Due May 2023 - Thread Three

[AlwaysTryingToHelp]

New thread as the other one was full!

I will try and tag everyone from the previous thread, sorry if I forget anyone 😊

Congratulations on all the new babies. Ours arrived yesterday, 10 days over due but early for his induction slot! Labour started spontaneously and after a speedy journey to the hospital delivered within 23 minutes according to my discharge notes 😳😳😳 so tough and intense but amazingly positive birth, although I will definitely be planning a home birth next time (if there will be one!)

Morning all, baby girl arrived safely on Tuesday morning after my waters broke on Sunday night.

Absolutely smitten with her already and initially I felt really happy with how I’d advocated for myself in hospital (had to be induced after waters, ended in a section for failure to progress) but now having a wobble and feel like I’ve already failed as a mother. Told one of my friends I’d had a section and she said “what a shame” which I know was a throwaway comment from her but I feel really hurt by it.

My hospital do a birth reflections service which I’ll be looking into as there were several things I feel were missed/I’m not sure why some things happened the way they did so I definitely want to discuss it with someone, but has anyone got any advice for feeling just a little bit rubbish for having a section?

Before I had the baby I never once gave any second thought to how a baby was born, but I’ve got myself all worked up about it happening to me. Really really gutted :(

@Awkwardusername congratulations first off!

To my view as long as the baby and you are both healthy and safe, how the baby actually gets into the world is irrelevant. It's nice having an idea about a birth plan etc, but giving birth isn't a spa-like experience. And if someone's opinion of how your baby has been born has upset you, I'd be telling them to shove their opinion up their bum. You've done brilliantly as has everyone who has got their little babies.

@Awkwardusername I had an emergency section after pushing for ages and was really disappointed to get that far only to have a section at the last minute. Just ignore comments like your friend's. Your body has been through loads and done something amazing. There's no right way to give birth and it's definitely not the easy option (I won't bore you with my recovery experience over the past 7 weeks).

Ultimately, whilst it's definitely not what I'd have chosen and I'm still recovering, it was necessary to get baby boy here safely so maybe think of it like that. I still get sad looking at my scar and pouch but I'm hoping I'm one of those people that learns to love the scar and to have it as a reminder that I grew and gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.

You'll need lots of rest and relaxation to recover. Make the most of that, enjoy having lots of couch cuddles with your baby girl and let family and friends look after you.

@Awkwardusername That was a shitty comment from your friend and don’t let it make you feel crap about the huge accomplishment of bringing your daughter into the world.

Hi @Awkwardusername - firstly congratulations on your little girl.

with regards to a section, I cannot really comment as I haven't had one... but I throughly recommend the after birth debrief. I went to one when I found out I was pregnant with my second. I felt really let down by my firsts birth and needed some clarity on what happened and why. The care I received this time was amazing and the meeting to discuss my previous birth really helped

@Appleby11 had an induction with my first so okay having another I think 😅 definitely june babies for us aha

Hi all and congratulations on the new babies! Our boy arrived last week after an induction. We both had to stay in hospital for a couple of days but we are doing great.

@Awkwardusername I'm sorry your friend said that to you. People are so opinionated about the details of labour but would never comment on the method by which you had a gallstone removed… childbirth isn’t easy or straightforward and we have medical intervention for a reason. Don’t let them get you down, you’ve done brilliantly.

@Nell80 thank you, I felt scared but positive about the induction, it was nice to know when he was coming!

@Shannondd3108 it's tomorrow for yours isn't it? I was supposed to be Monday but there's not been space for me to go in. My friend who picked June for the date in our competition is cheering the lateness 🤣

Congratulations @Northby ! How was the induction? I was also induced and it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I expected - in fact it was a positive experience x

How is everyone healing? Both c-section scars and vaginal births

I delivered vaginally and had 1 internal tear towards the perineum. Midwife checked my stitches yesterday at the Day 5 check and said all looking fine, and seem fine to me, not giving me any pain etc.

