Sept 2024 - Thread 10!

[SpicyMoth]

Saw we hit page 40, so figured I'd get a head start on the next thread just in case!!

Oh gosh, I just thought, there may not be very many more of these threads - I wonder if this one may even be the last?!

HUGE congrats to @MudandMoet on their gorgeous wee one!!
Best of luck on your way home this afternoon/this evening, I'm desperate to ask all about what it was like but I'll avoid that as I don't want anyone to get nervous/anxious about what's to come!!

Super glad you're feeling mostly okay and so so SO happy for you! <3

@BakeOffRewatch tysm!!
It's super interesting that a couple things seemingly aren't evidenced yet at the same time they won't let you take into hospital! Very strange!

I'm also very worried about induction, I was hoping things would progress naturally but the closer I get to my due date the more I'm conscious of the likelihood of a sweep being necessary - I've just heard so so much about inductions being more painful and sweeps themselves not working and my MW seems to be keen on inductions and sweeps as she's mentioned it a good two or three times now even though I'm 28yo, low risk and seemingly everything's gone smoothly for me as a first timer!

I totally get going overdue has it's own problems and frankly I want this baby out NOW, but even so the prospect of intervention seems scary and painful from what I've heard >.<

I felt the same way @SpicyMoth , but honestly my induction was fine and not the 3 day torture ending in EMCS you hear from others trauma dumping. They put in half a pessary, I went for a walk with my husband outside the hospital, contractions started, active labour 7 hours later, dilating lasted another 7hrs, then pushing 4 hours as baby was face presenting, I waited to go into delivery for spinal, episiotomy and forceps, very light touch to tilt face back and then they told me to push, and it was all quick and fine.

Despite this I’m still worrying!

I mean 4 hours from starting to push to baby out - my post makes it sound like I pushed for 4 hours and then went to delivery. Sorry, really tired and all over the place myself! I’ve slept so much too and still feel exhausted.

I think it alls depends on your midwife. I've always been keen to avoid an induction after researching it. Both midwives I see seem to agree with me and have not suggested or pushed it. I think also as they both had failed inductions which ended in emergency sections. We've just gone straight for the elective section if she isn't here by my due date

I have been thinking about trying the breast pump/harvesting colostrum! However I haven't leaked at all........ But when I squeeze I get a tiny few drops on nipple would I not get enough?

@TripleESept24 harvesting colostrum is a great idea regardless of how you plan to feed. Can't hurt anyway!

I'd avoid breast pumps and focus on manual expression. The pump isn't as effective in early stages because colostrum is thicker and lower in volume before delivery. Plus if the settings are too high or the flange size is off you risk mastitis before baby is even here. 🙈

You'll probably get more if you try after a hot shower & massage the area first. Even then I've been doing it this week and have only been getting 1ml a day. I'd a massive oversupply after my first baby was born so not an indication of how much you'll have after delivery.

Had my 1st September baby yesterday a day early after being induced for waters breaking and no movement. Good luck all!

@TripleESept24 I pumped for the first time yesterday to try and encourage things and got about 1ml, have pumped today and got less than yesterday but coming up to a ml or there abouts - Massage and warmth has helped, so a bath or shower like @kc92 suggested!
But also trying to not overdo it as your nips can get sore/feel bruised, my friends mum said you need to give your nipples time to adjust and get used to the "sucking" type motion of a pump, and I guess that will apply to a baby too so really trying to pace- I read somewhere about little and often to try and mimic early cluster feeding? but I'm not sure how true any of that is, I'm a total newbie first timer, so take anything I say with a pinch of salt!!

Congratulations @chocolateanddietcoke ! On your baby and saving thousands of pounds on childcare with their birth date!

@kc92 @SpicyMoth I feel like it sounds really difficult!! I just looked it up 😭 I didn't do it with my daughter 20 years ago, so it would be a first time!

I'll try it one night after getting out the bath I really can't see me getting much!..... X

Also.... I don't have a syringe?!? How else can you collect it??

