November ladies are having there babies. One by one here they come. But here we'll let the candle burn. Until we've all had our turn

[Ninjacat]

Come on over....

Morning all - just had a phone call from the maternity unit to let me know we are all go for induction this afternoon!!

So now excited and terrified!! Have to head there for 4pm - fully expecting a tearful and strange wait here until dh gets home about 2.30!!

not sure what to type now......looking forward to updating you all in the next day or so.

cheers now ladies!

You can do it Becky!!

I agree gel pads sound amazing. Maybe we should do a bulk MN ship over from the states?

hobnob and pootle looks like things are getting exciting with you. Will be looking forward to some news! beepbeep poor you I really hope things get moving again soon.

southernbelle what a mammoth labour you had (thank god you weren't one of the ones in the corridor ). Welcome to the world little Leah! Here's hoping the SPD disappears soon too.

pedalmonster I've been thinking of you (and jealously, of your gardening leave!) - welcome back. You must be due the day before me.

katster I am appalled at the man who bashed your bump. I hope he was really apologetic. Do you feel ok today?

After a really awful night with DD and a sky high temperature, she's woken up much better and now just seems to have a cold. Hooray! I got really upset last night wondering how I will ever manage two.

I have my scan this afternoon to see which way down the baby is. Anyone know how late on they can turn it if it's the wrong way? I'm 38+6.

Fubble how exciting! Try and enjoy a relaxing morning if that's possible. xx

Congrats to all the new arrivals, and fingers crossed for those starting to have signs of things happening!

Saw a few things (though can't remember who said them, sorry!) that I thought I would share my admittedly little experience on.

I had to be induced because of the mecronium, and it honestly wasn't that bad. It made things go a lot quicker and it got very painful before you knew it, but was okay. Though prehaphs listen to them when they tell you that you might want an epidural or you end up with a TENS only

Bleeding nipples - if only one side is bleeding I was advised to express from the sore side and feed from the other. Keep those nips moist ladies!! And my midwife was fantastic, took a look at them for me to see what was causing it. If its sore / bleeding in one area, move baby slightly in that direction. If its right in the middle they're not latching deep enough (which was our problem). Mine have stopped bleeding now and one side is slightly painful but eases off after a few seconds.

I hope that's of a little help.

Feeling a bit low here today. Probably simply over whelmed by everything, I guess. Bryn is a week old today, can't quite believe it. His cord fell off two days ago thank goodness, I hated the bloody thing, and it can't have been comfortable for him. Took him into town for his first outing yesterday. Am exauhsted today but I really liked going out with my little family.

Right... Back to bed for me in a bit I think. Try to sleep off the low mood.

Hope you're all well. x

Sorry you're having a down day Erika - just think of how much you've been through in the past week - it's all so exhausting and so new and so totally non-stop. It does get easier, I promise.

Thanks Laugs. I don't think you can really anticipate exactly how much it changes everything the minute they get here... I'm sure once the next week or so has passed it will be total normality and I won't remember what it was like before hand!

No, there's no way you can anticipate it is there? I think I spent the first few months humming to myself the REM song "It's the end of the world as we know it" (with the reassuring next line, "but I feel fine"). It's true though, that in just a couple of weeks so many things will be like second nature to you. Before DD I'd never even held a baby since I was a child. Then suddenly you're changing nappies and getting the baby to latch on like a pro.

OMG Laugs I am scared!!! It's funny, sitting in a tidy house with everything where I want it, basically doing what I want, to think that in a day or so, ALL of this could change.... Terrifying!!!

Hobnob fantastic news that you have had a show!! Do you always get them? Not you personally, obviously, am just wondering if there is absolutely no point in analysing tummy twinges if I haven't even had a show.

Erika, lovely to hear from you. Is DP off work and able to help out? Are you at your mum's at the minute? I hope everything's OK with your brother etc. It sounds like you're doing a fab job

BBL are you feeling any better? Maybe now your mum has gone, you can establish the new realms of normality? I hope you're OK.

I think I had these. They are somewhat expensive (20$ or so) but you can use them for 3 weeks. They also soak up leakage. 1 pair was all I needed until all was healed. There are cheaper ones that I haven't tried.

gel pads

If you can't get them from amazon or drugstore sites, I can also send them over.

Also after every feeding, spread a bit of milk over the nip and let it air dry before putting bra back on.

Congrats Southern ! and at women in the corridor! HAve basically been up all night, trying to imagine how that would be.

Good luck fubble hobnob and Pootle ! Exciting!!

