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.

A little sweep story. I went to see a primip on Monday afternoon at 41 weeks. posterior, thick cervix, sweep barely possible but she wanted me to try, to keep her homebirth on track. I felt gloomy about her prospects. 48hrs later I caught her baby on the very same sofa.

Still here. humph nothing new except a sore knee...which I don't fink means much!? Just too much weight for too long probs...

v. pleased for you daydream - theres no failure about it!!!?

right ladies- i really fancy a nice cool spritzer in the garden today as its supposed to be the last really nice day here and i'd like to make the most of it. but, there is no wine in the house, everyone i know is at work so i'll have to go grab a small bottle if i want one. obv at nearly 42 weeks pregnant i feel a bit weird walking into tesco's at 11am and buying a bottle of wine.... what do you think?? will they call SS on me??!!!

I think you should do it.

And make it a decent sized bottle, not one of those piddly sized ones ;)

Wine o'clock!!! I'm with fliss.

37 weeks today. Never going to go into labour before this ELCS, but last night twin 2 did something SO uncomfortable at 1am I'm wondering if he's gone head down again.. can a twin turn at 37 weeks?!?!?

Knee pain = unusual labour symptom but who knows?!

Just saw consultant at 40+10, and feeling very down. Amniotic fluid getting low. I let her try a sweep, despite not coping with it at all, and had a Bishop's score of only 2 - cervix soft but entirely closed, so she couldn't really do anything, maybe a fingertip. I bargained it into seeing what happens between now and Monday (which is when I hit 42 weeks), when I have a foetal welfare unit appointment for a CTG and BPP, and then apparently, all being normal, I either take the first induction gel and go home overnight, or choose to go straight to a Caesarean (on the combined grounds of the fact that it looks as if induction isn't likely to be straightforward anyway, so a caesarean is likely in any case, and the fact that VEs make me so traumatised).

No idea what to do, as all options seem equally unattractive.

unfortunately when i got within a mile of the tesco i realised it resembled a busy multi story car park as idiots people were panic buying petrol so no wine o'clock for me! well, until i can send my DH to go get some!!

so, i'm pretty much 3 days away from induction. this is my first baby and i dont really know much about anything but have looked alot into my MLU as had heart set on waterbirth there. all my antenatel appts have been at the MLU and it really is a fab fab place so i'm pretty gutted as obv cant go there if induced or past 42 weeks.
so, thought its about time i looked into the hospital birth and induction process. the MLU midwife didnt give me too much info on the induction process as they dont get involved with it. i've had a little look on the internet and also have a friend who has recently been induced and quite honestly she had the most horrific time of it and has PTSD because of it.

now i know every birth is different and luckily the hospital i'd go to is a great one, but its nothing like the MLU. the MLU has pools, lots of different beds, couches, swings, different lighting, armomatherepy (sp) a kitchen and partners can stay all night. so what should i expect from a hospital birth? and an induction? will i have to be monitered constantly? the midwife said i'd be going in the afternoon but actual induction wouldn't be until next day? also, would they give one last go at another sweep first? midwife said something about first time round the pessary's dont tend to work? also, i asked if i needed the drip would i be able to have an epidural at the same time as this is what my frind reccomended but the mid wife said it can slow the induction process down so they dont offer it routinely...?

sorry for all the questions!! hopefully wont come to this and ov i know i could go into labour naturally at the MLU and still end up in hospital but i'd like to be vaugely prepared!!!

I'm still here, feeling very uncomfortable as baby's head is so low :( I'm not sure wether the tightenings and pain I'm getting are real contractions or not, they're all really low and have really only started within the last hour. Dp has been dispatched to go and get dd. Tbh it just feels like the cramps you get with a stomach bug I don't know what contractions feel like with intact waters, maybe ths is it?

Feekerry, I feel for you - I'm in much the same situation. Unless I spontaneously go into labour between now and Monday (which is very unlikely given that the consultant couldn't even manage a sweep today at 40+ 10), I'm looking at induction/possible C-section, and no MLU, no homey non-clinical environment, no partners staying overnight, no waterbirth, etc.

Also interested in the answers to your questions. My consultant said they used telemetry, so I wouldn't have to be hampered by wires etc when monitored. Also suggested that if nothing had deteriorated by then, I could start the induction as an outpatient, and go home until the next day or until something started happening.

