July 2010: Our babes are due! Within the month, they'll all début.

[Chulita]

Thanks to spirael for the title, hopefully we'll all pop before this thread ends!

Becky, four of the girls out of my NCT group had sweeps. They are all first timers. Come to mention it, none had success following their sweeps although one had a show and some twinges but didn't go into labour for another four days. They had their sweeps in the 40th week though so maybe it's more effective in 41st week as my midwife said she didn't think there was any point in sweeping before 41 weeks with a first baby. Obviously your midwife will know better than me but I would have thought it was worth a shot before induction.

Unappealing as it may sound at this point, lots of sex is supposed to be good too and my friend's midwife said that she reckons it's as effective as a sweep.

Sunday is a long way off though so I bet your baby will come by itself before then.

Good luck!

Norky congratulations, thats a BIG baby, hope ur ok and all settling down.Will u be putting some pics on??

TSC Its my due date on Thursday and i have a consultants appointement at 9, i wonder if they will do a sweep for me, what was it like, did it hurt? What exactly is it. Im so naive, i know nothing!

Well i have been through my hospital bag again and all is (almost) ready. I have changed the bed and cleaned the doors and skirting boards, just got the windows and the vacing to do. The HV has just rearranged for tomorrow morning, i wonder if she will turn up this time??

Wow norky how long was your first labour?

My mw offered me a sweep at my next appt, will be 40+1 was offered at 40 weeks for first pg too. Got told to take some paracetamol and take a pad - bit aprehensive about it - hoping i'll go into labour before then. There was a thread in childbirth topic, different people had different experinces.

dh just got in, got my hair cut today - how long till he notices? Have had a lot cut off.

5 mins

wonder 5 mins is good, is that with no prompting?

becky I do feel for u, Are u able to go home inbetween or do u have to stay? Whens ur due date? I really hope it happenes naturally for u but try not to be to wound up, at least u know this time next week ur baby will probably be here, thats something to focus on i guess....easy for me to say at the moment i know xxx

Interesting stuff about sweeps, i shall be really interested to see what they say at my appointement.maybe I'll take a pad and have some paracetamol just in case!!

Stac u there? hows things going with u?
And hows things going with ALL our Momas?
Any one got and advice for those of us left hanging around?

Thanks girls, yeh i think it is something worth considering before introducing chemicals! I've got GP app tomorrow morning and I'll discuss it with her (we have good relationship and i think she'll be very honest with me- she also has lots of antenatal experience)
viksam due date was on sunday so will only be 7 days over when starting induction, they have said they really don't want to let me go any longer than that.
sounds like you have been busy in the house! hope the HV does turn up! would be seriously bad if she didn't again!!! was it yours that couldn't find the house last time?

wonder 5 mins is pretty good! how do you like it? i had mine done a couple of weeks ago and love it It was so nice to have a change for the better when our bodies are doing the opposite! lol!

re sweeps, I had one last wednesday - it didn't hurt at all, not as uncomfortable as a smear test I found. But I know some people do say they hurt, I think it depends on the state of your cervix at the time, perhaps hurts more for first babies? I had more of a show (that was already happening)afterwards so worth taking a pad. Not sure whether it worked or whether i went into labour anyway 2.5 days later...

When I saw my midwife yesterday she said that she'll offer me a sweep at my next appointment at 40+1. Seems a bit early for one so I'm not sure if I'll have it or not, I'll see how I feel by then! That's if I'm still here of course...

Congrats norky that certainly is a big baby! Hope your getting lots of nice cuddles

vik yeah he feeds everytime he wakes but sometimes its only for a few mins and hes asleep again. I know it wont last forever but I find myself getting annoyed that he wakes every hour during the night yet in the day he can sleep for a few hours at a time.

mlic I dont even have a nursing bra yet! Ive still got my maternity ones so will have to use them until I can get to the shop.

gracie thanks for the tip! It def does make sense to try and catch this milk Im leaking it feels like such a waste otherwise.

My stitches are still agony, cant wait for them to heal I feel they are ruining the first precious days with Dylan.
Getting him registered tomoro also midwife is coming back to see how we're getting on.

TSC thanks for your words of experience re. induction! I will try to be confident and ask loads of questions- i hate feeling so vulnerable and out of my depth!

all the new baby talk is great! love hearing about the good and difficult things- makes me feel like i'll be more prepared when our LO arrives!

I'm off to have some dinner, made mince and tatties but put in a few sneaky red chillis, lets see if they get things moving! lol!

DH have fun registering Dylan tomorrow

Hi ladies
Congrats Norky, well done and what a good size! Ouch!

I think its my day to have a miserable one today. Feeling sick and shivery, probably a chocolate overdose tbh as all day I have just medicated my miserableness with food! No real rhyme or reason to it, just feeling fed up, tired, bored and want to have a baby. Think a bath and early night is in order for me, hope to feel back to my usual self tomorrow.

Thinking of the rest of you, the lucky mums and the rest of us envious preggos still waiting

becky yeah it was my HV who didnt turn up, i nearly asked her on the phone if she needed directions. In fairness she does sound sweet, i just hope she is knowledgable and good.
TSC thanks for the info. If they put u on a drip i get that the pains are worse but do they go on as long? I take it they dont.
DH Im not suprised ur getting annoyed, its only natural i think, every hour must be hard. I hope he will start going for longer real soon.

evening everyone.

Right birth story:

Started having contractions about tea time on sun, but as I had been having loads of BH's anyway, didn't take too much notice!

