Due March 2008 Surely someone has to pop soon...

[turtle23]

New thread

Anyone else feel like their LO has a battering ram? Am convinced mine is digging some kind of tunnel out with his (feels like long-fingernailed) hands as well. OW!

absolutely turtle - mine hasn't stopped since last night, hence only got about 2 hours sleep overnight...and he's still kicking/punching/wriggling all over. I think i'm getting a bit paranoid about him moving out of position after hearing the stories here, so not sleeping properly in case i end up moving to the wrong side, but i sleep better propped up on about 15 pillows lying on my back!

mods - my Step Mum was exactly the same, she had an 18month old little boy when she was in the final throes of pregnancy. Take your friends and family up on all offers of help and treat yourself to some sleep or a nice bath!

I know how you feel turtle and fitnfortyone - it's really like she is digging her way out! She also seems to get hiccups as soon as I lie down in bed too! Naughty babies

Prisci - hope you are feeling better.

Turtle - yes! LO kind of head-bangs and twists, it feels like its just the other side of my cervix and LO is trying to wriggle out. Doesn't seem to have scratchy nails though!

Had fantastic pregnancy yoga yesterday, really sorted my head out. LO is now encircled in glow of white light/energy and pelvic floor is just like a ripe peach!

Got given a baby monitor yesterday, posted by friends of MIL. It's v kind of them and a good saving, but when they described it as hardly used and still in box I kind of imagined it as newish. It's really old - picture of mid 80s lady in floral dress with shoulder pads on the box! It seems to work, although crackly. I'm all for getting a new one but dh thinks its fine! How often do you use monitors?

Think I might just have had a 'show' but being a first timer I'm not really sure! Don't really fancy googling images to find out!

Mine gets hiccups alot at the moment too - very bizarre sensation! Glad I haven't had the digging sensation though - sounds sore! Sending calming vibes to your LO's MMH, FFO and Turtle!

Oooooh piggyp a show! That's a bit exciting. Being a first timer I have no idea what they are like either - 'alien slime' is how it's been described to me!

I still need a text buddy - is anyone due more towards the end of March who would like to volunteer?

Same here fitnfortyone , keep trying to lie on my left side but wake up finding myself on my right. Up until now LO has been lying on my left ( which I think is meant to be the best side) but now has moved to my right with only 2 wks to go.Now starting to scare myself about my choice of having a home birth if it's going to be more difficult.Wish I felt like piggyp after her yoga, instead just feel miserable and want it over with.

MMH - I'm due 8 days after you so happy to be text buddies if you think that is a long enough gap?

I was just reading last night that a show can be released over time, so Derah that could be a show. Book said it can look like increased cervical fluid/mucus and not necessarily a big globby bit. My NCT friend said her show was a "jellyfish in my pants" and over 5-6 days she continued to get more mucus, but not even every day. So, doesn't have to be regular or all in one go, it seems.

I can also empathise with the burrowing out of there feeling and LO's DEFO need a manicure when they come out!!! OW OW OW!!! Pains do seem to ease off though - I had a terrible time when the bump really dropped at first. Spent most of the time crawling on all fours or bouncing on yoga ball (which is really deflating now so can't really recommend the £2 cr@ppy efforts from local supermarket!!!) but maybe I did give it a bit of a pounding!!!

Also getting the "I've changed my mind.... I don't think I wanna do this now...". Was looking at my OH snoring away last night thinking how much it is all going to change. Reminds me how just before her babies were born, SIL was asking everyone "will I love them as much as I love the dog??? What if I don't?!?!?" and now she is a fully fledged mum she just laughs at all that "silliness" but admits it felt very real and terrifying at the time.

Wonder who's next up?!?!?

Lurker alert

Due date today, cant see it happening, don't feel any different to the past month!!!

lurker out!

Well, wish me luck. Have MW appt this pm and hopefully she will say baby is not OP . If it is then I can see myself getting a job as a full time floor scrubber for the next few weeks .

Jaysthird- sending you labour inducing thoughts!

Completely agree with burrowing- as soon as I go to bed it wakes up and starts rooting around!

Just got home from mw- baby is 2/5 engaged (which I kind of knew already from feelings down below!) and lying along my right side where it has been for weeks now. Feel really good about the birth centre choice and talked through my meagre birth plan with mw.

Anyone else at end of March who wants to be text buddies with me?

hi all, wondered if i could ask for some expert advice...2 weeks ago my midwife notes said 2/5 Eng and now it says 4/5 palp, does anyone know what this means?
Thanks!

ps. e14mum, I'm due 22nd March, is that near your time...? There'll only be a handful of us left then I suspect...

Frannie, I think it means that the baby's head is less engaged now than it was before, when they felt for it. The lower the number the farther in the pelvis it is.
I'm due on the 9th- email me on eliebean @ hotmail . com and we'll keep eachother posted

Got this off some website - good explanation of engagement, as I couldn't figure out what it all meant!

