August Due Date Crew (Thread 9)

[DesertSnow]

Thread 9! I wonder if this will be the one most babies are born in - can't wait to hear all the happy announcements 😁

I'm really sorry if I've missed anyone, I've done my best. Do give me a shout if I've missed you or have your info wrong (apologies if so!), and I'll make a note.

Delivered! 👶

June 20th - @Miraclesdohappen88 💙

Due Dates 💥

July

26th - @MidnightSunshine12 💛
27th - @Spiralout 💙
29th - @DesertSnow 💖, @Mulner88 💖, @Porcupette 💛, @Loudmouth1 💛, @overwork 💛
31st - @BusyBushBaby 💖, @jjeanii 💖

August

1st - @CityKity 💛, @SnowL2021 💛
2nd - @sprollie11 💛, @ChloeN 💛
3rd - @PumpkinEverything 💙, @Chl0o 💙, @LS88 💛
4th - @BMK 💖, @Alpacabag22 💖, @Amme18 💛, @DomesticElf 💙
5th - @LBF2020 💛, @Desperatelyboredhousewife 💛, @BoodifulGoose 💖
6th - @buttercupbee 💛, @somuchtolearnabout 💛, @Rowanandremy 💙, @TattyTil 💛
7th - @marleyandme 💛
8th - @RGxo13 💙, @JT2021 💙, @Wineismybestfriend 💛
10th - @VickiGo 💙, @Sjw30 💛, @AlexM7 💛
11th - @tax19 💛, @nadsc 💛, @Rose05 💛, @sally16 💙
13th - @newmummie 💙, @Fizzmatizz 💛
14th - @Babykingincoming 💛
15th - @Gizzyanne 💛
16th - @Recoba 💛
17th - @Narwhal88 💖, @jollydollyirl 💛, @cococat88 💛
18th - @sommeliermama 💖, @EsmeSusanOgg 💛
19th - @Firsttimemomma1 💛, @P1pk 💛, @Marmaladebear 💖, @Stuwe 💛, @MartaEly 💛
20th - @BB1993 💖
21st - @BCxx 💖, @Justdancinginthedark 💛, @honeymirabella 💖, @allgoodthings84 💖
23rd - @MinnieFirstTimeMum 💙, @Owlgirl14 💖
24th - @Daisy155 💛
25th - @unluckyinlife 💛
26th - @MummaYoung2023 💛, @Wife2b 💛, @HRSC 💖
27th - @ropo34 💛
28th - @Shinea 💛
31st - @chickpea1982 💖

September

1st - @froglou 💛

Any particular technique? I'm getting nothing!

Has DS this morning via elective section!
Just wanted to put if out there that it was genuinely one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had! The drs, and midwives were amazing, I laughed so much at them singing Moana when we were speaking about toddler obsessions 🤣 my elective midwife stayed with me and dp the entire time, her showing him where to sit, when to look, basically babied him into having the best experience 😆
I spoke to them while having the spinal done about all my worry's over last birth and they actually listened, gave me skin to skin, delayed cord clamping, didn't even weight him till back to the ward and the midwife FaceTimed my mum
Off the nhs iPad to show her ds coming into the world!

If your worrying about an elective.. don't!
But now I'm super itchy, can't sleep off the high of new baby and can't stop thinking about my stress belly this morning and I defo less wind go during my catheter insertion.. the smell was not unnoticed and DP tried to take the blame 😂

Congratulations @sally16 ! Sounds like you had a wonderful experience 😊 and honestly, don't worry about any farts/smells or otherwise. It's part of the routine for the staff.

@BMK getting a bit more settled, milk is just starting to come in. He completely refuses to sleep in any sort of containment, be it Moses basket, Next2Me, you name it.. so frustrating. I had to stay longer in hospital due to bladder problems, and he was pretty much the only baby who wouldn't settle in the cot thing. First night at home with two, feels a bit like fumbling in the dark, but will hopefully settle into a routine soon 🥴

@BCxx well done on getting something out. Hopefully you find Haakka helpful.

@BCxx definitely struggled with colostrum harvesting myself so I roped DH in to help which meant I could get a syringe each time.

@JT2021 so sorry to hear you’ve not been well. I was induced and the thing that stands out to me now is having something to do to keep your mind active - I’d have been bored witless otherwise. Try to rest when you can and stay hydrated but if you’re hooked up to a drip that keeps you stuck in bed, try not to over hydrate unless you are alright with using a bedpan or having a temp catheter. Good luck!

