LLWWSBP2016 April 18-25 - Page 2

[laughingfox]

Pepper, I can tell you that can't go on for weeks, but I'd be lying. I had 5 weeks of contractions with DD before she finally made her debut. Can you nap during the day, or does it happen every time you lay down? Maybe the napping method of induction would work for you?

loveneverfails, don't think you're the only one with a retractible cervix.
Last time around, after a day of labor, I was at 7cm- then on my next check, I was back down to 5!! My cervix was like "time for transition- PSYCH!!!"

I've never actually had nutella. I do know, however, that 20g of each 37g serving is sugar. It sounds divine.
You know what I'm having after this baby is born? A cheesecake. A whole effing cheesecake. Maybe with some nutella on top.

[laughingfox]

In other news, do any of you ladies still need/want a labor buddy? I had a labor buddy assigned from the great labor buddy thread, but she never responded to my private message, so I guess I'm in the market again.
No rush, though. We've got another 6 years.

[leavemealone]

Originally Posted by laughingfox

You know what I'm having after this baby is born? A cheesecake. A whole effing cheesecake. Maybe with some nutella on top.

I have a box of Cocoa Pebbles and a bag of Twizzlers in my birth kit. LOL If anyone asks why I have them in my birth kit, it's b/c I plan to eat both of those items after the baby is born. Maybe not all in one sitting, but the whole box of cereal and the whole bag of Twizzlers is mine! All I need is my DH to bring me a gallon of milk and I'll be good.

[loveneverfails]

Dude, I can't even remember all the stuff I have in my post partum recovery pack anymore. 100% serious there. Every week I add something new. I know this last week I added dark chocolate raspberry Milano cookies.

[leavemealone]

I'm sure my DH will wonder why I have a box of cereal and some Twizzlers in my birth kit. Actually, Twizzlers have been present at all my births. DH snuck them to me during my first labor and I've had a bag of them at each birth since. I'm sure I'll find more stuff to add before I have the baby, but I made sure I had my box of Cocoa Pebbles.

[laughingfox]

Aw, that's such a cute story, sneaking twizzlers and making a tradition out of it.
Um.. my pregnancy hormones are in overdrive today.

The only thing I remember eating at DD's birth is cantaloupe, but I know I can't buy one now and expect it to still be edible when I give birth.

The only food thing I have in my box right now are Luna Moons.

[loveneverfails]

I have watermelon flavored twizzler pull and peels in my recovery box.

And I will be going to buy a birthday cake when I'm in labor. And I think we'll be having Wendy's for the meal after that. Wendy's has been our food of celebration since we drove through Wendy's after getting married.

[LenaC]

I'm signing out. Currently have baby on my lap and typing with one hand. Posted on birth announcement thread, but I'm still a little out of it to type out the details. Can't wait to see who goes next or is going already

[smeisnotapirate]

Originally Posted by loveneverfails

BUT I WILL STILL TOTALLY WIN THE GOLDEN BIRTHING STOOL THRONE OF HONOR AS THE LAST PREGGO STANDING!

Dream on.

Sorry about the yeast. Blech. Sounds terrible. (I'm secretly clapping, though, because if you go in 10 days I'm soooooo winning this.)

Originally Posted by LenaC

I'm signing out. Currently have baby on my lap and typing with one hand. Posted on birth announcement thread, but I'm still a little out of it to type out the details. Can't wait to see who goes next or is going already

Congrats!

Sooooooo.... day 1 of Webster technique doesn't seem to have shifted baby. I go back tomorrow afternoon for day 2, with the possibility of 5 days in a row. We shall see, I suppose.

But nope, no labor. I just got an Ikea catalog today to "baby E" postmarked "your uterus," so I'm pretty sure baby is setting up camp and ordering furniture.

[leavemealone]

OK, I don't see a weekly thread right now - just a postpartum thread and this one. I have a question that I am torn about asking. I am going to try to phrase this so that I don't get flamed, but I'm not sure it's going to come out right.

My MW called me last week and said she sprained both her ankles, tore some ligaments, and will not be attending birth for a while. Her apprentice will still be there and my MW has arranged to have another MW at the birth. Her apprentice was at my last birth and I know she is experienced and knows what she is doing. I've already paid the MW I hired her full fee. This is where I am conflicted: should I have to pay her the entire fee if she is not going to be there for a reason beyond my control. I spoke with two other MWs earlier in this pregnancy both of which cost less. I liked both the other MWs I spoke to, but decided I would go with the one who's experience I felt most comfortable with (and that ended up costing more) but I did not choose based on money. I did not speak to the MW that will be at this birth and from what I understand, she hasn't been attending births for a little while (various reasons).

It's not that I don't think that the MW I did hire shouldn't be paid. Of course she should be paid for the work she's done but it's not as if she missed my birth b/c it was too fast or I changed my mind. I realize that the MW I did hire will be paying the MW who does go to my birth, but should I still have to pay the MW I did hire her entire fee if she's not going to be there for reasons that were beyond my control? I'm not totally comfortable with this situation, but what else can I do? I'm OK with it, but not totally comfortable, b/c I do have the continuity of having the apprentice and my doula who have been at at least one of my past births, but I'm suddenly having a totally new person who will be at my birth. If I were going to a practice that had more than one care provider, I wouldn't know who was going to be at my birth, but this is one reason why I'm having a homebirth - to have a relationship with the MW that I know. I know the MW did not hurt herself on purpose, but this really throws a 39 week pregnant woman for a loop.

[laughingfox]

Youch, sandcastle, that's a tough spot to be in.

