April 08- just the stragglers left LOL [wink]

[Peachy]

update from scampmum

19 hrs to 3cm

poor mite

all send labour vibes please....

Oh forgot to say, used sleeping bag last night and she slept from 11 till 4, we shall see how long it lasts.

Braving toddlers group this afternoon, DD2 will need a feed right in the middle of it so hopefully DS wont be too mischevious today.

Fellow Close Baby Carrier users... someone asking about it here.

Moominsmummy - how did your sweep go? Was it really sore? I'm due to have one tomorrow morning - really agree with you about the cervix needing to be ready. I am still very 'high' apparently and the baby has masses of amniotic fluid around it to swim about it. I'm tall and the baby isn't very big so am guessing this is why? I definitely don't look like someone who's about to give birth. Have tried long walks, sex and pineapples - going to have another long walk this afternoon and hopefully by the weekend we'll have some sort of progress!
Don't know about the perineum thing I'm afraid. I tore last time quite badly (but not 3rd degree badly!) and have been lazy with perineum massage this time, maybe every third day or so and even then very half-heartedly. I heard it's all down to the midwives and when they get you to push - but you probably know much more than I do. Are you meant to keep massaging once in labour - with oils? I've heard that stiumlating the nipples whilst in labour encourages strong contractions.
VS - thanks for the EP tip!! I'm going to try it.
Congratulations to all those who've had babies in last few days. Mum2B - did the Evening Primrose do anything for you?!!

Not had my sweep yet - off to see midwife just before 3pm. will let you know how it goes..

have just found out that my hospital induce at 40+12 and my appointment with consultant is next tuesday when i'll be 40+11. Would like a few more days but then we're looking at the following weekend and don't know if hospitals do inductions at the weekend unless an emergency?

Good luck then Moomin - definitely let me know how it goes. I just spoke to St Mary's Paddington (my hospital) who said that they induce weekends and weekdays - but that they are so busy at the moment that they're not keen to take on too many extra inductions if they can avoid it - apparently their diary is chocka - so reassuring! I've been strongly advised to have a sweep as I'm having a home birth so obviously they want me to go into labour naturally at home and thus stay off the labour ward! But if my cervix isn't at all ready then I can't see the point - quite agree with you.
They also said that if my post-dates tests go okay then they won't suggest an induction and might even let me go over 42 weeks if I want to - they are obviously REALLY busy. Is that normal to advocate going over 42 weeks as long as the mother is equipped with what they call the 'relevant information' - ie: that the placenta might start to deteriorate, i'm guessing.
Isn't it reassuring when you ring your hospital and they all sound like they're in the middle of a crisis?!
Hope your hospital is more tranquil and less crazy!

just saying hi got a breast pump today and managed to get 2oz really quickly! Breasts are really full today and mimi has been on them most of the day today, unusual for her. Must be a growth spurt thing!

back from MW - baby's head low but after ten minutes of playing "hunt the cervix" we concluded that a sweep wasn't going to be possible... oh well.......pretty much what i expected really

apparently though our local hospital does not like people to go over 12 days - I will be holding out for at least 14 which will take me to next friday - they don't induce at weekends (small hospital - less backup staff at weekends) but the good news is that they will let me use the pool for pain relief even if i have been started off with a pessary

bbmom - interesting what your hospital says about induction - it appears that timing of induction seems to be more to do with staff schedules at each hospital than clinical need ......

hi all - had my sweep, fuc*ing hell it hurt!

had a very dark brown show about 20 mins ago, baby is engaged 3/5 (at last!) and mw gave me a sheet with my 'bishops score' its 5, is this good?

dilation is 1-2
consistency is Medium
length of cervix is 1-2
position of cervix is Middle
station is -3

is there anyone out there that can tell me what this means?

moomins - sorry that it didnt quite go to plan for you

Oooh poor you Carey... hope you are okay hun! And hopefully this now means baby will put in an appearance soon!!! Did you take yourself to hospital for this or was your DP with you? Just asking cos I need to know if I can do this by myself or does my DH need to take some time off work?

And poor you too Moomins... hope you don'thave to wait too long...

