Thursday, Friday, Saturday chat thread

[fruitful womb]

Labor stalled and MW had to go to another birth. Its the storm I tell you! I've been stuck at a 6/7 cm since 1am. The last check was at 5am. I think I was just way too tired so I rested. It did the trick. Just before she came in the ctx picked up in power. Now, not so much - there like pulses. Each one will last 30 sec. long and come every 3/5/7 min. . Not enough power to reach that high point to be effective. Oh, these are painful! I'm trying my best to surrender. My lips are really red from having to breath through these most of the night. Luckily I was able to crash in between them.


How are you all this morning?

[herbanmama]

Hang in there, fruitfulwomb! Safe and comfy birthing blessings to you as you labor today. I hope things pick up for you and that you meet babe very soon.


Warning - Rant Ahead:
I slept rotten last night. I have had a headache since yesterday afternoon-it feels a little better this morning, but now I'm so tired, I can't tell. Dd is being a real pill about getting ready for school and dh is being useless. I have a fair amount of anxiety about taking the castor oil. I mean, I just never thought that I'd have to jump-start my body to go into labor. I'm not entirely comfortable taking the drink, but I'm not entirely comfortable pushing the pregnancy much past 42 weeks. I'm afraid I'll need medical induction, something I never even thought of as a possibility. I woke up at 4 am and couldn't get the baby to move (probably because she was asleep like any sane person) and went and drank OJ to wake her, then tossed and turned, worried, questioned myself, cursed dh for being able to sleep so easily, and then the dogs for panting and click-clacking around which wasn't really helping me sleep. I guess I just feel like my body is not cooperating. In some ways, pregnancy has been great - even now, no swelling, heartburn, backache, etc. No morning sickness...and then at 37 weeks, I find out I'm GBS+, then I have a scary vaginal bleed, now I can't start labor. I know this is a total pity party, but I warned you! I'll probably feel better after I see MW at 9 this morning.

Birthing vibes to you all today!

[Peony]

Sending you labor vibes fruitful. :

[nancy11]

< Sending vibes to fruitful!

[FischK]

Go, fruitful! :

herbanmama, sorry to hear about your rotten night and your headaches. I know how difficult the decisions are that you have to make, and I hope that the visit to MW will help.

Lindsay, yes, I did go to a car symphony yesterday. It was fun with all that door slamming, engine-revving, radio-blasting, and honking. It looked nice too. But LO did not enjoy it as much; I think all the noise scared him a little. And of course nothing happened.

Of course, I am still around. The red wine last night was very tasty, and it resulted in some persistent backaches for an hour or two and some more cramping. But these things seem to dissolve in my sleep. This morning more minor cramping, but nothing else. But to be honest, I would already be happy if I would find out during my appointment tomorrow that my cervix is doing something other than being high up and closed. And I am looking forward to another glass of wine tonight.

[emmaegbert]

oh herbanmama, I know what you mean about all the nagging worry, and feeling so resentful of everyone else who can just sleep (or click) through everything. I felt at the end like I was getting every annoying minor, controversial complication you could have (GBS+, diet-controlled GD, sub-optimal positioning, post-dates....). Then it all turned out okay, and I surely wish the same for you.

and fruitful, HOW ANNOYING. Good luck and I hope that some rest helps and that the storms clear up!

good luck ladies, I am thinking about you.

and I am getting edema NOW, a day and a half AFTER the birth. Same thing happened w/ DS but its annoying!

[Lindsay1234]

Frutiful - DARN to the starting/stopping labor. Its almost 9am here, i hope your labor is in full force! See? I TOLD you you wouldnt be preg forever!!!

herban - Its been a tough month, hasnt it? How is your cervix, are you opening at all? I would say go for the castor oil, might be gross but maybe itll do the trick. Im west coast and its almost 9 here so I hope you see your mw and get some reassurance!!!!!

ficsh - Well, some cramps and backache are better than nothing, I guess!!! Im going to have to buy some wine today, it will serve double purpose, make me less anxious and maybe bring on some labor!

emma - didnt another mom on here get edema too? Lame. So now that your placentas out, are you done with the GD?

