Due October 2025

[IVFlife]

Hello! Thought I would start an October thread as technically my EDD is 2nd October. Ivf pregnancy so I know very early at 5dp5dt which is equivalent to 10dpo.

Anyone else know they are due in October yet?

That's part of the reason I want to explore it. I know a couple of people that laboured for hours and then ended up needed emergency c section. Exactly what happened to you is my biggest fear (the chord around the neck) as I also know someone that happened to.

I'm just a bit of an anxious worrier.

I’m definitely the same - I want a guaranteed text book vaginal birth; or an elective C-section… the grey area of the in between really scares me! I think I’ll chat to someone about this - was it your midwife who referred you to the birth options team?

It was actually the obstetrician (I had a ten minute appointment with one to discuss medical history) but I think you should be able to discuss with your midwife x

With my first, I was very open to all the possibilities - but due to the growth scans (which were actually accurate!), they wanted baby out before my due date and gave me the choice of induction or c section. In hindsight, I should have gone straight for the c section! The induction process didn't work for us at all, i think because neither my body nor baby were ready for birth. It was long, tedious and ended in an emergency section anyway! If this baby is measuring big (which i already think she is), then I'm unwilling to go through that process again, especially now I have a feral 2 year old and need to make plans around him!

But, if it helps anyone, I was born vaginally with the cord around my neck! It isn't always a problem, although obviously it can be.

My waters went before labour had started with my daughter so I was booked in for an induction about 22h later as there is a risk of infection if you haven't given birth within 24h of your waters going.
I was offered a sweep to help things along but when they put me on the ctg monitoring they could see I was having contractions I just couldn't feel them at this point. They decided to not do the sweep to minimise infection risk.
I went home and was told to contact them once I was getting 3 contractions in 10 minutes and they were 1 minute in length.
They started a few hours after I got home 3 in 10 from the start but less than 1 minute long within a few hours were 1 minute long. I went in to be checked and was 2cm so sent home for as long as I could manage
I went home and about an hour later I was struggling to manage at home. I phoned the hospital again the first midwife was hesitant to have me back but the second was now in charge of the midwife led unit and said she had space even if I wasn't the required 4cm for a room. It was a good job she did as I was actually 10cm and was ready to start pushing pretty much as soon as I got into the birthing pool. Baby was born less than an hour after arriving at the hospital and in retrospect I was getting the urge to push at home but the journey to hospital slowed things down a bit.
Her shoulder was slightly stuck but it came free on its own although just after the midwife had pressed the help button so I gave birth to a rush of people running into the room!

It was 12h from my waters going to baby being born so there was no need for the induction. I would probably accept one in the circumstances of my daughters birth where my body had already started that process but potentially needed a bit of support. I would have a conversation about the pros and cons of induction versus caesarian in the situation where labour wasn't started and would probably have a lower threshold for switching to caesarian in that scenario.

Definitely agree that being as prepared as possible for birth and understanding the physiology of birth is really important. And hypnobirthing teaches a really important life skill of how to use breath and visualisations to stay calm.

However, what I would say - particularly to any FTMs is that mindset does not equal the birth you hope for and that way of thinking can lead to birth trauma if you have interventions.

trigger warning- birth trauma
With my first I was fully prepped and aiming for a ‘natural’ (hate that term now) birth at the birth centre not hospital. I laboured at home until my waters broke about 5 hours later. However there was meconium in the waters so had to go to hospital. I was 6cm, and baby was in distress (heart-rate dropping and not coming up). It very quickly became an emergency c section (baby out in minutes) and I found it very traumatic and have PTSD partly because I had done everything ‘right’ but ultimately there is still so much out of your control.

Breathing techniques learnt in hypnobirthing definitely helped me to not panic and I even use it now to stay calm when my DD has a tantrum! I’m not sharing this story to scare anyone but more to encourage you to
avoid the ‘my mindset will give me the birth I want’ line of thinking.

My advice around birth is to think about how you relax and deal with stress.

Through the labour I found the same things I draw on when anxious or stressed helpful. For some that would be calming breathing and hypnobirthing might be beneficial but if you are the sort of person to turn up the music and dance think able it how you might incorporate that.

It's a new situation but you aren't new listen to what you know about yourself!

