New posifrickentivity thread for pregnancy after miscarriage.

[squizita]

Hand holding and fish slapping...

Scan at 0815 tomorrow - although after a long chat with the MW she was very sympathetic but said that it sounds as if it's most likely to be the start of another MC. Oh well, at least I can have a couple of bottles glasses of wine at the weekend...

Morning all. Got me and the baby through another night so am pleased with myself for that. I thought I'd know more instinctively what to do with her but that hasn't really been the case, I suppose looking after your own newborn is different from helping out with friends' babies.

So what happened to me was this. Was wakeful through Monday night with back pain and some cramps at the bottom of my bump. Uncomfy, but was fairly used to back pain anyway. It carried on through the day with me thinking it was BH, and posting here. I met my DP's sister for lunch and we had a walk. All through this I was having pains but never noticed them going into a pattern or getting closer together or more painful.

Back at home I was resting and waiting for the electrician to finish when I felt something go down below. A couple of mins later it happened again and as I got up to go to the bathroom it gushed a bit. So I phoned DP and told him, but I could tell he thought we had ages to go. Not so! After that the pains got closer together and stronger. I had to try and pack my hospital bag, and deal with the electrician. Eventually DP got home, realised I was much further along than he thought and we went off to hospital. I was in quite a bit of pain by then and found myself making some strange noises. Felt like I might need to push. At hospital we went to labour ward, as technically I didn't qualify for the midwife centre. I got gas and air straightaway (thank god!) and they examined me. Fully dilated and ready to push. So just had to get in with it! It was hard work and I had to have an episiotomy to get baby out as she was becoming unhappy. Born at 20.47. Think we got to hospital about 7pm.

Yesterday we both had checks and were allowed home. I'm quite tired and haven't quite got to grips with breast feeding as latching on properly is a bit hit and miss, but hopefully we'll sort that out. Also do panic a bit that she is just going to stop breathing, but think that's normal!

Can't quite believe I spent a day in labour without realising and had no pain relief apart from the last bit! Now all we need to do is find a name.

Ahh lovely birth story nerdy congratulations again on your baby girl! And am rather envious of a day in labour without realising it. Hopefully I can have that when it's my turn :-)

badgers what a worrying time for you, a firm hand hold from me while you wait for your scan. Could they not see you today?
There do seem to be a lot of stories of people bleeding and cramping with otherwise healthy pregnancies, so it might be a bit too soon to rule out the possibility things are still OK. But of course it is very worrying. Can you take time off or distract yourself to get through today?

badgers so glad they're seeing you for the scan, hang in there. I'm an example of massive amounts of bleeding and still preggers so not always as it seems, I'm very much hoping so for you. Hugs x

nerdy glad you're ok! the first few days are a total blur, I think you're doing well to be able to type to be honest! I was good for nothing after having dd but then I did have fecking awful labour/emcs so maybe that was it. Totally normal to worry about the breathing thing! Enjoy your newborn cuddles xx

Wowzers Nerdy well done! :) Bonus you didn't spend hours worrying in 1st stage, and all good as you got to hospital in perfect time.

nerdy so pleased for you. Enjoy the newborn snuggles and totally normal to freak out about breathing, too much feeding, too little feeding, wet nappies, dry nappies, sleeping too much, sleeping too little. Holding too much, holding too little!!!!!

Badgers Hand holding here for you. Hope things calm down for you today and the scan tomorrow is good news. x

Gosh nerdy, well done! Congratulations. Don't let them fob you off about bf support - if you want to bf, tell your midwife you need help and keep telling her until you get it. There may be some local support groups, your MW or HV should have this info.
Don't worry about not knowing precisely what to to - no-one does, I remember lying awake the first night at home with DD in her basket, wondering what I'd done, and checking she was breathing constantly - all normal first time mum behaviour.
badgers, fingers crossed for you that all is OK. Cramping is not unusual, but bleeding means you need medical attention.
My bleeding has currently stopped, but no 'bits' of polyp seen, am going to have to call Mat hosp and ask them what they'd advise re: examination/removal, given the circs.

I've got the nt scan tomorrow pm. Am cacking it! I'd started to mc by this time last pregnancy but it took 10 days. Am petrified that baby will not be ok for no other reason than anxiety is ruling me today. Feeling teary and vulnerable.
I don't think a fish will do...a whale slap might be better proportioned xx

Thanks all for the hand holding, it really helps. I'm keeping myself v busy at work - all those trivial little jobs that stay on the to do list for weeks are now getting done with ruthless efficiency. I'm in a meeting most of the afternoon (with DH, among others - that'll be weird, we've never worked together before) and then still debating whether I want to go to band practice to keep my mind off things or just skip it and go straight home. Glad that DH is around to come to the EPU with me tomorrow though - he was really upset previously when he was away and felt he couldn't support me. At least if it is another mc then it's still relatively early.

Wowee Nerdy you must have a good high pain threshhold! Lovely to hear how it all happened and sure the bfing is just something to learn and get the hang of.

Fingers crossed Badgers gald to hear you have that support.

