1 week, 6 days Overdue, Looks Like Induction.....

Helloo :)

I cant actually believe i am writing this post, as i REALLY thought i would be a proper mummy by now, especially seeing as the midwife said i was 2cm dilated on Tuesday when she did my membrane sweep (and i was starting having contractions ect)
Since then, things haven't really changed, i have had a LOT more of the mucus plug come away (or the show) which shocked me, as i didn't expect there to be so much more of it (i had a lot come away in the early hours of this morning, at about 3.40am and more this afternoon, at around 6pm, and little bits since) and i have continued to have contractions, at irregular intervals, some a lot stronger than others, with some actually painful enough to wake me up every hour or so last night, before easing off into nothing.

Start Time	End Time	Duration	Frequency
3:40:26 AM	----	4:26	----
3:33:38 AM	3:34:32 AM	0:53	10 m, 29 s
3:23:10 AM	3:24:14 AM	1:3	5 m, 23 s
3:17:47 AM	3:18:38 AM	0:50	6 m, 47 s
3:11:00 AM	3:11:51 AM	0:50	4 m, 19 s
3:06:40 AM	3:07:30 AM	0:49	9 m, 16 s
2:57:24 AM	2:58:19 AM	0:54	6 m, 54 s
2:50:31 AM	2:51:22 AM	0:50	----

  

This is an example of how random my contractions are, whilst being strong enough to wake me up and keep me awake, then fade away :/ (this graph was done on Contraction Master Online, (click for link) and i added it in the early hours of Friday morning, a few hours after first writing this post, as yep, i was up having more contractions, and yet more of my show)

I seem to have more contractions on an evening and at nighttime, (maybe because I'm less active then?) and they seem to be in my lower back spreading across my tummy. they last anything from 40 seconds to a minute, seem to get fairly regular for a while (last night i had a really strong contraction that woke me up, then i timed the contractions for an hour or so, and each one (a lot less painful than the initial one) came about every six minutes, and lasted around 40 -60 seconds, before again, tailing off to nothing).
That is soooo frustrating :(

To take our minds off it and to get us out of the house, (and with a small secret hope that it would start proper labour off) Simon, my 2 year old niece Olivia and I went swimming today (thursday) my first time in about 10 years!) and it was a great distraction :)
The feeling of weightlessness was lovely, and i only really appreciated it once i stepped out of the pool, as the full weight of my bump hit me like a ton of bricks, and i could have cried!
It made absoultely no difference to my labour status though, and while I think that any exercise when overdue is good (within reason!),  the baby is only going to come when it is ready, regardless what mum-to-be does!
So sadly, Induction looks likely :(

My friends sis-in-law happens to be a midwife, and my friend quizzed her on my behalf in regards to my induction which is booked in for tomorrow, and she thinks that i will probably be able to skip the gel/pessary step in the induction, as i am dilated enough to have my waters broken already (the midwife on Tuesday told me this), so they will only need to break my waters once a bed becomes free on the labour ward, so i SHOULD skip the long wait for my cervix to open as it already is 2cm dilated :)

I have all my bags packed, the car seat is ready to go, and we are a little apprehensive, excited, and looking forward to things finally happening, but it just feels a little bit deflating to not have the panic/excitement of natural labour starting :(
BUT, on the VERY big plus side, we should have our son this weekend, yay!

Last at-home pregnant Bump pics, at 42 weeks exactly, and total weight gain in my pregnancy from 4 weeks gestation to 42 weeks is: 2st 11 lb :/

(this post was written on Thursday night around 10pm, and updated early Friday Morning, so bump pics are of me at two full weeks overdue :)

11 Days Overdue, but Finally in Labour!

helloo :)

Well, I'm in slow labour, but at least its official!

I'm now 11 days overdue, and had a midwife appointment booked in for 11.20am this morning, for a general check up and stretch and sweep (membrane sweep) If she felt it necessary, which will apparently put around half the women who have it done into labour with 24 hours, so i was hoping she would do one, just to get things moving, as i REALLY don't want to be induced on Friday, (if possible!)

But when i woke up this morning, around half 7, i felt 'different', not in any pain at all, just a bit of backache and sort of a dragging feeling at the bottom of my tum, (both generally, and especially whilst walking,) and i noticed i had had some of the 'show' (a clear jelly-like mucus stuff which seals the cervix) and this continued to come away most of the morning, up until my midwife appointment.

When i went in to see the midwife, (it was a different midwife to my usual 2) i explained about the show, and she said she would still do the cervical sweep, to try and get things moving for me.
When she examined me, (which is very uncomfortable more than painful) she got really excited and told me that the baby was 'presenting beautifully', was really low down and central, she could feel his head, and that i was already 2cm dilated and my cervix was getting thin! She said this is really unusual in a first baby (being 2cm dilated without pains or anything), and even if i did end up staying in slow labour, and have to be admitted to hospital on Friday, she thought it highly unlikely that they would have to give me a pessary (an artificial aid to kick start the labour hormones), and that they would only probably need to break my waters, which should mean (hopefully) a quicker delivery! Yay!

Other things at midwife appointment - my blood pressure and everything was great, Baby's head was more or less as engaged as its going to get until delivery, Ethan's heartbeat was perfect (it sped up after he was prodded in the head by the midwife, and he moved loads afterwards!) and my bump was measuring 39cm (a week behind, but good) and then that was it, and i was sent on my way from my last midwife appointment , which, in a funny way made me feel a bit sad :/

Since the appointment, Simon is a nervous wreck but has gone off to work, mum and i have taken the dog out for a walk, as i keep getting told that the more you walk about the better/quicker labour is, and now I'm just waiting and getting excited for things to start happening!
I'm still not in any 'proper' pain, although I'm getting more noticeably stronger contractions, (that are like Braxton Hicks coupled with period pain in my lower back) that are coming about every 30 to 45 minutes or so, at a rough guess, and the midwife said to look out for period pain type pain, and bleeding (which Ive had a small amount of, along with more of my 'show') or breaking of water (both of which need to be reported to hospital maternity assessment unit) as signs of labour :)

I am now going to get a warm bath with some of the 'magic' essential oils, then put on my labour Tens Machine if i feel the need, as i would like to stay at home for as long as i can before going into hospital.
So fingers crossed that things happen tonight, and these will be my last Pregnant Bump Pictures, at 41 weeks and 4 days:

Come on baby, i cant wait to meet you! x