October 2017 #5!

[GimbleInTheWabe]

Hope no one minds me setting up a new thread- we were getting full up on the other one!

Here is the link to the deets sheet, feel free to add or edit your details as you please:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pa8LZMKMLvREYH4kFiNqn1dD7aTb053cT_KHvghwvSM/edit?usp=sharing

Bring on the third trimester aches, midwife appointments and birth plan chat!

Mummabubs I came to the conclusion my babies never listen lol! Ds1 was meant to be a home oth, ended up being blue lighted to hospital and category 1 EMCS with GA, 5 days in hospital. Ds2 has sweep in hope of Vbac, he was in perfect position on the Tuesday, went in Wed am as ELCS booked, but if favourable she was going to break waters for vbac, and he’d gone back to back overnight, the one thing my birth plan said was no forceps and he was wedged in so much that in the CS they also had to use forceps. I’ve not even bothered to write a birth plan this time!

Gosh lots to catch up on the threads!

Sorry about the false alarm for you @Loopyaboutmy2boys, that must have been frustrating. Things may progress over the weekend though.

I’ve felt a lot happier today but was disappointed that at my mw appt today she said that baby is still only 4/5ths my next appointment is Tuesday so obviously I’m really hoping baby comes before then. I Then had a crazy day and decided to take on a 4000word voiceover project (which I recorded and edited today - go me!) then I had acupuncture and then I made a biryani. Phew! Going to chill out tomorrow and think inducing thoughts.

Anyone got any fun weekend plans?

@GimbleInTheWabe hope it was a good hot biryani to hopefully kick things off! 4/5ths engaged sounds pretty encouraging to me.

I had my first birth dream last night, in it I had a girl instead of a boy and my birthing partner was an old work colleague instead of DH! I've been up since 5am with hip pain, so annoying. We have friends visiting this weekend for a final pre-baby get together but I expect I'll need to have an early night and leave them to it.

I do believe Bubbabean is playing a most hilarious game with me as today is due date!

Slept well last night (that's not happened in about 3 weeks), woke up with lower back pain and feeling like I needed to do a #2. Got up and immediately felt very, very dizzy, made it to the toilet and promptly threw up! Now getting what I can only describe as a stitch like pain every so often (it's in one very specific place on my side so I'm not convinced it's anything like what a contraction should be!) 🙈

I'm quietly confident that this will all fizzle away and within a couple of hours I'll be feeling my usual self, but if this does actually progress into anything I will cackle with laughter at being one of the 5% that go on due date! Hope everyone else is doing ok and happy weekend! Xx

Sounds like other pre-labour stories I've heard mummabubs! Fingers crossed!

Gimble mine has gone backwards from 2/5ths to 3/5ths. I know it doesn't mean much but I felt a bit disheartened after my midwife appointment! Let's remind ourselves that some babies only engage during labour.

Hope everyone is doing ok, this is such a strange waiting game!

When are you due @TippetyTapWriter? Yes I actually didn’t realise that baby didn’t have to be fully engaged (as in 1/5th) before labour begins until I googled it last night so I felt a bit better after that ha.

And I agree @mummabubs sounds like positive stuff to me! Any progress from bubbabean today?

I swear I have less symptoms than ever and I feel like this baby is never, ever going to arrive!

@mummabubs my DD arrived on her due date, so it isn't unheard of! Fingers crossed for you!

Thanks ladies, as predicted all signs have halted for the time being... I've decided to have a bath and dye my hair, maybe when I'm clean and presentable Bubbabean will decide they want to meet me! 😂🙈

@TippetyTapWriter similar experience to me- when I saw the midwife 2 weeks ago she said BB was "really engaged" and told me 3/5ths... then on Monday just gone when I had to go to hospital the midwife there said they were "probably" engaged but only 1/5th at the most. Felt a bit rubbish after that but as you said some babies don't engage at all until it's time for action!

(And I checked what they meant both times as some midwives say 1/5th as meaning 1/5th outside the pelvis- I.e very engaged and others mean within the pelvis, so not very engaged). It doesn't help when different professionals use the scale from opposite ends!! In my case it's definitely a step backwards!)

It's interesting hearing you all talking about what midwives say about head engagement -mine categorically wont commit to an answer as she says it can change all the way up to delivery. Don't know how right she is but she's very experienced - it's just frustrating as would love to have an answer even if it's just "for now"

Due on the 15th gimble so I know I shouldn't really be complaining yet. But I had ds at 39 weeks so going to 40-42 seems ages!

polly I think your midwife sounds sensible and I've heard second babies especially can bob up and down from engaged to not. Like you say though it's just the feeling of having something, anything, to go by instead of just blindly waiting! I think that's why the old wives tales for inducing labour are so popular. It's the sense of being in control, even a tiny bit! I'm normally a sceptic to the point where I could make Ben Goldacre look credulous but I'm still eating curry, going for walks etc just so I feel like I'm doing something!