@sally16 Congratulations! So pleased it all went well and that your experience was a good one :) hope you get some rest and that you have a swift and smooth recovery

@Rowanandremy he's a moany little fidget so not much sleep for me so far 😂🤣

@jollydollyirl I hadn’t even rewatched the videos and if anything I think I was probably being a bit too vigorous and did it for too long but it was a good few minutes before anything started to appear. I was just trying to remember from the videos I had watched what to do and did the c shape then just did a combination of pushing back the way and squeezing. I sat right up in the bath too almost tilting forward in case gravity helped! It was just really hard to see if anything was there or not

@Spiralout I did think it would be way easier to be able to keep going if someone else was doing the collecting but I think he might have been a bit traumatised if I’d shouted him up 😂

@sally16 congratulations aww that sounds like such a great experience and thank you for sharing as I also have an elective c section my midwife told me it would be really nice experience and won’t be like the emergency c sections!

I hope you and baby are doing well this morning how exciting 😊

congratulations to everyone who has had a baby so far! I have been so busy I have to go to the hospital 3 times a week for monitoring excluding my normal appointments!

so sometimes I am at the hospital 3 to 5 days a week so glad I am having baby in 3 weeks now because I am exhausted 🥱 with all this back and forth business

Congratulations @sally16 dont know how I missed your post! That was exactly like my last one, so positive 😊 The only bit i didn’t like was having the cannula put in and it’s over in under 10 seconds so I’ve told myself I can cope with that! The spinal I dont remember hurting but I think it probably did a bit, just not as much as I expected. How did you find the spinal? Hope you’ve managed to stand up and walk about okay this morning

@sally16 Congratulations!!!! So delighted for you that your baby is safely out and with you and that you're OK!!! That's an amazing record of an experience given what's involved and made me slightly less terrified re if it comes to the 5%chance of me having to have one!!
@JT2021 I too am set to be induced either tm morning or more likely Monday; my waters went Thursday eve at6 so I have put off induction in favour of going into labour naturally but there's a risk of infection which increases and if there's infection it's an immediate c section so weighing all I'll probably give in to induction on Monday to whcih there's a 5% chance of it not working (as this si 3rd baby) and if so will have to have c section.
However in relation to your liver: is it pregnancy related issue or sth else? Are they regarding it as serious or just requiring baby to come out as a preg related risk/issue etc? You poor thing- it's a bit scary and overwhelming when all of a sudden all these new facts and information are coming at you and requiring decisions when you haven't had time to assess or take it all in..
@DomesticElf your son actually sounds like mine...he hate anything confining and every time he woke up in confined basket or etc (he would have been put in from falling asleep being held ) he would scream house down. He also hated blankets which took us a while to figure out . The combination was not much sleep and this went on and on. I hope uours is not like that: how are you getting him to sleep and does he stay asleep long and is he drinking as expected ? @sally16 is yours a crier too- albeit so new it's hard to say!!!
I just had a sweep so fingers crossed!
Consultant gave me stats re likligood of labour starting naturally after waters go: 70% of women will go into spontaneous labour by 24 hrs after; 80 by 48 hrs; and 94% I think he said by 72 hrs so that's heartening partic when sweep is added in. I have been in hosp since ECV was down in wed so fairly sick of being here now- particularly watching women come and go and listening to their roars.....

*since ECV was done on Wed,even!

@BCxx and for those who are colostrum harvesting. I found it really hard to do it myself so my partner has been helping. But when he does it, he squeezes much harder. Today on my right side it is a bit tender. Did put some nipple cream on afterwards. Do you think it is being too forceful? Or am I not getting the technique right? Tried two evenings in a row after a bath. We haven’t got loads out - not even 1ml after two attempts. But definitely for more out yesterday.

Congratulations @sally16 on your new baby. Well done!! And well done to your midwife and your medical team that took great care of you and baby.

@BMK how are things progressing? Fingers crossed when you next post you will be saying your baby has been delivered and your besotted with the little un.
What was the sweep like? Is it painful or a bit uncomfortable?

Congratulations @sally16 💕

@LS888 i think you can do it too forcefully but it seems to be mainly if you’re squeezing and moving your hand at the same time so it’s kind of dragging across it that can damage the tissue or something. I found today I had more success by holding my hand in one place, squeezing, holding for maybe 5 seconds then releasing and repeating. Before I was doing quicker squeezes and it was taking longer for anything to come out.

I’ve ended up being able to finish yesterday’s syringe and fill a second one earlier today. It took me about half an hour either side and it’s only 2ml but I’m taking it as a huge victory compared to last baby 😅 Going to try again in the bath later and see if I can get two syringes per day then I would have a good stash before going into hospital

@Paintandpots thank you!! And it's not really sore/not dore. I think some people find it a bit sore. I would describe it as more uncomfortable but definitely not worse than a smear

or not as bad as even. That could be just me though

@BCxx so glad you have found your rhythm with the colostrum harvesting now.
It just takes finding the right spot I think, or it was for me anyway. I also have one breast doing better than the other.

