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.

Hi all glad to of found the new thread and seeing what everyone is up to can’t believe some little babies are being born already I’m 35 weeks today got another growth scan Doppler and clinic on Friday and will hopefully get my induction date fingers crossed 🤞🏼 I’ve really been struggling with spd and sleeping has been terrible can’t wait now to get my body back to my self and hold my little girl in my arms after being Poorly so much

I've been discharged from the consultant care and back to midwife care as my fluid is back to normal and they are happy for me to go into labour naturally. Baby's head was really far down sonographer also said he's measuring 7lb 2 oz atm and he has hair which is very exciting to hear. All my family is on standby ready to get me in and out of hospital whenever my LO decides to make an appearance x

@fejkalove He tested positive too but we are both doing ok, as long as I don't go into early labour we should be alright 🥴

I am not a doctor but I would have thought that having it so recently means you would have a boost of antibodies to prevent re-infection between now and birth... at least that is what I am hoping! So try not to worry though I can understand it might be a bit alarming about the weekend! Also reassuring myself that my little bump will get a dose of antibodies now before she is born which is a silver lining :)

@Kittycaz glad that your risk factor has been downgraded and fingers crossed you go into labour naturally and smoothly :) I don't really understand how the fluid would decrease - where does it go?! - but I'm glad it has for you! Perhaps it just hasn't increased in relation to the size of your growing baby? Just curious! X

@Luckygreenduck congratulations on your little arrival! Must be a rollercoaster and I really hope he and you are still doing well and you get him home soon - every hour brings that closer! Xx

I'm having a bit of an anxious day today about how much life is about to change...! Feels so surreal.

Can't sleep! I have an appointment in about 6 hours to decide a plan for when they recommend inducing me based on me having gestational diabetes and being 40. I've been told that both of these things carry an increased risk of stillbirth and other complications when going overdue. I was 37 weeks on Tuesday so am technically classed as full term now. My original plan is a water birth at a birth Centre like my D.S but I was under 35 then and didn't have a positive test for gestational diabetes then either so they were a lot more relaxed about letting things happen naturally. I've been diet controlled so far so apparently that will allow them to recommend induction closer to 40 weeks as opposed to earlier than that but I'll see what they say.

I know that most people say nothing works but I am trying to do as much as possible to go into labour naturally. My Midwife said that the only things she recommended was sex due to semen being proven to soften the cervix and she also said that clitoral and nipple stimulation can be helpful as well. I've been drinking raspberry leaf herbal tea, having sex and orgasms, started trying to express milk daily and walking regularly. My midwife said that she couldn’t comment on raspberry leaf tea and that walking mainly helps to keep baby's head down rather than inducing labour but is great for actual labour, as long as I don't tire myself out by walking too much. She also recommended using a birthing ball so I've tried that a bit but don't find it very comfortable at the moment.

I'm trying to just be excited rather than anxious. Watching positive birth stories on You Tube has helped a bit.

Has anyone heard of / experienced anything that seems to have helped bring on a natural, positive labour?

In terms of induction, I've heard a positive birth story from a friend who used a pessary followed by five hours of labour and a healthy baby girl. Anyone else heard any positive induction stories?

Another friend of mine had a planned c section about a month ago that went really well too. Xx

Good luck @aNewYorkerInLondon we will be thinking of you.

@H0peing the only other thing my midwife recommend was eating dates every day but I haven't started doing that yet as only just 37 weeks

@H0peing one of the midwives at our antenatal classes said that eating 4x dates a day can help to ripen your cervix. I haven't tried because I don't want him to come naturally before Tuesday as he's breeched! One of my work colleagues was induced for both of her boys and she didn't have long labours. The 2nd one they had to induce twice only because nothing happened the first time but like I say they weren't long labours. I think you may still be able to have a water birth but at the hospital as most hospitals have birthing pools. Might be worth asking? X

@Bubbasmama2017 sorry I'm repeating what you said as it took me so long to type it! 🤦🏼‍♀️ x

@EastMidsGem @Bubbasmama2017 Thanks so much for your responses! I don't think I can try dates because I have gestational diabetes and I imagine they would cause my blood sugar levels to spike but I have heard a lot about how many women find clearing their bowels can be helpful before labour, which I guess is how dates could help :)

It's really helpful to hear positive induction stories, thanks!