Decided much later on inthe evening that actually something might be happening for real as they hadn't subsided, so mum came over at about 11:30 to look after the other kids.

Got to the hospital at about 12:30am, and examined about 1am, at which point the midwife said things were 'probably happening' but wasn't 100% sure that as I was only 3cm at that point . So said we could either stay there and see if things progressed or go home again - went for the first option but was feeling very frustrated at that point! Did lots of sitting on the birthing ball, which definately got things going again (tip for anyone trying to speed things along!).

After about another hours or so, things were getting more painful, so started on G&A. Still was paranoid that things might all grind to a halt, so spend the whole time either standing up or sitting on birthing ball, which obviously worked as by 3:37am waters went followed by Thomas being born 2 mins later. In fact was so quick the midwife hadn't got any of her stuff ready! He was somewhat bruised and purple apparently due to speed of delivery!

Made it back home by lunchtime yesterday, and he is feeding well currently seeing how we get on with BF, although tonight is the test as we now have DD and DS back from the grandparents, so have all 3 of them to look after!

not had chance to catch up on thread, im now finaly a mummy, i had a feeling the traumatic birth was set for me!!!
after 44 hours of regular contractions i finally gave birth to my baby boy Lyndon Freddie, 6 pound 14.5oz.
labour didnt progress from 6 mins apart without a drip to dialate me as he was back to back he couldnt get down cervix as i have a tilted womb, i had a mobile epidural which was amazing as i could still feel legs, top it up when i needed to and could still feel urge to push,(even though it took 3 attempts to get it in!) drip mae his heart rate drop when they upped dose so after another 4 hours was only half way, another 4 hours later and i was fully dialated but i had to wait an hour to push so i didnt bleed out, then i had 1 hour deadline to get him out, got him to crowning then room filled up with over 10 people i had to be cot have vontouse and forceps to get him out, later found out i was about to hemorrage due to blood disorder i have this could cause cardiac arrest. i went into shock after he was born so couldnt hold him, then my womb hemorraged so i had 3 docs pushing my stomach to get blood out!!! heart went up to 212 bpm! was determined to leave today much to horror of docs just got home an hour ago, im so messed up own stairs i have a catheter!
so there is my birth story... how not to do it but our little boy is perfect sleeps and feeds like dream just a bit swollen!!! all worth it!
sorry for such a long thread! x

Been having massive cramps all day and desperately trying to hide them from MiL and DM as I really didn't want them getting over excited/flapping around me. They finally left and I got DH to run me a bath, which as usual stopped everything in it's tracks!
As I was getting out though, I nearly fell over due to lightening pain in my lower back and fanjo. I have SPD, but this was definitely different. Anyone else experience this? It literally made me light headed it was so intense, but eased away after a few seconds.

Congratulations Memphis!

So sorry it was such a tough birth, I can't believe they let you come home already??!! At least that means Lyndon must be fit and healthy.

Hope you recover quickly and are being waited on hand and foot until you do!!

Gosh Kitty an amazing story, so quick really. Hasn't there been lots of quick labours on here so far? I hope i can join in that when its my turn.....................

Ok i wrote the above before i read ur story memphis god i hope ur ok, u have really been through the mill, its so amazing that u say its all worth it!

Gracie Hope things progress for u, not sure what the pain could be? Hope it doesnt come again!

congrats kittykat + memphis sounds like you had a bit of an ordeal, glad to hear your both feeling ok now, take it easy and dont overdo it! x

viksam -you may have already said but, what car did you get? As for the drip in labour, I would do anything to avoid that again, it made contractions very fast, very quickly and there were barely any breaks inbetween unlike "natural" contractions.

DesperateHousewife21-If youre leaking loads whilst feeding from the other breast, I echo what others have said about breast shells, they collect the milk from the other breast which can then be decanted into another container and popped in fridge/freezer.

norky-flipppennnn hell!! big boy!! well done you!! congratulations!

tsc-fingers crossed for you!

beckyg123-I would press for a sweep first to be honest. I had several with ds1 and the third set me into labour.

well got dp to do another VE this evening, he did one saturday and yesterday and my cervix was still quite high. On doing one today, he says my cervix is definately much lower than yesterday which is great as Ive got a s+s with midwife tommorrow lunchtime. Ive had more cramps today and a show after the VE so all good signs! hoping it will all be over by the weekend, certainly feels like I could go any minute now!

nice and cool tonight as its been drizzling here all day-perfect night for labour!

Congratulations memphis and sorry to hear it was all a bit traumatic!

Evening all, struggling to keep up between feeding, changing, visitors etc. Congratulations memphis, kittykat and norky

memphis you poor darling, i can't believe what you've been through or that your home. Love his name, v.proud of you for going through all that

Omg norky what a big boy, you bet my two lol. How you been?

Hey viksam i'm good thanks for asking hun. Totally knackered though lol. Hows the new car?

becky you poor luv, could you contact mw to ask about the sweep? Bear in mind its only tuesday and you have to sunday. You also dont need to have the drip and some women only need one lot of the gel and it sends them into labour x

Meant to ask any of the new mums hows the baby blues? Any weepiness etc? My friends came to visit today, one of their kids is a nightmare so i for the first time i felt v.anxious and uptight. Kind of felt like a build up, probs lack of sleep and pain. Anyway due to previous pnd i am going back on tabs. My dd deserves a calm settled mum instead of a wreck. I may be rushing it, but i went through such a horrendous time last time i want to get it early. Does that make sense? Just wondered how everyone else was, dont want to downer anyone. X