Due July 2010 - pukey tums & burpy bums on the road to becoming summer mums

[skihorse]

Gosh, we've gabbed our way to 1000 already!

I too am eating like a student - the shame of it!

Cripes gracie that sounds terrible - I would have been a wreck! But, as you say, you didn't lose control during the labour which is really the main thing.

I think as stac says it's women (or their BFs/DHs) getting panicky, and hopefully that wouldn't happen to me as I'll have my mother there who's a midwife. I just got worried about the pain suddenly being too much which would lead to the panic (and then cycle from there). I had a chat with my mother about it this morning and she's told me not to be so silly as I was fine with LC. Nothing like a mother to reassure a person .

Don't misunderstand me - I'm not anti-epidural in principle. I just am anti it for me as the risks seem to be way too high for my liking.

I'm anti it completely (trypanophobic) but unfortunately wasn't given much choice. Dh says it was very strange, considering how terrified I am of all things medical, but I was completely calm and rational about the labour. I got a bit weepy about the epidural going in, but as soon as it was done I was fine again (until people started shoving bits of paper at me to sign and shouting at each other that we were going to theatre)!
I missed most of it (they topped up my epi to put me to sleep) but dh said it was like an episode of casualty with my bed being sprinted down th corridor and people being shouted at to get out of the way. Thank God I wasn't awake!!

Just popped on in lunch break to say hi!
Your stories of labour are scaring the crap out of me!!! lol! I think i've burried my head int he sand about it... love the thought of being pregnant and actually holding my baby in my arms but not been thinking too much about the bit in between!!! Would love to think things could be totally natural but I think that will change with the first few pains!
Oh dear... need to stop thinking about it now. (suppose i'll need to think about it one of these days tho!)

Very excited as 11 weeks today! another mile stone for me and another step closer to all going well. 16 days to go til scan now, will try not to count the hours and minutes too!

Getting my hair highlighted and cut tonight... really excited as its not been touched since july! Its just a greasy mop at the moment so will be nice to have "new hair".

I had a look at the link violet as also in glasgow, it looks good. Might consider it for later on, not wanting 3d scan as don't want to know sex but the wellbeing scan would be good as no 20 week scan in glasgow! Imagine it will feel like forever between 12 and 40 weeks!

Wow thats a long post... can you tell i'm stuck in the office with no one to talk to?

I think you should just see how things go at the time - no one knows how labour is going to pan out for them and sometimes your wishes don't come into it. You just have to go with what's safest at the time for you and your baby.

In an ideal world, no one would want pain relief and would want it all completely natural with no intervention. Sadly we don't always get what we want.

Becky - don't be scared. I'm sure you will have a perfectly natural healthy birth with no complications. It is wise to be prepared though, and I thoroughly recommend the blooming birth book (think that's what it's called - purple one, costs about 1p on amazon).
I'm terrified of all doctors/medical procedures, but fully understanding what I might need,how it works, and that it is not the end of the world really helped me through when complications did arise.
As I said, I did panic a bit at the end, but that's not too bad after 18 hours of calm but exhausti g labour. Don't think I would have been anything like as collected if I hadn't been aware of everything going on and what I was being offered.

secondcoming unfortunately the nature of this medium is that sometimes offence is caused unintentionally. What I was trying to say was that I felt terribly for the girl in question - not that I was proud that I coped last time - and that I was worried about WHY this may happen. Because I coped last time, I've assumed that I'll be fine this time - and I'm still determined to be positive about that - but if some women find it too much, why wouldn't I? That was the point of my post - I lost my nerve a bit and wanted to think it through as to why it may happen. I got to thinking about why is it that some people DON'T "cope" (for want of a better word). Is it because of some external thing which can be changed, eg support from a doula/MW/DH/BF etc? Obviously things sometimes go wrong which must be terrifying (as gracie mentioned) but when it's going "right" what's the point when it becomes too much?

Does that make sense? Believe me, there's no pride there at all... just concern that I have as much control over how it goes as possible, and to that end I find it helps to hear other people's experiences.

becky sorry . Enjoy your new hair! A good idea - I think I may do this too.

I didn't want any pain relief unless it was for the good of my health or the baby's (or so said my birth plan!) But I didn't deal with contractions well at all and couldn't get my breathing right - as a result I ended up knacking up my circulation, was freezing cold with towels wrapped round me and had horrendous pins and needles cos my blood wasn't pumping properly. Then pre-eclampsia set in and whilst being trundled to high dependency, yes, I did indeed completely loose the plot. It still took me another hour of begging for Pethadine to get it though, lol. It was the best thing for me cos I regained myself, circulation resumed normality, and I could finally relax between contractions so the next few hours were bearable. I have to say it had completely worn off by the time ds was born 6 hours later but definitely calmed me down so I could 'deal with it'.

Hubby kept telling me I dealt with it really well (very proud of me, ahhhhhh ) and started reiterating that last night. In the end I had to tell him to stop cos I said what if I'm a screamer next time round? Lol. He said well if I am he will still be proud (ahhhhhhh again) as it's just the way things are meant to be.

And he laughed at me, predictably, for being emotional and crying through the programme. Sod. ;)

winter a really positive pethadine story! Which is good coz all I've ever heard of is painkillers = interventions = bad .

