Pregnancy #47

[Pontiac_Bandit]

Could be! Mine were slightly lower than my stomach- think period type cramps but more of a pulsating? Initially they didn’t hurt hurt really and it was kind of like “ok that’s a weird feeling”. I didn’t get braxton hicks much but is it possibly that, as they’re not meant to hurt? Although maybe they’re contractions and you’re one of the lucky ones that don’t hurt

my bump did feel quite “tight” later on but it wasn’t like contractions. Let us know how you get on!

PS it’s not silly- I got to 4cm with no pain and asked the midwife dead seriously if I could do the next 4cm with none and she looked at me like I had two heads

I'm sure my update tomorrow will be that nothing more happened, but for now I'm going to bed hopeful that things might eventually be slooowly underway! The thing that confused me was that the pressure/tightening felt like it was pushing outwards rather than squeezing inwards, which is what I assumed contractions would feel like! I've got a sweep tomorrow morning so hopefully when she examines me there'll be some progress, even if it turns out I haven't had any contractions!

Well done on 4cm with no pain relief!!

 

[themuffinwoman]

I'm sure my update tomorrow will be that nothing more happened, but for now I'm going to bed hopeful that things might eventually be slooowly underway! The thing that confused me was that the pressure/tightening felt like it was pushing outwards rather than squeezing inwards, which is what I assumed contractions would feel like! I've got a sweep tomorrow morning so hopefully when she examines me there'll be some progress, even if it turns out I haven't had any contractions!

Well done on 4cm with no pain relief!!

It might take time- the reason my first 4cm were “ok” was because I had contractions only at night for 3 nights before my waters broke, so if you get the same feeling again tomorrow night then it might be contractions? There’s some evolutionary caveman thing about why contractions happen more at night!

good luck with the sweep!


just want to make it clear I wasn’t bragging about the no pain relief it’s more to show my naïveté in thinking I was some sort of exception to having a painful labour

 

[Heyguysswipeup]

It’s definitely tricky to make friends as an adult and I imagine even more so finding people who understand new mum life!
I keep seeing ads for the peanut app which is like a friends version of a dating app for mums , might be worth a look?

I’ve found a really good group of mum friends using peanut! It’s been fab as none of my friends have babies yet

 

[justonemorepage]

I've been reading and it obviously says not to sleep on your back but it also says to avoid sleeping on your right side. Now, I'm a right side sleeper and can't fall asleep unless I'm on my right side so I've been trying to "train" myself to sleep on my left side but it's horrendous. I have acid reflux, heartburn and just generally feel awful. My legs also cramp. When I sleep on my right I feel fine and have a great night sleep but I've read that it's not good for baby. Is this true? I don't want to be selfish and sleep on my right side if it's going to affect the baby

 

[Nfj]

I've been reading and it obviously says not to sleep on your back but it also says to avoid sleeping on your right side. Now, I'm a right side sleeper and can't fall asleep unless I'm on my right side so I've been trying to "train" myself to sleep on my left side but it's horrendous. I have acid reflux, heartburn and just generally feel awful. My legs also cramp. When I sleep on my right I feel fine and have a great night sleep but I've read that it's not good for baby. Is this true? I don't want to be selfish and sleep on my right side if it's going to affect the baby

You’ll be fine sleeping on you right side. If you roll onto your back and wake up, just roll over. The affects of pressure on that vein (or is it artery) would affect you and you’d react before any harm came to Baba.

 

[disillusionedbythegram]

I need to ask a really silly question please! This evening I've had times when it's felt like the baby is pushing outwards against my stomach and it's made my whole stomach feel really firm and tense - each time it's made me go "oooh!" and has been uncomfortable but not painful. I'd assumed this was just baby shifting his bum around combined with my digestion working overtime after a meat feast pizza but then it occurred to me that I don't actually know what contractions feel like! For people who've been in labour before - does this sound at all like early contractions, or would I definitely know/be in pain if they were contractions?!

Sounds like braxton hicks contractions to me, which is good as it means your body is practicing! Labour contractions tend to be what your felt but lower down, plus can radiate to your hips and lower back, and come in like a wave then taper off in a kind of pattern

 

[WhatABore]

I need to ask a really silly question please! This evening I've had times when it's felt like the baby is pushing outwards against my stomach and it's made my whole stomach feel really firm and tense - each time it's made me go "oooh!" and has been uncomfortable but not painful. I'd assumed this was just baby shifting his bum around combined with my digestion working overtime after a meat feast pizza but then it occurred to me that I don't actually know what contractions feel like! For people who've been in labour before - does this sound at all like early contractions, or would I definitely know/be in pain if they were contractions?!

