Right, someone convince me it's not long now...please!

[MidnightinMoscow]

I am 38+3 with DC2. Hoping for a VBAC after an EMCS for DC1 with who I got to 9cm's with.

I have had period cramps for over a week, two lots of plug coming away and last night lots of tight feelings high in my bump. The period like cramps are really painful and often are alongside sharp pains down below.

I have a week to go into labour, otherwise I am booked for a CS. I am so fed up of symptom spotting and being in this 'is it- is it not?' place. I went into labour at 38+4 with DC1.

So someone come along and tell me lie to me that todays the day.

Midnight no that doesn't sound crazy. I totally understand where you're coming from, as it was that 'moment' that I couldn't wait for when I gave birth to DD. but my lovely, 'that moment' never happened for us as DD was blue, I was haemorrhaging, and DH was terrified, and counts it as the worst day of his life. So you don't always get that moment with a vaginal birth. So sorry if that's insensitive, it was all ok in the end obviously, but a vaginal birth is not always as straight forward as we'd all like to think.
Oh god book me a C section right now! I've got to do that again!

Hi cazm will be very if this is the start for you! Tho nothing seems to happen very urgently with all this labour malarky. I do believe were all pretty much now over due and erm, well not in labour! I thought my waters had gone last night only to realise I was actually sweating like a fat pig and that explained all the wetness. Was lovely.

Hi Cam sorry missed your post! Welcome. Hope this isn't the start of 2 weeks plus of cramps and show like the rest of us has been experiencing! We need some babies!
Feek nice reminds me of my visit to triage last week

in for another sweep at 1015. Am going to drive myself there and back. Will be updating afterwards.... had 2 fairly convincing contractions last night, and then just an insomniac night with lots of stretching and aching pain in my back and in my tummy; not cramp or contractions... anyone else on for a sweep today? 40 +4

Good luck gauntlet. We will require a full cervix report!

Thanks Dolly for understanding. I know what you mean about it not always being that magical moment. God, there is so much bloody emotion tied up in all of this. I really hope that your delivery is stress free and smooth for you though.

Welcome Camz I have posted on your own thread, I am not the best person to ask as to whether things are starting because I have been in early labour for weeks.

Good luck gauntlet, yes we will need the low down on your cervix ASAP.

feek you made me laugh, which is what I needed after a tearful morning. I am leaking so much now that I have no idea what is sweat/pee/waters/show. I am officially a monster.

Midnight you sound like the heroine from A Discovery Of Witches - every time she gets upset she raises the 'witchwater' and ends up nearly drowning herself and everyone around her

Needless to say, I am not in labour.

Well I'm already in a bad mood today. I had just loaded up the conveyor belt at the supermarket with chocolate some lovely nutritious food before taking ds to nursery when the sodding fire alarm went off. I had to get him there so left all the shopping behind which has completely messed up my morning. Argh.
I'm also not loving the idea of having to call and beg for a sweep. I feel a bit resigned to letting nature take it's course now. It won't be long now I hope (not 9 sodding days long...) so maybe I just need to chill out. I need to waddle back to the supermarket and then I'm going to come home and stick my bum up in the air. The only way I can ease this back ache

Hi another newbie here, I am 39+3 and baby showing no signs of wanting to vacate despite everyone telling me there was no way i'd get to my EDD. It's good to know I am not alone in trying all sorts to encourage him/her out almost obsessively bouncing on my ball etc etc. I had reflexology yesterday and the therapist tried to say she wouldn't do the areas that stimulate labour so I nearly ate her and she agreed to do them but nothing has happened yet no signs whatsoever. I think this might be a phantom pregnancy after all :-)

right... cervix report. mid position, soft and thin (1.5cm) 2cm dilated.
Midwife was a bit weird... said ' it isn't a good sweep unless the mum is in agony' perhaps wrong choice of words? ?

She did have a good furtle around.. but it wasn't agony ( i am well hard of course) no show afterwards ( i had a pink show last thursday but nothing since.)

She was adamant that I would go into labour spontaneously; as DD came naturally at 40+3. I was still Bf and hadn't had a proper period so I don't know when I actually conceived... hence I am going to decline induction and go for monitoring if this carries on. I am also adamant on home birth if all is well; and had an interesting convo with midwife; as she said that they 'wouldn't support' home birth past 40+11. I politely said...'well; you would, it is a legal requirement that you would send someone to me, and if i was being really bolshy I would get in the pool and you would send 2 people.'

sorry... a bit of a hijack; but what is with the jobsworths? i am not stupid. I know my rights.

Gauntlet, I don't know when I concievd either, as I was on the pill I've been thinking abqout this recently and as baby has been consistently small, but was dated at 8 and 12 weeks iirc, then maybe I am actually already more overdue than I think I am?
Am over the supermarket frustration, Morrisons and their burnt toast can suck it, I ended up at Tesco and got a super bargain for ds's birthday (which is 3 months away...) 2 Cars electronic cars for 4 quid each, reduced from 20. So all I have to do is hide them and not forget I've bought them (it's happened before). And I got a 3 pack of caramel eggs that I consider it my duty to eat before the end of the day. Back is still killing me though :( I didn't make it to Boots but I might pop out again in a minute to see what I can get, and maybe some more raspberry leaf tea too. Am slightly regretting not asking for a sweep today, I might call this afternoon and ask someone to come tomorrow.

DD1 was small for dates and due to be induced at 39 weeks. I went into labour about 8 hrs before I was due at the hospital and she was born without any great fuss. 26 hrs later.

