rounded tums and knackered mums - bouncing our way towards June 2012

[Kveta]

thread 5 already - and 3 months to go!

thread 4

thread 3

thread 2

thread 1

"They have been looking into his flights and it looks like he will be landing in Leeds at 0950 so we are planning on not telling DS1 so DP can just turn up at school to pick him up."

Kayzr, you'll make me well up!

I'm glad that all the 28 week appts are going well.

Does anyone think their baby is in a pattern already? I have random kicks and wiggles all day but from 9 at night it's like she is having a party or doing aerobics

I think it might be a bit strange when DP gets home. I was 16 weeks when he went and will be 27 weeks when he gets home. I'm a lot bigger and he never felt her move.

Fanbelt do you have to have more scans or do they only do that 1? I hope she fattens up a bit.

Morning all, well after the deflation of the hospital walk about yesterday, I've got my 28 week MW check up this morning. Listening to his heartbeat will surely cheer me up.
Hope everyone is well, take care xx

Morning all

Kayzr that will be so exciting for DS :) Bet you can't wait!

Good luck today TDW and glad everyone's 28 week apts are going well.

I'm still on a high from yesterday's heart scan...was amazing. It was done by a cardiologist so we didn't really see much of LO other than chest cavity and he kept kicking the doctor! Was amazing to see the four chambers of the heart so clearly and the blood flow in and out. The heart rate was 148 beats per minute which is really fast but apparently normal! No wonder I'm puffed going upstairs if I'm facilitating that all day long on top of my own!! There don't seem to be any problems thankfully and all looks healthy and normal. Was jsut so nice to see him again and he seems to be really big now. He is still lying in the same low position with head down to hoping he stays like that! DH and I came away on cloud 9 as it seems so real now and then last night DH felt the first really strong kicks without even trying. A good day

Is anyone else finding it really hard to focus on work now? I have 9 weeks left and my replacement has just been recruited so starting to hand stuff over....really just want to go now as have other things on my mind!

Roll on next week as I'm off work for St Patricks Day. DH has booked for us to go back to the resort where we got married and I'm getting the mother to be spa pamper package...bliss. They have upgraded us to the bridal suite which is lovely (though bit late for that kind of romance!!!). Can't wait though.

Hope everyone has a good day x

fanbelt just read your post....great news on the girl and fingers crossed she stays in longer to grow. Were your other 2 small babies ok? I'm at risk of going early too so every week that goes by I'm so relieved. Babies born anytime after 30 weeks should be ok though?

Keeping everything crossed for you x

Hi all,

Sorry I haven't posted for ages. I've been really busy recently, and when I finally get some spare time at the end of the day, it's all I can do to drag myself off to bed!

Things are a little bit for me at the moment. But before I launch into that (and because I've no hope in catching up with everyone and everything individually) I just wanted to say that it's been really lovely spending the last hour in your company catching up on all your news. (Yes, that's how long it's taken me!) You've given me a laugh - particularly Fanbelt's idea for an ELCS birthplan - you've made me think, you've reminded me what's important and reassured me that my pg is normal!

So, anyway - I'm sort of off work with stress...again. Last time was after my mmc last summer - the mmc was what kicked it off, but the problems were all work-based. I went back in September, and nothing actually changed, I just stopped caring about my job so much. It's been fine, but a situation has arisen in the last couple of weeks, and I'm just finding myself getting really angry and upset, and over the last few days it's really getting to me. (It's nothing really, really horrible - this isn't a big "poor me" - I'm just getting so tired and frustrated with our incompetent, inefficient and generally crappy senior management.)

I was off yesterday, and I went to the GP this morning. I think the poor man was perhaps a bit inexperienced, as he really didn't seem to know what to do about a crying pregnant woman in his office! I just wanted some medical advice on how stress would affect my pregnancy, but after popping off to speak to a colleague, he came back to say he's going to refer me to a counselling service of some sort (fine), but also that he would sign me off for two weeks.

What I don't know is whether this is good sensible medical advice, or just the standard response. When I was off work last year, I really didn't want to be at work, but I don't feel that way now. DH doesn't understand why I'm not just starting to wind down from work, but the problems I'm experiencing are also affecting all the other many lovely people I work with, and I kind of feel that we're all in it together. They're all really supportive and wouldn't quibble at all with me being off - but I hate being the "delicate flower". Because I don't think the problem is me, I think the problem is the crap that we're all having to deal with.

Anyway, I'm currently waiting for a specialist MW to call me back and see if she's more useful than the GP! But does anyone have any thoughts?

