April 2013 part six...what does the third trimester have in store?

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wishfulthinking: In most cases the placenta moves out of the way so yours may move. When is your next scan exactly? My placenta is posterior and totally covering the cervix so unless a miracle happens I've been told it is not likely to move. I will have to have a c-section.

Sounds like most of us are having rubbish times this week. I hope everyone's luck changes and we all start feeling better soon.

Had my growth scan and baby is just below 50th centile on all measurements woo! Growing really well according to the doctor. Reconfirmed its a girl too, which is good because the pram system is pink haha.
The rubbish bit is the positive protein result in my urine sample, mw said it might just be a uti, so she's sent it off and they'll either ring or write with the results. My BP was just a little higher than last week at 142/81 but as its been 130+ for a couple of weeks they aren't too worried yet.

Has anyone had weird dreams about the baby? Last night I dreamt she had no nose and big black balls for eyes. Everyone in the dream recoiled at her and I was heartbroken. It was horrible :(. I'm hoping for a nicer dream tonight.

We went to nhs antenatal again today for the breastfeeding session and it was really, really good. I was impressed with how much they covered.

I dreamt that the baby was a purple armadillo pup

kitkatz - my scan is on Tuesday. At 20 wk app the sonographer said that it was v low and completely covering the cervix, but it was anterior- so more likely to move than if it was at the back. It's anybody's guess- will find out Tuesday!

Pah to us all having rubbishy weeks- lets hope next week is better!
P.s. is anyone else getting a lot A LOT of braxton hicks?

X

Evening all, well my midwife appointment was interesteing

It appears that so many things haven't been written in my notes that should have been and some down right inaccuracies have been recorded.

So really it was a bit of a waste of time but very eye opening and I am going to make sure I get to read my notes after delivery.

However, there was some stuff in my notes that was right and even had my midwife open mouthed and wondering what the hell the hospital/other midwives had been playing at.

At least it is all done and dusted and I have had a good read over what the labour was like, it filled in all the gaps that you just forget about and things you didn't even realise were happening at the time. For example I only remember pushing for about 30 mins but apparently it was nearer 2 hours which the midwife said was about normal for a first labour!

It all made the oncoming labour feel very, very real...excited

30+0

Sorry to hear so many of you are having a tough time.

All good here. Mat leave started yesterday :) very early, I worked until
38.5 weeks last time. But I have to return in feb 2014 & as we can afford for me to have a year I thought why not? Don't worry, there is absolutely no chance of me sitting around with my feet up with a 22 month old

We will be moving house on 2nd April, three days before my due date. Not exactly ideal but being armed forces we don't have much choice so will just have to get on with it.

Can I recommend the nursingbra-shop.co.uk, I have no connection to them honest. They have some great offers & free UK delivery. I REALLY recommend the Bravado original Plus nursing bra with the racer back. It's more of a crop top, I mainly wore it to sleep & it's great because it doesn't need to be a really precise fit so if you don't know what size you might end up it's perfect. Very comfy too and not too expensive. I am wearing mine now at nights for a bit of support. I also recommend HotMilk for really pretty bras, I always figured that if I was going to be breastfeeding in public I'd do so in bras I didn't mind people seeing :)

Off to do some packing. We are off to spend a week with my parents in Somerset.

Oops forgot to add 32 weeks tomorrow.

Hope everyone is getting on better!
I had GTT and growth scan on tues and everything went fine. Measuring to the day and glucose was normal. Lucozade on an empty stomach is vile and almost came back up! Baby has lots of hair, had her eyes open and was opening her mouth like she was blowing bubbles!
Then had midwife yesterday and couldnt get any blood for iron check :-( , she found glucose, protein and lycozytes? in urine sample and suspects uti! Then told me i have low blood pressure! Rubbish appt and have to go back next week!

A wee tip for labour i used was to have dextrose tablets. I couldnt face eating but needed energy so these came in really handy!x

Yes to lots of braxton hicks!! I get them every 2-3 mins and they tend to last between 40 seconds to a minute. Feel like bump is constantly hard! On the other hand it's an exciting reminder that I will be meeting my baby girl soon :-)

I also like the babymel change bags, have seen a nice one in black with bright pink lining..

Am also really hoping the birth pool will be free on my big day, fingers crossed :-)

Hi all sorry to hear lots of you are having a crap week. Am thinking of you all.
Alex had his Cpap pressure reduced today and so far so good, no wobbles! And he had another brain scan and all is well, no bleeding and perfect Growth my brave beautiful boy he is up to 2 mls every two hours now as well, he seems other every time I seem him and he's getting the strength to run his own body. I know it's probably just reflexes but i swear he reaches out for me now. Margaret the head neonatal nurse said today she would be surprised if he wasn't simply on plain old 02 and just a ng tube by 34 weeks, she's been working here for nearly 20 years so I guess she should know. im so so excited, I feel like the luckiest woman on earth.
Physio was frustrating today though, the pain was so bad when I tried to manoeuvre that I literally couldn't breathe so I've been told to rest for a few days before starting again give the swelling a chance to go down. Very very annoying but still I'll get there in the end.
I hope you all are feeling better soon

I think I will join the group of people having a bad week although my MW is lovely and I really like her.

