Pregnant with no. 3 / 4 / 5...?!

[LimeLeafLizard]

Just wondering if anyone else is pg with their 3rd, 4th, 5th, or more?!

I am newly pg with baby number 4 and finding it a bit different this time.

Yesterday I flicked through a couple of magazines but the content didn't seem that relevant to me. I am quietly happy but not nearly as excited or nervous as I was before, especially the first time.

I know what kind of birth I want (same as the last two times) and I don't need to buy any stuff, so there doesn't seem so much to think about, at least until the scan.

I am also a bit worried about how other people are going to react when we tell them. There seems to be a general view that wanting 4 children must make us mad.

Hope I am not alone?!

nar I get lots of 'are you mad comments followed by them telling me how much work it will be etc, ha as if I don't know what's involved! Absolutly everyone asks if it was planned but at this point does that matter? If it was such a huge difficulty and I really hadn't felt I could have it people would never know that it had happened!

Fortunately there has been a baby boom at the school gate and there are 4 of us currently expecting no 4. No one wants to upset a group of nackered hormonal women and their army of children.

Oh moon forgot to say I have fingers crossed for you! Really hope you have some baby news soon and you get the homebirth you want x

at your school's baby boom, apple... safety in numbers is the way to go!

Sorry you're feeling so fed up Moon, I've been there and know how demoralising it is to still be waiting. It really can't be too long now, though, a few more days at most. Will you go for induction?

Thanks so much for your thoughts everyone.

Spoke to mw at lunchtime. She says home birth still fine up til end of Wed so if anything happens in next 48 hours then still on with plan A. Have decided I will have sweep tomorrow at mw appt. been twingey on and off for couple of weeks so hopefully cervix will be favourable. At the appt. they will make a further appt for me at hospital on Thurs for an assessment - monitoring baby etc and talk about induction.

If all's well then they will offer monitoring every day until baby arrives or we go for induction. Absolutely do not want to be induced but if monitoring shows it's advisable then obviously will. Hopefully won't go that far and feeling much better for having talked things over with mw and now knowing there's a clear plan ahead.

Oh Moon I'll keep my fingers crossed for you having it VERY soon. I'm booked in for a homebirth and would be gutted if I couldn't due to being overdue. Surely the sweep will do the trick, it did for me last time [hgrin]

I've got 12 days until my due date and have never felt so lazy!

Ooh good luck moon and shelly

4kids congratulations hope you and baby are both doing well.

Moon keeping my fingers crossed that things start to happen for you soon.

Shelly Not long left now.

Oood We are most definitely on are last although we said that after dc2 and dc3. This time I feel very different I could not put myself through this again I have found pregnancy difficult this time. Dh will be going to get the snip after christmas. However I sat on the bed the other morning after my shower looked at my little bump and said to dh "this is it I will never do this again" this made me feel[hsad]

Apples hope the first day of half term has not been to noisy.

Well ds2 came down with chicken pox yesterday and is feeling very sorry for himself. I rang the MAU to check if I would be ok they told me that I should be fine if I have had them. Have my 34 week appointment with mw tomorrow so just going to check with her.

Aww cherry hope your ds is ok. My dd hasn't had it yet and one of my worries is she will pick it up when baby is little.

Half term a bit stressful so far! Got them all making glitter pictures yesterday and they were really good but by evening they'd gone a bit mad and I ended up shouting! Trouble is I'm tired and not feeling very mobile.

Today I had a wierd turn in asda. Just getting to the checkout I was already feeling a bit stressed by dcs but then I started to get a really strong period pain - not contractions but a really low ache in my bump and top of my legs. Have put dcs in front of telly and got my feet up and it's gone and I feel better but it's worried me.

Baby moving loads and have midwife tomorrow but has anyone else ever had this? Am inclined to think I was just over doing it.

Cherry DS2 had chicken pox when I was pg with DS3, and did a bit of research. If had it, and are otherwise healthy, you should be fine (but worth checking the symptoms of shingles just in case!). There is a risk to baby if it is born before your DS2 is better - but hopefully since you are 34 weeks you should be fine on this front. The nhs website was quite helpful.

