*****May Bluebells 2012 ***** So far 23 Pink 17 Blue and 12 Yellow!!!

[bumpin2012]

Thank you ladies for all of the wonderful info! Iwas wondering many of the same things!

I have a very low pain tolerance, so Im terrified of labour in general. I keep telling myself that we were made to do this, and if it was REALLY that bad no one would do it again...

 

[KendraNoell]

I didn't want to know about the poop part the less I have to think about that the better... my husband is a jerk and said he's gonna point it out when I'm in labor... guess he doesn't want to have the ability to try for another child after that!

 

[vespersonicca]

ooo, just looked and i'm the only one on our thread for the 5th!

I'm all alone on the 11th too!

 

[FlowerFairy]

Hi girls - can I join you lot as well please. Im due May 17th. Got my first scan on Monday and it really cant come quick enough!!!

Welcome and congrats!! Added to 1st Post!

I *think* we're all updated!!
I've had 2 vagainal births and would never choose a section without some serious medical reason. There would be no way I could look after a child, a toddler, a newborn and hubby and dog after major abdominal surgery!!!!!
All my bits and bobs are fine after 2 births, no worries there!! xx

Sorry to be a pain but would you be able to change me to 5th May!
Thanks hun

Nay problemo!! I think you've asked me a couple of times now and I've missed Not ignoring you I promise

Can't believe the May Bluebells are heading into 2nd Tri!!! My 20 week scan is 14th Dec and we'll be finding out beans flavour then.... Or in 2 weeks if I can persudade hubby we NEED a gender scan

 

[Boothh]

Your a lemon FF! I can't believe were all nearly in second tri now! Had my NT scan today went well measurement was 1.8mm we saw the baby flex it's hand and all it's fingers! So cool and it has such long legs compared to last week!
Bitten the bullet now and announced on fb! 20 week scan on 3rd jan! So something to look forward to after Christmas! I'll be 20+4 then x

 

[wavescrash]

I didn't want to know about the poop part the less I have to think about that the better... my husband is a jerk and said he's gonna point it out when I'm in labor... guess he doesn't want to have the ability to try for another child after that!

Hahah aw. It happened to me during my first delivery. I wasn't aware until my ex told me but he said the nurse had it cleaned up so fast you barely noticed. He only told me because I asked and had I not asked, he would have likely forgotten about it. In the moment, there are more important things going on that you don't even notice and I'm sure your hubby won't either

 

[kka]

ooo, just looked and i'm the only one on our thread for the 5th!

I'm all alone on the 11th too!

I'm on the 11th just haven't had my date updated.

 

[vespersonicca]

ooo, just looked and i'm the only one on our thread for the 5th!

I'm all alone on the 11th too!

I'm on the 11th just haven't had my date updated.

Yay!

 

[JJules611]

Thank you for all the great advice and thank you for sharing personal stories about birth. This is my first and I'm so nervous!! Has anyone experienced a C-section?

 

[KendraNoell]

What an emotional day, ladies!

Had an awful nightmare last night that I miscarried, thought it was so real that when I woke up I was thinking about returning baby stuff- then was so relieved when it wasn't true...

Anyway, had appointment today, some blood in my urine, labs got sent out on it, not sure what that could be. Dr couldn't find HB on doppler so I started freaking out because of my nightmare, and so we did an ultrasound and baby is measuring spot on and HB of 152. And it is a rocker baby already

 

[mamicoch]

Thank you for all the great advice and thank you for sharing personal stories about birth. This is my first and I'm so nervous!! Has anyone experienced a C-section?

I had an emergency c-section with my daughter.
It isn't something I would opt to do again unless necessary. It's just such a tough recovery time, & I remember it being very painful for quite a while afterwards. The consultant asked me on Tuesday if I'd like to try naturally this time, and I am keen, as there was no physical reason I couldn't deliver last time, it was my daughter becoming distressed.

So as long as this baby copes, and my body can handle it, I'm hoping for a natural birth!