HardCheese A lot can happen between now and Monday so don't be too disheartened - see mayhew's post above :)

feekerry An induction does vary from hospital to hospital but largely follows the same path - some things like partners being able to stay vary but from reading the threads on here and my own experience, it will largely be along these lines:

You'll be admitted to the antenatal ward, where partners can stay during visiting hours only :( They'll do the admission paperwork, carry out a trace for about 20 minutes and do a VE to check your bishops score (how favourable your cervix is) and see how dilated you are. They might do a sweep at this point.

If you're not dilated to 2cm, you'll have prostaglandin given (either a pessary, gel or propess tape). They do that every 6 hours or so until you're in labour or you've dilated enough to have your waters broken (ARM) They can do this for about 24 hours I think and then they offer CS or you go home and try again another day.

If you are dilated 2cm, once a delivery room becomes free then you go for ARM (waters being broken). Once this has happened they like you to walk around to try and get things going. If your waters are clear, you'll probably be sent back to the antenatal ward to await events, if there's meconium then you'll keep the room.

If things don't happen within X hours (up to 24, perhaps 4 if there is meconium in the water though) then you'll be offered the syntocinon drip. This tends to get things going pretty quickly, but this is where they want you on CFM - which of course, you can refuse and request intermittent monitoring instead. If you're on the drip you should have a MW with you at all times. This might be when you want to consider an epidural because your brain doesn't release endorphins to manage with the pain whereas it would with a spontaneous labour. You can refuse to have the drip put in until the epidural is sited. It can slow labour down, yes, but then you have to weigh that up against the pain caused by the synto and the fact that you can have a very long labour even with the drip (I had 17 hours with it in, 12 of those with an epidural)

What I will say, is that if they want you in the afternoon before but you're going to spend the night on the antenatal ward with nothing happening, then don't bother. Quite frankly, unless you're having something done then there is no point in you being on a hot, busy, noisy ward when you could be at home and go into hospital in the morning and start straight away. NICE guidelines say that induction shouldn't be attempted in the evening as it increases intervention (probably due to not having decent sleep) and decreases maternal satisfaction with the event (again, lack of sleep) - if you are facing some of the hardest work you have ever done, then you need to do it well rested and you won't get that on the ward. I was admitted on a Thursday morning and wasn't induced until the Friday morning - that utterly pointless night on the ward was one of the most disheartening experiences, watching women coming in and out in labour, me not sleeping yet having no signs of labour and no induction procedures undergone (was 2cm on arrival so was just waiting for a free delivery room for ARM, which won't be done between 8pm and 6am in my hospital!) I asked if I could go home, was told I'd need to speak to a doctor but one never appeared. Turns out my notes say I was 'encouraged to stay' - fucking lie. Sorry, that makes me a bit ranty still

Forgot to say, once you're in the delivery room then visiting hours don't apply - so once you get that far, your partner stays until whenever they get booted out after baby is born :)

hardcheese my induction is also booked for monday at 3pm. i can still go to the MLU up until that exact point. its so disheartening isn't it? i wouldn't worry too much about them not being able to do your sweep, i've had 2 sweeps and they've done sod all anyway so its no big loss!
the MLU in my area is quite new and is a 'state of the art' one so they are big on MLU births in this area and they have a great success rate so you spend 9 months hearing of all the benefits about the place only to realise at the last min that your probably not going to get to go there.

i've done a bit of statistic reading today and apparently once you get tio 40+10 1 in 5 go on to have an induction as they do not start labour natuarlly within the 42 weeks so the odds are still on our side... just!!!

would be good if you could start the induction as an out patient then go back in. at least you'd have access to your own bathroom etc. wonder if my hospital do that....

okay fliss very interesting thanks, esp the bit about going in the afternoon. 3pm i've to go in on the monday so like you say seemingly pointless if they are going to just examine me and leave me till the next day!! presume thats what they meant when they said induction booked for tuesday but go in 3pm on monday. at my 41 week appt i was already about 1.5cm dilated so hoping if i do go in on monday i'll already be at least 2cm. i've had a look at some of my hospital's info this afternoon and in fact they seem pretty pro natural birth as possible. so i dont feel so bad now!!!

In that case, I'd call and ask what will happen on Monday and if it's just an examination and admission paperwork tell them you'll go in on the Tuesday morning. It may be that they would give you prostaglandin on the Monday and by 'start the induction' on Tuesday they mean 'progress to the drip' - in which case it would be worth going in on the Monday (although that means probably spending all night contracting and being examined every four hours so you won't sleep anyway)!

