Due May 05 part 5

[logic]

I think it's time for a new thread! The old one was getting huge...

I had to have the laying down epidural, but would also love to know more about the mobile one...

Welcome 1st bump and everyone else. Sorry to hear you've felt so rough Logic, hope you stay well now.
We've decorated the nursery too, it looks lovely now, its exciting getting everything ready, I can now order wardrobe and drawers, then I'll start washing all the baby clothes and nappies.
I bought maternity pads and breast pads too today, Think I'll have to visit asda for the knickers though, a friend gave me a pair of disposable pants that she didn't use and I don't fancy them much!
Went through labour positions in the ante-natal class today - makes it feel so much closer, although I'm still not ready yet!

Hi Logic,
Sorry about the delay in responding. Just can't keep up with mumsnet these days!

I started jumping up and down and demanding the ospital of my choice and voicing my preference for a caesarean pretty much before I finished reading the First Response test. Okay, exagerating a bit... but not much. I'm confused though, the stats thread say you are hoping for a waterbirth in Ascot. Are we neighbours? I'm in Sunbury. I think we may have had this conversation before, but my memory is failing!!

BAck to the casarean request, I did get to see a consultant at my booking appointment at Queen Charlotte. I asked her for a caesarean. Basically, she discouraged it bu said that if I still wanted one at 36 weeks I could be booked in for one at 39 weeks (which has me a bit nervous because of the chance of going into labour before I show up for the scheduled surgery) I'm thinking about asking (begging) for 38 weeks instead of 39 weeks when I go in at 36 weeks.

Thanks for getting back to me, Uwila! I really do want a waterbirth ideally but I know that I'm not fit enough to endure a long, tough labour at the moment. Maybe I will be better by my due date but as a backup I wanted to know how hard it is to get a c-section organised in advance. I don't want to get to 38 weeks and find out it's too late! I'm in Berks by the way so the other side of Ascot from you...

Thanks LittleB. I thought I was ready but we haven't ordered the new pram yet or sorted out the nursery properly!

Good luck logic, sorry to hear you're having a tough time.

hi ladies! been awol for a while - busy wrapping up at work, but have now FINISHED - yay! even better - not only have i started mat leave, but i've also taken a redundancy package. all worked out really well, but it's a weird feeling - have been with my company for 11.5 yrs!

had a trip to JL today - picked up a few more bits, but still have so many things to get. it's amazing how many odds and sods you need - have been catching up on the thread and must add cheap nix to my list

am very lucky in that i live right next door to a mothercare world, so can get all the last minute bits and pieces there. and there's no great panic if i forget anything.

saw the posts re: bf and bottles. really helpful to hear what you've all had to say. haven't yet had my nct classes, but glad that i'll have already heard some common-sense advice before going in...

FULL of cold today so feeling a bit sorry for myself (HOW not fair - on my first day of mat leave???!)...

hope you're all feeling well - apart from the cold and the RUBBISH sleep I'm loving things right now

Sorry for being thick! But what is the difference between a mobile epidural and a laying down one??

A mobile epidural is one that allows you to still get up and walk around. But, the dose is lower so it might not be strong enough to numb the pain. I asked for one in Epsom with DD. But, they don't offer the mobile version there. Also, I ended up getting upgraded to a more pwerful medicine not long after the epidural was in place because it still hurt quite a lot. So, I don't think the mobile would have been much use anyway. But, it may work for some???

Mobile epi worked wonders for me - completely blocked out the pain, although I had to have my legs in stirrups, but that may have been because DS was being difficult about coming out (ventouse).

Sorry logic that you are having a hard time of things - hope it gets resolved to your satisfaction.

I thought that the majority of epidurals were basically mobile these days.

Thanks KVG - that's really helpful and an eye opener. I had to have an epidural (was induced first time and the constant contractions were v.painful!), but it wasn't a mobile one, and I was forced to lie on my back for hours and would much rather had wobbled around and helped nature take its course more.

Additionally, I only was given one dose, which I knew nothing about. So the full pain came back without anyone communicating with me , I am looking forward to being a lot more in the know the time. Interestingly, I brought the 'one dose' thing up with my new midwife when we discussed my last birth experience and she, rather sheepishly said, "well, yes, they don't do that anymore". Huh

One dose?!?! After an induction?!?!?!?!?! Are they still alive? Or did you kill them? It would of course be considered self-defense.