 

[PrettyUnable]

I had a emergency c-section with my daughter as I had food poisoning and she was in distress, her heart rate was up and down when they eventually found it.
I had only been in the hospital 20 mins when they were wheeling me down to theatre and I signed the consent form just as I was going under general.
It was my worst nightmare.
My daughter was in the NICU for 2 weeks before we could even touch or hold her and we finally got to take her home after 3 weeks.

I'm under consultant care this time around because of it and I'm terrified.
I really hoped to have a water birth, which I'm not allowed as I'll be constantly monitored.
I was hoping to be mobile and move around for as long as I could but looks like because of the monitoring I won't be allowed to - unless the hospital have a mobile monitor, which I need to ask midwife at my next appointment.

The things that scare me the most are that this will be my first labour, I've never gone into labour. How will I know when I'm in labour?
I don't want another caesarean unless it's life or death again.
I want as little intervention as possible, I don't want an epidural, I don't want ventouse or forceps.
I don't know if I'd rather tear or have an episiotomy.
I'm not sure about pethedine or any other drugs that have an effect on the baby...
I'm hoping to just stick to gas and air and TENS machine. But am I being completely unrealistic?

I can't begin to comprehend the pain level it will be, how I could possibly endure it.

I feel completely terrified and lost about it all...and I don't want to feel so disappointed and let down as last time... so how in hell do you prepare?

 

[vespersonicca]

The things that scare me the most are that this will be my first labour, I've never gone into labour. How will I know when I'm in labour?
I don't want another caesarean unless it's life or death again.
I want as little intervention as possible, I don't want an epidural, I don't want ventouse or forceps.
I don't know if I'd rather tear or have an episiotomy.
I'm not sure about pethedine or any other drugs that have an effect on the baby...
I'm hoping to just stick to gas and air and TENS machine. But am I being completely unrealistic?

It's probably not much consolation, but your body is made for this! You will know when labor starts. Us women have a strange intuition about these things. The contractions will come and keep coming. It will just feel different than anytime before. You won't probably be in a rush to the hospital if everything is going normally so you will have plenty of time to know if the contractions stop. I hadn't ever even had a practice contraction but when they came, I just knew.

I had a pretty strict birth plan my first time around. I wanted a natural water birth, no pain meds, etc. I was pretty afraid of an episiotomy too. I wound up with an epidural, laying on my back in a hospital bed and a suction cup birth. I had an episiotomy because the baby wasn't coming out. I tore a lot too. Everything went "wrong" so to speak according to my "plan." If I hadn't had the episiotomy I might have wound of with a c-section so that was definitely the lesser of two evils, for lack of a better expression. It's all just part of it.

This time around I would still like to cope as long as I can pain-med free. If things proceed faster, I might even manage it. I learned to take it as it comes. The only "natural" bit of my last birth wound up being that I decided to do it completely naked. It was the only choice I got to have in the end. You won't know how realistic you're being until you get there and see how this birth is going to be. You might cope with the TENS. You might not. In the end, there will be a baby and you will have birthed, one way or another.

 

[wavescrash]

The things that scare me the most are that this will be my first labour, I've never gone into labour. How will I know when I'm in labour?
I don't want another caesarean unless it's life or death again.
I want as little intervention as possible, I don't want an epidural, I don't want ventouse or forceps.
I don't know if I'd rather tear or have an episiotomy.
I'm not sure about pethedine or any other drugs that have an effect on the baby...
I'm hoping to just stick to gas and air and TENS machine. But am I being completely unrealistic?

My daughter was my only child and labor experience. I had never gone through anything like it before and to be honest, I wasn't sure I was in labor either. Contractions hit hard at 3am and I just sat online posting on my blog and a pregnancy forum about my symptoms and feelings. Everyone kept saying it sounds like labor but I didn't want to go to the hospital to be told "nope, it's not time! you're crazy!"

My Mom woke up at 5:30am and I said "I think I'm in labor?" and she freaked out asking why I didn't wake her haha. She asked if I timed my contractions and I said, "I've never done that before... I don't know how." We sat and she helped me time them for an hour or two. Finally I thought my waters were leaking (it was just urine, whoops) so she called the L&D unit to ask what we should do. They asked if I had been checked, how dilated was I, etc and we said I hadn't been checked yet so they told me to come in. They gave me a bed in a delivery room, checked my cervix and said I was 4cm and 90% effaced and said it wasn't my waters leaking. I had my daughter later that day.

