February 2019 - babies babies babies

[Since2016]

New thread ladies! The final few weeks!

Rather than pink drips I now seem to have brown streaks 🤔 (what a lovely thing to talk about) maybe this is the beginning of my plug? Also feeling quite crampy....

Tried to call maternity assessment again but every time the phone is engaged. Glad I'm seeing the midwife this afternoon!

@deliberatelyginger yes me! Mine is booked for this afternoon. I've heard that they only work if you are about to go into labour anyway (so in which case what's the point?!) I'm seeing a different midwife to usual, I told my usual midwife I was nervous about it and she made a note of that on the booking and said that there is absolutely no obligation to go ahead with it once I'm there, I can just ask her to check baby instead. Or if she starts doing it and I don't like it I can ask her to stop.

Fingers crossed @detachablehoof !

@DeliberatelyGinger I'm unsure. I've got one booked for Friday. I was also booked for one with dd but went into labour earlier that day. I'm hoping I go before Friday though. I'm unsure because I've read that it could cause premature rupture of membranes. My waters went first with dd and in my area they like to induce you 24 hours after waters breaking if nothing is happening. I don't want to be induced if I can avoid it so I need to weigh up the risk of that if I have a sweep versus just waiting for baby.

Getting impatient now! Thought I had contractions but they were just tightenings according to a midwife I spoke to today (how am I supposed to know?!). Sweep on favourable cervix 2cm dilated also resulted in bloody and browny mucus @bubblybrit but this little one is taking his sweet time and 24h later I’m not feeling closer to meeting him. 41 weeks tomorrow and considering cancelling planned section to give this baby more time to arrive. This is so hard! Not used to being in limbo!

@AmberRose17. I don’t feel as if things are moving particularly fast either. Having period like cramps on and off throughout the day as well as backache. Nothing is regular or increasing in intensity though 🤷‍♀️ Hopefully things start moving quickly for you x

Honestly... 40 weeks is not gospel, your due date doesn’t really mean much other than ‘around this time’ it could be weeks before it after this date. I wish midwives would tell people this 🙁

Your baby might not be ready at all on this date, or they may be ready much earlier.. it’s not an exact science.

Also, they don’t get to tell you what’s happening.. they have rules and guidelines.. but you’re not obligated to follow any of them. Read up on it, and make your own informed decisions.. don’t conform just because you feel you should.

@NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking I don't know if that's aimed at someone in particular. I'm unsure about a sweep for me because I'm unsure especially given how my last labour started. I've read up around it, looking at articles (and should be in a good position to interpret the findings as a health statistician). The problem is that not many large trials have been done so evidence isn't as conclusive as I'd like. It's also impossible to know what would have happened if the "successful" sweeps hadn't been done. You're right in that you don't have to go along with or agree to everything suggested. However, I believe that for the most part the guidelines are best practice. There are a few things that I plan to refuse if they're offered in labour but this is one thing I'm on the fence about.
You're right in that it's worth remembering that this isn't the 1950s and we can now question and refuse or delay interventions. I have a friend who did that recently and it was by far the best decision for her and her baby. It's likely to have resulted in a calmer and better outcome for them.

Just went for my sweep and baby's head wasn't engaged enough for the midwife to do it 🙄 I did think the baby felt higher!

I was getting so hopeful after the show this morning... but doesn't seem like I'm progressing towards labour after all. Which doesn't fill me with joy about being induced on Thursday!

@detachablehoof try not to get despondent as some babies don’t engage until labour starts. My baby has been engaged for 4 weeks or more but I have had no show or Braxton Hicks (that I can be sure of) so it doesn’t seem to me like he’s on his way anytime soon. If you’ve had a show then that’s a sign things are starting so there’s still a good chance you could go into labour before Thursday.

Not aimed at anyone in particular, just the general feeling that people seem to feel they need to go along with what the midwives suggest, and that the due date is the magic day the baby is ready 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think even the midwives don’t always agree 100% with what they have to say, I know when I’ve disagreed with what they’ve initially said a couple if times.. they’ve kind of agreed with my thinking, even though it’s not the official line.