I don't know if this is "standard" or not, but with my midwife, I have an understanding that something might come up, and if it does, she'll send a backup, which won't cost me any more or less than the standard birth "package". It's something we spoke about earlier, just because life can be unpredictable.

Is your midwife still making herself and her expertise available to you? Can you still call her any time with questions you might have?
How long until she can get out of the house again? Is there a chance she'll be able to attend your labor if you go for another week or 3, even if just in a "supervisory" position? Will she still be able to give postpardum care?

I'm not sure how the backup agreement works between midwives, financially speaking. Your midwife might actually wind up losing money over this.. but that doesn't change the fact that you're suddenly winding up with a stranger as your care provider at 39 weeks.

[sanguine_speed]

[mom2happy]

Oh my gosh!!
I thought this was just the thread to announce our long pregnancies.
I didnt realize it was an ongoing party!
Im so excited in a miserable kind of way to find this out.
Its so good to know we are not alone in this limbo.

Anyway, Not that this means much after 2 episodes 2 weeks apart of contractions 10 min apart for 24 hrs, but ... I lost my mucus plug about 7 hrs ago.
Curious to know who else did and how long ago.
Also, how many of us are pushing the limit on a vbac?

[laughingfox]

Welcome, mom2happy! Of course it's a party! We've got to keep ourselves entertained somehow.

I can't answer you on the mucous plug loss, though. I'm not entirely certain whether or not I've lost any of mine or not. I've lost a few bits of clear mucous lately, but it looks more like fertile mucous than anything, so I don't know if that means anything.

All I noticed last time was strands, not a "plug", and it didn't start coming out until I'd already been in labor for a day.

I've actually been wondering lately whether or not everyone makes a plug. I know it regenerates if you lose it, but does it just not form a solid plug in some people?
Plenty of people say they never notice losing theirs, but most of the people who do lose theirs say it's something you'd definitely notice.

[smeisnotapirate]

Yeah, I only lost my plug after a day or so of labor - not sure my previous labor is any indication of "normal" though.

mom2happy, I'm a VBAC too! Not pushing the limits yet, here, but my MW's limit is 43w, so it'll be a while before I'm THAT far.

sandcastle, that's tough. I agree that asking for the "birth attendant" portion (whatever she would pay the MW she got FOR you) back is fair - and then you can see if you can find one of the other MWs you like. The worst she can do is say no, and then you're back where you are now and really no worse for it.

[leavemealone]

Originally Posted by sanguine_speed

I think in this case, your midwife's responsibility is to attend your birth or to find an appropriate substitute midwife to attend your birth if she is incapacitated. Was this contracted or discussed at the outset?
Even if this is normally how it's done or even if you have a contract that says this, perhaps you could let your midwife know that you have someone else in mind if she cannot attend your birth, and could you pay the birth attendance portion of the fee to the alternate midwife instead? It might even be that the backup midwife is busy and is attending your birth reluctantly or as a favor and may welcome the opportunity to bow out?

Good luck, mama. I know how it feels to not have the expected attendant at your birth.

It was not discussed but it is in the contract that if she misses the birth b/c she wasn't called in time, she's still paid (and I would expect that). If she misses the birth b/c she's at another birth and her apprentice makes it to the second birth, I'd still expect to pay her. What I will say is that it always seems to be something with this MW. This is the same one I had last time and I never even had a final postpartum visit with her. She said she'd show up on a certain day and never showed. Never called. Never emailed. I just let it go b/c I was done by that point. I really hesitated to hire her again, but there were things that made me uncomfortable with the other two MWs I talked to and at least I knew the quirks of this MW. I think I had three appts during my last pregnancy that weren't canceled or moved for some reason (not always births related reasons). This time, she has been really good about appts, has come to my house for all the appts (last time they were at her office at her house) until I made the final payment. Then, the appts started to be moved/rescheduled, she missed one totally, and I haven't had a birth "run though" yet which she says is important (though we did need to reschedule the original date due to DH having to go out of town for a funeral).
I guess what I wonder about is (these are not the actual numbers, but an example): if the MW I hired charges $3000 but the backup I get charges $2500 - should I have to pay the extra $500? Part of me says let it go, the other part says not to. If she were super reliable during prenatals, postpartums, etc maybe it wouldn't bother me as much, but it's always something with her. I don't expect not to pay her, but I question whether it should be the whole amount. In the end, I'll probably just let it go and move on.

[leavemealone]

Originally Posted by mom2happy

Also, how many of us are pushing the limit on a vbac?

I'm a VBAC, but I'm not really pushing the limit. I don't even know the point where my MW starts to be concerned. I know the backup OB doesn't start to be concerned until closer to 42 weeks unless there is another issue such as blood pressure. I've never made it more than 3 days past my due date so I've never gotten to the point where there is concern. However, since I will be the dark horse in the competition and come from nowhere to claim the "Last Preggo Standing" trophy, maybe I will get to that point this time around.

[loveneverfails]

Ugh, I'd be frustrated. That's just really really unprofessional. I don't know what you can do about it, but it'd drive me up the wall.

[loveneverfails]

Hrm. Now I'm into GI emptying. This is odd. I'll hit May yet. And I really really really can't have a baby with an active yeast infection. I patently refuse.

[smeisnotapirate]

Originally Posted by loveneverfails

Hrm. Now I'm into GI emptying. This is odd. I'll hit May yet. And I really really really can't have a baby with an active yeast infection. I patently refuse.

I henceforth ban yeast from your cervical area. BECAUSE YOU ARE IN LABOR AND I WIN.