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!

Due Sunday 2/2… first baby so not really sure what to expect. Getting so excited & nervous too…

Has anyone else had any stop/start things going on? Yesterday PM around 4:30 I noticed some period like back pain, this continued and started having regular (every 10 mins or so) tightenings & coming with quite a lot of pressure down there, but not really painful. Thought this is maybe the start of something? It lasted until around 9:30pm then stopped! Feeling fine today so now a bit bewildered!

Hoping it’s a good sign everything is starting to warm up as for the first time I’m feeling a bit antsy on it today. Loving all the baby updates on the Facebook group 🩷💙

I'm with you @MrsK23 ! Due 10/2 and this feels like such a wild time not knowing what to expect. I had similar period type pains and tightenings night before last on and off for three hours but never really got properly painful so I think just BH. Then a wee bit of lower back period type pain again yesterday evening, then nothing since. Had a midwife appt today and baby is only 4/5 engaged so sounds like we've got a little way to go.

Fingers crossed for you that things start progressing this weekend 😊!

@MrsK23 Also due on Sunday, but absolutely no signs that anything is happening. The baby's head was 1/5 palpable or 4/5 engaged at my 39 week appointment, but idt it means anything.

I am trying to prepare myself for the idea that she might be massively late!

@MrsK23 @superj21 @QuantumPanic same boat here, was so crampy last night and the night before, had shooting pains in my vag all night and woke up this morning absolutely fine! Had the midwife yesterday and despite baby being 4/5 engaged just a few days ago at my consultant appt, it’s now apparently only 2/5 engaged! I know that with second babies they can engage/disengage a bit more so I’m not worried, but just spending my days wondering if anything is going to happen!

Definitely had a huge increase in discharge over the last couple of days, and my plug is slowly coming away, but nothing really other than that! Think I’ll be going over my Feb 1st due date!

@superj21 Were yours coming regularly? I initially thought braxton hicks but they were so consistent, didn’t change with rest/activity and you could physically see my belly lift up with them they were so strong! This definitely is become the hardest part… I’ve been so relaxed all along, but as of today I feel like a switch has flicked and suddenly I’m feeling inpatient… the sudden onslaught of “no baby?” Messages may also be to blame, although my wishful thinking is that maybe they know something I don’t lol

@QuantumPanic Ahhh due date twins🥰 Well that’s a good sign baby is going the right way? I’m not sure how many 5ths engaged I am but at my appointment on Monday the consultant said “Wow baby is VERY low”. I had absolutely no sign either until yesterday and now I’m not sure if it has made things better or worse mentally!

Hopefully things start to progress for us very soon ladies… I have officially ticked off the last of my to do list today& there is only so many more times I can deep clean my house in preparation ffs😂

@retrievermum YES for the shooty vag!! What’s that about? I actually yelped the other night trying to get to sleep as they were so intense…
I think I may have already lost my plug in bits but with all the changes in discharge I’m just not too sure.

@MrsK23 they felt fairly regular but I was trying to get back to sleep so I wasn't timing or anything! It's defo not helpful to have the messages checking in 🤦‍♀️ although it's well meant it's just frustrating!

Thanks for all the lovely messages people!! Had the propess for only 3 out of the 24 hours and was 2cm!! So I'm on the list for waters to be broken now.

@UrbanSquirrel big congratulations!!xxx

Roll call! Congratulations to everyone who has had their (non-February! Tsk, tsk! 🤨) baby. 🥰

@Piluka
@SBelfast
@OrangeSlices998
@OnePinkSloth
@UrbanSquirrel
@elb1504

I know I'm missing a baby - I'm so sorry, but I'm terrible at matching Mumsnet names to FB names!! 😬

Huge congratulations @UrbanSquirrel sounds like a perfect experience and very much what I am hoping for in a few weeks!

@apple67cherry best of luck hope things are progressing nicely!

@elb1504 hope everything went better today and you weren't left waiting around! Xx

Congratulations everyone, I love checking Facebook these days to see if there is a new baby photo!!! All babies are perfect and super super super cute 🥰

I have updated Facebook but baby Sophia has arrived today! 7lbs 2oz a lot smaller than the last scan predicted!

