Due May 2022 thread 5

[Kittycaz]

@midnight90 @MrsMay19 @JMill13 @YfenniChristie @EastMidsGem @morphe @Sarah239 @fejkalove @Mummyingetc @Orangesunshin @aNewYorkerInLondon @Bubbasmama2017 @GinnyBee @Lavendersblue42 @Honeymint @YummyMummyXoX @K834baby3

Hey all if I missed anyone please add. Noticed last board is almost full.

@Kittycaz oh my goodness! What a shock for you. I guess all that cramping and signs you've had at home was a very long latent phase?! Had your waters broken? I'd be in such shock too. Well done for trusting your instincts and going in. I'm glad your not-so-little one is here safe and really hope you recover and heal ok, it sounds like you've had a real rollercoaster. Take care xx

@EastMidsGem it sounds like you are doing just amazing. Your experience sounds so similar to so many I have read of the first days/weeks. Don't feel guilty about the formula, you fed your baby and that's all that matters! I hope your feeding journey continues gradually easier but know that you are not alone! Everything you are feeling atm is totally normal X

@TunaJacket hi, my estimated due date is 16th too! I hope all goes well with your growth scan x

Congratulations to all the new mamas! I’m waiting, waiting, waiting… alternating between extreme irritability and zen-like calm. Been having a few sessions of big old braxton hicks and then everything stops. Come ON baby.

My oldest had a handful of bottles of formula while I worked out what the hell I was doing in the first few weeks feeding- didn’t stop us going onto be exclusively BF for 9 months…

@Kittycaz Congratulations! What a whirlwind, I can see how you’d be stressed after that. I’m glad all the bleeding and cramping turned out not to be serious (well in a sense!) and I hope you’re both doing well!

Thanks @Sarah239 that means a lot and really comforting to hear of similar @Mummyingetc thank you. It's just ridiculous how much pressure we put on ourselves sometimes which is probably what makes it so difficult as the whole process is meant to be easier when you're calm and relaxed

For everyone still waiting, all the discomfort, pregnancy symptoms and impatience is completely worth it once they arrive. You'd do it 10 times over.

This is little Leo x

Ah congrats @Kittycaz he is beautiful 💙🥰
Glad everything worked out despite the drama. Hope you're doing okay now x

@Kittycaz congratulations so pleased for you! I hope the tear heals quickly

Congratulations! Such a cute 'not so little' bundle. I hope you can recover very quickly. x

Welcome onboard @TunaJacket, good luck on your growth scan!

@Kittycaz he is absolutely gorgeous. Love the name too - it was on our short list! Xx

Congratulations @Kittycaz thank goodness you and baby are ok. Hope you have a speedy recovery. Enjoy baby Leo the cutie x

@TunaJacket My midwife told me that the baby being in a different position at each Midwife appointment can alter the measurements (when mine went from measuring 2 weeks ahead for about a month to then measuring as expected) and the baby was fine. Xx

@Kittycaz HUGE congratulations on the arrival of your gorgeous little Leo! I'm amazed that you managed to cope with the cramping from being 8cm dilated at home! Were they regular contractions before then and what did you do to manage the pain? Xx

Another one of our group babies has arrived! I had irregular contractions overnight, which changed to regular to 3 every 10 minutes at around 4am followed by what I think was a bloody show (sorry if this is TMI!). I managed to lie in bed with my wireless TENS machine at home until they got to 3 every ten minutes. The TENS machine was extremely helpful.

When I arrived at the hospital they said I was 3cm dilated but because it wasn't my first child that it could happen quickly so to stay mobile on the site of the hospital and return after 2 hours for them to check if I'd got to 4cm, which would allow me to be admitted to my own room as that's classed as active labour. I did some birthing ball bounces and circles for 2 hours and was then told by another Midwife that they don't usually check before 4 hours but my contractions were getting stronger and more regular at this point so eventually a Midwife from the Birth Centre intervened, checked me and I was 5cm dilated so she wheeled me straight to the Birth Centre. I called my husband who said he'd come straight to hospital after dropping our son off at school, they started to fill the birthing pool, gave me gas and air then within 30 minutes our daughter arrived! Before my DH had time to get to the hospital! They sent us home yesterday afternoon. Can't quite believe that she's here! Definitely felt like a positive birthing experience, although obviously my DH was gutted that he missed it! Xx

@H0peing congratulations! Sorry your husband missed it!
There can't be many of us left to go now??
I've just done a huge walk hoping it brings her out

Congratulations @H0peing xx

Congratulations @H0peing sorry your husband missed it! 💜

Congratulations everyone on your new arrivals! Currently in the thick of the induction. Just swapped from the pessary to the gel as no cervical progress, but am getting tightenings! Baby is otherwise very comfortable and has so far been described as a tease and a troublemaker based on all the issues they're causing with the CTG machine.

Good luck @YfenniChristie hope it all goes smoothly

Congratulations @Kittycaz and @H0peing so many incredible birth stories already!

Congratulations @H0peing, that does sound like a very positive birth story, apart from DH missing it.
Best of luck with your induction @YfenniChristie.

One more week of work to go before ML, luckily working from home now but still a struggle when even washing my hair in the shower wipes me out. 😴

Our baby is 3 days overdue as it stands. 8days was added to gestation at 12week scan, so originally this would be week 39.

We did a long 10Km walk today, and we've done the deed twice in last 24hrs to provoke labour. Whether it actually works who knows. We'll see this weekend.

@BabyOnBoard90 I'm not due for another 5 days but starting to get worried about having a huge baby. I did a long walk yesterday and planning on another today, we've DTD twice this week. I need to get bouncing on the gym ball I think, no signs of any changes here :-(

@Kittycaz @H0peing congratulations!!!! My husband was with me throughout labour and then missed the birth by heading to the bathroom 🙄 I’m sorry he wasn’t there, it’s become a bit of in house joke now. Glad to hear you’re doing well otherwise.

@Kittycaz I had an episotomy with my first, I can’t tell you how important it is to take paracetamol regularly it’s cumulative and it makes such a huge difference. Even if you feel alright please don’t stop taking it! Also found sprayable lidocaine massively helped when the wound pain got really bad after a week, was fine after two weeks though. I’ve heard sitting in a salt bath helps but can’t vouch for that personally. Also if you can fashion or have a haemorrhoid pillow that helps to keep pressure off when you’re sitting down with baby. You must have an incredibly high pain threshold to get to 8cm and think it’s just cramps 😄

@YfenniChristie I hope the induction is progressing well. I had the pessary and gel got to 4cm and then they broke my waters. Baby arrived within five hours after they did that, had only felt tightening before that but once the amnion had gone things went quickly.

Congrats @Kittycaz ! Looks like some of your tricks worked! All the best for your recovery and enjoy the cuddles! 🥰

And congrats to @H0peing too! That happened quickly, sorry your husband missed it.

Good luck for your scan @TunaJacket Bump measurements can be wildly inaccurate so it's probably nothing but at least they're checking it

Four sleeps left! Bedtime is now my least favourite time of day. I've been so good all pregnancy, going to bed early without much trouble, but now I hate it. I'm so uncomfortable. I get restless legs and heartburn pretty much immediately when I lie down, and all I want to do is lie on my back without crushing my lungs 😩