Due in June 2022 - Thread 12

[PlodandPod]

@EarlGreywithLemon
@fpeg
@PeeAche2
@pregnancydiaries
@Rolledthedice
@Vimto1991
@Annabell1
@Prema112
@Lostintranslatio
@Roxystar23
@PleaseSendNoodles
@imhereforthecake
@RoseValleyRambles
@t0nim92
@Yecats22
@AlbatrossSociety
@unknownscot
@beansprout55
@MrsNT
@Letsbekindplease
@GrowBabyGrow
@MrsTwentyNine
@Flowerbug1994
@BrightSmoke
@DaimDillyDoo
@MsBubbles85
@Octoblockisadick
@C1ueless22
@CurryandSnuggle
@rathernotshare
@InvisibleDragon
@4thtimethecharm
@ALHCTPS
@RooSut25
@Jammymare
@NorthDevonBeachLover
@Clomid1

In anticipation for thread 11 coming to an end.. Apologies to anyone I have missed out tagging, have tried to include everyone!

@clomid1 were you originally due around 19th june?

@Clomid1 I was given dihydrocodeine recently at 37 weeks because I was in unbearable constant pain (unexplained, wasn't labour and thankfully has now gone away) I was 1cm dilated when they checked. I was mainly given the codeine as I couldn't take any more paracetemol so it's rubbish to be told that you can't have it because you've had too much paracetemol!

Dihydrocodeine works best when taken with paracetemol sure, but it doesn't contain any paracetemol so you can take it as a stand alone. I would fight back against them not giving you any if possible, really hope you can get some relief soon. Hopefully by going to the scan if they see how much pain you are in then someone there might be able to offer something xx

@clomid1 really hoping it all goes well for u hun xx.. sending loads of hugs

@Clomid1 Perhaps you can get your hands on some codeine to help you through the night. Is the pain in the front or the back? I was wondering if baby’s position is possibly making the pain worse / your body is working hard to turn them? It’s so ridiculous that they won’t see you!!

Oh just realised you had paracetamol so can’t have the codeine! :(

@Clomid1 I would just go in. They will have to assess you there and then and will hopefully be able to give you something stronger for the pain.

Some peoples contractions really don't ramp up until the very end. I had a quick Labour with my first but my contractions were all over the place until the last 20 mins x

Not sure where my reply has gone to! But Dihydrocodeine doesn't contain paracetemol. You can take both together. Cocodamol contains paracetemol so can't be taken with additional paracetemol x

We’re still in c section date limbo date here too. I spoke to the booking coordinator on Friday and she’d had the confirmation from the consultant to bring the date forward, but there were no slots on either Monday the 6th or Tuesday the 7th at that point. It was left that she’d keep trying and ring me, but I haven’t heard anything yet. I don’t want to anatagonise her (and it’s not her fault) but I might chase tomorrow. We do need notice if we need an extra session at nursery on Monday, and also to cancel the extra session we booked for Friday the 10th…

@Clomid1 I’d go in too if I were you.

I really struggled like you, nothing helped, couldn’t walk, couldn’t bear to be touched, etc. Codydramol and pethidine did nothing. Antenatal said they couldn’t give me an epidural until I was 4cm. Well- they could.

After I literally screamed the place down for hours, I was taken to the labour ward, the epidural was given at less than 1cm, and my waters were broken. I was coping so badly I could hardly sit still for the epidural. After that, I went up to 10cm in 4.5 hours and baby was born an hour after that.

I’d turn up and let them see you’re not coping and insist, insist, insist - get your husband to make a fuss for you if you’re struggling to speak (I was). Often more can be done at this point than they are prepared to offer.

Could your baby be back to back? Our daughter was - apparently typical to have a very slow early labour, but also a lot of pain. Pain was in no particular place, just everywhere.

Sorry for the triple post - 4.5 hours as in 4 and a half hours. After I was less than 1cm for 20 hours. If you look into it, there’s actually no evidence that epidurals slow labour down.

@EarlGreywithLemon how long did the epidural last? I’ve always wondered.

@Clomid1 I can’t remember if it worked or not. I just remember being at home and fecking miserable watching Fargo for the first time on tv haha

breathing techniques to help you and apparently a comb to squeeze I’ve heard is a good one. (?)

