September 2021 Babies - Thread 9 The final countdown....

[Mamabearwhere]

Hi ladies. Starting our final thread! How exciting.

@bubbles1st do you have your latest list of due dates to add to here?

@sillysocks998 😊 that's really good! Sometimes Alice wants to sleep for longer but the health visitor told us to not leave it any longer than 4 hours between feeds 😐 yeah she's cooing and smiling of sorts bless her, she's a cheeky monkey! How about your LO? X

@FTEngineerM @SP2Bx @Poppins2016 Thanks so much for your responses and congratulations poppins2016 💙
I definitely feel a little weight off my shoulders after reading your experiences. I'll go and have the scan anyway today as they were kind enough to fit me in, sounds like all will be well so I can put my mind fully at ease ☺️

@Kirky658 he smiles but not at us lol. More of a dream like state. Definitely looking at us now. I only just had my HV this week visit. Before that we had visits from the neonatal team. I think the hardest thing for me has been the bf throughout this. I'll keep trying until it all dries up I guess😭. I think c sec and Prem delivery didn't help and then him being in neonatal.
Good luck on your journey and I look forward to reading about Alice's milestones 😊 x

@sillysocks998 yes definitely the neonatal stays really don't help and the prem birth too. They were so surprised in hospital that I could express anything at all, the afternoon of my section they were helping me to hand express colostrum 😅 that's cool that you had visits from the neonatal team, they discharged Alice then that was it for us bar a quick cpr lesson! Yes you too I look forward to hearing x

@Hopefulmummie I hope things start moving quickly for you. I never realised September was such a busy month for babies!

@FTEngineerM what induction were you given? I've been given a leaflet with various methods but told I could only have the Dilapan initially

Oops posted before I completed writing - has anyone heard of or had Dilapan as an induction method? Apparently they put rods up your cervix to ripen it - I've done loads of research and there doesn't seem to be much information out there because it's a fairly new method. It sounds pretty scary to me and I can't understand why I haven't been offered other induction methods like the gel

I haven’t been induced @Taybz she talked me through it last Thursday and said I’d be induced 40+10 so next Wednesday, then did a sweep yesterday and changed it to being induced 40+12 so I haven’t got a clue what’s going on. I don’t even know if I would agree to being induced, my cervix is already 1cm and soft so I would want to chat to a consultant so they can quantify a few things for me to help me understand the possible outcomes. I don’t feel I know anything about it, certainly not well informed 😭.

I just want to be able to hold my baby now.

@Sillysocks998 the milk output will just depend on what you’re removing, it will adjust so depends what they’re getting in formula. Combi feeding is probably the sweet spot for most but it’s not talked about enough ☹️LLL made me feel like dairy was the devil whilst I demolished a cheesy pizza, I realised and though eh why am I being like this 😂🙈.

Sounds like you’re both settling in to a routine well @Kirky658 😃.

@FTEngineerM oops I must have misread it. I had a failed sweep - my cervix was closed but it was soft and 2cm. My induction's also been booked for 40+10 which is next weekend.
I really don't want one and I've tried everything possible to evict this baby 😅 I'm getting so impatient and my emotions are all over the place. I haven't been well informed about induction processes either with the exception of the leaflet so I'm pretty clueless - I wonder if we can pick which one we want?

Sorry to hear you guys are still waiting, @Taybz and @FTEngineerM I felt the same when my induction was book- I had no idea what was going to happen. Luckily my little one then arrived.

@Taybz are you able to have another sweep before next weekend? I had 2 failed ones because my cervix wasn't ready and then my 3rd worked as it had softened and was 1cm, my 2nd and 3rd were only a few days apart things can change fast so might be worth an ask? I made it clear I didn't want to be induced so think that's why I ended up with 3 sweeps, I assume different trusts might do things different but worth a try xx

@CobleCloud I didn't know you could have a few! Thank you! I had to actually insist on another one as midwife was going to go straight to booking me with an induction without giving me another chance for a sweep. I'll give them a ring and beg if I have to! I have serious induction anxiety. Did your little one arrive just before the induction? If so, that's such lucky timing. Hope you're both doing well x

Yes @Taybz you can have more than one so I would say it's worth an ask.

Yep my little one arrived on Thursday at 40+3 my induction was booked for this upcoming Tuesday so at 40+8 so he came before. It was definitely the sweep I had that started things! We are doing well thank you! X

Congratulations @CobleCloud @Newmum110 @Poppins2016

My elective section is planned for tomorrow 😱 so nervous which is odd as it is what I want and I've had an emergency section before so you'd think I'd be more relaxed. Have to fast from midnight so hoping baby is here as early as possible tomorrow or I'll be a woman on the edge 🤣

Just wanted to update that I had my little girl yesterday! She's 7lbs so significantly smaller than my first.. so strange seeing such tiny little legs! But she is very cute and doing well. Good luck to everyone still waiting!

@LittleCatDog congratulations on your new arrival. Enjoy every minute ♥️♥️

@Taybz a girl on my ward had the rods as her body wasn’t responding to the pessary/gels. They did it with a local anaesthetic though but I think it’s more ‘foolproof’ than the hormone route as it will open your cervix. It doesn’t sound great though does it! How are you doing?