They say 2nd labours are quicker, this is a tad worrying as DH works a fair journey away and DD was a very unexpected and quick labour (just made it to the hospital in time to oush) This time I'll have DD here and do worry that she'll be my birthing partner [gulp]

push even

PS secondcoming just re-reading your post, I wanted to say again that I was being anti-judgemental! Meaning, it was awful to see the poor woman in so much distress, and could that have been avoided? More that I was wondering if she could have had some support from somewhere which would have avoided the epidural which likely led to the other interventions - or was there nothing that could have been done and the epidural was a blessed relief, even if (if) it led to the ventouse.

Now, of course, a ventouse is an invaluable tool, which no doubt has saved babies and mums, but we would all want to avoid it If Possible - my question is, is it possible?

Believe me, I make no judgements about anyone's birth and I feel very lucky about my last. Proud, yes, but in a lucky way, not in an I'm-so-great way. Noone should feel badly about their labour/delivery and it seems to me being prepared for what can go wrong does two things. Firstly, it may be possible to avoid things one wants to avoid, and secondly I think it helps to remind people what they've achieved, not what it took to get there.

I didn't read it as a judgemental post rots

becky I am in Glasgow too, what hospital are you with? Sorry for being nosey but why aren't you getting a 20 week scan I thought all hospitals were giving them now, the lady I spoke to at the princess royal said it has not long been introduced there so I was assuming I would get it, must check it out in case I have to book a later scan at Nuffield.

I must admit talking of the labour has made me queesy remembering what I went through. They told me I had little fluid and was having a small baby, but I flooded a Dr and had a big baby lol. I must say dignity goes out the window during labour. I think the scary thing about it all is although we want to be in control as we are doing it so to speak, we have very little input as to what goes on. For me taking the epidural was worth it as I had been in pain for 48 hours, I was tired and of absolute no use to anyone. I believe that if I hadn't taken it at the time the complications could have been worse for me and ds. Everyone will make thier own decisions at the time and I think what rots was getting at was the programme showed how different it is with each birth (hope thats right)

Wow long post again sorry ladies, once I start I dont stop

Also thought I best point out that the epi had nothing to do with ds going into distress etc...
Once they chopped me open they realised he had wedged his head sideways (ear first) and shoulder into the birth canal and there was no way he would have ever made it out with or without assisted delivery.
Just watching him stamp his feet whilst trying to force the vegetable cart under the kitchen counter diagonally and realising he hasn't learnt his lesson...

I agree tsc defo be as flexible as possible, although think the decision is being taken out of my hands with the increased chance of gestational diabetes for me they are talking about a c-section (I have polycystic ovary syndrome which can cause gestational diabetes which would mean even bigger baby this time lol) Anyone else been told they may need a section?

gracie ds wasn't distressed with epi either, just harder to come out due to size but he got here lol

PS, had a ventouse too. The registrar made a dig after the occassion about how 'the baby didn't like the pethadine' cos his heartrate dropped. But I stand by the believe that the pethadine was the best thing for both of us. A mother in control must surely be better for the baby than one who isn't breathing properly, can't feel legs or hands etc. But at the end of the day, nothing could change the fact that ds was twisted in my pelvis so an episiotomy and ventouse was essential, even though they couldn't get it square on his head but they needed to get him out asap as I'd already been pushing 2hours. Yuk.

Oh the glamour of childbirth, lol.

Becky don't panic. You just go with the flow in whatever situation you end up in. It isn't pleasant but I just kept thinking about the light at the end of the tunnel and the end result. The mw's on high dependency made me feel very confident in their abilities and I knew they would only do what was right for both of us. Labour's a long way off, you carry on sticking your head in the sand, I would if I didn't remember

PS Gibbon I'm really hoping the 'secnd labour is quicker' thing is true for me

Im really nervous about meeting mw for first time tomorrow morning. I bet its just going to be boring paperwork though, a scan would be great, even if she just found the heartbeat that would be a good start. I just want to know everything is ok, not 12 weeks til Dec 30th so wont get a scan til Jan i reckon.

Usually is so I hear Winter

Tish tomorrow will most likely be forms and maybe bloods taken but it's still a great chance to ask any questions and talk to the MW

am 10 weeks pg tomorrow but still not had a booking-in appointment or any word of a scan - is this normal for second pg???

Have you informed your GP practise you're pregnant lovechoc ? it works differently around the country but here I had to make my own appt with the mw for when I was over 8 weeks. Then at the booking appt the midwife informs the hospital by sending off paperwork, who then book you in for a scan and send you a date in the post. I'd ring your surgery in the morning and check what the procedure is in your area.

Hey girls,

Just back frm the hairdressers and loving my new hair!!! Feel feminine again! Just need to find a new top to wear for works night out on friday and i'm all sorted! Thankfully I have a huge mouth, can't keep secrets of my own (ok with other peoples!) and everyone and there granny knows i'm pregnant. So no need to find clothes to hide the (now huge to me) bump and can freely consume irn bru without anyone asking why i'm not drinking!!!

I have decided to keep my head burried in the sand for a little while longer and then d some reading (thanks for the tip from amazon!). Will make sure i'm well informed before then and hopefully won't feel so scary then! Got lots of women in my life enforcing stories on me anyway so will propably have my head dragged out of the sand without choice sometime soon!!!