Hi All they let me out early

Umm why didn't anyone tell me childbirth without a epidural bloody well hurts! lol It was a tad scary for a while there Tom had the cord quite tight around his neck so his heart kept dropping from 144 to 60 on each contraction so they thought they were going to have to do an emergency C section started putting the epidural in (I was only 5cm when the lady came in the room to do it) but 10 minutes later by the time she had stopped faffing I screamed here he comes the student midwife replies no he cant be! my response was he bloody is with that 4 pushes later and a quick cut of the cord whilst only his head was out and Tom was here and looking perfect just blue to begin with but after a blast of oxygen he was fine! no stitches or grazes for me which is fab just a right back ache where she got the epidural in 1 minute before I had him!

Have added a few pics of my handsome man!

PFJ so glad Jack is looking better and they have found how he got it, its all very scary.

will have to catch up with all the other news later x

Congratulations TLSM! You haven't made your profile public, though, so far as I can see...

I'm reasonably sure that I did mention its hurting a bit, at least...

Carey, 5 is low, but it's the top end of low so nearly middling... See the Wikipedia article here, which gives a useful overview.

Hi - hope all are well ... just checking in really. Congrats to the latest arrivals.

Quick Question - I have a nasty D&V bug at the moment, up all night with both ends on the go (so to speak - sorry if TMI)... will it effect Olivia through the breast milk?? She seems awfully cranky today and hard to settle and have had to resort to a dummy (due to my lack of energy and feeling too weak to do any serious rocking etc).

Also DH and I have decided it is a good idea to have some formula on stand-by just in case ... cos although I am exclusivley BF-ing it was touch and go last night as to whether I could carry on (if it got worse etc) ... seem to be feeling better this pm though

X

thanks PAL - personally im not too optimistic, i think i will still be here on tuesday with nothing

mum2b - personally I would take your DH with you, I dont think I would have trusted myself to drive home after, only because the thought of what she did is making me heeve still (im crap with internals!)

mw was really good though, I dont know who you have (I have Maud??) and she was really good with me, but fingers crossed you will have had your lo by then anyway

TMP -- best thing is to keep BF so that she gets your antibodies, if you can. I did find with DS that if I got a case of the squits through something I ate (e.g. too many prunes, or fenugreek which bizarrely affects me that way) it affected DS too, but if I picked up a bug then it didn't seem to.

thanks P&L - am carrying on BF-ing, so hopefully she will be ok. x

at Carey's show

I didn't even get a bishops score

im so sorry moomin

(goes and hides in hole)

don't worry carey

I was expecting this really and will be surprised if i have this LO any earlier than 10 days overdue. Am planning on indulging myself with takeaway curry and a glass or two of wine this evening.

oooo! a glass or two of wine sounds sooo tempting!!

Moomin - bad luck but sounds like you made the right decision about not having a sweep. Hunt the cervix doesn't sound like a game I want to play right now. Enjoy the curry and the wine! I'm being fed smoked haddock and spinach by my mum - shouldn't complain but it does sound a bit healthy! Dying for a rogan josh with ALL the trimmings...might as well make the most of a good uninterrupted meal before we all learn to live one-handed and sleep-deprived for a few months!

Will let you know what happens at St Mary's tomorrow morning - interesting to compare notes. Staff schedules definitely determine everything in Central London hospitals. Annoys me how they dress it up as medical sense - all the midwives on labour ward keep extolling virtues of a home birth - uncanny huh?! Given that it takes up less space and no postnatal...similarly we are all told about this 'brilliant' domino scheme in NW London that 'allows' mothers to go home six hours after giving birth.

Birthing pool sounds nice - didn't realise they did a pessary in hospital? That's completely separate to the gel, I'm assuming? If I don't go into spontaneous labour then we might both be induced next Friday or thereabouts - by which point I'd be 42+2.

Congrats to everyone who's finally popped and solidarity vibes to those who are still waiting!

Thanks Carey for the warning about the pain - would rather know!! Am taking husband in.
Going to see if I can find out what proportion of sweeps result in labour within 48 hours.

I went home six hours after arriving, never mind six hours after giving birth...

I'm sorry moomins and carey, I hoped it would work for you! I'm very curious now about tomorrow, if it hurts, if taking epo religiously every day helped...

what a story, tlsm. glad you and tom are doing well now!

good luck for tomorrow, bigbadmom!

good luck today eva xx