Congratulations to those of you who have had gender scans! I found out last week that I’m having a baby boy 🩵

I’ve requested a c-section due to a traumatic birth with my first son. Forceps delivery and I had a third degree tear. I’m currently waiting for a consultant appointment. As much as my midwife doesn’t think there will be an issue I think I’ll feel better once it’s confirmed.

I had my 20 weeks scan and I'm having a boy too!

@Superscientist congrats! How did it go? I have no idea what to expect xx

We’re also having a boy! Found out the hematoma is actually not a hematoma but just membranes that have not attached.
Also seen the kidneys and bladder that were not seen on 12 week ultrasound and I was anxious about.

Congratulations @emmatcc1 @Superscientist and @Livybaby on your boys 🥰🩵

Super exciting 🥰🩷

Yes, it’s still probably worth asking for a debrief/birth choice session 🙂 your midwife should be able to arrange for you.

She first checked there was a heartbeat before turning the screen on then she went through all of the checks and spoke through what she was looking at. She worked her way around the baby depending on it's position taking images and measurements as she went. He was on his tummy so she started with the spine.
As we wanted to know the gender so she looked at that at the end after her checks and then took some photos for us.

Evening all, hope you're all okay. This hot weather is terrible - i hate the heat anyway, but it's just making me feel more ill than I did already 😞 I can't wait until it's gone. Now regretting being pregnant through the summer!

I have a consultant appointment tomorrow, though I've not a clue what's going to happen. Worse still, it looks like I'll have to take my feral 2 year old with me, as nursery have let me down!

I had my 20 week scan today. Greatful all was well and so lovely to see the baby - the baby didn't really want to be seen though so had to jiggle around, go for a wee drink water and then went for a walk and still didn't really want to comply but the sonographer was happy with what she saw. We didn't find out the gender, as tempting as it was so it will be a nice surprise on the day! I can't believe we are half way there already 🥰

🤣i dread the day I have to take my feral 2 year old to an appointment which may happen cos my consultant only works on my non working day so no childcare. Good luck!!!

@Superscientist thank you for the info! And congrats on your little boy and on a good scan.
Congrats to everyone else who have had good anomaly scans so far as well. Still another two weeks to wait for mine! Feels like it’s taking ages.

Ooo it’s exciting that we’re all reaching the 20week scan point.

Mine isn’t until 02/06 as we’re going on holiday Sunday.

We stil haven’t really announced yet, we’re waiting for the 20week scan but my manager guessed on Tuesday because I nearly fainted at work! So baby’s outa the bag…
We only haven’t announced as I missed the combined screening, had the quad test that came back the lowest (1 in 5000) for downs but it doesn’t check for anything else. I think we will announce this weekend though before we go as it’s quite obvious now.

I am excited for our holiday but I’m also excited to get home and find out the gender!!

I haven’t announced yet either - and I’m not sure I will in the social media sense! Due to my history I’m just too worried about finding something at the 20 week scan and having to unannounce!

having said that I’m getting fomo as I’ve always thought of the cute social media posts I could do! I may do a small announcement to family with one of my ideas!

We are doing a surprise as well!!! I wonder if I can manage to last till birth! I’m already always staring at bump and wondering whether it feels more like a girl or boy bump 😂

I have immense respect for those of you not finding out the sex. I'm sure I could have waited if I had to, but my husband wanted to know so I've not had the chance to know if I could have managed!

Consultant's appointment was fine, if anyone ever ends up with one and doesn't know what it's about. We just chatted about medical history and what that would mean for this time around. Annoyingly, I have to do the GTT on Tuesday, and even if it comes back fine, I'll have to do another in 10 weeks-ish 🙄 however, I've already been added to the list for c sections, so that's one thing i don't have to worry about!!

I probably won’t share the news on social media until we reach viability week (24) but even then I’ll only pop it on insta.

Nice to see I’m not the only one hiding bump. My manager was so shocked but totally understood why I didn’t tell anyone.

I agree @squishousdelicious Ive so much respect for those not finding out. I’m far too impatient to wait until the birth.

Haha I’m basically like those people in sitcoms who have strategically placed plants and boxes in all photos of me 😂😂 my work do know though as I needed time off for appointments!

I have my GTT in July (apparently due to my race?) so do let me know how it goes!