Due August 2021 - the final countdown!

[Daffodil21]

Continuation of the previous thread.

All newcomers welcome!

Not long now!!!

@Inmypjsagain those commenters give me the rage too! It's so thoughtless and just doesn't account for individual circumstances. I would also say that at no point since Covid hit has it been unreasonable to think 'it'll all be fine in 9 months', so it's a stupid argument anyway. Apart from anything, imagine what the consequences would be if everyone stopped having babies for the whole duration!

@PurplePansy05 oh you're having such a nightmare of it the past few weeks! I hope it'll be such a relief to get your c-section date, a proper end point (and a beginning point too I suppose!)

I've been getting shooting pains up my back recently, does anyone know what that could be? I know sciatica is shooting pains but mine don't go down my legs at all, just all over my back, and google doesn't know! Having a bath seems to sort it out, luckily I was working from home today so could have a break for one 😂

@BertieBotts

So I think what happens in the pushing stage when the baby is posterior is that you get the urge to push earlier than you should do, and that causes it to seem to take longer, because you're spending time pushing when it's not actually doing anything because the baby is still too high up to benefit from it and/or stuck behind the last little lip of cervix. (Actually, I was listening to a podcast the other day which suggested that the whole "cervical lip" thing is a bit of a myth which was interesting, but I've stuck to conventional wisdom for my notes!) So in addition to this extra period of pushing time, by the time the baby has come down into the proper position you're really tired and it's harder to push effectively which probably makes the actual productive bit of pushing take longer too.

But the crowning/pushing stage can take a long time with FTMs regardless. I know with DS1 it took ages and loads of pushes/contractions for his head to come out whereas with DS2 they wanted me to slow down and seemed quite worried that I would tear, whereas I cared more about not pushing for ages, so I gave it everything I had and he was out in two pushes.

If it's your first time and pushing/crowning taking a long time sounds scary don't worry too much about that, because crowning slowly is supposed to help you stretch a bit more slowly, be less painful and reduce the risk/severity of tearing.

@BertieBotts please could you share which podcast you were listening to? My usual listens are a bit stale and something childbirth oriented would be really helpful. I really appreciate your thought processes that’s you’ve detailed here, it’s really reassuring to see everything laid out so clearly!

@biscuitcat Exactly, having a date will make it easier mentally, I agree.

I also agree with your comments, in fact there were less births in 2020 than before, all stats confirm this. Even without prior history or say age/health pressures, it's unreasonable for some people to think women should wait endlessly. Covid can go on for years and won't disappear, will be interesting to see what these posters have to say then. I initially was determined to wait it out, but it would have been unreasonable. xx

@Inmypjsagain I think we had a brief 'shall we put on hold because of Covid?' Then an instantaneous and resounding 'nope!' For us personally it was similar to Pansy in that we started ttc way before the pandemic hit and with multiple losses we didn't want to lose anymore time, but even without that I think we still would have gone for it!

No one else's business!

Yes it's this one - although be careful as some of the episodes are talking about birth trauma, which I've avoided. I don't want to hear about traumatic births at the moment. There's not a huge number of episodes.

www.stitcher.com/show/the-midwives-cauldron

The Birth Hour is brilliant if you like birth stories. And that youtube channel I linked has loads of really informative videos about birth which work well as audio only, I sometimes stick those on when I'm hanging up the washing etc. Sometimes it's a bit American (hospital policy etc) but usually it's fairly universal, and some things like induction methods etc are the same anyway.

I haven't listened to any of this one yet as it's supposed to be mainly aimed at birth partners, but I expect it would be good - it's done by the woman who co-runs a business with my old NCT teacher who was absolutely brilliant! I follow their "birthability" page on FB (that's the classes they run together now).

www.buzzsprout.com/1495228

Another one with a few guests I recognise / admire but not actually listened to yet:

podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xZmYzMWQyMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Thank you @BertieBotts, I’ll give those a go! I’m hoping to feel a bit more in control this time and be able to stand up for myself a bit more should the need arise.