Apple I'd also be inclined to think you were just overdoing it. It is half term here too, and I was knackered after yesterday, and also feeling heavy and achy in that area. But it doesn't hurt to get checked out, especially if it happens again. I have the MW tomorrow too so I might ask the same thing!

Hi all

Had sweep this afternoon, mw said 2-3cm dilated already so fingers crossed things kick off really soon. She said cervix was very soft baby's head right there and predicted an arrival tomorrow - we'll see. Also now have offical sanction for home birth til Friday as that's first day hospital day assessment unit can see me. Am feeling so much more positive and relieved - this baby WILL be here by Friday! Thanks for all the positive messages, helped me decide to go for it, plus mw was very kind and wise, really glad right now that I decided to go ahead.

Apple I think I remember having a couple of smiliar achey experiences to the one you describe. Try and take it easy and see what mw says, all was OK with me. Easier said than done during holiday time!! So glad my parents are here this week to amuse the children for me.

Shelly hope all's well and your home birth happens nice and spontaneously on or imediately after your due date! Have you had a home birth with any of your others? This 3rd baby is definitely our last (she says...) and I so want my birthing experience to end with another lovely home birth.

To all those who've had them - how quickly did things start after your sweeps???

Moon This is my first homebirth, anytime now would be lovely, I'm so ready [hgrin] I also said that after my third and here I am again....... 24 hours labour started after my sweep with my third, I was 38 and a half weeks.

Good luck x

Apples I had a funny turn in asda a few weeks back and had some weird pains, I put it down to having done to much. I would still mention it to the mw when you go even if just to put your mind at rest.

Lime I have had both chicken pox and shingles so hoping I am ok. Had a mw appointment today and she took some blood just to check.

Moon Hope the sweep works and you are cuddling your new baby soon.

Mw said today that she thinks baby is breech is this something I should worry about at 34 weeks and that I am measuring 2 weeks behind. Have been having growth scans all the way through and baby is measuring fine.

Moon glad the sweep went well - hope things kick off for you tonight. I started having regular (but not frequent) contractions very soon after my sweep but I have very long labours so it was about another 24 hours before it got going properly and 36 hours before I had my baby.

Cherry sounds like you'll be fine then. Hope DS is better soon.

DS2 was breech at 36 weeks. We decided we'd go for an ELCS if he didn't turn - but then at 37 weeks he did turn. It was a massive, uncomfortable and very noticible feeling - confirmed at check up scan a few days later. So hopefully you've enough time yet for your baby to turn. What does your MW say?

Good luck Moon and Shelly, I've never had a sweep. I went into labour a few hours before I was due to have one last time! I will hopefully get a sweep at 37/38 weeks this time though.

Baby's head is right down now and I've been getting sciatica and some really unpleasant shooting pains in my bladder. It feels a bit like the baby is squeezing it with both hands! [hshock]

Oh god the bladder pains! Totally sympathise with you on that one Seymore.

Had loads of tightenings and achey pains last night but that's all completely stopped now.

My mw did say weeks ago that 3rd babies are the most unpredictable and often arrive only after a very long latent phase. Looks like she was spot on when it comes to this 3rd baby.

Sigh.

Cherry have you found the spinningbabies website? I'm told it's really useful.

moon I was told that when I went into labour with no 3! I wish I'd been warned earlier as dd also proved her right. Lots of niggling before I finally (24 hours later) started to make progress. In the end my waters had to be broken for me and literally washed dd out! It was a homebirth and in the end was so quick no one managed to put anything down to protect sofa and it had to be replaced!

Mw didn't seem too concerned by yesterdays asda incident and agrees stress probably the cause.

Am having a grumpy/low day. Tired, achy,SPDy and now getting stabby cervix pains now. Had loads in last pregnancy but later than this.

Hey Ood having a grumpy day too. Can really sympathise with you SPD can be just awful

Oh Apple thanks for that really hope something gets going soon and is nice and speedy when it does. Has your achey pain gone? Glad mw was unconcerned.

Am going demented here, 11 days over - I would NEVER have believed it would go on this long. Sob.

