Feeling a bit sorry for myself today, so have decided to start a self-indulgent thread. Anyone with similar experiences or with pearls of wisdom or with wet fish to slap me about the face is are welcome to comment.
With DD (now 3) I had an emcs after induction with pessary and drip and suspected foetal compromise after her heart rate dipped with every contraction. She was lying to my right, and came out with nasty bruising between her eyebrows and the centre of the back of her head. I felt at the time that she was stuck (SPD was way worse than contractions!).
This pg has been a dream by comparison and I was really hoping that the birth would turn out that way too. I'm afraid of induction, since I was strapped to the bed for monitoring and I had such a strong urge to get up and move to help DD get unstuck, but wasn't allowed to as the CFM failed to locate the heartbeat whenever I moved. So I've seen the consultant MW and planned my dream VBAC (see here)
However, here we are at 42 weeks with no progress. I had a sweep on Monday, Wednesday and today with shows on Wednesday morning and this morning. Cervix is 1-2cm dilated, but also still 1-2cm long. Baby's head only engaged on the way to my Monday appointment, 4/5ths palpable. It moved down to 3/5ths yesterday but has moved higher again today. I'm not in any discomfort with it. The past couple of nights I've had really seriously strong BHs that have woken me up due to the pressure on my pelvis (but not my cervix!!), but they stop as soon as I go for a pee. Any serious BH activity during the day seems to be confined to a couple of days a week, today not being one of them. I went for a swim after today's sweep and will head out in the rain for a walk soon, but I'm really at a loss as to how I can do much more to encourage labour (ball-bouncing, stool-kneeling, walking, RL tea, odd curry, floor scrubbing, acupressure points, etc.).
The consultant today raised the possibility that I Might Not Go Into Labour. And what would I prefer then? Induction or elective CS? I've to think about it over the weekend and come back with some ideas on Monday when I go for more scans/monitoring.
I'm really at a loss. I don't want a repeat CS if I can help it, particularly an emergency one. I found the recovery from the last one long and hard, and this time I have a toddler to deal with too. However, if I opt for induction, am I just sentencing myself for one? I think I'd try an epidural last time as I was just using G&A and TENS last time until 5cm dilated (when the emcs decision was made), and fear that this may further increase my chances of not being mobile and able to assist if baby's descent is less than smooth. My mum had 4 cs - there is a chance that my pelvis just isn't up to this.
Sorry, just feeling a bit about it all today. I don't feel like my body is gearing up for labour at all.