If you have a block (or "spinal" as KVG called it) then it's a one shot deal. But an epidural is meant to be topped up. That is just plain mean. What on earth could their reasoning be? The reason that a block can be just one shot is because they give it when you are headed for a ceasarean to numb everything completely. And the fact that it is giong to wear off in a couple of hours doesn't matter because a caesarean only takes about 45 minutes, and most of that time is spent stitching you back up. It takes less than five minute to get the baby out.

Also, just in case anyone needs this advice... if you have an epidural in labour, and it isn't working on one side, the anaesthetist can come back and straighten it out a bit. This happened to me. Basically there is no guarantee that the tube will feed in perfectly straight. Sometimes it goes over a bit to one side. And if this happens, she/he can come back and pull it back out a bit and that usually straightens it out and then it works on both sides.

But do they not top it up if you are ready to push? My friend (actually a number of women I know) did not get topped up because of that reason.

I was lucky - I got my 1st and only dose when just about ready to push so I felt nothing...although this probably contributed to DS needing ventouse delivery.

Oh oh... and one of my favourite moments of this particular labour/delivery (there are many favourites) is when the midwife informed aftr a couple hours of labour that when you push it hurts down below and the epidural won't provide pain relief there. I'm sure the look on my face must have been priceless.

But then we ended up in theatre where I was knocked out (yippee!!).

Oh oh... and one of my favourite moments of this particular labour/delivery (there are many favourites) is when the midwife informed aftr a couple hours of labour that when you push it hurts down below and the epidural won't provide pain relief there. I'm sure the look on my face must have been priceless.

But then we ended up in theatre where I was knocked out (yippee!!).

Uwila - I just didn't know about these things needing to be topped up, there was me, ignorantly feeling pain again and saying, oh, I seem to be able to feel this again... and they just kept writing bloody notes.

Felt the fully whammy of birth. Wow. You should see my after pictures holding my DS. I look like I've been to hell and back.

My SIL is due in a few weeks, and is adament she won't have an epidural. She's instructed my husband not to give in, even if she begs

My husband and I just look at each other - Knowingly. What can you say??? All I've said, is.. please keep your mind open to pain relief. Fingers crossed my niece or nephew will just pop out.

Oh Preggars, it's so different the second time round, isn't it. I was a nice passive patient who just followed what the midwives told me. And now its' no more mr. nice guy. It's give me this and give me that and I'll settle for nothing less.

Thanks for the CAT + info, Uwila. Really must set up an email address that doesn't have my rl name plastered all over it Change of heart because I am desperately fed-up and trying to consider all the options should I feel too shattered to have the waterbirth! Sad bit is, I intended to go to the midwife today to talk about options but I'm too tired to bother. I have got over the natural birth obsession and I'm fantasising about lovely epidurals...

Thanks for the support, everyone. I am still hoping that it will all get better in the next few weeks. If nothing else, I have spent days thinking of all the mean things I could do to the cow that I caught this lurgy from

Awww poor you Logic - I hope you start to feel better soon. I came on here tonight with the intention of having a bit of a moan about my backache, but after reading your posts I dont think I have reason to complain!

Hope the rest of you are okay

I had my epidural topped up just before they checked my dilation and found I was fully dilated. So we were given 1/2 hour to rest and ready ourselves (we got 20 mins kip and then chose ds' middle name!) so while I was pushing I still had the epidural going - I had to be told when to push. Absolute bliss! I don't think they even needed to top it up for the stitches!

Sorry Maddison! Go on, have a good moan about your back. I really didn't mean to bring anyone else down with me!

You didn't bring me down Logic - you actually made me feel quite lucky

I do know how you feel though, I had a stinker of a cold over Christmas which DS then got as well as an ear infection - didn't stop him from whistling all day though!!

Hi all,

Not been on for a few days, Im just so tired all the time.Not sleeping at night due to very bad back pain and sciatica.
Not only thay, couldnt remember my pass word lol.

Went on shopping spree today, decided it was time to get stuff ready for hospital. Still need to get a bag though, cant find mine from last time, think its in the loft somewhere, and as Im the only one that will go right into the loft, it dosent look like Ill be getting up there any time soon so will have to get a new one!!!

Ive had an epidural withh all 4 of mine and fully intend to have one with this one too, I had very bad back labours with all of them, with my last I asked about the mobile epidural but my hospital dosent do them.