Due December 2022 - the home stretch! (thread 5)

[Mommabear20]

Thought we were getting close to filling the last one!

Congratulations @Mommabear20 and @buzz91 and @MochaHoldTheMilkAndCoffee !!! So exciting to hear from you all!

Good luck @JC84 , I hope all goes well tonight and tomorrow!

Thanks everyone.

Good luck @JJC84 - how exciting!

Congratulations everyone and @JC84 hope he starts to make his own way into the world soon, or if not you at least had a restful night. Good luck x

Congratulations @MochaHoldTheMilkAndCoffee and @buzz91 too!

@Mommabear20 2lbs out is loads!! I’m intrigued to know how far out they are with mine xx

Thankyou guys!
I got nearly 6 hours sleep but got up esrly and had a bath and been up and about cleaning and sorting horses trying to get him going but all I'm getting is more and more waters 🙈

Hi all, congratulations on all the arrivals, it's lovely to hear!
I'm 39+2 now and desperate for little one to arrive 😅 having some slight period like aches today, which I'm hoping is a good sign! No waters or plug yet (although I think my plug has been going slowly this last couple of weeks).. just so impatient to meet him and to not be pregnant! Currently my bump is measuring on 90th, but I haven't had any growth scans, so not sure how much that really means in terms of baby size!
Just really hoping it's in the next few days and I don't run late, I haven't really decided how I feel about sweeps and induction yet, but hopefully I won't have to cross that bridge. Hope you're all doing well x

Just an update - my surprise baby boy made an appearance yesterday at 37+5 weighing 6lb3 after a 6.5 hour labour from waters breaking to him being in my arms. I had the most empowering and incredible labour and my birth plan happened to a T. Sorry for the essay...
I woke up to wet boxers at 23:40 and told Charlie I thought my waters were leaking. I called maternity and they told me to pop a pad on and call them at 09:30-10:00 the next morning and let them know how I was getting on (FTM so assuming I'd be a while) but to call them earlier if there was any fresh blood on the pad. I put a pad on and half an hour later felt the pop and relief of my waters properly going. Contractions started every 4 mins without fail and I concentrated on my breathing. Went downstairs and bounced on my ball and watched 4 episodes of Taskmaster to keep my oxytocin levels up to help labour. Charlie hastily put up the next to me crib, made me a hot water bottle and rubbed my back with each contraction. At 4am I rang maternity as my contractions were getting more frequent and lasting longer plus they bloody hurt. They asked if I was managing and I said hmmmm kinda. Apparently because I said this the midwife said I should carry on at home. Within 45 mins Charlie said he was taking me to hospital as he'd noticed a change in my behaviour. We got to the hospital at 5am and the midwife said she'd leave me for half hour and then check on me. I had 2 more contractions and I had to go wee. I showed her my bloody pad and she offered to check how far along I was. Jesus fucking christ it felt like she was fisting me dry. It was absolute agony and I had a contraction whilst she had 2 fingers in me. Anyway she thankfully told me she could feel baby's head and that I was 8cm dilated. At this point I felt so proud I'd managed to get so far with breathing and 2 paracetamol. Once she whipped her fingers out the transition occurred. I immediately needed to push but the midwife said no! That was hands down one of the hardest things to control....to not push when your body is screaming at you to do so!! Anyway I hobbled round to labour and waited for the pool to be filled. Once in I had my baby boy within half an hour on the gas and air. Charlie witnessed Murphy's head come out and open his eyes in the water and then saw his body follow. He was passed to me through my legs, but because the cord was so short I couldn't cradle him to my chest, only to my tummy. Charlie told me he was a boy and cut the cord. Afterwards I had the injection to pass the placenta which took minutes! The relief of it coming out is indescribable!! I then had 4 stitches (2 internal and 2 external) and that was it. I'm so sorry this is so long but as a FTM I was quite scared but oddly calm about labour and I really hope my story can help anyone else :)

@HayleyBean that's incredible! Congratulations on your baby boy!! 💙

@HayleyBean congratulations on your new addition 💙
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your birth story- I’m a FTM too and feel calm about everything but just reading this helps me to stay calm and know everything will be fine (loved the idea of watching the tv show on the ball while contracting- I’ll have to make sure I have my favourite on when things happen- (currently trying to bring on labour at 39.2days with bouncing and walking 😂)

Made our way to hosp for 11.30 yesterday 24hrs after first, put on drip about 7pm and had him 5.57 this morning 🥰 7lb 7 at 37+4 so pretty glad he decided earlier was better!

Congratulations everyone!! 👶🏼 how exciting!
@HayleyBean that was a lovely story to read!! Thank you for sharing 😀
@JC84 that’s amazing, I can’t believe we have the same due date and you’ve just given birth. Gives me hope that mine will be early too 😂
Hope everyone is doing well x

Congratulations on the newest little arrivals!

My induction has been brought forward to next Tuesday. I'll be 36+3 then.