Good luck!

thegauntlet I think I love you

Now I, the one not anywhere near bloody term am also hacked off.
I was in for CTG yesterday, as twin 2 playing dead (little tike- moved out of transverse into head down on the freaking CTG and I could feel him- gah. Ended up nearly admitted and stuck in for ?? early labour . Early labour my arse, more like braxton hicks. Yes they're bad. No, they're not worsening. Yes, I can see how strong and regular they are on the trace. Yes of course I can feel them (!!!!) just a bit period pain like and strong tightenings, but NO I DON'T THINK I'M IN LABOUR. Repeat ad infinitum. Took me 6 hours to escape from the ward..... And only then with the promise I'd go in for CTG today. Which I have cancelled, after much deliberation (as I'm clearly not in labour), as I do have a scan and consultant appointment in 2 days anyway.

midnight, seriously, this baby of yours is taking the piss. We keep getting all excited and then.... So I think tis time for it to come out. labour for you, nice length- not too desperate to get to the hospital, maybe 4 hours? 8lb 6 baby. Today please. There, i've put your order in for you. My birth wasn't like that either- the magical moment. The labour was awful- long induction, starved for CS throughout and then finally, a third degree tear, me haemhorraging, him alone with baby while I spent an hour and a quarter in theatre within 15 minutes of the birth. I reckon with a planned ELCS it could be just as 'magical' for you and dh.

fuckity, its all about the creme eggs here. I have resorted to buying in bulk because i am on at least one a day and the rest of it Fire alarm- I think I'd have taken my basket with me and considered it a freebie - oh- it was on the conveyor belt... Now that really was annoying

So where are arti and roller and who else was it we think had a baby this weekend?!

Caro I have just irrepairably damaged my pelvic floor laughing at you thinking of eating the reflexology person

I am 39wks today, been cleaning obsessively these past few days so hopefully that is a sign of upcoming action?! Poor deluded fool that I am to assume that!

Everyone here is ill except DD1, two lovely nights of soothing the 18-month old DD2 most of the night, I am shattered. Thoughts like "WtFFF do I do when no.3 is here and the younger two will prob be having competitive wakefulness competitions every night?!" Urrrgghhh.

The best thing about this thread is lots of ladies being really up for refusing induction (unless medically needed), I was 2wks over with DD2 and they 'booked me in anyway' for induction at 40+15, but I stuck to my guns and refused, and she came just before, thus saving me not having to turn up for an induction I was refusing Amazing how they push induction so much these days.

Just want to add, not that I am meaning to imply there is anything wrong with inductions/people's personal choices, obviously...Just the midwives crazed offering of it at every bloody turn!

Another point, whoever's mentioned caramel or creme eggs, you are clearly wrong because MINI EGGS are the way forward

Now, I can stack those away too, but I MUST have a creme egg alongside twopeas

Dreaming yeah I thought about it and actually I'd take whatever was on offer too
or resort to secretly eating cooking chocolate if its all thats in the cupboard

Thank god other people eat the cooking chocolate too :-)

I think the problem with mini eggs is they're impossible to ration- I mean, you cant have just one or two, and if you have3 or 4 every time you walk past the cupboard as i do that's a pack a day and an expensive habit...

hmm caramel......

gauntlet that sounds like quite a positive cervix report.!

serious question rant , what kind of reply do people ACTUALLY expect to get when they text/ring saying 'any new yet'? do these people actually expect you to reply saying, "yep my cervix is soft and the midwife could get a finger tip in but i've not had a bloody show yet although my fanjo seems quite wet so maybe i'm leaking disharge or maybe its my waters- what do you think?"

its a serious question i have been thinking about today, how do these people actually expect you to reply. Either the baby is here (and of course folk would be notified) or its not. what a stupid question to ask.

TwoPeas the more cynical woman might think that induction is offered so freely (by that I mean to women who aren't actually 'overdue' as they're only 41w, or being offered as an option rather than a fait accomplit) as it's a good method of managing numbers of women needing maternity care...if women are induced at 40+10 (for example) then they're off the maternity service's hands quicker than those who hang on for expectant management and eventually give birth at 42+5 which would then reduce the number of women on their books...

i have just had some Waitrose profiteroles cooking choc is minging, you lot are sweet treat perverts.

My SiL who was 2 weeks over having been told she would go by 38 weeks (incompetent cervix) had her baby last night, a little girl.

There's no way I'd consent to a chemical induction after dd's birth. If I went very very overdue then I might let them break my waters as they've told me that when it's not your first baby then that's often all that needs to be done. I can sympathise with all you who are worried your body just won't go into labour by itself. I worried so much about this when I was pg with number 2, but it happened and it happened quickly I know my body knows what to do. It's just taking its sweet time. I have sat and eaten 3 caramel eggs and feel thoroughly sick. Damn you willpower Tesco.

dreaming there is no rationing of mini eggs in this house except for the kids GOD DAMN IT they are addictive. I got a piece of the crispy shell stuck on the back of my tongue two days ago whilst vigourously shovelling them in my mouth, and it crossed to that scary point where I thought I may actually REALLY be choking, and I seriously thought "This is actually an excellent way to die, choking on those sweet tiny eggs of joy"

Fliss I imagine the budget cuts etc within the NHS will possibly lead to more inductions when weighed up against the cost of expectant monitoring? It's a real shame, and I am always sad to hear women say they didn't realise they were 'allowed' to refuse induction on MN discussions in the past

feekerry that example of a text is hilarious, reminded me of when I got to use the withering put-down "Ooh yes isn't my UTERUS nice and high" when someone started fondling the bump unbidden, was v funny to see their disgusted face! God that incident feels like a lifetime ago, but it was only earlier in this very pregnancy, doesn't the time drag intolerably fly when you're expecting