Jan 2015 #10 - the babies are coming thick and fast

[Elizadoesdolittle]

Couldn't see a new thread so thought I'd make one. Congratulations to all the mummies so far. Looking forward to hearing lots more birth stories. Good luck for those still to go.

40+9 today.
Have had two failed sweeps and my cervix is closed. Being induced tomorrow as hospital is full up over weekend. This feels like a relief as the wait has been agonising and was becoming anxiety ridden! Feel quite disappointed that my body hasn't gone into labour naturally. Fingers crossed Pessary will work as I'm allowed to mlu birth centre then.

Congrats all who've had babies in the last few days! X

Thanks madrigals but still nothing!!! Being examined 330 hopefully cervix has done something so they can break my waters, if not il b on the drip! Very stubborn or comfy baby! Congrats to new births :) x

Congrats Cherry on little Benjamin's arrival! Hope you are all recovering nicely

Hi all!

Finally got round to posting the birth story.

Got out of hospital yesterday after having baby Lachlan in the early hours of Fri morning.

Labour was pretty traumatic - despite being in a perfect position days before, he shifted and was back to back with his head at a really odd angle too. Didn't progress past 5cm dilated and the pain was immense with both our stats dropping every time a contraction came. Had to be transferred by ambulance to consultant led ward 20 miles away in a blizzard which was rather stressful but once there was able to have diamorphine and, after a lot of faffing, an epidural. Attempted forceps delivery but the wee man was wedged solid and so was eventually born by emergency section 11 hours after waters breaking!
Afterwards, whilst on the ward, I felt REALLY unwell and stats were really poor again. Was told that I needed a blood transfusion but on speaking to the consultant was advised that my iron had dropped very suddenly and this was indicative of internal bleeding. So, 5 hours after having the wee man, I had to go back into theatre under a general anaesthetic this time so that they could reopen my section wound and see what was going on. The worst part was that there was a chance that my uterus had ruptured and so I had to give my consent to have a hysterectomy which I found incredibly upsetting and DH had gone home so I felt v.alone as I was wheeled away.
In the end it was a couple of blood vessels which had caused the bleeding and getting this sorted, along with the transfusion, put me back on the road to recovery.

I'm not sure whether DS will be having any brothers or sisters though as the whole process was really difficult and I'm still feeling v.emotional about the whole thing tbh!

Hope this hasn't scared anyone! And congrats to all the new mamas!

xxx

*edit - that should be that he was born 23 hours after waters breaking!

Oh Nesspot you poor thing that sounds absolutely awful. Have they offered you counselling or a debrief?

Soooo...2 weeks overdue and 51 hrs in and STILL NOT STARTED!!! Been waiting to go to labour ward for 20hrs, no midwives available! Hopefully today! I am thinking surely it must start on its own soon so I can have a natural birth but not getting my hopes up! X

Just read ur story nesspot, sending my best wishes, sounded very scary but still congratulations are in order and u have ur gorgeous baby! Your hormones are probably all over the shop and once u have recovered and spent time with ur baby u will feel a lot better I hope xxx

Congratulations nesspot! And very sorry to hear it's been such a traumatic experience - I hope you get all the support you need both from the mws and at home. Feel better soon
Good luck loulily27!

Gosh Nesspot you poor thing that sounds so tough. I hope you are recovering well and congrats on a lovely baby. Hope it's soon for you Lou!

Can't sleep so think I will share my birth story. Woken up by contractions 12:30am Wednesday morning. Husband is awake watching TV after coming in from work. Call labour ward. Husband wakes up my mum to ask her to keep an eye on my toddler who is asleep. Half an hour later community midwife arrives. I'm 5cm dilated. She calls for second midwife and gets out gas and air. I labour on my knees leaning against the sofa. Husband rubs base of my spine which really helps with the pain. As contractions get worse I use gas and air which helps a bit but can't seem to get the timing right. Put radio 2 on. Waters break quick painful pushing stage. Shout loudly come on baby. Baby is born. Can't see him immediately as he is behind me. Put in front of me. Husband cuts cord. Hold baby and wait to deliver placenta. Call down mum. Toddler still asleep. 40 mins later deliver placenta. Benjamin settles under daddy's T shirt while I'm stitched up and eat toast. Midwives fill in paperwork and leave. Toddler wakes up at 6:30am and meets new brother. We eat weetabix, watch Frozen and call family.

Cherry, that's a lovely birth story! I especially like the watching of Frozen at the end.

Re my own delivery tale, hospital staff and family have been great - not sure I want to go down the debrief route - onwards and upwards for me! Besides I'm bloody knackered and massively hormonal so not sure I'm in the right place to relive it all just yet!

Love that story cherrypi

Thanks for sharing the birth stories, ladies. Cherry, your experience sounds wonderful and really sells home birth How is your toddler adapting to having a little brother?

Ness, it sounds like you were incredibly brave, I can totally see why you were so emotional (more so than any brand new mum would be). Your positive onwards and upwards attitude is wonderful, I hope you're getting all the support you need though and recovering well and starting to be able to settle into family life.

