October 14. thread 11?! Will be see any babies in this thread?

[mrsb87]

Plonk your bums down ladies!

CJ it won't be long til my DH is also snoring, so no need for sound recording here. I slept for two hours this afternoon when back from the hospital, I was so tired as spent most of the night trying feel for our baby to move. I'm now wide awake though and hating the fact however much DH naps he can still fall asleep at night .

Late night lurking (baby thinks nighttime is time to dance) and thought I'd join - if I may. Hi all!

Due 15th of October with our first following a loss.

All going really well with the pregnancy so far, just starting to feel heavy, achey and overly-emotional at 31+. Looking forward to finishing work now and counting every second of the next 3 weeks.

Oooh and a definate recommendation for the sling library, our lovely local lady helped us opt for a Hana Baby. Can't wait to try it out on something a bit more special than the weighted dolls.

Great Me23 that's made up my mind then, I was definitely going for the delayed cord clamping, and I'll only go for the synt. jab if I can get by with the birth intervention free! So glad you're on this thread ;)

I'm 34+1 today and I have done nothing. I was feeling ok about it all, it's my second. But just reading back through and catching up with you all I'm beginning to panic.
Thanks for all the info on cords and delivering placentas...I had emcs first time so if I manage a natural birth I should know more about this.
I haven't packed my hospital bag, got any nappies, or got anything down from the loft for this poor baby... Our house is still a mess from building renovations and so I think it'll still be a few weeks before we are ready to start preparing. Stay in there baby I'm not ready for you!!!!!

Don't worry Sazzle - I haven't done anything either re nursery and hospital bag but I do have a big excel of stuff we need to order/organise and we're going to start working through it.

For those of you into handmade stuff I just ordered some felt circles to make a brightly coloured garland for my boy's room and noticed this tutorial on the shop website: www.thefeltfairy.com/blog/everseweasy-bird-bunting-tutorial/
Would be very sweet for a little girl's room... Nearer Xmas I might get some felt balls to make a tree garland as I think they do look very pretty.

I love all the birthing advice on this thread. I've been panicking a little because the NHS stopped running antenatal classes in my area, but didn't actually tell me...I'd wondered why I never heard back after trying to sign up, finally looked it up and saw on their website that they decided there wasn't enough demand for them anymore. Now I'm trying to decide if it's too late for an NCT one...really didn't want to spend the money, but feeling generally unprepared for birthing things so I don't know. (I'm 32 weeks, so it is starting to feel a bit real.) I like the idea of delayed cord clamping, we'll see if I actually manage to remember everything mentioned here.

33 + 5 here and feel like I'm wishing it away! Uncomfortable and tired now and want my body back! I'm quite organised but only because I'm on school hols! Bag packed, keep thinking I've forgotten things as it's only a little rucksack and not even full! I've got the essentials....baby clothes, nappies and of course snacks!

Still suffering in the digestive department. Constipated, wind etc.... The horrible taste has returned too, bleurghhh!

I had a bit if a panic this week. It's DC3 and my other two are 5 and 7! Starting to stress about going back to sleepless nights and the logistics of leaving the house with 3! They're quite independent now and it feels strange going back to a baby in the house. Also worrying more about the birth this time! Had 2 relatively quick and easy births before so im talking myself into a longer and unpredictable labour this time!

It can only be a matter of time before we have the first birth on the thread. It's going to seem so real then!

Binky I think Mum23 was saying going without the jag (to evict your placenta) is only advised in intervention free births? I'm pretty sure in births with interventions where there is a higher risk of bleeding out its given as standard.

I definitely broke myself yesterday! Can barely move today, wish I could take ibuprofen. Still lying in bed, since getting out seems impossible. Still got to put together wardrobes today too..

I think that's correct, intervention-free means you get the choice, but otherwise the risk of bleeding is too high?

You ladies have inspired me - all the newborn-6mnths clothes are down from the attic and a day of sorting and drawer restocking beckons.
And this week is operation hospital bag.
This is all really happening, isn't it?

I've been thinking about induction this morning. I was initially told by a midwife that I'd be induced on due date so they could manage my blood thinner. Consultant said nonsense, there was no need for that. So I stopped panicking. Then while at midwife last week she read in my notes (that I'd not spotted before), that no inducing due to heparin, but will be induced at 40 weeks due yo maternal age. I'm 40. This wasn't discussed with the consultant at all. I'm not especially concerned about it right now, but I can refuse that can't I? I don't get why if everything is ok then you just can't keep going for a natural option. Induction based on age seems such an arbitrary thing, where if I'd geen 6 months younger no one would have even thought of it.

Would you refuse induction based on age alone?