How’s everyone getting on today? I’ve been tidying and baking cookies whilst DP watched UFC. Going to go for a very active walk later as well.

Felt bloody awful last night, really bad nausea but wasn’t actually sick in the end, obviously was secretly hoping it was a sign ha. Fell asleep sitting completely upright! Then I had a dream I was having contractions and woke up not having any contractions but I was getting gently bitten by the cat who was hungry. Ah well!

Had my first steroid jab yesterday and then barely any movement since, so went in first thing today for tests and monitoring and they were happy with how things are, could see all my contractions whilst they were monitoring, they are frequent but not too strong so glad my gut re those were right, but said to head straight back if they get any stronger, so they think lack of movement was a side effect of the steroid jab, and she had briefly moved to back to back so any small movements she did make weren’t easy to feel, although she spun round again while we were there and started to get more lively so then gave me today’s jab and back there 7.30 tomorrow unless anything happens before then.... have been awake since 2.42am and am shattered!

Glad everything's ok Loopy and I've also had the contractions dream too Gimble, it's so cruel!

I'm now 40+1 and no sign of Bb at all. Had some period pains and lower back pain this morning but just like before that disappeared in the end 😩 Not catastrophising (much!) but I really can see me going the full 2 weeks overdue and being forced into an induction situation.... please prove me wrong Bubbabean!!!!

Oh god I'm just so tired all the time.

My October mum friends IRL are going into labour all over the place and we're not even ten days in!

Had hours of BH last night, was half way between hoping and worrying but nothing came of it. Feeling a bit crap this evening though, got a horrible head ache and keep pooing. I was hoping it was the pre labour clear our but I've been like this for weeks now.

I am also feeling utterly batshit crazy; just like someone is definitely going to get it in the neck from me this week and probably quite undeserving.

Plus I'm feeling the need to buy about 500 jumpers; when I wake in the night there's a trickle of fear in my heart that something is/will go wrong; I have zero attention span; I can't stop eating marshamallows and I feel really emotionally pumped to the max; like I could burst into tears like that.

@Bobbiepin I'm also constantly on the toilet! I've not got to the point where it's not going to make me think it's happening, feel like I spend half the night on the bloody toilet!

I have a sweep booked on Tuesday if nothing starts before then , joys!

38 + 5 here....spent all day scrubbing the kitchen floor clean ready for plumbers tomorrow and kitchen fitters on Tuesday. Hoping baby bean stays in long enough for house rennovation to be finished. Loads of positive energy today which makes a change from the frequent AND. Hospital bags all packed, just need to get car valeted and baby seat put in.

@asilikeit I'm only 37+3 but I'm looking for signs already, I'm going to drive myself mental. Chances are its just the iron tablets!

Your story about the cat made me smile gimble, I needed a giggle this evening so thanks for that

38+3 and had a rubbish day, being very self pitying, anyone else want to join my pity party?!

In a nutshell - can't stop crying over anything and everything, anxiety and crazy hormones through the roof. Bickering with DH when really I just want to enjoy our last couple of weeks as a family of two. Depressed by state of house but don't want to have to clean it! Been having bad back pain on one side which now seems to radiate all the way through to my ribs and I just can't find a way to sit/lie down that is comfy. Baby showing absolutely no signs of appearing any time soon, they still feel pretty high up and I have had no symptoms at all, not even any braxton hicks. Convinced I will still be pregnant at Christmas.

Poor me! That felt good, sorry for having a big whinge, I'll try and buck my ideas up tomorrow!!

Sympathies to everyone feeling crap. I'm trying to lose myself in a book this evening instead of constantly checking for labour signs. Every day I get back ache and period type pains but it's been going on for a couple of weeks so I think it's just the weight of the baby causing muscle pain.

Just tried out the TENS machine I've hired and found the sensation almost unpleasant. I was expecting it to be soothing but it felt like foucused pins and needles or a sort of intense crawly sensation. Not feeling very confident that it'll be any help in labour! Has anyone used one?

I used a TENS machine last time and don't really remember it being of much use except from being a distraction technique, pressing the pulse button whenever I got a contraction. You can't go in the water with it and if the pads were touched by mistake it was like getting an electric shock. Lots of others seem to like them though.

& to everyone feeling rubbish!! The last few days/weeks of pregnancy are so damn uncomfortable!!

@TippetyTapWriter I didn't use a TENS, but in both labours I needed my lower back rubbing through every contraction (once they got going) which I always assumed was a similar sensation to TENS. It's all about confusing the nerves to distract from the pain, so if your DP is up to the challenge, then a lower back rub does just as well IMO

My & for the people feeling rubbish disappeared!