I was really surprised, It's honestly not too difficult unless I'm doing something horrendously wrong!!

I just whop my boob into the suction part of the pump, turn it on, adjust the setting to what feels the most comfortable and gets the most out and off I go (always start on the lowest setting then work your way up) - Switching sides when one boobs "runs dry" and needs a massage or starts to get tender.

I don't have a syringe either, I've just been using the tiniest pumping bottle I have available, though I'm now starting to wonder if I'm "wasting" the sterile bottles because I don't know when I could go into labour lol

It almost seems a waste to have a whole bottle for 1ml or thereabouts at a time, and even more of a waste to be freezing it - I was contemplating pouring todays into yesterdays bottle, but then that seems risky re; storage and how long they "keep" so tbh I really don't know, I'm just winging it really in hopes it'll jump start some contractions or waters breaking honestly!

Oh @SpicyMoth I mean hand/manual harvesting says to collect it from nipple with syringe! This is what I thought looked difficult....... I haven't tried the pump but have read how to use it x

Ahhhhhh, apologies, my heads all over the place atm, I got mixed up!

Yes you're right that 100% does look confusing!
Honestly I'd just say bugger that and pump it, means you can at least do something else whilst it's going on rather than have your entire focus be on hand expressing, also gets you used to the pump ^^

there are mixed opinions using pump for colostrum before baby arrives. Some say using pump will disrupt milk supply after baby comes.

@SpicyMoth
on the self induction front-

you can try pelvic stretches, I’ve been doing them all my pregnancy and I get lighting crotch after.
you can try curb walking. I curb walked yesterday for literally seconds and part of my mucus plug chipped away.
ive been using clary sage, I have a rollon which I put on my belly and I have candles. Some ladies add it their bath water.
I don’t think I believe there is any harm to using clary sage at the end, when the baby is fully developed.
I don’t know if my sage candles will bring me on labour but they definitely knock me out. Second night in a row I slept like roadkill. Even napped before I went to sleep and still had a deep sleep.

Congratulations @FuppinNora @Emmaev hope you and the bubs are doing well!

Yeah pumping can overstimulate the milk supply and cause mastitis before the baby has even arrived so just try be careful with the pumps x

@Xur @Pineapplefizzz yes this is what I read so was just going to try the hand/manual but I don't have a syringe is that the only way to collect?

Also I honestly don't feel I would get much when I've attempted a little squeeze it's literally been a droplet on the nipple. All though I've not tried after a bath or massaged.

Another one here trying to get things moving, I tried acupressure points, nipple stimulation and getting close to DH last night but still nothing. Just worsening SPD pain, becoming grumpier and grumpier and more exhausted, can you tell I'm fed up? 😭 😅

Congrats @chocolateanddietcoke!

@SantasRubiksCube it's so disappointing to wake up and realize labour hasn't started yet at this stage. I've tried what feels like everything - except getting close to my husband. Apparently I described my mucus plug in too much detail for that to be happening this side of birth. 😂

Booked in reflexology for this week to try and get baba out - 🤞 for it.

With the getting close to husband, the bit they miss out when that’s rolled out is that YOU need to orgasm for the oxytocin. There is some prostaglandin in semen but you’d need a LOT to be enough to start labour …

@TripleESept24 you can get 1ml syringes from Amazon on next day delivery if that's all that's stopping you! and they're not expensive, I think about £8 for 20 (I did get given some in my antenatal class but can't find them so just ordered a set myself)

Ooooh ok! I thought it was the semen that helped/softened the cervix

All I did with my first pregnancy was tire myself out and stress myself out trying to bring on labour - I tried it all, all the curries the sex the curb walking etc. He was born at 41 weeks 🙃

This time I'm doing nothing 😂✌️

I feel like it's just co incidence that people happen to go into labour the day they tried xyz. If all these methods really worked then everyone would have their babies at 37 weeks when they'd started trying them!