Due July 2024 - part 4

[Oatmilktea]

The other thread was filling up so thought I would set up a new one!

@Sophie3003
@ceruleansky
@Amberellaella
@wannabe123
@glasshalffull0
@Morningcoffeeaddict
@missmoosh
@Jess725
@AnonymousXXIX
@Busyhedgehog
@Nocoffeenotalkie
@justanotherlaura
@Honeymint
@Savvy21
@hopingfor23
@chilliflakesmum
@ExpectantEs
@AimeeLou84
@Welshgal85
@TooHappyToday
@Bali200

I’ve tagged people from the last few pages of the previous thread, hopefully everyone makes there way over here when the other one fills up!

Just had a midwife appointment. Baby finally head down but still somewhat diagonal and very much not engaged. Zero labour signs. Not much hope that it's making an appearance any time soon! 🫠 Going to Google how to start labour now, pineapple cores and long walks, let's gooooo.

Thanks everybody! Longer post as promised - in case helpful for anyone else going in for an induction…

So I had sweeps at 38+1 and 38+4 but neither led to labour so I went in to be induced on 38+6. The process at my hospital is that you first have a pessary to open your cervix, then once it’s open they break your waters, and then stimulate contractions using a oxytocin drip. You get reviewed at each stage and can skip bits. When I went in my cervix wasn’t quite dilated enough to pop the waters so I had a 24 hour pessary which was boring. It started the latent phase of labour but I managed to get by with Codeine for the pain relief. At my review, my cervix wasn’t quite ready so I had a second, six hour, pessary. More latent phase contractions and more Codeine. At my review after that, mw decided I was ready for waters breaking, but while I was waiting for a bed on delivery suite I went into proper active labour on the ward! I had some Pethedine, which kept me comfortable (ish) until I could go down to delivery - annoyingly about three hours later - where I finally got my epidural ☺️

They popped the waters to keep things going and baby decided he wanted to come not long after. Dr helped him out with forceps because he was a bit distressed. Thankfully no episiotomy needed this time though and I am very grateful that I’d managed to get the epidural in! No drip needed and from the start of the active phase he was with us within about 6 hours.

In general I’d do it again, ideally without the three hour wait for a bed in delivery and without the pethidine which made me really dopey!

@Amberellaella ahh thank you for the detailed post! 2 weeks tomorrow until my induction, which sounds like it is a similar process to your experience!
sorry you had to wait so long to get into delivery suite! But glad it all went well for you ❤️

edited to add: when you went for your sweeps were you dilated/effaced at all?

@missmoosh you have to be a bit dilated so that they can get their finger in to do the sweep. There did seem to be progress each time but sadly not enough to kick start anything

Glad to hear your doing better and the bleeding stops. All the best for the scan later.

Yes I was having mild period cramps from that point onwards. I guess the cervix ripening and baby moving down. The cervix opening causing blood vessels to burst and bleed a little and the MP to come away from the cervix. I was told it was all normal as long as the blood wasn't medium/heavy flow. It stopped within a few days and the cramps got more intense. DS was also classed SGA as he was 4th centile at 38week scan. Born at a healthy 6lbs..... Just a petitie baby. No complications and normal delievery he wasn't distressed at all. All monitoring was normal.

@ceruleansky how annoying about the infection. Hopefully not a UTI. But yeah at this stage best not to mess about with infections.
How frustrating the steroids would cause it. I had no idea that was linked.

@Savvy21 and @Amberellaella congrats to you both on the arrival of your bubbas. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Your healthy and well that's the important thing. Well done. Enjoy newborn snuggles and not being pregnant! Welcome back to the back sleeping!

@Amberellaella glad it all went smoothly with the induction. Beds will forever be an issue and just getting you from one place to another a real headache.

Youtube - Care about Little ones. There channel is all science based.
Acupuncture / acupressure (can be done it home) and also using castor oil.

Well I've got the goods for my acid reflux, yay! Just need to go and pick them up from the pharmacy. Also phoned universal credit as I reported my pregnancy months ago and no one ever got back to me about it. Apparently I didn't really need to. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Oh well, that was actually a nice phone call as the bloke I spoke to was very pleasant. 😁

@Amberellaella Hoping to avoid any of that (if all goes well) but I'm very glad it worked for you and you have your little boy safe and sound. 💙 And if I do need to be induced it's helpful to know this stuff. 😊

I do wonder if it's linked to my autism, I read about this stuff and it makes me feel all weird. I don't know why! It's completely normal and women do it every single day, I just hate the idea of being poked and prodded. Scans and the midwife listening to baby's heartbeat are different because that's just my tummy. Definitely taking one of my stuffed toys to the hospital with me. Might sound daft but when I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed it does help having something to cuddle. Although I hope my body just takes over and tells my brain to shut it! Then I think that the little creature I'll be cuddling after I give birth might be a source of stress. 😅 That could be interesting!

