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

[Bagpuss30]

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

Good to hear from you Pamina! So all of us due on the 14th are still waiting- if it wasn't so bloody frustrating it would be funny!

Harriet, pleased all ok! lets hope she stops tormenting you very soon

Pamina, I really thought you must have had the baby! Good luck with your appointmnet. Lets hope baby gets a move on before you need to go! Cant remember about your other 2 pgs. Were they both late?

Saw midwife yesterday and am going for a growth scan tomorrow. Baby only measuring 35cm (I am 38.5 weeks) otherwise heart beat fine. I am sure its just a precaution but its not going to be a big baba thats for sure.

On top of all this ds has somehow hurt his foot at the swimming pool yesterday and insists he can't walk. He is hopping around and asking me to carry him (he's just turned 6!) and if you remember has autism so appeals to reason such as "I am heavily pregnant" don't exactly work. Am supposed to be going out today with him and dd. Thank god dh is off work tomorrow for a week.

Good luck to those who are imminent. I am not in a hurry for baby to come - it can wait till as near as 16th Aug as possible (when ds goes back to school).

I've been in the hospital all night - with DP!!!
He's broken his wrist playing footy and I had to drive him to casualty at 2am and we had a delightful night mixing with all the smack-heads and copious drunks. We were the only 2 people who were upright, the floor was scattered with bodies. It was kinda amusing really. Anyway DP has a cast on and has to have an operation (3 day stay in hosp) which may happen Monday coinciding nicely with my 10 days overdue appointment where I am due a sweep and DP is terrified he'll miss the birth. I think I may ring my hosp and ask them to book me in for tomorrow instead at least if I went over the weekend he'd be there.... whaddya think girls?

ooh Mirashark, not what you need right now! Poor you and DP. I would try and get it done sooner rather than later. What a situation!

Well dont know what is going on with me. Had lots of promising signs last night. Woke up at 7 this morning with terrible tummy ache, developed into backache and mild contractions every 15 minutes. Then it stopped at 9.30. Still have low backache and heavy sensation in stomach. Bump has changed shape slightly. Just when I think it is all over and was excited for no reason I start getting mild contractions again. DH didnt go to work this morning because we really thought it was the beginning of something. But now I am not sure, and I am tired and fed up if its not. MW was due to visit me this morning for my antenatal but she rang at 9 to say she was attending another homebirth. Hoped that she might at least be able to tell me if anything was happening with my cervix. None of it is painful as such, just like having period pains really. I will be annoyed however to have gone through several hours of this for it to amount to nothing. Ate a whole pineapple earlier to try and help! Both my other labours have been so different that perhaps this one will be, or am I just being hopeful. AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH -I just wish I knew either way!

Oh Mirashark! Poor you. I had my sweep at my GPs surgery and within 12 hours.... Could you try and get an emergency appointment?

Pinkmamma, it sounds as things are about to start happening for you.

Just been watching News 24 whilst feeding dd2. There are reports of a bomb on a bus in Hackney. Harriett and Hoxtonchick - please report that you're safe & well!

Midwife came to see me today. dd2 has put on 3 ozs. I checked dd1's red book and dd2 weighs what dd1 did at 8 weeks! What a monster. No wonder my nipples are cracked and bleeding. I have to keep reminding myself that the feeding gets easier. Going back to watch News 24 now.

sounds like the start of something pinkmama! I would say the baby might have dropped right down if the bump has changed shape and maybe moved his/her? back around? how exciting! Shouldn't be long now - famous last words!
I have booked a sweep for 10am so at least if nothing else I'll get a bit of a sneak preview as to how the cervix is coming along, I have a feeling it's totally unchanged as I've had absolutely no discharge of mucous or discolouration of any kind. Anwyay it'll be something to be getting along with! going to go and get some much needed kip now... Good luck with everything if I miss anything XXX

thanks for thinking of us lolasmum (are you going to change your name now?!). all fine here, though we are only about half a mile away from hackney rd. and just after it hit the news i went to get my hair cut about 50 m away from the bus. they closed the road whilst i was in the hairdresser . safely home now. am not getting on a bus for a very long time though....

