June 2023 Babies ☀️ (Thread Six)

[ireneadler101]

Thought I'd start a new one as the old one is full!

I'm 37w exactly and definitely starting to feel more Braxton Hicks (they woke me up last night) but they don't seem to be getting more intense/frequent. Also a bit of lower back ache and general bump tenderness, plus I think I've lost a small bit of my mucus plug. Think this is probably normal at this stage and just my body gearing up for labour but am quite nervous as have a c section at 38+3 and hoping to last till then! Second pregnancy but last baby arrived at 36w so feels like uncharted territory!

How is everyone else feeling?

Hello, can anyone help. I've woken up this morning with some sharp twinges in my left side (around the same area as my appendix would be but the opposite side) does this sound like a contraction? I've had no BH and I've also never had period cramps before. I've no other symptoms of going in to labour except baby has dropped a tiny bit this week. I'm 37w6d today. Thanks!

@Dewintergarden I'm not the best person to help as I'm a FTM and not had them before, but my sense is that labour contractions can be distinguished from other contractions or pains by their regularity (eg. every 20, 10, 5, 3 mins) and they don't stop if you move positions. Have you got any type of pattern?

@Dewintergarden Move around, have some water and monitor if they are every 10 mins or so. Write down how frequent and how long they last and if they are recurring, get worse or more frequent, call the unit :)

Got my pre op appointment today for my c section on Monday, really not sure what to ask as wasn't expecting to go down this route 😔

@BobbySD345 @pippabg thank you both for replying I think it is ligament pain and pgp has flared back up again as it seems to have gone away and didn't have a pattern.

I’m waiting in clinic atm to see the midwife and then consultant, hoping to have an idea of what to expect - whether they will try an ECV and induction or if they want to go straight to an elcs.

@Dewintergarden i was going to say sounds like ligament pain rather than contractions- they are hard to miss!

@Dewintergarden My contractions were in my left hip mostly and like period pains. They came on and increased intensity for half a minute then went again. They were about 10 minutes apart when they started.

Thanks for kind words all. I can't wait for DD to catch up to where she should be. It's strange having a newborn this long.

Congrats on new arrivals! Can't believe it's now time and all the babies are coming.

I’ve just come out of hospital as baby was classed as unstable lie so I was admitted on Sunday. Thankfully he is now head down so I’m home until my C section on Monday. Thought I would share what I found really useful during my hospital stay:

Waterproof flip flops for showering
Shower cap
Extra long phone charger cable (got mine from Amazon basics for £10, much easier)
Bag of snacks to munch on (particularly graze and protein cereal bars)
Ear plugs and silk eye mask. Absolute god send.
Comfy slip on slippers
Short sleeved nighty and light dressing gown- wards get very warm but I felt a bit self conscious and liked the comfort of the dressing gown
Hand held fan (rechargeable)
lip balm
water bottle

Great list @Mistymeow
@Dewintergarden I am doing this for the second time and even though I know contractions are intense and obviously labour I’m analysing every twinge too. Uncomfortable tightenings over the last 48 hours, woken by them this morning, convinced it was going to turn into something… hasn’t 😞 I am just so excited!

I’m just wondering if I get all of your opinions on something, next weekend my partners family are going away and we always said we were not sure if we would be coming or not, our baby will be just under 3 weeks old and I said it was too much to drive 2 hours and then deal with the sleepless nights staying in a caravan with other family members. I also said to my partner that I don’t mind having a few people round at our house for visits and cuddles at the moment but the thought of my baby being passed around 15 people makes me uncomfortable and I don’t know why, he said asked if I had separation anxiety but I feel like it’s a normal feeling at this stage?

So I’m officially on maternity leave! It felt really weird setting my out of office and I don’t think I’ve quite got my head around the fact I won’t be back for a good part of a year!

Now to sit and wait for babies arrival - 3 weeks to go!

Just to add my partner did not ask in a horrible way just “are you ok?” kind of way and fully agrees that we shouldn’t go.

@Ally1992 I wouldn't take a 3 week old to a caravan, regardless of how many people are going.

@Ally1992 normal I think but its ultimately about what you feel comfortable with. A 3wo is a teeny tiny baby.

@Ally1992 my opinion would be don't go, baby is still very much brand new and you still should be healing and resting.

We’re definitely not going and we’ve told his family, they said they will help out so we can sleep but not to sound ungrateful I don’t want it right now, this is our time to bond with him, I’m sure down the line we will be happy to accept the help 😅

@Ally1992 I think people forget what the newborn stage is actually like. In as much it’s about getting to know each other and learning how to respond to one another. You, DP and baby. A health visitor told me a new baby is like having a stranger in your house, a stranger you know better than anyone else (which is nuts). You’re learning feeding cues, whether a cry means they need a sleep or a nappy change or winding. New parents don’t need “help” with the baby at 3 weeks. They need help with the housework and some understanding that they’re exhausted. /rant (can you tell my mum has offered to “help” with the baby? She’s also offered to “help” get things ready. When I took her up on it and asked if she could the bathroom because I can’t bend and DH is rubbish at it she refused…but she’d be happy to fold baby clothes).

@PurBal you summed that up perfectly thank you!

@Ally1992 yes I agree with the others, I wouldn't go and I would say if they wanted to help then come and clean or cook a meal 😅

40+2 today and I swear if another person asks me is baby here yet and then gives me a shocked reaction when I say no, and it's always the random ppl who don't actually care and aren't close family/friends. My own mum and sisters and close friends are patient enough to not ask me everyday or make me feel like I must be doing something wrong.

@tigerlily0 I lost my shit with people when this happened with DC1. Hold in there.

@PurBal my first son was 12 days over! I remember getting really annoyed with ppl then too. This is only 2 days over and I didn't even tell ppl my due date, just kept saying end of May. Iv decided not to take calls now unless it's immediate family and select friends.

I random old man said to me today 'you must be having twins!' I should have told him I'm actually not pregnant just to see his face 🤣
In all serious though why do strangers feel the need to comment on how big/small you are etc.

Anyone else feel like their baby is really content and not planning on coming out any time soon?

I'm 39+2, bump dropped a few days ago but other than that the baby seems quite happy and haven't had any symptoms in the last month other than tiredness.

And has anyone had an 'awkward' baby? I think I've had between 10-12 scans for this pregnancy. The hospital are never really concerned but I always end up being scheduled for an additional scan. At nearly every scan there tends to be something that needs to be remeasured/monitored and it's a different thing each time.

Congrats to everyone who has given birth so far and good luck to everyone else

Feeling a bit despondent. I was convinced things had started last night, the contractions were mild but “familiar” (as in I was like “ah yes, I remember this is what labour feels like”). Childcare is 2 hours away and we are almost an hour from the hospital so set the ball rolling in case it picked up. All stopped, nada for hours. I feel like I’ve wasted my MIL time with a false start. I’m still getting tightenings but more like braxton hicks, I slept better than I have in days. Wondering whether to request a sweep tbh but only 38+5.

@Frozenstrawb not so much with this baby but yes I remember being offered a sweep with DC1 at 40w and I remember declining and saying to DH “he’s not ready”, I was frustrated because I was fed up, but I knew he’d arrive in his own time.