The 'We are brooking no arguments whatsoever for an uneventful pregnancy and pain-free birth' thread

[Biscuitsandtea]

Ladies, our previous thread was getting full so here is a lovely new shiny home for us all.

I've put some comfy cushions around and plenty of pregnancy safe snacks and drinks. The Segway park is in the corner over there next to the stack of glittery vom buckets (plenty of extra buckets too for all the newbies).

In the corner over here you'll find our library of leaflets including sections on early pregnancy private scan clinics, pushchairs and car seats.

Hope you all like it very much :)

IUGR is interuterine growth restriction. My 20 week scan rang all kinds of alarm bells for it and a couple of birth defects so had growth scans booked in, went for scan the next week and they said oh sorry, we made a mistake, there's no problem at all!!! I was well stressed for a week. But what a relief.

musicalmrs, try not to worry, hopefully it will all be ok. I bled at 5 weeks with DD, just like my previous mc and like start of a period. It was fine. There's nothing they can do so hope you feel ok til the doctor gets back to you.

must go to console poor whingey DD some more. Opened some malteasers to console me before. She's never seen the packet or seen me have them or had one before yet dd KNEW she wanted one... she got 2 halves. My, how my standards have slipped. For us both! And how do they know it's yummy treats?!?! HOW?!

Thanks dream. Doctor actually recommended if I were worried (especially as I've had abdominal pain) I should go to A&E, as they can't scan me at my doctor's surgery - so that's what I'm doing when DH gets home from work in the next half hour. The other option was the emergency surgery tomorrow - but they'd still have to send me up to the hospital if I was concerned...

A&E seems a bit extreme, but I suppose at least everything will be checked out there. Hoping for a nice sac in the right place...

Absolutelynot too extreme musical!! Like the doctor says, they can only examine you but not scan. I'd go if it happened to me this time. I was reassured by DH last time with my bleeding, both at 5 and 22 weeks when it was worse. However, this pregnancy I'd be at A&E. Hope it all goes well, and update us if you get a chance. We'll be thinking of you.

Oh musical - you poor thing. Hope it is nothing to worry about but I don't blame you one jot for taking the doctor's advice and getting up to A&E. I'm keeping everything crossed for everything being in the right place as you say.

Hurry home Musical's DH

Musical I'm sorry to hear you're having such a nerve-wracking day. It's not too extreme at all, you're following your doctor's advice. Also I think that a happy Mum is a healthy Mum, so a scan to set your mind at rest will be good for both you and the baby!

I'll be thinking of you this evening and I sincerely hope everything turns out fine, you're a No Brooker and we're made of stern stuff! Please let us know how you get on.

I am also Brooking No Argument on your behalf, musical. Hope everything is okay.

I know I shouldn't do such things around here, but I am sending a hug.

hello - wasn't sure if i was allowed to join but just seen mention of IUGR so I reckon i'm eligible!

DS1 was born at 31+4 by elcs after IUGR diagnosed at 22 week scan. had to have intensive monitoring (scans twice a week, daily CTGs etc) he finally arrived weighing 900g (size of a 26 weeker). Loooong loooong stay in NICU (which i still feel rather bitter about - am not a nice person!) but is now a happy bouncy 2 year old.

currently 26 weeks pg with no.2 (woo woo) and so far so good but got another scan in 2 weeks to check the growth.

so do I pass - can i join the gang?

Hello hawthers, of course you can join in! Sounds very very hard. Particularly the long stay in NICU, you poor things. Really hope this baby keeps growing well for you!

Recently, I am getting snappier and nastier. I also have a sneaking suspicion i am not a very nice person!!!!

Hawthers - of course you can join us - our only condition is that you are brooking no argument about everything left, right and centre!

At 26 weeks pg you are way ahead of all of us I think! When does that make you due?

How have your scans been so far on the growth front? Can they tell any of that at the 20 week scan (sorry if these are silly questions - this is a new one on me today!)?

Welcome fishcake and hawthers

musical I really feel for you. As others have said bleeding is not always bad news. A&E is not extreme at all if you're experiencing blood loss and pain. Get yourself straight there if you feel things are getting worse. If it doesn't get any worse could you ring your local EPU tomorrow and see if they can do some blood tests? A scan may not show anything at 5 weeks but blood tests will show progress when they see hormones rising every couple of days. Hopefully that won't be necessary and it will stop tonight.

