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

@FuppinNora @Emmaev congratulations to you both and well done!

@SantasRubiksCube thinking of you, fingers crossed this is it!!

Ooohhhh good luck @SantasRubiksCube ❤️❤️ You’ve got this xx

Congratulations @FuppinNoraon the birth of your baby boy 💙
Good Luck @SantasRubiksCube hope all goes well

Me again, I managed to get some sleep until around 1.30 then felt like I wanted to go downstairs for a bit, I've tried walking around, sitting upright, leaning forward and hip circles but contractions are still irregular and don't seem to have increased in intensity much. I'm now back in bed trying to relax as don't want to tire myself out too much if im stuck in a long latent phase. I never had this with my others it just started and gradually increased into established labour so any tips to move things along will be gratefully appreciated 😅🤞🏻

Fingers crossed for you @SantasRubiksCube . I was up all night every 2 hours peeing, and was wondering if I was in the same boat! I think we’re a day apart gestation, but wi to my first I was induced at 42 weeks so that’s what I’m expecting again.

Unfortunately I fell asleep at around 4 and have woken up to..... nothing, so am feeling very sorry for myself and grumpy this morning as I really thought that was it. My sister is meant to be coming round to visit this afternoon and as rude as it sounds I just can't be arsed being around anyone else at the moment 😅

I feel totally the same @SantasRubiksCube . I slept a lot yesterday but got a day on my own with toddler now. Can I take another two weeks of “Is the baby coming today?”?

Happy September everyone, we made it! 🍁 🍃 🍂

Happy September! It’s officially Baby Month!

I can’t believe it’s September!!! We’ve been pregnant for every day of 2024 so far (depending on your DD!) we’ve got this friends xx

I can't believe it's here!! The babies will start popping out 😂 I'm later in the month (20th) so look forward to seeing all your little bubs and hearing birth stories 💕

@SantasRubiksCube feeling for you at the moment!! Think we're a day apart for due dates - I'm 39+4 and the same thing happened to me on Friday. Was convinced it was labour after a sweep - up all night with irregular contractions, constant cramps, show, toilet breaks and back pain - then took a nap and woke up to nada. 😭 So disheartening but we'll meet our babies soon. 🤞

@BakeOffRewatch I don't think I can take another day of "is it his birthday yet" let alone a week!

Though I am looking forward to their birth month - best time of year. 🍁🍂 ☕

Good luck to all expectant mamas in September 💖

My due date is tomorrow but baby girl will be 3 days old then. Still feels so surreal that she’s here!

YAYYYYYYYY it's SEPTEMBER!!!!!! It's baby month 😬🥺❤️

12 days till due date for me! I have a sweep booked next Friday the 6th at 39 weeks. My partner isn't keen on it! But I want it because I absolutely do not want to be induced!! So anything that can help start her along I will do!!

Anyone else's partner not keen or anyone themselves not keen/not taking a sweep offer? He thinks it's too early! But I'm the one that's exhausted and just wants this baby out on time not late and with no induction!!!

@TripleESept24 12 days will fly by!

I think sweeps depend on the doctor / midwife tbh.

I've had two this pregnancy & very different experiences. The first at 38 weeks was good - uncomfy as expected and then cramps after so I feel like good progress made from it. The Dr was very respectful and I checked her experience level first. She was actually the second Dr to see me that appointment - I asked for another one as the first was an intern fresh from med school and admitted she wasn't experienced at them when I asked.

Dilated an extra cm and effaced to 50% before my 39 week sweep which was honestly horrible. Think I pissed off the consultant before she did it by refusing induction and pointing out (politely) the flaws in her logic about it being lower risk for me. She was the third Dr I saw that appt because they really wanted to book me in for this Monday and I said no so they kept running to get their boss. 😂 I should have said no to the sweep because she was honestly so rude and I left feeling super bruised and had the worst pains after. I did think I was going to go into labour after because the cramps were that strong but in hindsight I think I just shocked my body. 🙈 If it had been a different Dr / not as extreme a stretch it might have worked.

So a very long-winded way of saying make sure you're comfortable with your provider before going ahead with it!

That’s awful @kc92 , you seem to have taken it in your stride so don’t want to hype it up for you, but I would honestly complain. No reason to hurt you. I remember with my second cervical check as a teen the nurse was horrible just stuck the speculum up and started cranking and told me to stop whinging when I cried out. If that had been my first experience I would have never gone near any gynaecological health service again. The first time was a really kind and helpful nurse who explained it all.