The best way I could describe contractions (although they feel different for most I would imagine) is the stomach cramps you get when you have bad diarrhoea/ibs and really need to go or really bad period cramps.

They do tend to say that when it's the real thing, you'll know.
If you're ever in doubt, get a contraction timer and see if it's regular at all.

Your stomach going firm and tense does sound a little bit like braxton hicks
---

I've been reading and it obviously says not to sleep on your back but it also says to avoid sleeping on your right side. Now, I'm a right side sleeper and can't fall asleep unless I'm on my right side so I've been trying to "train" myself to sleep on my left side but it's horrendous. I have acid reflux, heartburn and just generally feel awful. My legs also cramp. When I sleep on my right I feel fine and have a great night sleep but I've read that it's not good for baby. Is this true? I don't want to be selfish and sleep on my right side if it's going to affect the baby

It isn't so much to avoid sleeping on your right, you're perfectly fine on your right. It's that it's just better to be on your left.
It's perfectly fine for baby. It's just on the back that's the issue.
I had bad pgp and spent the whole night switching between sides

 

[LilyRose1234]

I need to ask a really silly question please! This evening I've had times when it's felt like the baby is pushing outwards against my stomach and it's made my whole stomach feel really firm and tense - each time it's made me go "oooh!" and has been uncomfortable but not painful. I'd assumed this was just baby shifting his bum around combined with my digestion working overtime after a meat feast pizza but then it occurred to me that I don't actually know what contractions feel like! For people who've been in labour before - does this sound at all like early contractions, or would I definitely know/be in pain if they were contractions?!

I had many moments like that when I thought it had started but when my contractions started I could immediately identify them as contractions and I wasn’t uncertain. My experience was “if you’re not sure if they’re contractions they’re probably not” but I did go straight into intense 3 minute apart contractions rather than have any early stage irregular ones so it is different for everyone!

 

[Spencerskates]

We have our consultant appointment next week and I’m leaning more and more about trying to push for an elective section. The only thing that’s weighing on my mind is that the recovery will obviously be much worse and I don’t want to put extra pressure on my partner unnecessarily. Has anyone else had a section that can reassure me a bit that I won’t be completely bedbound for months afterwards? The only person I actually know that’s had a section is my mum, but hers was emergency after complex labour and failed instrumental delivery, and she had pre-eclampsia that developed into eclampsia after birth so hers is a bit more of a horror story and I think that’s what’s putting me off!

 

[Ro98]

We have our consultant appointment next week and I’m leaning more and more about trying to push for an elective section. The only thing that’s weighing on my mind is that the recovery will obviously be much worse and I don’t want to put extra pressure on my partner unnecessarily. Has anyone else had a section that can reassure me a bit that I won’t be completely bedbound for months afterwards? The only person I actually know that’s had a section is my mum, but hers was emergency after complex labour and failed instrumental delivery, and she had pre-eclampsia that developed into eclampsia after birth so hers is a bit more of a horror story and I think that’s what’s putting me off!

I had a planned section and like you my only knowledge of it was my mum who had an emergency after a hard Labour.
Her recovery was completely different to mine. We’re currently living with her whilst we wait to buy & she said how amazed she was the difference in our recoveries.
I was discharged 26 hours after surgery, all went smoothly.
The pain wasn’t excruciating but just ‘odd’ tightness where the incision was made.
I held my body in a tense position for a few days when moving about and had to sleep on the rocking chair for a night as our bed is quite high so was hard to get in/out quickly to get baby.
Only needed pain for 4/5 days, just regular paracetamol & ibuprofen. Never took anything stronger.
I have done the bare minimum which I think has helped, we batch cooked pre baby so haven’t had to cook in nearly 3 weeks and my partner did babies/our washing / cleaning for the first week.
Honestly, 2 days after surgery I told my partner we’re never having another child but now (nearly 3 weeks after) I told him yesterday I’d like another one in a few years and would 100% do a C-section again.
We are going for 45min/1hour walks every other day & taking it easy when at home.
Obviously I have nothing to compare it to but I also thought I’d not be able to do anything for months and it’s been the complete opposite.