I'm basically OK, btw - as long as I don't think about work! Baby is wriggling around inside me and feeling more and more like a real person each day, DH and I managed to start getting out into our beloved garden for the first time this year, and I have a very lovely geriatric cat sat next to me keeping me company. So life isn't so bad!

...Sorry for long post. Maybe it will help those of you having trouble sleeping! xxx

Hi Sheld, sounds horrible. Sending you . I def think counselling would be a good idea. I work for a company that provide counselling and so many people come to use it for work stress/ anxiety etc. It's so much better to get it all off your chest than to bottle it up and try and get on with things. It's hard when you don't have long left but better to get it sorted before you go off or you will spend your whole mat leave not wanting to go back. It always does feel better to talk about problems and the counsellor will help you cope. Not sure what waiting lists are like with you though...?

That would be my advice..hope it helps. And animals are great...give that cat a big cuddle to cheer yourself up! x

Hi everyone!

Just a quick one from me as I've got 5 minutes spare! Hope everyone is ok??

I had another MW check this morning, my bp is getting better but apparently still low - I was impressed with 100/50! Bumpette's was 150 a minute I asked if it was normal as it seems so high but as WARLIN says it's normal for the babies to have really high heart rates. All measurements are spot on so hopefully everything will remain smooth sailing?!

shelduck maybe having a few weeks off work will help and give you the energy to go back to finish off before ML starts? Hope you're ok!

Right, best go now but just wanted to say that all is fine here (apart from bad back and tiredness) and pleased everyone else is doing well!

Xx

hi all,

milly my BP is normally 100/50 or 60 and I'm never told it's low! maybe that's because I am lardy a bit on the larger side, so lower=better? still, I like to preen about it a bit, because MWs/HCPs are always shocked at how low it is, and always complement me on it (like it's something I have control over!).

shelduck enjoy a bit of a break, you'll probably feel loads better going back to work refreshed and with so few weeks left to go!

fanbelt hope you're ok, the small baby thing is presumably just the way you grow them! are you or your family particularly petite? my mum grew smaller babies (all in the 6lb range) but every other woman in the family (me, sister, both grandmothers, all aunts) have had 8lb plus babies when they've gone to term (sister had a 6lb 12 oz 35 weeker! but she is diabetic). I'm being monitored due to DS being a heffalump, as he was 4.06kg/9lbs, and apparently anything over 4kg is automatically regarded as a larger baby for a first time mum and so followed up in subsequent pgs. Got my GTT this friday which will be such fun - nothing to eat or drink from 10pm onwards thursday night, and I have to get from my house to the station, then station to hospital without throwing up - should be interesting. Morning sickness keeps hitting me in the morning, no matter how late I eat something carbohydratey!

I am still full of cold, so no sleep last night due to coughing. have made an arse of myself at work twice today by not ebing able to find a couple of files, so going to ask our developers team for help, and both times they found I was in the wrong directory. So I feel like a colossal muppet.

3 weeks until I head up to scotland to see parents and go to a conference - it will be a long week up there, as my parents and I have differing views on pretty much everything child-related (they would get on VERY well on MN, shall we say :o very eco-friendly, anti-sugar, anti-TV, grow-your-own, competitive thrift types) so DS will have a whale of a time :o he will probably spend the week chasing their dogs around the house actually, poor pups. However, DH needs a break before DC2 arrives, so this will give him a week off, time to sleep, and time to play on the PS3 without me rolling my eyes at him or coughing.

now just to work out if I'll ever get a break... ha.

Hi all, thanks for the messages of support - it really helps.

Kayzr I've got at least 2 more growth scans - at 32 weeks and at 36 weeks. My prediction is that they'll do the 32 week one, she won't have grown much so they'll book an additional one in at 34 wks and they'll end up delivering her between 34-35 wks. But I would absolutely love to be proved wrong! Interestingly I had my 28 wk MW appointment this morning and when she measured my tummy it was bang on 28cm, even though the more accurate scan I had yesterday indicated she was measuring small...

Warlin love the sound of your mum-to-be spa pamper session. The closest I'm getting is a special mother's day trip to the cinema to watch The Muppets with my lovely family! I think DH may make me dinner on Sunday too... if I'm very lucky (although last time he made a special dinner on our wedding anniversary he gave himself food poisoning and was up most of the night hugging the toilet bowl!)

Kveta I guess I do just have small babies - the MW said "dainty" - I'm 5'10" and DH is 6'1" so neither of us is small!! My other DSs are both now normal healthy boys - both tall and skinny which is just what me and DH were like when we were little so at least I know they catch up. And to be honest, even if she does come early, at least I know my way round a NICU ward so it won't be the horrible shock it was first time round!

