Babies due June/July onwards

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Here is promised thread jessi! Congratulations too Ellasmum and jessi - Ellasmum, my due date will be about 20th July I think. Haven't seen any midwife or doctor yet - trying to remember what I did when last time!

Where are you having your baby - seriously

Kingston Hospital

Here, here - Mears and Pupuce know what they are talking about as mums but also as midwife / doula.

I highly recommend the TENS machine and also the birthing pool. Give them a go. And remember for every 30 hour nightmare labour there are ten quick, easy, unassisted labours.... The boards are just full of nightmare stories as those of us who were unfortunate first time are trying to come to terms with our experience.

Anyway, hopefully I will soon be posting about my quick intervention less birth. Strangely enough even after my tough time last time, I still think of childbirth as a natural, wonderful, awe inspiring thing. Trust yourself and your body.

I know my body, and it's a coward! Mears and pupuce can vouch for the fact I'm exploring alternatives, but honestly I really hoped last time that the pain would be somehow 'different' from ordinary pain and that I'd tap into wonderful reserves of capability, and I just didn't. and now of course feel even worse for opting for epidural at 'only' 4.5 cms (and 12 hours)....

motherinferior - after 12 hours and only being 4.5cm I am not surprised that you opted for an epidural, and it is no failure on your part. What I am saying is that epidural is not a good idea from the onset of labour. Labour is much easier to cope with if you are progressing well. If not, epidurals are a godsend. I have actually influenced women's decisions to have one - I am not against them at all.

Motherinferior you are not a failure for asking for an epidural. In 12 hours of full labour I progressed to fully dilated - I'm sure I would have asked for an epidural if I had only been 4.5cm dilated.

One does have to be careful what one says.

Hey, I never said 'full labour'. Definitely labour, but early - from manageable while cowering in bed to, by my standards, very painful. I knew it was time to do something when I couldn't stay still through Buffy the Vampire Slayer - by that time I'd been pacing the flat in semi-darkness ('like animal woman', according to dp). But I'm quite sure other people would have just felt that was the build-up to the real thing!

Hey motherinferior - remember we are having two hour champagne popping labours this time !!

First babies always take longer Bron, second ones should be a lot easier to come out?
Otherwise I don't understand why women go through labour all over again and again....

However I will inform my hospital that I am not against pain relief, if I start swearing they know that I need an epidural, actually a mobile epidural.

God Popuce, just read your comments on another thread re epidurals, your article says also:

epidural stops your body from making endorphins which are important hormones for both mother and baby, they play an important role in bonding and breastfeeding. And before I 10 of you tell me they had no problem bonding and BF.... let me add that we are human being and we have "intelligence" which helps us bond and BF... but for some this is an issue (it is one in the animal kingdom where animals reject their off-springs born by ceasarean).

Do you really believe all of this is true?

Hi, am due 28th June, and am now 33+, no heartburn fortunately. My other pregnancies i had tons of heartburn from 4 months onwards so am glad this time its different. I got the swollen ankles and the big butt though lol. I went onto another thread, are you due june onwards or something and happy spider said this was a new thread. how come, it seems it started november 2002? oh well, i will keep posting on this one if everyone prefers. nice to get to know who is who on one thread it gets confusing otherwise!!

Bron & Happyspider

Everyone says that second deliveries are quicker so I've got my fingers crossed for a 2 hour delivery.

Happyspider - don't know about the stuff you posted on epidurals but I think you have the right attitude. Stay at home as long as possible and be open minded on pain relief.

Hi MaVictoria - think you're a bit of an expert, do you already have a few kids ( 3 or 4 I seem to remember ) ?

One thing on mobile epidurals - if it doesn't seem to be working at all (helpful indicators here are if the anaesthetist says 'I'm 85 per cent sure that's in right' do not be deterred by people who tell you 'you're meant to feel something' despite you bellowing how much you are, in fact, still in pain.

Mine worked OK on one side when done again. Which makes me wonder how much of the full pain I was feeling, a fraction (as dp suspects) or a lot?

