Anyone due Sep/ Oct 2003

[ANGELMOTHER]

I know it's early yet but am so excited as pg with no 2 due 25 Sep Dd not too impressed but I'm sure will be fine in time, just wondering if anyone else due around same time

Nope Emma, still here. My relaxed evening on my own was altered too when dh came home early....bless he couldn't relax either.
Oh wouldn't it be so much easier for us all if we knew WHEN it would happen.
I fear we'll drive ourselves mad

Hope you don't me joining this thread as baby bunny turned out to be a September baby...

I tried currys, pineapple etc etc but the only thing that worked in the end was a stretch and sweep by the mw..... ds was 9 days late in the end.

BR

Help I need to have a big whinge. I have a headache, am feeling loads of pressure on my pelvis, feel very lethargic and in general feelike shit. Anyone else experiencing this. I have 1 wk + 5 days before my c/s and have been feeling llike this for couple of days.The pressure pains in pelvis are especially scary in evening as I keep thinking I am going to have a contraction. also I am having to sit back on the loo as it's painful to sit forward.

Oh Angel, have you tried the pinapple yet. I am not doing things like that yet as I am not really due for another 2 weeks.

Wiltshire, once my DD had engaged it was near impossible to sit, the pressure in my pelvis was unbearable...if this is your first (which I think I remember you saying) the baby usually drops into the pelvis 4 weeks before the due date.

If you are really worrying about going into labour before your c/s date then thats enough to give anyone a headache, or lose sleep over.

Try not to read too much into every twinge, even if you do go into labour early, you can still have the c/s, it just won't be as planned as you thought.

Thanks pie, I am glad it's not just me. You are right, it's awkward to sit and the pain usually kicks in when I stand. Then goes.

Four more weeks to go. I'm getting really uncomfortable - just can't sit nicely - leaning forwards is just impossible - and bending to pick something up off the floor - forget it!!!!

Not ready to have this baby yet, though. Maybe in a couple more weeks I'll feel like it.

Well I'm back to nesting today, even made up babys bed. I have exactly 10 days left to EDD and "Bring it on" I'm ready. I'm going to take out the tens tonight and try it out properly.

Poor you Wiltshire, have you had your Iron levels checked. Mine have been quite low and lethargy is a sure sign. Three little tablets a day and my energy levels went right up even if it does do strange things to No:2's, (oops I think I might scare everyone if I passed one of those during labour ).
Our dining room chairs are VERY hard and when I sit on them I truly feel as though I'm sitting on the baby's head. Pie's right though try not to read too much into every twinge

Pie I hope things are better for you now I know they haven't been easy of late.
Oaky you should see my living room floor, I haven't picked anything up in weeks

Hmmmmmmm I'd forgotten about the pineapple........Race you to Sainsburys Emma

I've already got the pinapple A.M so I've beaten you there..... I thought things were starting last night actually as I had a slight twinge at about 8pm than again about 10-15 mins later and another and another. I thought 'OH YES HERE WE GO......THANK GOD!' anyway I had about 4 or 5 of these 'pains' and decided to go to bed incase things really got going during the night.

Well needless to say I woke up for the usual toilet trip at about 3am and realised that nothing was happening. Gutted!

Just about to chop up my pinapple and start munching.

Will then produce my 3rd offspring later today, without pain relief and after a very easy labour, no stitches and in time to pick DS1 up from school at 3:15pm(his first full day).

Simple really!!!!!!

Must think positive.....must think positive.......must think positive..........

Emma I think we really are starting to mirror eachother. Last night I was sure something was happening, little twinges, belly rock hard, uterus drops then rises again. Every 5 mins or so, ran straight to bed thinking must get some rest, then woke up for usual toilet calls at 3am and 6am. DAMM
I've had the strangest thing this morning though, quite glad I'm on my own, sitting at the kitchen table my bowels simply exploded completely involuntarily.........quite funny in a way, yet messy

Do you really think the pineapple works ?????

AngelM
Well, I've read recently that the pinapple thing is aload of nonsense but hey, I'll give anything a go! Not long finished my first whole one actually.

I'm getting LOADS of braxtons too so hopefully things might happen soon. Offically 6 days to go but as the double glazing is being done on Wednesday and Thursday I'm expecting things to happen on either of those days........sods law and all that.

Mmmmmmmm Bowels.....yes mine have abit of a mind of their own at the moment too although luckily not at the kitchen table

I am with you on the bowels exploding. It's happened twice in the last week. Once I didn't get to the loo quick enough. Made me feel quite sick.

