November babies - getting close now...

[KatieKat88]

Thought I'd post another November babies thread as I haven't seen one in ages. I'll be 31 weeks tomorrow and it's starting to feel very real now! Not that the crazy heartburn and ever expanding bump wasn't enough of a reminder... anyone else due in November and want to chat?

Our baby girl arrived safely today, we are so in love. Looking forward to seeing all the other new arrivals over the next few weeks!

Congratulations @ruralcat!

Ah @LKH27 I totally get it, I am having an ELCS due to anxiety too. My midwife said I should let the anaesthetist know so that they can put some kind of sedative in there too? I'm sure I will be very anxious when mine is approaching though. Have you made a playlist? I've got one that I spent quite a long time on and I listen to it quite a lot so I'm thinking it will help me relax when in there. Just think, it will be over so quickly and you'll have your little bundle, and an ELCS really is the safest thing you can do for both of you.

Big hug for you 🤗🤗

Congrats to everyone who had has their babies, I'm just joining this thread, I've an induction booked for the 25th of November meaning high chance baby being born on my birthday with is the next day as DS1 was born only 12 hours after being induced 🤣 I am feeling so much pressure and swelling down below and I'm 34+5 weeks now with baby weighing in at 7lbs 3oz and measuring at 40 weeks, my DS1 was 10lbs 10z so gearing up for another chunky baby 😭🤣

@leomama81 I had my pre-op discussion with the anaesthetist on Monday so he is aware of the anxiety and we spoke about strategies to help. He even said that if it all got too much then he could put me under general. I said, so even if I saw baby come out, husband cut the cord and then when they were stitching I said put my under I could do that. He said yeah, unless there was like 5 mins to go. I obviously don't want to go under as hubby would have to leave, but at least he would have seen the baby and cut the cord and then can go look after it while I'm being stitched. So knowing that was a last option for me made me feel a bit better about it all really.
We haven't got a set playlist but we have an artist that we will play. Have a specific song for hubby cutting the cord, and after that, I don't mind which songs come on from the artist as we both love them. So that should help.
It's definitely the best option for me, and baby is breech anyway, so would need one whether I wanted natural or not.
I just can't believe that I can officially say tomorrow I am having a baby! Argh!!

@ruralcat congratulations! How do you feel?

Congratulations @ruralcat

@LKH27 best of luck for tomorrow. It sounds like you've got everything in order to make it the best possible experience - got of to hear the anaesthetist is on your side 👍

I'll be interested to follow how those of you that have had ELCS are recovering in advance of my own next week!

Good luck today @LKH27 hope all goes well and you have a fast recovery :)

Happy Halloween everyone!

Thank you everyone. We're settling in at home well, I'm just taking time out from everything to really enjoy her.
Good luck everyone who has upcoming sections.

Good luck @LKH27!

How is everyone getting on?

Does anyone know if getting a lot of Braxton Hicks means you are likely to go into labour soon? I ended up in MFAU last night, sent there from my Midwife's appointment, they suspected my waters were leaking which they are not apparently but I was found to be having 3 contractions every 10 minutes! They decided I was not in early labour though but just BH and sent me home. Have had a lot more today and I'm wondering if it's a sign that things are happening. I'm not due till the 25th but I can't see him staying put till then (he's also an estimated 7lb 2oz already).

I finished work today, thank goodness, wouldn't mind a little time before he arrives but on the other hand I am extremely uncomfortable!

Hope everyone is doing well, thinking of you @LKH27 xx

Not much to report here other than our doula recommended trying to start expressing colostrum in advance of the ELCS so I've been having a go and it's all a bit weird!!! 😵

@leomama81i don't think so from when I was hunting around the internet last week for signs of labour after my waters started trickling. With you on the uncomfortable thing - really fed up of head in my ribs now! Still not feeling particularly prepared though at the prospect of an early arrival!

