39+5 - 1-2cms dilated

[Dozeyland]

How long do you think it'll be?

Mw said cervix thinning well. 1-2cms dilated. but i'm not feeling anything other than mild cramping on & off and slight back ache :S

Within the next 2 weeks

Sounds like you are starting off nice and slowly. I've been like this with both of my previous babies, painless tightenings for 4-5 days then nice quick labours when things finally kick off. I hope the final leg goes the same for you

Hopefully :-)

How did your labours progress in the early stages then?

I hope i don't go too much over my EDD... scared of massive baby even though MW said its a nice size..

I just niggled like you are now for a few days then when things started to get a little more uncomfortable my first labour was 4 hours and my second was 3 hours.

Wow thats fast. did you need any intervention? what did you do prior to labour to help (raspberry leaf tea/ perineal massage/pineapple/baths etc???)

How did you find the pain?

Nothing - No intervention - Tried gas and air with the first and didn't get on with it so had nothing with the second. It was all very bareable. No tears, very small babies! I'm terrified of a very different experience this time!

how small were babies?

How exciting.

Your body usually won't make a baby that you can't deliver. And the position of the baby and the head circumference are what makes the difference. I had an average sized baby who got ridiculously stuck because of her position. I know many women who had v big babies who came out easily. In fact gravity helps with bigger babies.

Don't worry about pinapples and curries etc. It's all nonsense.

You're on your way. It's brilliant. You're going to have a baby.

DS was 5lb 8
DD was 6lb 1

SoH is right though, it's all about positioning. My brother was over 9lb but was my Mum's easiest delivery.

Whatever happens, you get a lovely baby at the end of it

Did you know they were going to be that small?

Yes very true :)

I had niggles on and off for about 2 weeks, I had a sweep at 40+10 and I was fully effaced and 4cm. Went into labour that night, 4 hours later out popped my boy in my lounge.

A rather impressive 9lb 11oz if I do say so myself! No tears at all.

Weight of baby is almost irrelevant, its the head circumference, my niece who was 6lb 11oz, her head was bigger by 1cm in diameter! No tears for her mum either though!

It's all about positioning too, Upright, Forward and Open (OFO) positions, none of this bed malarky!

You will be fine x

growth scan at 35 weeks

babys head circumference was below the "mean".... nearly on the low percentile (if im reading it right?)

AC was a tad over the mean but under the higher percentile,
and the femur length was on the lower percentile... est. weight 4lb 13

at 38wk scan:

AC was above mean & under th high percentile.
FL was on te lower percentile
could get HC because babys hed was so low. couldnt get est weight either.

I hd my S&S on weds this week (39+5) and MW wrote in notes... cervix posterior, 1-2cm long os admits a higher cephalic - 2.
waters intact. 37cms, ceph ROA, 2/5 engaged

she said 1-2cms dilated and could feel babys head.

im so confused by the medical notes...

It is really difficult to actually gauge the baby's weight from a scan, a college was chatting to a sonographer who said the estimates could be as much as 50% out!

Don't worry about how big/small your baby will be. Your body is amazing and won't make a baby you can't birth.

As for your notes:
The cervix starts off posterior and moves anterior, either well before labour, or just before!

The os is the opening of the cervix, so you are 1-2cm dilated, but presumably cervix is still long (not yet effaced/thinned out).

Water intact is the amniotic sac.

37cm, is the height of the fundus (top of the uterus).

Ceph means cephalic (head down) and ROA is right occiput anterior (the baby is laying with his/her back to the right of you is an anterior position). Anterior is the best position, as the baby has to turn less to navigate your pelvis.

2/5 is how much of the baby's head had engaged. so in other words the midwife can feel 3/5 still.

A stretch and sweep involves the midwife gently teasing away the bag of water from the cervix with her finger, this is where she felt the head.

I hope that helps clear things up!!