My current birth plan is to have a water birth in a birth centre attached to a hospital and I've been referred to two of them as there are staff shortages in my closest one. I really appreciated the Birth Centre for my son's birth so I'm really hoping I get the opportunity to use one again. My Midwife recommended trying to express colostrum from 37 weeks due to having gestational diabetes. I started yesterday, once per day and don't have any colostrum yet but I do get contractions whilst expressing so maybe it will help to start contractions for my labour. Not sure. Hoping my GD obstetrics appointment this morning is helpful. Xx

@H0peing my friend swears by pineapple and cranberry juice apparently it kick started them when they were over due. I've been expressing colostrum every day for 2 weeks now and I haven't had increased contractions. I think my birthing ball has been good but mainly to get him into position. I've heard clary sage is good if u have a lush near by the sex bomb bath bomb allot of people swear by I have not tried it though.

@Sarah239 I have no idea maybe LO swallowed more or I've been leaking it was a different sonographer and consultant so they may measure different. Fluid was 17.4 deepest pocket was 7. From quick Google it does say your fluid goes down last few weeks of pregnancy just very confusing.

@Kittycaz thanks for replying :) I can't have juice due to gestational diabetes otherwise I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to give that a try! How many weeks are you now? Any tips on expressing colostrum? Hoping I can freeze a bit of a supply before she arrives like my Midwife recommended. Xx

@H0peing hot flannel helped resting it on breasts before expressing. Not expecting loads to come out either at beginning I was only getting 0.4ml each time now am getting over a ml. The syringes I used to collect the colostrum (ask midwife for some) as there small it builds confidence up and I found it easier to suck up the little tiny drops. Very slow steady rhythm build up in. Cup ur breast with pinky touching ribs and thumb forefinger one other side of aerola. I drew where my milk ducts are and where I squeeze to get the colostrum to flow for me but If you feel your breast around these areas u should notice the texture changing underneath.

Picture

@Kittycaz Thanks! Xx

I just has my gestational diabetes 37 week obsetric appointment and she's recommended that, if I don't go into labour naturally by my due date on 10th May, then I will be given an appointment time for an induction that day. 1st pessary then wait 24 hours. 2nd pessary then wait another 24 hours. Then decide whether or not to proceed to gel / drip or a c section. She recommended having my Midwife do a sweep at 38 weeks and at 39 weeks to see if that helps to get things going first. Baby is currently head down 3/5 engaged. I've had a lot of lower back pain today and contractions every day but not strong or regular so they seem to be Braxton Hicks.

Just wondered what everyone's opinions are about sweeps? I was told that the main risk is if the midwife accidentally breaks your waters during it but that isn't very likely to happen.

For all of us who are still waiting to meet our babies, it won't be very long now until we finally get to meet them!

Back in hospital, initially was just to collect insulin from diabetic midwives this morning... although planned induction in just over a week so unsure of risk/benefits ratio introducing insulin to the baby at nearly 37 weeks 🤷🏾‍♀️
Started contracting throughout the night, lost fluid and tmi had massive diarrhoea this morning 🙈 got here they didn't know about my induction, or my pregnancy issues, how many weeks I was just downplaying everything I mean I was here 2 days ago cos consultants called me in!
It's paramount I don't go into spontaneous labour because of my bloods, just don't feel safe anymore 😖

@YummyMummyXoX oh no 🤯 I hope they're checking you and baby out if you've lost fluid. Hopefully you can stay calm and maybe it's just very early signs of labour as I know some signs can be days or weeks before you actually go into full blown labour

@H0peing I thought the same as you that sweeps are meant to be very low risk and can quite often help get things going

@YummyMummyXoX You seem to be having such an awful rollercoaster experience! Hopefully someone there will understand how much you need a clear plan and reassurance right now. Is there anyone you can speak to for advice who has been helpful recently? I really hope things improve for you soon! Xx

I wonder if someone can help.. went for my 36 week midwife app today & I had a "trace" of protein in my wee and my blood pressure was measuring 130 which the midwife said is high for me, I'm normally 112-118. I was high risk for pre eclampsia so up until Saturday I was taking 2 aspirin daily, so since stopping my BP has raised and there's a trace of protein so she asked if I had any headaches and I said I had but on and off and not enough to take paracetamol but basically said I need to keep an eye out and ring triage if I get any symptoms, I'm just thinking though even with it only being slightly raised and a little bit of protein, is it looking like I'm going to get it? Or am I just overthinking?

