🍼👶🏼👣 MAMAS DUE OCTOBER 2021 👣👶🏼🍼

[MyGrassIsBrowner]

Hey ladies, thought I'd start a thread for all us mamas due October 2021! Whether you're on your first or your tenth child, let's share our journey together!

My due date is officially 8th October and this is my second baby girl 💜 My DD is 15 months old so I'm gonna have two under two.. god help me 🙉
I'm actually booked in for an elective section this time (reason being is that I have low grade rectocele prolapse and I'm petrified that another vaginal birth will make it worse) my first labour was 4.5 hours from start of initial contractions to birthing her - textbook waterbirth on paper pretty much. I am however starting to reconsider my decision and go for my original plan of a homebirth. DH has just landed a new job only 15 mins away so it changes a lot. Any other ladies looking to try for a homebirth? I know for me personally it takes a lot of the strain off finding childcare, given how quickly I laboured first time round!

Cant wait to hear your stories and share these last few months of our pregnancies with each other! ❤

Hey lovelies, just wanted to drop in for a quick catch up. So sorry some of you who are s
due are still waiting on your babies arrivals, hope things start moving for you soon!
Can't believe I'm 8 days post-partum now, it's bonkers! After such an awful birth with my eldest, I am a world away with my recovery from section. Pretty much back up and running now full tilt, and amazingly, the first walk I took after the feeling came back in my legs after my section, my PGP has completely gone. Literally, gone. I cried my eyes out as I'd been in such horrific pain.
My little babushka has jaundice which we are trying to get rid of naturally before light therapy has to be an option as I dont think I could cope with another stint in the hospital.
I had really abusive treatment by a particular midwife at my hospital on the 2nd day after my section so will be putting a complaint in to PALS. Other than that, absolutely enjoying every moment of this little lady, she sleeps and eats like a trooper but she's so tiny!
Some lovely names coming up on the thread and I will keep checking back for updates. Good luck lovelies ❤

@MeadowHay Oh that is such a nightmare! Hopefully the timings work as it would be better to get the sweep and try shimmy things along. I hope it works out for you!

@MyGrassIsBrowner Hi lovely! Glad you are recovering well and enjoying it all but not good about the care in hospital. What happened if you don't mind me asking?

@NW2021 Jealous of all the 'signs' Althouhh i know it can mean nothing. I keep getting discomfort but i think its just her pressing because it goes away and does not return so

@Juicytoot287 So basically I saw first hand how much midwifrey is on its backside. There were only two midwives on shift, a few support nurses and that was it. The ward was super busy but the midwife who was assigned to me was horrible. Nasty, bullying attitude and make me feel like I was failing at looking after my baby. Baring in mind my mobility was limited, and she kept forgetting my pain meds even when I had buzzed several times (came to the conclusion she was purposefully ignoring me) she then supposedly needed to take bloods from me, and even though I am literally the easiest person to get blood from, she cocked it up about 3 times (again, totally deliberate considering my vein was bulging). I was severely sleep deprived and emotional, little one was really struggling to settle and wouldn't latch very well on breast. I cried a lot and she tried telling me she was very worried about my mental state. She then asked my DP "is she normally like this?" My DP lost it and we requested immediate discharge. The doctor okayed me to go and I explained the situation, he wasn't happy at all but he told me best bet was to complain to PALS. Apparently her excuse for her shitty behaviour was that she's been on shift all day and no one was coming in to do the nightshift so basically she was expected to go on through the night. It's shit but absolutely no excuse to abuse the ladies in her care. I was quite traumatised for a couple of days afterward. X

So sorry you had such a bad time of it on the ward @MyGrassIsBrowner . Definitely complain to PALS about it. I'm so worried about inpatient stays, I really hope I can just be discharged home from MLU or delivery suite but not sure how realistic that is atm. Our hospital are majorly short-staffed too, it would be difficult to get e.g. the newborn exam sorted before discharge if I wasn't going to the ward. I'm also now worried about the possibility of antenatal inpatient stay because that might happen if I go to get induced. DH can stay with me in that circumstance in theory but of course he can't, because we have DD and he couldn't just spend like 3 days with me in hospital. She would find that very distressing as she's never been away from both of us overnight before as it is, the longest she's ever done away from either of us is an 8am-6pm day at nursery.

