April 2015 Thread 11: The finish line is in sight as we get closer to maternity leave and our babies!

[BrixtonBunny]

Old thread getting full xx

Thanks squat sorry to be posting all about me, I have been lurking on the board and trying to keep up with what's going on with everyone.

Its too late I'm in floods of tears, being completely unreasonable I know but just checked NHS page on pre-e and it says babies will be delivered at 37/38 weeks by induction or CS. I should be happy my baby is fine and MW are checking me..but I'm so worried and so downhearted that I most probably won't be able to just see this pregnancy out naturally. I don't know personally of a single induction that didn't end in a section and I Also know of 3 people close to me who had massive allergic reactions to the hormones, and in one case the baby died so induction has definitely been on my FEAR and AVOID at all costs list. And now I can't...

Sob sob sob sob

Aww Moomin, hopefully they are just being extra cautious but better to be checked.

Moomin bless you I agree with Firaffe though. At least you are being checked and they are thinking about you and baby. They will always do what's best for baby so try and remember that (hard I know, I'm the same as you and a worrier!). What will be, will be, so please don't stress yourself out thinking about the unknown. You'll come up with all sorts in your head! And we all know google isn't the best source of advice!

moomin it's only pre-e if its persistent I believe. If it is pre eclampsia then it's nothing you did wrong and there's nothing you can do about it. I would HATE to be told I had to have a c-section or induction so you aren't on your own there. But ultimately safe delivery of the baby is the goal for all of us. You are carrying your little one safely til it arrives SAFELY under the care of your team, whatever way, and then you have been super mum. You can discuss your concerns re hormone reactions and please tell them about the resulting loss of a baby and how frightened you are. If all goes ok they might just keep an eye, nothing is set in stone, and you have choices. They can't make you do anything, but of course they will advise. Maybe given the allergy history they would c section electively.

Try not to worry until you have all the facts. And if the facts are that it's pre-eclampsia then just concentrate on looking after yourself and baby and being the super incubator you are. The labour is a tiny part of seeing this through (though believe me I would feel thoroughly disappointed and upset too...) Keep your eye on the prize... And no more googling, ask the midwives!!! ... And time for you!

Moomin sorry about the possible pre-e and that you're upset. If it's any consolation I had a planned section, it was fab. I have only good things to say about it really. Planning another one.

Good news on scans ladies.

Daholster hope you're ok.

Brixton you're making impressive house progress, good work.

RL was it you who makes a lunch for your DH every day?! He's a lucky man, I'm with Brixton on this one.

My DH is en route to Cape Town and I'm at mum and dad's with DD. We're watching TV as I have done my duty playing with train set and reading - I need a rest now. Weather atrocious here (Brighton), hoping for an improvement tomorrow. The drive down was fine as DH did the London to gatwick leg. Can't believe I was worried about bump touching steering wheel - still plenty of room!

Sorry if I've missed anyone. I can't see nursery pics on the app - come on MN, sort it out.

And the people close to you that had allergic reactions, are they relatives? If not, try not to worry because it's an unfortunate coincidence that you know all 3 of these people. If they are related to you, express your concerns to the midwife at the weekend so you feel better prepared just incase x

By the way I read that back and it sounds very insensitive to anyone who has lost a pregnancy. We are all supermums and all do our best. I didn't mean that. What I meant is that we all just do our best to get our babies here safely by whatever means, and moomin you are doing that by letting the team take care of you.

Sorry if I caused any offence, bad wording... When I was trying to be supportive! Doh!

Yes smog it's me that makes the pack-ups, I didn't think of it that way but I suppose I'm just used to making them every night, so I half felt guilty for him going work without and half of me thought "my baby brain must be in full swing now?!"

Is it worth checking with your gp or consultant that knows your history daholster?

Sorry to hear that Heyitsholly :( such a shame you can't make them go faster! We bought a new house and they pushed and pushed us and even pestered us on holiday in October and after a lot of chasing and running around by us we eventually moved in 21st December.

And it also may not be MoominMama22 so try not to worry until you know. As someone who has been induced twice I can honestly say it's not ideal and was much longer with my first (although mainly due to midwife incompetence) it was fine. When I was told I was going to be induced with ds1 I cried a lot! The worst part with him was that they thought one gel would do nothing but it did and so instead of a good nights sleep and second gel in the morning I laboured all night and was very tired. With ds2 the ONLY negative thing I can say about it was that they insisted on constant foetal monitoring which meant I had to lay down and really didn't want to. This time I'm thinking I may just refuse the cfm unless Doppler checks show something isn't quite right. I have no experience of pre ecplampsia but two induced labours and they weren't that bad and ended with two unassisted vaginal deliveries.

Had a lovely run with two friends this morning and felt full of energy! But my bunged up ness is returning every minute and I'm tired from getting up early to run before dh went to work. So sick of not being able to breathe, having a sore throat and dry lips, makes everything harder and its raining!!!!!!!!!!

And BrixtonBunny sounds like the house is making good progress!

Thanks Fi, RL and smogs and daholster for your kind words

I'm now in the bath drowning my sorrows with a big mug of tea. Sorry for being OTT I know its not even diagnosed pre-e yet.
Thankfully none of the allergic reactions were blood relatives to me, just by marriage.
I so didn't want a section that I hadn't thought about it, other than in an emergency of course I would have to. I hadn't for a second entertained the possibility of a planned CS. Might need to calmly get my head around that.

Maybe its just generally a good idea to think of all the poss scenarios and try to prepare ourselves for all of them? I know we sort of think we do, and my "birthplan " was v open minded about pain relief and seeing how things go at the time... but this has shown me just how much a shock it is to think it might not go even remotely how i planned.

