September 2014 - Where are all the girls?!

[RedToothBrush]

New Babies
Topmammy - Jessica
Cookielove - Elijah
bugoven - Dexter
IlovemonstersInc - Baby boy
Teabiscuits - Emma
Kicksandgiggles - twin boys
Nazly - Dara
TwosaCrowd - Cassius
Laura2611 - Jessica
TheOnlySeven – Elizabeth
DearDinah - Evelyn
cbmb12 - Baby boy
whiteblossom - Baby boy
Redtoothbrush – Baby boy
BexBoo12 – Baby Jacob
BooSurprise – Baby boy
Dontevenblink – Baby Sophie
Iatesomeofthepies - Baby boy
CumbrianExile - Baby Aidan
Acorncat - Baby boy
Mrsfmustbemental – Baby Ben
needle - Baby Girl
Lucidlady – Baby Boy
Current Stats: 17 B : 7 G

Awaiting News
Babyfishcakes - induced Tuesday 19th August (pre eclampsia)
Frolie - section booked for Tuesday 2nd September

Now Overdue
Coolcat2014 - due Tuesday 2nd September
DizzyKipper - due Monday 8th September (planned homebirth)
ShowMeShowMeTheWine – due Monday 8th September
lilone1234 – due Tuesday 9th September

Week Commencing Monday 8th September
KatharineClover – due Wednesday 10th September
AlwaysandForever09 – due Thursday 11th September
EllaBella220 – booked in for induction Thursday 11th September
Xxmissbrightsidexx – booked in for induction Friday 12th September
Slithytove - due Friday 12th September (Home VBAC)?
HippyJess - due Friday 12th September
Topsyloulou – due Friday 12th September
Beccus – due Saturday 13th September
Serotonin - due Saturday 13th September
Cindy5389 – due Saturday 13th September
Zanashar – due Saturday 13th September

Week Commencing Monday 15th September
TeamEponine - booked in for ELCS on Tuesday 16th September (due Sunday 21st September but currently breech)
polkadotdelight - due Wednesday 17th September
KitKat1985 - due Wednesday 17th September
Mumtobeyorkshire - due Wednesday 17th September
holls2000 - section booked for Thursday 18th September (currently breech)
Inbl00m – due Saturday 20th September
Jemsiem - due Saturday 20th September
MissingCaffeine - due Saturday 20th September
Marjal12 - ?due Sunday 21st September (currently breech, ELCS if doesn't turn)
LH1981 - due Sunday 21st September
Lilmisssunshine7 – due Sunday 21st September

Week Commencing Monday 22nd September
misog2000 – due Thursday 25th September (planned homebirth)
Aisha18 - section booked for Friday 26th September
Velvetlilithi – due Saturday 27th September
Snafu33 – due Sunday 28th September

Week Commencing Monday 29th September
No one here?

A to Z of everyone else currently active
SHOUT IF YOU WANT TO BE ADDED OR YOU HAVE MORE INFO!

Post Natal thread for anyone who wishes to join (August babies more than welcome!

Fingers crossed, I called about 6.30 and was told that the labour ward was overflowing and to call back at 8 to make an appointment to go in and be monitored in the assessment unit. Gonna take my bag and car seat etc just in case but really hoping they just monitor for a bit and then send me home - slightly concerned that if the labour ward is that busy I'd be told there was no midwife available for my home birth if I were to go into labour in the next day or so anyway, but I guess we will cross that bridge when we come to it!

Really know how you feel Serotonin. It's my 3rd sweep today too and I have only 2 days to give birth before things get complicated and pressure for intervention begins. Kept getting gripped by awful anxiety at random intervals and twas the first thing I felt when waking up today. Worst thing is I know feeling like that isn't in any way conducive to labour getting started!

Hope everything is ok with you misog.

dizzy, nice guidelines say u don't have to be induced at 42 weeks, they should support ur decision not to be, if that's what u want, & offer u regular monitoring. I, personally, am happy to be induced at 42 weeks, my hospital's 'policy' is to induce at 40 +12, but they were pretty flexible when I said I had child care problems at 40 +12, they were fully booked the following day, so I am booked in for 42 weeks, so hopefully they will be flexible and respect ur wishes, too.