I've got a grip. Even if the scan has bruised me a bit, it's very unlikely to have harmed the bean. Right?

biscuitsandtea pretty sure i can brook no arguments any way you want!

admit i have been hiding away until sufficiently pg that things look like they are going in the right direction.

Scans have been ok so far - just had 22 week scan where the lo was on the 23 percentile. DS1 had been on 6 percentile at same point so they called me back for repeat scans at 25 weeks and he proceeded to drop off the charts rapidly at all 15 subsequent scans. happily am size of a house this time around proved by the fact that partners at work keep asking when i'm heading off expecting it to be soon so when i say my last day is at the end of nov they look every so slightly uncomfortable...

DC2 due 22 dec (which seems pie in the sky at the moment but I WILL REACH DECEMBER (she repeats while rocking in the corner))

Hawthers - you WILL reach December because you have the No Brookers in your corner now - it is scientifically proven that we can in fact defend against ANYTHING. The no brooking ttc thread must be the most fertile one going (got me a bfp after 19 months of sod all) so we WILL get you there!

ooh yey - this is what i need!

What do we want?
Hawthers to get to December

When do we want it?
Now no that's right, em...

When do we want it?
December

Waves pom-poms while forming human pyramid!

chuckle chuckle - wish i'd found you girls earlier

You are one of us now, Hawthers! We are Brooking No Argument for you!

Welcome Hawthers! And nice work Bartlet!

Hawthers I'm so glad your DS is fine and healthy now, but there will be NO repeat performance of the early delivery this time round, and we are Brooking No Argument about this!!

Hi all! Will reply properly later but.. took Dr's advice and went to a&e. Bloods, urine and the like taken, now waiting! The A&E nurse did tell DH what we were waiting for (but I was feeling too faint to pay attention properly)... results, I think, and then whether they can get us to a specialist or an A&E doctor. Feeling slightly relieved to be here and to have talked about it at least.

I have got to speak up and say wtf with the midwife led care bashing...eeek. For normal women midwives are the experts. Most obstetricians have little to bugger all experience of normal pregnancy, normal birth etc. Midwives assist at births and repair tears etc day in day out, the average hospital doctor NEVER sees let alone assists with a normal birth. I know who I would want with me. Plus there is so much more to pregnancy that meets the eye and midwives, as experts in normal, can identify and manage problems quickly and efficiently. Dont underestimate the importance of midwifery care. Midwife led care birthing units are being opened with great success, improving rates of normal birth. Women who are well supported in labour need less pain relief and being away from a doctor led environment reduces the chance of intervention. For example a woman having a home birth, even if she needs to transfer into hospital because things arent going to plan is STILL less likely to end up with a c section. Midwives are advocates for women and the protectors of normality. Doctors are great at complications, but for most people the expertise needed is midwifery.

Fingers crossed all is well musicalmrs these little babies are resiliant beyond our expectations.

I phoned the docs today and have an appointment for Friday morning. Told my boss that I'm pg, does that mean it's real now? Not telling anyone else in RL

Meconium fair enough if that's your view I'm glad you shared it. I have to say I'm glad someone else has had a bit of a rant on here because up until now it feels like it's only me who occasionally goes off on a bit of a rant! Hee hee.

I wasn't talking about the birth itself, I believe some mw's are extremely good at their jobs (not all!) and booking an independent mw gives me a chance to pick and choose a mw I have complete confidence in. If mw led birth units had epidurals I would be perfectly happy to consider giving birth in one, it's just the epidural thing which makes me totally set on going straight to the consultant led birth unit.

The doubts I voiced earlier about mw led care were about the pg period. Obviously if your pg is perfectly straightforward a mw will be able to do a great job, my concern has always been that if something starts to go wrong (and not in a purely textbook way) a mw might be less likely to spot it in time because they generally only deal with low risk pgs.

Now I just want to put all this into context - it is only MY opinion for MY care! I would never dream of suggesting how I think another woman should handle her care in pg or labour. Also, as I said below, this isn't a major issue for me. Although I would prefer consultant led care, if my hospital says I only meet the criteria for mw led care then that's what I'll have. It would only be if I'm given a choice that I would choose consultant led care.

I like to hear other people's views though, and one of my favourite things about this thread is seeing pg from so many perspectives! Besides, this is my first pg, maybe by the end my opinion will have changed!