12 day countdown for us now 👏🏻

@MinnieFirstTimeMum yeah I struggle to go all the way round and try to get some out of them all so I’m probably just getting the same bit again and again.

I know, itl be into single figures before we know it and I think itl probably fly in then!

So glad to hear the ECV worked @BMK! Great news. Hope all is progressing well for you. Re. my section - they were reluctant to let me go so far as my section date (which is 41+3 on Tuesday) because of the complications with my pregnancy, and favoured c-section over induction for the same reasons. Every night I feel like my body is gearing up for labour (intense Braxton Hicks tonight) but it doesn't develop into anything. I think I'm resolved to have the section now. MY DH wisely pointed out that the mode of delivery is such a small part of our journey with this baby, and the important thing is to get her here safely, and hope that she's well.

Ah so exciting that you've registered him @Rowanandremy 😊I think I'm going to send DH on his own to do that, all being well.

@emlouba ah, a surprise, how exciting! I was reluctant to find out what we're having, but DH won that one 😂But we've only told a few family members, so there will still be the element of surprise when we share the news.

@HRSC Oh absolutely, pregnancy is a minefield and it's great to be able to ask people on here any questions. Glad others helped with the CTG question. I've been having them regularly due to pregnancy compliations and they do get more boring than anything! Re. starting labour tricks - I have been eating dates, using my ball and DTD (not so fun at this stage 😂). Didn't want to go for the curries as I don't want to be in labour with the runs 😂Also been walking every day. I think that probably those things only work (if they do at all) if your body and baby are ready, so I have been taking tips with a pinch of salt. If baby isn't ready, best to leave her be till the section. Mind you, I always said I would really prefer her not to be born tomorrow (the 6th) as it's my dad's birthday, and I have a very difficult relationship with him, so sod's law probably means that will happen now!

@Paintandpots Hope thrush has improved! Sorry your other half has left you with all the responsibility - not good! Yes, crazy how much pressure we put on ourselves - as if baby is going to point out that the floors aren't spotless.

@DomesticElf hope your little man is a bit more settled now.

@RGxo13 newborn's tummies are tiny! The size of a marble I think? I was amazed when I found that out. Ha yes I'm concerned about going to the loo post-birth, whatever kind of delivery it is. Good to hear the peri bottle helps.

@BCxx Congrats on your colostrum success! I've still not had any luck and doesn't look likely now! DH thinks I'm too stressed, which may be it.

@JT2021 So sorry to hear you've been unwell, do hope that it resolves once baby is out. And I hope induction is going well!

@sally16 Congrats again :) Your section experince sounds amazing, thanks for sharing - makes me feel a little better about facing the prospect myself on Tuesday.

@Daisy155 I sympathise with you and all the hospital appointments - I've had similar monitoring and while I know it's important and am glad they keep a close eye, it is absolutely exhausting. But the end is in sight, so just keep going and they'll be here before too long.

Can't believe that I'm meeting my baby on Tuesday at the latest 😱

We're getting a good flurry of birth announcements in! Congratulations everyone - and I hope everyone else is staying as comfortable as they can..

Currently having a post boob cuddle with my little boy.

@DesertSnow I got nowhere with it last time and yet have done this time so I think it’s just your luck! Milk still came in after he was born last time and I knew the technique to hand express in hospital which was useful but I just wasn’t confident enough at it to really do it properly. It’s a skill you’ve added though and I’m sure itl be fine once baby is out.. on Tuesday, if that’s how things are looking!

In regards to the birth, I heard a quote last time that said ‘I’m having a baby not a birth’ or ‘I wanted a baby not a birth’ something along those lines 🤔 but it made a lot of sense to me. You can’t pick kids out of a nursery class and say which one’s mum pushed them out her vagina or not! It makes no difference at all and once you’re holding your baby you won’t think twice about how they got out, you’ll just be so glad they did 😊

@LS888 I think you can be too forceful yes, however I need to squeeze down and hold for a few seconds to get anything out! Gentle quicker squeezing that I've seen in videos online does nothing for me. My nipples are a little tender afterwards but lanolin cream helps. And I'm nowhere near 1ml per day! Doing my best though 😅

I did have my nipples pierced and only took out the jewellery 3 or 4 weeks ago so I can imagine there's some scar tissue that might be affecting how much I'm getting out. Getting them pierced seemed like a great idea 3 years ago, not so good now!