I slept like CRAP last night. At around 10 I noticed my pelvis (like hip bones down, the whole thing) feeling weird, then it started hurting, THEN it was killing me. I could barely move in bed because the pain was so excruciating. This morning I heard a loud POP again and its feeling better, (I can walk) but it still sucks. I just hoped all night that I wouldnt go into labor because I couldnt move at all!! I did squats, childs pose, figure 8s, etc but nothing helped!

Today Im going to ride my bike to lunch with a friend and tomorrow its supposed to rain. Im thinking this babe is just waiting for rain to come, she probably loves it as much as I do!

[smocklets]

I had my 6 week check today. Everything went well. Tomorrow I'll have a 6 week old! I want to cheer and cry at the same time. Part of me envies those of you still waiting- birth is such an amazing process!

[herbanmama]

Update:

Saw MW, she stretched me from 2 cm - 3 and swept. I am 70% effaced, baby nice and low, has been station 0 for a while. I drank the special castor oil drink, didn't think it was too bad then threw it all up an hour and 1/2 later. Thought that might sabotage me but ctx are in gear and increasing in severity, starting to demand my full attention. Wish me luck!

[nancy11]

Originally Posted by smocklets

part of me envies those of you still waiting- birth is such an amazing process!

omg no wai!!!!

[IncaMama]

good luck nadine!!!!

[Xerxella]

Good luck Herban! It sounds like you're next!

Fisch - Hopefully you're enjoying your nice glass of wine right now.

I'm sure I'm going to be the last one left. I'm having these sharp pains like in a cervixy/vajayjay area. I don't know what that means. Hopefully, something promising. I'm getting alot of discharge, too. I don't know if it's mucous plug or not. It looks like egg white cervical mucous from the trying to conceive days. But, in the end, no cx and I figure without those, no baby. Wah wah wah Welcome to my pity party....

[Night_Nurse]

Originally Posted by fruitful womb

Labor stalled and MW had to go to another birth. Its the storm I tell you! I've been stuck at a 6/7 cm since 1am. The last check was at 5am. I think I was just way too tired so I rested. It did the trick. Just before she came in the ctx picked up in power. Now, not so much - there like pulses. Each one will last 30 sec. long and come every 3/5/7 min. . Not enough power to reach that high point to be effective. Oh, these are painful! I'm trying my best to surrender. My lips are really red from having to breath through these most of the night. Luckily I was able to crash in between them.


How are you all this morning?

I've been thinking of you all week, FW! I'm glad to read you're having ctx and hopefully by now you are holding that sweet baby and resting!

[Lindsay1234]

I guess the last of us are having May babies, thats ok, May is a beautiful month!!!

Cramps today, nothing bad or big.

[emmaegbert]

Lindsay- yes, the GD seemed to just go away! I am not even doing much to test my blood sugar until at least a week PP, just did a couple of random sticks and had low low numbers so I'm not worried.

And May is a gorgeous month of the blossoming life and all. A wonderful time for a birthday. A future of many picnic/outdoor birthday parties for your LOs.

[Xerxella]

Originally Posted by emmaegbert

Lindsay- yes, the GD seemed to just go away! I am not even doing much to test my blood sugar until at least a week PP, just did a couple of random sticks and had low low numbers so I'm not worried.

And May is a gorgeous month of the blossoming life and all. A wonderful time for a birthday. A future of many picnic/outdoor birthday parties for your LOs.

Thanks Emma! Thant's just what I needed to hear! May is a great month to have a birthday. You're still in school, but almost done and there are alot of outdoor options. And, I know my baby will definitely be born this month sometime! And, besides, why would this baby want to share a birth month with his/her brother. Who would want that? Now, I'll definitely have to have seperate (sp?) birthday parties. (I was kinda looking forward to just one for the 2 of them.)

Lindsay - Are you and I that last 2 left?

[mommytoavery]

I mainly lurk but I am also still here. Was due the 24th so officially 41 weeks today. I am starting to lose all confidence that I will go into labor on my own which really bums me out because we have a home birth planned. I don't see the MW until Monday but hopefully something happens this weekend. At my last appt I was 1 cm dilated and 0 effaced - so basically nothing going on.