Still no baby here...I had a bad night's sleep last night tbh though so not complaining about not being in labour after that. Earlier night tonight fingers crossed. Sweep tomorrow PM, dreading it, I found it soo painful with my first and I get so anxious and hate VEs, and I can't even have DH with me for me to squeeze his hand and reassure me because he will have to be downstairs entertaining DD. I know I don't NEED to have the sweep but it seems a lesser evil than induction.

@MeadowHay it's not great I wont lie, the wards never are. DP was with me when I initially went into hospital morning of my section and stayed with me until around 5pm then went home. It was the night that was awful. It was hot, my little girl was distressed most of the night and I was wired and just couldn't sleep. Think the only thing that kept me going was the oramorph as I was high as a kite, lol.
The next day my discharge wasn't completed until just gone 7pm. It was a long long day. Hopefully with it being your 2nd baby and if you have a straight forward birth, you can get a nice quick discharge. It does seem to be the baby checks that hold everything up.
Definitely stick with having a sweep, hopefully it's not hurrendous for you but fingers crossed it kicks everything off for you and you can avoid induction! Good luck hun! 💗

@summerhillgang been thinking of you and hope all is well x

@Peacefulspirit aww thanks 😊

I am still here, and still pregnant 🤪 41+2 and defo one of the hardest things I have ever done! It's lovely seeing all the babies coming though, sorry to be a silent lurker ❤️

It's been almost two weeks since bloody show, mucus plug came away that week but not much since. I had a VE yesterday and cervix is soft, stretchy, short and gaping, so almost ready to go just needs to move a bit more. I have been having cramps most days, and twinges everywhere. My moods have been terrible, full meltdown yesterday with floods of tears, anger and irritability, and now today really relaxed. Constantly on the toilet. Stuffy nose. So maybe it's close?

I've tried everything - we DTD last night for second time this week (had loads of cramps after and this morning), have been walking long distances, and am now doing the Spinning Babies forward inversions to see if that can help with positioning (even though I have been fully engaged and LOA since 35 weeks!). Plus everything else like dates, raspberry leaf, clary sage, caulophyllum, masturbation, reflexology, acupuncture, lunges, squats, yoga daily blah blah. I have deleted all social media apps, don't watch the news, haven't been responding to messages... I am off grid apart from Mumsnet and my home birth group. I've stopped bothering eating healthily now and am eating chocolate and had a fry up for lunch lol

Obv I am desperate for a home birth without interventions. I have accepted extra monitoring and that starts next Tuesday - so CTG and scan. At that appointment we're going to discuss outpatient induction... ideally I would wait until mid next week (it's a full moon Wednesday and I've got an idea it'll come then or before) and have the pessary in hospital and give birth at home, but I don't think this is recommended and need to understand if my independent midwife will take this risk on. Obv at the appointment they are prob going to guilt trip me and hit me with stats. Joy.

I've literally been begging baby to come! It's still very active and letting me know it's ok. Love them and want them in my arms 💜

Mentally I dunno how much more I can take but I also know that 42 weeks is to term and normal. I think 41+5 is average for FTMs going into labour without interventions so I'm not even there yet.

Midwife coming over on Sunday to do another VE (unless I go into labour before) so will assess then and may ask for sweep. Not that I can see any rationale for sweeps when using BRAINS.

@MyGrassIsBrowner so sorry you had to deal with that horrible midwife. She sounds properly tapped. Not a nice experience at all. Hope you've got lots of support around you and people to speak to about it. Defo make a complaint if you have the energy xx

Hey all, hope everyone's well.

