question's i'm too embarassed to ask mw

[thislittlesisterlola]

A few random questions I'm not sure how I would bring up in conversation- please help. Am 36 weeks and a shy first timer...

When/ if I go in labour at home when should I have a bath? Can I still bath if my waters have broken( i thought not) / unsure if they have or not?

When could I start taking raspberry leaf tablets? I cant seem to find any definite answers to this. The dosage confuses me too. Do you start with one a day for a week then two a day the next week?

When could I take arnica tablets?

I would like some lanolin (sp) cream on free prescription as I intend to bf. I want to be organised is it too early to ask?

Tia
Lola

I wouldn't take ANY tablets unless your GP has cleared it first. I've never heard of RLT tablets but the tea tastes like shite and I know many people who have chugged it like crazy from 37 weeks and every single last one of them went at least one week overdue (one of them was me). If you want the baby to come early ask for a sweep or an induction or an ELC.

I ended up in hospital for 5 days and would've been in hell without my lansinoh, don't know about prescription but though it's expensive one tube was all I needed, I I used it a lot, I think there might even be enough left to get me through this baby too!

Raspberry leaf tea won't bring on labour - and it won't speed the first part of labour (ie dilation) BUT it is supposed to tone the uterine muscles so will hopefully mean you can push more effectively. I was 12 days late, had induction BUT was able to push DS out quickly once fully dilated, and my uterus shrunk down pretty quickly after the birth. However Raspberry leaf tea is not suitable for everyone - find out more from this Babycentre article.

I can only find this study which seems inconclusive...

As soon as I knew my waters had broken I got in the bath to help me relax, which helped. I also had an amazing home water birth a few hours later.

My midwife told me to take Raspberry leaf tablets (the tea tastes horrid) from 32 weeks, it's not meant to speed up when your baby will come, but help to soften your cervix to maybe speed up the labour itself. I started with 1 a day for the 1st week, simply to see if I felt any different, then on to 1 in the morning and 1 at night. When I got to my due date I did sneak another tablet everyday in the hope that I wouldn't be forced to go into hospital and be induced.

I got a couple of free samples of Lanolin when I attended a breastfeeding workshop when I was about 37 weeks, def worth doing if you can find 1 in your area.

Arnica apparently takes effect quite quickly so was advised to start taking once baby was born. It comes in doses of 30 and 6, I was told if you intend to breastfeed you should only take the 6.

You really shouldn't be shy to ask anything of your midwife, they certainly see enough not to worry about a few questions!

Good luck with it all.

I was told to take Arnica 200c pillulse four times a day during labour (if you can manage it), didn't take anything during active labour, and took it twice a day straight after birth.
Then tail it off to once a day depending on how you feel.

Consult a homeopathic practitioner, I keep a bottle of pillulse handy anyway along with arnica cream, comes in very handy, and really does work.

I was told raspberry leaf tea was to make second stage shorter, with DD2 second stage was 9mins. I took tablets from 37 weeks, I couldn't stomach the tea.

Re the baths, yes, have a bath after your waters go, especially when contracting. With DD1 I had 6 baths in a 24 hour period before going to hospital, I wouldn't have coped otherwise. In fact I actually fell asleep in the baths and managed to sleep through my contractions. (DP was there to keep an eye ).

With DD2 I had two baths then headed to hospital where MW ran me a piping hot bath (all my ones at home were warm as I thought they couldn't be too hot) and she soaked a towel in the water and laid it over my bump whilst contracting. It was utter bliss, I also had gas and air so that helped!

But just make sure you don't add anything to the bath.

My waters with DD1 went while I was sleeping, didn't feel anything, woke up wet, phoned the hospital and MW asked if I was sure I hadn't wet myself. I wasn't sure but I trickled all day, it was my forewaters, hindwaters were broken later. DD2 had ARM at 5cm.

