October 2014 // thread 15 // hooray, here come the babies!

[sazzlehopes]

Going through these fast at the minute!

Well I've been swept. It was uncomfortable, as expected, but I wouldn't say painful. She seemed happy that my body was taking things in the right direction and that I wouldn't need another sweep next week. 1-2cm dilated. Fingers crossed ladies!

Aargh mrsb how exciting! FX things get going now

Oooh mrsb thanks for sharing your sweep experience
Fingers crossed indeed...I'll be joining you on Wednesday. Another friend of mine said she also had sex that eve (after her mw recommended her too) and baby was born following morning! If you can also face dtd as well now!!!

Haha I'm not sure how dh feels about dtd after seeing that! Will test the waters (no pun intended!) Later. BabyB went a little nuts after having their head tickled, that was quite funny

oooh how exciting Mrsb to be told you prob won't need the other sweep!!!!

Do you think it's a good thing for the blokes to see something internal-ly or sweep like before the actual labour bit? I've not had to have anything yet, but I know I'll try a sweep before they start getting arsey about induction, so I could take him along if it comes to that. I'm just thinking it might be good to reduce shock value of all that malarkey - certainly my bloke has never been in the room when that's been going on.

My mum came with me for my sweep and saw nothing- had a sheet over the important area and MW sat to the side of the bed.
Mrsb did the MW say whether your cervix was posterior or anterior? Mine is to the back but she just managed to do the sweep. Not holding out much hope that it worked

Fingers crossed MrsB! I'm due today too, and I'm booked in for a sweep on Friday if nothing happens by then. I was convinced I'd be in labour by now. I feel a bit aimless but I'm sure I can easily spend a few days reading and lazing about until baby gets his act together.

Goats, I'm not sure either way. I didn't last time and won't this time take oh to any midwife appointments, mainly because of his work commitments... But if you think they might be shocked it's prob no bad thing. I know mine won't be as he works for the nhs and isn't squeamish so all ok.

Good luck mrsb - can't believe you are 1-2 already, so amazing to think things are beginning!!! And yes I guess if you took your husband along it might have killed the mood somewhat!! oh but the friends I mentioned was also 2cm at her sweep..... Just saying!!!

Anyone else feel that 13th October is now fated as the day of labour because the midwives have announced their intention to strike. I'm due 12th. It's Sod's law it'll all kick off 13th now

Hehe I don't want to get my hopes up too much! My dh is pretty good with supporting me through stuff like that and not making it about him. When I was going through the HG and they were really really struggling to get the drip in me he sat with me the whole time holding my hand, he HATES needles, seriously can't stand them but there he was
he was nudging me to dtd last night but I was too tired. Tonight might be his night!
munday mine was posterior from my notes. I guessed as much as I had to sit on my hands to lift it up. Does that have any gauge on anything?

Hey all. My lo tends to get hiccups and goes a bit berserk. Then the hiccups stop and the movement does too. I know that hiccups are supposed to be normal but it just worries me.

My DP isn't very interested in DTD mrsb. I would take advantage

Need to convince him over the next few weeks. Tried to find a sexy maternity nightie -no luck...

Madam my due date is 11th. Really worried about postnatal care as it's pretty rubbish here anyway so if actually rather be on labour ward or home than on postnatal ward on 13th. I completely support the strike and suppose we're just unlikely on timing.
My DH doesn't seem keen on dtd either. Partly because he wants to wait until at least fri before I go into labour.

Thanks for thinking of me, no baby yet. It's OH bday so have been out all day haven had a chance to check in. Have walked so much today back hurt so much feels a bit better now after a bath. Dd started her new school today and had a great day.
I declined mw friend offer of a sweep no need to interfere at this stage.
Hope everyone is ok can't post long message as MIl still here.
mrs glad sweep wet well fingers x for you. Posterior cervix is less favourable than anterior but that can change in a matter of hours the latent labour phase usually does the work of bringif forward the cervix and thinning it out.
goats you haven already had lots of good advice re feeding, your baby your choice don't feel you have to commit either way at this stage see how you go and whatever you choose will be the right choice for you and baby.

Is it cocodomol that it is safe to take in pregnancy ? My sciatica is really sore & paracetomal is not shifting it today

Ah-ha, thanks me. not something to be concerned about then?
Daft thing is with all this so imminent, I'm more worried about the parking at this new unit that I will have to go and that I forgot to ask for the ruddy phone number. Bum!
Sorry you guys are worried about the strike, I'm sure all units will be suitably covered so it doesn't interfere with your care. I can't imagine any midwives would allow it to be any other way.

Sweetpeapods - I'm booked to be induced on the 10th, so as I'll probably be in at least 3 nights will be looking to be discharged on strike day - sigh. Never mind, I will ask the likely effects at my MW appointment tomorrow though. It said on the news that it was ante-natal and postnatal appointments only that would be affected, whether that just means that if I have been discharged and am due a postnatal home appointment it won't happen, or whether it will affect the postnatal ward as well I have no idea!

stigz yes it's fine to take it occasionally I've been having them when my back is really bad.

I'm due on the 13th! Oh well I suppose it's got to be on someone's due date!!

Easiest way to imagine the strike is that everything that would happen that day would happen a day later. Nothing urgent or problematic would be missed and everything else only delayed. HCPs would not allow anything else.

Yes puppy quite right, the strike is for 4 hours and will effect routine care eg antenatal clinic etc midwives will not walk out on women in labour or babies that are on special obs require antibiotics etc... Tbh I think the action short of a strike will be more disruptive which will mean midwives not missing breaks or doing hours of unpaid overtime- this is what the service relies on us doing almost every shift out of duty to the people we are looking after but needs to stop.

I agree that action short of strike would be less disruptive, mostly because there is no way the hcps would stick to it that's how they rely on us to keep doing what we do.

I did my staff survey today. Love my team, love my boss, love my job and still couldn't have answered everything positively. Good luck for all your colleagues on the Day Me.

I'm leaving RCN and moving to an active union.

Can I just check that waters feel like that...watery. And so the stuff I've been getting the last 2 days is just discharge stuff. Sorry for the tmi, it's thicker, more like mucus. But not as much and as thick as when I lost my plug 2 weeks ago. Sort of all day regular amounts...

Yes it's watery sazzle more easily confused with wee than mucus / discharge. It's very wet!

puppy I've been meaning to move to unison, this is the first time te RCM have stood up for us but I guess they didn't have much choice after they sold us out on the pensions debacle.

sazzle it sounds like discharge from how you are describing it. Pop a pad on and monitor if you not sure then no harm calling triage.

I have almost permanent period pain these days - probably for several weeks. My bump is still pretty high up, so it's not really about pressure anywhere. I don't get it. I don't get how anyone can be pain free at 40+ weeks. I'm wondering whether I'm looking out for a change in current pain, or something totally different. I'm not even looking out for labour for labour's sake, more just changes in pain so I can plan how far away from home I can go. This is going to get frustrating.