Dec 08 - the one where we wonder what are our bodies going to do next?

[rosmerta]

Sorry for rubbish title, best I could do

I'm going for a hospital ward tour on 18th September. Am trying to work up a list of questions. So far, I have:

Do they do mobile epidurals (so I can still move around if I've had the drugs)
Do they supply birth balls

I know there will be loads more, but wondered if anyone had any more I could add - I'm a first timer!

sorry Beans i had DS at a birth center so not sure what you need to ask for hospitals, but am familiar with that i have no idea what should know to ask feeling. Do you want a birthing pool for any part of the labour? you could ask that.

I used a tens machine up until about 7cm dilated and then got into the birthing pool and found it helpful it doesn't completely get rid of all the discomfort. the birth pool i found was really good for it but as someone said can slow things down. I had a combination of G&A and the pool up until the 2nd stage and found it helped, but it won't make you completely pain free i think only an epidural will do that. I found the 2nd stage a lot less painful than the first so G&A and pool was enough but it really depends on you, and the little munchkin coming out i guess. Also if you don't want to be completely out of it on G&A just suck on it until the climax of the contraction then stop (easier said than done) i only got a bit of tingly fingers but i have heard girls say they suck on it constantly and at times didn't een know who they were or what they were doing, which might be quite a positive thing i guess but kind of regretted feeling like they missed a bit of it all and had less control.

i have to say i love G&A and am quite looking forward to that in he birth, will be a little less possessive of it this time and will let DH have a go too i think.

HA! VEggie - I love your G&A Addiction! I know St Thomas's have fantastic birth pools - loads of them all in a garden-type area, with trees both real and artificial and hammocks and things. It's meant to be pretty cool. I will ask about when you use them as well, because to be honest, I have no idea about what happens. I didn't even know there were different stages of labour until about 6 weeks ago!

don't worry Beans when the MW asked me to write a birth plan for DS's birth all DH & I could come up with when we wanted photos taken (one of our midwives fancied herself as a bit of an Anne Geddes and offered to take photos of the birth for us) and that we wanted him wrapped in an Arsenal towel when he came out.

You could ask them what they consider to be a reasonable length of time for a 2nd stage having had a long one that is something i would want to know as i worry about clock watching.

That birth pool area sounds amazing, i have to say i don't know if i would take much notice of the trees but nice to know they have put so much thought and effort into it. It must be a nice area to work for them too.

Arsenal towel Veggie? lol!

Ha ha Veggie loving your birth plan !

Mine will be "just get the baby out as quickly and with as little pain as possible please" - LOL can you tell I'm a first timer !!

Ask about how long DP's can stay after the birth. If you give birth late at night they may make him go home straight away afterwards.
Also worth asking about intervention rates of the hospital and average length of stay.
I haven't actually had a MW appointment yet (apart from my booking in) do you think that is beacuse I am under Consultant led care? I would quite like to hear the heartbeat and be measured etc, but not due to see MW for another 5 weeks.

oh, please please please can you post a photo of the arsenal towel?

Does anyone know when the normal time is to have a ward tour? I realise I'll need to go earlier becuase risk of premature birth with twins, but would be good to have an idea.

I used a tens machine for about 10 mins in labour with DD, it was less use than my DH massaging some pain relief pressure points - I'll try and find some info on the web about that, I found that great in the early stages. The birth pool was great for pain relief and it's still possible to move around a lot. G&A was magic but I was pretty wasted, I stopped using it in 2nd stage so didn't feel like I missed anything.

Birth balls are good for sitting on later on in pregnancy to encourage an upright posture which may encourage your baby into a good position - much better than slouching on a sofa (and in any case I find it very hard to get up if I sit like that now ). You can also kneel back on to your heels on the floor and lean your upper body on to it (does that make sense?) quite comfy for watching TV but you need to swap which way your head is turned periodically, so a bit of a faff moving everything round.

Off for my scan now...

LOL we have a photo when it's all settled down of him in the towel, the earlier ones are a little pornographic. i will post it at some stage the photos are on one of DH's laptops i think or the main computer but not this one so will do it some time. I have been meaning to be organised and put some photos up.

I was told I couldn't have a tour until a month before my EDD - then snuck in with the counsellor midwife a couple of weeks ago (she agreed to take me as it was no hassle for her ).

Gas and air is great stuff - I totally agree - but I also had a shot of pethidine after two days of first stage labour so I could sleep a bit. Very odd as you can still sense the contractions but they stop hurting. They can't give it to you late in labour though as it makes the baby drowsy.

The TENs machine was useful in very very early labour as a focus, but I ended up with it on a very high setting and it wasn't doing much for me.

