Jan 2016 #7 - headaches and exhaustion but 1/3 through

[BeeMyBaby]

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12-46WHExOXbKsKon2nKyEth9RRyKw9paIw4V4SGTFE8/htmlview?pli=1

Lovely bump photos and Happy anniversaries.

I saw the midwife today and heard the hearbeat which was lovely but I was really surprised how low baby is, literally between my pelvis. I'm thinking my bump must be all my displaced internal organs. My downs risk is 1:1400 but I have again been reasured this is really low so not going to worry about it.

Black&white I had an epidural in the end and barely noticed it going in what with everything else going on and being totally shattered. I'm not sure if it contributed to me having a EMCS but you just have to do what's best for you at the time.

blackandwhite I had an epidural with my first, for various reasons (long labour, not progressing, waters broke, risk of infection, was going to have pitocin/oxytocin). It was fine, I dont' remember any discomfort with it going in, and at the time I really needed it - I was exhausted, and it allowed me to rest. I could still move about in bed and lift my legs up etc. I had various issues with the birth, but I don't think any were due to having an epidural. 2nd baby I had no pain relief (in USA it was epidural or nothing) and it was very quick birth. Hurt like hell for the short time, but felt great after. There can be a lot of scaremongering with epidurals - it is true some people do have bad experiences, which may or may not be due to the epidural, but I think often you just have to do what is best at the time under your specific circumstances, and having overly-fixed ideas ahead of time about things you definitely do and don't want isn't always that helpful. Having said that it's alwasy good to be informed and be aware of pros and cons of various interventions - actually its good for partner to be informed as more than likely they'll be the ones in a good frame of mind to ask appropriate questions and help you make decisions at the time.

sorry that was a bit long

Finally caught up. I had a raging headache all day yesterday that paracetamol just wouldn't touch. Plus it's been really busy at work, so all in all I was one grumpy lady. Headache is finally gone, work is still hectic though.

I'd say I'm looking forward to the weekend, except I'll be helping DH build a roof for the outbuildings which involves lots of wood and tar and felt. He's said I won't need to be way up high on ladders but I'm not quite sure how that's going to work. I'm only 5'2" so I can't exactly reach high at the best of times.

We've bought nothing for the baby and have no plans at all. I think I'd quite like one of those cots with the drop down side that lives next to your bed but if the MIL springs a free cot on me, I shan't complain.

Thanks spydie, dino and aloha, it's really good to hear your experiences.

I'm exhausted this evening, I can feel a nap coming on...

Turns out I have a urine infection which is why I've been feeling so rubbish!! Doc tells me makes my increased risk of muscarriage .... Great reassurance thanks doc!!! But then she must have seen my worry coz she then said "jump up on the couch and we will see if we can find a heartbeat" ..... All was forgiven once I heart the little gummy bear

mrsfaz that's awful! When my friend found out she was pregnant the dr said bad news is you have a uti good news your pregnant...didn't say anything about risk related that's awful x

Blackandwhite I agree with Alohamama about being flexible in labour as it is impossible to know how things will go.

having said that, if it helps, i'd heard lots of scary stories before I had my son and given I think i have a terrible pain threshold, I was fullyexpecting the works - epidural/EMCS etc.

Except I was in total denial I was in proper labour, rocked up to the hospital where the MW didn't believe I was in labour, only to be examined and found to be 9cm and had LO 5 hours later. No drugs, no tearing, no shitting myself, minimal lochia or bleeding after. I was as surprised as anyone.

I was lucky that my son was not huge and not back to back but as he was 2 weeks early I kept telling myself that the 3/4 days of cramps/back ache intermittently was nothing. In hindsight it was latent labour. But I just kind of ignored it and went shopping and saw friends. I was very grumpy though!!

I would say that a tens machine was amazing though. And just believing in myself that provided the situation was right I could do it. But it was kind of accidental!

To be fair out of my group of 5 first time mum friends in my ante-natal classes we had nothing stronger than tens/gas and air no c-sections. One was a home birth of a 9lb baby! So it seems random to me. We did have excellent midwife support though locally.

I just kind of figured i'd go with what was best for me and baby and was happy to have had intervention if it had been needed. It's so individual. No two labours are the same (although am hoping to repeat it this time with no.2 - and perhaps a slightly faster labour.....!)

stupid probably a stupid question (haha apt) but do they have tens machines available in hospital?

Good luck with the move to you too Kep. My DH is being quite good - I wouldn't say I'm doing nothing but there's been no lifting or carrying and I'm struggling with bending and standing up a lot. So I'm pottering, cleaning a bit, packing a bit, and taking regular rest breaks!

wow stupid thats a really good birth .. hope mine is like that!

hi jelly!!!!! [waves]

Happy anniversaries, how weird that so many people got married this weekend?! My anniversary is February but we had the best day of weather ever, was like a summer's day!

Mrs faz sorry to hear about the uti, I had 2 very early on and no medical professional said I was at increased risk of mc, in fact I've not heard that at all.

OrangeBeehive No they aren't available in hospital unfortunately - but they are good to use prior to going in and once you're there too (although apparently I was supposed to put mine on a good few hours before I did!) You can buy or hire them (and the sticky pads to stick them to you) from Mothercare/Boots/Amazon etc. Or borrow from a friend (like I did) and just buy new sticky pads - mine arrived when I was already in latent labour - the shopping was when i went to pick them up!

