sleeplessness, toothache, hip pain - the joys of being due August 2007 !!

[tokentotty]

Now that's all out of the way in the thread title we've all got to head down the "things can and will only get better now" ok?? All ailments stop and nothing but good things will befall us all.

Right.

Bloody Hell Kite!!

Sounds like you have this all sussed...

My birth plan goes like this.

Stay at home. Ignore DP stressing.

Rng Midwives in good time to prevent DP stressing.

Make sure carpet is protected.

Hide cold drinks so DP doesn't take them.

Please don't ask me to sit on the loo, i find it very painful, and not in the least useful during transition

Avoid pain relief other than tens. Have pain relief ready for AFTER birth.

Skin to skin as soon as born, and no i don't want to feel the head crowning, or see it in a mirror.

No Syntocinon (syntometrin other name?) - I mght well have it wrong. Unless bleeding heavily or v tired

No Vit K for LO.

Actually - I think I might write this down on the basis that I don't know which community m/w I'll get

Just back from my growth scan as well and everything is going really well - baby is on the 72 centile and has an estimated weight at the moment of 4lb 10oz already. I guess we are looking at a 7.5 to 8.5lb at term.

The only downer was that the little madam (and the sonogragher nicely confirmed that she was still a she!!) has turned breech and so I have to go back again in 4 weeks to be re-scanned to see if she has turned.

I know they reccommend a CS if you have a breech baby and I want to do whats best for her but I so didn't want to have a CS. Bugger!

Glad other scans went well. Birth plan night tonight with Doula which I can't get excited about now as may end up having a CS.

Growing, I think I am going to make my birth plan more like yours. Yours made me laugh. Mine definitely starts with stay at home as long as poss. but I did not think I had to write that for a midwife to read.

I did think it was important to say please don't tell me to push. Worry that in the heat of the moment I might not ignore that instruction as I should.

OK, back to the drawing board.

I wouldnt worry too much yet hersetta - there is still plenty of time for her to turn again. I have been trying to make sure i am sitting forward at work as much as possible - my pig cushion now has taken up residence on my chair at work (except for when i am seeing clients) cuase then i reckon I dont have to worry about it too much at home and can sit with my feet up more.

my birth plan is going to be much shorter now that I have met some of the midwives and am happy that their attitude to things is very similar to mine (although going by what you said myweegirl - maybe not all the midwives are the same at Stirling). Havent thought to much about the syntothingummyjig and vitamin k but might do a bit more reading on it just now after all that people have said here.

Kite - I'm intrigued... why the "no pushing?" is this to do with the hypnobirthing? I've never heard of any one who didn't plan on pushing at all

(BTW - I've just asked what everyone else wanted to know.....)

sorry if i am jumping in on somebody elses question - but i think it is to do with the hypnobirthing - its certainly in the book i read on it.

The midwife at my parentcraft class actually mentioned something along the same lines. She said that in the past, midwives have stood there saying push push and you are meant to sustain the push for as long as possible, but newer research has shown that its not really that effective. The body is designed to push the baby out, so she says that they no longer really tell you to push - she says that there will be times that you can't help but push because your body is telling you to, so as long as you dont fight your instincts, there is no need to be told when to push (apart from when the head is crowning so that it doesnt come out too fast - she says that is the only time she would advise you to definately listen to the midwife).

Sweety, so glad that the restricted blood flow won't affect development. DS was a little on the small side when he was born and we had some great "Early Baby" clothes from Tesco. Little sweetie started off in those, then grew into newborn, then eventually into 0-3 months. Am packing all three sizes this time just in case.

And sorry to hear about the new discoveries of breeches, there should be plenty of time for them to turn yet though surely?

Love the birth plans. Will be really interesting to meet up in the postnatal club and see if they all went to plan.

I am intrigued at the no pushing either. Think I've mentioned before that we didn't have any classes with DS, told the mw that I wouldn't have a clue and she spent the 2nd stage shouting instructions at me. She was brill though

The other thing I am intrigued about Kite is how are you going to ensure that its a Consultant who does any procedures?

am interested that you dont want any students there kiteflying - are other people thinking the same?

