Its June!!!!! 20 week scan next month!!! Whos with me?

[Sarahcake]

Yeah they certainly do! I can understand it though, I am a bigger girl and its easier to tell now weather im suitable for an epidural then when im in labour and in pain and grumpy. That and ill need a higher dose to account for my extra weight, so best to get that prescription written up and ready now.

Ooo I dont actually know how that would play out, thats an interesting one. Would they tell you no for the section and make you go vaginally or respect your original plan that you had. I would like to think they would respect your wishes for the section but you just dont know do you.

But...but....its so tempting to hunt them down....

 

[Inoue]

Exactly Kellie! I get a kick in the ribs (kind feels under boob) then a punch or elbow in the cervix! Lol. How wierd . Maybe we will be late droppers

Cant believe the majority of you here are only 2 weeks from being term . I cant wait to be 34 weeks but im more looking forward to 36 so me and DH can attempt at DTD. Then at least if pre-term labour happens ill be very close to 37 weeks . Ive started to have one cup of RLT per day, not got any BH from them though . Ill increase to two cups a day at 35 weeks, does that sound right?

Im doing well thanks Sarah. Sleeping in a night it getting harder and last night was the first time DH actually said seriously "were going to have a baby in a month...", ive always been excited about the birth, but now fear has set in. Sounds silly but I have it in my head that Reimi will be fine, but ill take a turn for the worse :/. Just need to keep calm when the time arrives, im sure the hospitals are ready for emg problems. Still makes me wonder "what if?.."

My weight gain has been quite good, put on 1st 7lbs so far. Pretty good for my standard height/weight. I expect ill put on another 7lbs before babys here

Xx

 

[ttc_lolly]

It's the needle length they have to pre order Sarah she said regular to me and I thought thank f*ck for that because it was huge last time, how much bigger do they come!?!!

You probably won't get BH from the RLT Inoue, I didn't anyway it's just to help strengthen your uterine muscles so when the time for pushing comes it'll be easier. I was taking 1 capsule a day from 32w, 2 from 34w, 3 from 36w and then 4 from 37w x

 

[Sarahcake]

Its only natural for fear to start to kick in now, after all its getting so close and its unknown to us first timers. Im just trying not to think about it too much, its the bringing him home part im the most scared about lol 7lb seems really good actually I need to get myself some RLT still (so so badly unorganised) as whilst it may not bring on labour faster, im liking the idea of it making the pushing stage a bit easier!

Oooo is it? Consultant didnt mention anything about the needle size, just the volume of epidural itself. Starting to really crap myself now over the thought of a needle in the spine...hoping that the pain from contractions will cover the pain from that going in!! Hoping to not need it at all but out of the pain relief available, its the one im most willing to have.

 

[kellie_w]

Lauryn, oh that sucks that it was so structured. Even the goody bags don't seem that impressive, especially with a voucher you only have a few days to use! Sounds more ideal for if you are early in first pregnancy, I'll give it a miss! Thank you for the raspberry leaf tea advice, I thought it was to soften the cervix to prepare for birth, I never knew it was for making pushing easier! I will have to get some I think, though I may be starting too late!

I have the same gain as you inoue, 1 stone 7 pound. I'm happy with that as last time I put on about 5 stone!

Sarah, don't look for this presents! You will regret it! Wow to all this back prodding, I'm overweight, and was last time but I never had to go through any of this with my epidural. And I couldn't tell you how big the needle was, no way was I looking at that!

 

[kellie_w]

Sarah, honestly the epidural doesn't hurt. It's just hard to keep still and upright whilst its being done. If they catch nerves on the way in you may get a few sharp pains in your legs but that's it. For me, it was a huge relief to take the pain away as back to back labour was very very painful and I had tried everything else. Don't waste your time with pethedine, the biggest waste of time ever which stung more than the epidural for some reason!