I also did the bath/paracetamol thing and watching a comedy for the endorphins. I bounced/knelt on my birth ball loads too. Don't get me wrong I did a lot of walking up and down our hallway, leaning on the wall and "mooing" as a contraction hit. I still wasn't convinced I was in labour until I got to hospital LOL Although when we called, I couldn't even speak to the MW and when they heard me, they told OH to get me in ASAP or he'd be delivering the baby at home haha.

It was painful, I'm not going to lie. But I never felt it was uncontrollable. Although I think I went into transition a bit at home and I felt a bit odd mentally.I found the relentless-ness of the contractions harder to deal with than the pain per se. I just wanted it to stop!!! I was tired and a bit scared. But I knew it was a good pain and the end was so close - just a few more hours/days... I really don't like being pregnant so I was very very happy to be giving birth.

I know I was very lucky with my birth.

In other news, I played some music to the bump today - Bruce Springsteen (!) - and it had a good flap and wriggle in there :)

Blackandwhite I had an epidural (two, in fact!) and the relief was just amazing. However it caused my blood pressure to plummet - however they know that can happen so I had more drugs to sort that out. I also had a spinal tap, and pethidine, and gas and air, so consider myself to be quite au fait with pain relieving drugs!

Happy anniversaries everyone!

I love babywearing. I have 3 wrap slings and a toddler Tula. Am lucky that DS is still quite light do that at 2.3 I can still carry him!

I have noticeable bump at 13+6 but tbh I didn't really get rid of it from last time. Can't seem to get a pic, all our mirrors are too high.

I thought I would need an epidural (low pain threshold) but just had gas and air and when it got really bad pethidine - I was somewhere else on that! - it wore off enough that I could deliver in the pool with just gas and air.

For those of you doing nct classes the course leaders tend to have tens machines you can hire off them - they're not expensive and well worth it.
I agree with stupid the relentlessness of the contractions was the worst but for me - when they were rolling into each other and it's difficult not knowing how long it will go on for. But once they examined me and I was 8cm I was ok as I knew it would be over soon. It's hard to know when to leave for hospital but staying at home as long as possible is much better. I was admitted at 4.15pm with my second and he was born at 6pm - we were home by 11.30pm! On the other hand one of my friends almost had her second in the lift going up to the maternity unit - he was born 5 mins after her arriving!!
Was in JL today so had a nose around the baby section. For any keen runners, bugaboo have launched a running buggy which it looks like the cameleon seat just fits onto. Very smart but I imagine horrendously expensive.
Happy anniversary to all of you celebrating this weekend (instead of wine)

Sounds like an amazing birth, Stupid. I'm secretly praying for a small baby...

Fourlegs, Aloha did you feel it going in? Eeeek!

Think I need to get onto Oyster's hypnobirthing book.

Ooh it was our anniversary earlier this week too. We're going to celebrate while we're away on hols. Congrats everyone.

B&w well.. if you buy some of that numbing cream i use for my bloodtests.. i dont think you will feel it being inserted.. honestly its amazing!!! ive stocked up for my 28 week bloods and my whooping/flu vaccine all in october

ON another random note. Has anyone been playing music to their bumps yet? I love music and I loved playing it to my bump last time round.

I should add that I like metal so my son got a lot of Muse/Rage Against the Machine/Chilli Peppers. I did play him some quieter stuff - the same 3 or 4 chill out songs through out my pregnancy and when he was a newborn I used to put them on if he was very upset and he would calm down (along with boob!)

Anyway today I have played bruce springsteen (!) to the bump and it kicked away in there which was pretty cute and i may have been teary!

What is/does everyone else plan to play to the bump?

B&W not that I remember - I'm pretty sure they numbed the area first, then all I remember feeling was a cold sensaton as it spread around the body. Not unpleasant.

I haven't had an epidural but had spinal blocks for both sections and they use a local first, so all you feel is a sharp scratch. And then you feel some messing about and a bit of pressure but no pain. I'm pretty sure it is the same for the epidural but they leave the catheter thing in.

I suffer with migraines and headaches a lot and thought i may get side effects but both were fine. I definitely agree with keeping an open mind. For my first i argued for a home birth (wasn't allowed as first baby - stupid rule in my area) and then settled on a hypnobirth/homeopathic remedies/tens machine natural delivery. Only to have a elcs at 37 weeks due to v low amniotic fluid/failing placenta/growth restricted baby (who was 9lbs!) So Definitely worth researching all options as i hadn't even thought about the possibility of a section, and had 12 hours to prepare myself!

Ps i used my tens machine eventually when i had a bad back - it really helped!

Quite cross with my MIL, she is lovely and v excited about her first grandchild, and she is a nurse and likes to share her knowledge. So today she was telling dh that i should start feeling baby move in a few weeks. To which dh replied that i had been feeling movements for a week or so already. She pulled a disbelieving face (in front of me) and said that 16 weeks was the very earliest that i could possibly feel movement, even for a third baby. Dh sensed i was seething not sure i have a great poker face so changed the subject, but i was really cross. A) i know the difference between wind and a baby as this is number three and b) even if she thinks she is right then surely she should have the sense to say nothing. Grrrr.

Mrs faz I had a UTI at 10 weeks (and think it may be back ) and was told that the risk is if you get it in late pregnancy as it can cause early labour. I hope that's what they meant to say to you instead of terrifying you! DH wants me to do a 5k park run with him tomorrow and im a bit scared!

stupid I am playing very loud soul and motown and singing along when I'm doing the housework. Lots of supremes etc....anything with 'baby' or 'love' in.. soppy much!

missmartin hope you feel better soon, you're having a rough time aren't you!