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.

Arti, it will happen. Though, obviously, I'm first Dd was induced at 40+11 and I worried all the way through my second pg that my body just wouldn't know what to do. But ds was born at 40+8, fairly out of nowhere. So I have high hopes for today. Baby might have other plans though

Thanks fuckity . Thing is, I don't think it will happen, after going to 40+14 last time. I am booked for ELCS at 40+11 on Wednesday and whilst I could delay that a couple of days, I am reticent about delaying because I had a molar pregnancy last year which means there is an (albeit very small) chance that my placenta could have issues (it has to be sent off for histology after birth). Ah well, as long as baby comes out safely, it doesn't matter a jot, does it?

Morning ladies...no baby when I woke up...

I did wake up at 5am with a bad pain in the cervix area, which lasted about a minute. Got quietly v. excited. Nothing since. Gardening now. sigh

Hey, still no flip eh? fingers crossed

Come on Flip!

Feel like pacing the floor like a dad in days gone by. We've been on the March 2010 thread together so it's very exciting to be having DC2 at a similar time too

ha, just realised I put 'morning ladies' at half one in the afternoon...you know what I meant...

Baby girl born at 10.37am, got my vbac though was a whisker from ventouse (after hours of clear, sweet waters she passed meconium when I'd been in the birth centre only an hour, so was whisked off to labour ward for cfm - will do a proper run down once we're home)

Incredible. Only 2 days past official due date and a sweep that worked. There is hope ladies, as I was induced at 42 weeks last time! Also spent time googling never going into labour naturally...

Also, Fliss and anyone else predicted a whopper, she was 8lbs 4.5oz, so a good 2-2.5lbs less than the string of growth scans predicted!

Will be in overnight as she's on 12 hours of obs due to meconium.

She is asleep on me as I type, am besotted!

Yes! Bloody brilliant

Massive congratulations Flip x

congratulations flip thats some lovely baby news. hopefully will spur us all on!!

i have a midwife appt tomorrow morning for my second probably unsuccessful sweep. another day of absolutely nothing. they'll also book an induction for the end of the week or the weekend. i know i dont have to have one but i cant stay pregnant forever. sigh.

Hi all, 40+3 here and already receiving 327 texts a day asking if I've had that baby yet Sweep is booked for tomorrow in the hospital as locum midwife refused to do it!

Big congratulations Flip glad you got your VBAC aswell!

well done flipp.............made my afternoon congratulations

Many congratulations Flip

Well done flip. Another day of sweet FA for me.....

hurrah for flip

Well done flip :)
I've officially lost it. I cried in the park as I couldn't get up and play with the dc like I wanted to. Dp has made me promise to beg for a sweep tomorrow. I really think the lack of sleep is getting to me, I can't switch my brain off. I've had some hideous pains very low down in my back today which is making me scared that despite having had 2 posterior babies, I may never have had a true 'back labour' and I've got it coming big time :( I feel like my whole pelvis is being wrenched apart.

It must be a 40+8 thing fuckity as I've been a gibbering wreck all day. Here's to a better 40+9 (or not even making it that far, even better )

Congrats Flip lovely baby news. Still waiting to hear from Kenobi aren't we?

40+9 has been a good day for me, have chilled out in the sunshine watching DH work in the garden and DD playing, lots of laughter and smiles today. Finished off with roast lamb at my mums, glass of red wine and lovely hot bath. Now trying to stop my eyes from closing.
Sleep well all, a happy, chilled out Dolly signing off for today

I'm a tearful, hormonal, beached-whale style gibbering wreck.

Imagine if I thought I could make 40+8.... 10 days to go. Wondering if I'm more anaemic than last blood test 2 weeks ago when I was, but not wildly so iykwim.

fuckity, tears at this point should be considered essential. I cried yesterday when i was chasing 18 month old DD and couldn't catch up quick enough and she ate driveway and grazed her nose and chin. Perfectly normal toddler injury, I know, and preventing every one doesn't help them learn etc etc but i was very and guilty. imminently you'll be back to.it all, and maybe tonight's the night?!

