Due end of June/start of July - Thread 2

[Millettmum]

@Bikbikmum @Goodgoodthings @LassoOfTruth
Think the other thread is now full so started this one, please tag who I've missed in the group.

@Bikbikmum
Thank you x

The balloon only got me from two to three cm, they then broke my waters then onto the drip.

Drip doesn't sound like fun... But guess it many you made progress!
Congratulations on the arrival of baby Ella, lovely name xxx

Congratulations @Millettmum! Wonderful news! Welcome to the world baby Ella x

Congratulations @Millettmum ! So pleased for you and hoping you’re doing really well with little Ella 💕

@Bikbikmum hope you’re doing well this week and looking forward to Wednesday, she is going to be coming soon and it will be worth every second of the wait!

@Goodgoodthings @LassoOfTruth @Millettmum hi ladies, hope you are all ok. As we speak, I am 41+3 (40+10) and I don't think I will have a home birth. I had 2 sessions of acupuncture, 3 sweep attempts. I think baby is just too comfy in there, no signs of labour. Yesterday, midwife told me that my cervix was high and she couldnt reach properly. They booked me mandatory induction appointment on Saturday when I am 40+12. Baby was 4kg (8lbs 14 oz) when I was at 40 weeks. I am sure she is bigger now.

I now need advice please. I dont know what to do and I am so scared.

My gut feeling tells me not to go for an induction now after 40+12 because I dont think my body will be ready for birth because of pessaries or by breaking waters. Baby is big now and we will be stressed unneccessarily. I thought may be c section is a better option for me now. I am still not sure what would be the hospital policy, but if she is not coming, there is no point to spend couple of days at antenatal ward, trying to induce me. What was your experience? What do you think?

Will c section be more problematic for recovery? Should I take all the pain and stress and still try to have a vaginal birth? Should I still try water birth at hospital this time? What would be my chances, I might end up c section anyway isn't it?

I still have my pool ready in my living room and I am crying...

Tomorrow I will see midwife again for a sweep. But I honestly dont think it will change anything.

Oh @Bikbikmum you poor thing. It's impossible to predict how labour will go, eh? I gambled this time on going for a natural birth (I was sooo close, the pool was ready and waiting!) and still ended up with another C-section. I can only say, try not to focus on the bits that aren't going to plan. My 3-day labour wasn't successful but it did probably prepare Dylan for life outside. And all that matters is that you and your little girl are safe and well. Talk through the options with your midwife. My recovery this time has been harder with less time in hospital and a toddler at home. But then I'm sure if you have a tear/stitches that's no picnic either. If it helps at all I do wish I'd been less stubborn and just had my elective caesarean. 🙄 But in the end I pushed for what I wanted, and actually I feel quite positive about that despite everything. I hope you can feel the same whatever you decide! X

@Bikbikmum first of all I’m sending you a huge hug! You have lots on your plate right now and I hope you’re trying to take some time for yourself to rest.

I cant speak for induction but for me I would say that I didn’t have the type of birth I had envisaged for myself at all, maybe like you with your home birth. Even though it wasn’t what I wanted, my c-section experience was a positive and beautiful one despite that being my “worst case scenario” before labour. The doctors were so gentle with me, even in an emergency and my daughter was delivered quickly and safely. My recovery is not how I thought it would be, I’m very sore and need help from my husband for now but I’m happy to take it slowly knowing she’s here. My baby was 9 lbs 7 oz so I understand the nerves about weight!

I know it must be really difficult but try to stay calm and get as much rest as you can. You are so near the end and will have your baby before you know it! How ever she comes into this world you are going to be in good hands 💜

@Bikbikmum
My induction in my eyes was my worst case scenario, but my recovery has been minimum and no instruments were needed. I've no stitches etc. Only my hips/pelvis are still painful so just waiting for those to go to how they were pre pregnancy.

@Millettmum @Goodgoodthings @LassoOfTruth thank you so much for your replies and support!

I am on a list for c section and it will be done by Monday when there is availability. They will let us know. Fingers crossed.

@Bikbikmum wishing you the best of luck lovely, i really hope that it goes well for you! Enjoy some sunshine this weekend knowing your days away from meeting your baby 💕

@Goodgoodthings thank you 🙏🏻🌸❤️

@Bikbikmum hope everything is going okay, thinking you must be about to meet your baby if you haven’t already! Wishing you lots of luck either way

How is everyone? Lack of sleep has delayed any posts from me.

Hi @millettmum, I hope you, the other posters and all the little ones are well?

Mine is an opposite story... Didn't get my pool, but equally escaped the dreaded stitches, so i'm happy with that

I lost the thread so thank you for posting.

I had a check in with my midwife 41+1 for a possible sweep after turning one down at 40 weeks exactly. My first 2 arrived at 42 and 42+1 so didn't feel ready. Midwife agreed. She's lovely, really listened and luckily agreed with my logic.

Had a bit of the plug come away on s few of the days between the 2 appointments and a couple of painfree tightenings, one as I was leaving the midwife at 12:45. I had to go to the security office to change my work parking permit and bumped into a couple of colleagues so finally headed got home (10 min drive) at about 1355, 2.

That's when the pains started. I've been induced twice, so had no idea how these things are supposed to go, I'd been told the contractions build up gradually and it takes hours to get to the hospital stage, but mum had told me to let her know when things kicked off as she was having the girls. I rang her at 14.20 then the hospital as I wanted to cancel my 5pm appointment to discuss possible induction as I didn't think it would be necessary and they'd squeezed me in to a non existant gap, contractions pretty fast by then and after a few questions they asked me to go in.

