Due November 09 - 10 days left, who will be next?

[longwayaway]

Last chance for a Scorpio, after this weekend they'll all be Sagittarians!

OOH, good luck pav!

Quick update from new baby land, DD1 has had a chest infection, poor thing was wheezing like a 50 a day smoker, but she is getting better with antibiotics (her first lot, not bad for 2.8!) and is still very happy with her new baby sister. Baby Emmeline is lovely, such a placid little thing. She is sleeping really well, going about three hours between feeds, with a bit of a cluster for an hour or so in the evening. My problem is that I am making gallons of milk! As soon as I get my boob out with the baby anywhere near it, it starts pouring out, poor child is getting intimidated!

I have my pump and a bottle in the steriliser now, intending on trying to pump in a bit, then seeing what she thinks of the bottle. About how many oz is one feed for a 10 day old?

Got discharged from the midwives today, was an odd feeling that I will never again have to get prodded and poked before being shrugged at by a midwife (I tend to baffle them a bit for some reason, I seem to spend my pregnancies getting inexplicable symptoms). The SPD is almost gone, still having trouble turning over in bed and walking a bit funny, but generally ok. I'm not taking any painkiller routinely, just the odd one.

Thanks for the 'winging it' reassurance, skorpion and laugs.

It's going to sound weird, but I get the feeling that this kind of amorphous fear of labour I'm carrying around but not acknowledging is actually slowing down engagement etc. Can the mind impact the body like that? Sometimes I feel a BH and some pain in the cervix and try to relax into it and feel things shift lower, then I think 'I'm not ready' and tighten up again. That must make me sound mad. Pretend I didn't mention it.

The Ina May book sounds appealing. I have read Hypnobirthing and am working on Tracy Hogg right now. But lentil-weaver stuff really works for me some times - anything that will help me have faith that the whole labour process will be bearable. Then again, if it isn't, I might just stuff my fingers in my ears and shout LALALALA until it's over! Is that a recommended coping strategy??

Too bad about your naughty baby, raggie. I've been waiting for mine to do that as well - it's flipping sides left to right more now than it ever has. I thought it would be getting short on space enough to stay put by now!

good luck pavlov and shoesies, I hope you are holding your baby beans by morning.

Sassmonkey You're not mad. I remember Katster and Scarlotti saying the same thing, that they felt like they were slowing down progression through fear. Since (it looks like) they've both got their babies now, you obviously can't hold it off forever

I've woken up with that period-pain feeling that could be the start of something or more of nothing. I came on hoping for half-expecting a live labour thread but hopefully Pav and Shoesies are far too far on for that now.

Lissy Great to hear everything's going so well, though poor DD1 with her chest infection. I hope she's recovering well now, antibiotics seem to work amazingly fast on kids of this age. Your milk levels will sort themselves out in time, but until then don't go out without plenty of breast pads. I speak from experience!
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WHY IS HE NOT COMING?!!!! 4cm dilated, a sweep, a curry, a bath, and nothing else. I guess this is why second babies often arrive more quickly, as the first 4cm or so are done without any knowledge, unless you need a sweep and find out .

Apart from a show and very uncomfy belly I slept very well, DD at our friend's house overnight, DH slept on the sofa. I slept with half an eye open though, half expecting each toss and turn to result in a contraction. But nothing more than a very sore belly and it really hurts to walk, due to the fact that clearly baby's head is right in my pelvis now.

I hope shoesies is having more luck than me.
Oh amy my friend who was being the 'doula' with us, she can't make it as her boy has swine flu . She is fine, not a carrier as she is a nurse so had the injection already, but he is not well at all.

sassmonkey have complete and utter faith in the labour process. Your body, and your mind will know exactly what it is doing when the time is right. And I think that when you are ready, really ready, you will be calm and serene. I panicked lots with DD, and when I was actually in labour, I was so calm i surprised me and my DH. And I have to say, looking back, I enjoyed the birth itself. I talked a lot to DD as she made her way into the world and that helped a lot to me, it helped me bond with her i think, and it helped me focus on what i was doing, which was working to meet my little girl, rather than the pain, which was a necessary annoyance in the process. In a strange way, the pain was almost a good thing, as I knew, every time i had a contraction, it was bringing me closer to her and I focussed on that not the pain itself (i had diamorphine to focus on that for me I did not for a moment think I would be like this beforehand and now I am panicking all over again as I am sure i won't be that calm again!

lissy sorry your DD is poorly that is not good timing, poor little thing. I hope she recovers well. I am impressed at your milk making abilities!

Oh Pav how annoying! I bet you wish they hadn't told you you were 4cm already. But just think, you might be 5 by now without even noticing it! As my mum keeps on telling me it's best to keep active if you can. Could you manage a little walk around the park or something, or is it too painful?