@MyGrassIsBrowner I'm sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with the midwife

I'm just home from monitoring for reduced movements. I'd felt baby moving but not as much or as strongly as usual today so thought I'd better go to put my mind at rest. All fine thankfully and he's rolling around like mad now, typical!

@mooloop oh no, hope you're ok? Always good to get checked, glad all was fine. Get some rest now .

I came to bed about 11.30 after a few hours of mild period-type pain (which I've had a bunch of times over the last few weeks and which always just disappeared) - only for contractions to start! Fuming as am shattered, been up since 7.15am and been trying to sleep for an hour-ish with no joy. Took one paracetamol and one paracetamol with codeine but don't think it's helped. Felt very anxious initially but now feeling more positive - I will do this even if I've had no sleep!! Just not sure whether to give up on trying yet or not as aware it could be a loooong night/day! Although I would be happy for it to stop and then restart tomorrow morning after a sleep...! still, hopefully means I can avoid induction.

@summerhillgang oh babe, I feel for you. I'm 41+1 today. Hopefully things will get going soon. I don't see why you couldn't have a home birth following outpatient induction if it's successful though if you're low risk? At our trust you can have MLU birth with outpatient induction if you're otherwise an MLU 'candidate' so I can't see why home birth would be any different?

I had a boy today! ELCS although had some very painful, regular and intense contractions start yesterday at 5am and continue through to getting the spinal this afternoon. So happy to have the pain relief and in awe of you guys that have had a VB. Good luck to all still awaiting their babies

@mooloop
@MeadowHay
@summerhillgang
@Juicytoot287

Thank you lovely ladies. Really hope you're all not suffering too much. I know this is the most difficult/frustrating part of pregnancy is the waiting. Got my fingers crossed for you that your babies start making their appearances soon!! 🤞

Best way to describe that midwife certainly was tapped. I was just very unlucky that day and I'm sure you'll get much better treatment than I did! You'll all rock it!

Sending love ❤

@FluffMagnet Hope your ELCS went well and congratulations! 🥰
I am a total advocate for ELCS now! They are blumming amazing. Recovery is hard in the initial days but my god I'm so glad I did it!

Thanks @MyGrassIsBrowner !

@mooloop glad your movements are ok now, I had that last week. Fairly common as they start to get bigger and move differently but defo shouldnt be less so we should always check - I am sayin this to myself now as I am very guilty of going " i will give it an hour".I hate going in and they start moving mad, you are like I SWEAR THEY WEREN'T hahaha.

Some more aches and general twinges but no contractions, show or waters here still. It is the not knowing that has killed me but i am FTM so expecting to go past my due date so goes a couple weeks to endure 🙈

Congratulations @FluffMagnet! Wonderful news 

Thanks @Juicytoot287, I felt like I was being a bit over cautious but I'd rather that than try and sleep worrying about him!

I keep thinking I'm having some twinges/cramps but they always subside. Ready to meet this little monkey now!

Congrats @FluffMagnet !

We welcomed a baby boy this afternoon! Unfortunately another horrible long labour with ANOTHER ventouse delivery and episiotomy after 2hrs of pushing clearly I just cannot push babies out so I am NEVER having another vaginal birth again. This time it was followed up by a haemerroge too, delightful...! He was born around 2pm and we got home about an hour ago. He's slept most the last few hours though so am anticipating we will be up very shortly for the rest of the night...I've been awake since 7.30am Thursday already Christ.

Good luck to everyone still waiting to meet their beautiful babies ❤️

Congratulations @MeadowHay! Sorry to hear you had a tricky delivery, but lovely to hear your baby boy is here safe and sound 🧡 great that you're home now too!

