September 2019 #10.

[Karigan195]

New thread so we can leave #9 as a type of condolence book for little Roy and Twittlebee. Sleep in peace little man

It's not the UK or the beloved NHS. It's def not standard practice there, unless you are (obv) consenting for a c/s. Also just waiting for the bill for my blood tests to be emailed (!)

boodles where i have worked twins often are delivered in theatre (as in you are wheeled there to have a vaginal delivery and everyone is ready in case), have they said whether this is likely? Of course one hospital does not represent the entire UK

moraxella yes it's likely that I can labour in the delivery room but would be moved to theatre for the actual delivery so they can perform any assisted or emergency if necessary.
If it was possible to just have midwives in a normal room, with doctor on standby, me able to move around with a calming environment then I would have been ok with that. But not the highly monitored, medicalised setting.

Have you been to see your local consultant unit? Some have nice not that far off midwife unit type rooms. I’ve picked mine out already as it’s the only one in high risk with a pool and calming lights.

Oh and last time I was high risk too and I hardly saw the dr. Midwife’s kept coming in but the dr I saw twice I think until the emergency c section

My consultant unit last time was also ok actually - I was constantly monitored and on the drip, but for most of it we were left alone with the midwife and she dimmed the lights for me.

Hoping for midwife unit this time (it’s next door and looks great) but if I end up on the labour ward, I know it’s not too bad.

Labouring in theatre with a massive medical team around, bright lights etc sounds horrendous! Obvs don’t have choice for C/S or emergency assisted birth

From my experience, I think that the majority of our vaginal twin births must be in the labour room. Either that, or we have a really, stupendously high elective C-section rate for twins. If the former is true, then it seems like we would only transfer to theatre for breech delivery, or if they need assistance (forceps, emCS, twin 2 distress) given how few twin births I've seen that weren't via elective section.

I cannot say what sort of monitoring you would have and who would be present in the room for a vaginal birth though.

But given they would deliberately be placed in one of the rooms directly opposite the theatres, it's not exactly far to go should a transfer be needed. And we are very, very good at getting ready fast.

Unfortunately one hospital's policies aren't anothers. All you can go by is what your hospital can/will allow.

@boodles101 if you haven’t already, have a read of some of the birth stories on Mother of Daughters’s midwifery blog Gas and Air - there are loads of v positive stories of twin births, both vaginal and C/S, including MOD’s own vaginal twin birth gasandairblog.com/the-birth-story-of-ottilie-and-delilah/

I love reading through all the stories generally but you may find the twin ones helpful

dyra i know i would be in the best place for delivery and the monitoring is of course to make sure babies aren't distressed or anything. I just feel for me mentally, I'd much rather avoid all of that, the unexpected what ifs and could happen. A calm elcs would be better so that I know what and when to expect it.
The last thing I want is to go through labour and end up with an emcs. Or worse deliver 1 vaginally and 2 as a section!

bridgetjonesdaquiri thanks I'll have a read!

@boodles101 my friend delivered twin1 vaginal (37wks, good weight, natural labour, second time mum). Twin 2 was being held and the team shift changed, someone took over but she is adamant he had turned in the space he now had, twin two needed an emergency section - she just got the worst of two deals and had a hard time after. Amazing healthy babies just the emergency part of the process was bad for her.

BBell2 that must have been tough for your friend. Can't imagine having to recover from the exhaustion of natural labour, plus all the pain of an emcs! As a 2nd time mum too when you've already got a child to think about.

We're away this week at Centre Parcs, did Longleat today and I'm bloody knackered. All the swimming and walking etc. My hips are killing me and I can't even have a wine and a sit in the hot tub 😩

DH has taken Dd swimming now so I have the lodge to myself and some minstrels. That will have to do!

Take it easy florencenotflo that was me last week and I definitely struggled with all the walking and swimming. I did far too much and was miserable on Saturday when I got home! Enjoy your time away but definitely put your feet up and let DH do all the running around!

@boodles101 I personally would go for the c section because at least it’s plsnned and maybe if you go into natural labour first you can make a decision there and then about what feels best?

When they tell you to pack ‘large’ knickers for hospital bags, how much bigger than your normal size is sensible?