I wouldnt mind a student being there at all - in fact i think it might be quite nice cause it would presumably be one of their first times seeing a birth and that is going to stick in your head for a long time, so would be quite special - but i can totally see how exactly the same reasons could put you off too.

good evening everyone! lying in bed trying ot catch up with all the posts!!

the 'no pushing' bit surprised me too - at times i couldn't help but push - which didn't didn't do much good. DD was nearly a CS but forceps managed to get her out. even when they were siting the spinal and telling me not to push i couldn't help it. i presume that they must have given me the injection to get the placenta out but i can't remember - was too out of it, and numb from the boobs down!

Kite - hopefully you won't need any interventions but if you do (and if you are going to an NHS hospital) you might struggle to get only a consultant to operate/do any procedures.

i've been very grumpy today so i hope i don't sound too negative.

Hello, hello - goodness me what a lot of chatter today. Has been good reading the birthplans actually and I think I'll definitely be nicking some sections of them ! As for the not pushing, it is a hippo birthing 'thing'. Instead of purple pushing, ie holding breath and just pushing down as hard as possible you're aiming to keep breathing through it and use the outward breath to assist the downward force. If you're still taking in oxygen and breathing it helps the muscles and you also visualise your breath taking the form of a 'J' as you blow it out which is the path the baby will be taking. Hope that makes sense.
I'm not talking to Peanut at the moment...little b*gger is now lying back to back with me. This is most probably what's making the rib pain so much worse and getting him back where he should be will help it. Also am a bit anaemic so must be more disciplined in taking my floradix, upping dietary intake of iron or face drinking Guinness 3 times a week....bleugh ! So, scan next week to check excessive fluid, Betty coming back to check Peanut's position and a steak and spinach eating frenzy
However, I've done most of my shopping. Not a fun experience but it's done !

well done tt - you must be relieved that the shopping is over.

have been collecting stuff for a hospital bag for a few weeks now so when we eventually get home tonight, think i might pack it for something fun to do before bed. have been pretty fed up all day so will be nice to do something baby related.

myweegirl - did they say the same to you about not telling you to push at the falkirk classes?

nope they never mentioned it at falkirk. i found the midwife that was talking to us to be very nervous and she kept using the word 'kindof' in every sentence.

TT - did you ask about why all the savlon was needed(or have i missed a post somewhere)?

Interesting to read other people's birthplans. I can be a bit of a pessimist, so I'm half assuming midwife will either not read mine or cast an eye over it and laugh knowingly at me.

I'm still confused over whether to go for the epidural or not. I get so scared reading people's horrible birth experiences, saying it's the worst pain you'll ever experience etc... but some women say they breezed through it. I guess I won't know until I'm holding the baby! I feel so underprepared.

thats a shame cause the midwife that did our class was really good - quite quiet but I felt very confident that she knew her stuff which was a nice change after the midwife i have been seeing at the gp practice.

after saying i didnt want the whole class to be ice breakers though, there wasnt a single one, and i would have quite liked to have had an excuse to start chatting to some of the others and found out when they are due etc but there wasnt any of that - will maybe get there a bit earlier next week so can meet some people.

Conkertree i had a student midwife monitoring me while i had dd, the trained midwife delivered dd.

I have to say i had a doctor come in with about 10 trainee doctor following come to see the birth to which i told to go away (polite verson)(blush). The midwife wasn't pleased as she hadn't been ask first.

Oh my god you've just reminded me, I'm not having students/unnecessary people gawping at me while I'm legs akimbo. I know they have to learn, but I'm not planning on giving birth too many times, and it's my day so frankly they can sod off and learn off someone else!

hello everyone, i've tried to read through and catch up
I'm glad we're on to birth plans as i've been wondering what to right and if it's worth it. but it seems a good idea to write down a few things if you feel strongly about them.
With ds1 I couldn't get the hang of the gas and air pipe thing and had a shot of something, not pethidine.. but it made me feel very dopey and I was scared to drop ds as couldn't feel my arms.
I remember the mw warning me that if I wanted to avoid episiotmy or tearing I should listen to her very carefully and only push when she said and stop when she said. I did exactly as she said and delivered 9lb 8oz ds without a single cut or tear. So i was very very grateful for her help, I just assumed as she was down at business end she was in better place to advise me.

