Due in May 07 w/c 28/05 - June arrives this week. <<sigh>>

[twelveyeargap]

i have an irrational fear of induction to be honest. only times i been in hospital on wards with drips and the like were for d and c after MC and also emergency op when discovered ectopic pregnancy. hence i have very nasty memories of hospitals. natural labour and birthing unit was fine in my head but wards bring back bad memories.

I know how you feel, but a wise lady called Mars said that you must remember that nobody can make you do anything you don't want to. As you'll see on the thread from last week. Some people have had a good experience of induction.

I think the trick is to be monitored for as long as possible - certainly they shouldn't be pushing you to be induced before 42 weeks. They can keep an eye on your health and the baby's. They should offer prostaglandin gel first, to see if softening the cervix will make you go into labour. If it doesn't work, you can go home if you want to. Obv the hosp will try to talk you out of that, but it's your choice. Or, of course, you can say that you're happy to stay in, but that you want to be monitored and that you don't want your waters broken or any oxytocin drips unless there is a good medical reason for it. That is, that the hospital aren't just trying to hurry you up to get rid of you!

Are you a few days over now? REmember that most babies are born after their due date, with the greatest percentage born 40 to 41 weeks and a large number born 41 to 42 weeks. I'm finding it hard to listen to my own advice here, but try to relax about it. Mars was reminding me that if you're tense, your body will hold onto the baby! Chill and try not to over-focus.

12YG - Arf! x

im 40 + 6 today. and they like to induce you after 12 days in this area so midwife tells me. i know you said they cant force you. apparently they will give you a max of 3 sweeps. so i want all of them before i consider induction.
seeing midwife tomorrow for the 1st sweep. she said last week she would be booking induction in tomorrow just in case....

thanks for advice tyg. im pretty relaxed most of the time. and i still got another week to try pop this baby out without any of that! Just gotta stay busy and not dwell on what could happen and just go with the flow!

Parents artrived, 10.45pm..Yup, it took them a record 7 hours to pack a bag and drive 2.5 hours here and DH and I were ruddy kanckered waiting up for them..
My Dad has already managed to get marmalade on my sofa-something even Lily who is 17 months old as thus faf avoided..DD and I have gone back to bed this morn for two hours to avoid losing our minds..

I have mid wife this aft, so at leat will be able to get out without them a bit...also have tow viewings on the house..am slightly dreading going downstairs to see what sort of state it is in..if its truly awful which I suspecy it may well be, I will cancel them...its not worth the arguing to try to tidy up...

Good luck with your appointment TYG...im beginning to think maybe im not pregnant after all, just very fat!
Feel very uncomfy today, and the baby hurts me every time swhe moves as I guess she is a bit squished now..gaaah, even I would take labour now to end all this!

Morning all,

LOL at getting up to naughty business with parents in the house. That takes me back to being 17 again!!!

Intheseshoes ? how did your hosp visit go?

Scoot ? I guess your parents must have arrived by now. Hope it isn?t too stressful. It is perfectly normal to feel quite weepy at this stage. It?s not just you, I promise!!!

Well, positive news from here, I think. Went for my sweep this am, which I was a bit worried about but really wasn?t that bad. The m/w told me I was already 4cm!!! How can that be? I thought you had contractions or something tangible to reach over 3cm? The books always say once you hit 3cm, you?re in established labour. She said it was quite common ? the pressure of the baby?s head opens up the cervix ready for action with or without contractions. So, keep your fingers crossed for me. She?s booked me in for an induction on Sunday, but said she think it should happen before then. Oh and she also told me to get DH home for some friskiness. Ha ha ha, lucky DH. Poor bloke has been texted, to tell him what?s in store for him tonight!!!!! I'm guessing that means that when i do start having contractions, I'll just miss out the first 4cm of pain

Scoot ? cross-posts. Parental time-keeping is so funny. Mine are exactly the same for faffing! Sending positive, unstressful vibes your way??.

jonahb! cool! looks like things are happening for you! baby in your arms very soon methinks!

sounds promising Jonah, keeping fingers crossed.