Point is... I just rode it out a few hours by myself, not knowing I was in labor but it gets to a point where you just know. Contractions are consistent and spaced somewhat equally apart. You can always ask your dr or midwife as to what you need to be on the look out for

 

[Boothh]

My mum and husband forced me to hospital when in labour with LO! We went to the cinema when I started getting contractions, I didn't want to sit at home waiting, I started getting them at 9pm and they started to 'hurt' about 4am got to hosp at 5am and was 5cm dilated I didn't even want to go because I thought I should be in more pain! At 8cm I was still fine, I had pethadine and it was amazing, and just stopped talking or w/e to have gas and air through a contraction, the midwife was told to check me again because he didn't believe I was 8cm and sat there calm as anything lol! I really think that having no birth plan helped me, I didnt have any expectations and just went with what I wanted at the time, i think staying as calm as possible is a huge tip too, my midwife told me that adrenaline counter acts labour hormones and makes things take longer and makes it more painful, I had that in my head the whole time and just focused on keeping myself relaxed and I swear that helped me cope with it xx

 

[DianaM]

Yay for everyones good news!! I also got some good news today!! My ultrasound to find out the gender is finally booked!!! We go in December 6th at 10:00am!!! I'm SO excited!! Although I'm positive it's a girl lol. Guess we'll have to wait and see!!

Mine is on the 5th @ 6pm.. where are you going for yours ?

I will be going to West Lincoln Hospital in Grimsby for my scan. That's where my dr delivers but I wont be delivering there. I'll be delivering at McMaster in Hamilon because of going into pre-term labour with my son at 25 weeks and having him at 32 weeks. West Lincoln won't deliver the baby unless I'm at least 36-37 weeks. I'm set up with the OB from McMaster for when I'm 28 weeks unless complications come up again.

 

[DianaM]

As for natural delivery. Yes all my parts went back to normal lol. I did NOT want an episiotomy no matter what! I was terrified! I was only 17 when I had found out I was pregnant so the whole experience was intense. From being rushed to the hospital in 2 very uncomfortable ambulence rides for pre-term labour at 25 weeks to being rushed at 32 weeks when I had him it was for sure an experience! I DID end up however ripping but opted out on the stitches because they said with the rip things would "mend themselves" better than trying to stitch it up because I DIDN'T have the episiotomy. But one of my major questions I had was "will my boyfriend (at the time who is now my fiancé) be able to tell the difference and will I be... Ehhem... Not so tight down there anymore. So I asked... Lol. When we were finally able to have sex again the first few tries are hard, it's a little tender... But he honestly said there was no difference before and after. (it was also a worry for him also being a 17/18 year old watching THAT come from someone so tiny lol. I had walked in at my full pregnancy weight at 124 lbs and 5 foot 8 so even having an early baby (who was a huge premie by the way) at 5lbs 15oz was quite concerning to both of us lol. My recovery time after was great although I did end up with what the dr called the "worst bladder infection he had ever seen" but other than that the pain was pretty much gone right after birth. Of course their is cramping and such but they give pills to help with that. I had no choice in an epidural as they wanted to STOP labour but when I was fully dialated the next morning they basically said there was no point trying to hold off the baby was coming anyways. They turned off the epidural and broke my water. I almost had to go for an emergency section because the cord was wrapped around his neck 3 times and his heart rate was dropping through each contraction. I was about 3 min away from being rushed into the ER when I gave it my all. I knew I didn't want to go for surgery. Other than that... My labour both times when it started all I did was time the contractions. Not gunna lie when I was in active labour at 32 weeks I woke up that Sunday morning with a bad "stomach ache" ( or so I thought lol) and thought I needed to "use the bathroom" so I tried and when I went to push, I had the most HORRIBLE pain! That's when I knew something was wrong... I tried to wake up my boyfriend and tell him I needed to go to the hospital but he didn't believe me (as we had gone so many times for different reasons) so I called my mom. I told her I thought I was in labour and needed a ride to the hospital, she had coffee duty at church that day and didn't really wanna take me lol. But none the less when I told her my boyfriend wouldnt wake up she came, I was 3cm dilated when I got there, after they checked me I went to 5. That's when the hospital called the ambulance. My dr came with me for the ride screaming "we're gunna have this baby in the vehicle if you dint hurry up!" they were going over 140km lol. I was scared shitless! But yeah, sorry for such a long post lol. Natural over a section is totally the way to go.

