Pop pop pop We're all about to POP! - July 2014 thread

[ismarah]

Hope you like the title - like inside us, there was no room on the other thread!

D'oh forgot to buy more gaviscon/pick up repeat prescription for it and not sure I've got enough left to get me through the night :( burning sensation every time I lie down making sleep impossible!

Blue 24hr supermarket? Any nearby?

Possibly, am sure DH would be thrilled...though tbh the gaviscon isn't really kicking it at the moment given the amount of acid just sat there in my throat :(

Sparky

massive congratulations on your brand new baby girl!
hope you are both doing well!

and high-five for footling breech - so was our DS4.

(I hope the fact you had to have an EMSC due to baby's position previously undiscovered doesn't bother you much.)

big hugs, so happy for you!

I wonder how ellie and her baby are doing now.

mixi

yes, that could have been a part of the show - the amount you notice can vary from thimbleful to dinner spoon!
and it can come away over days as the cervix is slowly dilating.

re period pains - yes, any of those can contribute to cervix being dilated, but it is possible to have them for days or weeks (more noticable in the evenings) without much actually happening.
it's very confusing when they coincide with Braxton Hicks.

proper contractions will have a "wave-like" feel, when out of nowhere you have a twinge which gets stronger, peaks in intensity, then dies away.
those are the ones to get excited about!
but be warned, they can be irregular in length/intensity/frequency - so it might be hard to tell that they are "the ones"!

if you get these contractions start making notes - start time and length of each.

with DS3 I found my scribbles later - I didn't actually realize at the time but each conteaction occured quicker than the previous one, it was something like 17 mins between first two, then 13 mins, 10 mins etc.
it wasn't the "classic" 10 mins between each for hours, then speeding up to 3 mins between them and that lasting for hours!
literally each contraction came just a bit quicker than the previous one so I didn't think I was in labour!
(I went to bed with 2 paracetamols, thinking this will be ages.
this was at 4am.
woke up at 5am with what felt like a chainsaw put to my stomach - constant, interlocking contractions would just not stop.
he was born 1 h 35 mins later - we barely made it to the hospital!)

Huge congratulations Sparky hope your recovery goes well.

zing reading your contraction description is exactly what I had on thu night...at least I was timing the right thing!

My sister is coming to visit this weekend with her bf just hoping that can relax and enjoy some time together not be constantly feeling imminent labour. ..

Ladies there are no words for how good it feels to start maternity leave! Didn't get too upset because been preparing for it mentally for a long time now!

Hope you slept ok in the end blue there have been nights I've slept pretty much sitting up with lots of pillows!

ellentullo you've stirred the statistician in me, and I'm very sceptical about those 'likelihood of giving birth on a particular date' charts - I reckon no way does it form a perfect normal distribution / bell curve, and definitely don't think there is a neat 50:50 split between pre- and post- due date deliveries. It's probably not wildly far off the mark, but I bet the reality is skewed towards post-due-date, with a longer 'tail' pre-due-date. There, I feel better for that

My mum is visiting and has been giving me her labour stories - both times v fast, didn't realise she was in labour til waters went and the babies born within the hour. Yikes! But physically I'm nothing like my mum so don't know what the chances are that I've inherited the tendency for speedy births.

Also more reminders that I was Nightmare Baby From Hell, which I think was my mum's favourite anecdote when I was growing up - hardly any wonder I've put off having kids for so long, mum really doesn't do a good sales pitch.

muperoon - my main problem with the hypnotherapy CDs is total inability to stay awake during them - I can only hope I'm subliminally benefitting as I'm practically always fully asleep by the start of the beach visualisation bit.

Thanks zing for such a great description!

I don't think I've had contractions yet, tummy hasn't felt tight or anything. The only thing I'm noticing is feeling a bit achey down below, hips are killing too so slept the last hour or so sat up in bed until cats woke me up! GRRRRR!!!

Has or does anyone else feel like their bubba has spikes all over its head????? Just felt mine moving around down there and felt quite painful, like baby is literally trying to break free using a spikey tool!

Grrr just SO tired. Yet another night of broken sleep and getting total of 3-4 hours Max :( combination of killer heartburn/acid reflux and general discomfort/insomnia! Just want baby here now as know my hormones will then at least help me sleep inbetween feeds! Think I may be getting some braxton hicks as get the super tight almost pointy bump feeling and then it wears off again. zing great description- I remember the wave like feeling and when in full swing just concentrating on getting through that one before resting until the next one. Despite the pain I just want to get on with it again now!!

mixi Yes - exactly this. I have a mental image of the baby standing on its hands, scrabbling its way out with its tiny sharp fingernails. It's getting worse too, especially when walking.

plate I usually make it a bit further than the beach but have only heard the end of the session properly about three times, when I listened sitting up. I was quite surprised at what I heard which can't be a good sign! Lying down to listen in the afternoon is deadly.

ismarah The idea of getting headaches from red wine is a terrible one. Still can't believe I've subsisted through several months on one or two glasses a week.

Today I am mostly regretting yesterday's incredibly hot garlic chilli chicken, although that doesn't mean I'm not going to eat the leftovers for lunch...