I have an appointment with the diabetes clinic tomorrow - I am working from home to get assessments marked and reports written as it is getting so close to the start of my ML so I was really looking forward to picking my DDs up from school but the only appointment that they had at the clinic that I can make is at 2pm so I won't be able to do the school run. When I got off the phone I actually cried but DDs say it is fine and I can just collect them from CM as usual of course.

Then today has been very stressful at work - every day is tough right now as we have new senior management but I tend not to get involved most of the time. But today was extra tough and, to top it all off, I cannot recall feeling the bump move all day. It has been very quiet all evening when usually it is bouncing around. I am in agony and have terrible pains low down on my tummy/in my pelvic region and can hardly walk (much worse than my usual SPD stuff).

I have just had a big glass of iced water and am hoping it wakes the baby up.

DD1 went very quiet in the days running up to her early arrival so I am hoping it is not that as I am only 29+1.

toobreathless thanks that website looks really reasonably priced and they also have a couple of bras on there that I saw ages ago in a different shop but didn't buy as was too early and no where seems to stock them any more, so happy to be able to still get it....
it's less then 24 hours till the weekend (if you count from the time work finishes tomorrow )!

31+4

I'll add myself to the list of people having a crappy week. I'm really struggling with tiredness and work now, only have 2 more weeks left before I start mat leave and I can't wait. My SPD is better than it has been all pg, but it's been replaced with back pain instead.

Had my 32 week check on Wednesday and my bp is creeping up. I had pg induced hypertension last time, and it looks like I'm heading down that road again. It didn't start to rise till about 34 weeks last time, so it's started a bit earlier, I just hope it doesn't get as high as last time (was 170/110 when I was sent to hospital!). Baby was transverse when my obstetrician scanned me on Wednesday, and I can feel her alternating between transverse and breech over the course of a day. I am really hoping this is her trying to turn head down. DS was head down by 28 weeks and stayed that way, and I'm alot more uncomfortable this time, probably due to having a head in my ribs/stomach all day long. Although, part of me hopes she stays breech because then I'll get to have her at 37 weeks, and therefore avoid the final few weeks of pg

31+6

Ladies, ladies, it seems everyone is having a rubbish time of it indeed!

Fluffeh - I have had various odd dreams about the baby. None in the last few weeks, but lots earlier on. I think it is just pretty standard anxiety -related stuff, but not pleasant. Mine were to do with the baby being grotesquely big - like the size of a toddler. Everyone was recoiling as you describe and none of the clothes, cot, pram etc was the right size! I also had a nightmare the other night that DH left me, which was awful - have never been so glad to wake up and hear him snoring beside me!!

Toobreathless - can't say how jealous I am that you have finished, although it sounds like you have a lot on your plate wtih DC1 plus a house move! I finish 3 weeks today and it can't come soon enough.

My own sorry tale of the week is that I had a long and indepth chat with the consultant about my induction (I am type 1 diabetic, so high risk and will be induced at 38 weeks or earlier). Anyway, I don't know whether she was trying to prepare me for the worst but she places the chances of a successful induction at just 50/50 so a c-section seems likely. Also, the reality that I will not be able to be very mobile as will be hooked up to fetal monitoring, oxytocin drip plus insulin drip really really hit home. It is quite hurtful when everyone in my NCT class for example is talking about active labour and birthing pools, when I just know none of it will be an option for me.

Also, we dsicussed the liklihood of baby being taken away to SCBU if his/ her blood glucose is very low, which is a real risk given I have diabetes. The thought of him or her spending their first hours or days away from me is heartbreaking and I've been teary about it all week. It isn't a certainty by any stretch and it doesn't always happen but think I need to try to prepare myself for it.

Anyway, here's hoping next week is better for everyone!

32+2

Panda: LOL - purple armadillo pup :)

Wishfulthinking: My fingers are crossed for you, I hope the scan will show that it all moved out of the way for you. Let us know please! I find my braxton hicks are less frequent when I drink a lot of water/fluid for some reason.

Dysgu: How are you this morning? Has the baby started moving again?

I hope everybody will feel better soon and it's Friday today!!

Dysgu: been thinking of you, how are you this morning? Has babe woken up?
Will update properly later

BonaDea I had the sort of labour you sound like you might have & tbh it was fine. Remember the CSection rate is 20-25% anyway so you are only twice as likely as anyone else. I was induced, drip, constant monitoring as issues with heart beat and despite all this went from 1cm to fully dilated in 2 hours! Unfortunately then due to a big, mal positioned baby I ended up with forceps & a large bleed after but that would probably have happened anyway. I decided I would plan & mentally prepare as if I was going to have a section- worst case scenario & would be thrilled with anything less. This made the whole experience much less traumatic. Unfortunately a couple of friends who very much pinned their hopes on natural deliveries ended up with Sections and have found that really hard both developing PND.
WRT Scbu, have you asked about transitional care? Some hospitals have areas where babies who need a closer eye but not full SCBU type care can stay with their mothers, usually jointly staffed by Neonatal nurses & MWs. I would again plan for baby to be taken away for a few hours, get a small newborn comforter/teddy and sleep with it for a few weeks so it smells of you for the cot. DH can also pop up to SCBU if worse case you have had a section and can't go for a few hours and do skin to skin, pack him a shirt that buttons up in case he's a bit shy of stripping off!
But it is rubbish & I feel for you and totally appreciate why you're feeling a bit down. Hope the above is somewhat reassuring?

toobreathless - yes, that really helps, thank you. I think I DO have the advantage of being prepared for all this stuff. Must be terrible to go in thinking you are going to breath the baby out on your own with incense and a birthing pool for the reality only to hit home when you are being wheeled to theatre. Hope your friends are doing better now.