Keep cool Scoot, can you keep sending your parents out to Tesco's or finding other little missions they could do to 'help' you??! My mother ended up doing a lot of painting

Jonah, that's great news! Yay for baby Jonah! Looks like you will beat me to it - I am booked for an elective C-section on Friday am, so I will be having a June baby(am I still allowed to be in the May gang??) Of course, nature might take its course before then, but there aren't any signs of that happening, so... I feel okay about the decision. Really, it's that, or wait until next Wednesday and have the only form of induction they are prepared to offer someone who's had a previous C-section, which is to see if they can break the waters. Even then, they'll only give you so long to deliver, and want to see "serious" progression (ie, 1hr=1cm). All of that considered, they did not pressure us in any way, and it was very much our decision. Much as I want to continue my aspiring lentil-weavering, I have the experience of last time affecting my perception, and I really think I could not bear to go through all that again for the same conclusion as I can have relatively straightforwardly, and nearly a week earlier. I don't regret my decision to wait until now (I will be 41+2 on Friday by my dates) because I think it means I've given my baby every chance to be as strong as possible, and also to come of its own accord. I think I may have to accept that I am good at growing big healthy babies (this one is apparantley "not small", but not as big as 10lb ds), but not really built for delivering them. It's quite hard as a woman to reconcile myself to that, because it feels like an unfullfilled biological destiny (and I know that it doens't matter etc, and I would be the first person telling someone else that)but once I've got ds2/dd in my arms it will cease to be of any importance.

Sorry if you've just ploughed through all that, I just thought I would save myself £50 with a therapist!

I don't think RedKennedy's actually done an announcement, I think Mars posted something on her "is it/isn't it" childbirth thread to the effect of she's had the baby but I'll leave the details to her to tell.

Jonah, that reminds me - if you happen to hear about me before I get on here to announce it, would you mind letting the thread know I have delivered? M and P will know quite quickly, and I'm sure they will tell K quite quickly. Of course, it's likely you will be a bit busy yourself ;) but on the offchance I go before you. Ta. xx

I know its hard when you wanted to dleiver Intheseshoes..but you are right to focus on the end result I think..the most important thing is being Mum NOT how the baby comes I reckon...
Least you kind of know when the baby will be born by..nice to have a date you certainly wont be pg by as some consolation..plus you never know..still a few days yet..

Wooh wooh!Bet your baby will be here by breakfast Jonah!Great news!

Right off to Super midwife now...Am going to beg her to do a sweep..she claims she isnt allowed but that cant be right surely?

Question - If I have a sweep tomorrow, should my partner come with me? I will be taking public transport, but it's only 10-15 mins to the hospital. If I should be OK to come back by myself, then I don't want to drag DP away from work if not necessary.

I don't really understand how it works/how quickly anything could happen after the sweep.

oh - I should also add that if DP comes, we will go in the car - far more comfortable!

im having sweep at home tomorrow (midwife coming here) but my DH will be at work as usual.
i dont think partner needs to be there? sweeps dont always work anyway do they?
having never had one before i cant really offer any advice! be interested what those more in the know have to say!

Fantastic news Jonah. That's great. You must be next!

Minipop/ MID - a sweep will usually take 12 to 24 hours to have an effect, possibly up to 48. You might feel slightly "crampy" after it. FWIW, I just got the bus home after one!

This sweep produced a "show"... Progress? Hopefully. Feckin' cervix.

Thanks for the feedback ladies
Love, Mini x

Hi Girls. Was hoping I'd come on to find TYG in labour. Fuff. But at least it sounds like Jonah is making progress. So a baby by tomorrow...maybe??

Tis my due date today and no sign of anything happening. Not a sausage. I have another appt with MW on Monday to book an induction, or at least a CTG then can push out the date for induction if all is ok with that. Will hold out for little fella to come of his own accord for as long as possible.

Am pushing DH for a shag tonight. Even if I have to corner him

Just met BB and Julie for lunch. Am determined to have a baby with me next time I see them!!

