Due in October 2012 - Part 5

[Kyyria]

Just starting us off on a new thread

Gosh Beeblebear! 2 u/s in as many days! Hope they get to the bottom of your pain and glad baby's fine. :)

londonlivvy - so glad the cervix thing was fine :) I hear you about flat worries - mine's just going on the market...

dosomethingmutley - arghhh!!! Oatibix! The only time I had REALLY bad Norovirus, all I could keep down was Oatibix and I can barely taste them now without remembering... (sorry Beeblebear if that didn't help)

WantanOrange - congrats on the scan :) but hear you on the anxiety over raising a daughter. I can tell you from my stepkids that's not unfounded either but I'm just trying to see it as a challenge I'm 'supposed' to have now - to do the best I can for her despite these current times being so challenging for girls (ironic - feminism was supposed to make things easier right?).

Congrats on happy scans MrsConfusion and WantanOrange :o

Beeble any joy with the gall bladder check?

CWest glad all was well. Bleeding does seem to be v common after nookie, although I was told to avoid it for a week after any spotting (as if I've been daring to have any with the spotting ) and if spotting continues to give it a rest for a while. Hope flat gets sorted.

Loopy - very unsexy but I have found shock absorber sports bras are the best for us chesty ladies. I have a nice mothrcare bra for when I am wearing something low cut / dressy as it gives a nicer shape and is very comfy while wearing BUT I find my boobs are sore in the evening when I take it off - which is my big warning that a bra isn't supporting me. I am a PITA to get fitted for bras as my bazookas seem to be huge AND an odd shape for bras and that is PRE-PREGNANCY so you can only imagine the difficulty now... So I'm sticking to the shock absorbers for as long as possible...!

Mutley hope you're feeling better and Dame - after your day I am sending a virtual and ! x

Met consultant man today, he is lovely, very experienced and very approachable, answered my thousands of questions with immense patience and scanned bean pointing everything out (including the fact the rascal was lying with her head pillowed on my bladder - which explains my thousand bathroom trips today ). He told me to take some time off work as the pain is not a normal thing (it's not ligament pain, much lower before anyone panics and only appeared with heavy brown blood on Sat) so taking next couple of days and putting my fat feet up - yes, BP was slightly up and between that and heat I wailed at my gargantuan cankles this evening.

He has also put me down for ELCS and I even have a rough date! All seems a long way off. TBH it wasn't a surprise - I had surgery years ago and was told at time I should expect a CS but at my NHS AN appt the consultant (diff one) said something like, "Oh no, we'll prob try you natural and just cut you before you tear, tearing would be bad with your history." My response was kindof but hoped she knew what she was talking about. Guy today was like, "There is NO WAY with your history you should be considering labour - you'll have sixty years of anal incontinence to look forward to."

It's all getting a bit real now!!!

Oh and Livvy great news about the cervix being cool!

I'm living proof that a pregnant lady should not be starved for foooood and forced to function on her own. Darn fasting ultrasound today at 2. Was sent to a new clinic that I havn't been to, missed my turn/got lost 3 times. Couldn't find the building even though I drove right up to it. Finally made it with 0 min to spare. Then upon leaving could not figure out the machine to pay for parking. Wouldn't accept my bills, couldn't figure out where to put my credit card. EOnly button I could find on the darn thing was cancel, or ine that turned the "instructions" into french. Ended up having to go back to my car and rummage for correct change. Finally paid and go down in elevator only to see that the clinic wiuld have validated my parking for free! It was probably posted right on the bloody payment machine too!

Loopy - I'm finding mothercare maternity bras are quite comfy (currently a 42DD). I too am suffering with sore boobs though. Woke myself up a couple of times last night by lying on them Hot and extremely sore - keep wondering if it's mastitis but it seems to settle again after a few days. Also suffering with general nausea, stomach cramps (not stomach ache, and not ligament pain but no bleeding or anything so presuming all is ok) and generally knackered. So much for having a glowing 2nd trimester - I feel grim!

31, 17+4, #1

Kyyria If you're feeling poorly and have sore boobs it might be worth a trip to the doc just incase it is mastitis.

