April 2015 thread 6: our Christmas puddings are half cooked, now bring on the glow!

[BrixtonBunny]

We were getting perilously close to being full up, hope no one minds!

Great news on the scans Freedom, Bonjour, Lauren and anyone else I might have missed.

Can't believe husbands are fussing about water births! If it helps me to get through labour/birth I will be doing it and I will not be impressed if he so much as raises an eyebrow! I don't expect him to get in with me though, just to support me in any decisions I make about the birth. The thing that worries me most about waterbirths is the potential for sieving... I imagine things are slightly more discreet on dry land.

Baby has been wriggling like crazy today - felt like he/she was tapdancing on the inside of my belly at one point. It's lovely, such a nice distraction on and off throughout the working day.

Crossposted daholster - I was horrified reading that you're not joined up at the bum any more, imagining a birth injury from last time! Forgot about your bag - phew!

Congratulations on your boy! I'm team boy as well..keep looking at nursery ideas but not sure.....
Did you read about home births over hospital births today? What's everyone's thoughts?x

Thanks, Banana.

I started out labouring in water with DS. This was at home, in a home with an unconventional layout, meaning pool was downstairs, only place to get measured was upstairs. After I'd made the mammoth effort to get upstairs to be told birth was imminent, I really couldn't face getting back down the stairs, so DS was born in the bed. I truly believe all the time labouring in the pool contributed to my not tearing down there (other factors being dedication to perineal massage in the weeks leading up, a long slender baby as opposed to a huge one, and maybe just luck. But the water is definitely meant to reduce chances of tearing - so for that alone, I'd recommend!) It was also a massive help with pain relief, and I managed even though DS was back to back and it was a long labour. So yes, I am a pool fan!
Re keeping it warm, DH just emptied it out in tubs, then refilled. I don't know how they do it at hospital.
I didn't poo. But you are ready with a sieve in case!

We have moved since, so if I do get a homebirth again, I am all on one floor.

chili, cross posts. Was there something in the news re home vs hospital today?
I LOVED my homebirth with DS. It was fabulous. If you are close enough to a hospital (ICE), and the mw deems you well enough, I say go for it. But it's personal, I guess. I would have hated having to be in a hospital. I LOVED being in my own home. I loved getting to my own bed, snuggling my new baby, no distractions. No car journey either there or back - just staying at home. Lovely.

Not allowed a home birth. Not sure if I would or wouldn't if I could. I think because I've worked in hospitals lots I actually feel quite comfortable there and an bolshy enough to tell people hands off if they try to muscle in with interventions I don't want too early. I would be tempted if it meant you kept the midwife you have been seeing throughout your pregnancy but the midwife told me its changed in our area and now they cross cover areas it could be anyone and often you haven't met them before. That is such a shame.

And banana sorry for scaring you! Nope, nothing worse than a second degree last time cos I pushed a bit too hard for the crowning... Could tell it wad imminent and just went for it, oops!

If you listen to the midwife it is all fine and to be honest you don't even notice!!! It's just afterwards it takes longer to feel comfy again if you tear.

What an icky conversation. Probably scaring the ftms sorry, not meaning to...

It's all fine. And SO worth it. And I've chosen to do it again!!!

I was told even if I'm induced I can have a water birth TheBooMonster, so there's hope!!

Dh won't get in with me but is happy for me to have a water birth Lauren82000 and yay for your great scan :)

No idea on water temp but I guess it's pretty grim at the end. Assuming you wouldn't hang about long and just get in a bath/shower and get dressed :)

I'd have a home birth if Dh wasn't so against it.

I had quite a bad labial tear with ds1 as he was stargazing which took a while to be comfortable. I had small perineal tear (2 stitches) with ds2 which healed much quicker and easier, I put it down to him being 9lb 2 and the midwife dragging his shoulders out of me having beautifully breathed out his head! I did perineal massage with both.