 

[themuffinwoman]

We have our consultant appointment next week and I’m leaning more and more about trying to push for an elective section. The only thing that’s weighing on my mind is that the recovery will obviously be much worse and I don’t want to put extra pressure on my partner unnecessarily. Has anyone else had a section that can reassure me a bit that I won’t be completely bedbound for months afterwards? The only person I actually know that’s had a section is my mum, but hers was emergency after complex labour and failed instrumental delivery, and she had pre-eclampsia that developed into eclampsia after birth so hers is a bit more of a horror story and I think that’s what’s putting me off!

I’m nearly 5 weeks post-section, not bedbound but (and sorry as I appreciate you wanted something positive!) not back to “normal” either and won’t be for a long time. However, I had an emergency section followed by infections, and I think an elective would be completely different. Everyone is different though- My friend had an emergency one and within 2 months was going for runs again.

I went in absolutely terrified given it was an emergency and baby was stuck, but the actual operation itself was fine: The surgeons told me to see it as something amazing because my daughter was being born, and I went into it excited.

im putting this behind a spoiler so feel free to read on but it’s hopefully some helpful things that would speed up recovery if you did go down that route, that I didn’t even contemplate and wish I had known with it being completely possible that I could end up having an emergency one:

Spoiler: C Section advice

Ask if you’re allowed music In the room if that would help you chill- it def contributed to it feeling less clinical for me
if you have a section, get mobile as quickly as possible afterwards to aid recovery and reduce complications
Elevate your legs asap afterwards, buy one of those things you can rest your legs on instead of stupid hospital pillows and try always keep them elevated to keep swelling down- makes a ton of difference especially overnight
Ask if your hospital give preventative antibiotics- I had two infections and three courses and some give it preventatively, would have saved me a lot of hassle and pain if I had gone home with some
Get your help in place beforehand- for the first few days you’re literally not meant to do anything but hold the baby. My mum came round daily for two weeks to help with everything because I hadn’t expected to have one so thought within a week we would be going on dog walks together
take pain regularly and don’t skip or wait for the pain to worsen. If you’re not breastfeeding they can give you stronger pain which make the world of difference
if you’re going to use a next to me crib you might not be able to get out of bed easily if you have to slide down to get out, we set ours up then realised I couldn’t easily get out of bed so had to use a Moses basket!
Ask the hospital what their policy is on removing the bandage, for some reason every area removes it at a different and get explicit instructions on how often you should clean the wound. I was told I should avoid getting mine wet and then another hospital told me I should have been washing it every day
How do you feel about injecting yourself? At my hospital everyone who had given birth (c section or not) was sent home with 10 days of blood thinners. Do you or your other half mind needles?

I hope this isn’t offputting but helps if you do decide to have one! I’m sharing because nobody mentioned any of the above to me so I had to deal with it all after the birth plus having a new baby and being in a state of shock (I hate blood and needles and hospitals ) but if I had another child and had to have a c section would feel a thousand times more prepared because I know what’s coming.

 

[Chewycinema]

We have our consultant appointment next week and I’m leaning more and more about trying to push for an elective section. The only thing that’s weighing on my mind is that the recovery will obviously be much worse and I don’t want to put extra pressure on my partner unnecessarily. Has anyone else had a section that can reassure me a bit that I won’t be completely bedbound for months afterwards? The only person I actually know that’s had a section is my mum, but hers was emergency after complex labour and failed instrumental delivery, and she had pre-eclampsia that developed into eclampsia after birth so hers is a bit more of a horror story and I think that’s what’s putting me off!

You won't be! I had an emcs after failed trial of forceps resulting in surgeon tearing mynm womb with my first and I was up and about the next day. The first couple of days were a bit painful and I had to take tramadol regularly but once I was home I just took paracetamol and ibuprofen and tramadol if I overdid it. Once you get your stitches out its much easier to move about! Elective is supposed to be much easier recovery wise too, I'm having an elective for baby number 2!

 

[Pontiac_Bandit]

Thanks for the advice everyone! The midwife agreed it was braxton hicks and said it's positive I was getting them! She struggled with the sweep as baby wasn't providing enough resistance against my cervix, but she managed to sweep around the outside and said my cervix is really soft but still only 1cm dilated. I feel like it's unlikely I'll go into natural labour before my induction on Monday but I'm kind of ok with that now as the midwife said she thinks the induction process will be fairly quick given how soft my cervix already is etc. I just really want to feel some progress and meet my baby!!

