mommies to be DECEMBER 2010

Hello to the few people left around here.....

I must say, the first couple of days of leave were very welcome after a very stressful few months at work, but now I'm starting to get a bit bored.

Suhaila and GML, still waiting? Me too.

I'm also starting to wonder what happened to fancyface, maybe she's had her baby....

My stomach has been constantly rock hard since last night (as opposed to before where it would go from hard to soft and back again) and looks very square-shaped (don't know how else to describe it). One sore contraction at lunch time yesterday and one sore one last night. Not sure if any of that means anything.

Suhaila, thanks for the reminders re smaller women and natural birth, I needed that. I have read similar things, but still my mind seems unable to logically process the notion of big baby passing through small passage. My gynae also pointed out that women with a smaller shoe size tend to have smaller pelvises. Some websites seem to dismiss this as an old wives tale while others maintain that there is some truth to it. But I think I would like to at least give natural birth a try. I'm also still torn by the question of epidural versus no epidural...

Next doctors visit tomorrow. She was already (subtly) trying to convince us to schedule a caesar last week and I told her I would think about it. Will just have to stick by my guns and not let her bulldoze me into anything.

Simone, can I assume you're back at home? How does it feel.

Anyone heard from Champers lately? Seems like Ty is keeping her busy. Maryke how are the twins? And miksmummy, hope wian is still healthy and strong....

People have been telling me all sorts of things that are meant to bring on labour (I haven't tried them all)

- sex, stairs, stretching
-walking (I went on an entire hike last Thursday and nothing)
- nipple stimulation
-reflexology- pressing hard against your baby toes and also four fingers above the inside of the ankle
-eating spicy food (for me the only result has been heartburn)
-eating dates (weirdly enough, also resulting in heartburn for me).
-arnica

I have however, been told by my dad (who is in Cape Town till Monday) to 'hold it in' till he's back...

Hey ladies

How are the ladies doing?

How are the nightshifts new mommies?

Suhaila- do tell me your waters broke and you had your baby already?....

google- how are you?

Im ok. I walk at least twice a week for an hour, had some really good sex last night. Any signs of labour? NO. Lol.

To reiterate Google, thank you so much for your experienced insight. I'm 40 weeks today, doc is happy to let me pull another week to go into labour naturally as baby is small and placenta healthy. Will be seeing him tomorrow to see if there's any change to that plan. If labour doesn't happen though I must either induce or have c section. There's so much negativity around both I can't decide which of the two is worse. Praying inshaAllah (God willing) it doesn't come to either option.

GML your on the mark as far as size goes. Had the same concerns re my petite size. Doc and most articles say some smaller women can even birth better than bigger ones if hips disengage.

Ahh miksmommy tis indeed the question, who is next:) glad you have your Wian safe with you, lotsa love to your little man

Anyone know how FF is doing?

my point is just that natural birth is awesome but inductions are not. the waiting game sucks but if I had a choice I would rather have gone into labour naturally... I think that as soon as you involve a whole lot of drugs, that is when things start going wrong... Like i said before Mikayla's birth and labour was AMAZING!!

anyway... I wonder who is going to be next?? wooohooo its very exciting to finally meet the little ones!

Hi ladies.

Miks- thanks for sharing. Happy to hear all is well.

Google- i wouldnt worry much about your small physic. I think our bodies know just what to do.

Miksmummy, thanks so much for sharing your story, definitely food for thought for those of us who are still playing the waiting game.

I'm sorry to hear that wian's birth didn't turn out the way you wanted it to, but glad to hear that he is okay now and hope you get to enjoy this special time. It sounds to me like he was already in distress at your last check up and that maybe a caesar would have been the way to go. But the important thing is he's here now and that you get to enjoy him. Hugs.

Hi all!!

we are FINALLY home!! or should I say again?? Wian is doing much better and I am very happy to be home!!

Maryke @ congratulations!! Have you posted pics of the boys yet? May they bring you and your family lots of joy!

Simone @ Congrats!!! Saw on FB that you're coming home today! woohooo... hospitals suck big time!

Google @ if you want my opinion.. no to the induction. I blame the induction in part for everything that went wrong... but wait.. let me tell you the whole story so that you can decide for yourself.

On Thursday I went for a check up and the dr says that my placenta is not looking so great and Wian was moving less and less the last few days before my scan so she said she is not going to take the risk and I should rather be induced. My bishops score was 6 and I was 2cm dilated but the dr was confident that I would be fine.

First induction @ 3 the afternoon, nothing hectic happening - bit of cramps, nothing major. Second induction @ 9 that night - contractions got a bit worse but not so bad that I couldn't sleep through them. Dr woke me up at 3 the next morning to break my water - O MY WORD - I thought I was going to die. Bear in mind that I've done this before. It was much much worse. When the dr broke my water I was 3cm dilated. Wian was born 26 minutes later. So I went from 3 to 10 cm and he was born in 26 minutes! No wonder I suffered so! No time for pain meds either. Because of this his entire little face was blue and his eyes are bloodshot. It really looks terrible. It wasn't a nice experience at all and in hindsight I should have insisted on a c-section. He didn't cope well after birth and turned blue and stopped breathing. It was horrible. The nurse wouldn't let me feed him and the NICU dr says that that might have had something to do with him turning blue too - his blood sugar dropped to low. This happened about 6 hours after he was born.

This is just my opinion and I'm very pro-natural birth. I don't know if my induction just didn't work with my body or if its just bad in general. I know lots of people say that it worked for them. It definitely didn't for me. Mikayla's birth was the most amazing thing ever and I'll never forget it but Wian's was a whole different ball game.

I'm sorry for my little rant but the whole experience was just horrible. I am very glad to be home and my boy is awesome. I am just very glad that he is healthy and doing well.

Good luck to all of you who are still waiting... can't wait to meet all your babas! xxx