I’m due next week and haven’t been offered or requested any sweeps. I’ve been reading a lot about going overdue to remind myself before my next midwife appointment, think with second where there isn’t a large age gap they don’t sweep until 41 weeks. I’m on midwife led care pathway, and under Homebirth team, saw a consultant at 37weeks who was very nice, discussed my concerns and said I’m low risk and happy for me to continue to 42 weeks under midwife led care as long as growth and movements stay on track.

@kc92 interesting!! Well it's next Friday at my 39 week appointment and I assume its just my regular midwife doing it? Now she is actually a newly qualified midwife! At the beginning of my pregnancy she was still having someone sat in with her whilst conducting the appointments, but now she's fully qualified and doing clinics on her own.

I feel safe with her, she's very nice but yes maybe she's not done many of these?? I'll ask her but I think that'll make my other half so no to it even more if she's not very experienced!

@BakeOffRewatch thank you! It's so frustrating when care providers behave that way so I'll definitely think about complaining. May wait until after delivery though because I just want to focus on baby for now.

He's measuring at the upper end of the scale so hospital guidelines in Ireland are to sweep and advise induction, which I've opted out of. I would love to be planning a homebirth but unfortunately not offered in my area. How have you been finding the prep for that?

& @TripleESept24 I think the main thing is you trust her and feel comfortable. There's no evidence a properly done sweep can have a negative impact so hopefully she'll be able to convince your partner. 🤞🤞

@TripleESept24 I have my first sweep tomorrow at 37+1. I was always adamant I wouldn't be interfered with but my blood sugars are all over the place and effecting baby's movements and induction booked for 38+4 which I really don't want so have accepted it. That's if they manage to do it as she said she needs my cervix to be open a little for it to work

Oh yes she told me the cervix has to be ready and slightly open otherwise they won't do it! Which I tried to convince partner that if it's not ready they won't do it!

Let me know how your sweep goes tomorrow @rupertbear91 ! If the cervix is ready at 37+2 that's good and hopefully it will help! Xx

Happy Baby Month Everyone!

It's my due date today but no signs of arrival yet. I'm finally in my new house now and feel a bit more chill about her making an appearance.

My previous midwife offered a sweep tomorrow but new midwife from new area suggested waiting a few more days or one at 41 weeks. I've decided to wait so I can maybe get a few more things done in the house.

My partner wants me to go into labour tonight so he doesn't have to go to work tomorrow 😆

Does anyone know if anything actually works to induce labour naturally at home or if it's all just old wives tales??

I'm not due 'til the 3rd, but I'm just struggling SO much now that I've gone "fuck it" and started pumping both to get the hang of it, and also just in case it actually does anything to encourage things along!

I have an absolutely gnarly stretchmark right down the centre of my stomach that's literally waking me up 3-5 times at night with the pain and itchiness of it just so I can slather myself in stretch mark moisturiser and bio oil and make sure absolutely no clothing or duvet is touching me, it's genuinely so huge I feel like my skin is about to tear in two and It's definitely not linea nigra.

Not even going into how bloody difficult it is to move about again. I had a bit of respite a week or so ago, but now PGP is back with a vengeance, I can't bend over, my belly's too huge to comfortably do... Well.... Anything at all really!
I can't get up off the floor if I make the mistake of getting down there, and overall I just am SO exhausted.
I didn't wake up until gone 4pm today and slept through my DH using the bloody henry hoover - which isn't exactly the quietest hoover known to man!

Oh @SpicyMoth i feel you. In my first pregnancy I tried everything, harvesting colustrum, perineal massage, spicy food, pineapples, 3 sweeps, to avoid going into hospital for an induction during lockdown. Luckily my labour started with just the pessary but the prospect of 3 days or more alone in hospital was enough to give a go on anything. I ate 75g Medjool dates a day from week 37 which ripens your cervix, and mine was very ripe five days prior to induction 5cm thick rather than the usual 10cm, it felt like baby was going to fall out! So maybe all those things helped to have a fast labour first time round but I still had to be induced.

one thing I didn’t try and most trusts won’t let you even carry inside the hospital is clary sage. They won’t recommend it for starting labour as it’s not evidenced, but at the same time have strict rules about bringing it in as it can start labour in first and second trimester. The risks were enough to put me off trying that.

im same as you. Been doing well but started getting numbness in pelvis.

This is what it says about clary sage on the Tommy’s website https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/giving-birth/labour-and-birth-faqs/can-anything-bring-labour

@SpicyMoth I am starting to worry about induction, most of the NHS trusts say 10-12 days overdue which for us would be Friday-Sunday. I really don’t want to go into hospital over a weekend but I also don’t want to tempt fate by waiting for day 13. Nor do I really want to go in on Friday 13th!

Sorry got my numbers wrong, usually cervix pre labour is 4cm thick, mine was 1cm and 2cm dilated.