Second labours are definitely MEANT to be easier, dammit!

I had an epidural with dd and it didn't work properly, only lasted about 20 minutes and then when they topped it up it still didn't work. But I did find gas and air and pethidine excellent. Is anyone else suffering with lack of sleep? I am 35 weeks and wee-ing about 5 times a night, then lying awake from about 5.30am. Its doing my head in. There are only so many floors you can scrub at that time in the morning.

Hi Dahlia

Haven't been sleeping well for months now - I wake up every night at 2/2.30, have some Gaviscon and a pee and if I'm lucky fall back asleep for a couple of hours. If not lie in bed tossing and turning. Not so bad now that I can always have an afternoon nap if I want.

Tomorrow I tackle the kitchen and that will pretty much all the organisation that I need to do. So might just be tempted to redecorate that hallway next week...

Dahlia, I have the same problem, I still exercise and feel very tired in the evenings, but even though I sleep like a log, I still wake up for my trips to the loo.
DH is not particularly amused by them, in fact, due to my actual size I hardly move like cat, more like an elephant and wake him up too.

I have tried not too drink too much close to bedtime to avoid the pressing urge to go to the toilet, but then wake up incredibly thirsty and don't know what it's worse.
On the positive side... not long to go Yippie!

sorry to confuse you MaVictoria, you're right this is not a new thread. I think it was updated a few days ago and since it was at the top of the list I assumed it was new.
But you are on the right one now.
Sympatize with the big butt and swollen ankles...

ladies, what do you do at this stage in pg when suddenly your maternity attire doesn't fit anymore and you can't be bothered/don't want to waste money to buy new outfits? (provided your size was catered for?)
Help!

Sympathise with the lack of sleep .I'm sure on my way back from the toilet the baby moves his head on to the top of my bladder because as soon as I'm back in bed I feel I could go again.But thankfully now I've finished work I can have a sleep in the day when d/d is at nursery . Yesterday I was told they (nursery nurses)were going on stike- 6 days in total. I've had to rearrange appointments (not knowing if they may fall on next load of strike days) I was really looking forward to going to on my own. This time before the baby is born is really precious because I didn't have it with d/d. (sorry about the rant) I don't think the nursery teacher was impressed by my lack of support and was definately off with me today. Saying that, Iam very oversensitive lately!!
Happy spider I wear the same pair of stretchy size 18 trousers as much as poss. in the house and put a more decent pair of trousers on for anything else . How about dh/ds clothes ( my bums too big!!)

Happyspider,I have just realised today that I now only have one pair of trousers left that still fit and 6 weeks to go. Help me too! Think I am going to have to bite the bullet and get another pair of trousers to do the last stint. I am planning to flog the lot on ebay once I'm done though so that helps a little bit!
Dahlia, I haven't slept for months either, I wake up several times to wee and then can't get back to sleep. Also wake at 6am every morning as this baby really gets busy then.Hopeless.

DH clothes? I can only fit in his tracksuit bottoms, and they are not very flattering...

I will have to buy at least another skirt or pair of trousers this week end as at the moment I am living in my only maternity dress that still fits.

I wash it every other day, thank God I am working from home tomorrow....

Happyspider, any leeway in pushing elasticated/drawstring waistlines down under the bump, as it gives a considerable amount of space? (God I'm lucky I work from home, any self-respecting office would have sacked me months ago!)

And I have to tell you that I saw a tanned, toned babe in cropped jeans and cropped top leaping lithely about the park yesterday, as I lumbered past clutching dd's hand, with all the poised grace of a grumpy rhinocerous...

I dont know what planet i am on since being pregnant with this one! lol..I came on mumsnet to share experience and tips and pick up same from other mums. I read through a few threads,put a few points on, and off i went. Came back today,started a new thread on this same topic under childbirth...i have only just read the threads you wrote to me HAPPYSPIDER lol. sorry about this, I really have the BIMBO FEVER!!