For those having sweeps.... they can be just a wee bit painful so if they offer you gas n air... say yes! If not... then lots of SLOW, DEEP breathing. Relax and visualise your baby coming out.

Has Tam not posted her announcement yet? Sigh..... must be too busy shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks to all for the sweep advice.
hope it does the trick. sweep then jump on hubby in the evening for some of his magic stuff....double wammy....

Still here. Sigh.

Intheseshoes ? glad you?ve got a date. Sounds like you and DH are comfortable with this decision, which is the most important thing. Like you say yourself, this doesn?t make you a ?failure? in any way at all!!! And of course I?ll let everybody know that you?ve delivered, but I certainly won?t spoil the flavour surprise ? that?s for you to tell everyone !!! And likewise if you can let everyone know - you?ll probably hear over the fence very quickly .

Re. the sweep question ? physically, there?s no real need for your DH/DP?s to be there (imo). From what I can gather, it won?t induce labour there and then, if it?s going to work, it can take 24-48 hours. It?s quite similar to having a smear test. If you want the morale support of them there, that?s an entirely different question.

Sweep is bloody uncomfortable if your cervix is posterior. Can attest to that and the fact that slow deep breathing, with a longer breath out than in, is the way to get through it! (Just like Mars says )

Right, at the suggestion of LG&T, who is well, btw, although she's been trying to overdo it the silly lady - I told her that even Supermum needs a rest - I have bought some Caulophyllum 30 homeopathic stuff. Taking 6 doses over the next 24 hours (having consulted interweb). Will drink 4 cups of rasp leaf tea (yeuch) this evening, bounce around on birth ball, take a clary sage oil bath, respectfully demand my conjugal rights from my husband and spend some time talking to baby and visuuuuaaallllissing whilst relaaaaaaaaaaxing in bed.

If that doesn't shift her, then frankly, it's a warning that she has the exact same temperament as her father, who prides himself on always being the last person to check in for and board a flight. Why be early, if you can arrive by the skin of your teeth, seems to be his motto. (His mother says he was way overdue as a baby too.)

No probs Jonah - as you say, the details can wait, but letting the May 07's know is of vital importance - lol at the garden fence! I knew you hadn't delivered yet, because I just got in and saw M in her front room, and knew she would have popped out to tell me if there was any news! I reckon you might be on your way tonight or tomorrow though!

Gas and air?For a sweep?!!Im having one day after tomorrow assuming no baby, at home..I had no idea it was going to ruddy hurt!What do they do?
Midwife was very odd re giving sweep-first she said she wasnt allowed..then after some cajoling from me got her diary out and said she would come Thursday to the house, wtf?But she cant give a time so will have to wait in all day for her to come...Might be a good day for parents to take DD to safari park I think as dont fancy having an invasive procedure with parents and toddler downstairs...

Nothing doing here except am ruddy uncomfortable..

Glad you had a good time with BB and Julie Juicy..

Whats lgandt been up to then?Cooking, cleaning, running round after Hugs and generally NOT sitting down and trying to take it easy?

I have spent half the evening calling round Bumps and Babes group to relocate the meeting tomorrow-it was meant to be here but that was when I believed I would have a baby by now..someone else has kindly offered to host it, as I cant face it really what with immobility/parents/viewings etc, but have had to call round 19 women to advise them of the change as hardly any replied to the email I sent..gaaah!

So Jonah tomorrow I think, (hoping for you)..But sending lots of labour vibes to all of my gorgeous magnificent 8 compadres...

Night all xx

just been doing a bit of mumsnet surfing and found this link. I had a very similar time in hospital with the midwives ignoring me/refusing to help when I didn't want to give L formula while waiting for my milk to come in and her crying /latching on incessantly. can't believe this is so common. would deffo recommend first timers who want to breastfeed reading this so if it happens to you in hospital you are ready for it and don't feel alone or let them bully you! it is still making me very just thinking about it. I wish I had read more about dealing with a baby instead of concentrating solely on birth in advance. am trying to catch up by reading the baby whisperer at the mo.