Who is due in May?

[Welches]

Not long to go now. Having Braxton Hicks or any other signs of labour?

[Karen]

Welches wrote:
> Not long to go now. Having Braxton Hicks or any other signs of labour?
>
>
Sorry, I've never properly introduced myself, although I've been reading
regularly and answering occasionally for months.

Due May Day with our first (probably a girl). Apart from the usual
tiredness and back pains, I had a very easy pregnancy. Yes, lots of
Braxton Hicks. From breech at 31 weeks, she's now in the perfect
position and engaged. In the last few days, her wriggles are not only
uncomfortable, but quite painful on my bladder. Luckily, that never
lasts long.

We're in Cambridge, UK, and planning a hospital birth, but as natural as
possible. My big hopes are on the birthing pool, please cross your
fingers that it will be free on the day. We're not getting a TENS
machine, as I had two seizures as a small child, and I have the
irrational fear that the electric stimulation could trigger epilepsy.
I've been doing antenatal yoga since November and have now started
perineal stretching. If you have any tips on getting through labour and
birth, they would be extremely welcome!

My labour partners will be my husband and a girlfriend (not a mother
yet, just TTC). After asking her, I got a bit worried that it would be a
case of me looking after her rather than the other way round, but the
three of us had a good talk, and she ensured us that she would speak up
and go home if it gets too much for her. And we have the right to send
her home, too, if we want more privacy. Any thoughts?

I'm still working and trying to get in a grant proposal by 25th April.
If labour starts before that, it's not a disaster, and I'll try again
next year. Of course my midwife and family think I'm crazy for not
taking it easy yet. But I'm actually not overdoing it, working excessive
hours is just not possible. And I still seem to find the time to write
long posts :-).

My husband is extremely excited, can't wait since the day we found out
I'm pregnant. I'm very much looking forward to meet our little girl,
too, but was quite glad to have all this time to prepare. With which he
was always willing to help when it came to practicalities, but never
showed much initiative to get informed or think about what we need to
know or do.

I guess I should have split this up into several posts, both for getting
more answers and for making this usenet group appear more active.
Anyway, thanks for listening, and any comments are very welcome.

Karen

[Anne Rogers[_2_]]

> We're in Cambridge, UK, and planning a hospital birth, but as natural as
> possible. My big hopes are on the birthing pool, please cross your fingers
> that it will be free on the day.

There seems to be an excessively high number of posters from Cambridge, UK,
it seems like that's where half the British posters are from! It's similar
on other newsgroups, what does that say about people who live in Cambridge?

The good news is that the Rosie is well equipped with birth pools, I think
there is now 2 in the midwife lead unit and 1 in the consultant led unit,
I've not heard of anyone for ages who has wanted the pool and not been able
to have it through lack of availability. If it happens that they are in use
on the midwife led unit, remember to ask about the one upstairs.

A tip from a doula who works in Cambridge is to take a condom in your labour
bag, I'm not sure what system they have in place for monitoring, but if it
goes wrong, a condom over the wand of the ordinary monitor saves you having
to stand right up out of the water.

Anne (whose heart still lives in Cambridge, but whose body lives in
Bellevue, WA)

[Karen]

Anne Rogers wrote:
>
> There seems to be an excessively high number of posters from Cambridge, UK,
> it seems like that's where half the British posters are from! It's similar
> on other newsgroups, what does that say about people who live in Cambridge?

:-) Lively and interested, maybe?
>
> The good news is that the Rosie is well equipped with birth pools, I think
> there is now 2 in the midwife lead unit and 1 in the consultant led unit,
> I've not heard of anyone for ages who has wanted the pool and not been able
> to have it through lack of availability. If it happens that they are in use
> on the midwife led unit, remember to ask about the one upstairs.

They now have one on each floor. Upstairs, both the room and the pool
are much bigger and nicer, so that's the first room I'll try to reserve.
Thinking about it, you must be right about availability. When we went on
the tour, both pool rooms were free, and only one of the other ones,
although they have a lot more of those. I haven't experienced either
type of birth yet, but it really beats me why not everyone would want
the pool.
>
> A tip from a doula who works in Cambridge is to take a condom in your labour
> bag, I'm not sure what system they have in place for monitoring, but if it
> goes wrong, a condom over the wand of the ordinary monitor saves you having
> to stand right up out of the water.