Oh the twinges, they are buggers aren't they.

I am with you on the bowels exploding. It's happened twice in the last week. Once I didn't get to the loo quick enough. Made me feel quite sick.

Oh the twinges, they are buggers aren't they.

I had forgotten about the iron tabs, thank you for that. have been taking them since yesterday and have at least managed to get my kitchen clean.

It's five in the morning and I can't sleep again. Officially I have two and a half weeks to go until I give birth but am now starting to worry and obsess. A friend of mine who isn't due for a week gave birth on Sunday and I'm so jealous that she's got it over with. We're both on our first babies and have spent most of the last nine months speculating.

Having spoken to her, I'm now having doubts about my home birth. I opted for a birth at home with a birthing pool not because I'm a fan of pain but because I'm scared of hospitals. However, I'm now starting to have my doubts. My friend went to ten cm pretty easily (six hours) but then the baby's head got stuck (Posterior, I think) She then had an epidural (which she said she was 'crying out for' and said it was 'fantastic'. She gave birth seven hours later. So although I'm sure the epidural slowed things down, it sounds like it made the whole experience more bearable.

Am now worrying that I've been kidding myself that I can do this at home. What will I do if I'm crying out for an epidural at 10cm? Not a great time to transfer to hospital I should imagine (Especially as there are more bumps in the road where I live than anywhere else)

Anyone else awake and care to discuss?

Ragtaggle,

Birthing pools are great, giving birth naturally is great, and you can do it. Your friend's birthing experience has no bearing on yours. Given you are scared of hospitals you are better at home, and your desire not to go into hospital should strongly motivate you to get the baby out.

I gave birth in a midwife run birthing centre because I didn't want someone offering me pain relief when I was vunerable and suggestible. Best thing I ever did, I didn't even have the gas and air, and the fact that the midwife suggested it (she knew I wanted no pain relief) made me pull up my socks and get down to some serious pushing.

Stay positive, you will soon be telling everyone that giving birth at home is 'fantastic'.

I have to agree with Bob Ragtaggle, if you are as scared of hospitals as you say, going into one could slow things down dramtically for you. It's all about being relaxed and frankly your own home is the best place for that.
The pool should really help also, I've not used one but read Princesspeaheads's description of how it helped with the pain. Take each contraction one at a time and don't panic, remind yourself that millions of women have done this and SO CAN YOU.
I'm having a home birth and my motivation is for various reasons but here's a few...

1. I know I'll be more relaxed
2. I'll be in my own bed afterwards
3. You actually get more one on one care at home than in a hospital
4. You can have gas and air, pethidine, use a pool, a tens machine and howl your little head off in the comfort of your own home.
5. Chances of something going wrong are prob small and with a relaxed home birth, you are relaxed, your baby is more relaxed and with a supportive midwife attending you, odds on you will be fine.
6. SHOULD anything go wrong an ambulance will be called for and be there before you know it and you will be well looked after.

Don't doubt yourself. if this is your first it's only natural you will be apprehensive but if it's any consolation aside from the most amzing gift of a beutiful baby the one thing I wasn't ready for after the birth of dd was the feeling of pride in myself that "I HAD DONE IT".
You will feel the same and more so because you will have "done" it at home.
There's not that many home births about so come on all together now....
"We can do it"

Hi Ragtaggle, there's a good discussion here who's contemplating a home birth? withlots of positive stories. Your friend's experience has nothing to do with yours, you're totally different people with different bodies, as bobthebaby says. No-one can guarantee you'll manage at home but if you don't try you'll never know. Pupuce or Mears might have some advice on incidence of posterior babies, Pupuce, are you around?

Here I am here I am
First of all anxiousness and "fedupness" are VERY common... if you are so anxious what about trying some rescue remedy ? I found it helpful and use it with my clients (I am a doula) to great effectiveness. You can take some every day AND definitely when labour starts or if (like your friend!) you get stuck.
Intersting about the baby got stuck... of your friend.... not sure you or she (for that matter) really know what went on... certainly lying on your back (which you are likey to do when having an epidural) will slow down things and there is NO guarantee that it will work (it being the epidural or the vaginal delivery!).
If you have a birth pool than squatting is very easy. Make sure you get into the pool as "late" as possible in your labour... they say 5cm... I know people who went in earlier but as a first time mum I'd say that is good advice.

