Calliong all Doulas here tonight!!

[SantaKLAWs]

Help, I go on call tomorrow. My lady has been having niggles which she describes as very real contractions, starting at 4 am. tailing off about day break so she went back to bed. But has been having them on and off all day if she does anything.

I reassured her this can be normal and to get as much rest as possible.

I'm floored with a bad cold, query flu. I do not want to miss this one as it would be my first at an award winning fantastic little Cummunity Birth Unit.

It's her third and the previous two were long which is why she booked me to support her.

I'm expecting her to have days or rather nights of contractions before it kicks off but could it really happen tonight? I had plans for Santa tomorrow and the house is wrecked, dp will not be happy to stay home in the state it's in, but it's in that Chaos situation you get to in the middle of decluttering and tidying.

looking for reassurance myself, not even sure if I should call my mentor on a Sat eve?

I'm sure it will go on for a bit, but to be fair(please don't shoot me) if you are this bad now, will you really want to be anywhere near a pregnant mum and/or newborn for about a week?
Do you have a backup? I really feel for you- it's not fair!

It might go on for a while. It might all kick off before midnight. You can't know.

I'm sure you find that when you get the call and the adrenaline kicks in your cold/flu will suddenly become a lot less noticeable, (only to return with a triple vengeance once you get back home......)

But I do think that if you've got back up you should call them. If you develop a temperature then you should stay at home.

If you have to go to her with a heavy cold take a tonne of tissues, and lots of antiseptic hand gel......

sorry, don't have back up as there's only me in this neck of the woods.

Called Lulu and had a chat with her. Have decided to go and get the kind of chemical warfare I don't usually get to deal with colds/flu so that I can minimise infectiousness. My lady knows I've got the cold so maybe that knowledge will put her body off for a bit longer and I will, of course, remind her of my less than optimal health if she does call again tonight. She's then got the option to refuse me if she feels it's not worth it. Actually I'm not feeling so bad after a nap and some food, including 1000 Vit C

I guess I was worrying that it will all kick off tonight BECAUSE we expect niggles for many days when it's a third, don't we?

Que sera sera

Am hoping your client has gone into quiet mode as you're ill. How are you feeling this morning?

Thanks Turtledove, I'm here...... just! The affliction has moved on to the streaming nose stage which I shall allow to work it's course. I see no point in masking symptoms as they are the body's way of dealing with infection. But I do have back up of Sudafed nasal spray and Benylin cold and flu if I get called out. Am taking

My lady had an uncomfortable night but still no labour. She was enjoying a hot chocolate by the sea earlier, which sounds lovely, I'm assuming it was from within a cafe..... Cos it's blowing a gale!!

Myself, I woke up at least every two hours to check my phone in case I hadn't heard a call.....