The thing is I don't trust them not to try and pressure us. When we saw the MWs on Thursday she told us their policy was to induce at 40+12, made no mention whatsoever of our ability to go with expectant management, and she was obviously very uncomfortable when I told her we wanted to get to at least 42 weeks. We're having a MW over today who will also be talking us through induction - I don't trust her not to also try to automatically book us in and try to talk us out of it when we say we want to wait. DH and I have been talking about it a lot, we've decided we'll give the baby a few days grace past 42 weeks to come out naturally and if s/he won't we'll agree to induction. I'm worrying a lot about the risks (both of waiting and going through an induction) and second guessing whether we're doing the right thing/making the right decisions. Who knew having a baby would be so stressful? I don't want a MW to come along with an agenda on top of it and try to coerce me into something when I'm already feeling quite vulnerable and stressed out. Broken down in tears today several times already, it's going to be another one of those days I think.

Maybe I'm being unfair, maybe she'll be really nice and genuinely talk us through all the options and care about us giving informed consent. We were also told Thursday that they won't come out for a HB past 42 weeks, which is another issue to worry about - should I go into natural labour past 42 weeks do I go in or try to insist they come out? DH says they'll come out and wants to stay at home, but again I'm worried about the baby, the what if even though I'm sure the risks are minimal - they're still there.

Eurgh, sorry for the whine and going on. Must pull myself together.

Well I went to sleep last night after an evening of cramps and a few mild contractions (about 1 an hour for 3 hours) and as I predicted they all stopped. Woke up feeling crampy still (may or may not be writing this from bed) but baby still isn't moving as vigorously as he used to so I think unless things spectacularly kick off at breakfast it may be a visit to the hospital to get things checked today for us too...

As I say that and start planning for it, of course he starts kicking... But like misog I'm so paranoid at this stage!

I am Feeling pressured and worried about induction and I'm only 39+6. I planning a home birth and my usual midwife who told me before she's delivered a baby at 43+3 is on holiday until Monday so I had a different one at my 38 week appt. I know they have to talk about induction then but I think it's completely wrong because you're not even past your due date and they start worrying you- and when you're worried you have less oxytocin and so are less likely to go into labour anyway! Anyway yesterday I went in for monitoring as I felt really ill and it definitely put me off being in hospital more and confirmed my decision not to be induced. I've read the nice guidelines and everyone has the right to a scan at 41+3 to make an informed decision and then expectant management from then..... Let's not forget that due dates are so arbitrary and based on averages etc- I met a doula the other day who had home births at 42+5 and 42+6 and she was saying in Africa the due date is not until 43 weeks, in France it's 41 weeks etc etc. Anyway sorry for my rant it's just getting me frustrated! Need to calm down and get the oxytocin flowing so it hopefully doesn't get to that stage!

Back from hospital, all seems fine. Had to see Dr as it's the second time I've been in for reduced movement and she said babies can go a bit quiet as they prepare for labour (which is the opposite of what I've been told previously!) and my trace was good so she's not concerned. She has booked me a scan for Monday to check placenta etc but seems to think all ok and is happy for me to still have my home birth which is great

Good news misog2000!

Sorry if my previous post was a bit ranty and I'm definitely not judging anyone who does choose induction route etc- you're braver than me and can definitely see the advantage of knowing when the baby is coming as am bored of waiting/hating worrying already and not even overdue!

Well my waters are trickling went into hospital and contractions stopped so they sent me home.

Contractions are about 6 minutes apart and really painful but managing with a borrowed tens machine and paeacetamol/codeine.

hopefully this means I will have a baby soon lol

Oh well got my induction tomorrow at 4pm was hoping baby might come himself before but no such luck, I will be 39+5

My hospital is 2 episodes of reduced movement and they offer induction

Being a 1st baby I've no idea if I've just been over paranoid and now getting induced when it not needed, my husband is freaking out and not been sleeping with worry about baby and he just wants him out now.

I'm really scared of this induction though but I'd not forgive myself if I refuse it and something bad happens

Tonight is going to be a long night....

Salene I know what you mean about just being paranoid, I'm getting myself in a state again now about him not moving as much as I think he should :( and I'm exactly the same with worrying about the effects of induction vs something happening if you don't have it!