Evening everyone. Am still alive (just!). Has taken a few days for things to settle down!

Finally ended up having Harry Sunday evening. Basically got let out of hospital Sat night at about 8pm after the BP issues. Finally got a decent nights sleep Sat night, but woke up around 5am by contractions starting, which basically got worse throughout the day. Tried to hang on at home for as long as possible, but went to hospital about 7pm - was about 6cm by this point (apparently!). Things progressed pretty quickly but got a bit manic as they decided I was very dehydrated and started trying to shove in drips ect. Then bit of a hairy moment at the birth as babys heartrate went through the floor so had all sorts of people running in at the last minute - not that I actually noticed (DH informed me thats what happened afterwards!) and baby was born at 8:20pm.

Ended up having to stay in 24 hrs as Harry needed to be monitored due to the medication they had given me for the BP problems (would have been nice for them to mention this in advance!) He is doing well since we have been home though.

It seems to be taking me quite a while to get over the birth though. I have been in agony with what I assume is just afterpains - although I had these with the others this is definately much worse this time - am struggling to do very much at the moment but hopefully this will improve soon [hconfused]

Moon I had a sweep while in hospital on Friday lunchtime, and I'm sure this helped a bit with speeding things along, so fingers crossed things will happen soon for you.

Evening all,

Your birth story sounds like it had a few dramatic moments, 4kids, but glad to hear that Harry is doing well now. Have you spoken to your MW about afterpains? I know they get worse as you have more children, but nonetheless it is worth checking that you are all OK, with bleeding etc. Hope you can take it easy - how long has your DH got off work?

I had a long latent phase with DC3 too - but all my labours were long, one way or the other!

Ood, sorry to hear you're having a bad day. These aches and pains would make anyone grumpy, it is hard to explain to the non-pregnant world just how much it gets to you sometimes.

Apple, glad your MW agreed about your achey pain. I completely forgot to ask mine because I was too busy asking her about the GTT. I also forgot to ask about the Whooping Cough vaccine - but I'll see her again at 28 weeks so I suppose I can ask then.

Moon Thinking of you x

Eeek Moon fingers crossed for you still

I had never heard of this thing about 3rd labours before this pregnancy, mine was really quick and no problems what so ever, hope it's like that again as it was so easy!

9 days until due date for me, nothing in the 'signs' department yet, lots of eye rolling everytime I see clean knickers lol Ah well, not long now............

Evening everyone. Have updated my user name

Am feeling a little better today with the afterpains and back ache, so hopefully things are settling down now! Limeleaf fortunately DH has 3 weeks off, as he had the week off for half term, and will start his 2 weeks paternity next week, so we have a bit of time to get sorted before he goes back to work.

moon everyone told me about the unpredictable 3rd babies too. I had contractions on and off with my 3rd from about 33 weeks - I had quite a few panics that he would come early - he ended up being my latest at 39 weeks! On the plus point when I went to the hospital in labour with him they told me I was only 3cm, and I had him within 2.5 hours, so was relatively quick once things got going!

Hi 5kids! Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better, and that is great news about your DH having 3 weeks off in total - it will make it easier I'm sure, give you time to settle down and physically recover a bit more before you start with school runs etc.

Still thinking of you Moon, and Shelly sending birth-y thoughts your way too!

Well went to see the midwife for 5 day check today and BP was back up again. Got to go back tomorrow to get it checked again...

Told her that I didn't feel great still - today was the first time I have actually left the house since getting home from hospital - I know with my others I was definately feeling much better and up to pottering around the shops and stuff. Will see what happens tomorrow. On the plus point Harry was fine with his weight loss so at least something is going right! Just need to feel better - there is no way I could currently look after all the kids on my own at the moment, so very good thing that DH has another 2 weeks off work.

Things have been very quiet from Moon - does that mean something is possibly happening?!

Oh and midwife today also said that the injection you get to help deliver the placenta quickly can make the afterpains much worse. Nobody ever told me this - she said if I have any more babies then to consider not having injection unless really necessary. I quickly replied that there were no more babies as DH has had the snip already . Didn't know if that info is of use to anybody else though - the afterpains this time have been horrendous