 

[WhatABore]

Thanks for the advice everyone! The midwife agreed it was braxton hicks and said it's positive I was getting them! She struggled with the sweep as baby wasn't providing enough resistance against my cervix, but she managed to sweep around the outside and said my cervix is really soft but still only 1cm dilated. I feel like it's unlikely I'll go into natural labour before my induction on Monday but I'm kind of ok with that now as the midwife said she thinks the induction process will be fairly quick given how soft my cervix already is etc. I just really want to feel some progress and meet my baby!!

Not sure if it helps at all but with my 3rd, I was only 40+2 when I went in for my induction and she was born at 40+3. All my sweeps before were unsuccessful and she couldn't reach my cervix.

With my first, I was induced as well, I was 40+12 and I was given the pessary at 10am and he was here by the evening!

My second was a bit different as my waters were leaking which is why I was induced. At 9pm they started with a 4 hour pessary at 40+5 and she was born at 6pm the next day but I was put on the drip as soon as morning came around because of my waters leaking.

 

[Naataaliiee]

Thanks for the advice everyone! The midwife agreed it was braxton hicks and said it's positive I was getting them! She struggled with the sweep as baby wasn't providing enough resistance against my cervix, but she managed to sweep around the outside and said my cervix is really soft but still only 1cm dilated. I feel like it's unlikely I'll go into natural labour before my induction on Monday but I'm kind of ok with that now as the midwife said she thinks the induction process will be fairly quick given how soft my cervix already is etc. I just really want to feel some progress and meet my baby!!

Really positive news on the braxton hicks! Hopefully this is the start of the end for you! Strangely enough, my sweep was exactly the same although I’m not quite 1cm yet! Come on babies!

 

[Pontiac_Bandit]

Not sure if it helps at all but with my 3rd, I was only 40+2 when I went in for my induction and she was born at 40+3. All my sweeps before were unsuccessful and she couldn't reach my cervix.

With my first, I was induced as well, I was 40+12 and I was given the pessary at 10am and he was here by the evening!

My second was a bit different as my waters were leaking which is why I was induced. At 9pm they started with a 4 hour pessary at 40+5 and she was born at 6pm the next day but I was put on the drip as soon as morning came around because of my waters leaking.

Thank you, that's really good to hear
---

Really positive news on the braxton hicks! Hopefully this is the start of the end for you! Strangely enough, my sweep was exactly the same although I’m not quite 1cm yet! Come on babies!

How strange! Come on babies, head downwards and come and say hello please!!

 

[emisixo]

How strange! Come on babies, head downwards and come and say hello please!!

I didn’t realise you were a twin mamma! I’ll be wishing you well and following with interest

 

[Pontiac_Bandit]

I didn’t realise you were a twin mamma! I’ll be wishing you well and following with interest

Oh sorry, I didn't mean to cause confusion! I've just got the one baby, but me and @Naataaliiee both had sweeps today and are both due to be induced on Monday so I was talking to both our stubborn babies! I hope your twin pregnancy is going well

 

[emisixo]

Oh sorry, I didn't mean to cause confusion! I've just got the one baby, but me and @Naataaliiee both had sweeps today and are both due to be induced on Monday so I was talking to both our stubborn babies! I hope your twin pregnancy is going well

Apologies - I’ve obviously got double baby brain! Good wishes to you both!

 

[squacksquack]

We have our consultant appointment next week and I’m leaning more and more about trying to push for an elective section. The only thing that’s weighing on my mind is that the recovery will obviously be much worse and I don’t want to put extra pressure on my partner unnecessarily. Has anyone else had a section that can reassure me a bit that I won’t be completely bedbound for months afterwards? The only person I actually know that’s had a section is my mum, but hers was emergency after complex labour and failed instrumental delivery, and she had pre-eclampsia that developed into eclampsia after birth so hers is a bit more of a horror story and I think that’s what’s putting me off!

I was up and having a shower the afternoon of the birth with my second and back in the gym six weeks after my first planned c-section and eight weeks after my second (that was due to sleep deprivation though ). I was up and about walking 5km to and from a local cafe within a fortnight of the birth. A bit of pain for the first week but it was easily managed with Panadol and ibuprofen. No issues with nursing, numbness around the scar or anything muscular. Definitely book in to see a women’s/pelvic health physio afterwards (everyone should be doing this regardless of the way they birth though).