Due March 2005 part 2

[misdee]

here we go!!

Leogaela - the main impediment to me checking in from home is our prehistoric, steam-powered, non-broadband PC! A bit ironic for someone who works in IT!

I am totally winding down at work, have a couple of low-priority jobs to do, which I'm stringing out. My team leader even said if I wanted to finish early I'd be welcome, but I want to save the days for after the baby arrives thank you very much.

I don't know about anyone else, but I feel the babe has got far too fond of doing gymnastics right on top of my bladder!

Girly, Misdee - you keep those offspring inside just a bit longer! I'm supposed to be due so close to you two, but I'd bet good money you're going to beat me to it by a considerable margin.

Have had my first official day of maternity leave today - I puttered about doing odd bits of housework but mostly enjoying the peace and quiet...also had my first antenatal class on Saturday. The midwife went through physiology of "normal" labour, showed us relaxation breathing and a few useful posture exercises for encouraging the baby into the right position. We'll be going through interventions - epidurals, C-sections - in two weeks...

Leogaela - I've been getting similar sharp little twinges in the same sort of place - although in my case it's probably the baby's feet rather than fingers! Have got another scan tomorrow to see if she has turned or not, so might know a bit more about the kind of delivery I'll be having then...

Enjoy your maternity leave, Oceanmama. When are you due? I'm still at work this week, then off next week for DS's half-term, then back at work (I think!) for one week, then on leave. My EDD is 16 March. I too am going for a scan tomorrow to check the baby's size and discuss delivery options (I have gestational diabetes so may be more restricted in my choices).

I haven't done any ante-natal classes this time round. I remember the breathing techniques, thing is in labour I'd forgotten my own name, let alone when to breathe in or out.

I had my doctors appointment today.
Feeling quite disappointed. Last time he measured the baby's head and my pelvis and said the head was a little bigger than average and the pelvis a little smaller. Today he said the baby has it's back against mine which is not good, and although the baby has dropped slightly the head is bent to the side which could be a sign that the head won't go through the pelvis and if things don't change in teh next 2 weeks then it will probably mean I have to have a c/s. Over the past few days I have noticed the baby seems to have been struggling, so it could be that its trying to get into the right position but can't. Having a c/s is something that I really have problems coming to terms with, something that hasn't even crossed my mind as a possibility.... struggling hard to find the positive things about it! As dh says the important thing is that me & baby are OK - I should focus on that.

We haven't heard from Misdee for a few days. Anyone heard anything?

Your dh is right of course - the main thing is that you and the babe are fine at the end of the day. But I totally understand your feelings, I would feel similarly. The posterior positioning obviously isn't ideal, but babies can and do turn right up to the end and during labour. My dd was posterior - I didn't find this out until very very late on into the long labour, but she turned of her own accord (eventually) and came out without further intervention. As for the size of head and pelvis - it might be worth reading up on this, or asking some of the MN experts, as I don't know how accurately they can predict in advance whether there will be a problem getting the baby out. Provided there's no risk to you or the baby it may be possible to argue to give natural labour a go, whilst keeping in mind that a CS might be needed if things don't work out.

It's always a good idea to be prepared for all outcomes - my SIL ended up with an emergency CS first time round, and was devastated and it took her a long time to come to terms with it. She freely admits that she just never considered it a possibility - but given that 25% of births are CS in the UK, it's got to be a possibility for everyone. And I don't know what the stats are like for Switzerland, but it's always there as one possible outcome.

I think misdee is around on other threads - still waiting for a bed for her dh at harefield. And no baby!

I am creaking like an old lady at the moment - having to do more walking as part of my commute and finding that I get incredibly stiff. I swear the cycling was almost easier!!

hi everyone, am 37 weeks today and getting bored and restless, must be having a hormonal day today!

Hope everyone else is doing well, can't believe some of you are still working, Pidge?

Grumpy Girly xx

Girly - those hormones are a right pain aren't they? I had a couple of days last week when I just couldn't control them and was getting really grouchy with dh for no reason at all - poor thing.
Leogaela - try not to worry too much - as Pidge says, there is stsill time for the baby to move around so you may end up being ok.
I was really fed up last night as I had an email from the people I'd bought my birth pool from to say that there is a possible manufacturing fault which means the pool could leak and it needs to be returned. They won't be getting any more for 8-10 weeks which of course will be too late for me! Pidge - I think you bought one of these pools? (La bassine) I am now debating whether to get the Birth Pool in a Box or hire a rigid sided one from Splashdown (assuming they have any left to hire at this late stage). I seem to be incapable of making any decisions at the moment - the rigid one seems better but is more expensive and you can only have it 2 weeks before - what if the baby is 2 & a bit weeks early?? Any advice ladies?

