April 2015 Thread 15: Babies galore!

[BrixtonBunny]

Babies are now coming thick and fast... Let's see how many will come on this thread!

Lauren mine says LOA If I remember rightly I have no idea what it all means to be honest

Thanks Cinnamon - think the doc is probably just muddled then as can't see me being 4/5ths engaged yet!

Hope things go as you want. Hopefully the midwife is just giving you the worst case to keep it realistic rather than getting your hopes up.

the way our NCT explained it Lauren is they will come our twisting left so they have further to come if they start ROA and may get stuck back to back. I am only basing that on what was explained

cinnamon I see what you mean. It sucks a bit hey. Still sending labour-y vibes!!!

Yes baby turns that way so from ROA more likely to end up coming out face up instead of face down which is less easy to deliver.

Mine has stuck his bum painfully in the air again. I am so so so done with today, I can't believe how pathetic I'm being but its really hard, don't know how they rest of you with toddlers are doing it! Especially cinnamon, omg!!!

Is it normal to stand and cry in the kitchen because I'm so sore and there is so much to do? Good grief what has happened to me?! Haven't even got dinner on yet!

I think I may be one of the only ones on this thread happy to stay pregnant for a few more days - despite it being my due date! Today is my first official day of mat leave and I'd love to have a few more days pottering about over the weekend before it's all constant breastfeeding and no sleep! I know I'll regret saying that if I go 2 weeks over and end up having to be induced though! I also have a cold/cough/sore throat which I could do with getting rid of before labour.

Anyway, for those of you who are keen to get things moving, I think I remember from the Expecting Better book that the only method of speeding things up that has good evidence is nipple stimulation. Anyone fancy giving it a go...?!

daholster sorry to hear about your crappy day. I snapped at DD last night when I was putting her to bed and then felt really bad about it afterwards. I think emotions are running high with the imminent new arrival... I'm pleased that baby has woken up a bit now and that you didn't have to go in for monitoring.

Congratulations wine and firaffe finishing work tomorrow! Enjoy it!

Cinnamon I'm sorry that the news wasn't more positive from the midwife today. What day will they induce you? Stay positive - it sounds like you've had OK inductions previously and so things could still go similarly despite what the midwife says about this one being earlier. I'm amazed at you going back to work after 3 weeks - I know you said you did similar with your DS but I don't know how you do it! Will you have a full schedule of kids?

the last time I saw the midwife she said the baby was head down, engaged with her back to the left hand side of my tummy (which makes sense because I feel all the kicks in my right side). Is that LOA??

cinnamon hope things go faster for you. I'd be really gutted if I couldn't have either my homebirth or water birth, and i'll be a nervous wreck if i have to go to labour ward. get those nipples stimulated like roastpots suggests ;)
MyDH is all for helping induce labour, will have to add some more nipple play to our DTD hey ;)

He told me this morning though that, it feels different "down there" feels looser now. my response "thanks babe, things your wife doesn't want to hear" he just laughed. He meant it in the nicest possible way and was trying (in his own weird way) to assure me that perenial massage must work and if it's more relaxed down there then birth will be easier. sorry if TMI

best go get ready to go out. were off to pizza express for a friends birthday. i love pizza express but i hate being uncomfy, and am not looking forward to sitting on those hard chairs or squishy booths while we eat :(

Maybe roast That would make sense.

Ladies I made a chilli for dinner (I dont really like spicy food) Made it way to hot and really didn't like it so spicy food is out the question for me I think :(

I also get pissed of when DH touches my nipples but I may have to let him lol

Anyone else got a divarification? Is split in the central muscles which is widened by the pregnancy? I do and I am wondering if it is the top of this that gets so sore on the left? K won't get in the bath... Please please... I'm going to hoik her in it in a minute despite flailing legs and shouting!!!

No I'm with you too Roastpots, if it wasn't for them wanting to induce me at a day over due (which is Tuesday btw) is happily just wait! Will try nipples, thanks. Told dh we are going to dtd tonight and he said do I have to we already did it! That was Saturday, so hardly asking a lot really. Hopefully now he's feeling more relaxed about work he was actually only joking! And yes, will have all my usual kids back. Mornings will be manic but baby will be fed and changed and that's it before school run and will sort him out otherwise when home. I have a wrap sling so hoping he'll be happily snuggled in there or I have a double buggy and only one of my little ones is in a pushchair now so that's fine. When I had ds2 I had an 18month old, 2.5 year old and ds1 was 3.5. This time I have a 2 year old, 3.5 year old and ds2 is 4.5 so technically should be easier.