I packed a few bits for the girls, my husband drive them to Grandma's and took me to the ward for a check over this was 15:10. DH had to wait out side until I was pronounced to be in active labour. They took me in, asked for a wee sample to dip if I could and joked (nicely) to avoid having baby in the toilet. That was the point it started to feel like pushing. She checked me over, said I was fully dilated and sent someone for DH. A couple of minutes ( less than 20 mins after reaching the hospital) baby Tabitha arrived all 7lb 15 of her .

If you reached the end of my essay, thanks for reading, if not, nevermind, it's helped me straighten things out in my head

How's everyone else doing?

@Mysa74
Congratulations! Did you find this labour less intense than the inductions?

@Millettmum not really no, they were very similar really, which surprised me as I'd been warned that induction could be nasty and scarey and cause lots of problems and spontaneous births were usually slow and long winded with less chance of problems... I believed them, but it turns out not to be true for me. Ive been really lucky each time.
Bit of a long post...
I describe my inductions as one of the most boring experiences of my life, especially the first one. I went in on the Saturday and the labour ward was quite full so they left me for longer than normal between the three tablets/teabags and water breaking. It was half four on the Tuesday when the first twinge arrived, an hour later they sped up quite quickly and hurt so I thought I was getting somewhere and could cope but a midwife said they were just tightenings which really freaked me out and had me considering something more than gas and air. They were coming every minute and lasting for a minute at this point and I couldn't imagine what a contraction could be like if these were "tightenings". The ward being so full turned out to be a good thing, they didn't have a room free so sent me to the birthing unit, I literally ran there before they changed their minds and dived into the birthing pool. It was amazing! Contractions spaced themselves out and got stronger and I started making progress. She arrived at 10pm.
Second baby induction first twinge was at 10pm same day, to my mind it got serious at 11.45, midwife didn't believe me as I could talk my way through it and said it was probably just my cervix ripening. Offered me monitoring and a check at 12.30, after 10 of the minutes I hit the call button, she checked me and said "oh, you're 9cm dear, better call your husband' baby arrived at 13.11, in the pool, ten mins after my husband reached the hospital, equally intense but faster.
Never did get to use the tens machine I'd expected to spend days prowling round the house in...

How did your experience compare, better or worse as an "old fogie"?

Hi all, like @Millettmum I've been lost in the fog of the sleep-deprived! Was hoping for an update from @Bikbikmum and hope everyone else is good too. Baby Dylan is 6 weeks old tomorrow, I can't believe it! He gave me a really good big smile at around 4am today which was lovely. Toddler DD is going back to nursery a couple of days per week from next week and I'm very much looking forward to some napping myself on those days. Poor child has been watching a LOT of TV while I have her brother permanently attached to a boob. He's a chubster!

@LassoOfTruth @Goodgoodthings @Millettmum so sorry ladies, I couldnt give you an update sooner. Thanks for tagging me and reminding me @LassoOfTruth 😇🙏🏻

Baby Mila was born on 12th July, 13 days overdue, with a c section. While I was waiting for theatre availability,(hospital was full and understaffed) my contractions started and I ended up having no food and water for almost 48 hours, no pain killers and having massive contractions. By the time they find availability on the theatre it was 3 am in the morning, I was having contractions every 5 minutes, already 3 cm dilated, I was exhausted. There was also a problem with my spinal and it took 1 hour. Finally we welcomed our lovely daughter at 4.30 am and we were over the moon. It was a bit traumatic for me, with baby blues kicked in, I didnt want to talk about my birth some time.

She is now almost 3 weeks and We still try to get used to new life with a newborn. Breastfeeding and sleepless nights are definitely a challenge.

I have donated my birth pool and I couldnt go ahead with my home birth plans in the end. She gave us first parenthood lesson that we can not plan everything ahead. Even we couldnt plan our c section and she decided when to come.

How are you? How are the babies? Hope all is well. xxx

Hi everyone @Millettmum @Bikbikmum @LassoOfTruth it’s so nice to hear from you and to see you’re doing well! Baby Mila looks gorgeous and absolutely worth the wait! I’m sorry to hear you had a tough time but glad she got here safely.

The first four weeks have flown for us and the silver lining to my husband being out of work is that he’s been home to help me as my recovery from c section has definitely been slow. Mentally I’ve been pretty low too at times, even though we’re completely in love with our baby girl. Reflecting on the birth often got me upset in the beginning and also just feeling a bit useless at home. It’s been tough! Also I’ve managed to break out in a rash all over my legs which I think is PUPPP (has anyone had this?) and it’s keeping me awake when the baby finally gets to sleep.

I’m going to venture out of the house today for the first time with my Sister in law to try to get a bit of confidence and I think it will be good for me - I’m feeling so nervous and need to break the pattern. Xx

Sorry to hear things didn't go to plan @goodgoodthings. I hope you enjoy your walk and it gives you that confidence boost. Listen for the birds if you can, take a huge breath in and then let the stresses go with the out breath xxx

@Mysa74 thank you lovely, I had such a good day and our usually very loud baby slept the whole time I was out which was a bonus! I think the sooner I could get used to things not going to plan from now on the better. I know now that all births and all babies come with their challenges and I think I naively thought before birth that if I prepared in some kind of way it would be “better”. Every day is different and I feel so so lucky to be a mom.

How are you feeling since the birth? Are your little ones loving their new sibling?

I think if you hadn't planned you'd probably have regretted that too @Goodgoodthings
Children seem to be like that... Just when you have something cracked, they throw something else at you, like the 4 week and 4 month sleep regressions!!
If you've not heard about those, read up so you're ready, just in case

Yes, Verity and Melody love their little sister and can't wait to show her off. There are going to be a lot of surprised faces as I only found out at the end of march, just as we locked down and I don'tnt really use social media