Good luck with the sweep Mirashark!

Well mine came to nothing in the end. Hopefully wont be long now. How will I ever know when its the real thing? I dont trust my instincts now!

Cant beleive what unfortunate first pampering time you chose HC!

Morning! thanks for the thoughts lolasmum, I am safe at home, to be honest, the chances of me getting on a bus at the moment are slim to none- I doubt whether I would fit through the doors... plus I have no desire to go anywhere apart from the hospital!
I hope mirasharks' appointment goes well today- what bad timing for dp's accident! Hope he is still able to make you cups of tea etc!
Still nothing happening here, apart from my mum having come to stay- it's lovely having the company, plus I am being spoilt rotten!
hope you are feeling ok today too pinkmama.

3 days til induction day... come on baby!!!

Hello Harriet - I really hoped you were quiet yesterday because baby was on its way! Hope you making the most of your mums spoiling! I am feeling fine, not one twinge today. Decided no point in being disappointed, I could have ages to go. I've not even reached my due date yet!

Still no more babies?!? pah
Went in for a sweep at 10am - well, I had heard it could be painful but I was shocked at how. I have never flinched at smear tests or internals but I was really unable to bear it. The nurse had to stop and wait till I was ready again but unfortunately she just couldn't reach the cervix which she said was tucked right around the back of baby's head. She just managed to tip it but no sweep, anyway she said it doesn't really seem open anyway. She left it at that as I was really struggling but she said that's enough to set some people off but I just know in my gut that it won't for me, it's not ready yet. I will go to my appointment as usual on Monday and get my scan etc as planned and discuss induction then. She said I could have a sweep again on Monday and it could be much easier if the position has changed at all so that's something. Got a trace done on the monitor and it was all fine although the baby is definitely sleepier these days which she said is common in overdue babies. So that's all really, me and DP are struggling along, luckily my mother is coming to stay tomorrow as well and we are thinking of getting two little brass bells for the laugh, one each - to keep her busy! DP woke up with a huge allergic bite on his leg, the size of your hand, it's like a small hospital here! LOL. Well at least I can watch the Big Brother eviction tonight without labour getting in the way, yes I'm a BB bore! Anyway girls good luck to you all, and hope everyone in London is ok and not too freaked out.

PS: altogether now

Hi! I've been lurking in the background of this thread for a while now and thought it was finally time to join as I was due on the 14th too and there's still no sign for me either! What is about the 14th that has made us all so late?! Needless to say we're trying all the diy induction techniques - nothing working yet! Am due for a home birth when time finally comes. Going to hospital next Tues to discuss induction etc if nothing happened by then - hopefully it won't come to that though. Good Luck all you 14ers: Pamina, Mirashark and Harriet - who is going to win this race?!

HI everyone, sorry I didn't reply to messages of support a day or two ago, have been what I think is 'a little hormonal', crying whilst watching this morning and eating my cornflakes and then when my mum visited and asked those dreaded words 'how are you?' the flood gates opened!! Anyway thank you to those who had words of encouragement. I had the sweep today and was pleasantly surprised - to be honest I didn't really know what to expect and think I had got myself all worked up over what was turned out to be ok. The midwife has told me that she could feel the cervix quite easily and was 'nice and soft as well as being able to feel the babies head with her finger tips?' Apparently this is a good sign?! Anyway, since then feel no differently but feel very relieved that its over, for now. One thing that seems to be clear is that there are many of us who are having great difficulties with our other halves!!! I thought now was the time when we could justifiably have the attention, however it seems that the men are managing to override that theory?!! Don't you just love them?! Seriously, sorry to hear about the injuries they've sustained and I hope that it won't cause too much stress to all you who are trying to cope with them and your iminent arrivals. Heres to the weekend and what it may or may not bring. xxx

Hello LaurelLeaf. I am hoping for a homebirth this time around too. How many kids do you have so far?