Joosie I think you need and a nice sit down rather than a fishslap! Maybe tell yourself you'll fret till 1pm, then have a cuppa, then do resolve to put your energy into something else. I find such tactics helpful myself x

So, I'm after some advice from those of you have had DC naturally previously, as I've never laboured. May be too TMI in places I'm afraid

Basically, last few days I think I've been having Braxton hicks. Not painful as such but I comfortable. Also have had an increase in discharge too but ok with a panty liner.

Last night an today however, I've had a horrendous lower back ache. Really sore and only better with a lot of pressure on it. Also had 4 "pains" in my belly in last hour and 15 minutes, around 2-4 mins long in length. Sort of stabbing and low down, around my c section scar, and belly going rock hard. Also had a massive increase in activity down below. Feels very damp, almost like lacy pants would be fresh from the washing machine. Doesn't smell like urine, or semen, sort of no smell but sweet too. Can you leak waters without the plug coming out?

I'm hesitant to call the midwife. I know that's what they are there for but id feel an idiot if it's just Braxton hicks and more discharge. Plus the fact I seem to be up there every 14 days too makes me worry they think I'm a time waster / hypochondriac.

Anyone have any ideas? Does it just sound like Braxton hicks? Ahhh, am only 30+4, don't want it to be labour!

MrsG as I said on the other post... give them a ring! I have heard the sweet smell can mean some fluid leak.
I know someone who leaked and they gave her injections etc' and she carried for a few more weeks.
It might be BH and discharge ... but better safe than sorry!!

mrsg call the midwife x it's prob nothing but much better to have the reassurance from a professional than from us lot :) xxx

mrsg, I only got to 7cm before I insisted on being taken to theatre (breech presentation), but I was in transition as they gave me the spinal.
The sweet fluid sounds like waters to me, and I think you can lose plugs slowly and not notice much, or never see them go but be leaking waters. It could just be a lot of discharge though. MW will ask you to put on a thick pad so that they can assess volume.
I had a lot of BH before my early labour with tightening, this is normal, but again I would be worried in your situation.
For any concerns like this, I would call the admissions unit (or whatever it is called where you are). The stakes are too high, especially at your gestation. They would rather they saw you and reassured you than that you went into prem labour and didn't come in until it is late. Call your CMW if you want first, but I would be on the phone to the hospital (although I may fall into the too-paranoid camp).

MrsGiraffe12 I would be worry about the pains and tightness. The wateriness is probably ok? If you have a show, it'd be blood.

I agree with corpore that given your EDD is not till September, you should ring the midwife team and ask for advice. Do you have a community midwife number? Or the labour ward or day assessment unit?

Also, you could be having contractions, not everyone feels a lot of pain with them. You can talk through early contractions definitely. (I was all ok through to fully dilated, managing cup of tea and biscuits)!

Hello all. Bad news from the badger camp - I started having very bad cramps and heavy bleeding with clots and tissue this afternoon, so it looks like it's all over for me this time round. I can recommend not having this stage of mc develop while you're in a video conference with 7 senior officers, incidentally - sitting there in agony feeling myself bleeding heavily (luckily I'd already put a huge pad on), the only thing that stopped me walking out was the knowledge that I'd probably faint before I got to the door. Still going for the scan in the morning just to check if it's all come away, but I think that'll be me signing off from this thread for a while. Fingers crossed for the rest of you though, and I hope I'll be back soon...

Oh badgers , I'm so sorry. Have been thinking of you all day. I hope you get all the support you need, but in the meantime make sure you give yourself plenty of time to take care of yourself physically and emotionally, and allow yourself time to take it in.

badgers you poor poor thing, how horrible to have all that going on and at work too. Definitely still have that scan, I passed clots the size of my hand fulling expecting it to be mc and it wasn't. Not trying to give false hope but just to say that the only thing that will show what's what for sure is the scan. Keeping everything crossed for you. Big hugs x

mrsgiraffe as others have said call your midwife and never worry about wasting their time, that is what they're there for xxx

badgers so sorry to hear your news. . Hoping that you can take some time and look after yourself.

mrsg it could be early labour but also the kind that can go on for weeks. But if it's waters you need to get it checked. Mw will not think you are a time waster! They saw if the BH get more regular or painful it's definitely time to call. I was one of the ones who definitely knew I was having a contraction. No question about it. But not everyone has that as what's clear from those poster above. Please call MW and don't feel silly doing it!!

badgers that sounds so horrfic you poor thing. Mc (if it is that for you) is just horrendous but never mind having to sit in that room full of people :( take care of yourself and hope you get some good answers tomorrow. Obviously I'm hoping for a miracle sticky bean in there as per cakes experience but if it's not, we hope to see you back here very soon

Mrs g - waters can go before a show yes. My show wasn't really bloody either - just like a massive slimy snot ball (pretty gross!!)

badgers hope tomorrow's scan is good news for you, so sorry for what you're going through, I understand the panic bleeding brings but as cake said it's not always bad news so I've got everything crossed for you x