Fan xx

I am doing zilch for mothers day. It'll probably be the average Sunday here. Getting up about 4am for first Formula One race of the season and go to my Mums about 2ish for dinner. DP has completely forgotten as I don't think his family do Mother's Day etc.

Fanbelt That sounds quite scary but I guess it must be pretty normal(if that is the right word) for you with it being the 3rd time. Do you know why you have little babies?

Kveta I have been told I am allowed to have sips of water when I have to have my GTT. Now I have moved it I can go home between the first and second blood tests.

Evening all!

Just checking in while I get a few moments. Sorry I can't name check everyone - have been away too long (i.e. more than an hour ) to keep up with everyone!

So, my life seems to be amazingly hectic at the moment...this week so far / yet to happen:

• plasterer booked for later this month to replaster our bedroom (will involve sleeping on lounge floor for a few weeks - wonderful)
• new wardrobes ordered (but might take 7 weeks to arrive )
• bloke booked for a week on Saturday to move the pool table from the dining room to one of the outbuildings
• DH has agreed we can go piano shopping at the weekend (very excited as haven't had one for years - have my eye on a really old, battered one that's supposed to play nicely and has been painted in pale blue, so I can then cover it with baby's hand and foot prints as a record of how he grows )
• want to buy a giant beanbag sofa thing for the dining room but DH just looked distressed by the size (surely a 6' 6" by 4' beanbag isn't unreasonable?)
• bass guitar arrived (woohoo! Fanbelt - re playing with a bump; I'm fat anyway so it's only a matter of degrees! But actually, my arms are quite long since you mentioned it!)
• 26 week growth scan yesterday confused both sonographer and midwife as neither could work out why I was there for one so early (they normally do 32 and 36 weeks, which are also booked in). Well, I just attend when I'm told to! Baby growing as he should - and holding on to his toes for most of the scan. Weird child. Got told off by midwife for ketones in my urine (well yes, but I'd missed my lunch because I had to attend for the pointless scan so no great surprise they were there!)
• have GTT on Friday which I'm quite anxious about, but hey, what will be will be
• have to go to the dentist for a filling tomorrow. Lovely!

Phew. And that's not mentioning the madness at work at the moment! Roll on the weekend, that's what I say!

Hope everyone's okay and I'll try harder to keep up to date with what's going on with everyone!

Thank you to everyone for your kind words and care :)

Spoke to midwife, ended up going in for monitoring and turns out baby has just turned (somewhat early) head down, feet up facing my back so movements are just much less obvious for me to feel! Have however got a water infection and been shivering/sweating for the last 48 hours, 2 days off work before moving house on Friday, it does all seem to come at once eh?!

Hope everyone else is good!

Warlin, really happy for you that the heart scan went well and I'm so of your trip away and the spa treatment.
Shelduck, I agree with your GP, take the 2 weeks off work and chill. When I was pg with DS 1, i was getting bullied at work and I ended up suffering with depression and had 3 months off work. My GP told me to do things that made me happy, she said if that is shopping, then go shop, if that is going for walks, then go for long walks. Stress does build up unwelcome hormones in the body which can affect LO, so best to err on the side of caution and take the time to chill. I really do hope you feel chilled out soon and take care of yourself.
Blondie Glad all is ok with the LO, sorry that you are not feeling too good, hope you get better soon.
My MW appt was great today, LO's heart beat well, my BP good, normally drops really low but currently at 100 over 66, so still in the healthy range.
Hope everyone else has had a good day, take care, I'm off to finish the ironing before OBEM starts xx

Interesting that quite a few of us have low BP on here. Mine yesterday was 100/56 - I thought it was generally meant to go up in pregnancy but maybe we're all exceptions to the rule.

Re GTT I had mine today. I was really dreading it as I hate sugary drinks. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything except water from after midnight last night. Then I had an 8:40am appt. with MW this morning where she took my bloods and I had to drink 130ml of the sugary orange drink which wasn't too bad. I then had to go home and rest for two hours (I live opposite our surgery so can just stroll over the road) and I was only allowed to drink water. You really do need to put your feet up - not eating or drinking anything for that length of time and then having the sugary drink does make you feel a bit weird and light-headed. Then back to the surgery at 10:50 where she took another lot of blood and did all the usual checks (wee, BP, FHR etc.) And then I went home and had a massive breakfast!! So it wasn't as bad as I'd been expecting - just the two hour bit in the middle where you're starving and starting to feel a bit weird but can only drink water.

Seriously love the sound of your blue piano.