Thank you, great advice, I've already packed some!
Reminds me of "Last chance to see", one of my favourite books, where
Douglas Adams and Mark Cawardine used the same method to water-proof a
microphone to record the environment of the (now tragically extinct)
river dolphins in China.
>
> Anne (whose heart still lives in Cambridge, but whose body lives in
> Bellevue, WA)
>
Of course the Seattle area isn't too bad, either. My heart is partially
in Friday Harbor (San Juan Island) and in the Olympic National Park.

All the best,
Karen

[Anne Rogers[_2_]]

> They now have one on each floor. Upstairs, both the room and the pool are
> much bigger and nicer, so that's the first room I'll try to reserve.
> Thinking about it, you must be right about availability. When we went on
> the tour, both pool rooms were free, and only one of the other ones,
> although they have a lot more of those. I haven't experienced either type
> of birth yet, but it really beats me why not everyone would want the pool.

I'm not sure why on the midwife led unit it isn't used more often, if you
are cleared to go there, then, there shouldn't be any reason why you
couldn't use it, so it does seem like you might as well try.

On the consultant led unit, it will mostly be because women are "risked" out
of it, though most of the time that won't be a genuine reason not to use it,
but it seems to me the pool on the consultant led unit is likely only to be
used if the one on the midwife led unit is full, or the midwife led unit is
closed.

Again, according to this doula friend, apparently a lot of peoples first
impressions are like yours, but though the room may be nicer, the smaller
pool is actually preferred once in use and I can see why, I was planning a
home water birth and bought an inflateable pool, I choose the bigger one to
ensure enough water depth, but then found that I couldn't be against both
sides at the same time and found that I did want to brace myself against
something and I wasn't even in labour, so run it through your head again, it
seems people feel safer in the smaller evnvironment, you may genuinely
prefer the bigger space, but you feelings tie in exactly with what the
classic first opinion of the two pools at the Rosie is.

I'm not sure how staffing works either, you may want to ask, I'm not sure
whether they treat the upstairs pool as an extension of the midwife led
unit, or part of the consultant led unit and hence who staffs it. You may
want to make sure that something silly doesn't happen, like being told you
can't use the upstairs pool because there is no staff available, but that
you would have been able to use the downstairs pool. Also, on the off chance
both pools are in use, or have a maintenance issue or whatever, which unit
you would go to, if planning on the upstairs pool means you are booked on
the consultant led unit and not cleared for the midwife led unit when I'm
expecting the choice after the pool would be the midwife led unit, would be
a bit nuts

Cheers

Anne

[lucy-lu]

"Karen" > wrote in message
...
> They now have one on each floor. Upstairs, both the room and the pool are
> much bigger and nicer, so that's the first room I'll try to reserve.
> Thinking about it, you must be right about availability. When we went on
> the tour, both pool rooms were free, and only one of the other ones,
> although they have a lot more of those. I haven't experienced either type
> of birth yet, but it really beats me why not everyone would want the pool.

I totally wouldn't want the pool! Labour's messy, and to be blunt, I don't
want to be sat in a pool of it! YMMV of course, and it might not actually be
like that, but it's not for me!

Lucy x

[Jeni Steers]

"Karen" > wrote in message
...

> We're in Cambridge, UK, and planning a hospital birth, but as natural as
> possible.

Hi Karen

I'm from Cambridge too and gave birth in the Rosie to my ds who is now 21
months. The MBU was fab and the midwives lovely. I would highly recommend
it.

A tip someone else gave me was that if for any reason you have to be
transferred from the MBU to the main ward, after the birth ask if you can go
back down. There are only 3 beds so it is far far quieter than the main
ward. I did that after being transferred and it was great for relaxing and
getting to know my baby in peace and quiet. If there is room then they will
let you go back there if that's where you started.

> perineal stretching. If you have any tips on getting through labour and
> birth, they would be extremely welcome!
I used a TENS but good back massage was also essential. My df was good but
when we arrived at the hospital the mw showed him how to be firmer - which
was better. So get your partner to learn good massage.

> My labour partners will be my husband and a girlfriend (not a mother yet,
> just TTC). After asking her, I got a bit worried that it would be a case
> of me looking after her rather than the other way round, but the three of
> us had a good talk, and she ensured us that she would speak up and go home
> if it gets too much for her. And we have the right to send her home, too,
> if we want more privacy. Any thoughts?

Sounds like you've got it covered to me. As long as you are agreed
beforehand then you won't worry if she wants to leave and she won't be
offended if you want more privacy. Everyone is different so you probably
won't know who you want there at what stage till the day.