I lost a lot of blood last time (they um'd and arh'd about transfusing me but didn't in the end) then DD had jaundice so I was glad to be in the hospital although they did do that thing where they get your hopes up to go home then change their mind or not tell you exactly what the process is. Annoying but they forget you don't know what they are on about.

The only thing that slightly puts me off the water birth is I had a go in the bath on the maternity unit once my contractions started after being induced, I threw up in it quite a few times as I couldn't move with the pain that had come out of nowhere. Spent my labour smelling faintly if sick not sure if that would happen again as I'm convinced it was because I was induced not that I was in labour that did it.
If water birth is a bust, on my knees this time I think hugging the back of the bed. DHs hand was useless last time!

I did the bed hugging as I moved into established labour. Before that I'd spent all morning kneeling on the floor next to our bed and almost pulling the bed covers off... To be honest once I was in established labour there was no good place to be, I tried to stay up on knees or feet to try to turn her from back to back, the pain was unbelievable. I did it with no meds but at transition was crying about whether I could really do it. The midwife ran me a bath, I was standing by the bed. I got in it and two contractions later was pushing... On the antenatal ward! So out, re examined and moved back to the delivery suite.... Grr... Wish they had never moved me! Assumed it would take forever for a ftm I think.

It was easier with the gas and air!!! 1.5hrs after moving I think she was here and dh was traumatised!!! Didn't help that the waters didn't go and bulging membranes look

Asked eventually for gas and air once they had stopped faffing and panicking about my medical history. It was much easier with the gas and air! I think she arrived an hour and a half later I was relieved and dh was traumatised!!! I don't think the fact that the membranes didn't rupture so the waters didn't go didn't help... Bulging membranes are pretty alien like I think... Poor dh!

Well that post got a bit messed up! Stoopid phone!

I was sick constantly with ds1 Lauren82000 and induced, also induced with ds2 and not sick once! No idea the difference really

During labour that is :)

Daholster, DH described crowning like an alien. DDs head was all squished and wrinkly folds of skin as it was just coming visible. Said he was panicking and then so relieved when she came out looking like a human. Which made me chuckle.

I know what he meant about the folds though as the mw grabbed my hand and made me feel it. Guess she was trying to encourage me that all that effort was getting somewhere.

The midwife asked if I wanted to feel... I said no!!! Good grief... Nope just let me feel it once all is safe and well! Anyway feeling just membranes bulging would have been a bit weird... The relief when she ruptured them for me... She was here in 2 pushes! And covered in meconium - probably because she spent so long in the bag not going anywhere!!! Then everyone runs about!

Still, she was perfect, covered in her own poo or not

cinnamon our consultant unit only has one pool, where as the MLBU has pools in most rooms, my midwife and I had discussed me labouring in MLBU and being moved across to the consultant unit after for the drip depending on how antsy the midwives were about me having a canulla in ready for the drip. We're hoping that even if I'm on the consultant ward I can use the pool. I'll try and go through it in detail with her and the consultant at my next appointments with them both, it seemed a bit early to be talking about labour in details other than 'trying to avoid bleeding out' previously.

lauren I was induced and then sick from the pain, midwife was most unimpressed, but I did avoid being sick in the bath. I think mostly she was of the impression that I was overreacting though because I was in tonnes of pain without actually progressing until I went from 1 - 10 cm in the space of a few minutes

I didn't need the drip with ds2 TheBooMonster and only needed it with ds1 after pushing for 1 1/2hrs and then new midwife at shift change deciding I was only 5cm dilated and having to fight against contractions so they slowed a lot!

cinnamon this is a post delivery drip to make everything contract back up because last time the midwives let me bleed for two damned hours before realising I hadn't contracted properly >.

Oh no pants :( I wanted a natural third stage but as I was induced had the injection and that was enough for me, other than being induced I'm quite straight forward really and 5st lighter I'm hoping to be even more so if baby sorts himself out

Should you be discussing birth plans with your midwife or is that for further down the line?

kismac last time my midwife wasn't interested in discussing it till 32 weeks, I'll check what my notes say this time round sec

34 weeks.