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.

Just checking in ladies, I hope the absence of Midnight means something is happening - its only fair she goes next as she's the OP
Fuckity - lovely post. I feel the same (only DC2 tho) am very excited now to hold him or her. Held my 3 month old twin nephews today in hopes that smelling their baby heads would kick start my hormones or some shit, but needless to say it hasn't. Had a lovely hot deep bath though which has totally sorted my aches and pains out so feeling very sleepy and chilled tonight. No bouncing, going to just lay on sofa and have a glass of red and ignore any niggle or pain as quite clearly it means chuff all!

Woken up with lots of lower back pain. Don't want to take paim killers or try and relieve it as I am desperate for it to lead somewhere. However, have DC1 all day today to emtertain so this could be a challenge.

Midnight - how goes it??!

Morning.

Nothing, Nada. Pissed off. Cried yesterday.

Anyhow, in desperation we did the sex this morning. DS is in nursery so I am going to throw some money at the problem and see if I can get a reflexology appointment this morning.

Dolly I laughed so much at your, "baby heads would kick start my hormones or some shit" comment...I am such a cynic in normal circumstances, but have lsot my marbles over this!

Sounds promising Joy, you never know. Can you take DC1 out somewhere, library, friends house etc?

See's you later...someone is going to do something today...I can feel it.

Morning everyone. Really rooting for you today midnight really hope something happens. Nothing to report here either. Actual due date is friday so fast approachning. Have arranged to do something every day this week away from home in the hope I might get caught out! Ha ha ha!

Morning all. 39+2. As usual no signs of labour whatsoever. Nice itchy red spots all over my bump though which is lovely.

Last time (DS born 40+17) I tried everything (including The Sex!) and nothing worked so I just can't be bothered eating pineapples until my gums bleed or any of that again. I didn't try reflexology so I look forward to hearing about people's experiences of that.

I am liking all the cider and wine consumption! The only drink I fancy is a really strong gin and tonic - if I'm still here at 40+13, a triple is going down the hatch

C'mon everyone!

at 'the sex' Midnight and I'm glad to have cheered u up

I'm off to triage this morning, don't want to but DH made me call mw cos I have had small trickles well more like gurgles of fluid escaping but only tiny bits, the past week. I am sure I'm probably pissing myself but they are insisting I go in to be checked. So dropping DD at playgroup and going straight in there goes my morning on the sofa!
Love to all

I am loving all the alcohol squaffing too. I am madly craving a rose wine, haven't been bothered by not drinking at all all pregnancy, but now I have a real urge for some. Ho hum. Nothing to report here either, scan tomorrow so I'm not too impatient to kickstart things today tbh. Tomorrow would be ideal though, parents in law could pick up the dc, dp is off all day, and it would mean no more school run with me waddling. The longer I wait the more I find things to organise though, I'm planning to get all my paperwork out again later and file it all. Again. Then I'm going to wash all the sofa covers. Again. Someone stop the madness

Ooo good luck dolly :) I love the 'I'm probably pissing myself'!! If nothing else, it'll make a change for the staff I'm sure to have someone who admits it

Good luck Dolly, you never know! By the way, being nosey I looked at your profile...your not under RSCH are you? If it helps I've been pissing myself since I had DS.

Well, the sex did nothing...except make me grimace. I am now trying to blow dry my hair whilst bouncing on a ball.

Fuckity I don't know when the madness stops, if its any help I am a nurse...so whilst not a MW I do understand the physiological process of labour. Doesn't stop me from talking shit about pineapple and clary sage.

Morning Arti, I could kill a mojito right now. Maybe I'll just set up camp in a local cocktail bar...(take my ball, clary sage, pineapple, sex the barman etc) for the day!!

Can't get a reflexology appointment, but am slightly relieved as it was £45..ouch! Although off out to get some PJ's, still don't have any button up/BF friendly type ones.

Hey, we might all be leaking, cramping and oozing but we are still funny!

Just realised I had ignored the posts from Zhen and Kenobi re induction/CS.

Problem I have is the baby is supposed to be big. Had a growth scan at 37+4 and it was possible 8lb 9oz then. They are not keen for me to go over to long because of this.

I have always thought that I would refuse any chemical induction, and opt for CS as worried about scar rupture/risk of EMCS again. Although I suppose I had that thought because I went into labour myself at 38+4 with DS, so I assumed something similar would happen again.

Midnight, would you necessarily even need the chemicals though? I was told that if you've had dc before then all it might take is for them to break your waters, no chemicals needed. I was induced with pessaries with dd and it was pretty awful, my body just wasn;t ready. With ds (yes, also overdue....) I wasn't induced, but labour started with a massive gush of waters, then straight into contractions, which makes me think that if I do need induction again, my waters going would be enough.

I'm not leaking, cramping or oozing - BOO HOO! I will try to be funny though .

I haven't even [packed my hospital bag yet, I'm so convinced I will be late. Might do that today...

Hahaha at sex grimace!

I've had my bag packed for weeks, so convinced I was that I was going to be early I've had to get dp to keep it in the car so I can stop the incessant packing and repacking

I've changed my mind I am going to keep the baby in. Am at triage (at SPH Midnight) and there are two ladies here contracting and making an awful lot of noise Has put me right off.
Am on a trace at the mo and all is fine just waiting to have an internal - urrgghhhhh

Dolly, don't let yourself be scared by the noise. I hardly made a peep with ds, some people just like to vocalise the pain I think the only noise I made was some mooing towards the end. Just because they're screaming doesn't mean you will. And if nothing else, you'll know to pack some earphones/earplugs in that hospital bag for when the time comes. I think I must have been very lucky as I never heard any other women when I was giving birth.