Scruff, sorry nothings moving yet and you feeling hormonal. I

Mirashark - sorry your sweep sounds rather unpleasant, but lets hope something may come of it. One of you 14thers has to pop this weekend surely!!!!!!!

Poor us!
I had to laugh at my advice to you Scruff saying 'the sweep is a gentle process don't worry' I think I jinxed myself!
Managed to inflate my birthing ball, it is quite comfy to sit on I must say, I might be spending some time on it I think.
I wonder is Harriet up to anything, alls quiet?! She might be sneaking into the lead! I have a feeling I will be having my sprog dragged out at 43 weeks - went on the monitor after the sweep and the baby was fast asleep, it didn't even feel it. It's gonna be a hard un to budge this little un. Hopefully this time next week though, all us 14ers will be mums!
XXX

Still nothing happening here.... Just been for a half hour wander round the shops and my back is killing me - this bump is just too big! I got some very strange looks and lots of people doing double takes - if I wasn't feeling sorry for myself it really would be quite comical! This is my second baby - ds1 was supposed to be a homebirth too but he decided to poo himself before he made his entrance into the world so we ended up in hospital by ambulance just an hour before he was born but all was fine as it turned out. Hopefully we'll be luckier this time and when this one finally decides to make an appearance it will be in the comfort of our own home!

Good point HC! I hadn't considered changing my name. Must get 'round to doing it. Don't want dd2 to feel left out. Need to change the answer phone message too.

Any news from the 14th July-ers yet?

what a surprise, I'm still here and still no sign of any baby!
I have spent the afternoon feeling thoroughly sorry for myself as I have had terrible back ache and just can't get comfortable at all. I just took myself off to bed and had a good cry for a few hours- my poor old dh and Mum just had to leave me to it as I was a bit too hormonal to see things rationally (ie. this baby's never coming and I can't do it any more etc etc). Finally surrendered to a couple of paracetamol which sent me off to sleep for a few hours, so hormone levels are slightly more manageable now!
I am getting a bit nervous about this induction on Monday I think, it all seems very stressful and invasive, and I'm really not looking forward to it at all even though it does mean I get to meet my baby at the end of it. Very strange conflicting emotions going on in my head today!

Anyway, enough of my moaning (sorry, but I do feel a bit better now!)- I do hope that you're all well and a bit more balanced than I am today!
catch up with you tomorrow! x

harriett, have you read my really positive induction story somewhere down this thread? honestly, it was fine (admittedly this was second time for me). i would reccommend an epidural, especially if you end up needing a synotocin drip as it does make the contractions harder & faster (oooh errr). it was brilliant when i got mine, i went to sleep! one benefit of induction is that you get one-to-one midwife care throughout.

anyway, bet you'll go into labour tonight!

Hi hoxtonchick, hope you and Florence are well!
The sensible side of me knows that it will all be fine on Monday but there is a scaredy-baby in me that would much rather not have to do any of it! oh, and I fully intend to take every drug offered to me and hope I am totally out of my head when I finally go into labour!

we're doing really well thanks. we should definitely meet up once you've popped .

Just found your induction story so feel a bit better, plus my mum and dh have just come in from Sainsburys with lots of nice treats for dinner- I am glad I threw a bit of a wobbler now! Let's definitely meet up after baby finally arrives, and keep sending positive labour vibes!!

go on, have a glass of wine with dinner, it'll relax you...

Harriett - being induced really isn't too bad, especially if you have already decided to take whatever pain relief options are going. My mistake was to try to hold out - I much prefer the sound of Hoxtonchick's way of doing it. The huge advantage is that you know when the baby is coming, and as HC says, you will get more 1-to-1 care. If you have pessaries, that doesn't feel any more invasive or "medical" than having a sweep.

My Harriet is one week and one day old! I felt quite sad yesterday as the first week has been so lovely. It's brilliant having 3 children! , although we definitely need to review our car arrangements. We all went out today with DH driving, Harriet in the front and me squashed between the two boys in the back, with their car seats digging into me! I am a very wussy driver so these big cars that the grownup mothers with great hair drive scare me silly!