Thanks Pidge. It is a bit of a shock, but at least the doctor has warned me in advance so i can be more open minded about it just in case it does happen. I asked about going into normal labour, trying it and then having a c/s if necessary. He didn't seem keen on the idea and said it would just add risk and stress to me and the baby. He could be right, psycholgically i wouldn't put so much effort into it if i thought i wasn't going to be able to go to the end and I'm not sure about putting my body or the baby through more than a normal level of trauma. I do think though that there is a lot of negative things to be said when doctors are more in control than midwives, the approach is much more medical and they look at the worst scenario rather than the best, but then if there really is a problem it is a positive thing to have your doctor available.

If things don't look better in 2 weeks then he will send me to hospital to have a radiograph (????) scan where he says they can accurately measure the baby's head and the space in my pelvis for it to come out.

Yes, the doctor could be premature in his concerns - i hope so. I am 35+ weeks, so there is time. Thing is he said that the sooner the baby decides to be born now the more chance of a normal birth as the baby will be smaller. No sign of that yet though, but I can hope!

Bonym that's really bad news about the pool. Shouldn't it be their responsibility to replace it for you? This must be a huge disappointment for you.

Girly, I am also still working. I will keep coming to work until I don't want to bother anymore.... my project has just taken a good turn though and is now more interesting. I think if I was at home I would just get really frustrated and lazy (or more lazy than I am now)!

Pidge, I keep meaning to ask which consultancy you work for. I used to work for CAp Gemini.

BoneyM - Made in Water had run out of these pools, but I ended up buying one from Girly after it turned out she couldn't have a homebirth, so she just forwarded me the email about the fault. Such a pain isn't it? I think I'm going to test it out - fill it with water, bounce up and down in it a bit and see if we can see any signs of leaking, and if not just take the risk.

I daren't go back to Splashdown - as I had actually reserved one of their pools when Girly let me know she had a Made in Water one, so I cancelled my reservation and they weren't best pleased with me!!

Whilst I am physically present in the office, I woudn't say a lot of work was getting done here! But conveniently my whole project is rather in wind-down mode, as we've finished most of our work and are just bug-fixing. So it's a good time to be leaving.

Leogaela - I wonder if there would be a different attitude in the UK, where the whole antenatal care tends to be more midwife led? Fingers crossed the next checkup shows the baby has rotated and the head is smaller than they think!

I have a meeting tomorrow morning with the homebirth team - it'll be my first, as so far all my checkups have been with the midwife at my GP's surgery. So this is my one chance to meet the team and grill them with any questions. Plus I get a morning off work - the first time I've had to take time off for an antenatal appointment, as I pointed out to my boss!

good luck with your pools Bonym & Pidge. chances are they won't leak. they may have found a fault or a weakness with them that won't appear in all of them.

Pidge - that's my feeling as well, you know everytime I go to the doctor he does a scan. its difficult to tell him I don't want it as its so tempting to see the baby every time, but i am not sure if it is really good for the baby or if we really need to be so aware of every little thing that isn't textbook. i think if I talk to a midwife at the hospital, they will have a very different attitude to it. At the end of the day though it will be very difficult to go against what my doctor advises me to do. I am just going to wait for the next couple of weeks and see what happens. my mum has 6 children and 2 sisters have one each and none of them had a c/s ....although my mum did tell me today that we all started off with big heads(!!!!) and I am probably a bit smaller than her or my sisters

Back from my scan and clinic appointment - the baby is still breech, and has had a big growth spurt in the last two weeks - even though my blood sugars have been normal the baby's going over the 97th centile...with all that in mind, plus the fact that I'm small (5' 0" tall and fairly slim in the hips)...it looks as though I'm going to be joining the Caesarean list as well. I've been booked in for Feb 23rd...and it's just hit me how soon that is!

Leogaela - I agree with the others, there is still time - it's worth doing the "on all fours" exercises to try and encourage the baby into the best position. Hope it works out for you

Cristina7 - my due date was March 5th . How did your scan go today?

My scan went well today. The baby is just a little over the 50th centile. She's an estimated 6lb 1oz (2.75 kg) at 35 weeks. My first was big, though, 4.1kg (9 lb something) at 38 weeks, so even if this baby is big we won't know if it's because of the diabetes or because she's a big baby (I'm tall, 5'7"). The consultant had a look over the glucose measurements too and she thinks those are fine so far. So it might still be a natural delivery, I don't know. Maybe I'll find out more next week, although they won't do a scan again so there won't be new data on which to base any decisions. The baby is cephalic and I hope she stays that way. These past few days I've been thinking more about c/s and preparing myself mentally for one.

my suger levels are shot to pieces. not looking forward to tmorrow appointment at all. growth scan seems ok tho. but agin i wasnt carrying big with dd2 and she was 9lb at 39 weeks.