@Inmypjsagain it's a viable choice TTC in the pandemic because of those restrictions. Personally I love the thought of there not being dozens of strangers on the postnatal wards at visiting times, or spreading themselves out in the waiting rooms so there's nowhere to sit. For some, the thought of maternity wards being quieter at ordinarily busy times of the year is a big plus (less alcohol fuelled Christmas party babies in September etc.)
Incidentally (and I know it's a bit anecdotal and not fact as such), from the news that nursery is so busy and from speaking to my MW it would seem there's been a baby boom in my area, despite being one of the hardest hit Covid areas. So it seems a lot of people agree.
Fertility is a roulette whilst Covid is avoidable: I know which odds I was happier playing.x

@PurplePansy05 that's all so scary, but I'm really glad that he's ok! Do you have a sense of when the delivery will be booked in for?

@Inmypjsagain and @livingwithbees I must be feeling them too. Got caught in a thunderstorm coming home from the midwife and ended up sobbing in the kitchen on DH because I was tired. Nothing really wrong, just felt overwhelmed and couldn't stop crying...

Yes, to be honest I don't know whether we would have chosen to TTC in the middle of a pandemic but in some ways it's worked out really well. A bit worrying of course, but it seems I would have been made redundant anyway.

And yes we had technically been trying since 2018 so it was a bit last ditch anyway.

@WolfMother326 @Inmypjsagain @livingwithbees same. I had a meltdown in the morning as I was so tired. I just broke down and cussed Amazon prime! Lol. I think it's one of those days x

@PurplePansy05 keep us posted my love. Keeping everything crossed for you x

@BertieBotts thanks for the podcast list. I really need to listen to that. This week other than work my focus is the nursery.

I have my 34 week MW appointment tomorrow. They will also test DH blood for the beta thaelasaemia. So today I got a call to say there's no guarantee I'm a carrier. I will find out in 5 weeks. They are doing some checks etc. So fingers crossed 🤞🏽

@Whatshouldbemyusername Thanks lovely. 5 weeks! Blimey. That's a long time to wait, bless you both.

I've officially unpacked the nursery. It's a happy safari theme as you know and I have to say it's come together beautifully 😍 I've been listening to Disney soundtracks whilst doing it and I'm an emotional wreck 😭 I think it's a mixture of nesting, realising we're so close, relief that I can now unpack hus stuff, all in one go. I'm like a crazy woman, I've gone from being really on edge for weeks to an absolute bliss and overflowing with love 🥰😱 Pregnancy is mad xx

Well, I hit a new low tonight. OH was out today so we had dinner later than normal. I made spag bol and it was pretty tasty so I had a good sized portion. Then something possessed me to have porridge before bed! No idea what.

So this led to me at about 1am regurgitating half my dinner as I was clearly too full and my reflux had been playing up. 😔 Then spent half hour trying to find a comfy position to sleep upright and failed so I'm up watching TV. Feeling pretty fed up with it all really. Had a bit of a fuck you moment to the baby 😂 but clearly my own fault and lesson learned for tomorrow. Eat less. Eat early.

Oh no @Ready2020 hope you are feeling better soon!

@PurplePansy05 your nursery sounds lovely! Disney is the best!!

I'm ever so slightly raging with dh. He did bedtime for ds tonight. And put him to bed without his comfort teddy (we went to ikea and ds picked a new dino teddy so he went to bed with it) but dh didn't think to make sure moo moo was also in bed with ds.... Cue it's 2am ds is awake crying for moo moo and I can't find the thing. Ds has been pacified with the one that's missing is tail but is likely to notice before long 😫
I'm searching the bed etc thinking it's just caught in the blankets when I go to get a torch to look when I thought to check that dh had put it to bed with ds when he says no he didnt have it and rolls back over to sleep why on earth would you not check to make sure the child has the teddy going to bed!!!! Grr

I'm also awake with DS at this time, woke me to go and tuck him back in but when I touched him he was so hot so took his temp and it was 38.9 so been sat with him trying to cool him down for a while but it's not the room or anything as window was open anyway, he said he felt absolutely fine. Was sat waiting for the temperature reading and all of A sudden said he was going to be sick and then was sick ☹️ now waiting half hour see if Calpol brings temp back down before I can even attempt to go back to sleep

Hope he is OK @lucyrp how old is he?
Hopefully the calpol kicks in quickly!!

@Smurf123 he is 6, and when I asked if he felt poorly or anything he said no he was fine and just wanted to go back to sleep. Sat him up to re take his temp and then said he was going to be sick. Wondering if he was just sick to being the temp down as sometimes children's body's do that 🤷🏼‍♀️

Fingers crossed that's what it is.. Hopefully if he's feeling fine he'll be able to get some more sleep and hopefully sleep whatever it is off too!
I don't know about where you are but it is roasting here tonight. We have a fan going in both our and ds rooms but still so hot!

