Due February 2025 - Thread 5: IT'S TIME

[UrbanSquirrel]

Creating this as a space to continue the Feb 2025 chat - quite frankly it's all starting to feel very, very real right now!

Congratulations on all the babies born so far! And good luck to those with sections planned this week 💕

I had an EMCS with my first, but at 9cm and due to me developing an infection, so my consultant has been really enthusiastic about my chances for a VBAC this time. But end of last week I ended up in triage (all good thankfully!) but all the midwives who examined me said the baby is currently back to back. I'm 37+1 so not sure what the chances are of her turning, but also I'm not really that keen for a VBAC if she's not in an optimal position? Would probably rather a planned section. I don't see my normal midwife until next week, so wondering if I should give her a call this week to chat about my options?

6 days until my induction on Sunday @ 39+0

So so impatient and excited now 😊

Just to say, folks, I've been summoned for 7:15am tomorrow, so looks like we'll have MiniSquirrel here by the afternoon! Good luck to my fellow 28-ers xxx

Good luck tomorrow @UrbanSquirrel @elb1504 and anyone else having their c section tomorrow! Can't wait for the updates as I am booked in the following day! I feel very invested in you all and wish you a healthy happy delivery!! 🥰 xx

Same to you @Redapple21 - from what I've heard so far, planned C sections are the closest any surgical procedure can come to being 'enjoyable', so let's hope it's smooth sailing for all 🤗 xxx

@UrbanSquirrel yes I have had many friends tell me it was an enjoyable experience so I really hope that's the case for us all xx

Thanks @elb1504 and @retrievermum really appreciate it 😊
Its so up and down but everyone's in same boat. The last weeks been a total blur!
@retrievermum I'm familiar with the intrusive thoughts! I've OCD anyway and they are just like that but all focused around the baby. They are distressing but if I didn't have OCD before and didn't recognise them for what they were I think I'd be finding them awful. Read post partum OCD is well recognised now.

Breastfeeding I'm enjoying, I was really worried about it as squeamish about nipples and was worried about pain but it's not as bad as I thought and helped me feel useful especially when he was in neonatal. It's not all sunshine and roses nipples a bit sore and he's cluster feeding now!
He's gained weight yay so just waiting on prescriptions to leave. Need to do the blood thinning injections for 6 weeks :( luckily my husband will do them :)
Next challenge manage dog introduction! We've a rescue black lab with behavioural issues had behaviourist out and been doing training/making house safe areas etc. Wish us luck!
@UrbanSquirrel all the best to you and the others for tomorrow. Enjoy the experience, look forward to the updates coming in! :)

Good luck tomorrow @UrbanSquirrel and @elb1504 ! Can't wait for the updates 😊 wishing you both smooth and uneventful c sections!

Good luck to everyone with sections. Waiting for all the lovely birth updates in the next couple of days 😅

I was in for a check today at 37+5 and the midwife said I’m at 2cm and she could touch his head. Sounds like there is some progress happening down there. Makes it all very real. 😳

My goodness it’s all happening!! @Kumquat89 keep us updated and good luck everyone who is having a section tomorrow, i can’t wait for updates!!
I have my last community midwife appointment tomorrow morning, one more scan and monitor this Friday, growth scan next Monday, Anaesthetist next Friday and then it’s go time!!!!
I’ve received a big parcel today with some sensory toys I’ve ordered for my little one and some bits and bobs we were still missing, I think I still need some things but we are going to Amazon prime it if need be 🤣

Good luck to everyone booked in for tomorrow!

I received a call today that my date has had to be pushed back. She was very apologetic and said she'd had to call a number of people today as they've had to shuffle all the lists that week. So I don't know whether the theatre is out of action or one of the consultants has put a holiday in or something. (It's half term week up here).
Worrying me that it's 3 extra days to risk going into spontaneous labour though 😢😫
Not back at clinic until Monday so will try and find out more information then. xx

Thanks everyone, had my pre-op bloods earlier in which my arm has been butchered the bruise is massive!

Good luck to everyone else, just hoping it happens tomorrow and doesn't get pushed back!

@CarrotySnack I’m finding the pushing for an induction is much worse this time than it was with my first baby; I’ve read the stats and I’m very much comfortable with refusing induction, but my consultant doesn’t seem to agree. They’re booked me an appointment at 41 weeks to go and sign a document to say I understand the risks of going over 42 weeks, despite not thinking I will (DD was 40+5 but went into labour at 40+1). There was none of this first time so I’m not sure why they’re panicking so much this time (my only risk factor is that I’m trying for a VBAC). There’s been a lot of scare tactics so just a warning!