Has anyone considered a tens machine? I don't know anyone that's ever used one x

 

[Sarahcake]

Im fighting the urge Kellie Only have to wait till monday, I think I can just about manage that haha

Glad to hear the epidural doesnt hurt like I was thinking it would. I must admit on programmes like one born every minute, they do seem oddly calm and collected whilst its being done. There was even a needlephobic lady on there that was just sat chatting. Im pretty good with injections and IV's and things so should, fingers crossed be ok! Cheers for the reasurance though

Im thinking of hiring a tens machine yeah, we can phone the physio department up here at 37 weeks to hire one. Not sure if there is a cost involved (there likely is) but I think im going to give them a ring and find out the details, cant hurt to give it a shot can it. Neil's dad uses one for hip and lower back pain and he seems to think its working.

Actually, speaking of IV's, do you guys have any ideas why I would need to have IV Hydrocortisone in labour? Looked at my notes when looking for my weight gain and realised the consultant had written it on there but he never mentioned it to me :S

 

[Sarahcake]

Actually, google says its to do with my asthma and the fact that ive been on steroids for a while now.

"Intravenous hydrocortisone is recommended in labour in the following:
> Women who have taken > 5 mg prednisolone per day for > 3 weeks in the past year "

Ive been on 10mg for the past 2 years so I guess thats why then.

 

[Inoue]

Yeh, its definatly first timer nerves. I hate the unexpected

Good weight gain kellie, wowzers to the prev preg at 5 stone gain . You must of had a good appetite!

Ive put on my birth plan 'no' to pethidine but 'yes yes yes' to epidural, if that can numb the pain then im game. As others said, it just the sitting still when the put in the needle . Can you feel the contractions afterwards or do the midwifes have to direct you? Ive not really looked into tens, I want to just jump into gas&air then epidural. Thats the plan anyway! .

Are any of you doing private strep b testing? It needs to be done really around 35 weeks xx

 

[Scally]

The epidural really doesnt hurt, they did mine when i was contracting so my mind was more on trying not to move! And then relief from the back to back labour, i told the anaesthetist i loved him, and then the mw said they always say that, so i told her i loved her too!
Inoue- i am the same, i think the baby will be fine but i wont be! Its not helping that there is so much on c sections in the news at the moment, a sad one in Daily Mail today where a woman died.

I have put on 24lbs, i am happy with that, i put on 2 and a half stone last time, and said that would be my limit again this time, but unless it piles on in this last bit i think i'll stay under that. I am really not watching what i eat at all! I eat like a pig most days!

I would try a tens machine Kellie and Sarah if i were you as long as they arent too expensive- i used to have a tens machine for back pain, and mostly it did quite well.

 

[Sarahcake]

The unexpected scares the crap out of me! Ive watched so many videos over the course of this pregnancy on birth! All kinds of births, vaginal, no pain relief, certain pain relief's, epidurals, inductions, c sections , you name it, ive watched it! All to try and make it a bit more familiar to me so its not so unknown!

Im not getting Strep B testing on the basis of until very recently, I didnt even know it existed and its not something my midwife has said anything at all about, let alone reccomend me to go and do privately.

 

[kellie_w]

Thank you for the tens advice, think I will ask my midwife about hiring one when I see her. I know someone who used one for her ME pain, but never any labour experiences. I also am considering a water birth, but still don't fancy my chances of getting the room with a bath!

I couldn't feel any contractions inoue, my epidural was doubled though as 30 minutes after having it it still had done nothing. It is heaven when it kicks in as ally said you love the person who does it! My midwife kept telling me when to push, but I had no urges or feelings. When Luke came out it was so strange, weird feeling! But I'm not doing it again, unless absolutely 100% necessary. Just remember you may need assistance with delivery but for most people that works out fine

Last time, I ate and ate and ate. My appetite was huge!! I have been much more careful this time as I know how hard it is to get the weight back off!