@aNewYorkerInLondon thinking of you, hope all is going well with your induction.

@Luckygreenduck Congratulations on your baby! Sorry it was traumatic but I hope your little one gets out of neonatal care soon.

@YummyMummyXoX Sounds like a lot of uncertainty, I really hope the baby holds on until you can be induced.

I'm 38+1 weeks now, I don't have any more appointments until Monday for my pre-op and then Wednesday for my c-section. I've been fretting a lot this week that I might go into labour and have to get my c-section done immediately (happened with my DD) so I've been trying to take it easy (the opposite of what @H0peing is doing!). I know you said walking isn't supposed to kick start labour but I had been doing a lot of walking before my previous labours started (not to try to start labour, just because I needed to go places and get things done!). So DH has been doing the nursery run this week (4 miles a day) and I've been mostly at home.

I'm getting contractions which I guess are BH as they aren't regular enough, but often getting them at night which is making me anxious that they might turn out to be real contractions and I'll have to go to hospital in the middle of the night. I'll be relieved if we make it through to next Wednesday and I can have a lovely calm planned c-section.

@H0peing I read a positive induction story a few hours ago on the Positive Birth group, iirc it was someone who had induction and it kicked their contractions off but she still got the water birth she wanted and it was all quite quick. She had gestational diabetes too so lots of people were saying it was nice to hear a positive GD induction story :)

Here it is incase anyone else wants to read... (I had to crop a few lines out in the middle about her asking for an epidural as there is a limit of 3 screenshots... but I thought it was a really empowering, positive story :)

@YummyMummyXoX goodness, you'd think they'd have it all in your notes! Are you saying the doctors/midwives there today think you are downplaying your condition? I hope you get some direction soon and the lack of certainty ends! Sending many, many hugs. The only thing I can think is to ring or asked to speak to a named doctor in your notes that is aware of your history.

@YummyMummyXoX That's not very good that they didn't know anything about your history! Doesn't exactly instil confidence in the system. Hope you get sorted!

I had my 36 week appointment today. All well, baby still head down, not engaged, kicking me in the sides and I keep poking him back in as it's quite painful now. Apparently first babies on average go 11 days over and I'm starting to think if I were to wait for natural labour to start he'd be closer to a June baby than May! I've had nothing to indicate anything is getting ready at all - no lightning crotch, contractions, increase in BH (although I wouldn't know as I don't feel them at all anyway), any weird feelings at all, he seems quite content just floating around in there and not even positioning himself to come out just yet. Most other people in my various groups and here too seem to have had at least something that might signal things ripening by now 😂

The midwife went through briefly what I can expect to happen at my c-section and pre-op. I'm glad I ended up with her as my midwife as she's had two c-sections herself so knows what goes on from experience.

I totally forgot to ask about collecting colostrum! I'll try to ring her tomorrow maybe, although I don't think she works Fridays 🤔

I hate the new look of this forum! The notifications no longer send me to the newest message but to the first page so then I have to scroll to the end and try to find where I last left off, so it's really easy to miss posts! So annoying! Is anyone else having the same issue?

@GinnyBee I haven't had any "signs" yet either (36+3). I don't think I've had Braxton Hicks, unless I'm mistaking them for her moving around loads! When is your c-section date (if you have one yet?) I think my baby is head down but I don't think my bump has dropped or engaged or anything. My next appt is Monday, it's my 36 week one but I will be 37 weeks, had to postpone due to covid.

And I mainly use the app Mumsnet Talk on my phone, on that when I open the thread, there's a flippy arrow icon in the top right that I use to go to the newest messages rather than the oldest first. I do find it's quite a hard forum to navigate generally, though!

I'm honestly drained now. Thinking the worst. Il be surprised if my baby gets here safe if I'm honest. I don't have any confidence in any of this anymore. I needed insulin today because my blood sugars are just f*** dispite eating well dispite being on metformin I've now been told to stop it. Now I can't get the insulin until Monday and they've said the baby is at risk waiting all that time. I'm sorry if she's so 'at risk' why doesn't anyone know about my history at the hospital I'm being induced at why bother inducing at 38 weeks if we're in such danger. I didn't know how lucky I was to have such a stress free healthy pregnancy with my son I thought that was just standard being so young and naive x
Sorry for the rant and negativity I hope everyone and their babies are well ❤️