Late April 2024 / Early May 2024

[HopefullMumto4]

Tentatively seeing if anyone else is due then yet?

I got a positive digital this morning and based on Ovulation I'd be due 30th April and 2nd May based on LMP, but until the dating scan that could easily change a week either way based on previous babies!

This is great @Iamcatmum! 🎉 I’m quite looking forward to starting mine this weekend!

It’s funny @GLC789 I can’t stop watching cleaning TikTok’s and instagrams but I’ve yet to actually do much myself. 😅

I have however become obsessed with sniffing Fairy Fresh scent boosters… I don’t want to eat them or anything thankfully but omg the smell makes me so happy! 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

@HopeAndChocolate 😂😂 I'm addicted to the cleaning hack videos!

I've had another outburst straight from work today and thrown away around 90% of the contents of my dressing table 😂. Why do we keep so much "stuff"? I basically wear tinted moisturiser, brow gel and Mascara... So many brand new eye shadow pallets and lipsticks are about to be donated to my niece lol 😂.

I just want to throw everything away!

@GLC789 Yes! I may or may not have a window vac coming… 😅

That’s such good going! 👏🏻 I know what you mean though, I keep wanting to get rid of furniture so we can have more space.

Also guys, started perineal massage… someone tell me it won’t actually make much difference so I can stop because it is nooooot fun. 🙈

My nesting is out of control. I’ve got rid of so much stuff, I’m ruthless.

@HopeAndChocolate omg I tried too last night! I didn't like it at all! It was just so uncomfortable!

@Plumful - I'm the same but I kinda like it! I want everything gone tbh 😂😂.

@HopeAndChocolate i didn’t do it with my first. Didn’t tear much and recovered really well.

Yay to nesting for us all! I’m off to B&M today to wander their cleaning aisles… Loving the smell of cleaning stuff a little too much ha.

Glad it’s not just me @GLC789 - it actually makes me more nervous for the birth in a way!

This is exactly what I want to hear @Plumful thank you! 👏🏻😂

The best advice I can give is get the breathing technique under control and try not to lose the plot during contractions. Listen to the midwives at the pushing stage too.

Thank you @Plumful I’ve been practicing the hypnobirthing breathing and going to revisit the PBC videos while on mat leave too x

Still haven’t reattempted the perineal massage again. Have successfully squeezed out a few drops of boob juice though!! 😂

Definitely getting a bit antsy about cleaning and clutter. Thinking about getting someone in to do a deep clean and then I can just go over it as bending down is a bit of challenge now. I’ve also impulsively bought a new hoover that I have nowhere to store 🙈

I didn’t do any perineal massage or birthing classes on my first. I didn’t collect colostrum either! I went in blind to what was to come and it was fine. I think not knowing what to expect and just thinking well women do this everyday made me feel I would be fine! Taking the same approach this time!!

Ooh yes @Iamcatmum well done on the boob juice! 👏🏻 Also getting someone in for a deep clean is a great idea, this has crossed my mind a couple of times just need to look into how much it will cost us ha. 😅

And that seems a smart way of looking at things @Irish34!

How am I meant to go about "squeezing the boob juice out"? 😂😂

What do I do??? How do I catch it? 👀👀

@GLC789 i have a midwife appointment next week 37 weeks and i think they'll go all over it then. i'm guessing your one will too.

@babarbiecharley1 i have my next midwife appointment tomorrow! I'll be 36 weeks x

So I'm gonna ask her lol! X

Hey all, after a bit of advice/handhold today.

Had a growth scan and midwife Tues. Baby has always been in smaller side but is now under 10 percentile. So we had to wait after the scan to see consultant (that was an agonising 90 minutes).

His advice, was not something I expected at all. He basically went straight into offering inducing labour at 37 weeks (Tuesday coming!).

My placenta is fine and doing it's thing. Just baby is small (approx 5lb at 36 weeks). I didn't commit to the induction. But we go back for a scan Tues, just to check placenta still working as it should, but he said it is likely they will offer the induction again at this point.

Anyone had induced labour in previous pregnancies? How was it?

Anyone else in here going through this atm?

I'm just so torn on what to do. All the info online points to induction for overdue babies, very limited info on my specific situation

G x

@GLC789 oh you poor thing. Nothing worse than having to wait around. It’s good your placenta is all fine and doing it’s thing!