@Smurf123 just been to re take his temp and its still 38.7 in his mouth and waiting for the under arm temp now. His room is quite cool actually he always seems to be lucky where as our room is so hot even though they have the exact same layout 🙈🤣 he's more interested in going back to sleep than anything else so I think il have to just try get back to sleep and he'll shout me if he needs me again

Oh ladies! Rubbish nights sleep all round.

I couldn’t get comfortable. Baby seems to have taken to getting into position where she lies on my left with her head in my ribs just before I try to go to sleep. So lying on the left is really uncomfortable. I gave up and shifted to the right, at which point she had a little disco. Kicked my bladder and I got up for a wee. Tried to get comfortable again, heard unusual noise, realised the dog had got into the bathroom and was attempting to ‘Pre wash’ the pots that OH had not washed up. (Kitchen Reno ongoing, bathroom has a tiny basin so have to wash up in the bath - which makes my glutes hurt so I’ve handed over to him, only he doesn’t do it as frequently as I would 😡). Try to get comfortable and sleep again, and about an hour in think I hear someone on the gravel - wake OH up, to ask if he locked up the back (workmen have been using it to access) - no, so he went downstairs and locked up. Don’t actually know when I got to sleep, feel shattered this morning and have just had a cry on OH about how much work I have left to do/handover.

@HopefulB @lucyrp @Smurf123 I'm joining the rubbish sleep group too. Am sorry you ladies have had it so rough.

I had a nut smoothie at 7 for dinner. I usually eat light meals early due to reflux. Not sure why I was doing that. Went to bed at 10:30. Between 11:30-2 I was hurling up my smoothie!!! I then started feeling feverish and cold at around 3:45 so had to get DH to get up and get me a paracetamol. Took ages to fall asleep but then woke up at 6 am in my own sweat. So the temperature was done. Thank God. But my throat was killing. Stayed in bed till 9 but kept being woken up by the need to pee and just very uncomfortable.

I've got my MW appointment this afternoon so I've taken the day off. Currently sitting on the couch just breathing.

I hope you ladies got some sleep after the early morning messages. We're almost there 🙏🏽💪🏽x

Yep. Me too. I can't get to sleep for hours and then when I do DS2 wakes up with a nightmare and then I can't get back to sleep again D:

Luckily DH does the nursery run in the morning so at least I can have a lie in!

I did spend some time thinking about more "cheat sheets" to write for the different stages of labour so will share them when I have typed them up.

@Whatshouldbemyusername bless you that sounds hideous! I hope you’re able to have a doze in front of shit tv until your midwife appt.
to everyone who’s having crap sleep at the moment, there’s nothing worse at this point!

Morning ladies!
New thread- oh good we are all so close now!
My maternity starts on the 30th- I can’t wait!
If he’s still breech I’ll be booked in for the c sec the week after so not much time for rest in between but never mind
I’ve picked up the pram and the car seat is going in soon (once my OH cleans the car)!
I just can’t wait to see his face now, walking is becoming not enjoyable but I’m still pushing myself as that’s the only exercise I’m doing and my pooch still needs his walks!
Can’t believe how close we all are! Xx

I feel a bit cheeky asking this here but given that we’re all at roughly the same point someone may have the answer/be experiencing something similar! I’ve just been pottering about this morning with DD and changing bedsheets, housework etc and have had to sit down for a bit because of some twinges at the bottom of my bump, just above pubic bone so in the ‘overhang’ bit! There’s nothing consistent or particularly terrible about them, even typing this now they’ve stopped! I’ve had it a few times on and off for a few days, baby’s movements are completely fine, is this just my skin stretching/growing pains? Thank you :)

@livingwithbees I had similar! I called the hospital because I had a panic that it was early labour and the midwife said it was probably pelvic girdle pain.

Sorry to those of you who are sleeping badly, it's just horrible getting through the day on bad sleep isn't it. I had a very glam morning cleaning up dog vomit from my carpet and getting down there was such hard work 😂 bless DH, I'm sure he'd have done it, but he's useless at cleaning carpets so I'd rather be uncomfortable and do it properly!