@boodles101 well, labouring in an operating theatre with a crowd of onlookers and tethered to this and that is not exactly natural labour! And all of those things would make it all the harder, so it's not as if you are choosing a section over some blissed out holistic birthing experience. MOD is a midwife (she was working on the team that is looking after me) in a case loading setting, very knowledgeable and vocal and able to make calls (and have her voice heard) that most of us couldn't. And she knew her team well, who are some of the most experienced home birthing/"natural" midwives in the county. Her experience of giving birth to twins isn't what you are being offered here! (There are lots of other twin births on there too which are more typical). It sounds like you are happy with your decision, and that's the most important thing!
@Stroan bump definitely higher today, phew!
@Moraxella argh! Gotta love American heath care...

@Hsunshine
At NCT the leader suggested getting a size that you can wear comfortably now, as that should work after birth when you deflate a bit.
I’ve bough 2 packs size 18 and 2 packs size 16 (cheapies I’ll not keep), I’m normally a 12. Slightly too big preferable to too small.

@megan2018 oh I am size 12 normally so that helps me too thank you. I feel like my NCT doesn’t start until so late

@Hsunshine I’ve gone for massive black cotton full briefs (5 per pack, have 4 packs), at the moment the 16 goes comfortably over bump but the 18 aren’t too big either. I figured the 18’s would be good for first day or 2 then the 16’s as I hopefully deflate!
But they were cheap enough that it doesn’t matter. Taking both sizes in hospital bag with extras to live in the car bag that has extra nappies, pads and baby clothes in case of longer stay.

I haven’t even looked at pants 🤦‍♀️. I keep meaning too but then think do I really need to as my current stock fits fine.

31 weeks today and I am a raging hormonal mess - got constant irritable rage with everyone and everything. I was up all night coughing and my bloods have gone all erratic (I suspect it is the effect of the cold as illness really upsets my Dad's diabetes).
Bump wise I'm still really comfortable so I know I'm lucky there - but I wish I could just cheer up!

Not coping well with work at all this week - unfortunately still got 22 working days left, but I'm just not on it. It all feels far too hard (mentally not physically) and I feel on the edge of telling people to bugger off all the time.

Urrgghhh

Megan can you take a couple of days off sick? I know that you probably feel there is too much to do, but short term pain for long (medium) term gain?

Megan take the sick days if you can. Pregnancy is hard enough on our bodies without being ill. Luckily I was allowed to work from home when sick so just sat on the sofa eating ice pops and slowly getting through tasks but having to commute and no comforts whilst being ill and pregnant must be awful.

I've got graduations until Saturday, but next week I am only in Tues-Thurs.
If I'm still a ratty, miserable old bint by Tues then I could take those days off sick, but I need to be actually dead to miss grads as it'll cause a whole heap of grief (I have to flounce about on stage in robes).
I would if I thought I was genuinely too ill to be here or was risking baby in anyway - but it's just my mood, I'm just feeling horrible and snappy. Yesterday I was really hot and throat was sore so took plenty of paracetamol and that has gone now - I just have this irritating cough, but it is far worse at night and not so bad when I am upright. I just slept really badly.

Roll on 16 August (my last day)!

Lovely, relaxing morning spent in maternity triage with reduced movements. (Since about lunchtime yesterday, but I fell asleep last night when I lay down on my side to try to get him to move...)

Of course, as soon as they brought out the heartbeat doppler he started doing some kind of riverdance in there and the midwives could SEE it, never mind observe it on the monitor. Cue me going "honestly, he's not moved AT ALL for 20 hours". They were lovely and reassured me that they see it all the time.

We are SO SO lucky to have the ability to go in and be checked over though, even if I felt like a complete fraud.

@Stroan pleased to hear all is well with your little one and I agree we are so fortunate in this day and age to have MAUs to pop into if we are ever concerned.

I’m so jealous of you lot knowing (and counting down to) your last day. Mine was all nicely fixed (23rd Aug) but now with possible job move in the next few weeks/month I genuinely have no idea when I’ll be finishing up.

Hip and lower back are mega sore today, just cannot get comfy on my office chair at all. Grumpy.