Beginnings of labour? Should I feel this bulge down below?!

[ExquisiteChristmasCake]

My due date is today. Already had a ds (20mo). Woke up with chronic back ache and cramps at the top of the thighs, chilled out today with my TENS machine (having a home birth so not much else to do). The pain has subsided to be a bit dull, but I am suddenly acutely aware of a bulge in my fanjo. It feels as though there is a grapefruit pressing against it from the other side...could this be the head and is it normal to feel this? Or could it be my waters?

Ds was an easy labour (woke up 10 cms gone and literally began to push whole ordeal was over in a few hours) so I "missed" the beginnings of labour and have no idea what I should be expecting. I know not to bother my midwife to come out until I have contractions/a show (have rung to let her know I'm feeling a bit weird though).

Is it normal?

on my birth thread, they're all racing against me!
they will all give birth on there before me.

I don't think I've ever known so many expectant women in one place ever before!
maybe we could be in the Guinness World Records?

if your baby's back-to-back, ECC, try being on all fours for a little while. I can always feel Isbn roll over when I do that.
:)

hoep you get lots of bargains in Tesco.

Stay positive ECC. Its always hard when you don't know how much longer you have to tolerate the pain, but just imagine holding your precious little baby in your arms, each time you feel you've had enough.

And while I appreciate we may not be your first priority, please keep us updated. I imagine I wasn't the only one rushing back from the school run this morning to check your thread. Thank God its not a work day for me!

I'm a midwife. Well, I've been on MN for 7yrs, which is a qualification in its own right. It'll do.

What an exciting thread. When I attempted a homebirth, I managed about 4 posts on MN. 3 of them were 'fuuuuuuuck'.

I can confirm Waitrose/The Partnership are usually fairly generous if babies are birthed in-store...though I'd pick John Lewis. You at least can have a bed there...Waitrose, you might get a stack of bog-roll to lie on...
I can also confirm however, that there are rarely any trained MWs in store (though one of our firt aiders was very excited at the thought of birthing my baby! Hell-no!), and they will just call you an ambulance... M&S are supposed to be very generous too.

ECC FX for you...I know I HATE shopping, so it's an interesting tactic!

so how many babies are we expecting today? my record is 3 in one shift. i was knackered.

Now you lot. Get crawling.

this is more exciting than amazon black friday and the coke lorry combined

Just to answer cervix's question - me! I'm going in to be induced in an hour having made it to 40+14 without this baby even slightly engaging. Have really loved lurking on here when I couldn't sleep last night.

So, I don't think I'll have a baby today but am very much hoping! :o

Oh ECC I was sure the baby would be here by now.

Supermarket sounds like a good plan. I went to Asda on the bus and back and did a full shop whilst in early stages of labour with DD. Thought it best to make sure we were stocked up, ready for nesting once she arrived, which she did 12 hours later.

Couldn't have done it in second stage as was marching/crawling round the room crying out.

Glad your mum is with you just in case, if you tactically give birth in the baby clothes isle maybe they will give you some for free!

Best of luck!

Get dilating ECC!

My waters went at 5am and have been sent away by the hospital

Now off to waitrose.

Ooooh exciting Iggly!

A bogof birth thread!

Looks like Pottering will be first!

I'm overdue (and from nickle's thread) with some mild symptoms but nothing exciting or regular. I'm living vicariously through the birth threads in hope something will happen one day here... it can't stay in forever can it!

Could you pop across to Halfords, OP? I new some free wheel trims for the kit car LOL!

Get yourself to a boots ! have baby there ... they have painkillers , and babyclothes . .

Cant believe babycakes hasnt arrived yet .

I'm due in 5 weeks, could you possibly squeeze it out before me? Ta

Ooh igglys wanting in on the action !

How you feeling iggy , are you niggly ?

< think you should go hang around in pram shops ...bugaboo section >

Didn't even consider free stuff...! :)

Do you think the hospital will let me out to nip to the metro centre for a bit and just hang around... :o

h bloody hell. does this mean this afternoon is going to be mental busy? not that it isn't wondeful but please space them out a bit women!

I just read this whooooole thread, didn't let myself cheat and skip to the end, got here and there's no baby yet! Hope you're doing OK OP!

"if your baby's back-to-back, ECC, try being on all fours for a little while. I can always feel Isbn roll over when I do that." That's what I meant by hands and knees. Nicklebabe put it sooo much better.

Hope you're ok OP

DD2 was born face up (back to back) in February, and it was fine. Far less pushing required than for DD1. I have my legs fingers crossed for you and Babycake

What still no babycake?

Hugo would be an excellent name for a little boy cake of 9 pounds exactly, born at 4.52pm (sorry)

Crikey ECC! Good luck. You are being remarkably calm about the whole thing.

Hope the baby comes soon without any need for probing

Scare some people while you are in Tesco too, lot's of huffing and puffing.

ooh Iggly! Good luck too

Marks place.

Fingers crossed it doen't take 84 hours like my first