23, 20+1, #2

Kyrria think Orange is right, might be as well getting checked for mastitis. As for stomach cramps I am finding all of a sudden I am getting trapped wind which is pretty painful at times. Woke up in middle of night last night with horrendous heartburn, probably because we had lasagne and salad for tea and then shared a piece of dessert. Might have been the fat :(

Longest post ever ...
Yomping I can definitely see the appeal of a doula and am tempted. I am not sure how good DF will be (this is not a criticism of him, merely that he knows F. All about the subject!). Humn. Will see how we go.
I was surprised that Yomping and Fjordmor had inconclusive sex evaluations ? I (naively) had assumed it would be obvious! I shall make sure I don?t have unrealistic expectations for our scan, particularly as it?s MILES away (18th June). Guccigirl I am totally with you ? if we can know, I want to know!
Beeblebear HOW frustrating re being starved AND new clinic and new parking etc ? totally not what a preg lady needs. This is why I asked the hosp in the new area (where the new house will hopefully be) to take us from the beginning so I don?t have to deal with learning a new place when already struggling with life!
OMG Squid going to the theatre? Blimey. I have been out about twice this year and both to pizza express. Wild & crazy me.
Kyyria I hope you had a lovely day off. I took one of those last week and was very self-indulgent and FAB.
dosomething I?m chuckling at the python look. I am similar as I am (or rather was) a keen cyclist and still cycle to work etc and my lycra looks ridiculous. My undercarriage still wants me to wear the proper shorts so will have to live with the indignity a while longer. MrsConfusion I too am MUCH slower than usual ? only managing the 7 mile trip each way 3 days a week now and firmly at granny pace.
I have told a few friends but haven?t done an announcement yet, like you, FjordmorI?ve been waiting for 20 week scan I think. Lovely to have all the warm support and congrats !
How weird re being booted nenehoo andliesbeth. I can?t feel anything yet.
Cwestthat sounds stressful. Can you ask HR to make some decisions? We had to go and visit the mortgage company with me wearing a sack so the bump not obvious as they?re taking both our salaries into account for the new house. We can afford it on just his salary, of course, we?re not mad, but I don?t think they?d lend it just on his.
On the bra front, LoopyLa I agree with Angelico that the shock absorber jobs are the best support but they do come up annoyingly high so unless you?re wearing a t shirt, they?re visible. Some of the soft cup comes are reasonably low and pretty supportive (Alisha by Panache I?m particularly liking). And LondonMrsS I would recommend Isabella Oliver for tops that come just that bit higher so hiding the bra (but not in t shirt territory).
Angelico SO SO delighted that you had lovely consultant who listened and gave good advice. That?s brilliant!

Angelico so glad you've got a nice consultant, and that your care is being sorted properly. A lot of the consultants I work with have the communication skills of farmyard animals. Maybe I've just been unlucky!!

Also, thanks for the and - I needed them!! After a grim night I'm having to stay at home with DS today because he's so poorly and miserable. Sadly I don't have the patience of a saint, and his behaviour is always appalling when he's unwell. This morning he took a small piece of every raisin wheat he ate at breakfast out of his mouth, having chewed it, smirked at me (ok I may have imagined that bit), and chucked it on the floor. Gaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Then he rolled around on the floor and screamed while I had my shower. I want to go to work! (never thought anyone would catch me saying that, ever!)

Although having said that, I spent my day at work yesterday sweating like a total pig - I have to wear a stupid heavy uniform (never had one of those before, my new trust is different) and the staff office base was about 28 degrees. Then I had to drive home in my black car, which had spent all day cooking in the sun, and has no aircon. WHY did we buy a car with no air con? I must've lost about half a stone in sweat yesterday

Beeble that sounds exactly like what I would've done in your situation. I get in a real flap. Poor you, what a pain! At least you got there in time and had it done! Were the results ok?

Kyyria another vote for going to the doctor here, because if it can be fixed, get it fixed!!

DameFlatYouLent when I first read your post I thought you were talking about your DP . Glad I re-read it!

RosJ Thu 24-Jan-08 09:59:23
In the ambulance on the way to hospital after attempted homebirth, and clinging to the gas canister for dear life-I mentioned that 80s film Blue Velvet where Dennis Hopper keeps taking hits from a canister of laughing gas. Then the paramedic kept coming out with lines from the film "Bringing Out the Dead" which my DP happens to be a big fan of. More weird than funny-was 9 inches dilated at the time.

In the hospital,out of my head on entenox, the contractions were talking to each other-the bad one was called "Roger" and the other ones were saying "watch out, here comes Roger". Only funny in retrospect!

G&A sounds like a right laugh!!!

Thanks for all the good wishes - I feel tons better today. I ate soooo much toast last night (with honey on, yum!) and slept like a log; so much so that I only woke up once during the night whereas poor DH got up four times to attend to the cat, who appears to be kindly getting us in training for life with a newborn by being an utter menace between the hours of 2.30am and 7am. I probably snored all the way through it!

Beeble I hope you've recovered from what sounds like a stressful trip to the hospital - hope you've caught up on now!