The other tip is -if you reach almost full dilation and you get stuck because you have an "anterior lip" (a lot of women get told they are fully dilated but they are not there is still a bit of cervix left!) - take arnica 200 evbery 10 minutes and get on all 4s with BUM in the air to relieve the pressure off the cervix... it can become swollen and then baby really can't get through.

Last week or so another mumsnetter Bozzi posted about her first baby/homebirth... a doddle...

From my personal experience, my first child was a water birth at home who transfered to hospital at 10 cm as my contractions were getting quite weak.... the transfer was not great but managable. My son was posterior too !
The hospital refused the epidural (and I am glad in hindsight that they did) as I was already pushing but I did push for a total of 6h 1/2 ! I was seriously tired/upset right after the birth but days later I was SOOOOO pleased that I had recieved so little intervention (I did get the drip but as I had been in labour for a vey long time the pain from the drip was not worst... so I didn't feel it made it crucial to have an epidural).

I am very pleased I had the birth I had - I know many women in the same circunstances who do not get the same result (most common being section for "baby in distress" ) - my son was absolutely fine throughout.

Have you got your husband all preped up to do some decent support ??? I do think that helps big time ! Most dads unfortunately are very scared and hinder rather than help (not their intention of course!) - anyway that's my rant !

Thanks very much everybody for your support. Am interested in you mentioning arnica, pupuce. Does that really work? I'm not totally sure about how I feel about homeopathic remedies but will try anything. Is there anything else I should know about that might help relax me during labour? And - I'm sure this is a thick question - where do I get rescue remedy, arnica and the rest?

Has anyone on this thread found homeopathic remedies effective during labour? Would like to hear their stories if the have.

Rescue Remedy (by Bach Flowers) is sold everywhere: Sainsbury's, Boots, most pharmacies
Arnica is not the regular one but the 200 (which is the potency for childbirth).
I was always a bit skeptical about homeopathy myself but I had one of my "mums" who asked me to give her caullophyllum if her contractions weakend... she was on a monitor as she was under epidural and could not feel anything. I was gobsmacked at the difference on the monitor! More frequent and longer... can't say if more painful though. BUT you have to take some remedies every 10 minutes or so. And they are not the regular potency they are the 200.
My colleagues have used the arnica in the "anterior lip" scenario to great successes.
Arnica is also recommended when your labour starts.
I think the active birth centre does classes (2h or so) on homeopathy for childbirth... I also know that in my town an homeopath does the same... if you want to know more that could be useful!

As for relxing : BREATHING and MASSAGE !
For breathing : antenatal yoga classes are great - you could attend just one as you are so far in your pregnacy - you would get something out of it I am sure.
For massage : most doulas are in one way or another trained (and experienced) in massage.... get your husband to practice. Some MW do great massages too.

Well I week to go and I won't be able to post on this thread anymore. I will have to go on parenting and development & stuff. It's been ever so quiet, one assurmes that this is because we are all just........waiting.

I have been making lists in the last 4 months of things I need to do. I have got a huge amount done but in this last period I am not getting anything done. ie: cleaning our bedroom thoroughly before I put little wilts in it. I made a couple of gallons of beef stew yesterday. Cooked it over night. But instead of apportioning it into the those foil carton thingys to put in freezer, I watched Bridget Jones Diary for the 3rd time. I think I was mourning the fact that I am no longer a 'free person'. I am going to be a mum instead. Errrm not sure if this will be quitre as good as getting pissed on wine and falling into bed at 2am after a good night out. Or popping off for weekends either.

Wiltshire, I know what you mean. Scarey isn't it? I'm starting to try to imagine what life will be like when I don't have a minute to myself - and I can't. Well done for making beef stew though. It's all I can do to muster the energy to shop for ready meals on the internet. I feel like a beached whale and have no energy whatsoever.

I'm told that the head is 4/5ths engaged but am assured that this doesn't mean the birth is imminent. I say assured because I'm supposed to have three weeks to go and I'm still waiting to exchange contracts on my new house. That will be a nice last week - if I make it - moving and having a baby. Mmmm

Ragtaggle, so where is all of this last minute energy then. I was absolutely bolloxed after standing up cutting the veg and browning the meat. That took an hour as this casserole thing was like a 12 bottle wine box size. Today I made dumplings and spooned said mixture into 14 tubs (must admit felt smug & pious), but after that bolloxed again. Have been taking airon as well.