That's interesting about your hospital's policy about 2 episodes of RFM and they'll induce you... I'm booked in for induction on Wednesday anyway but if I go in today to get monitored it'll be my second episode and my midwife yesterday said that in all likelihood they'd induce me so now I don't know whether to be hopeful that they will or worried that they will

Yes I know what you mean, I've found the whole pregnancy a worry, always thinking is everything ok and the last couple of weeks it's got worse.

It does not help I know of 3 people to lose babies at 38/39/40 weeks and they don't know why, so I'm constantly at my belly - is he moving..? As I was told most stillbirths there is RFM prior but at time mums never put 2 & 2 together.

I will be so glad when he is out, I'm just dreading how he gets out if that makes sense. I have major anxiety fears over epidural, it's not even something I can remotely consider, that combined with hospital telling well if reconsider your views on Epidural as the pain lever is very intense.

I feel like tomorrow I'm away to walk into some kind of horror movie :-(

Hi all,

We ended up having to go to the DAU today. Fundal growth had decreased when MW checked me over but she thought this might be because the baby's head was so engaged. She wanted us to get checked over just to be safe though. Baby's heart rate and fetal movements were absolutely fine but they found almost no amniotic fluid and are concerned baby is only measuring at 38 week level. Have to go back tomorrow to get a proper scanner to go through all the checks again (had a normal doctor do it who said her measurements may not be accurate). If there's any real cause for concern then we'll be getting induced. Upset is an understatement, though keep trying to remind myself that the baby's HR and movements were great - it's hard not to fear for the worst though. Will update tomorrow if and when I'm able to.

hope all goes well for u tomorrow, dizzy. just want to second ellabella that inductions are not necessarily that bad, per se. Obviously, it's really upsetting if you had ur heart set on a home/mlu birth, but like ella says, they are not that bad. some people find the pain quite manageable without an epidural. I had an induction and epidural with dd1, and overall I'd say my birth experience was more positive than sone people I know who had more natural deliveries

Thank you both for posting that about induction. It's something I've been nervous about, partly because of the risk of triggering interventions (I'm terrified of tearing and long term pain/damage) and the potential need for forceps. I'm a first timer who is now (only) 3 days overdue with a fairly large back to back baby. I had medical management after a miscarriage last year and I remember the pain coming on strongly and quickly after having the pessaries so the thought of pessary induction is also nerve wracking - this time I would be quicker to ask for pain relief.

It's really good to read your positive experiences.

I forgot to say good luck to you Dizzy for tomorrow.

polkadot, yes inductions do have greater chance of instrumental delivery, but that includes ventouse as well as forceps. I had ventouse and it was fine for both of us. I ended up with episiotomy and v small tear, but no long term problems. Also, I could still push even though I couldn't feel anything with epi. you just imagine u r doing a big pooh. dd1's hr dropped so they used ventouse to get her out quickly, but said I would have pushed her out had I had more time.

So so glad to hear positive induction stories. We went in today for monitoring as I was getting so anxious and baby is fine, but the midwife was so concerned about my anxiety levels and working myself up that they've moved my induction to 8am tomorrow morning. Feel much calmer knowing what's happening but obviously concerned about it all being ok, very glad I'll be in a place where they'll be monitoring him really regularly!

So yeah, all kicks off tomorrow here

currently feeding a baby girl on the post natal ward. born at 7.06pm in the pool and only with gas and air

chuffed to bits she's just perfect xx

Good luck for today Salene and HippyJess, and congratulations Serotonin.

Thankyou for the positive induction stories, I am going to keep reminding myself of them (and get DH to remind me to) as and when we're being induced. It almost feels inevitable now - the scanner is probably going to confirm what was said yesterday, tell us about the possible risks, and neither of us are happy to take any risks with our baby.
Was so nervous I really didn't get much sleep last night, just fingers crossed if I am induced I'll be lucky and it will go quickly.

Congratulations Serotonin!

Actually managed to sleep last night but I don't think DH did. Just need to finish my coffee, hospital is half an hour away and need to be there at 8... This very much doesn't feel real yet.

Congratulations seratonin and good luck today to salene, hippyjess and dizzy.

Am 40+4 now when is it my turn?!

Congratulations on all the new babies. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying lots of newborn cuddles.

Good luck today to those being induced, hope it progresses quickly for you.

I'm now 40+9 and no signs of anything so counting down until I'm induced on Wednesday.

On the ward and have my pessary in. Now the long wait begins! Oo-er...