What’s really bothering me is the haemorrhoids.. I’ve been using anusol suppositories and cream but they don’t seem to be going away at all and they’re really sore and irritating. Midwife didn’t really offer any advice except for to continue using the over the counter things I’m already using.

Had my induction phone call last night, with the balloon put in at 1.30 this morning, just waiting now for things to start and for a bed to become available.

@Janch13 I've had haemorrhoids for a few weeks now 😬 I feel your pain. The germoloids cream and suppositories have been good at reducing some of the pain and swelling. However, depending on their size apparently they might not go 🥺 have you spoken to your GP? They can do more physical things with them.

Hi everyone congratulations on all the new babies!

I was due yesterday but no sign of baby yet, booked in for a stretch and sweep on Friday but not sure wether to have it or not. I just feel like baby will come when baby is ready xx

Woke up this morning wondering that I have something planned in the diary- I realised it's that I need to have this baby! My due date today and no signs. Had a growth scan yday and blood flow, water level, movements are all fine but growth seems to have tapered. They were advising induction but iv decided to wait a couple more days. They will check baby tmrw with Doppler.

@Hannah310523 I refused a stretch/sweep yday. I had one with my first and it didn't help at all and was just really uncomfortable for me.

@Janch13 I had bad haemorrhoids with both my babies, after the second it went on for a year. You can get stronger cream off the Dr if uv tried all the over the counter meds already.

Thanks @Appleby11 and @tigerlily0 re the piles. Should I contact GP about them now or wait a while (only 6 days pp)?

@Hannah310523 My S&S with my first pregnancy was awful - so painful and actually made me sick after. It made me really anxious about having another with this pregnancy but I wanted to give it a go to hopefully get things going and avoid being induced. When consultant offered me one I asked if she could examine me instead and then I’d have one based on how “favourable” my cervix was. Turns out I was already 2cm and so I told her to go ahead and it was absolutely fine, no discomfort at all. I went on to have 2 more during the 10 days I went overdue. So my advice is to ask them for a VE then decide on whether you want them to
perform the S&S as I believe my first one with my first pregnancy was so traumatic because my cervix was nowhere near ready for it.

Thank you I’m thinking if they examine me and I’m already starting to dilate I’ll just refuse it anyway as it must mean things are going in the right direction. Hopefully baby comes before Friday so I don’t have any decisions to make 😂

@Hannah310523 good plan! If you’re not in a rush then just let things take their course. They wanted to induce me at 40 weeks and I refused and I’m glad I did even though I was feeling impatient I’d rather let things happen in their own time.

@Janch13 I'm planning on contacting them as soon as I can about mine. Unfortunately we're mid swap between GP surgeries. I'm going to ask for whatever strong stuff they have but having had a Google, I think mine are too big for creams and suppositories 😳 it hurts to just sit down, and I don't want to be having paracetamol for the foreseeable future just because of them.

@Janch13 When did your baby make an appearance? Xxx

@Appleby11 I feel for you they sound so painful, I think in extreme circumstances they can be surgically removed but depends how big they are. There’s some advice on here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/piles-haemorrhoids/

@Hannah310523 thank you for the information. I've been having a look at what can be done. I know they'll get worse in labour so I'm debating leaving it for a few weeks afterwards to see the GP or pestering the doctor at the hospital while I'm there for something stronger than OTC stuff. But I can see my needing them banding or the injection side of things 😳

Does anyone know anything about baby poop?

Baby is 4 weeks old tomorrow and has started producing green poop. He also sends listless and unsettled, I'm worried that he might be coming down with something?

@TheBeesKnee did your health visitor give you a copy of the orange book? Have a look in that and see if there's anything in there about it. Or phone 111 and have a chat with them?

@Hannah310523 on 25th, he is 1 week old today

@Appleby11 i feel for you! I took your advice & contacted my GP, they’ve prescribed something so I’m off to collect from the pharmacy shortly. I’m hoping this will help and I don’t have to have them surgically removed although I definitely can’t live with them as there are so I would if necessary. How big would you say is big? Mine feel Blueberry size and I have 3-4, so yeah… not nice!!