Mmm, cankles. Word to the wise; if they're starting to appear, put your feet up and get some rest. Otherwise your MW will start wittering about protein and flashing lights and you will find yourself donating quite literally pints of pee-in-a-pot until the day you deliver.
I have hired a TENS machine but no idea if I will want to use it or not - my pain threshold is generally pretty high but the one type of pain I have had a mare with in the past was period pain and I know from the mc that that is how it's likely to feel, at least for the first bit. So I may cave in at the first proper twinge and beg for an epidural.
Interesting epidural fact for the day (as relayed to me by the MW yesterday) - at my hospital they start you on a relatively low dose and generally if you're just labouring with it rather than in theatre, you can still kneel up on the bed etc and get into a good active birth position (with some assistance). Which is a far better place to be than flat on your back. Interesting induction drip thingy fact - it is not a given that they will ramp it up every half an hour and you can tell them to leave it be or even turn it down if you are finding the contractions too much or just want a bit more time to get used to them.
Theoretically I have an induction date booked for next Saturday night but in the real world, there's no way I'm going to do it unless there's a real medical reason to go ahead. Apparently also, if I go over 42 weeks I can still have a home birth if I just tell them I am not coming in. Buahahahaha. Not sure the MW should have told me that but she's been very good at discreetly reminding me that it's all my choice and nobody at the hospital can tell me what I can or cannot do. Hoorah!
Welcome and congratulations! :)
Minnie I second the gaviscon. I swig it straight from the bottle. The peppermint double action liquid is the business - I think you can even get it on prescription (i.e. free). Tis the nectar of the gods. 