> My husband is extremely excited, can't wait since the day we found out I'm
> pregnant. I'm very much looking forward to meet our little girl, too, but
> was quite glad to have all this time to prepare. With which he was always
> willing to help when it came to practicalities, but never showed much
> initiative to get informed or think about what we need to know or do.

My df was exactly the same:) He is about most things unless it's building
software or a computer:). He came up trumps when the pregnant lady was
yelling though, so that was the main thing.

> I guess I should have split this up into several posts, both for getting
> more answers and for making this usenet group appear more active. Anyway,
> thanks for listening, and any comments are very welcome.

Just wanted to wish you good luck!

Jeni

[Anne Rogers[_2_]]

> I totally wouldn't want the pool! Labour's messy, and to be blunt, I don't
> want to be sat in a pool of it! YMMV of course, and it might not actually
> be like that, but it's not for me!
>
that was what I said, first time around, but having seen some pool births on
video, they really aren't messy, the water volume is great and most women
are only loosing a small amount initially. The state of a water is a factor
that means most women get out very soon after the birth, but for labouring,
no one who's actually done it says it's a problem!

Anne

[Karen]

Hi Jeni,

> I'm from Cambridge too and gave birth in the Rosie to my ds who is now 21
> months. The MBU was fab and the midwives lovely. I would highly recommend
> it.

Thank you for your advice and good wishes. While I've originally only
heard good things about the Rosie (at least compared to other NHS
hospitals), there have recently been a few horror stories about
incompetent and very pushy midwifes in the consultant-led birth unit. I
feel safer if a doctor is nearby for emergencies, therefore we never
really considered a home birth (we live c. 30 mins away from the
hospital, depending on traffic), but one flight of stairs should be
close enough :-).
>
> A tip someone else gave me was that if for any reason you have to be
> transferred from the MBU to the main ward, after the birth ask if you can go
> back down. There are only 3 beds so it is far far quieter than the main
> ward. I did that after being transferred and it was great for relaxing and
> getting to know my baby in peace and quiet. If there is room then they will
> let you go back there if that's where you started.
>
Yes, very good idea. Thank you. The rows of beds, separated by curtains
in the recovery ward upstairs certainly did not seem a very quiet place,
if there are lots of mothers and babies around.

> Just wanted to wish you good luck!

Thanks again,
Karen

[Karen]

Anne Rogers wrote:
>> I totally wouldn't want the pool! Labour's messy, and to be blunt, I don't
>> want to be sat in a pool of it! YMMV of course, and it might not actually
>> be like that, but it's not for me!
>>
> that was what I said, first time around, but having seen some pool births on
> video, they really aren't messy, the water volume is great and most women
> are only loosing a small amount initially. The state of a water is a factor
> that means most women get out very soon after the birth, but for labouring,
> no one who's actually done it says it's a problem!
>
> Anne
>
>
Maybe the mess should be another reason for me to choose the small pool.
Rather embarrassingly, I'm prone to fainting when there is suddenly a
lot of my own blood. I hope this time will be different, as it won't
come as a surprise, but in the big pool my birth partners would have the
added responsibility to check I'm not drowning.

I've asked my community midwife about her opinion on the two pools. She
said, many women really like the small one, as that allows them to rest
their legs outside the water, on the side walls of the pool. I thought
you were supposed to keep your kneed below your pelvis during labour and
birth to help gravity...? Or maybe that rule only applies outside the
water, as there it is quite difficult to keep your torso vertical with
legs up in the air.

The one thing that still bothered me in the MLBU pool room (apart form
its small size) is the low height of the bed. I guess I would just have
to bring lots of cushions...

Thank you for all your insights,
Karen

[Welches]

"Karen" > wrote in message
...
> Anne Rogers wrote:
>>> I totally wouldn't want the pool! Labour's messy, and to be blunt, I
>>> don't want to be sat in a pool of it! YMMV of course, and it might not
>>> actually be like that, but it's not for me!
>>>
>> that was what I said, first time around, but having seen some pool births
>> on video, they really aren't messy, the water volume is great and most
>> women are only loosing a small amount initially. The state of a water is
>> a factor that means most women get out very soon after the birth, but for
>> labouring, no one who's actually done it says it's a problem!
>>
>> Anne
> Maybe the mess should be another reason for me to choose the small pool.
> Rather embarrassingly, I'm prone to fainting when there is suddenly a lot
> of my own blood. I hope this time will be different, as it won't come as a
> surprise, but in the big pool my birth partners would have the added
> responsibility to check I'm not drowning.
>
I'm prone to shock at seeing blood. yes, it can be very embarrassing. #2
banged her nose and was covered in blood about 18 months ago. You can
imagine the poor (young) sales assistant who came round the corner to find a
toddler and mother covered in blood, one screaming and the other fainting...
I'm surprised the police weren't called.
However, (maybe surprisingly) I haven't found labour to be a problem with
blood. I think there's too much happening to think about the blood.