Ladies can I check what outfits have you mainly bought for baby? Ive mainly bought sleepsuits and vests (bodusuits) and a 2 or 3 footless rompers. Should I have bought more footless stuff due to the warm weather in June or is it ok what ive got??

@Letsbekindplease mine was a self top-up one, so it could last for as long as I wanted to top it up. I did not let it wear off 😁
@MrsNT I only bought one footless romper. Thought we can get more if we need them. Had plenty of June months with miserable weather in past years! The rest is all baby grows and vests.

@MrsNT I've bought mainly vests and sleepsuits, and a couple of rompers in case we feel like getting "dressed up". Bit even the MW in the antenatal course told us to keep it simple the first weeks as the most comfy thing for them (and for us parents) are the sleepsuits, and leave the nice outfits for when baby is a bit older.

@EarlGreywithLemon yes same! Like today is almost start of june yet chilly where we are! So baby cant be in footless stuff on such days right. I didnt buy a lot of clothes as you always get gifted aswell . From what ive seen with other babies haha

@Lostintranslatio plus most sleesuits are so cute anyways and babies always look super cute in them

@MrsNT our daughter was in sleepsuits until she was six months, and I intend to do the same for this baby. So comfortable and easy. And cute!

We actually weren’t gifted clothes - mostly books, toys, things like muslins, and lovely treats for me like chocolate, fluffy socks, nice toiletries etc. For which I was very grateful!! My parents in law came up with a lovely Jo Malone gift box, saying “I’m sure you have lots for the baby, this is for you”. Bless them, I was so touched!

@EarlGreywithLemon that sounds heavenly!!! My midwife tried to put me off one “you’ll not be able to move. You’ll have a catheter blah blah blah” I don’t see how any of that is a bad thing.

mainly sleepsuits and vests but I have the odd little newborn outfit.

@pregnancydiaries - just catching up in the thread so apologies if someone has already said this... if you look on the Hospital website for your consultant's name they'll have a secretary's email and you can contact them this way. I've done this for other disciplines in the past.

@EarlGreywithLemon I'm also getting epidural and MW said I can too it up myself.

My question is what if I top myself wayyy roo much and will be too high and feel out of it - is that possible?
How do you manage to control the dose well?

*top it up

@Clomid1 hopefully you've gone in and insisted you need something more. I had 24 hours of contractions before things went to every 4 minutes and intensity increased a bit. I went in to get checked out at that point, they examined me and were very surprised I was 3cm dilated, just over an 90 mins later waters had broken and she was born! Never got to contractions every 3 minutes before active labour. It's all worth it when they're here I promise, my pain wasn't anywhere like you're describing and they can definitely offer you more in the pain relief stakes. Morphine can be really good at this early stage to allow you to get some rest actually, get your OH to be your advocate that they need to take you seriously. Hope to see pictures of your new arrival very soon xxx

How do people get through the sleepless nights full of pain, and then working all day?

My back is so bad I'm awake 1-5am and then I have to work all day. Laying in bed at night with agonising pain knowing I have to start work calls at 8am, presenting and managing difficult clients.

I have nothing left in me, I can't even think of a labour right now I can imagine just asking them to cut me up as I am too exhausted.

@laurenGame I don’t think the machine allows you to top it up more than you should! I also had the midwife there the whole time, and the anaesthetist drop in every now and again so I could ask them at any point. But I’m fairly sure they told me the machine wouldn’t let me go overboard 😁

@Lostintranslatio I couldn’t really walk with the pain after a point even pre-epidural! Some trusts also offer walking ones; mine doesn’t, but yours might? Also, I seem to remember from NCT that lying on your side is a good position for opening up your pelvis and facilitating the baby “coming out”, and that’s what I was encouraged to do- I wasn’t lying on my back.

From memory I was able to walk around again after a few hours (baby born at 19.29, so middle of the night?) . A midwife kindly helped me get up and make sure I was steady on my feet. I worried I’d be wobbly, but I wasn’t. I changed our daughter overnight myself and picked her up/ put her down. And a friend had a baby in the morning and was discharged that day post epidural just fine.