Blue I'm the same. So so tired. During the week I manage to hang on in there and then at the weekends I collapse in a crying heap. Not helped this week by hardly seeing DH and looking after a 3 year old. DS's hugs do help amazingly though. DH got back from his Welsh trip at midnight. He slept in the spare room but still woke me up. Then I woke at 2 and 5 and 7 and bearing in mind I don't go straight back to sleep I am feeling exhausted. Also want this baby out... Am panicking about how to cope with 2 especially as DH will be very busy with work and just want to get on with it. Luckily both my nice neighbours have said I can phone them anytime day or night should I need them to DS sit whilst I leg it to hospital. Big relief. And made me cry. Bloody hormones.

inca it's hard work with a toddler - I feel your pain. DS is a delight but just has so much energy- totally normal f or a 2yr old but v tiring. DM has offered to pop down for a couple of says next week if I need her but she will need to sleep in the living room which then reduces my sleeping options as I often spend several hours on the sofa each night.

About to open the big crate that's got my birthing pool in and have a look at it all- v exciting :)

Grrr. I honestly can't tell if bean doing tango on my bladder is causing a leak, if I'm 'that' sweaty or if I've sprung a bump leak. Now wandering around the house with no pants on (skirt!) to see what happens and very specifically weeing every 20-30 mins whether I need to or not. DH looking decidedly petrified / horrified.

Obviously it will turn out to be the tango but that doesn't make me feel any better. Hence the grrrrrr!

ismarah love it! The things we pregnant ladies do, that if someone had said we might do we would have looked at them horror stricken :) hope it's not just the tango!

I walked around for two hours at a Quilt Show today- this I consider a massive achievement.
my last hurrah.

normally I'm there all day (10am - 4.30pm) but had to limit myself.
It's a yearly event and I missed it last year coz DD had awful teething, fever, screaming - but I wasn't going to miss it this year.
bought loads of lovely fabric and feel very content.
of course that means lying on sofs for rest of the day, but it was worth it.
I'm not in too much pain.

Ickle

once you had a few of those contractions you just know anyway.
as they get stronger, longer, and more frequent in early labour you can cope with the pain by exhaling slowly (especially for the "peak" bit of the wave)
the way I can describe best how to exhale slowly is to taktr a big breath and imagine you are blowing out a bunch birthday candles.
just concetrate on slow and steady.
it will help you stay in control.

(then for me its gas & air, then epidural asap. but I'm a wuss. )

ismarah

could be waters broken - in which case you should be checked out soon.

do this: have a wee, then a quick shower (wipes are no good), dry yourself and put a clean maternity pad or a small clean cloth in your knickers.
walk around a bit, and if you feel you leaked have smell. if there's no wee smell it's your waters.
also you won't be able to "hold it back" like you can with wee.

if it's the waters you should call the hospital.

Found this link useful regarding amniotic fluid.
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000512.htm

Although I'm still not sure

Is it really normal to feel THIS tired all the time?? I've been going to sleep at about 11ish but then I wake up every 2hrs or so, sometimes I don't even settle properly back to sleep. Then when I do get up for some food cos I'm starving, I usually feel drained again shortly after and end up collapsing in a heap for a snooze. The snoozes feel like an eternity too but only turn out to be an hour or so. I'm amazed I manage to drag myself out of bed for hospital appointments!

Still feel heavy like period symptoms down below, kinda sicky but plodding on. Had a bath and that was a struggle to get out to say the least, had mum on standby!

mixi I'm sure your OC making you more tired but otherwise you sound v similar to how I do (minus the period type pains as I haven't got those)...alas this stage of pregnancy just is tiring and that's before you add in any illness bits.

Been desperate for an afternoon nap but everytime I lie down the heartburn flares up again or I feel sick or need a wee or brain remembers 5 more things I need to get done so can't relax SO over being this pregnant at the moment-come on baby!! Maybe if I literally had nothing to do, no-one to look after apart from me and could totally relax with no ailments then I wouldn't mind the waiting

Hi everyone. We finally made it home from hospital last night after 9 days in there. most of the birth and aftermath were a complete nightmare but I won't go into details (maybe after all the babies have arrived safely).

He arrived in the early hours of 13th June which I think makes him baby 2 on the thread. He weighed 7lb 6oz and we have called him Zechariah Joseph.

AuntieMaggie so sorry about your MIL. My Dad died 3 months ago so if you want to chat about it, just shout. You might find it affects you more after the birth. I got really upset seeing all the granddads come in for visiting times even though my dad lived miles away and wouldn't have come anyway.

Thanks Ellie and congratulations :)

It was MILs funeral this morning. So cruel it being so close - why couldn't it have happened after she'd met her grandchild? I'm dreading what DP is going to bring home as I know she was buying stuff and I don't even want to look at it.

Very tired atm - must get up at least 10 times in the night and then need an afternoon nap.

Morning from Cali. I think baby might have turned... she moved to transverse a week ago from breech and I think she might have gone head down now. Hard to tell. She was certainly moving a lot in the night. I was awake a lot! DD1 gave me a bit of a lie-in thankfully!

Are you a quilter zing? I'm making one for baby at the moment. Promised DD1 one as well.

So pleased you're home ellie

auntie when will DP be home? So sad for you all.

Ellie

beautiful name! sorry it was awful by the sound of it, do PM me if you need to "download".

I'm glad you are both home now, wishing for safe & quick recovery.

ismarah

if you are not sure please call the hospital and best if you go and get checked.
as soon as waters are broken, however little water comes out, there is a risk of infection and if you don't go into labour they must induce you within 48 hours (or whatever the hospital policy is).
Please get checked out.
In fact I'm not begging you, I'm ordering you.
[bossy]

Nancy

yep, I'm a quilter. love it!
made so many quilts - any questions let me know.
been working on two hexagon quilts, in fact I bought missing fabrics for both today. hence the contentment!
when we extend house get this, I will have a sewing room! I can't wait, it will be sew amazing!
in fact if I consider that my 8th baby I might not get broody at all!