Laugs hope dd gets better soon!
and babies turn until the very very last second, or in my case, when they are 2 weeks overdue. My doctor said taht the bigger, the more likely to turn, as they are uncomfortable being all squished, so they keep trying to find a better spot.

hobnob, so you should really be near the end!
katster, my show showed up very late. I had a little bit of blood on the toilet paper but nothing else and then contractions. Only when my waters broke (meconium included), lots of mucus came out as well. Strange mixture but a relief as well.
BBL, I've only read the last few posts so I couldn't find your problem. Is your little one not gaining enough weight? Or just constantly being hungry? I really believe in just continuing bf if you want to bf. (I didn't even buy a bottle). There is lots of support like La Leche League and NCT (I think scarlotti posted their number on the postnatal thread). Just cover your ears and sing "lalalala" when your mum is talking about bottles. And remember, everything is getting better, day by day.
Feeding Paula is quite nice during night, she only needs it every 3 hours (a bit shorter at the end of the night), but she has at least 2 periods each day where she only wants sipping and napping in my arms (usually when I have just prepared lunch. But today, I managed to eat really hot pasta )

I am STILL HERE!

A quick post as I cannot sit well without my back killing me, have incredible back pain, under my rib, it hurts so much I can't drive But alas, no contractions, its all stopped and baby even appears to have moved up again !

Have consultant appt in 2 hours at hosp to discuss what 'to do next' (er, wait?). I am going to refuse induction if offered. I want to refuse a sweep too just because I remember what it was like last time! But will probably say yes to that if offered.

Pavlov, for me you had one of the most ... (sorry looking for the right word) exciting, intense, rich, worrying...? (still looking for it but hopefully you'll understand) pregnancies on this thread. With all those worries, sicknesses, building problems, your husbands search for a job,... I'm really thinking of you those days and I am sure everything will be forgotten once you have your little baby in your arms. Good luck for your appointment. Who knows, you might not need induction at all!

pav good luck with the appointment. I've never had an issue with sweeps, but I know they can be really painful for some.

Is your pain under the ribs at the front or back? I was told to alert the hospital immediately if I got pain at the top of my bump. However, if your baby is an under-the-ribs one like DD was, your ribs are just probably stretching their joints with your spine and causing pain that way. Since having DD I had one or 2 that would pop out of place again if I sat with bad posture and needed the osteo to click them back in again.

DD is getting impatient - she keeps telling the baby to hurry up so that she can give it it's present. No joy since my sweep this morning, just more mucus and a vague sensation of impending something around the back of my bump. Weird. Probably just an impending trip to the loo...

Hello ladies! So so sorry to have kept you all waiting, but I lost the thread and couldn't find it again!
I gave birth to baby Joseph on the 3rd November. After signing off, things progressed nicely and I gave birth at 9:38pm.
We're both fine, although I had a bit of a nightmare with breastfeeding and my hormones and ended up with a bit of the baby blues but I'm so very much better now
I'm going to try to catch up with everyone now, no doubt it will take me weeks! Congratulations to everyone who's popped since I last logged on.
xXx

Pavlov theres a thread looking for you in _Chat. Hope your appointment goes well.

Preggo congratulations

Hello again all, somehow it makes it feel better to know that we are all / have all been in the same situation with the "get out get out get out" and the feelings of is it or isnt it - all starving but unable to eat etc.... but clearly it is worth it!
Lovely to hear so many babies arriving - and very cute to read so many tales of "this is it" followed by " no it wasn't..."
LIke ErikaMae, i also cant remember who said what. (Bryn is a gorgous name - congrats, BTW)
I am latching onto the bit that no-one is pregnant for ever, but boy the last few weeks are uncomfortable, i don't rmember it being like this the first time round!
But all so exciting - whoever said sitting around doing what you like, then it could all change at any moment!
I have heard that a sweep is very painful - but in the grand scheme of things, it must be worth doing or they wouldnt do it. Sore boobs - ah, Linsinoh. And for all the Mothers and MIL's and DH / DP who say "give the baby a bottle", ladies, trust your selves, your milk will arrive and your baby will be fine - BF is the hardest thing I ever did but it suddenly changes in a few weeks and becomes easier and natural, and not painful. Having said that, don't martyr yourselves - but trust your instinct!!
DH is away tonight and mother is staying over just incase - she is a little too curious and interested for my liking though, even tried to muscle in on my MW appt last week! How rude!
Anyway off to forage in the fridge to see what I can feed DS1 for tea.

ooohhh Joseph is also a lovely name. should really have a short list by now [scratches head thoughtfully]

Congrats southern and preggo. Currently willing baby to wake up and feed before I explode . . . Thinking of you Becky and hoping those waiting don't have to wait too much longer.

Pav I refused my sweep. Consultant said there was a 50% chance of it working.

Congrats to the new arrivals by the way.

Is anyone else super thirsty? I just need to drink all the time.