Hidingthefear, think my dh would have got a thump for that comment! I was a bit paranoid about it post ds1 and still wonder but he seems content and really is rather not know!!!!

And no daholster, less has made me cry in the last few weeks and I have my dh home every night

I know this is nothing and I'm talking lots but I am using this forum as a crutch. So thank you.

Dd is in the bath and I got a cramp right side v low under my bump which came on when I moved quickly, it turned into a contraction and a desperate need to open my bowels (which as we all know I can't do really) and I am stuck here in pain with some weird dribbling going on...
Contraction has eased off and dribble has stopped. Who knows what on earth is going on. Likely wee I know and now I'm off the loo all stopped except for backache.

So much of me thinks this baby is ready and will be here soon but a lot of me think a I could have 4 weeks left and not to be so ridiculous!!!

That was sore and unpleasant though, could do without any more of that before dh is home! His flight is delayed, hasn't left yet

I've got very painful BH again pain is centralised to top of bump.

Just sat for an hour with the name book jotting names down. Have to wait for DH to stop talking to his bro so he can look through them. I have far more boys names on the list than girls. But I'm not feeling any of them tbh. With DD I knew instantly that was her name but this one I'm struggling with.

Evening everyone.
Just realised I haven't posted much today. Starting to feel more and more tired now as the days go on!
I'm having slightly more sharp fanny daggers, back ache, hip ache and even knee ache!
Have just had a bath and now I feel ready for bed!

Cinnamon I'm glad you wrote that explanation on palpable/engaged. I double checked my notes to be sure! She had wrote 3/5ths palpable so obviously I'm 2/5ths engaged, where as I had read it as being 3/5ths engaged .

Anyone else lose their brain function when they go to their midwife appointments? I always feel like I want to ask lots of in depth questions about labour, birth and everything but then I never know how to put it into words!

I still don't feel like I would know when to go to the hospital/ring the midwife.
Will I lose discharge first, or have contractions first, or will my waters go first? I really have no clue!
My mum said she went in when she started to get the lower back pain, but them years ago they didn't send you home, they just kept you in and she just carried on with labour in the hospital.
Obviously it's all different now, but I would feel so disheartened to get to hospital and for them to send me home!
Also, what are the examinations that some people have said they wish they hadn't of had, because they didn't know at the time that they weren't vital?

RL thing is everyone's labours are different. Poor old siarie is testament to that, lots of pain and nothing happening! Some people have their waters go as their first sign, then start getting contractions. My friend felt back achey and "off" all morning, her MIL came round because she felt icky to keep her company then as she made her a cuppa her waters went and contractions started!!!

My other friend and I both started with mild contractiond that ramped up and got closer together. You know when they are getting progressively more regular and closer and you get to the point that you are bracing yourself knowing when the next one is, that that is real labour! My waters never went and the midwife had to pierce them for me while dd was crowning because it was delaying things too much and she was getting stressed.

I have heard that some people lose their plug as an early sign - it dislodges as their cervix starts to dilate - but it can settle down and regenerate and I don't think it is at all an imminent sign or very reliable. I lost my plug proper during labour - LOTS of snotty blood streaked thick discharge. Like, wiping away tons of slime. You can't miss that. Any bloody discharge should be reported to the midwife though.

And my other friend woke up with sudden onset severe cobtractions, no ramping up at all!!! Waters are often NOT the thing to go first.

So everyone is different. And I have heard that every labour can be different even for the same person. Some people have a bowel clearout for a couple of days before it kicks off too.

Hope this helps. And you don't have to be examined by the midwife for how dilated you are either - though it's helpful for them. I wanted to know though when I got there, although it was uncomfy, and she said 4cm so at least I knew the pain was doing something and also she told me dd was back to back from that and advised on how to move, so it was helpful. I didn't get examined again until I felt the need to push, and I was 8cm. Can't remember if they did it again, I was on the gas and air, lol!

No more horrid contractions, phew!