Thanks Fuckity, I don't think I made much noise with DD either. These two are making a right fuss
It's funny when u can hear people's conversations but can't see them. One of them is on her 3rd baby and the other one is here with her mum and dad and sounds really young and struggling with the pain bless her. She told the mw she was contracting a minute apart but she's been here 15 and I've only heard her have 1

Well I thought last night was it after first sweep yest and nice favourable cervix. But no. And quite relieved as ds1 was stirring all bloody night and I am KNACKERED.

Fuckity can I ask why pessaries were so bad? Mw seems to think if 2nd sweep doesn't prompt labour some pessaries would almost definitely work and then labour as normal... Bit unsure whether that's the case in practice tho and if si would I just go straight for epi and accept induction won't be quite as straightforward?

Well, dd is 7 so practices may well have changed. I found the very insertion of them rough, the midwife who did it made no attempt to be gentle and it left me in tears. I needed 3 of them over about 24 hours iirc, then my waters broke and things got moving. The pain was immediately very bad, I needed an epidural and had my back to back baby laying on my back. I have had a lot of time to think about my labour with dd, and I think it was just badly handled. For a start, no alternative was really discussed with me. She was overdue but had no problems so if I'd been properly informed I would probably have waited. My body just wasn't ready to give birth and so to me I kind of associate induction with being quite a violent process. I also ended up on a drip anyway as contractions slowed down once the epidural was in place. I also wasn't told that back to back contractions, let alone induced ones, would be more painful. I wasn't helped into other positions, and didn't know I could refuse to be continuously monitored so I could actually move. It's just not a birth I felt I was in control of. All forgotten now of course, and tbh it wasn't for a while afterwards that I began to question how the whole thing was handled. I think if there's no real medical reason to induce then it's probably best to let your body just wait til it's ready (oh the irony of me saying that on this thread ) For me, my second birth was fabulous. It made such a difference not to have any wires on me, no drips or anything, and to actually be able to stand up immediately afterwards. Dd was born at 2 in the morning and I couldn't actually walk til the next evening. One of the other ladies ont he postnatal ward had to wheel me to the phone and the toilet.
But but but, as ever, this is just my experience. And hindsight is always 20/20. I have my second growth scan tomorrow and if they say baby is no longer thriving then of course I'll consent to induction. I may not be happy about it, but I'm armed with more information this time so I would feel more in control of things anyway.

Midnight - as per fuckity, this worked successfully for my sister. Her DC1 was emcs. DC2 was spontaneous labour followed by forceps. Both babies were very big. For DC3 she went to due date, then they broke her waters as then baby wouldn't get even bigger. Like you she had been having loads of pre labour symptoms including cramps and BH, so there was a good chance it would lead straight into labour. The risk is that it doesn't ans then they have to do cs as induction not an option. But it worked very quickly. Waters broken at 11am. Baby born mid afternoon. She was home by 7 that evening in the sofa. Given that it will be c section anyway if labour doesn't happen, worth the risk?

Just a quickie to say all ok here, prob not waters, not urine, prob just increased (hate this word) discharge

Does anyone else feel completely sick, unsettled and just generally crap? Have had a bit of discharge too so can't help but think all on the way... It's making me so nervous and jittery much more than last time. I just can't relax.

They can break your waters midnight and still give you a very mild synto induction (not the heavy stuff they give non-VBACers). What they can't do is give you a pessary.

Worth a go as your baby is clearly all there bar the actual labour.

Had a sweep this am - cervix is long, posterior and very closed. Not hard at least, but I've clearly got a way to go. I've got another sweep next Mon, and if nothing has changed they'll book me for a c section as I can't be induced when I'm high and closed.

Bah humbug.

Glad that things were ok Dolly, despite the ahem, increased 'discharge'.

I'll have a chat tomorrow at the appointment and see what they think. The Drs are pretty relaxed about it all, it's more me worrying about the size of the baby.
A week is a long time Kenobi, lets hope things start to progress for you.

Hmm, Roller I have felt like that for a few evenings - it is very hard to relax I am afraid.

Well, had another long walk. Lots of sharp pains and feelings of pressure but nothing else. Then came home and in a mad fit sorted out my clothes and shoes, now sitting on the sofa, knackered.

Come on, someone has to do something this evening.

I know! Someone go first please!
I admire your energy midnight, I'm sitting on my arse not knowing what to do. Sweep 2 tomorrow so we will see...

Sorry to hear you're feeling sick and jittery Roller , not nice for you. I'm not feeling too bad just starting to consider going overdue and what that may mean wrt induction etc. DH going abroad with work for a week in 5 weeks time so hope not to go too far over
Kenobi as Midnight said, a week is a long time for things to change. Fingers crossed for you
Midnight I hope you sleep well tonight and arrive at your appointment tomorrow feeling ok. I agree with the poster who said she has never known docs to be right about large babies! Also, mw today said that often with second babies (even vbacs) all has needed is waters breaking and it's like 'striking a match'