March 2016 Babies #9 - we're on the final countdown!!

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Thread 9!!

Haha Indom I have an image of us all like a gaggle of old crones sitting by Scared's bedside!

Good luck scared. I know its easier said than done but try to remain as calm as possible - fear will make labour pain worse (I speak from experience). You will get through it and soon you will be holding your baby! Wow 😀

maybe I also had random cramps yesterday evening when I was out at dinner and I was having a little panic about it as not ready for baby yet, but then realised it was just my iron tablets playing havok with my digestive system 😥 been on the tablets three weeks now and all of a sudden getting stomach cramps and really bad constipation. Sad times.

Ok I know I'm probably just being paranoid but how likely is it that my midwife could have been wrong when she told me baby was head down and engaged last week? She couldn't find the head for a while and really had to dig into my pelvis. Im still really paranoid as all movement is low down. I also don't tend to feel kicks, mostly wriggles (all across middle of my belly and low down) and stretches (again low down). I feel what are either punches (if she's head down) or kicks (if breech) very low down on my cervix and have been getting fanny daggers where it feels like she's actually tickling my cervix. I guess what I'm trying to say is does anyone know how the hell you work out where baby's bum is? I've got the GPs appt next week but not sure how good they are on positioning and suddenly paranoid about having undiagnosed breech baby 😥😥😥

Marmite, my midwives (at least 3 prior to being in labour and 3 different ones whilst in labour with DS1) wee convinced he was head down right position and had been saying so from 35 weeks ish. I had planned a home birth, it was only 24 hours in once my waters went at 9cm that they realised it was his bum and I ended up with EMCS under general. With him I felt mostly kicks on left side around bottom of ribs. Not to scare you but trey do get it wrong. My friend had undiagnosed breech too, diagnosed at 3cm on arrival at hospital. Zach was also breech and I felt all of his kicks right in the muddle of my cervix. If you are particularly worried maybe try being really forceful for a positioning scan as there's nothing worse than thinking you've got your home birth all sorted then having to have CS at last minute. It'd be much better to know and be able to plan an elective if they can't turn baby.

Scared, we are all here thinking of you. I will check in when up in the night feeding Zach, lol to Indom's vision of our gang of crones on the bedside! You're so close to meeting your baby girl and hopefully after wards will feel much better. Her lungs will already be in good shape but getting both steroid shots in already will do the business. Good luck.

I agree with Missi, marmite, that you should push for a presentation scan based on where you're feeling kicks/movement.

I was surprised to hear that my local MLU will be scanning me next week to check, as a matter of routine now, apparently. Despite both the mw and me being convinced he's head down.

Thanks missi and indom... increasingly feeling I should get baby's position checked but how would I go about doing so? Do I need to go see my GP for referral or should I ring the midwife/mat unit at the hospital?

Cramps on one side of my bump this evening on and off, very weird and more than a little annoying! Little guy still wriggling like crazy though...

I'd speak to the midwives about it.

Marmite- I'd ask the midwives about it just to check.

Pains getting worse here. Due to be examined at 2:30 ish. Can't sleep. Restless legs, cramps, I need the toilet every ten minutes. Five/sux hours sleep tonight and two hours broken tonight. I feel weak how the hell am I going to labour!?

You're doing it, scared. You'll be fine, keep going. If you're restless, get up and move (if you're attached to the monitor ask for it to be removed for a while, ask them to manually monitor instead).

You're doing great!

Thank you.
It's the lack of sleep that's making me irritated. Can I do this on so little sleep?
Not been moved onto delivery suite yet because not in established labor yet.
I've been for walks but I just want to sleep :'( and I may not be aloud an epidural once in labour due to pre eclampsia

Sounds like you're doing great scared. If you're not established yet, walks might help but if you feel like you could sleep tell them you want to get your head down for a bit. Our bodies are programmed to sleep at night and if your body isn't needing you to be moving/pushing yet you should try to get some rest. Try not to focus on counting the hours of rest, you can do it. You're doing great.

marmite I would say midwives rather than GP, but agree push for a presentation scan if you're worried.

indom you must be back from your wild goose chase to bail out DH...hope it was ok! He owed you now, you should be able to milk this one for a while!