 

[Scally]

I still felt the contractions, but they were more like pressure in my back, just a little uncomfortable, i could also still move my legs x

 

[Inoue]

Yeh, im unsure on the testing of strep b. Its not tested by NHS and my midwife wasnt phased by it so might just leave it

Hope you get to use the TENS Kellie. My friend used it pre/post op Hysterectomy and it worked wonders for her . Thanks for info on epidural info, ill only have one if i absolutly need it. Im usually pretty good with pain but when i reach my limit, i end up a mess. Not looking forward to hubby seeing me that way.

For peeps who want to get RLT (tea bags) they have them on offer in H&B till the 18th. Pack of 20 for £1 instead of £1.79 x

 

[time]

I'm trying not to think about the imminent Labour haha as there is no point in getting upset and panicked now plus I have no idea what to expect!

I'm still on one cup of rlt but will up to 2 at 35 weeks.
I'm embarrassed to say I've put on almost 2 stone already I was only 9 before though so hopefully it's not a lot too much!!

Would rather have the epidural than pethidine, even though I hate needles! Heard horror stories about pethidine and thinks about baby being drowsy and things for days afterwards which I don't like the thought of. I'm staying very open minded to pain relief at the moment as I've said I've no idea how I'll cope with the pain! I'm hoping to use the birthing pool but there's only one so I'm not going to get my hopes up!

 

[Sarahcake]

Yeah pethadine / diamorphine are the ones I want to stay a million miles away from. Think it was the first episode of the midwives where that poor baby came out blue and floppy after the mum had had diamorphine in labour that put me right off it.

Im sure there are bad points of every drug they can give you, but that is the only one I have actually witnessed and it was bloody horrible.

 

[time]

Yeah that's what I saw but that lady had the diamorphine far too late on in Labour it was ridiculous!

My 'birth plan' is basically me saying I have no plan haha I want to be open to whatever pain relief I think I need but would much rather just have gas and air and water birth (probably not going to happen I'm a wimp) and avoid doctors having to intervene/episiotomy etc

 

[Inoue]

Ditto Sarah. Being told there was a good chance that baby would come out disorientated and drowsy puts me well off the drug. Im sure it works wonders for some (diamorphine worked well for SIL) as in pain relief, but again, her daughter was taken away immediatly as she wasnt quite with it. Poor SIL just layed there waiting to hear her cry but there was nothing. All was ok after a few minutes but it must of been so traumatic for her and the father. No way in my book.

Has any mums on here felt sick/uncomfortable with the gas&air? Im quite looking forward to trying it out but heard it can make some people sick? Im rarely sick so im not to concerned but i again, just unknown to what that drug feels like when inhaled.

Time, its probably best to go in open minded so i like your birth plan . Mines pretty simple with that i want hubby there all the time and no pethidine. Thats basically it. xx

 

[Sarahcake]

That sounds awful Inoue I cant imagine how traumatising that must have been for them to lay there, listening and waiting. I know something like that would push me well over the edge, so id sooner take the pain than have the emotional rollarcoaster after he's out.

My 'birth plan' if you can call it that, basically just includes im happy to have what is neccessary to get him out safely, be that c-section, needing to be cut (although id really sooner not!) but painkiller wise its just entanox and epidural for me, and any pressure to maybe try diamorphine will be met with an evil glare from me!

I used entonox myself when I went to have a camera where the sun doesnt shine, my hospital at the time let me choose between being knocked out, and trying gas and air so I gave it a shot. And I really liked it, it was more about the focus it gave me more than anything. If I was told that this next bit may be a bit more uncomfortable, I concentrated on taking breaths of that rather than focused on the deed itself. Didnt make me sick either and it left my system fair quick.

Weather it will have the same effect for me in labour where the pain is ramped up a few notches, Ive no idea but I guess ill find out!

 

[Scally]

Your poor SIL- so scary!

I had gas and air and it made me sick, but even after i stopped it i got sick, so it could have been more to do with the pain rather than the gas and air if that makes sense? I have always hated feeling drunk, and thats how it made me feel.
I was open about pain relief and got to 8cm without anything x