretty good through pregnancy but it's definitely got worse in the last week or so. I'm 36 weeks and baby is not yet engaged so maybe it is just the compression on the diaphragm that is causing it. I've just upped my puffs on my steroid inhaler and that's helped.

As for the delayed clamping and injection I am really unsure what to do. I had the injection last time and had to have the cord cut because it was too short to get baby up to my chest, but I did then end up with a retained placenta. Not sure if this would have happened anyway but it didn't help that the midwife pulled too hard and snapped the cord! Going to speak to my midwife about it next week and hopefully she'll have some advice but I suspect they just expect you to want that bit over with as soon as possible. I do have a 1 in 10 chance of having a retained placenta again and I'm not looking forward to that. Last time I managed labour on G&A and then had to have epidural and surgery (without my lovely new baby with me) to remove placenta. Boo

Also, had my 36 week scan today to check on growth of baby. Completely average for all it's measurements although is still predicted to be on the small size weightwise at 6 1/2lbs. Consultant happy with this though and has signed me off, which means I can have a midwife led birth and a water one if i so wish. Yay! I am a little surprised though as the reason I was put on extra scans was because my DS was 6 1/2lbs and considered too small for my height & BMI. So why is he happy this time round? Makes no sense...

Sorry for epic post. 36 weeks today and slightly panicikng that my next trip to hospital will be to have a baby. Eek!

Morien welcome back :) Having a gyn instead of a MW sounds a bit odd!

We don't have exactly birthplans either, they call it a 'wishlist' or something, I guess it's to reaffirm that it might not happen? :P But we can write it like a birthplan though.

shrops I have a very vague birthplan, so I'm pretty much same as you! Just going to see what happens and listen to what the pros say.

my OH is grumbly about not having decided a name, but he won't sit down with me and discuss it, so I kinda find it hard to decide -.- He kept me up with a film until 5.30 this morning, so I feel like crap now! Don't like sleeping until 1 in the afternoon, but too tired to get up any earlier than that. Mind I am lucky as I don't have the insomnia, but still! Don't like this routine. I can't sleep without him or with any noise whatsoever, so I just lie in bed for hours not sleeping.. -.-

Hi all
misskat we had our 36 week homebirth visit from the midwife yesterday - so exciting! Your aromatherapy session sounds great - was that part of the homebirth service in your area or did you have to pay for it?
Have been so lucky with our midwife, who is part of the homebirth team in this area and suggested it in the first place. She was really lovely, answered all our questions and DH in particular is now completely converted to the idea (he wasn't keen at all at first). Ordered a birth pool today that will arrive tomorrow - eek! Baby is 2/5ths engaged and in a good position so we're good to go (as long as he doesn't decide to appear before 37 weeks, which for me is Friday)

We discussed our birth plan as well yesterday - ideally waterbirth with minimal intervention, natural third stage etc etc but as it's our first I'm aware things may not turn out that way! We also plan on delayed cord clamping, & midwife told me if all is well they'll leave me in the pool with baby for skin to skin for up to 45 mins, & I can deliver placenta in there too.
Oh wouldn't all that be lovely - will probably end up with induction at 42 weeks with all interventions going at this rate
But as long as we get a baby at the end of it I'll be happy!

Litleen we haven't decided on a name yet either. Have had plenty of light-hearted discussions but now need to actually make a shortlist.

Hope all the insomniacs among us are managing ok today. I did a yoga DVD last night, then managed to sleep from 11:30-7am without waking!! Haven't had that much sleep in weeks, and feel so much better for it

welcome back morien. I lived in Brussels for a while and found their healthcare system great. I do remember it being more 'straight to consultant' than in the UK. A friend recently have birth in Australia, her appointments were all with a gynae, and she had a scan with every appointment

Just had my 36 week midwife appointment. All good, they were a bit worried about growth slowing down at the last appointment, but in the last fortnight my fundal height has gone from 32 to 35cm. So that's all good, and explains why I've been so tired.

Baby not engaged yet, just 1/5. I need to get bouncing on the ball! It means I can go into London tonight without worrying about imminent labour.

I asked about the third stage. She said that practice now was to let the cord stop pulsating, but then student midwife said it although it was policy it didn't actually happen at Hastings. So I'm glad I've written it on my birth plan. It is the norm at the MLU though. Even if you have the injection, they should let the cord stop now, then clamp and cut the cord whilst doing the injection.

She said the main thing with the injection was the nausea. There was a slight increased risk of retained placenta but this was smaller compared to the lower risk of bleeding. It means that stage is over within 10 minutes as opposed to an hour. I'm still not 100% sure about having the injection though.

Awww kungfu your home birth team sound lovely - we don't really have that here, just community midwives who come out to it, but mine is really pro home birth and actually suggested it in the first place. The aromatherapy was an independent thing but the woman who does it is a midwife at the local hospital. It was lovely. We're hoping for a birth similar to what you describe but agree you just don't know what's gonna happen so am open to what will be will be and need to focus on meeting my wriggly baby!

Eeyore glad baby has had a growth spurt! Wow imagine getting a scan at every appointment, that must be awesome! The consultant scanned me to check position the other day but I didn't get to see much besides heart, ribs and the top of the babies head - it's so weird thinking about how big they are now just living in our bellies! I was full of energy this morning but seem to have slumped now am awaiting a courier delivery too but have no idea what I have ordered! Apparently Paul is delivering it before 2.36 tho so I will hopefully find out soon!

With the injection Eeyore I think it's okay to decide you want it at any time - so if you wanted to try without but didn't want to wait the whole hour then you could. So if after about 20 mins say you just wanna get the placenta out they can give the injection then for example (i think anyway) x

Good point missk, thanks.