I think induction based on age is due to the higher risk of the placenta breaking down more quickly when you go overdue and failing to provide sufficient blood / oxygen. If it were me I'd probably agree to it but with an epidural.

They monitor you for placenta issues.

Anecdotally amongst my friends, induction results in messy forceps births with long recovery times. I'm not keen on volunteering for that option! My friend the doctor (who I've said about before on here), basically said if they say they're going to induce you, demand a c section. It's the lesser of two evils and 'what all doctors would do'.

I think they're early on my edd anyway. If it's really 40 weeks on that date then I'd have got pregnant while I was bleeding and we hadn't shagged.

I'm fairly anti-induction, too - unless there is a clear and measurable risk to my baby. You have every right to refuse - but I'd agree to extra monitoring for the time past your due date.
FWIW, my due date is suspect, too, as I haven't had a period since DS was born. I've also run into the age bias, having turned 36 this year, I suddenly seem to have ticked loads more 35+ boxes for extra tests and I've been arguing that nothing has changed in the matter of months since I was last pregnant!

Has anyone seen any thin dressing gowns anywhere?! Tried to do shopping for my hospital bag yesterday and couldn't find a non - fluffy dressing gown! Very annoying!

I didn't know that delayed clamping could prevent jaundice. I know my dd's cord wasn't cut straight away though...

I can't remember who mentioned about iron tablets upsetting their tum but just wanted to say I am firmly in that camp! I'm supposed to take 3 a day but can only manage 1. The tummy cramps and diarrhoea are too much otherwise!

I think it was binky that was worried about being strapped up to machines during labour. I just wanted to say I delivered Dd in the delivery suite and wasn't strapped up to anything and was only attended to by midwives throughout...so if you happen to end up there I wouldn't worry about being strapped up as I'm sure they'd only do that if they felt baby needed to be monitored more closely and in that case you'd probably want them to go ahead and strap you up anyway...

ohthegoats you can refuse to not be induced, there may need to be a bit of negotiation. There is no real proof that going over 42 weeks will have an impact on the baby either way.

If you are really not keen to be induced, I would go in a suggest you get swept every other day and have you and baby monitored daily (a sweep is not pleasant, but far less stressful than going through the full induction process).

You have to make the right choice for you and your baby, if at any point you want to, you can change your mind. Don't feel like you have no choice.

mum2kiss try Matalan or Primark for thin dressing gowns?

Tried primark a couple of months back and matalan yesterday...may have to give primark another shot...

TKMaxx? I guess you're looking for more summer-style stock and stores are gearing up for autumn/winter.

I'm minded to do CS rather than induction if those are my only two options. The only downside of CS comes from not being able to pick up my toddler, something that would be an awful way to be introduced to baby - "here's your sibling Mummy can't pick you up and cuddle you"

Hi all, been AWOL yet again. Not easy keeping up with this chatty bunch.

Kirsti sorry to hear about your scare, glad to hear all is well.

Sorry for a lack of personals, by the time I catch up I can't bloody remember who said what! So sickness, heartburn, renovations etc all sound stressful. Be kind to yourselves ladies!

Someone mentioned not having a student at delivery and I was wondering why? A student delivered my ds and she was amazing. I'm sure me can correct me but my understanding is that a student will be with you throughout whereas a qualified mW would have to leave to deal with other women. Also students will have a senior midwife overseeing them? I think the thing that really sold me was that you know a student is a student but you won't know how long your mW has been qualified. A student could potentially be only a few steps behind your qualified midwife anyway. Anyway, just my musings.

Thanks for the chatter about the placenta stuff. I had a jab of something after he was born and tbh didn't really think about it much at the time. I wasn't sick so maybe had the syntocin rather than the other. As for cord clamping I ended up with no choice and he did a massive shit just as he was born and the student and her supervisor weren't sure if it had happened before or after exit! Will opt for delayed clamping if possible this time.

Hope you all have a good Sunday filled with rest. My ds stayed at my mums last night so a nice slow start for us!!

Oh and I saw an ugly but thin dressing gown in tesco this morning.

I've got a long jersey cardigan from Next that I'm going to use as a dressing gown. It gets used as that at home already. Might be worth considering instead of trying to find a thin dressing gown at this time of year. Places like New Look and Primark do jersey staples all year - as do other places under their 'lounge clothes' type headings.

I should say on the C-section vs induction thing, that I don't want either. I desperately want to avoid an epidural - the thought terrifies me. I'm scared of being trapped, not being able to move my legs is one of recurring nightmares. It might be that the fear of not moving my legs is less important than loads of pain, who knows!! But ideally, on paper, no epidural for induction pain or for C-section.

goats - I had an epidural and no mobility issues, could still feel/move my legs, even kneel and stand? I think there are different types - MN lists them somewhere....