Thank you, it's my restless legs though. Everytime I try and sleep they flinch and jerk out. I can't keep them still. I need a wee every ten minutes, I'm so exhausted. Also the people next to me in the ward won't stop talking and making noise. My legs are caused by the swelling I have so much blood going round them

No, we're going up tomorrow, magpie. He had already unloaded his overnight stuff, fortunately. If I'm lucky one of the others might drive him back here.

Its forecast to be nice though, might be good to take DS out somewhere on the north coast.

scared it sounds like all your anxious physical manifestations are coming out, and that's understandable. Is there anything you cannot to distract yourself?

As magpie says, don't worry about how many hours of sleep you've had/are getting. Labour is like another plane of existence, normal rules don't seem to apply! Try to calm your racing mind - can you read, or play something addictive on your phone?

Hi Scared, hope the examination went ok and showed done progress but equally if it didn't try and not let it dishearten you. Despite the lack if sleep you will be able to do this, our bodies are made to be able to labour despite often not having had enough rest before/during. Hope you do manage to rest (can you try listening to some relaxation/visualisation things on your phone maybe?). Hugs xxx

Waves to missi

Still with you scared. Hope all ok.

Ah, I misunderstood indom, fx one of the others can give him a lift to you though, unless you fancy the trip.

I'm up with a poorly DS - coughing and fever of 39, poor thing, he's so rarely ill which is good but makes me sad for him when he is!

Hi scared I'm with you too - I can be at your bedside for the nightshifts since my timezone is 6 hours behind you! You can do this I promise, like Missi said your body is made for this and the midwives will all help you. You will be snuggling that beautiful bundle before you know it - you're so close now. Could you ask the nurses to ask the others on the ward to be a bit quieter to give you some rest?

Have you decided on a name by the way? I seem to remember you talking about Louise or Louisa at one point, or did you change your mind?

Thinking of you!

Checking in for my shift at scared's bedside. Hoping that you've managed to get some sleep lovely. You are doing so well. Keep focussing on having you're beautiful daughter with you soon and all those pregnancy symptoms being finally over.

Poor DS magpie. Here's hoping you both got some sleep too.

I've been in the spare room tonight and.....best sleep ever!! Just an early wake up which I don't mind. Might migrate here permanently!

Thanks everyone.

Had some more codeine etc but still no sleep. Midwife said just try to rest but don't worry about the sleep because they will get me through it.
I can have an epidural once in active labour if my blood is good (platelet) results. Tbh the only reason I want is is so I can rest. I even heard someone say my name earlier and no one said it it was just a faint "Emma Emma Emma" in my ear hole. I only had five hours last night as well.
I'm having "tightenings" about 3-4 every ten minutes and I'm not even 1cm and the pain is making me want to cry :|.
The ward is very quite now. Oh is knocked out as he couldn't stay awake much longer so I feel alone. Midwife said my cervix is still quite far back around babies head. Very scared and bp is creeping back up because I'm so anxious. 2nd pessary is in now until 2am tomorrow morning.
Their is no name yet for her. Louise was a contender for a middle name.

Magpie- hope your ds is ok
Hope everyone else is ok x

Checking in to check on scared. You can do this!!

At my hospital we get a 36 week scan as standard to check baby's position, would seem quite helpful if they did that everywhere really!

Thanks maybe.

I've had about five midwives and several doctors say my girl is head down. At least she has the right sense of direction hey. Hope everyone else's baby behaves to.

Just about 3cm until I can go to delivery suite! Come on cervix

Hi all, checking in to the CSC and to see how you're doing Scared

Morning! DH alarm has woken me... Scared you sound like your doing great, my DSis said one of the worst thing about being induced was the lack of rest and all the noise, you're tired before you start, try and close your eyes when u can even if you can't sleep.. Maybe listen to some music?

37 weeks today! Day off but doing a four hour round trip to visit friends, should I pop my bag in the car...?

Waves to Doc!

Getting up with a baby is sooo much easier than with either a pump or just because of being in the CSC due to pregnancy...just to reassure those FTMs who are wondering how they can cope with being in the club for many more months to come yet!

Thinking about you Scared I like the positivity if your '3cm to go' comment. I agree with the other ladies, fear makes the pain worse, maube get some guided breathing exercises on your phone? Big hugs to you, you're not alone xx

Waves to Vroc too!