Kayzr no idea why I have small babies. I had pre-eclampsia with DS1 but not DS2 and they did a whole load of blood tests after I'd had DS2 but didn't find anything. On the whole I'm a pretty healthy person (don't smoke or drink in excess - well not often ). I think maybe I grow crappy placentas but who knows. You're right that 3rd time round I'm sort of expecting it to got tits-up and that's what's normal for me and at least I know the danger signs. Doesn't stop it being scary though - I'd give anything to have a normal, "boring" pregnancy, go overdue and be sitting around moaning that I'm so big etc.

Think it's time to make my cup of hot chocolate ready for OBEM - catch you all later! xx

my bp is also generally low (100/60), but now I am approaching 26 weeks it is the perfect 110/70...

My BP was 110/80 last week. Been 120/80 3 times too. I don't know if that is high or low or average.

Fanbelt I am dreading my GTT. You have made it sound quite ok actually. I will have DS2 with me so I am hoping he can keep me busy for the 2 hours. I am a bit worried about it as DS2 was a big baby. I'll keep my fingers crossed that we both get to have average sized babys.

I think I scared a poor girl earlier. She is 39 weeks with her first and a mutual friend of ours told her how big DS2 was and she looked utterly terrified.

I think 120/80 is considered perfect, anything below 100/60 is on the low side. But one has to take in to account whether it is resting or after an activity or anxious time etc... our bp is changing all throughout the day.

My BP has been low too throughout, and in the beginning I really suffered with it.. Mine has fluctuated between 85/50 and 100/60 for the last 6 months, but last MW appt it was 126/80 and I'd not been doing much activity over and beyond the necessary, but today it's back to 100/60.. Maybe something about June babies that makes us all have low BP??

Morning all!

Re the BP things - was reading about this the other day as mine is significantly lower in pregnancy than usual. I believe it's something to do with progesterone making your blood vessels more relaxed. From what I read, it's usually low for first and second trimester before returning to around normal in the third trimester.

Info about it here if you're interested: www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/complications/bloodpressure/

See you later folks - have a good day!

Shelduck - definitely sounds like there is a bad atmosphere at your work so I'd just take the two weeks and enjoy it and try not to think about anything stressful!
My husband is actually on gardening leave at the moment but he had an awful time for at least the 12 months previous to that - he got offered counselling for stress too but it was all questionnaires and over the 'phone so I'm not sure if he really got anything out of it but hopefully it might clear the air and sort out some of the stuff that's going on.

Seriously - love your piano idea with the hand prints - what a great reminder!

Fan fingers crossed you have an easier pregnancy this time, my cousin had two normal pregnancies, then one that they were worried about being too small and which they induced very early (can't remember how big Rebecca was but it was all fine in the end) followed by another normal pregnancy.

TMI time, I had a very stressful poo last night - not sure what has caused the sudden awfulness as it had all been generally fine but I'm back to glugging the lactulose. I might see what else I can use as I really don't want to stress my poor old pelvic floor out too much before I have to actually give birth!

I went to the doctor as well and she has given me a week of antibiotics as I have got a sinus infection and I can't taste, smell or hear anything. First pregnancy where I have been this poorly. Bloody difficult trying to cook bolognese when you can't smell if you are burning your onion and you can't taste the end product either!!

Morning all

Just a quick post but will come back again later...

I'm concenred that everyone is getting GTTs done...does everyone get this? Nobody has mentioned anything to me about one. they sound pretty horrible so I don't want one but just worried I should be getting something I'm not.

This week is so long...I've been a day ahead of myself all week and keep thinking today's Friday :(

Roll on the weekend....and 9 weeks time when work will be finished!

Warlin I didn't have a GTT last time - despite being fat and with a family history of diabetes (sis is type 1) - this time it's because DS was a larger baby.

I think they do a form of GTT at the 28 week bloods, so basically checking your blood sugars, but there is an extended form which clearly a few of us are having to do, which involves fasting (NOOOOO!) and a base level blood test, sugary drink, then later blood test - it's to see how much sugar gets into the bloodstream in a certain time frame.

I am very hopeful that tomorrow isn't as bad as I expect it to be, but given that I was sick this morning, I suspect tomorrow morning will be hard work.

Warlin - don't worry they would have told you if they wanted you to have one,different trusts have varying policy but basically if your booking bloods random blood sugar was fine and you are of normal weight and you have no risk factors ie prev big baby,current big baby,diabetes in the family etc then you don't need one - hope that helps

Warlin I didn't have one in my first pregnancy. I had one with DS2 as I had sugar in my urine at 1 appointment but it was all clear. But because DS2 was a big baby I have to have one.

I need to have a moan.
I am not well again, same as a few weeks ago. My sinus's are all blocked up. My head feels like it is going to explode. I hardly slept last night. Olbas oil etc is doing nothing. So I need to try and get a doctor appointment.

I just feel terrible