I had an elective induction on my first just before 40 weeks. I will be doing the same on this baby. I am in Ireland so my experience may be different and honestly if I lined up 10 of my friends who had inductions we all would have different experiences but mine was fine. I went in on the Monday evening. Had the 1st gel put in and 5pm. 6 hours later the second gel was put in at 11pm. At 2am my waters broke themselves while I was asleep. That woke me and contractions started at that point. At 8am I was put on the drip. At 1pm I was given my epidural and slept for 2 hours until I started pushing at 3pm. My babies head was turned to the left and she wouldn’t turn it so she was suctioned out and I did have an episiotomy. Baby was born at 430pm. 24 hours after the whole process started. I was always planning on having an epidural.

what I would say is I wouldn’t be allowed have an induction now at 37 weeks unless my cervix was down and in position. Did anyone do an examination? I am having an internal exam when I reach 38 weeks in the hope I can be induced at 39.

@Irish34 thamk you for sharing your experience! Reassuring. All I found was horror stories online 😭. Swiftly stopped googling!

No examinations of cervix done at this point but I'm guessing that's because I declined the offer of induction at the time. But I suppose if I opt for it next week, they should be doing this before starting the process.

I have no idea what to decide next week. It depends if baby has progressed or not. For all we know, they could have got their measurements wrong. I'd definitely prefer to be induced at 38 weeks and over though! X

@GLC789 would you prefer a section? I know friends of mine that where told an induction was needed asked for a section instead as they felt this was a better option for them.

I wouldn’t goggle it. You will hear about 3 days in labour walking the wards etc. which I am sure is the experience some people have so maybe worth asking next week what the plan would be if the induction didn’t progress after 24hours.

I have no experience of actually going into labour so I know a lot of people say the drip for induction makes you have very hard contractions and I will say I wasn’t a lover of the contractions but I hated them from the minute they started. I was asking for my epidural when I wasn’t even 1cm!!

in my hospital in Ireland water births are not a thing, I was under a consultant so a home birth wasn’t an option for me and I always knew I was getting an epidural so I didn’t have a “natural” birth plan in my head so having an induction didn’t seem like a huge step for me but I can appreciate if your birth plan was more on the no pain relief listen to your body kinda birth this would feel a bit far removed.

@Irish34 a c section is my worst nightmare. I know a lot of people favour it when inducing is offered, but for me, it's a last resort. The recovery time after would mean MIL having to be around more than I'd like to "help". I love her to bits, but fml, she's intense and just doesn't shup up, EVER. She's also 70 (fit as a fiddle though) and doesn't quite understand our generation! I wanna be up, about, and independent ASAP for many other reasons too.

Although I am, clued up enough to know that induction labours have a higher chance of emergency sections. If it come to it for baby's sake I'll do it, and take up meditation to recover from daily MIL woes 😂.

I think I've accepted the fact I could be in the labour ward for anything between 2 and 10 days tbh. I don't care how long I'm there, I just want what's best for my girl.

It's the "more painful" when you're induced that's getting to me. I think ill be looking for an epidural! Which is something I wanted to avoid previously. My "birth plan" is certainly become more flexible!

@GLC789 I had an induction with my first because he was overdue (41 weeks 5 days). They put it in at 5pm, contractions started at 7pm, full labour kicked in near 11/midnight (it was 12 years ago so a little difficult to remember fully!)@ and he was born at 1.08am.

The only thing I would say about inductions, is that there is no building up to the pain, at least not for me, it was very intense straight away. But at least it was quick!

I'm currently 36.5 weeks, and in my growth scan last week, I was already measuring 6.1 lbs, and at putting on half a pound a week, I'm hoping that I can be induced between 38-40 weeks, but I'm going to speak to my midwife about it tomorrow, not sure if they'll let me choose!

@HelsM2023 thank you for sharing. Yes that's what I've been told. It's just comes and there is no build up to the pain! But I think I can take the pain. I accepted its gonna bloody well hurt long ago. Just gotta be open to it hitting all at once I guess?

I hope they let you choose and all goes well for you xxx

I managed to do it with paracetamol and gas and air for pushing, so yes it's intense, and yes it hurts, but my pain threshold isn't that high, and if I can do it, so can everyone. Good luck, hope it all goes well for you, whatever your choice!

@GLC789 yes a section is also my worst nightmare to be honest. When I was having my little girl they said because she wouldn’t turn I had to really shut up and push hard as they only have limited time on the suction machine. Otherwise I was being sectioned and Jesus it was like someone took over my body because my husband said I didn’t speak put my head down and pushed and she was out.

like @HelsM2023 said I defo felt there was no build up compared to what some of my friends experienced going into labour themselves but I have friends who went into labour at home and 12 hours later they are still at home with contractions on and off etc in labour for ages or it starting and stopping.