 

[DianaM]

I'm also planning on "winging it" this time around seeing as they aren't sure if I'll make it past 32 weeks again. I'm going to try for a more natural way of dealing with pain but am open to drugs and an epidural as well. This time I'll tell them NOT to shut it off when they decide I'm ready to have the baby!! Haha. Cuz I felt EVERYTHING! yeah that "burning ring of fire" that was the worst part out of the whole thing. But I will say being able to get right up off the delivery table to have a shower right away was perfect. I would have hated to have had to wait until I could feel my legs again.

Anyone else out there have problems stopping the bleeding after birth?? It took them quite a while to get me to stop bleeding and is somewhat making me nervous this time
around. I know that my body is in much better condition and I'm 25 now so my body is ready for a baby but it still worries me.

 

[future_numan]

Diane, Our hospital won't tell you the gender. So we are having a prvt scan in Ajax.

I have been very lucky in my birth experiences, and I have to say to these ladies who have done labour for hours at a time with no drug or even with dugs..you have my greatest respect..

I have four daughters randing in age from 21yrs to 21 months and in total I have had 6 hrs of labour.. my last being 20 mins long.
I knwo you say I am lucky , am I am but what terrifes me is going into labour while I am alone and having to deliver the baby by myself ( we live in the country so help isn't close)
Last time my waters broke and MW wanted me call when I got to 5mins apart.. she didn't beleive me when I told her I went fast.. so I had to lie and say my contractions were 5 mins apart so she would meet me at the hospital.. I was even in labour yet..
Well I checked in at 5:50am.. MW decided that I wasn't in labour ( she was kinda mad since I woke her in the night) but she couldn't send me home because my waters had broke.
Well at 6:10 I mentioned to DH that my hips hurt.. after about 10 min of sitting in the rocking chair, I stood up to releive the ach I had and I felt the baby drop.. a couple mins later I said the DH that I needed to lie down because I felt major hip pain..MW wasn't in the room..
Well I lied down and suddenly felt the urge to push ( I still had my pants on) so my DH paniced and yelled for the MW..
We she came saundering in and my DH told her I needed to push.. she didn't beleive him.. I yelled to get my pants off so DH and the MW helped me get them off and as they slid my underware off..the MW started screaming for the second MW because the babies head was OUT...
I delivered before anyone could do anything...
After everything settled down the MW came to me with tears in her eyes saying I had just taught her a lesson to NEVER dought a mother..

 

[aimee-lou]

Hi ladies,

I have finally got my first scan booked - 18th November at 9.30 am. I have to see the consultant at the same time due to my thyroid problems. Apparently they don't expect anything to go wrong, but they'd rather monitor me more than necessary to be sure lol. I'll be 13 weeks and 2 days minimum.

I'm also looking rather pregnant and in town today someone noticed my bump. Thankfully it wasn't anyone I know well so it's ok. I just said that yes but it's very new lol.

Re: labour and delivery. I only had gas and air with Earl. Earl was 43 hours from the very first contraction and 16 hours from when I was finally admitted to hospital (I went in twice but was sent home as I was only 1 cm).

My tips for a natural delivery -Keep up your energy levels. Try to eat and relax during the early stages, and try to sleep too, even if you just end up in bed snoozing. Don't be afraid of taking a little painkillers if you need them - I took paracetamol all the way through which took the edge off the early stages. Baths and water are your best friend - get some aromatherapy oils and use them. Listen to your body and to your midwife, and try to laugh a little as you can get a little serious about the whole thing (my midwife told me this and it really does work). Next time I plan on using a TENS machine while at home, and I hope to use the water birth suite again as I laboured in the water with Earl and it was amazing!