@MeadowHay Massive congratulations lovely. Sorry to hear you had a rough delivery. I hope you are resting now (as best you can) xxxx

@MeadowHay congratulations sweet. I'm so sorry that your birth was so traumatic again. It's really disheartening after you expected this one to be a "do-over". 2 hours of pushing is not fun. Had that (and the episiotomy) with my first and still not over the trauma properly. This one involved less pushing but was perhaps more painful (perhaps because I was expecting the epidural to work and it didn't), so I really understand. Don't feel bad about talking it through in a birth debrief or with friends and family if you need to. Those with kids especially will understand.

When you've had some more sleep you will likely feel a bit better though because it's horrible to be sleep-deprived on top of everything. Am here if you want to pm me.

@MeadowHay I swear i wrote a message and it just hasn't sent?

Congrats on your new baby hun, it is all worth it! But equally, I am sorry your experience was shit. Really hope I don't get this sort of experience as I can't imagine how deflating it can make these moments for us. On the positive side you know now what you want and will have next time and can push for your rights - but for now you can love in all the new born cuddles. You got discharged fairly quickly despite a tricky labour too which is promising! Hopefully someone comes to help you out so you can get some rest.

Thanks ladies, appreciate all the love! Tbh even though it was pretty grim overall, I didn't find it traumatic like the first time. I did feel the staff listened to me and engaged with me and did what they could to make it less scary and obviously me and DH both understood better what was going on and things like that too. Postnatal care was really excellent too I can't fault that - it wasn't busy so that helped! So they let us just stay in our delivery suite room and I pushed hard that I wanted to go home asap and not stay on the ward and they did everything to make that happen as quickly as possible and looked after us all great. The episiotomy site is really painful as you'd expect but internally I don't really feel sore which is good whereas last time I was really sore inside as well because they had to do three huge forceful pulls on the ventouse with her being higher up the birth canal, whereas my little boy was like right at the bottom I just couldn't push his head out to crown essentially so it was only two very gentle pulls to get him all out so I guess it didn't cause trauma to me internally the way it did the first time.

So where is everyone up to who is still waiting for their babies? Still about half the month left after all!

@MeadowHay I'm glad you felt supported by the medical professionals despite not having an easy time of it. Less pain than last time is a bonus too! How are you and little one getting on?

I'm 38w today and so ready to not be pregnant now 🤣 feeling generally achey all the time and just ready to meet our baby. I'm mindful that if I go overdue I could still have another approx 4 weeks yet so trying to just take it one day at a time at the moment! Feeling fed up with having sporadic period pains that don't amount to anything too

@mooloop I know the feeling. I am 38+3 so I am very aware it could be any day and also 4 weeks which sounds horrific to think. I am very lucky not to be swollen etc but I am uncomfortable now. I am small (5ft3) and she is quickly running out of room in there so my organs, nerves etc. pay the price.
No pains like cramps at all here or show and I can't help but feel disappointed as I feel ready to meet her now :( I do think i will go over, gut feeling

@Juicytoot287 I'm small too (5'1) and feel like there's absolutely no room left in my torso 😂 I haven't become swollen either thankfully, my mum said she blew up like a balloon when she was pregnant both times!

I seem to have a pattern of light period type cramps each morning and evening but nothing through the middle of the day. The waiting game isn't much fun, I just feel so ready to meet him now!

I'm the same @mooloop and @Juicytoot287. I was so sure I'll have this baby early as my first was early, yet here I am at 39+4 and nothing. Generally having no pains or being unwell but I'm just so ready to meet her and am feeling quite up and down. I'm bored and done waiting. I've lost my mucus plug 4 days ago and getting plenty of Braxton hicks but nothing progresses. Oh I really hope I don't go over. I feel I'm becoming quite miserable to be around

41+5 🤪 - so done it's unreal. The anxiety is horrific 😩

Had the most uncomfortable DTD last night.
Having a sweep today (something I said I wouldn't do) and getting a VE.
Monitoring starts Tuesday. Acupuncture in the PM.
Wednesday - full moon, wait.
Thursday / Friday - outpatient induction with tampon pessary. Hopefully hospital will release me and I can still have baby at home. Hopefully it works and I don't end up with a cascade of interventions.