@UrbanSquirrel Congratulations too! I hope you're feeling ok after the section 💕

Another update here ... mini red apple Cora Claire arrived safely by elective c-section yesterday! Just like @UrbanSquirrel we had such a lovely experience compared to last birth which was rather traumatic.

Congratulations to all the recent arrivals and good luck for more incoming babies this week 🥰🥰

@Redapple21 congratulations! Welcome to the world Cora Claire 💕
I'm really appreciating the calm healing elective section stories.
Hope you're both doing well! Xx

Wonderful news! Massive congratulations @Redapple21 . And I love the name Cora. 🥰

Loving all the healing elective c section stories too, but also to FTMs who are aiming for vaginal births I just want to reiterate that they are not all awful and traumatic too as think the thread is a bit skewed to one type of birth at the moment. I (despite traumatic situation in sense of premie birth) had a really great vaginal birth experience with my first and am hopeful to have the same or better this time!

Talking of which I’m hoping to try a water birth this time. Anyone who has had one or is thinking of having one have you packed something to wear eg tankini, bra, T-shirt? Or just planning to go commando? I think I’ll end up the latter but might take something in case.

Hope those with arrivals already are having good first days / nights xxx

@Cheeseandcrackers123 I’m with you. First birth so don’t know what to expect but I’m hoping for a beautiful vaginal birth story to add to our chat here. 😊 💪 I’m also very anxious, there is no hiding it, but then again who isn’t about labour? Each route has its advantages and for sure a vag birth has its own.
Not allowed a water birth at the hospital but they have a lovely pool I can use until just before. I packed a bra but most likely I’ll be also going commando 😅 They suggested I bring swimsuit if I want and a paréo for the birth. I packed a short T-shirt dress instead. They try to make everything as dignified as possible. But the ladies there have seen everything and being exposed should not be shameful. I am thinking a bit about what my husband will see and if it will shock him but hoping that it will strengthen our relationship and we’ll come out the other side even closer to each other.

I am hoping for a home water birth and plan on being commando with possibly just a stretchy bra on? Something that I don’t mind getting wet and it’ll probably come off anyway.

Silent watcher of the thread over here - but congratulations to everyone so far💖So many wonderful stories! It's starting to feel real but still surreal at the same time.

Baby Charlotte's due date is 14th Feb, but have ELCS booked for 10th at 39 + 3. Hoping I am a priority on the day due to GD (diet controlled). Have our last growth scan coming up on Monday 3rd.😀

My mucus plug has well and truly gone, what a horrible surprise when I woke up this morning! 😂

Been feeling very period-y for the last few days (not even necessarily cramps, just that “I’m about to come on” feeling) so hopefully things are getting moving!

Hope everyone else is doing okay! Anyone booked in for their ELCS today?

@Cheeseandcrackers123 I'm keen to try a water birth if the pool is available, but even if not all the labour rooms have big corner pools so defo plan to be in the water at some point! I'm just going to wear a little stretchy bralette I think 🙂 comfier than a bikini for me !

@Cheeseandcrackers123 i had a water birth for my first (was a textbook uncomplicated birth, but with a very long latent phase - several days - and back to back baby) and would really recommend! I wore a crop top in the pool but was only in there for the second stage and not the first. Make sure you’re quite vocal about wanting to use the pool, especially if only a few are available.

I’m hoping for another water birth this time but our trust has just released a statement that they have only one functioning pool atm due to failed water quality tests. So we’ll see 😐

So glad to see all babies being born. Another silent watcher of the thread here! 37+6 d today, FTM and planning to have a water birth with minimal interventions!

Congrats to all the moms and wishing all the best to the rest of us who are yet to see their bubs :)

@Cheeseandcrackers123 also hoping for water birth- I have a crop top style bikini packed but also some big t shirts. My thinking is to where the bikini under the big t shirts for earlier phases before getting into the pool and then rip the t shirt off 😂 But who knows if I’ll prefer commando in the moment?!

I'm planning for a water birth - FTM and have already discussed with my midwife I would decline any form of induction so I'm in the camp of midwife led birth centre water birth or c section. So who knows what way I will go.

I've got a bralette for in the water, I'll be commando down below though. I figured by that point I'll probably not care anyway.

38+6 and over analysing every single twinge and cramp haha