Well I woke at 5am with period-like pains. They continued until 8am when I got up but since then seem to have died off. I spent 3 hours wondering if DH should go to work or not, whether I should ring my parents to come up, but now it seems like it was all nothing. Grr.

Also, what a shame about your doula/friend. Will you ask someone else or was it particularly her you wanted? I hope her DS gets well soon.

laugs how annying for you! I had that a lot last week, the period type pains. It is definitely your body preparing you for labour though, so we shall watch this space for you too, and you need to keep active too, shall we stroll together!

I am going for a walk this morning, we are going to get DD, and take a stroll. Our friends will still look after her if i go into labour today, but more likely at our house now, trying to keep it normal for her.

My 'doula' friend, she is the best. She was with us with DD because my mum could not be (she was having chemo) and she was so so so supportive, she was discrete, but there, and we know her so well (we all used to live together, DH, me, her, her hubby and their little boy) that we were able to get absorbed in everything and not worry if she was ok, or were we ignoring her etc. She did practical things like clean my face when I was sick, brush my hair after, change the bedding for me, take photos, make sure my pain releif was managed, talk to me up and down my contractions. Then, when I needed my placenta removed, she came into theatre with me to hold my hand, she went home with DH and made him breakfast that morning and helped him tidy the place a little before going home. She was just the best and she made the experience so much more enjoyable as she did the things that enabled me and DH to concentrate on baby arriving, but also sharef with us. It has made us very close.

We were not especially bothered about having anyone with us this time, it was not so much that we needed someone with us this time, but it was such a positive experience with her last time, and she so so wanted to be there, that we thought it would be nice again. Nice, but not essential, so no we won't ask anyone else. In fact, in a way, it will be nice just us two there.

Your friend sounds fantastic! I don't know if I have any friends that I feel that comfortable with, although I suppose I am quite a private person.

Not sure what to do with myself and DD today now. It looks like it's about to pour here.

oh good laugs I'm glad I'm not mad! True enough, in the end I will no choice. What goes...er...in must come out, even if it's 9lbs heavier than when it went in!!

pavlov thank you for your thoughts on labour, it was so nice to read them. You make it sound like a positive experience and that's ultimately what i would like it to be. So I'd better start thinking of it as such! I think I will want to talk to the baby throughout as well, and it's good to know that someone else has done it and it helped.

laugs how frustrating for you. I know nothing from experience but it does sound like things are shakin' down and getting ready for delivery. Every false start is one start closer to the real thing!

I've been making birth announcements (or as far as I can without knowing exactly whom to announce) so I'm determined to get those done today. And Christmas cards written. Then I will feel a bit more ready for things to kick off.

Pav try not to focus on the 24 hour thing the midwife said as that can do your head in (although I don't think it would turn into 10 days later like after my 24 hour warning)
Sounds like your labour with DD was great so focus on that and just try and stay calm in the run up. The more you dilate with minimum pain the better, and the closer you are. You should get an hour for transition and pushing so you should get to the hospital!
Oh, and very of your lovely friend!

sassmonkey yes, your fear can slow things down as the adrenalin will kick in and that counteracts early labour. However, as my midwife told me, once baby is ready and it starts nothing will stop it - not even standing in the path of a speeding car! Try not to worry too much (easier said than done I know) - there is relief available for the pain and you don't get a medal for doing it relief free so if that helps the fear consider that as an option.
I had pethidine and about 15 mins after I'd had it, my waters broke and labour started properly. I think up until then I'd been resisting it, frightened, and that had been sending mixed messages. Once my waters went I knew we were past the point of no return and so my body kicked into automatic pilot. the drugs took the edge off and it was about 3 hours later that I had my next wussy episode and asked if they could just pull him out with forceps or something!! I was even kneeling there thinking I'd like a section.
Guess I'm trying to say that not everyone breezes through like a trooper (and I have done that with previous labours) so don't feel you have to, or that it's any reflection on you if you don't. Your body will still take over and help you through. The only thing you need to try and remember is to let gravity help - squatting is an excellent position for delivery, all fours is great for labouring if you get back pain.
Then before you know it, it's all over and there's your baby - bliss

Argh, argh, argh I am so fed up now.

Oh pav how frustrating that things seem to be dragging on. Like scarlotti said, best to try not to think about the 24 hours, although that is much easier said than done of course.

laugs I keep having what you've described - period-type pains or back ache or lots of braxtons and I think, 'ooh, this could be it...' then it inevitably dies off. Ah well, not due date til this weekend so I should be patient.

