2nd time around

[Herb]

I am currently 7 months pregnant. We are really looking forward to No 2 arrival. In particular both my friend (who is 6 months pregnant)& I am getting fed up with being refered to as huge - if you are talking to a pregnant Mum are a Toddler group or activity, try having a little tact!

I feel a bit worried about ds because since ds was five months old dh has been away on and off with his job (he's in the Navy) and so ds is used to me being a constant and getting the attention from me. Now when dh cuddles me ds always wants to be in on the act trying to separate us. I just worry how he will react to another baby getting attention from me. Any other mams had experience at partners being away a lot?

Hmonty and all, I have just found out we are expecting No2. After trying for 3 months, but only really seriously for December. It will be due in September, around ds birthday give a day or two. Wonder if its twins? I did have a panic, I had started to get abit of my life back, doing things I havnt done for a while and if I hadnt fallen this month I was going to leave it for a while, which makes me feel abit bad really. But fingers crossed all will be ok. BTW only dh knows at the moment so feel very priviliged.

Joe1, congratulations...

Joe1, thats really great news, really pleased and excited for you!

Brilliant news, congratulations!

Gret news, Joe1, hopefully soon to be Joe2 or more!

Congratulations Joe1, great news. Take it as easy as a "have toddler, will travel" nanny can!

WAY-HAY!!!! Well done you (and dh, of course!) Looking forward to your pregnancy updates already!

Congratulations Joe1! You must be really pleased

Thanks all. Still have those panic and excitment feelings all going round at once. Why is it when you find out you suddenly start feeling sick and really tired? Is it because you now have an excuse and you can give into it?
But Lizzer it is all down to dh of course and his manlyness and he has had great pleasure telling everybody today.
Hope they dont have the same birthday.
Wheres Hmonty then, shes so good at helping you get rid of the panic monster?

I wonder if I can tap onto anyone else's experience on 2nd labour. Congrats Joe1 and well done to that fertile husband of yours.

With ds my waters broke 10 days before my dd and nothing else happened. Went into hospital 36 hours later, 1 cm dilated, to be induced due to infection risk. Messed around with pessaries during the day and was sent to delivery suite to go on the syntocin drip in the pm. Was given a sweep just before I left the ward.

Hooked onto to drip and hour later and my contractions came thick and fast. 2 hours later I was 10 cm and gave birth 20 mins later. So all a bit fast in the end.

How much was due to my body naturally ripening and how much to the drip? I thought you had to be a certain readiness before syntocin was any use. (My mother's waters broke 48 hours before she naturally delivered her first child and her second labour was pretty swift which might some revelance.) I am trying to work out how much slower this delivery could be? Any ideas?

I don't have any idea but have you talked to your midwife about this ? Does she have any clues ? I had a diificult first birth and I asked my midwife to review my notes and we had a useful conversation, which lead to a very different labour the second time around.
It is however quite likely that the 2nd time around will be as fast as your uterus knows how to do this now !!!
I was told to walk up and down the stairs to accelerate the dilation (it's a well known trick!)... well I went from 3 cm to 10 in less than 1 h ! So if you can, find stairs !!!!!

MalmoMum - My first pregnancy was induced a couple of days prior to 37 weeks due to pre-eclampsia (kicked in at 32 weeks with extreme blood pressue, proetin in urine, puffiness etc). The ob inserted prostoglandin gel at 11 am and commented that I was likley to have started delivery naturally in the next 24 hours anyway. Contractions started about 2 pm and ds was born 2 hours and 50 minutes later! When chatting some time later, the ob said (half jokingly) that next time I have a baby I should move into town (we live on a farm) as my second labour was likely to be even quicker. He said the induction did not affect the speed of the labour. This was only with gel though, so I have no experience of a syntocin drip! I am expecting baby number 2 at the end of April and am wondering (if I don't end up in hospital with pre-eclampsia again) if we will make to to the hospital from the farm or whether dh will have to deliver baby in the car!! Will keep you posted!

Thanks. Any livestock on the farm Chelle? Husband not offered his hand yet? My f-i-l is a doctor and delivered my husband as they were on a hillside by a fjord in Norway. My f-i-l was so enamoured of his third child that he failed to notice my m-i-l passing out with a haemorrhage. Hope they get you to the hospital on time.

My hospital notes are in the UK and we are in Sweden. The midwife has not offered any thing that seems like an opinion yet that's why I am fishing.

We did do plenty of walking the last time and sneaked off hospital premises to have lunch at Browns which I did enjoy, despite seeing it again several hours later.

Malmomum, can't you get your ex-midwife to send you a copy of your notes ? You are a special case... worth a try !

I am trying to catch up after having problems getting onto this site over the past few weeks. Just wanted to say congratulations Joe1! Hope all goes well with the pregnancy. (I seem to remember there was a thread started somewhere with all the pregnant people on it but I don't know where it is). Do you have a reason to believe it may be twins?

MalmoMum, yes we have stud cattle! The first time around DH was threatening to have the calving gear in the car in case of emergencies, and a sharp pocketknife and disinfectant in case he had to perform an emergency caesar! This time he is reading up on how to deliver human babies !

Thanks Eulalia, only that dads mum was a twin and mums dads brothers were twins just could be a possibility.

Joe, apparently twins run only through the female line, so it sounds like you are off the hook!

Lil, that is my dad and my mum

Firstly congratulations Joe1, I recall your comments on other threads about thinking about No2 and trying or not etc. You always came across as so enthuastic about wanting No2 but dithered as not wanting to be too obsessive (hope that makes sense) So it's really great news & it's really nice to be able to finally say WELL DONE!!

I'm now 18 weeeks myself (with my No2) and trying ever so hard to be positive but had a few dilemmas which makes me pretty low at times. I don't want to sadden the tone so will just ask my 2 questions that are bothering me just now and hope you experienced mumnetters will reply in your normal helpful fashion......

1. Have been told I should feel the baby move between 16 & 22 weeks but as it's my 2nd pregnancy should feel it sooner....I'm now 18 weeks & have still felt nothing. It is worrying me.(Don't seem to be getting bigger either, worried something is wrong in there)

2. with 1st pregnancy had a scan at 12 weeks that checked fluid at baby's neck for possible risk of down's. Have since moved area & this hospital don't do that...they do a blood test to screen for possible risk & if you come out high you are then offered other tests. Had the blood tests 2 weeks ago now & heard nothing...how long do these results normally take. Next ante-natal isn't until 22 weeks at end of February.

I've tried contacting my midwife but she hasn't answered my messages that I've left on the office ansaphone.

Dixie - at the hospital I went to the 16 week blood tests took four weeks to come through. HTH.

Oh, and just remembered, a couple of my friends didn't feel their baby move until much later than 'normal', it turned out that the placenta was at the front so 'shielding' them from the kicks.