That's a good story @Amberellaella , sounds like you were very in control (apart from the bed situation)!

Will do @MixedCouple2!

I am feeling a little annoyed with myself. First day I tried to colostrum harvest (3days ago) I got 3 drops.
Tried again last night 0. I did all the things they suggest. Warm bath, massage, relaxed in bed etc etc. And today i tried and got 1 drop from the right. Was way to sticky to remove with syringe and not enough. Tried the left and a tiny amount not even syringable.
I was hopeful to get at least 3-4 syringes just foe the first 24hrs or something.
I wonder if I can even get anymore. I even read up more and watched some hospital videos on this. And using my hand pump and still nothing......

@MixedCouple2 I find looking at pictures of my first as a baby helps - have you got anything like that that you could try? Maybe baby videos on YouTube or anything

Please try not to worry about it, whether or not you can collect colostrum is not an indicator of whether or not you will be able to breastfeed if that is what you want.

Keep trying, but be gentle with yourself - many people can not express colostrum.

Oh yeah don't worry at all! I couldn't get any colostrum last pregnancy, and had a perfectly good milk supply in the end. Also have tiny boobs lol, indicating that likewise means nothing!

Had my sweep today at 37+3. Really glad the midwife could do it as I knew this early on my cervix could be unfavorable. I am a very good 1cm dilated (easily stretched to 2cm) She did a good sweep and I'm booked in for another next week. Hoping it works.🤞

@Savvy21 @Amberellaella
wow! Ladies! Welcome your new arrivals! How bloody exciting!
my due dates on Monday and I’m rather impatient now 😂
hope you’re both doing good and feeling ok❤️❤️❤️

@SapphireSeptember omeprazole as suggested ✌️
I had it really really bad. Was throwing up from it too. Mine did ease and rarely suffer now after maybe two bad weeks of it. Let us know how you get on, sorry you lost sleep 😔

@MixedCouple2 don’t be hard on yourself and try not to worry. I wasn’t allowed to collect colostrum in case it brought on labour. My baby was born at 35 weeks via section and I worried I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed. During his first 24 hours I was getting 0.1ml at a time. This then increased to 1ml the next day. He’s 3 weeks old now, EBF and is feeding like an absolute trooper!

@Oatmilktea @wannabe123 @AnonymousXXIX thank you ladies.
I know last time I didn't bother and then regretted it as the first 2 days DS was too sleepy to latch and nurse and the awful Midwives at the Consultant led hospital kept being horrid saying they would need to get formula if he doesn't start latching and nursing (we only went becuase DS temp was 36.4 instead of 36.5 he was totally fine).
He woke up after 48hrs and nursed like a vampire and milk transitioned on day 3/4 and full milk came in on day 4/5. So it was fine in the end. But the first 2 days were so stressful. I just want to avoid all that drama again.
Even if it is just 2 days worth wouod be amazing.

@Oatmilktea how is baby and your recovery and life with a newborn?

@Jess725 Oh gosh, that sounds horrendous! I ended up with a sore throat before I started taking the liquid for it, and I sometimes gag when brushing my teeth which can bring up acid, but it hasn't been that bad. I didn't have time to get to the pharmacy before it closed, but I'll pick up my Omeprazole prescription in the morning. 😊

Also so much for not eating too late, I was at my friend's hen party this evening, and ate a lot of yummy Chinese food. 😋 Probably going to suffer for that later. 😅

@Oatmilktea 💐 Congratulations! Glad to hear your little one is feeding well! 😊

Nathan joined us today after a planned c-section at 39+1, night and day from my first pregnancy where I felt a bit traumatised after the birth. Everyone has been so supportive of my choice to go for an elective from the start, feeling very lucky :)

Congratulations! @justanotherlaura 💐🥳 Welcome to the world little Nathan. 💙😊

@justanotherlaura Congratulations :-) glad that you had a better experience this time round. I felt the same after my elective too.

Congratulations @justanotherlaura! Sounds like we have birthday twins ☺️

Congratulations @justanotherlaura so pleased that you had the birth you wanted. Hope your recovery goes well 😊

@AnonymousXXIX
Honestly I'm going to suggest dates to you..! I think they caused my cervix to soften. 5 a day.

@Nocoffeenotalkie good luck! Hope you see the signs soon!

@MixedCouple2
No experience on BFing, but trust your body, everything will be okay.. :) Even if it's not, you have options. I hope your mw is more understanding this time.

@Amberellaella
Quite the experience! Glad things worked out in the end!!

@justanotherlaura
Congratulations on the arrival of your baby!! 🩵🩵🩵 nice to hear you had a good experience! Enjoy your cuddles!!

I'm so happy to see everyone's having a decent experience with safe deliveries, no matter the method. Hope all our babies arrive the same way. :) also notice a lot of boys lately!

PS my top tip for going in for an induction is to take an eye mask and ear plugs so that you can keep on top of your sleep even in a noisy ward ☺️