I agree with you girls about the hormone drip! I was in pain quite early on and it was unbearable. I couldn’t have done it without an epidural, I wouldn’t have managed. Although to be fair I dilated SO quickly so I laboured the worst WITH gas and air haha but I don’t regret the epidural.

Has anyone had an issue with oversupply of breast milk? My flow is so strong it quite literally squirts Billie in the face at each feed and the poor love can’t handle it. The midwife said my flow should slow but just for now I’m pumping my milk and feeding it to her in a bottle so we can keep track of what she’s having. She couldn’t stay latched for more than a few seconds so she was so hungry bless her, she’s like a different baby now. I did have a meltdown though as I felt like I was failing

@Taybz Maybe I wrote it somewhere like I’d had ☹️ Me too, I keep reading that I need to be relax and in ‘optimum condition’ for my body to go into labour but I’m literally running around with a chesty cough after a whirlwind 15m old I am stressed AF😂🤷🏽‍♀️. I have been reading about induction methods… can’t say I am eager for any of them but then again how do I know how I would recover from surgery, I just don’t know ☹️. I have another sweep Wednesday. Fingers crossed for us that something happens before the weekend 🤞🏼🤞🏼.

Good luck today @MrsTD88 hope it goes well and you’re cuddling your baby soon.

@unicornpower I can’t remember exactly how long it took to chill out but yeah with my first it was horrible for the first few days after it came in, painful and leaking everywhere through everything. You’re not failing her, pumping and feeding is just as great as any other method of feeding 👌. I mean I don’t care how I get my food at least 😂

Thanks girls, appreciate it. So, my induction anxiety is going through the roof. I've just called my midwife and she's said I can't have another sweep attempt as I've got one on Wednesday and there needs to be enough space between sweeps - my failed sweep was on Saturday - surely they could have done one today? I don't know whether I'm being fobbed off or whether the gap really does need to be over several days. My sister had a few sweeps only a day apart with her last one. My induction is on Friday and I can't stop thinking about it!

I'm struggling to 'just relax' especially as I'm being checked on every day by friends and family if I'm about to have the baby or have had the baby! REALLY? 🙄 I know the intentions are good but not particularly helpful. I've tried every natural induction process possible except primrose oil I guess. Sorry for the rant

Mine said that about spacing the sweeps @Taybz which made me laugh because if they don’t start labour the methods get even more invasive!!!! Like I’d rather have a finger swooshed around in there a day apart rather than a balloon or a rod 😬😬😬 logic?

Rant away I feel exactly the same ☹️

Sorry to jump in (I’m a lurker as due in October) but I’m also a midwife and the thing about spacing sweeps is rubbish! If you look at the evidence the most successful outcome in terms of using membrane sweeps to stimulate prostaglandins is having two close together, ideally 24/48 hours apart. Sorry for posting uninvited but if you’re trying to avoid invasive induction and you want another sweep you’d be absolutely justified in asking for one.

@Peacefulspirit thank you so much for posting. Your post actually gave me the confidence to ring the hospital and ask for a sweep today after my local midwives wouldn't do another one until mid-week.
@FTEngineerM after much research and also information given by the fantastic midwife at the hospital, it appears that the space required between sweeps is 24-48 hours and doesn't have to be more than that as was suggested by my local midwife! Thank you @Peacefulspirit for also confirming this 😊

Also, the update is that my cervix is still not dilated so the the sweep was unsuccessful again however, it is softening over time which is a positive. After a thorough chat with this amazing midwife, I also feel less terrified about the induction with the dilapan. Of course, I'm still hoping it doesn't come to that but at least my mind is more at ease.

💞

Éabha Grace
19.09.2021
11.14pm
7lb 14oz

Our beautiful baby girl arrived into the world last night 💕 She is the most amazing little thing.

Traumatic labour but she is well worth it lol

@Sillysocks998 @Kirky658 don’t stress if you struggle to express a lot. It doesn’t necessarily mean that baby isn’t able to get a lot of milk… they are far more efficient than a pump will ever be! 😉
Well done on the breastfeeding- I had such a love/hate relationship with it with my daughter. I knew it was the best for her, she fed and gained well but my nipples were in shreds for 6 weeks. Starting to express at 6 weeks was a game changer for me - and I could’ve cried at the idea of coping for 6 weeks without being able to give a bottle! But this time round, it’s SO much easier.
Nipples are better, I’m more confident in what I’m doing and it’s fairly easy. We’re only 9 days in and I’m looking forward to the freedom of pumping so I’m not the only one able to feed… but I certainly feel less like a dairy cow this time around!
I feel very blessed as last night, Rosie slept from 11-3… which was amazing. The night before I think she was awake from 11-3, but we take the wins where we can! 🤣🤣
I feel a bit bad for leaving her for a 4 hour stretch, but hopefully she’s still doing well. She only lost 50g at her 5 day check (1% of her body weight), so hopefully we’ll be signed off at our 10 day check.

Has anyone else had much face to face contact? All of mine has been over the phone except the 5 day check. It’s fine as it’s my 2nd and I’m more confident but a feeding consultation over the phone is as useful as a chocolate teapot! 🤣

@hopefulmummie congratulations!
Hope you're both doing OK. That's a beautiful name! Are you in Ireland?
I'm in Ireland and due on 30th so most likely will be an October baby!