"The engagement or 'station' is usually measured in '5ths' and is based on the fact that the width of an adult hand is about the size of a term baby's head. When recording engagement on your pregnancy records, usually the amount of the baby's head that is felt by the caregiver's hand is measured and written down, providing a guide as to how much of the baby's head is engaged in the pelvis. As a guide:

If 5 finger widths of your baby's head is felt, it is written as 5/5 palpable or 'unengaged'.

If 4 finger widths of your baby's head is felt, it is written as '4/5' palpable or 1/5 engaged.

If 3 finger widths of your baby's head is felt, it is written as '2/5' palpable or 2/5 engaged.

If 2 finger widths of your baby's head is felt, it is written as '2/5' palpable or 3/5 engaged.

If 1 finger width of your baby's head is felt, it is written as '1/5' palpable or 4/5 engaged.

If your baby's head cannot be felt it is written as 'fully engaged' or 'not palpable'.

Some caregivers do not record how far the baby's head is engaged but simply write 'engaged' or 'unengaged'. Also, just before engagement the head may become less mobile, but still be fully felt. In this instance some caregivers will record this as being 'at the brim', meaning the top of the baby's is just sitting within the woman's pelvis, but not to the point of being engaged. Another term for the head being engaged is 'fixed', because the baby's head cannot be moved by the caregiver.

Most babies become 2 to 3 fifths engaged (or 2 to 3 fifths palpable) before labour commences, only becoming fully engaged during labour. If your baby is very active they may move 'in and out' of different levels of engagement during the last few weeks of the pregnancy, especially if this is not your first baby.?

Hmm, just noticed a typo in that. Presumably it should be 3/5 palp = 2/5 engaged.

Not confusing at all!

I could use a text/email buddy, too....Anyone due later in the month? I'm due 6th....

hi frannie, i was 2/5 last week, but moved out to 4/5 today! Just means they can feel more of the head, and i was told not to worry as they do tend to bounce in and out of the pelvis.

M/w was lovely today, told me i was looking well and hadn't put on too much weight! Measuring at 4200g, but she reckons it won't be more than a 9lber...gulp! Asked what the chances were of going into labour to be told by hospital they were too short staffed to send out anyone for a home birth, and she replied that the welsh assembly has directed home births to be given priority, so that's also reassuring!

Little bugger is still kicking me like mad, really looking forward to seeing him, but being a typical bloke i know he'll only come out when he's good and ready for it...on his own terms!

Hello all,

Been lurking as not had much to post recently. Sorry to hear about pain, burrowing and long fingernails. And I hope merryberry you feel better. That sounds rotten.

Just been to the hospital for my pre elective section assessment. My blood's been taken, my consent extracted and I have some drugs to take at 10 pm tomorrow night and 7am on Thursday to make sure my stomach is empty of acid. (In case the proposed spinal turns innto a general). I'm getting a little anxious about the recovery from the section but I have my arnica (hahahah) and lots of nighties. I don't intend to get dressed for a week after.

I asked for a tummy tuck at the same time but somehow I'm not sure they'll oblige

Babyglam may well be in the world in 48 hours time. And our lives will change forever.

Best wishes for the next few days, glammama. And thanks for converting me to Cinnamon Grahams!

It's my last day at work today and I've just been given a lovely bunch of flowers. I still haven't quite come to terms with the fact that I'm going to have a real, live baby in about 4 weeks

dear JFly, thanks soooo much that's incredibly helpful. I tried to google the engagement stuff but got lost.

& thanks for the reassurange fit41 about the head bouncing back up a little - I wonder if it's because I went on maternity leave at the end of the this week and consequently indulged myself in endless tv and sofa lounging, rather than walking about central London. Hmmmm. Might have to try to remember to do a BIT of exercise here and there eh.

e14/elie, I'll send you an email, would be nice to keep posted. When are you due and which hosp are you at? I'm chelsea and westminster which I started off thinking rather posh but am steadily thinkng OH MY GOD as I hear more stuff about the labour ward frequently closing down due to business etc.

I had a M/W appt today and was assigned a student midwife who is using me as her case study. She was v sweet but lordy I hope this doesn't mean a real midwife will be around on the big day...

oops, i meant: i hope a real midwife WILL be around on the day ;-)

Glam - hope everything goes well for you over the next few days!

I've just woken from my afternoon snooze. I'm absolutely guaranteed to sleep for an hour and a half just by switching on my natal hypnotherapy CD. I have not yet heard it the whole way through without being comatose so I'm really hoping my subconscious is taking it all in as I only get as far as "3-2-1 Relax"!

JFly - happy to be your text buddy as I'm not due until 27th. I'll email you my number