@surprisedmom thanks for your encouraging words!! I feel like a huge failure atm 😄 sitting by the fire eating sweets, I'm sure I should be scrubbing floors or something to get baby in a better position 🙄

@DeliberatelyGinger I'm refusing any intervention. A sweep is intervention in the same way as induction. I believe that babies come when they're ready, and unless there is a specific medical issue that intervention isn't necessary. Birth isn't one size fits all.

This from the WHO last week, interesting reading: https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/feb/15/do-not-intervene-to-speed-up-birth-unless-real-risks-involved-advises-who?twitterr_impression=true

Everyone has to make their own decision based on what they feel is best for them

I had a sweep with my first and I honestly think that's why my waters trickled which led to an induction. (The midwife made a comment afterwards about her nails being too long - great, thanks!) x

@Camsie30 that’s what I was trying to say.. but you’ve worded it better.

I’m glad the WHO also see things that way too now 👌🏼

Thanks @Camsie30 that's a really useful article.

I'm very set on as natural a birth as possible, and in almost all cases one intervention leads to another to another... Currently bouncing on my ball and may have some acupuncture tomorrow or Wednesday as I'm starting to get bored!!

@NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking I'm sorry if that sounded combative - it wasn't meant to. I agree with the due date not being magic. It's mainly useful to determine if a baby is prem and likely to need support or very very overdue (more than the two weeks) to keep an eye on health. A lot of the support you get (or not) seems to depend on your midwife though.

Hi all,
Baby was born 7/2/19 at 37+6 and weighing 3.74kg. 2 day failed induction followed by emergency c section. Then jaundice and phototherapy for baby so only cake home yesterday. Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. After wanting no one here we’ve been getting a lot of help from DH mum which has helped but I’m feeling quite useless after the surgery and not being able to do more baby things. The hospital wanted us to do combination feeding and although I’m doing a bit of breast feeding it has been slow going so far so getting a consultant in tomorrow for reassurance and confidence building as much as anything else. I just have no idea how much is enough and when we are safe to stop combination feeding. I’m terrified of going back to hospital.

I really hope in a week that I feel better and more confident and like I’m getting the hang of things.

@powkin Congratulations! I’m sorry it wasnt the experience you’d hoped but glad little one is here safe and sound. Hope you start to feel more normal soon, it’s such an overwhelming time especially after surgery and being in hospital for an extended period. Be kind to yourself

@lanalawr no, it didn’t... I just wasn’t sure how my post was taken, tone isn’t conveyed well via text, so I’m never sure how I sound to other people!
Im quite thick skinned 😂

@powkin - congratulations! I echo @Susannach - look after yourself and take the help where you can. I know it's tough now but you will recover and one day you'll realise how amazing you've done x

@notasgreenascabbagelooking @lanalawr yes I agree about due dates. I’m a bit hacked off after meeting the junior doc today as I want to give this VBAC a bit longer to work, so have cancelled the planned C Sec booked for tomorrow. And her immediate response was to get on the phone and start booking me for an induction, rather than talking to me about what I actually want to do. I definitely feel I’m at the stage where they’re now just wanting to get this moving along for the Trust’s convenience. Hopefully things are progressing of their own accord anyway - it certainly feels that way.

Ah congratulations @powkin! I’m sorry that it hasn’t been as straightforward as you would have liked. Hopefully you and baby recover quickly!

I do think hospitals can sometimes railroad women into doing what they’d prefer instead of allowing the woman to make her own informed decisions. More women need to be aware that they can voice any opinion they like, and know they’ll be listened to.

Congrats @powkin !

We had an emergency C-section and subsequent feeding issues too. We are actually back in hospital now after going home yesterday as Emma just wasn't interested in trying to suck and was struggling to latch. At our home visit today the midwife was also concerned about jaundice, and rightly so as Emma is now under a lamp and we are staying a day or two and hoping we get feeding cracked. For the time being, I am pumping as often as possible and cup feeding her.

It's tough and frustrating when you're a lot less mobile too. I think I'm quite fortunate as I'm feeling much better two days later and can get around generally ok now, but DP is having to do a huge amount and I'm so lucky to have him!

I keep checking here to read about more babies arriving!