I'm 40+4 today and starting to get anxious. I had a sweep on Tuesday and she said it looked like nothing would happen this week...So it's not like she got my hopes up or anything, but I'm starting to feel so fed up and also increasingly nervous about another sweep on Tuesday and the possibility of induction (would be next Saturday if baby hasn't come by then). I always said I wouldn't hold fast to a birth plan as I didn't want the added stress of it not going to plan, so my birth plan is quite loose. But it isn't that that's bothering me really...I would feel a little upset not to be in the birth centre if I was induced, but more than that it's just that the longer I wait the more time I have to get nervous and scared. I have real problems relaxing at the best of times, I'm a very anxious and tense person, and I know being tense is not going to help in labour. An early or on time spontaneous labour would have been so much better for me than a late and/or induced one where I've had all this time to worry...

Having said all that, I'm not worried at all about the newborn days and I just can't wait. I know it'll be hard and on the FB group there's a lot of sharing about the recovery from childbirth as well as the difficulties of newborn parenting, but I'm not getting too overwhelmed by that. I've waited years for this I just want it to start as soon as possible!

Sorry for the long post... I've been lying in bed thinking for too long this morning, it was good to get some of it out!

Lou I really hope you've had your baby by now! Thinking of you x

SK28 I could've written your post. I had an attempted sweep yesterday (at 39+6) but the cervix wasn't favourable & baby was very comfy in situs. I had an induction last time, and while it was a really positive birth, it ruled out using a pool, which I would like to at least have the option of this time, as it could help with SPD.

Can totally relate to the anxiety of this time.

We'll get there!

But in my case, it may be next month...

40 weeks today.

Depressingly my baby could also come next month... Induction on 31st means there's a definite chance of baby arriving in February!

I'm hoping to use the pool too Henrietta, because the idea of the drugs scares me a bit and I hope water will reduce the need for other pain relief. I know I will be fine if induced but it makes it scarier for me. I'm sorry your SPD is still such a factor - I feel lucky that mine (which was never as severe as yours, and was always confined to a small area of my back) has subsided a lot since I stopped working. Though makes me resent how bad work made it!

I need to use the next sweep if it happens as a way to practise the breathing and keeping relaxed. I've always struggled with breathing, which sounds ridiculous... But I used to trampoline and my coach used to say I held my breath when I was concentrating or nervous about a new move. And I've always struggled with yoga or meditation for the same reason - I can control my breathing if it's all I think about but as soon as I focus on a posture or pose, I forget how to breath. Hubby knows his main job in labour is to help me focus on my breath, as he's very good at controlling his breathing, but I need to really work on it myself too I think rather than dwell on what scares me!

That's good to hear, Mads. Who knows if it'll suit me, but I'd like to at least try!

SK28, DH's main job with me is to help me with relaxation and breathing too! He helped me get through the 'sweep that wasn't' yesterday.

He puts his hand on my shoulder, fairly firmly but gently iyswim, and counts down from 5. This helps 'ground' me. And then he makes sure his breathing is spot on, if slightly exaggerated, so that I breathe in step with him. And we maintain eye contact and he holds my hand too.

It definitely had an effect. It's amazing how many times in 1 minute I needed to remind myself to breathe through it though. And to physically & consciously relax my pelvic floor area.

These things don't come naturally to me; yet they make such a difference.

Who knew relaxing could be such hard work?!

Oh, and SK, if I am induced it's looking like 4th Feb, when I'll be 40+12.

Great to hear Mads. I've not decided if I want to actually deliver in the pool but definitely hope to have it there as an option for pain relief.

Henrietta, I'm glad I'm not alone in needing help to breathe I'm sure it's more common than one might think really.

Henrietta and SK, I'm in the same position. 40+6 today and have a hospital appt on Tuesday for another sweep and I'm assuming to book in an induction (the hospital go 14 days over). I was 1cm at the sweep on Monday and MW was able to be quite thorough. Had a v large show yesterday (was really disgusting!) but apart from frequent BH had twinges, nothing. I had induction acupuncture yesterday and have the second session booked in for tomorrow. I also have a birth centre planned and really do not want to have to be induced. I know I won't have failed if I have to be induced but I've felt so calm and confident about the idea of labour and birth a hospital just isn't what I want. DH has taking to running up at shouting "get out baby!" at my stomach.

Ness, Cherry, congratulations. It's good to hear birth stories both positive and not. Ness you must be glad to be home.

40+6(get out baby!)

Jo, do you mean you wouldn't be induced till 40+14? Where I am, they induce at 40+12 so baby is (hopefully) definitely here by 40+14. I did find it helped to get a date though - while I hope it won't come to an induction, knowing the last date at which we'll be waiting is something!

I've been feeling new sensations this afternoon. Just gentle cramps every so often, but definitely different to the BH I've had before (which I've only ever felt as external tightening, rather than any internal sensation). I don't want to get my hopes up that it's the stirrings of contractions, but hopefully at this stage any new feeling or something different is positive...?!

My DH has decided that my tummy button is the indicator of baby's readiness - he's monitoring it daily to see when it fully 'pops out'. I think it was about Tuesday that he declared it 'slightly out-y' rather than 'flat', but it's not quite popped enough for him to declare baby fully cooked :)