Am planning to do a draft of my birthing plan with DH this weekend. I definitely want him to stick with the baby, no matter what happens, so that if he / she is whisked away there is at least a familiar voice in the room. At least if we plan for that eventuality we'll know what we're doing on the day and if it doesn't happen it will be a giant bonus. I already have said small bear, so I think I will start putting it in our bed from now on so it smells of both of us!

Thanks for the tip on transitional care, too. I will ask. Someone else encouraged me to ask if they have a 'high dependency' post-natal ward because those usually allow mothers to stay with their babies. Sounds like you might be thinking of a similar thing.

Hi all. been reading everyone's posts but tough to reply individually!

Adding to the difficult week! I've been to see a paediatrician today because due to pain (that needs an operation that they won't do while I'm pregnant) I'm on regular codiene. The reality of the impact on my baby has hit home - risk of breathing problems and withdrawal for baby after birth :( The consultant said they'll put an alert on my notes so the paed team will be aware when we come in and we'll have to stay in for 48 hours post-birth so they can monitor baby. I've decided to make a real effort to cut down. I've been having acupuncture which helps and I'm hoping now I've finished the long shifts (wahoo!) I'll be able to manage on less painkillers. Trying to be optimistic!

Sorry to hear its so tough for so many of you. BonaDea I hope it's not worst case scenario for you but it sounds like toobreathless speaks words of wisdom.

Mama I'm amazed by your baby boy :) fantastic progress.

Hope it's good news for dsygu and wishful.

29+3 and delighted its the weekend!

faith I was on codeine early on in the pg and my obstetrician asked me to change to tramadol as its less likely to affect baby's breathing. I don't know if that's any help for you. I find I tolerate it better too.

bonadea I hope it isn't what you don't want and you get to move and be active in labour.

I had my blood results back today and have really low hb and ferritin so need to up my iron intake. I thought it may be low because I've been so tired and breaking nails regularly but I didn't expect it to be this low. I've to go back on Monday to see if I'm feeling less tired and might have to increase them some more.

Sorry it's been such a crappy week for so many At last it's the weekend and thing can only get better next week.

bona I hope you're able to have the kind of birth you'd like, if not then at least you're well informed and prepared. I think you posted about your Primark bargains earlier in the week, I pretty much stole your shopping list and bagged myself lots of hospital bag bits.

Thinking of you dsygu, hope that baby was being lazy and is on the move soon.

Hi everyone. Sounds like everyone is having a tough time. Just think though, there's not long to go now...

I have a bit of a predicament and wanted to pick your brains if you don't mind...

I've been offered a really great opportunity professionally to do over mat leave and not sure if I've made a mistake in taking it on.

I have been offered a book contract (would be my first book) and it has a December deadline. It's only an eBook, so won't be as long as a normal book.

I've said yes, but now that the contract is being drawn up, I'm worried I won't have time to do it when the baby arrives as life will be so hectic. I'm a bit panicky (not helped I'm sure by the 12-hour day I've just done - still on train home now... )

Is it possible that life "after baby" can be similar to life "before baby"? The baby will be just seven months old when the copy is filed.

Will I be able to fit it in? Will it be possible to do some work when I'm in mat leave? Am I crazy to have said yes?!

Please help!

Sorry most of you seem to be having a not great time of late.

Like Olli says there's not long left. Keep positive and I hope you all feel better soon!

I've got 8 working days left but even they seem to be dragging!

Everything baby related has been purchased now (we ended up getting the maxi cosi car seat and isofix base to fit in our oyster system.

Just nighties and nursing bras and big pants for my hospital bag.

30+3

Hi all. Baby is moving occasionally but as I was going to be at hospital today I spoke to my midwife who arranged for me to go to clinic. They monitored baby and all is fine but it has shifted position and seems to be heading south! I am only 29+2 so a bit earlier than with DDs but we just wait and see - it could be nothing is happening other than the baby shifting.

I was at hospital for diabetes clinic although nurse there wonders how accurate my test result was - especially as it was done only a week after steroids and I am on the extra progesterone. Still, to be safe, they are treating me as though I have diabetes but she expects me to just monitor my blood and does not expect I will need medicine or insulin.

But it does mean I will need to be at the hospital every other week for either diabetes clinic or growth scan and consultant and will be seeing my own MW in the weeks inbetween - good job I finish work soon otherwise I would be out more thanin anyway!

Marking place. Great news about Alex and glad baby is well Dysgu.