My acupuncturist friend is coming round this afternoon to give DH and I some pressure points for easing labour pain, getting things moving and also hopefully moving LO back into the right position, although I've done barely anything but lie on my left since the MW told me about her changing sides. If there's anything I can pass on, I will! She also reckons barrels of rasp leaf tea. Bit sick of it now to tell the truth.

And finally, there were no appts for next week left at the doctors when I went yesterday but they phoned this morning and left a message saying my lovely MW will come round next Thursday to do a stretch (urgh!) and sweep if nothing's happened. So, off to find out what exactly those are... I have had my fingers in my ears when others have discussed so far - lalala that won't happen to meeeeee...

I think I can see tumbleweeds blowing through this thread. Hope everyone is ok x

Yes, it is eerily quiet, isn't it? Nothing to report here. Off to bounce on my ball.

Nothing to report here either . Have been for a relatively long walk, and just had lunch. Feel fed up and in limbo. I am trying not to think about the 24 hour thing, seeing as its likely to be as late as monday anyway. I sort of wish i had not had the sweep and known i was 4cm dilated.

laugs I am indeed very lucky to have such a close friend. She and her DH have been friends with DH for 15 years or so, and with me for 12. We lived together so we could all save deposits for own places, and where I have often not stayed close to those I have lived with in the past, in fact, it has soured relations, we all lived together fabulously, and it brought us so much closer, and we conceived DD in the house we all rented . I too am a very private person, and she is the only person other than DH that I would allow to experience something so intimate. The fact she is a nurse helps considerably .

Sorry for all those feeling it now. It is nearing the end for all of us isn't it, and these last few days/weeks are hard to deal with imo. I hope things happen soon for those wanting it too x

Pav your friend does indeed sound lovely. hope something starts happening soon for you, i felt the same way about my sweep, it gives you false hope when you think you are about to go into labour and nothing happens.

pavlov you're so lucky to have a friend like this. I don't think I have anybody so close among friends.
I've lived in England for 15 years now and left all my closest chums back in Poland. It's amazing to go back and find that closeness again but the time and distance and different paths we've taken mean that we've lost it day-to-day. I still sometimes miss those days when we'd part company after walking back from school only to pick up the phone as soon as we got home and yapyapyap again. God knows what about

Ah, I've made myself all nostalgic now...

Somebody pass the violin....

Oh man, you poor overdue things. I have all my fingers crossed that it'll start any moment.

Pav one more cm and you are officially in active labour (at least here). And it goes really quick from there. Hang in there!

comma i think it is the same here too. Does that mean I can go into hosp and have some g&a when i get to 5cm, regardless of the pain you know, just to pass the time?

skorpion our friendship sort of developed slowly over time, and we have experienced some very very difficult and very very positive things in our lives all together, which perhaps often other friends do not get to/chose to/are able to share.

Aren't we due another full moon shortly? It would be nice if we all got sorted and had our babies in one sweep. One last push, so to speak

Hi guys

Just checked online and next full moon is 2nd December. Next Wednesday. I'm booked in for a sweep on Wed so hopefully that combined with the full moon will do the job for me.

Have been out for a nice lunch with some family today then marched around the shops and got the bus home so I could walk some more. The signs I had earlier in the week have all disappeared now. I'm going to try to keep busy otherwise I'll go mad!

So are we sitting at about 10 November babies left then? In no time at all we'll all be cuddling our new bundles of joy and moving to the dark side that is the postnatal thread. I'll miss all our pregnancy chat, hope we can continue to be as supportive and friendly when we're exhausted and stressed out!!

Yeah it will be weird when we're no longer discussing the tiniest details of pregnancy any more. I reckon we'll probably go off the radar a bit for a few weeks while we get used to real life with a baby, then hopefully slowly drift back to chat about the tiniest details of newborn babies. I hope so anyway!

Skorpion You've made me all nostalgic too, for school days. Also when I was at university I lived with other arts students so we basically never had lectures and just used to sit round together all day long. We were all quite different, but I liked that. Happy days . I've never found it quite the same with friends I've met as a grown up though. I think, like Pavlov says, it's a lot to do with spending all that time, good and bad, in each other's company. Especially working from home now, I hardly spend any time in other people's company any more!

I'm trying to keep busy too Claire. DD and I have just got back from 5 hours walking round town and meeting my friend for lunch (one of those old uni housemates actually). If the baby is coming soon, I need it to be sooner rather than later, as DH has an exam on Monday am!

wow what alot to catch up on!

Pav I really hope things get moving soon, I'm sure by Monday you'll have your baby in your arms.

Sending lots of happy labour vibes to you all!

Henry is doing really well and has now gone up to 9lb 15oz (he is 2 weeks) he is feeding every 1-3 hours so no pattern at all! But he is amazing and we love him to bits