Cross posts cinnamon thanks for your induction story. I know there must be plenty of times it does work without further intervention but I don't have any personal experience of it. All Friends/rellies induced and gone on to have sections. I think it depends on the hospital too.
Were you induced because you went over?

Yes 40+13 with both but ds1 took and extra day. Ds2 was actually a very good experience, as I say other than the monitoring. I had the gel at 9am went home, contractions started properly painfully and regualrly at 1.30pm, left for hospital at 2.30 as I was meant to be back at 3pm for second gel but went to delivery suite, got inside my room at 3.30pm and was 8cm dilated, had waters broken and he was born at 5.30pm with TENS and g&a and a small tear which had 3 stitches with a happy healthy 9lb 2 ds2 and home at 9.30pm. Looking back I don't think they should have broken my waters and I couldn't be in water because I was induced (and had a BMI of 35 at booking) but otherwise it was a good labour. This time they want to induce me at 40 weeks so said it could take more but then again she said my cervix knows what it's doing so may be quick.
A friend of mine was induced early due to gd and ended up with syntocinon drip and still laboured with only g&a though, said it was tougher than her first non induced labour but if you haven't done it before you wouldn't have anything to compare it with!

Evening everyone.
I've seen a few of you talk about Braxton Hicks. How will I know that I'm having a 'contraction'? I suppose you would just know wouldn't you? First timer here so I have no clue. I'm pretty certain I haven't had one yet (not even sure if it's too early for me to experience any? 31+3) but I feel like I want to be prepared.
The thought of contractions and labour and things is starting to panic me a bit now!

...I may just have had a sneaky nap. blushes

Moomin, I can understand you getting so worried and nervous. I'm trying to keep an open mind that things might not go smoothly, but I'm shuddering every time I read the word 'episiotomy' and the thought of having a catheter makes my stomach turn, so I'm experiencing something very similar on a much smaller scale. I hope that you get some more answers at your weekend visit so you understand what they're looking out for - don't be afraid to ask! - and that whatever happens, you and your baby come out the other end healthy and happy.

How frustrating, Holly - I hope your solicitor can get somewhere with them instead.

I really didn't want a catheter but it was fine AnniaFausta and you can refuse an episiotomy.

You will know when its a contraction RL20! Brixton hicks are tightening a but generally aren't painful. Contractions for me felt like period pains but much more painful and came in waves from bottom to top of my bump. Once they started I couldn't talk while I was having none.

Moomin hope you're ok
Please try not to panic as others have said. I had the news last week that I will be induced around 37 weeks for obstetric cholestasis, and it isn't quite the birth I would have planned but have complete faith that if that is what is advised it is because it is safest for me and baby. It does increase the risk of having to have intervention, but I have seen and heard of many people (the majority) who have normal delivery following induction of labour. I am slightly worried that I might need a section as well but again if it's the safest thing then so be it. Whatever happens as long as you and baby come out healthy then that's the main thing. At least they are going to monitor you at the weekend, hopefully all will have gone back to normal by then.

daholster totally know what you mean about the shift you could relax tonight but when you need the hours in it's sometimes better to just get them over with!

Cinnamon, I'm sure both options will be fine if they're medically necessary, but despite my determination to be open to possibilities, I can't get over my initial response! I'm hoping being fully informed/clued up will mean that should it come to making those decisions in the actual hospital situation, the obvious medical need will trump reflex ick.

Hope u ok Moomin. I don't know any more than the average person but just to say - look after yourself and fingers crossed for you that it all works out ok.
My bump is sore this evening. Any physical activity sets it off. Yes the tightening and aching and can't get comfortable feeling.
I'm on the train home and someone really smelly just sat near me. Why me. I still get nausea at smells.

moomin try not to worry too much about induction. I was induced with DD and it was a speedy labour, not much time to panic about it, it definitely hurt, but at the end of the day, it's labour, so it was never going to be a walk in the park. I'd happily go for an induction or c-section this time round over going into labour naturally, natural labour quite frankly scares the crap out of me, at least with induction you can plaaaaan! fx your results come back ok though and they decide you don't have preeclampsia after all!

rl I'm going to go against the grain here and say Braxton Hicks can hurt, a lot, especially if you have a crappy pain threshold, the consultant today told me in no uncertain terms that my scare from the the other week was braxton hicks, she got quite a growl back about the whole 'they don't hurt' thing, because I was fed morphine for the pain grumbles a bit But, you'll know contractions!

have had DH on housework crap all day, I cooked dinner, but other than that I have rested and slept whilst he has put up the crib, and cleaned, and looked after DD. I feel he's made up for at least some of his laziness recently, especially as he did an hour and a half round trip on foot to get me coop fancy pants coleslaw without even being asked!

Thanks everyone for your BH descriptions! I suppose I'll 'know' when I get them.

Boo your husband sounds like he's being lovely for you today! How nice.

My partners currently come down with that cold I've had for the past week (which thankfully has now around 90% cleared).
Of course it's much worse for him, and he's lying on the settee complaining he can't get comfortable. I replied, how do you think I feel!?
I still managed to make dinner for us both, go to work (although part-time, I know) and also be 30/31 weeks pregnant!

Hmm. Off to bed soon I think, feeling tired today!

A question on raspberry leaf tea were do you get it? has it worked for others before how much to drink and from when?

skyra I believe holland and barrett have it. Think it's a cup every other day from 32 weeks, then a cup a day from 35 and 2 or 3 a day from 37? I've not tried it personally.