Actually that's one very important point. I had mum and dp with me but they both shot down to 'business end' as soon as they heard "here's the head". That was very lonely. And I can still see my mum's face grimacing and dp crying, and I was the last person to see the baby!

hello everyone, i've tried to read through and catch up
I'm glad we're on to birth plans as i've been wondering what to right and if it's worth it. but it seems a good idea to write down a few things if you feel strongly about them.
With ds1 I couldn't get the hang of the gas and air pipe thing and had a shot of something, not pethidine.. but it made me feel very dopey and I was scared to drop ds as couldn't feel my arms.
I remember the mw warning me that if I wanted to avoid episiotmy or tearing I should listen to her very carefully and only push when she said and stop when she said. I did exactly as she said and delivered 9lb 8oz ds without a single cut or tear. So i was very very grateful for her help, I just assumed as she was down at business end she was in better place to advise me.

Actually that's one very important point. I had mum and xdp with me but they both shot down to 'business end' as soon as they heard "here's the head". That was very lonely. And I can still see my mum's face grimacing and xdp crying, and I was the last person to see the baby! Dp knows for sure he's to stay with me till the end. Also don't want him to remember my fanjo in that way!

ok - that clears up the pushing thing a bit - so ots not really about not pusing, but more not PUSHING against the natural will of the body - makes sense - a bit like when you are really constipated - when the urge takes you, it takes you.

Speaking as someone who has been the student staring at a birthing woman - I never wanted to be down the business end (mind you i wasn't doing midwifery), I always wanted to be supporting the mother. So students may not be a bad thing.... my greatest fear is a student staring at my nether regions, only to find I have to assess their next placement!!

sorry crap spelling. typing in dark, on landing next to DS's bedroom. whhy I think typing would wake the snoozy little git I have no idea!

another wierd coincidence here... a couple of weeks ago we had some students stay at the hotel. They lost a pair of flip flops on the beach near our bar and got very stroppy about it.. wanted a discount on their stay/ bar bill.
Anyway at the end of the saga it turned out they were medical students in Edinburgh and the one boy would be in obstetrics once back in Scotland. So if I were to say yes to students I'd most likely be seeing him at the end of the bed!

Oh my word, all so organised - good work! I haven't got a birth plan written down, and didn't with DS' birth either. I just made sure DH knew what I wanted/didn't want, as I figured I might not always be 100% 'with it' at the time .

It is also important to sort of go with the flow I think, as you don't want to be left feeling like you've some how failed yourself by not keeping to your original plan - who knows what might happen on the day

I will definitely try to be more assertive though..this time I will not be forced to lie on my back for monitoring purposes, and will not utter anything about feeling exhausted for fear that a consultant will suddenly appear with the forceps/ventouse and talk of another episiotomy.

Last time I managed with just the TENS and some gas and air (used mainly whilst having episiotomy stitches) - I escaped the forceps etc (as just the suggestion of it gave me a surge of energy to push DS out ), so all in all it wasn't too bad I suppose....

ok, my turn for a grumpy rant this morning.

Saw M/W yesterday -everything fine, BP in my shoes (but it always is) -her response to my saying I thought the LO is v low, was (yet again) "oh the pelvic floors not what it used to be" - and then she emits a squeak of slight suprise when she actually checked and found the head half engaged.

"oh! I can only feel half the head... AND you got feet and bottom WELL up under your ribs haven't you?" Well YES!!! Which is why I'm a little unhappy. I thought the idea of babies moving down a bit was this it gave you MORE ROOM -not that they simply spread themselves out further.

I'm fed up of being breathless, of having no energy to do all the things I want to get done, of being unable to snugggle DS coz my boobs hurt, and the bump is so bony it hurts too. I want to SLEEP!!!!!!

I'm going to up the rapberry leaf tablets (yes I know I said not before 36 weeks.. don't all shout at once) and this blasted baby is GOING to come a little early. I'm determind.

............ ok rant over.......

Conkert, after going through my birth plan with the MW she has put to ask me if they want students present. So will see how I feel on the day.

Bananab, the best piece of advice I got was from an older cousin. She said that if you take the gas & air it doesn't take the pain away but knocks enough of it off so that you can cope, and it doesn't slow down, or stop, the labour like some other drugs do. Think you also need to believe in your body's capability to do it. The one thing she didn't tell me is gas & air can make you sick for a few minutes at the beginning.
Why don't you try and get through it, you can always ask for the epidural if you are getting too tired or it gets too much? As for me I can't see me having one as I have a bit of a phobia of needles, never mind ones in the back, but there again I could be screaming for one when I'm there, who knows?

Growingb, sorry to hear that you are feeling so lousy this morning.