Sugar levels tend to get higher with advancing stage, so it's probably not that surprising, Misdee. I've measured mine for 4-5 weeks now and I can see them creeping up ever so slightly from day to day but - to me - significantly overall. The Consultant isn't concerned yet. The target had been

i have to test one hr after meals, and below 8 is the target. i have been at the higher 8 lower 9 levels after midday meals, even a salad sent it high!!

That's quite strict control there, Misdee. I was told less than 8 at 2 hours, God knows what they are at 1 hour after meals. It's so frustrating when they go up for no apparent reason. I've totally given up sweets, biscuits, fruit juice and so much more but you'd hope you can at least have a bl*y kiwi fruit now and again. Oh well, not that long left to go. I was reading the stats showing 50% of those with GDM develop GD within 10-15 years after the pregnancy (or earlier if their GDM had to be controlled with insulin), depressing.

my diabetes doc has said i need to lose stone within 1yr of giving birth to reduce risk of devoloping diabetes later on. think thats more than do-able. its possible i had GD with dd2, but wasnt tested for it as at that point i didnt have any 'red flags' for them to check for. since then, dd2 obviously large at birth, my mum has diabetes now and i am overweight.

Just back from visiting the homebirth team for the first time - it was a Q&A session, not hugely informative, but reassuring to see how many other women are letting themselves in for this.

BoneyM - have you decided what to do about the pool yet? We have it as our top priority for the weekend, to buy a pump for it, blow it up, fill it, bounce vigorously in it and cross fingers it's not leaking!!

I can't believe I'm now at 37 weeks. I still don't feel quite ready to have this baby - I think I need to finish work before I can turn my mind properly to labour, birth and the aftermath. It all seems a bit unreal sitting here in my office trying to fill my remaining days usefully.

Pidge - I really can't decide what to do about the pool - Made in Water emailed yesterday to say that they are going to refund my card so I guess I will have to return it. I suppose I can't face the palaver of inflating, filling it, emptying it again and, I guess, sterilising it? (Would this be essential? Don't know). And if it did then leak there would be a mess to clear up. I might ring Splashdown and see if they have any available - otherwise I will buy the one with the fish .
There do seem to be an awful lot of women going for home births - there are about 15 in our aqua-natal class and roughly half have opted for home birth. They really seem to be encouraging it here.
Well, I'm off for a girly night out tonight - first one in ages and probably the last for a while as well! Two fortieth birthdays to celebrate - scary - it will be my turn next year . I will be the only non-drinker tonight so can have a good giggle at everyone else

Had antenatal and there's no more protein or blood in my sample which is good. Am 37wks and boy is it dragging! Jumped up and down for a while last night and had a curry, i'm ready for this baby to come out now!

Have a good time tonight, BonyM. I'm going out with some friends this Saturday to celebrate my birthday (turned 39 on Monday).

Shalaa - can you still jump up and down at this stage? Good to hear your samples are fine and you have nothing to worry about on that front.

Hang in there Shalaa! Are you at home now or still working? Keep busy, try to go out for lots of walks.
I was wishing my baby to come a bit early, but now I know its not in a good position I am willing it to stay in a bit longer and am feeling more patient about it than i have the whole pregnancy!

Happy birthday for Monday Cristina!

How is the hangover Bonym!

I sit on my ball and bounce up and down! I finished work at 30wks so i'm climbing the walls at the moment! Our house has never looked so clean. I do go out into town in the day but it's an effort lugging a heavy belly around!

What position is your baby in Leogaela??

Happy Birthday Cristina

Shalaa - I am still coming into work, I nearly gave up a few weeks ago, but now I am happy to keep coming in. I too would be going mad if I was at home. It would be too tempting to sit on the sofa and watch crap on tv all day! Most days I am meeting people for lunch and make myself walk to meet them. the more you can keep going the better I think.

My baby is head down but it has its back against mine and the head is bent to the side across the pelvis - not descending down the pelvis. Doctor shocked me on Tuesday by suggesting i may have to have a c/s, but Mears & others have reassured me that its too early to worry about the position or the head not going down and even if it doesn't change position, in the UK they would still go ahead with a natural birth. I think it would just be slower & more painful!

Is your baby giving any signs of preparing to be born?