Preparing for labour

Hi 😊 is anyone drinking raspberry leaf tea? Wondering if it's worth it!

My first birth was so long and slow and I was in so much pain I ended up with an epidural, episiotomy and Ventouse delivery it was so overwhelming and I know it sounds stupid but I was so upset I couldn't do it on my own and felt weak for having an epidural :( I really want this one to be different!

Hi ladies

I am 30 weeks pregnant and starting to prepare all the items I will need for home and the hospital stay. I'm just wondering if a suitcase or a duffle bag would be better to bring to the hospital during labor?

TIA!

So it’s been on my mind a lot that when in labour you have dilation checks which pretty much goes without saying (or so i thought)

When i had my son in 2021 i had many dilation checks when i was in labour (took 12hrs to get to 5cm) and ended up getting an infection which then resulted in me having an emergency c section.

Im now 30+1 today with my second baby and im so desperate not to have another c section (the recovery was brutal for me) so im trying to think of anything i can to avoid it or getting another infection in labour.

I spoke to a doula friend of a friend not too long ago and she was saying how i don’t have to get dilation checks because baby is going to come when they’re going to come and no amount of checks will change that so im in two minds at the moment.

Has anyone gone through labour without dilation checks or do you think it would be a good idea to get them?

38 weeks on the dot today.

Woke up with cramping, constant. Super heavy period cramps. I have felt myself breathing through them a few times throughout the day, but never really gotten any worse. Still cramping now🥴 lower back aches like mad (not unusual for me) and now I feel that sick to my stomach that I’m scared to eat incase it comes back up! I’ve had cramps lasting a while before, Monday was the last time it was about 4 hours then died down. But haven’t had a break today, I’m debating wether to try some paracetamol and I NEVER take them for anything, in fact I never take any pain relief for anything, haven’t for years.