@QuantumPanic theres been a lot of sweep talk with my midwife too! Stats seem to suggest they’re most effective between 41 and 42 weeks but that’s possibly because that’s when a lot of women would go into labour anyway! I’ve got an appointment tomorrow (I’ll be 39+4) and intend on refusing a sweep, but if I get to 41ish I’ll consider accepting. I’m in the camp of “they’re a bit pointless but are unlikely to do any harm”.

@jaybeez get on your hands and knees as much as possible, there’s definitely a good chance baby can swing around at this point. It’s harder to get them to move to head down if they’re not, but back to back can hopefully be rectified with gravity! Their spine is apparently the heaviest part of them so if you’re on your hands and knees (or even just leaning forward really), gravity will pull them into a better position apparently. DD was back to back when I laboured with her and it did make things very difficult and contributed to my EMCS. Apparently babies often rotate in labour (mine didn’t!) but definitely try and keep yourself leaning forward as much as possible.

@retrievermum thanks for the advice! That's good to know! I'll definitely be giving that a go! I'm really keen for a VBAC, but not if it seems like a difficult labour from the outset

@SBelfast glad things are going ok and hopefully you’ll both be flying from here on out!
best of luck @elb1504 and @UrbanSquirrel for tomorrow!
looks like my CS date is 11/02 which is 39+1. Really struggling with pelvic, back and rib pain and anxiety around waters breaking early again as happened last time but consultant wouldn’t even entertain any earlier!

@Onthedouble123 Are you in Scotland by any chance? My c-section date is also half term and thinking this might happen as well!

@UncharteredWaters no England but up in the North East! So not quite as "up" as you!
I might just be putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 5. I obviously knew it could move but but we've been working towards the old date for a while now so had kind of fixed it in our plans! I was expecting to only change close to the time if emergencies took precedence or if something happened in the pregnancy to mean he needed to come sooner. Xx

@UrbanSquirrel and @elb1504 my goodness, tomorrow!! I hope it's a beautiful day; it will be.
@retrievermum thanks very much for the warning! That's interesting and a bit disappointing since, as you say, making you sign something can't be more than a pressurising tactic. My midwife has been great and only said if I go into 42 weeks I'll be monitored more (good!) but I sense the consultants are slightly different in their attitude at my trust too.
@QuantumPanic I saw my midwife today just after my message about sweeps and ran this past her. And yes, she confirmed that sweeps work about 50% of the time, and mostly only if you're quite close to going into labour in any case. And that 'they're very much an intervention' - by which I take her to mean, at the very least unpleasant.

I'm just back from being checked out at the PAU for leaking a modest amount of clear fluid. It's just one small quick test - they do a sort of 'covid test' on the fluids around your cervix to see if it's got amniotic fluid in it. I say 'quick' - I was there for well over 4 hours waiting, so it's a good thing the test came back negative and I don't need an immediate induction, because I'm shattered!

@CarrotySnack my community midwife said the same with the 42 week situation and when I rang her to clarify what the consultant said she was a bit sketchy so I look forward to seeing her tomorrow to get a bit more info!

I can confirm sweeps are not pleasant by the way!

And also if your waters do go and you don’t start contracting, you can ask for antibiotics rather than induction. That happened to me last time and I got 24 hours to see if I started contracting myself (and then got scared into “augmentation”) but I’ve been assured that if it happens again this time, induction isn’t necessary if I don’t want it! Glad everything was okay though!

All the best of luck for the section tomorrow @UrbanSquirrel @elb1504 - I really hope it all goes really smoothly. Looking forward to some very cute photos soon!

@CarrotySnack My midwife said the same about the success rate and was very frank about the various drawbacks (painful but unproductive contractions, risk of infection, etc.). Still, I am pretty motivated to evict my baby and will definitely consider a sweep or induction if I get to 41 weeks.

Best of luck @UrbanSquirrel and @elb1504 . Wishing you smooth, calm, beautiful births. ❤️

Thank you so much for the good wishes everyone! @elb1504 hope all goes brilliantly for you today. Wishing everyone else all the very best and looking forward to catching up in all your news when we're back online 🤗 xxx

Good luck to all those having c-sections today!
Can't wait to hear all about it!

Good luck all today!