Due in July 2005 - Part 5 (The Last??!!)

[Bagpuss30]

OK everyone, here it is. Who will be first to post their announcement I wonder?

Hello All. My sweep worked! I had a little girl (8lb 7oz's) on Friday morning - my due date! The labour was relatively easy. I phoned the midwife at 2.45am, still unsure whether or not I was in labour. I arrived at the hospital at 3.30pm by this time in doubt, and after 6 minutes of pushing (according to the notes) I had Bessie. She's lovely. The breastfeeding is going great compared to with dd1.

Only negative point was that since I had such a fast labour I wasn't able to get my full 4 hours of antibiotics (needed for Group B Strep) so we had to spend some time in SCU as Bessie wasn't breathing fantastically well so they wanted to observe us. They let us out yesterday and it's so good to be home.

Congrats to MommyD and MrsD. MrsD, did you manage to get your 4 hours of antibiotics?

Fingers crossed for developments soon for Harriet and MiraShark and all the others going past their date. My tip is to ask for a sweep. It worked fantastically for me.

Thats brilliant news Lolasmum, glad the labour was relatively good for you and so quick! Must have been hard having Bessie in SCU, but glad to hear you now home and all is going well. Welcome to Bessie!

congratulations lolasmum! so pleased that you had a relatively easy time, and what a lovely name for your lovely little girl!

also I am so pleased for Mrs Darcy and her very own Harriet, I am quite overcome with emotion with all this lovely baby news!

I really thought my little girlie was going to come today as was having regular cramp-type feelings but no joy, it all died off. I Went to see what I can only describe as the most miserable antenatal doctor in the world who gave me an induction date (24th, same as mirashark!), she told me that if they leave it any longer than that the chances of my baby dying are increased. How to put a dent in my positive attitude or what?!

Please send good labour vibes my way, this girl had better come out pdq!
come on babies!!!

Oh congrats Lolasmum - brilliant news!

Harriet I can't believe they said that! I looked back at my notes and my appointment is actually for Monday 25th, at which they will just check everything and maybe offer me a sweep. If that fails an induction will be arranged for a few days later. I'm worried now this is too long! Saw the midwife this morning but it was all just routine stuff like blood pressure etc. As my baby has been engaged for the last 4-5 weeks she just felt around to see if it had descended any further but said 'it's still at the same stage of engagement, sometimes this can be because the baby has a very large head' THANKS! What a thing to say, I could just imagine this canon ball sized head trying to tear it's way out! 10/10 for all the professional sensitivity today eh? Well I am going to do everything I can now to get the baby out, walking all day tomorrow, pineapple, raspberry leaf and DH is going to have to be drafted in for some DIY induction techniques ;)
C'mon babieessssssss!

Poor Mira and Harriet, I hope it happens soon for you both. I dread to think how you've sweltered in the heat. Glad it's cooler for you now.

Congratulations +++++ to Lolasmum and MrsD. Welcome to the world babies

To Harriet and any other ladies in waiting:

overdue info

Poor Harriet and Mirashark, what lovely professionals you have endured today!

I think that induction depends a lot on your hospital. At ours here they only let you go to 10 days, but I think in some its a full 2 weeks. I was talking to my neighbour yesterday who is French and she was saying that in France 42 weeks is seen as a standard pregnancy. Dont know if they calculate it differently, but she seemed to think they were just a bit more laid back about the last bit.

Fingers crossed you wont get that far though!

Harriet, that little girl of yours is certainly keepign you on your toes isnt she!

hello everyone, my laptop is back, hooray. i feel like one of my limbs has been returned!

florence is growing like a weed, i reckon she must be at least 8 lbs now, but i'm not taking her anywhere near anyone who might like to weigh her.... she still spends lots of time asleep, dp assures me ds was the same at this age, i really can't remember! we've had such a nice time with him being off work for a month, had a trip to epping forest today. i think it's going to be tough when i have both of them on my own, may have to import my mum for a while.

great to hear about all these lovely babies being born. love to you all. xx

Congratulations Lolasmum. I'm glad Bessie is safely out of SCBU. No, I ddin't get my 4 hours either. I started telling the midwife around 10pm that I didn't think I had 4 hours left but as I had been just 1cm at the last examination she wanted to wait unti midnight before examining me again. They stuck pretty religiously to the induction protocol which is understandable given how concerned everyone was about Harriet.

I think I ended up getting about 40 mins of antibiotics. We were going to go to SCBU in any event so they kept an eye on her there, and I think that a very quick second stage reduces the GBS risk to miniscule.

Your doctor sounds like a real laugh, Harriett!

One of the midwives on the post natal ward told me she gets terrible fits of the giggles at woman farting, so often has to hide her face in the deliveyr room!!