Arnica 30 (in boots) and take a couple of pills daily from now, then increase once baby arrives.
Calendula ointment (weleda online) is fab for any cuts, both episiotomy and C-Sect.
RLT - load of old wives tales apparently!
Baths - completely safe to have baths, avoid bubbles etc. And feel free to wee in the bath! I had a water birth and one stupid midwife made me get out to have a wee. Having talked it over since with several other midwives, they all said I should have peed away.
I will never forget the sound of the pop inside my head when my waters went! Bizarre!

Thank you for all your advice. I will double check with mw about raspberry leaf tea and arnica incase there is a reason why I shouldnt.
I asked when she would do a sweep if need be 41 weeks she said. Was a bit gutted tbh kind of hoped she would say sooner.

Another question- nail varnish on toes can i keep that on? Someone told me i should take it off but i cant remember why.

Also these braxton hicks- do they sometimes feel like you need a poo but you dont need one? along with the tightening of bump? I've had a few of these type ones and others where its really low down period type pain with tightening of bump and constipated/ upset tummy feeling all at the same time?

Thank you for answering my questions I dont really have anyone to talk to in rl about these kinds of things. MN has been an endless resource of info and support

Numpty mum, that article was very useful thank you. I didnt know about its after birth properties as well? It may or may not work but as long as mw says its ok i'll give it a go, more so i feel im doing something. I didnt realise I would find late pregnancy so frustrating so early on and as i could have another 2 weeks after d day to wait anyhow need to curb this impatience.

Lola - try as much as you can to enjoy your time and get some rest now! Yes, the wait may well take longer, in a way it's probably better to think to yourself that it WILL be later than your due date as that way you won't be disappointed when 10 days go past (speaks one who went to 40+12 and had 2 sweeps). Now that I am 36wks pregnant with DC2, the fact that I have a nearly 3yo DS keeps me busy and my mind off the wait, but on the other hand it's pretty tiring! So enjoy your time while it is your own...

Re your other questions, no idea re nail varnish.

Re braxton hicks I don't think I had them first time round and honestly don't know if I've got them this time, so can't help! However perhaps check it with mw esp if you want to take raspberry leaf tablets, in case it tones up your uterus more than you'd like! Although I said earlier many first babies are late, it's not always the case; some first time labours are early and/or quick... Not suggesting though that having BH indicates this; just that every labour is different.

Re a sweep, hosp only start to be concerned when you go around 7-10 days over your due date; I don't think a sweep will bring on labour, except if your body is already heading that way. So they won't sweep earlier, as if your body is ready you'll have already gone by then, and if not there's no point. It's really just to encourage the natural process along a little...

thank you numpty for your kind words and advice. Its odd having me time. I am very grateful for it just takes some time to get used to.

Nail varnish - you aren't meant to have nail varnish on if you have a general anaesthetic, so that might have been why (apparently it interfers with monitoring devices, and they look at the colour under your fingers to see roughly what your oxygen levels are), but you are very very unlikely to have a general anaesthetic, and I have never heard of being told not to wear nail varnish in late pregnancy! I'm sure I had nail varnish on my toes when I gave birth!

Why did you hope that you'd get a sweep sooner than 41 weeks?

The nail polish is frowned upon in case of a crash cs when general anaesthesia would be administered.

It's a case of hurry up and wait when the final weeks roll around, isn't it? You'll look back and marvel at having the time to actually finish a thought one of these days.

The best thing you could do with your time is research breastfeeding as thoroughly as possible.

Hi my waters popped at 11pm and contractions started at 6 am i remeber getting the bath a couple of times to ease pains.

I took raspbery leaf tablets from 37 week i think just 1 a day, DD came 5 days early dont know if this had anything to to do with it or not lol

hello me again! Update will get a sweep at 41 wks if im late. Its not that i wanted one before hand i just naively didnt know much about them. Am working my way through lots of info on breast feeding. Mw did say for optimal birth (even though he is head down already) if his back was on my left side rather than my right labour would be shorter tad confused on that one. Also on my notes im 3/5 relationn to brim i assume that means he's in my pelvic but still a bit free?

i would also like to say thank you for all your advice. I feel a lot more confident so thank you This is much safer than googling!