Hello everyone!
So baby girl decided she didn’t want to wait until Wed for the ELCS and waters went just after midnight Tue morning! Was scary and shocked at that was at 38+6! We’re completely besotted with our 6lb 6oz bundle of joy!
For those that are interested in life post ELCS I can say that my positive of the op was really positive and I was genuinely so nervous going into the op and the whole way through, basically until they said it had been a success and I knew baby was ok! Recovery has been, I won’t lie, tougher than expected although that could be because I struggle with being slower! Wound is very sore and I’m finding getting in and out of bed the worst!

@Unsureursula ah congratulations! And thank you for the update - are you home yet?

Congratulations @Unsureursula hope you’re all doing well.

And happy due month to everyone else! 🥰🤰🏼

Congratulations @Unsureursula! Hope you start feeling better soon.

Thanks @Weathergirl1, that's useful. Just really worried about missing early symptoms I think because I'm having an ELCS so I have to get there ASAP. He's also back to back so I'm worried about almost missing that the contractions are getting more painful/real because a lot of the pain is in my back. Basically I'm just worried about everything! 😂

Happy due month everyone too! X

Ps good luck with the expressing @Weathergirl1, I can't get my head round that tbh, let us know how you go!

Is everyone on mat leave now/pretty much there?

Hi @Weathergirl1 I'm also expressing colostrum at the minute. It's so weird isn't it? Not sure if I'm even getting much, have a measly 5mls collected from 3 days of expressing

It is meant to be useful though, so I'll persist with it

@kittyz I've got two syringes so far, so 2ml but ran out of syringes that our doula gave us so had to get a friend (male friend who is now presumably going to be spammed by recommendations for related products 🤣) to do a speedy Amazon Prime order for me - will start again this evening!

It is very very weird! I actually managed to fill the 2nd syringe quite quickly as I was up overnight again and noticed that I was leaking - much faster. So now I'm on leak watch! I have noticed though that at the moment it's one side or the other - are you finding that?

@Unsureursula congratulations, I'm guessing our baby girls were born on the same day!

@Weathergirl1 - well done for getting that much! Oh god yeah! My right one is super productive, but the left is a bit slow - today I massaged the left one a lot more, and used moisturiser on my hands and sort of pressed down from the top of the boob to just before the areola to encourage it to move down to the nipple - seemed to help. Was looking at the youtube clip that the lactation consultant recommended I watch, but the girl on the video had loads of colostrum! I'll link it here if anyone would like to see it

med.stanford.edu/newborns/professional-education/breastfeeding/hand-expressing-milk.html

Ha ha, can only imagine the amazon recommendations after that purchase!

Thank you everyone!! Yes we got home Thursday...honestly I was glad they recommended the second night as the hospital I attend usually discharge after 1 night and I completely wasn’t ready!
Thinking of you all on the countdown and hope you’re all getting some rest!

@leomama81

I am also due on the 25th and this week have been experiencing BH for the first time. I actually woke up from the pain and felt like period cramps but it then calmed down and went away, I saw the midwife the next day and she confirmed it was BH but said it doesn't mean labour is anytime soon.

Also had a growth scan this week as baby measurements seemed static, baby all fine and estimated weight 6lbs 4 at 36+4 but he has lowered himself down my pelvis but not engaged yet.

Has anyone been booked in for a sweep? I have been booked in when I am 40+3 incase he hasn't arrived.

Thank you everyone. We had a baby boy called Fynn. He was 10lbs...although doesn't actually look that amount, still looks quite small and is fitting easily into newborn clothing and nappies.
We got home last night and I was struggling with the incision and moving then. On nurofen today which I asked if I could take instead of paracetamol. Seems to be a better day with moving. Still not easy, but easier to move.
Feeding and everything has been good with wee man - breast feeding at the moment. Hoping it lasts for the milk coming in, but if not then we will go to bottle.
Now to adjust properly to being on our own with Fynn and seeing what each moment brings.

@LKH27 ah congratulations! Hope everything goes well in the next few days 🤞

Great news @LKH27! I did see a post on the FB group that I thought was you but wasn't sure. Glad all going well and hope the moving eases up more and more.

@Dramaofallama thanks, that is useful to know. Yes, they can be really quite painful sometimes!

Congrats @LKH27 what a lovely name. Wishing you all all the best.