I think generally people call the delivery suite when pain is gettin to the point where they can't cope with it RL20 or when their waters go. With ds2 I went home after induction, was supposed to go back at 3 for second gel, dh phoned at 2 as I was in quite a lot of pain and it seemed pointless to go for a second gel and delivery suite told him to bring me to them having listened to me on the phone, was 8cm dilated when I arrived, they broke my waters when I arrived. I think they will try to listen over the phone and see what they think, I have had friends sent home again as they were still in early labour but also had friends close to delivering on the way to hospital and one who did in an ambulance they had to call as she clearly wasn't going to make it. Everyone is so different! I didn't time my contractions when induced and they didn't ask dh just listened to how I was managing. Next midwife appointment write down what you want to ask, they won't mind you having notes

daholster talk as much as you like, we're all here to listen! Hope your OH gets home soon though, ive been a bit weepy recently and it makes a difference having someone else to talk it through. (how fab are the Easter smileys?!)

Thank you Daholster and Cinnamon. I couldn't have asked for better explanations, really! Don't know how I'm going to cope with contractions, the sharp daggers are quite painful as it is for a few seconds!
I thought I was having my first BH a few minutes ago as my belly went quite hard and tightened, but I think it might have been baby sticking his bum right out!
Daholster thanks for advice on the dilation examination. I think that's one that I would have. Like you say it reassures you that the pain is doing something!
Cinnamon yes I think as my next appointment is in 2 weeks where I'll be 39+2, I'm sure I'll have built up plenty of questions to ask, so will try and remember to write them down!

Hello All!

Finally got home with our new arrival yesterday :0D (Still temporarily Peanut tho we've whittled her name down to between two!)

How are you all? How is moomin - glancing back at the last thread it looked like she was possibly in the same pre-eclampsia/induction situ as me..?

Been a bit hectic around here (for some reason ;0) But just wanted to update to reassure fellow first-timers with heebie jeebies over possible induction, as I had.

In summary, it wasn't half bad. Just make sure you take plenty of interesting things to do at the hospital because I ended up being there for most of a week while they tried various different things. And, the one thing I really would say is make sure an epidural is an option if they put you on a syntocinin drip, even consider having it first because those contractions really go from 'period pain' to 'effing unbearable' within the space of an hour. That was the only bit that I really struggled with, and I've never been so glad to see a fellow brandishing a massive syringe! :0D

Once I'd had the epi tho, I was able to drift in and out of consciousness a bit while they waited (all night!) for me to dilate so had a bit of energy left for pushing at the end, which was amazing and happened really fast (12 hours for me to fully dilate versus 12 minutes to push Peanut out)!! So she arrived at 11.54 on Sunday morning. What a moment, to look down into the eyes of your baby for the first time, and see them sizing you up right back! :0D

For anyone who dislikes needles (like me!) it's true what they say.. you will not give a crap or even be able to feel anything if you are having serious contractions and or/ are holding your new arrival in your arms.

(Oh, and thumbs up for TENS machines for me. Gas and Air wasn't agreeing with me so it was a welcome distraction to have a strange buzzing in your back during a contraction!)

So anyway, that's how stuff went for me, pretty well overall :0)

But have to add: my GAWD do my boobs hurt! Can I join the breastfeeding woes club? It's worth it for this wonderful little girl in my arms but they seem to have been pumped up x 2 overnight and feel like they're about to explode and burn up at the same time.
[blubbers]
Never predicted the most painful bit of having a baby would be boobage!

To everyone fed up with being preggers I wish you speedy contractions! :0D (tho enjoy your relatively non-swollen boobs while you still can!)

Just lost a bit more plug. Still only tiny amount and no bloody bits but definitely there and the period pain have started up again so looks like I'll be having another night of being awake. Forgot to mention that the pain last night went into my thighs, BH don't do that do they?

Right, postnatal group is here so now it's set up even if we don't use it much until there are more babies about.

Daholster- this thread is here to support everyone and I really think we r all in awe of how well u have coped. U are fantastic!

Nunkie- that all sounds like a good induction story- how far along were u and did u respond to the first pessary and did u get a sweep first?

Congratulations on getting home.
I think il def be having an epidural.

daholster talk and vent away, we're all in this together, and though we all have had vastly different experiences and all come in with our own medical qurks, with the pregnancy at least we all know what you're going through, so do lean on us.

DD has also declared the bath to be a thing of evil, it generally takes 2 of us to get her through the shower or bath, one to hold her whilst she screams and thrashes and the other to cover her in water and apply cleaning products, the fact that dh got her through the shower alone this morning is a bloody miracle..

nunkie the boobs settle down I promise, it's a good sign that yours are huge though means your milk is in! Just don't go bra free for a while unless you relish the idea of having a baby on one boob and a bottle under the other to catch the drips!

my birth story is up on the postnatal thread for anyone wanting a gander (it's nowhere near as horrifying as DD1's was)