Congratulations to everyone on their new arrivals. I cannot believe there are so many babies arriving already! its so lovely to hear the wonderful birth stories. I am due on the 17th, and finish work on Friday so counting down the days. My little boy turns 2 on the 11th, and part of me would really like him to be able to enjoy his birthday in peace before his little world is turned upside down, but the other part of me is very tired and very much ready for the newest family member to join us haha.

Hope everyone else is getting on well, and can't wait to hear of more arrivals!

Ah huge congratulations on all the new arrivals! I hope everyone is feeling good and not too sleep deprived!?!

I'm 36+4 today and so ready to meet baby now. Consultant unfortunately vetoed my homebirth due to baby's head measuring off the scale (42 +5 when I was scanned last week) no induction booked as yet and will be allowed to start in the Birthing centre instead of straight into delivery suite. One more scan on 15th but hopefully baby will follow its siblings and come early although I have my nan's funeral, sons birthday and step sons birthday all in the 10 days so also want baby to pick its time wisely.

I know @Rose2022! he definitely wasn't quite ready tho as had to have the drip and that still took 9+ hours. I didn't realise how much waters the was! I lost so much over 24hrs at home, more burst here and then they had to pop a pocket too!
I feel I was rightly panicking about him being big and think I would have had induction booked had I attended tomorrow's scan. I felt a bit off all week with pains so was obviously my body getting ready and Saturday night I didn't get to sleep until 0600 Sunday until 0900 which is about 3 hours less than normal and perhaps why he's here nearly 3 weeks early!
@3rdtimerodeo I was very tired at the end having been awake all night but got a few hours inbetween 🤮 and just woke up from another 3 hours whilst he's been asleep despite the other 3 here screaming their heads off 🙌🏻
Have had to move my maternity fwd tho as I wasn't actually due to start until tomorrow and that was only because I needed to leave work early to make sure my cover had time without mw before Xmas 😂
@HayleyBean huuuuge congratulations and so lovely to read your story!!
I was 2-3cm for ages and my body also said it needed to push before my cervix was ready, so then I started using gas and air to try and breathe through it and not push and had to stay on my side from then until I was 8cm then I had a diamorphine injection because my back pain was really bad. The pain of delivering and pushing was intense but soooo worth it and I only had 2 teeny labial tears my midwife stitched but no episiotomy and no section so very happy indeed!

Also just FYI for anyone still waiting my mucus plug was literally 2 teeny, like less then 5p size, blobs of gelatine/glue like substance I lost Thurs and Fri so was a shock when I leaked so much water I had to get changed 2 days running even tho I had pads in 🤣

Congrats @HayleyBean !!!
Congrats @JC84 !!!

I have my 37w growth scan tomorrow, and they should firm up my induction date then. At the moment it's pencilled in for 38w.

I've finally worked out that Braxton Hicks contractions feel like a rock solid abdomen without any pain. I've been getting these sporadically for a while (several weeks), but they are becoming more common. I'm starting to get anxious that I'll start labour before the induction date, but actually that would probably a better scenario.

Thankyou @Bluebonnet3
I too didn't think I'd had any braxton hicks until I read some people's interpretation of it and also when I came in Sunday night to check it was my waters going she said can you feel that - as the monitor was at 100 - I said oh I thought that was just him kicking 🤣🤣

I agree @Bluebonnet3 , I had my first Braxton hicks on Sunday and my belly was rock solid, felt like the skin couldn’t possibly stretch anymore 😂but I did have a period pain feeling too. Had to text my Mum to confirm what was happening haha!

How are all you ftm doing whose baby's have arrived? Hope you're all doing okay! It can be daunting in those first few days and weeks! Don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or just want to vent! 🥰

@Mommabear20 Little man is 11 days old now. Not going to lie, it’s been tough. Last week especially, we were just in survival mode getting through each day and recovering from c section. Finally made our first trip out on Sunday and then I got a bladder infection so we’ve been home again ever since. Me and DP are figuring out ways to get the most sleep possible! Felt like last night went a lot better and I feel like a new woman!!

@Laughingmole that's rough! I've never had a section so can't comment on that part, but what helped DH and me, was to alternate who got up in the night with baby (obviously only works if not breastfeeding) and whoever has baby, would sleep downstairs with baby. Is that a possibility?

@Jaaxe all go smoothly? Far from it! Obviously my body wasn't ready to be forced into labour at all 🤣 if I were to have another & be offered another induction I would decline it.. in the end I ended up on the hormone drip to kick start my contractions.. & brother's are all besotted by him & so far the family household seems to be adapting very well 🥰 thanks for asking x

@Mommabear20 @MadamMaltesers @MochaHoldTheMilkAndCoffee @buzz91 congratulations to you all on the births of your babies! 🥰

That's interesting! So do Braxton Hicks always have no pain? I ask because I've been getting cramps in my lower tummy, upper tummy and back (whole bump basically) for the last week, they're painful enough to wake me up when I'm sleeping.

Last night they got stronger than before and started coming regularly - every 20mins to an hour - but then by about 10am this morning they wore off completely.

I'm a ftm so no idea if this is normal! I'm 37w+3 now