Feekerry, send all the spontaneous labour vibes you can between now and then my way, and I'll do likewise in your general direction. I'd like to see us both squeeze in to the MLU on Monday, even if it's with seconds to spare.

Thanks for induction details, Flisspaps.

Any news on Dolly?

Ahem. Now induction maybe should go like that. Be aware of what they're offering. Mine was not. My waters had broken (much faff around testing the fluid to check was amniotic, 2 scans 24 hours apart to check waters were decreasing as was a hindwater break), and I was given the 24 hours to go into labour (didn't really know about risks/benefits of waiting past that so was ok-ish with it). Was told I'd go straight onto the syntocinon drip- depsite having a closed, posterior, hard cervix.

I had to fight to get a pessary first (which also delayed me to 30 hours post waters breaking before starting induction which I was pleased about as I knew there was still no sign of labour after a decent amount of time)- admitted, not allowed to go home or anything. The pessary made me contract but did sweet FA cervix-wise. Still hard, closed, posterior. Started on 'hard' induction process, with the syntocinon drip at 3am. I wanted to wait til the morning and try and rest despite the pessary-produced contractions but they said might lose the delivery suite room so couldn't.... At this point as I kept being told it was an 'unfavourable' induction and I was being starved for section just in case, I asked to move straight to CS and was refused. Drip up. Quickly not coping-within 3 hours or so anyway. No anaesthetist to do an epidural- waited 5 hours from when it was decided I was having one. I do mean that- they said if I didn't have the epi I would definitely not cope and have a VB, and once started I was determined to have a VB, so I begrudgingly agreed (though I do think it was the right choice now with hindsight, but I felt totally railroaded into it at the time). etc etc from there, ending in a third degree tear. So I think it's good you're finding out what induction should/could be like, as I found mine incredibly stressful, and was traumatised afterwards- nightmares, flashbacks, couldn't sleep for thinking of it etc.

so, ready ladies sending masses of spontaneous labour vibes your way!!!!

(my induction was not great, and hopefully not typical- worth hearing to know what they might want you to do that you should be able to know whether to accept or not, but still think spontaneous is obviously far better)

Yes, do we think dolly is having newborn snuggles right now?!

Thank you dreaming for your experience. As I mentioned above my friend recently had an induction tho not at my hospital and had a really really horrible time. Whole experience was just awful and she was left pretty down really and absolutely terrified by the whole process. I just feel that as i'm a total novice at this I do not want to be rail roaded into something. I'd rather be aware of the process so I have an idea of what i'm comfortable with. Hopefully I wont need inducing but who knows.

Let down and terrified pretty much sums it up feek . That's why I'm going elcs not induction for these two if I don't go into labour. Of course you won't need inducing, it's imminent for you!!!

Baby girl! Born 15.01 today. She's adorable. Birth not without drama sadly, placental abruption, shoulder dystopsia and meconium passed so although I got to 10cm with a bit of gas and air, she was born with a spinal, episiotomy and ventouse. She's a little sore but feeding like a girl possessed and we're smitten I was booked for induction tomorrow morning!

Daydream Massive congratulations

DreamingOfPeace I will add that my induction didn't go smoothly, also ended up with epidural, forceps, 3rd degree tear, PPH and manual placenta removal (I always feel like shouting HOUSE! after listing that lot) but to be fair, induction doesn't always go like that (although the risks of any one of those things happening is increased along with the increased risk of EMCS when you do accept induction)

I too am sending masses of SVB vibes out

Congratulations Dolly, fantastic news. Sorry to hear that you had some difficulties though. Hope you are both snuggel

Yay dolly massive congrats! Right, bit of quick advice if anyone is about. . . Pretty sure my waters are leaking, have been for a few hours. The community midwifes hold a drop in clinic in the afternoons. Should I carry on my day as normal and pop to see them later or should I just ring the hospital assessment unit now and see what they say? No contractions yet and feel fine otherwise.

Phone, see what they say (stick a pad on if you haven't already) and keep gently active (bouncing, bit of hoovering, nothing knackering!) - do what you can to get those contractions going just in case you're not having a really really long wee

yay daydream! glad she's out safely, even if it was a bit traumatic for you both...

OK so a sore knee is not a sign of labour as far as I know; it's gone and I'm still here with nothing to report.

My mother is going a little bit mental now, she seems to be under the impression that pineapple 'makes you poo' and 'pooing stimulates labour'. I mentioned that I havent been banned from pooing the last 9 months, so we've been very lucky so far!!!??