I'm worried it's getting me down so much tbh. I had awful PND after ds and I'm worried that my low mood now will affect things after the birth. The pain I have in my coccyx is excruciating, I know he had his hands up by his face at our 2 growth scans and I'm worried that that's what I can feel and he won't move them in time for the birth. If this is what a back labour will feel like then tbh I feel bad about telling people mine weren't that bad. I hate feeling so negative and emotional, dp is being a star about it all but it all feels so irrational and pathetic. Am going to strap on the TENS machine and hope for some relief. ANd despite being 40+8, I still think I'm in denial that this baby has to actually get out one way or another

Flisspaps, re home remedies my theory is that they work very well for some people. E.g. my cousin who both times went into labour the day after eating loads of pineapple... could be coincidence but others I know have had things work for them more than once. Then for others it's a case of try everything and nothing works! :( like me, for whom pineapple creates lots of regular pains and then nothing whatsoever except loose bowels which seems to be a theme for me over the last 2 weeks

I agree with the sit in the sun and do nothing suggestion though. It's what I've been doing most of the day.

Woot congrats flip! Hooray for the VBAC too :)

Anyway as you will have gathered, no baby here either. I'm going in tomorrow for an induction assuming I can persuade the consultant on call to give me one; if I don't get one I've no idea what the plan will be next... so I've got approx 14 hours to go into labour!

I've been keeping an eye (or should I say, finger :o ) on my cervix progress and yesterday it was suddenly a lot lower than it had been before and definitely more open, at least 2cm I in my lack of experience would say. I'm going to assume this is a good thing since it'd technically be my first labour. [crosses everything]

Lemele But the people who try them are due anyway - so it doesn't matter what you do, chances are you will go into labour at some point near to when you do whatever you do anyway IYSWIM? So your cousin would have been due (ie 37-42w) when she ate the pineapple - she could have saved herself the bother and would more than likely have had the baby when she did anyway

Anyone who needs a good cry, have one. I am more than happy to let you snot on my shoulders. Let that tension out.

Those of you who are getting close to 42w, remember that it's now going to be ANY DAY, one way or another (whether that's SVB, induction if you want it, CS or through your nostril or eyeball) you are going to meet your baby. I promise. None of you will be pregnant forever, it's just not possible. You're certainly a damn sight closer to getting the baby out than to getting it in

They're hanging on because they hear this is going to be a beautiful week, who wouldn't choose to be born on a bright sunshiney day when there's not a cloud in the sky?

I feel lots of meeting and greeting is going to be done over the next few days :)

Are both your babies head down lemele? I hope it goes really well tomorrow, enjoy double snuggles!!! Really impressed by all those who can assess their own cervix. I wouldn't dare try... I have the pleasure of vulval varices too thoough, and everythign is so hideously swollen and disfigured and sore down there, no furtling!!!!

fuckity, I know low mood in pregnancy may be linked with higher rates of PND afterwards, but this is low mood with a bloody good reason!!!! You are overdue, huge, sore, a bit worried about how it'll go (who isn't?!). Plus there won't be the massive life-change shock of first baby where 6everything^ changes overnight. Chin up my lovely, I have faith this is a bad period which will end when you have your delicious newborn in your arms.

What does a low cervix mean? How do I know? Without too much detail (u-hum) DP is having no problems in 'engaging the space' so to say, and he is not a small man, so does this mean my cervix is really high? I have a massive football bump so can't reach to have a rumage (god, can't believe I'm writing this......)

Joygirl - it probably won't make any difference to your DH if it's high or low - it also softens and thins as well. I have to do some interesting manoeuvres to reach mine, it's only because I'm so bloody paranoid about a stupidly long second pregnancy

True, fliss, and people believe whatever they wana believe anyway! Anyhow nothing worked for me which is all I was bothered about

Dreaming the lower one is head down and about as low as it can get without falling out and the top one is currently lying across, but according to everything I've read/been told (and as I'm sure you know), the position of the top one isn't important as it can change once the first is born anyway, so seems a bit daft to worry about it really. Bizarrely they were both head down practically the whole pregnancy until a couple of weeks ago when the top one decided to be all limbs and turn over!