LadyT you can get two different types of in-car base for the maxicosi - one clips in with Isofix, and then you clip the car seat on top. The other one stays in the car with the seatbelt and you clip the car seat on top in the same way. The least expensive option is to just put the seat in the car with the belt (ie without either of the bases), but my DH never managed to get the hang of it!

mibbes what GBB said about the birthing ball, I find it useful to sit on as it helps relieve back pain a little.

Gbb Most hospitals around here have set times for tours so its probably worth ringing the hospital to find out if they do & book in on one.

beans can't think of any other questions for you sorry

We did have an isofix base last time and I did find it very useful. Having said that we were given one so don't know if I'd go & buy one!

As part of my course I have to do a presentation on local maternity services (good timing!) so have been to the hospital where I'm booked in and another local one. Have to say, I'm so glad I'm at mine & not the other one!

which is the other one Rosemerta??

i'm feeling so ordinary today, i had another 4am vomit session and it was really nasty and feel really seedy today almost like i have a hangover bu without the headache. I don't know what i ate last night that the baby objected to so much but he really didnt like it. DS is being really sweet and gentle with me today. he spent most of the morning in his sand pit and then we just did a couple of puzzles together, well he did most of them. I'm so glad i only have one today. DH is feeling really bad cos he is away. Luckily i have ginger beer so might have one to see if that helps.

Oh also keep forgetting to say i get really bad heartburn and i thik i got really sick of gaviscon last time plus i hate the taste of aniseed and peppermint or spearmint so this time i talked to my homeopath and she recommended new era C remedy i got it online but you ca get it in some health food stores i take it 3 times a day and also if the heartburn is bad i take it every 30mins. It is really helpful and works as fast as gaviscon, but it's just 4 tiny tablets that dissolve immediately in your mouth with practically no taste.

veggie sorry you're not feeling great, its awful if you've eaten something, junior here objected to curry the other week. Have you found though that ds tends to pick up if you're not feeling great? The times when I've been ill ds has been so sweet and gentle and kept himself amused, I think he knows when I'm not really up for playing!

Anyway, other hospital is Ealing, there's nothing wrong with it as such, just that its part of the main hospital whereas West Mid is a separate building so you don't feel like you are in hospital iyswim.

yeah he is being really lovely lots of cuddles but also amusing himself. we are now watching some Bob the builder as a treat cos he has been so good.

Thanks everyone for your help - I've written quite a few questions down, which is great. thanks!

Oh Veggie - I hate feeling ropey - poor you. Luckily I've only had a couple of episodes when I've felt a little bit nauseous since my 14 week cut off point. now feeling quite perky and bright.

Back to preggy yoga tonight - really looking forward to it. I also did 20 lengths of Olympic size pool before work this morning. So virtuous !

yoga I love because we chat for about 40 mins and only do yoga for about 30 mins, then have a birth story read to us. it's like being back at nursery school. Such fun!

OOOH, just having a bowl of crunchy nut cornflakes. Wow, I'd forgotten how tasty they are.

oh beans, crunchy nut cornflakes are yuk! They always make me feel ill, pregnant or not! Cheerios are another matter though

Oh no, sorry rosmerta - I love them, but have just found that I don't like the aftertaste. Yuck. I need a mint.

oh i've just got my appetite back and now i feel like crunchy nut corn flakes and cherios. I have neither at home.

yum i brought some cheerios the other day on a whim, not had them for years.
Crunchy nut cornflakes not as good as they used to be years ago- far less nutty bits

Thanks everyone for feedback on car seat

waitng girl the only question i can answer is re the tens machine as i used it in my first labour. It is good and distracting for first stage labour. I also have long term dodgy back and used to use it as pain relief quite regularly .. in fact im sure i got my first one from my pysiotherapist, however in the end i did buy one because they are not too expensive from boots. One thing i will say about tens though is that if you go very quickly into "hard" labour as i did second and third time round i wouldnt even bother attaching them to you as they will have no effect at all.

I have never used a birthing ball but in all of my labours i have knelt over a bean bag which i think really helped when contracting.

LadyT my daughter gos horse riding a bourne vale stables .. not sure if that is classed as alridge .. think it might be streetly though.

Im getting quite regular braxton hicks at the mo which i forgot to mention to my midwife yesterday. Ive never had them this early .. anyone else getting them yet?

Also when the midwife put the microphone thingy to my bump yesterday to listen to heartbeat baby immediately went mad trying to kick it off! Very persistent little one too, didnt stop kicking that spot until she moved it away!

turnip im struggling with eating tea too .. feel quite guilty about not feeding dp in the evening but as he said he is more than capable of looking after himself!

reban my baby also got ticked off with the heart rate thing last week with MW, it made me laugh so my belly wobbled