Success - Finally persuaded bean that kari-me sling is an OK place to be, managed to put away a load of laundry, make a cup of tea and she's actually nodded off in it so have two hands to type!
Agree about BF - have similar problem some days here and am wondering if I'm just too quick to whip a boob out and she's not hungry enough to do it properly, I tend to assume all crying = hunger and I suppose we're getting to the point now when it doesn't.
[Cherry] I got annoyed when MIL just wanted to gaze adoringly, I would have poked her in the eye if she's behaved like yours. Boundaries people.
Anyway can't resist temptation to type out birth story now have 2 hands (for what it's worth - more about NHS administration than the joys of birth!).
Apologies in advance this is loooong... don't feel you have to read it I just feel like I want to get it down!
I was T+1 when my waters went in the middle of the night, just turned over in bed and drenched myself. Anyway phoned hospital as per MW instructions and they advised to come down first thing in the morning as long as I was happy I could feel the baby moving still and the fluid was clear. Cue one uncomfortable night lying awake on a towel! Anyway when down to the hospital and had to have the baby monitored for half an hour plus an internal to check I wasn't making it up and was then told that needed inducing within 24 hours to prevent an infection. They said they might be able to squeeze me in tomorrow but they actually had a free slot there and then if I wanted to just stay. This took me rather by surprise as totally expecting to be sent home but DH and I talked it over for 10 mins and decided that if that was the best thing for me and the baby we would just stay. Unfortunately by the time we'd decided this the slot had gone so we where told to come back at 8 o'clock that night. All well and good so went home, DH worked from home and we went out for lunch figuring it would be our last chance for a while. Got back to the hospital and sat in the waiting room 2 hours before a midwife came and told us there was no imminent chance of a bed and while we were welcome to sit in the waiting room all night, we might prefer to go home again? So off we went! After we got home I did start to have the odd contraction so cue another uncomfortable night on the towel, waiting to see if would go into labour naturally. The hospital rang us at about 5am to say they had a bed with my name on it and to get myself up, showered, breakfasted and down there. So off we went again...
They really did have a bed this time so got another 30 mins monitoring and examination (not dilated at all) so given pessary gel and told that couldn't leave the hospital but could go wander as long as back for second gel in 6 hours. DH and I then spent all day walking laps of the hospital, timing the contractions (which did get about 5 mins apart and lasting a minute but then seemed to stop completely by late afternoon 
. We were due to be transferred from the induction ward to delivery suite at about 7pm to get hooked up to the drip and get going hopefully but surprise, surprise no bed on delivery suite! Getting more and more frustrated at this point and DH getting rather knarked off as they're made such a big deal about needing the induction within 24 hours and now well over this. Didn't help that two other ladies jumped ahead of us in the queue by cheekily going into established labour first 
. Anyway after another million laps of the hospital we got transferred at 3am. Tea and toast dispensed and drip put up (twice by MW incorrectly resulting in big swelling on the back of both hands and then successfully by the doctor in my wrist although he did manage to spill blood all over me and the bed!). Anyway still not dilated at all but when they checked 4 hours later had got to 2cms and contracting now every 2 mins. DH having great fun watching the monitor and telling me when I was having a contraction and how bad it was... very helpful but kept him amused. At this point they 'let' me have some gas and air (although made great show of pointing out normally they wouldn't! - until now had just been using my tens machine and had been given paracetamol + codine). There was then a shift change and the new MW told me that I was on a far higher infusion rate than they would normally put a first time mum on (no-one was sure why!) but as baby and I were coping they were going to leave it as it was and it would probably take about 6 hours off my labour. Everyone kept telling me I was doing really well with the pain relief and to be honest I thought they were being nice, it was only afterwards I was told an induced labour is 40% more painful (although how they can be that specific I've no idea!)
Anyway when I was checked again after another 4 hours (by the MW then the student MW) I was 6 cms and the MW told me they would check again in 4 hours but she would be very surprised if hadn't delivered by then so to call her back if I started to get a sensation of pressure in my bum. By this point I was totally delirious on the gas and air and I bit confused (at one point I asked DH if we were in France) and I asked DH to get her back as I felt a lot of downward pressure already and had no idea what would be different (plus I was going to ask about more pain relief..). Anyway when I told the MW this she asked if she could examine me again and then asked the student to get the delivery kit! (So no time for more pain relief!) I found the next bit a bit scary and overwhelming, felt like I had no control over my body and when she told me she could see the head and the baby had lots of hair I burst into tears as it was suddenly so real. When it came to the actual pushing I was absolutely spent and really didn't feel like I had the energy to do it, we tried as many different positions as you can lying flat on your back on a delivery bed (so much for all that prenatal yoga!) but it felt like a real one step forward, two steps back affair! After I'd been going an hour they said they would have to get a doctor but that I was so close they wanted to let me go a bit longer so once the shift leader had OK'ed it I just kept going and after about 1hr 20mins I managed it. The MW got me to lean forward to watch once the head was out and that bit was amazing. The baby was turning towards the midwife but then of her own accord decided to turn the other way and sort of shoved with her shoulder to twist 180 degrees and emerge facing dad. Obviously has a mind of her own. Anyway needless to say she was perfect and it was all worth it! It's true I have forgotten the pain although I do remember the placenta being delivered very clearly as it was absolutely disgusting and hurt! The MW did give us a little tour of it though and said she could tell I'd had a nice healthy diet while pregnant and not smoked just from looking at it
So there you go - thanks for reading if you made it to the end!