Angelico you sound like you're in safe hands there - I'm very glad for you :)

Dame I hope DS is feeling (and behaving!) better soon

Probably ought to get on with some work now.

WantAnOrange just re-read my post imagining DH as my DS - HA!! Grounds for divorce!!!

Mickey I found G&A a laugh (for the whole 15mins I got it ) - acted v drunk and talked v inappropriately to the mw and ambulance crew Luckily I didn't have specs on/contacts in so wouldn't know the ambulance crew if I passed them in the street... It also makes your voice really low and I insisted I was talking like Darth Vader. This was while the mw was stitching, not while I was hoofing out a baby!!

Angelico - good and bad news for you then I guess! I guess a CS is easier to come to terms with if someone tells you you put yourself at more risk not having one. Glad your consultant is lovely and approachable. Mine is a man of few (even Norwegian) words which I always find a bit unnerving but he didn't seem to mind me asking questions. He asked me if I'd had fibroids removed before but didn't say why which made me worry that he saw 'scar tissue' or something. Anyway, glad you're home with your feet up. I'll join you in the 'fat feet'/cankles world. If I don't elevate mine at least every few hours they get quite domed on top and the ankles thicken...

Kyyria - sorry you're feeling grim. I second the motion that you should let the doctor check you out.

Dame - what a choice! Melting at work or coping with poor sickly DS! I wish you strength and many quiet moments. Hopefully the tail end of DS's illness will see him sleepy and quieter...let's hope eh? :)

Norway continues to swelter in hot weather! :) Heard the UK's not so bad too - hope you all have the chance to enjoy it and it lasts until the weekend! :). Should we be taking extra sun precautions as pregnant women? Can it bring on melasma? are we more 'photo-sensitive'?

Re movement I'm feeling more at my (new) stage of 19+something weeks but some days lots and other days very little. Also found out last night that baby's favourite 'awake' time is all the way through the night . A lady where I had my last MOT told me "note the times you wake up in the night as I found those were the times baby would wake up once he was born"...all night then!! . Any tips on changing our routine at this stage to change unborn baby's waking times much appreciated!!

londonlivvy - (my posts are so long I've done a whole new one just to reply to you ) I was also surprised. Ordinary u/s found the LO with legs firmly wedged together (they seem very long) and sandwiched upwards, obscuring everything. Even the TV scan he did to look 'upwards' was difficult to tell. He ended up saying 'I think that's maybe the lips of a vagina...and perhaps yes, perhaps that there inside the body is a vagina. Yes, looks like it might be a girl.' I didn't take that as very conclusive as it was hard to see and he didn't sound sure or committed. I know several people who were told they 'couldn't see obvious boy bits' at 20 weeks who went on to pop boys so I'm just going to wait until the next scan before I'm sure. Preparing for a girl though without buying gender specific stuff . I'm v tempted to have a 3D/4D privately in the next few weeks a) 'cos I just want to see the baby again and b) just to see if it's more obvious in 3/4D. Oh and yes, was totally lovely announcing it on fb and made me realise how excited I am and lucky I am to be having a baby full-stop. I think because of my age, the horrible time I've had the past few years and the crap relationships I've been through, people have been so touched and genuinely excited. It's so lovely to hear and lifted my spirits no end :). Also found an old Danish friend of mine with virtually the same due date with her 3rd :).

Fjord I think the percentage of ultrasound gender predictions for girls being incorrect is higher than for boys. Does that sentence make sense?! ie. if they say it's a girl there's a higher chance it'll be wrong than if they say it's a boy.

DameFlat - yes, total sense :). It was so funny after reading Yomping and other's accounts of baby's uncooperatively not moving much on 20 wk scans I was laughing thinking 'I won't have that problem' after seeing my LO kung-fooing on 12 wk scan but other than a wee wave and a bit of face palming and gentle 'grape-treading' as I call it, ours just wasn't in the mood! Now if only she'd somersaulted as many times as she did last night while I was trying to sleep!...

We'll call her 'she' until or unless we know better and any baby clothes bought will be cream, red, yellow, grey or green...although I'm perturbed in some online shops that all green or grey baby clothes are labelled 'boys'. Come on! How many colours do boys get dibs on? I don't even like pink!! I will get my revenge by buying her many blue dresses. Ha! That'll show'em!!