> I've asked my community midwife about her opinion on the two pools. She
> said, many women really like the small one, as that allows them to rest
> their legs outside the water, on the side walls of the pool. I thought you
> were supposed to keep your kneed below your pelvis during labour and birth
> to help gravity...? Or maybe that rule only applies outside the water, as
> there it is quite difficult to keep your torso vertical with legs up in
> the air.
>
You need to lie on your side. Opens you up to 30%. Just ask Todd G...

> The one thing that still bothered me in the MLBU pool room (apart form its
> small size) is the low height of the bed. I guess I would just have to
> bring lots of cushions...
Won't the bed move up? All the beds at our local hospital move up and down
quite a way. You might forget this in labour though. I did. I got the bed
pushed up so it was a good height to lean on. Then when I wanted to lie down
I forgot it would move down again and lay on the floor. The midwife kept
saying to me that I'd be more comfotable on the bed. I kept thinking that
I'd never manage to climb up that high. It was only a day later that I
suddenly remembered that the bed would move down again.
But as for the low height of the bed, it was more a problem for the midwives
(and dh) who had to get down there. It was nice and cool down on the floor
too.
Debbie

[Anne Rogers[_2_]]

> I've asked my community midwife about her opinion on the two pools. She
> said, many women really like the small one, as that allows them to rest
> their legs outside the water, on the side walls of the pool. I thought you
> were supposed to keep your kneed below your pelvis during labour and birth
> to help gravity...? Or maybe that rule only applies outside the water, as
> there it is quite difficult to keep your torso vertical with legs up in
> the air.

it very much depends, you don't want to spend long periods with knees higher
than pelvis, but for a break here and there, you can do what you want, same
with pushing, you'd usually try something with them lower, but sometimes
your body just tells you you need to do something different, a sidelying
position will have one knee level and one knee above the pelvis, it's worked
twice for me!
>
> The one thing that still bothered me in the MLBU pool room (apart form its
> small size) is the low height of the bed. I guess I would just have to
> bring lots of cushions...

that wouldn't even occur to me, it depends what you think you will do on the
bed, they are clearly far too low, if you think you would sit on a birth
ball at let your head rest on the bed, but for lieing does it really matter?
the low height allows others easy access, so you partner could sit on the
floor and be near you for massage or whatever, in a more comfortable way
than with a higher bed. If you want to try anything like kneeling or a
supported squat, a low bed is fantastic, having attempted kneeling on a DU
bed, it's darn high, so I'd have had to have got on the floor and whilst I
have nothing against that, I like a bit of padding too, so those fat
mattresses in MLBU look ideal.

Cheers

Anne

[Anne Rogers[_2_]]

> Won't the bed move up?

not this one, the beds in the MLBU are really big fat mattresses on the
floor, with washable covers, they are not in ever midwife led unit in the
country as apparently they are not easy to source and do not come from a
medical supplier, so some midwife led units have the full on delivery bed,
though don't use the majority of it's capabilities, others will have regular
hospital beds, which you're right, do go up and down, but this particular
MLBU has gone for nothing medical looking in the room, the mattress beds are
pretty wide too, so a partner could also be on there to support you. The
default position is also against the wall, so you can use pillows against
the wall and what not to make a nest if that's what you are comfortable
with.

I've never heard any of the midwifes comment about any difficulties with the
height of the beds, but then that very much depends on what they use it for,
I think they are minimal on VEs in such a unit, so it may be that the only
VE they have to do is the one to get information before transferring to the
main unit, or maybe even less than that, the ones they have to do to avoid
transfer perhaps.

Anne

[Anne Rogers[_2_]]

> Thank you for your advice and good wishes. While I've originally only
> heard good things about the Rosie (at least compared to other NHS
> hospitals), there have recently been a few horror stories about
> incompetent and very pushy midwifes in the consultant-led birth unit. I
> feel safer if a doctor is nearby for emergencies, therefore we never
> really considered a home birth (we live c. 30 mins away from the hospital,
> depending on traffic), but one flight of stairs should be close enough
> :-).

if you were to transfer in emergency from a homebirth it would be in an
ambulance with a blue light if it were that urgent, most homebirth transfers
are not dire emergency situations - and some of the emergency transfers from
homebirth can be things that could equally well happen to any mother in late
pregnancy, such as prolapsed cord.