[Xerxella]

I'm sorry MommytoAvery. Believe me I know the feeling. Is this your 1st? Since my 1st was a C, I never went into labor on my own and I'm beginning to doubt I ever will. There's absolutely nothing happening and the scariest thing is I have 0, zero, none, nil, no, nyet contax. I never have. The closest thing is a period sort of crampiness every once in a while. And, I don't have time to wait, anyways. The mw (or probably more like their OB backups) don't want any VBACs to go beyond 41 weeks. Luckily, I fudged my LMP a little, so they have me due May 4th, instead of April 29th. (The u/s put me at May 1st.) But, still, that only gains me 5 days. I don't know what happens then.

I know I should be trying to be cheerful, but instead I just feel defeated.

[Lindsay1234]

Emma - thats awesome! See ya later finger pricking!!!

I secretly wanted a May baby. My bff's bday is on May 11 and I just thought that the sound of May is beautiful. Now we have a family with all 4 seasons! Im winter, DH is Summer, dd1 is fall dd2 is spring! And what little girl doesn't love emeralds for her birthstone? (dd1 is opal and is infatuated with it)

Xerxella - Looks like you, me and now momtoavery! I was thinking the other day, Maybe I should have started posting in the May board but then I thought of 2 things, one, I wouldnt have met all the April amazing women and two, I would have been even more anxious right now because they've had a ton of births already!!

momtoavery - welcome to the board, dont give up hope!! How many weeks will your mw do hb to? 42? Im sure if you aske her very nicely, shell extend it to 42 and a half or 43?

and to all of us 3, remember you can be not dilated at all, no symptoms, and still give birth within hrs!! (I wish there was a hand-holding-skipping smiley!!)

My 2 Bffs are leaving for a cruise to Mexico tomorrow and it SUCKS. The one bff is turning 30 and planned this a long time ago. Carnival stopped all stops in Mx so they will be docked off shore, leaving from san diego. I heard the incubation is 14 days for this flu and Im really not going to take chances with the baby especially since she MAYBE has a heart prob so.... 2 BFFs wont be able to see dd2 until shes 2 weeks old!! Is that being too cautious?
Im seriously crushed. This babe needs to come today before they leave!!!!

My friend just called me and said that our local bakery has a chocolate cookie that is supposedly a "spontaneous labor" cookie, Im off to get one!

[FischK]

May babies are indeed pretty cool. Living in Maine, outdoor life is still tricky in April, whereas in May things actually start to look springy.

xercella, sorry to disappoint, but I continue to be left as well. So, including momtoavery we're four. And please don't feel defeated. I felt like a failure for the first half of the week for going overdue, but at this point, I think that there's a reason this is happening and no sign of defeat.

Lindsay, keep those cramps coming! Hope they are doing something!

momtoavery, I know how you feel. I'll be 41 weeks tomorrow. So, you're not alone, and I will keep my fingers crossed for you as well.

After hardly any sleep last night and increasing menstrual-like cramps, I had my NST this morning followed by a little chat with the doctor and the L and D nurse. NST went fine. LO seems very healthy and happy and managed to pass the test in 10 minutes. Then I had to wait for 75 minutes because the doctor was in a meeting. Boring, but the nurse ordered me some breakfast. She was pretty cool anyways, which was good.

When the doctor checked my cervix, though, nothing had changed, except that he could reach it. So, we had the little chat on induction methods. I had the choice between cytotec today or to wait until Monday and see. I brought up my concerns about cytotec, but it turns out, the hospital does not offer cervidil or any other ripening agent. But, they said that there some other procedure involving a catheter and no drugs that they could try. And they were ok with my decision to wait until Monday.

The good news is that the CNM is on call on Monday, and according to the nurse, she is a little more resourceful than the OBs even though she also falls back on cytotec if nothing else works.

The bad news is that my in-laws are a little unhappy because it does not look as if they will see the baby before they leave. I think I made the right decision by refusing induction today, but I feel a little under pressure.

Now, I'll take a nap to make up for last night. Maybe LO could use this time to get ready?