Hey Fjord :) Sympathy on the domed feet - mine looked bizarre last night, kind of odd and flat! The 3D/4D scans are really cool - and the beans will be fascinated by them when they're older. Sis had hers the other week and it was so funny! :o The little face, cute eyelids etc - it's amazing :)

TBH I can't say I'm bothered about the CS. I know some people are very evangelical about natural birth but sometimes they are the people who get most upset and depressed when things don't go to 'plan' (friend's wife springs to mind here, who got bad PND after EMCS - having planned a real earth mother birth). Since I've always known it was highly likely because of previous surgery I never really thought about VB if that makes sense? So I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. In fact NHS consultant was first person to say anything to me about VB and I found her attitude a bit worrying as what I REALLY didn't want was a long / difficult labour, damage done and THEN getting an EMCS anyway - people I know who had that are the ones who have really suffered difficulties.

There seems to be a massive difference between ELCSs and emergency - all the people I know who had ELCS found it a positive experience, with some discomfort afterwards. The EMCSs seem harder to get over, both physically and psychologically, probably because of the shock of it and the need for speed - but if the alternative is losing your baby I know what I would choose!

Anyway, hopefully things will go smoothly for us all between now and then! There's an interesting article comparing risks and benefits of VB and CS from the Guardian in Nov if anyone wants to read more.

Bah, had my computer fun time, back to the 'feet in the air' I go!!!

Angelico totally hearing you about the wind, both trapped and, um, released . Also v glad to hear you've found a doc you trust, that's so important.
Does anyone else's bump totally change shape and texture during the day? Start off relatively small and soft, end up huge and rock hard and sore by bed time (a fair portion of which is wind... trumpet central in our house by nighttime). I'm trying to work out if I'm eating the wrong things or at the wrong times or if it's normal...
Beeblebear hope you've eaten by now and all was well with both scans.
Hope Kyria and Muttley and anyone else feeling poorly are starting to feel better. Sending
It's such a glorious sunny day, and I'm a sweaty horrible mess stuck in the office when I want to be in the garden with an iced drink and a good book. Pah. End of whinge.

Evening all. Bunked off work early to avoid the tube in rush hour and ate a magnum in the garden. Nice.

Settling in to being back from holiday and suddenly having the hardest, heaviest bump in the world gulp. What is to become of me I am only 18 weeks I am also having a few cramps but think more food/trump related.

Angelico totally agree with what you are saying about ELCS. Having had a rather complicated experience with DD I don't care how this one comes out. I have the choice of ELCS if I want it. I would prefer to go elective than need an emergency but will play it by ear. In a way I find having the option reassuring. I didn't think I would but it is a good back up plan. Although read something today about babies born by cesarean more prone to obesity but not sure how robust the research is.

I was adamant I would find out sex at 20 week scan but having read so many of you posting your feelings afterwards I think I am going to hold off. I get lots of extra scans so will get the chance again to change my mind if I get too curious later. Let's see how long I last before I crack.

Anyways, need to catch up on all your news. Hurrah for the healthy beans clocked up so far. Here's to more of the same.

mrsc yes to the changing bump and the weight of it. It weighs a ton by the end of the day.

'Weighing' in on the bump issue...does feel weird as I lie on my side now - like it 'clonks' down sideways onto the bed! Also find it changes size and shape; higher, lower and sometimes when I'm walking along, looks distinctly lop-sided. Then there's the belly button creeping out...and then back in again some days but seems determined to make a break for the border at the moment.

Angelico - interesting article and subsequent debate btw. Has certainly left me not desperately partial either way other than to perhaps decide on ELCS if EMCS would be a distinct possibility.

Evening All,

CWest, mortgage and work issues sound stressful :(
beeblebear, hope aches and pains are nothing serious and dame's DS is on the mend
Congrats WantAnOrange and Mrs.Confusion! :) Ladies, how long does the 20 week scan take? Just wondering when i might get back to work afterwards.
Glad u have found a good consultant, Angelico, he certainly has a way with words!
Midgetm, how good are magnums! i had one today, too, after giving in to my cravings after having soleros the last 2 days.
I think i have a little boxer or footballer in there :) He/she is often resting, but is really starting to go for it at times and is only 19w! tee hee, can't wait 'till he/she gets the hiccups for the 1st time!

The bumps are so strange aren't they?! It's like they have a life of their own Fjord you have me checking my belly button now for hokey-cokey style behaviour... :o

LOL @beccus - yes indeed a veritable poet the man is :o I will forgive him as he cheerfully predicted 60+ years of incontinence for me, thus giving me a healthy mid-nineties life expectancy

My head hurts! And I never get headaches, that plus swollen feet is making me paranoid about blood pressure so will prob go and check it at GP's tomorrow. They have a great machine where you can take your own, thus avoiding 'white coat HBP'. Also going to take a pre-emptive swig of Gaviscon to avoid more 3 am waking with stomach on fire.

Night peeps and sleep tight x