> Yes, very good idea. Thank you. The rows of beds, separated by curtains in
> the recovery ward upstairs certainly did not seem a very quiet place, if
> there are lots of mothers and babies around.

as far as I know the recovery ward upstairs is only used for recovery post
c-section, forceps delivery, or other trips to theatre, which does end up
being a moderate number, I've never come across anyone who has gone to that
room before either the main ward, or home, but that's not to say it doesn't
happen. But, the day I had my daughter was very busy, and even then we
stayed in the delivery room until we went home, about 5hrs later. I can see
why the postnatal area on the MLBU would be preferable to Lady Mary ward
though, but I don't think quietness would necessarily be the thing, it may
be a little quieter, but I've spent a night listening to a women in labour
from one of the windows across the courtyard from MLBU, so it must have been
worse actually on the MLBU! I'm afraid to say the postnatal experience on
Lady Mary ward is very varied, often poor, though that can be because those
with positive comments are less likely to make them, it's mostly a lack of
staff issue, there can be only one midwife and around 20 women and baby
pairs, it's run on a philosophy of postnatal women not being sick, but with
some encouragement for fast discharge, the well women have gone home, so
most of those 20 women will be post c-section or forceps delivery, not well
women who are in hospital for rest and breastfeeding assistance, neither of
which are something you tend to get on a busy postnatal ward.

Anne

[Karen]

Welches wrote:

> I'm prone to shock at seeing blood. yes, it can be very embarrassing. #2
> banged her nose and was covered in blood about 18 months ago. You can
> imagine the poor (young) sales assistant who came round the corner to find a
> toddler and mother covered in blood, one screaming and the other fainting...
> I'm surprised the police weren't called.

:-) That will probably happen to me, too. Seeing your own blood gushing
is shocking, but seeing that of your child must be a lot worse.

> However, (maybe surprisingly) I haven't found labour to be a problem with
> blood. I think there's too much happening to think about the blood.

Thanks. I live and hope.
>>
> You need to lie on your side. Opens you up to 30%. Just ask Todd G...

Thank you. I suspect I'll try a variety of positions and feel what works
best.
>
> Won't the bed move up?

See Anne's reply. Some do, some don't. In both pool rooms here, the beds
are stacks of foam.

Karen

[Karen]

Anne Rogers wrote:
>> I've asked my community midwife about her opinion on the two pools. She
>> said, many women really like the small one, as that allows them to rest
>> their legs outside the water, on the side walls of the pool. I thought you
>> were supposed to keep your kneed below your pelvis during labour and birth
>> to help gravity...? Or maybe that rule only applies outside the water, as
>> there it is quite difficult to keep your torso vertical with legs up in
>> the air.
>
> it very much depends, you don't want to spend long periods with knees higher
> than pelvis, but for a break here and there, you can do what you want, same
> with pushing, you'd usually try something with them lower, but sometimes
> your body just tells you you need to do something different, a sidelying
> position will have one knee level and one knee above the pelvis, it's worked
> twice for me!

Thank you. I'll see what works best. Outside the pool, a side position
des sound very good for when I'm too exhausted to kneel, squat, stand etc.

>> The one thing that still bothered me in the MLBU pool room (apart form its
>> small size) is the low height of the bed. I guess I would just have to
>> bring lots of cushions...
>
> that wouldn't even occur to me, it depends what you think you will do on the
> bed, they are clearly far too low, if you think you would sit on a birth
> ball at let your head rest on the bed, but for lieing does it really matter?
> the low height allows others easy access, so you partner could sit on the
> floor and be near you for massage or whatever, in a more comfortable way
> than with a higher bed. If you want to try anything like kneeling or a
> supported squat, a low bed is fantastic, having attempted kneeling on a DU
> bed, it's darn high, so I'd have had to have got on the floor and whilst I
> have nothing against that, I like a bit of padding too, so those fat
> mattresses in MLBU look ideal.
>
When we went on the Rosie tour, they had these stacks of B-shaped
mattresses in most rooms of the MBLU, and in both pool rooms. The one in
the MBLU pool room was missing a whole thick layer of foam and was
therefore particularly low (less than knee-height). That doesn't matter
for lieing down, but it will make kneeling on he floor and resting the
arms and head on the bed more uncomfortable, especially as I'm quite
tall. So is DH, so for him a more standard height would be better, too.
I am now hoping that the missing layer was just soiled or damaged that
day, and that they have replaced it by the time we get there.

Karen