Congrats Lolasmum - glad you had a good birth!

pinkmama - well we made it through the day fine. I want to go a bit late actually as its going to be much easier in the school hols with just 2 kids for the moment.

There is a slight risk at 42+ weeks but hardly its silly to scare people. As I say dd was 42+1 and she was perfectly healthy.

Must dash - off to the outdoor pool and then midwife...

that info on babyworld is really useful, mirashark, thanks for posting it. Having more strange feelings in my bump now so am going to have a nice long bath before I get too excited again!

Harriett - I had millions and millions of practice contractions. The midwife said that that was likely to be one of the reasons that I had such an easy labour. Lets hope that you will too! They apparently make you dilate quicker.

hi again, I wasn't sure whether to post just now but I am just waiting for my dh to get back home and take me in to hospital, I haven't felt baby move for quite a few hours now and am getting really worried as she is usually such a wriggler. I called in to the delivery suite and they told me to come in so I'm going to go and get checked out. It's really weird but I have tried to call my mum but I couldn't, I don't want anyone to get too worried, so sorry but I am sharing my anxious moments with you lot, hope you don't mind and it's stopping me from pacing up and down like a crazy lady. God, if anyone had told me that having a baby was this stressful!!!
anyway, I'll let you know what's happening, hope you're all ok.

oh harriett, how scary for you. i'm sure everything is ok, but you're doing the right thing going to get checked out. take lots of care of yourself. xxx

Best of luck Harriett. I'm sure you will be fine. If its any consolation I had this with dd - it was a sign that I was going in to labour and I was painlessly contracting and couldn't feel a thing! As soon as I got to the hospital she started to move again, midwife gave me a sweep and she was born three hours later. If I was you I'd take a bag just in case! .

Congratulations to lolasmum too . Welcome to your new dd.

Oh Harriett, how horrible for you. Reduced movement is one of the signs of labour being imminent, I think, so hopefully you will be meeting your baby soon. I hope everything is ok.
x

good luck harriet, you're doing the right thing.
mrs d: so the propaganda isn't true. all the books and mags say 'midwives see this sort of thing all the time and aren't bothered by labouring mothers bowel movements'.

I KNEW IT

Seen by my community midwife today she has offered to do a sweep on friday for me due to my husbands operation coming so soon after my due date. I will be 39 weeks + 3. she has said that there is no proven evidence that it will work at this stage but that its worth a try?!! I feel very guilty that I am forcing the issue and in a dilemma as to whether to go ahead with it. She assures me that it will do no harm to me or more importantly to baby as baby will come when he is ready. Part of me thinks what have I got to lose,its just a 'helping hand'and chances are nothing will happen but if it does it will ease the pressure on us for Husbands op??? Dilemmas Dilemmas, what should I do?

Hi Harriet, if you're there, just to let you know I am having the very same thing, baby is very quiet yesterday and today but was very active last night, deffo more sleepy than normal going a few hours with nothing, but I have been in on several occasions to get monitored and it's always ok. Hope it just means we are nearly there.
Scruff a sweep is a very gentle process I wouldn't feel guilty, it'll only work if the cervix is ripe anyway and normal stuff could set you off so it's just a 'prompt' really and won't work if it's not ready - go for it. good luck X

Hope all is ok harriet. I too had a quiet period a week ago and it really worried me. Baby started moving again just before I got on the phone to the midwife. let us know how you are.

Scruff, I wouldnt feel guilty. Its not like what you are doing anything that could in anyway compromise the baby. You are 39+3, its perfect time for your baby to be here, and it will be so nice if you can have it and give you some time before dh operation.

Scruff - I had a sweep at 38 + 1 and chose to be induced at 38 + 2. My consultant would not have agreed (or offered) the induction if it compromised the baby at all. The midwife who did the sweep said that it would probably have the same sort of effect, if any, as having sex. I really wouldn't worry about having the sweep done. As others have said, if your cervix isn't favourable they won't be able to do it anyway.
You must be anxious about your DH's operation coming so close after your due date, and my view is that if the sweep will help with your anxiety that should be pretty high on your list of priorities

all the best people are induced at 38+2 mrsd .

Hi again, thanks for your words of support! Went in to hospital and of course baby started moving as soon as I got on the monitor. So I felt like a total idiot and I'm sure that they thought I was just after some attention! Anyway, we waited for a further 2 hours until someone came to tell us that everything was fine and we could go home, it wasn't the most pleasant of experiences but I am glad I got checked out. No offer of a sweep but hopefully from what you all say, baby will be on her way soon.
I have come over all pathetic and have called my mum to come and stay for the next few days so at least I will have her to keep me entertained until mini-me arrives.
Anyway, thanks again for your messages and I'll try and go into labour very soon and stop complaining!!