Had a proper false alarm today. Went for a walk around the docks with dp and was in agony with BH's. All better now I'm home. Boo Hoo

Hi there everyone, sorry to have been out of touch for so long.
I just got home from hospital yesterday afternoon, after what seemed like forever and a day (actually only five nights but it definitely seemed like more!)
We have a lovely baby boy! He arrived at 10:14am on Friday 13th November and weighed 7lb 7oz. I can't tell you the name yet because we are waiting until the circumcision on Sunday to announce his name, according to our Jewish customs.
My birth story....
I started getting very mild contractions at 5am on Wednesday morning but they were regular 4-7 mins apart right from the start. I stayed active, going for walks with my Mum and her dog, and making a chocolate cake with just short breaks for the contractions. By the evening I decided that I was unlikely to sleep through the contractions so I asked the hospital if I could come in to be examined. They took a look and by 1am Thursday morning I was still only half a centimetre dilated, even though I was having regular contractions every 5 minutes. They sent me home with some painkillers to try to sleep and told me to come in when the contractions were too painful to speak through.
All through Thursday I had regular 5 minute contractions that slowly built up until they were pretty painful. By 7pm I was ready to go in and at least get examined again to see how things were going. They put the monitor on me and said the contractions looked good and strong, but then they examined me and I was STILL only 0.5cm!! So they called the doctor who recommended an oxytocin drip and an epidural to try to get things going properly. Things seemed to be going ok but then half way through the night the baby's heart rate started decelerating with each contraction and things started to get a bit confusing. Somehow though they kept going and by 8am I was examined and told I'd be ready to push in an hour.
I was so happy that things were going well and was properly psyched up to push out the baby, but after a few minutes of pushing the heart rate started decelerating again. It turned out that he had turned himself around to a slightly posterior position, pushed himself up the birth canal, stuck his hand on his head with his elbow wedged outwards, and to top it all his head was now starting to swell. At that point they decided to wheel me into theatre for a trial of foreceps and if necessary a caesarian. They had a go with the foreceps but the baby seemed to be in distress so then they very quickly got everything ready for a section. By that time he was really wedged in good and proper and it took quite some time for him to be delivered even by caesarian. In the end they needed to yank him out with foreceps through the caesarian wound - ouch for both of us! But then it was all over and we had our lovely little boy, albeit a bit black and blue from the various uses of the foreceps, and with a rather tired and sore mummy!
Since then though everything has been great. It turned out I had completely flat nipples that are almost impossible to latch on to, but on the plus side I had a fantastic milk supply so the midwives thought it through and decided I should use nipple shields even though it's not usually recommended so early on. They shields have been fantastic and I've been exclusively breast feeding with no soreness at all, yay! My milk came in on the third day and my boobs have been a bit hot and heavy-feeling but other than that we are doing great.
Lots and lots of congratulations to all the new arrvals and to those still waiting, good luck!
xx

hobnob pain is back and front. Consultant said today it is likely that baby has hooked a foot/toe under a rib and kept it there ! Also, pain is front and back, and I had protein in my wee again so possibly another UTI. Typical, they have sent it away for cultures and it won't be ready til monday. They will get GP to sort out any treatment. Great to see they are concerned The pain at the front feels like something might rip if i don't straighten. I have pillows etc propping me up and a hot water bottle on my back. I had Had Enough.

Consultant appt was a complete waste of time. He told me nothing I did not already know, and offered nothing the midwife couldn't have done tomorrow. midwife first asked if I would be interested in a sweep, i ummed and arred and she said think about it as consultant might offer. He did not, and I did not ask. But induction booked for 30 Nov in case this one does not arrive on his own. He said baby was properly engaged and strong heartbeat though. And my lady bits are doing strange things (swollen, bit painful) so I am hoping it does happen sooner rather than later

ursi that is quite embarrassing i guess i am quite vocal in my thoughts, wear my thoughts on my sleeve, my mother always said I was a bit too open. I guess the internet is an easy forum to vent. I think there are many who have had hard experiences this pg but have not moaned as much as me .

erika I shall go take a look at this thread...

preggo congratulations and i love the name joseph

To all those with nipple issues, i really hope they improve soon.

Congrats, PreggoK8 on Joseph!

And congrats to eeyore!! So glad he made it out OK in the end and your BFing is going well.

Ninja drinking tons of liquids here too. The thirst has definitely stepped up a notch in the last couple weeks.

My sciatica seems to be letting up - woohoo! - so I went for a walk today. Still hurts but in a much more manageable way. It felt really good to get some exercise and get out of the house - lately I've been bored out of my mind and baking and eating to kill time, which leads to more weight gain and more discomfort. I'd really like to break that cycle!

How did the scan go, Laugs? Baby right way round?

Pav really sorry to hear about the continuing rib pain. I hope that baby gets motivated to come out soon.

eeyore congratulations! What an event for you, but great you can bf now, hope you recover very soon and look forward to the revealing of his name!

Oh my god, Eeyore that sounds horrific, you must have been so scared, are you ok now? But congratulations. I had never heard of the custom of waiting to announce the name, how lovely. Do family know or is it all kept a big surprise?

Pav, sorry about your consultant. How annoying. Was your due date yesterday?

Usigurke everything sounds to be going pretty smoothly. Has your DH been back at work this week?

Ninja grrrrrr, I am sooo with you on the BHs/walking, then stopping. I actually feel calmer today and almost resigned to the fact that my body is clearly pratting about!!! People keep saying my baby is being a little bugger, and it really, really upsets me! I'm like, no, it's me that doesn't know what I'm doing, not him!! (uh-oh... over-protective mother in the making!!)

Hi to everyone else x