April 2013 Part 7: As our miracle Alex continues to grow & the one that sees us reach TERM

[toobreathless]

Over here Ladies!

As the title suggests our fore runners will almost certainly hit 37 weeks this thread.

And the wonderful little Alex will hopefully continue to go from strength to strength and edge closer to the door home with Mama

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1658011-April-2013-part-six-what-does-the-third-trimester-have-in-store

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1560543-April-2013-stats-thread

aufaniae the midwife at the antenatal class today mentioned you can get tested for strep B privately, maybe it's worth asking about doing that if they won't test you through NHS

bori welcome it's never too late to join in the fun on this thread

Just got back from seeing the mw it was my third trip to the hospital this week as already been twice for antenatal classes!!!! Really lovely mw I think it was the first time I felt able to question anything she said and she didn't brush aside any concerns but explained them to me had to send off a urine sample as there was a trace of protein which could explain why I've been so sore down there and she also noticed that at the last blood test my platelets were low and they haven't been checked again so had a blood test as well. Does anyone know if I have low platelet levels can I go to the birthing centre or does that make you not low risk?!
I think I'd also better get on with packing my bag as I told her the baby feels very low and she said it's nearly fully engaged and I might not make it to the next check up in 3 weeks I'm only 34+3 !!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome Bori and Rabbit! I'm due on the 27th at Queen Charlotte's too:)

Just seen from an nct email that babycity.co.uk are doing 25% off everything if you enter the code BC25OFF at checkout if you order before midnight on march 4th. I haven't ordered from them before but they seem to have a good range of envy thing and fairly good prices to start with.

And hi Bori, I'm also due 30th April and am also in south London. Hoping for a home birth but if not we'll be at St George's Tooting.

'everything' not envy thing!

hello ladies - i'm returning after a long absence from the thread, suddenly I'm 32 weeks and looking forward to mat leave beginning at Easter... I'm exhausted! I'm sure I'm not the only one!

Hello everyone.
I have only just seen this thread!
I'm 32+2 due my first baby on April 22nd, had terrible HG in the first and second trimester. Felt better to return to work just before Christmas after 10 weeks off, then got norovirus over Xmas. Then felt like I was getting there and feeling almost normal until I got the flu about 3 weeks ago!
Now I'm feeling relatively well, apart from being tired from iron deficiency and sore down below because I have a vaginal prolapse....I am very much looking forward to pregnancy being over and finally getting my baby!

It's nice to meet you all! Xxx

Those in South West London

A lot of us seem to be close, geographically speaking!

I'm EDD 12th April, Kingston Hospital, with St. george's second choice.

Maybe we could do a local meet up?

Sounds like a good plan Angel. Perhaps when we're all on mat leave? (i go at Easter so if that's not too late for you!)

aufanie my midwife said I could get tested for Strep B in the final weeks of pregnancy for about £35. Come to think of it, she mentions it every time I see her....

I know that it's standard in the country I come from, so wonder if that's why she mentions it so often? Perhaps it's more common at home? Not sure, but either way, if it will put your mind at rest, might be worth asking. Fingers crossed for you!

I'm now 32 weeks and looks like I will be starting mat leave early due to severe SPD and Doctor's orders. Has thrown me a bit tbh, but will get used to it.

I've also been worrying about the reliability of the gender scan I had at 20 weeks. As I look at the nursery decorated in pink and drawers full of clothes for little girls, I can't help panic that the two sonographers got it wrong...

Please don't think that I wouldn't be thrilled to have a little boy, as I will be over the moon either way, but feel I've bonded with this little baby girl as an individual so would be a bit sad if it wasn't her who popped out at the same time. We call her by name etc, plus everything I've bought is for little girls.

Am I being paranoid? Is anyone else thinking about this? Please tell me I'm not losing it...

Hi all - just popping on to catch up with everything that has been happening. I have just 2 days at work left - but am off tomorrow morning (as i stayed until 7pm tonight for parents' consultations) so really only 1. days; and I am planning a bit of a 'party' with my class on Friday afternoon so almost no time at all!

The baby is sitting really low but is still kicking me in the right side as much as in the ribs so hopefully it is not planning on coming too soon.

Today marks the equivalent gestation of DD1's arrival (so she remains our earliest baby) but I have to admit to almost just waiting for my waters to go. it is strange - this time I am expecting it to happen early; last time (with DD2) we were in such denial that we were sure it wasn't going to happen early (and it did!)

I have so much to get done in the house but I think I am going to spend Monday in front of the TV with the laptop! Then I will start getting stuff ready, washing baby clothes, pack my hospital bags....

My bump is all up front but getting low and, at the end of the day all I want to do is 'unzip it and take it off' - anyone else feel like that?

Sorry for not namechecking - will be back to normal over the weekend I hope...

Anyone stressing about hospital bags, these look amazing, all done and pre packed for you for £20!

www.bagsofessentials.co.uk/flashsale.html

ollibobs, you're not losing it or if you are I am too. At our 20 week scan sonographer said he thought it was a girl but it was hard to tell because of baby's position. He couldn't see any boy bits and said there were three lines which apparently means a girl. At the time I was satisified that we're definitely having a girl and so we've told people, bought girly things etc but now I keep remembering he said he couldn't say for certain. I also feel like I've bonded with LO being a girl so hope I'm just being paranoid, DH thinks I am. I'm sure the sonographers wouldn't have told us the gender unless they were very sure. And if they got it wrong I'm sure baby won't complain about the pink baby grows!

mama glad you had a lovely lunch out. It's fantastic to hear that Alex is doing so well too.

I've partially packed my hospital bag and I'm planning to do the rest when I'm on mat leave. 15 days to go at work, it's going to be so weird to finish.

33+1

Morning all hope everyone is well.
Thinking of you Rosie.
Well I spiked a fever last night, they did my obs at 10 pm and my temp was sky high, I didn't feel bad but then got really thirsty and felt weird so they put me on hourly obs and a drip. I've seen the dr already and she said its either a reaction to me doing too much or I picked up a bug when out and as my immune system is shot at the moment it could be a issue so I'm to rest all day and wait and see. No Alex visits either I could just cry and cry. This is shit.
I feel better for saying that 'out loud' being positive sometimes is exhausting lol!
So sorry for the me me post. I have read everyone's posts :) I love hearing how you are all getting on, I'm getting so excited for you all.

aufanie and others, I did some research regarding Strep B. Apparently, tests are unreliable, so you may still have an infection with a negative result, while a positive result still may mean your baby will not be infected. Strep B is a normal part of the human bacteria culture inside us, and it's apparently very difficult to tell if it will affect your baby. NHS does not want to place every positive-testing mum on an antibiotic drip at birth, as this is the recommended practice to avoid infection. Antibiotics kill the good bacteria too, which your baby would need. Instead, they hope the baby doesn't get it or if he does, they can treat him. That said, Strep B is quite deadly for infants. So, no easy solution.

birdbrain17 I always have an extremely low platelet count due to massive clumping. My blood samples never work with the ordinary chemical they use at the dr's practice, I have to ask them to try to draw it into a tube with Na-citrate in it, which gives normal platelet count at the lab, no clumping. If your low count is not due to clumping, I think it's up to the doc/MW, but apart from extremely low counts I would expect them to let you have your baby at the birthing centre.

Aw mama, sorry to hear you are feeling poorly, hopefully just a 24 hour thing.

Had a horrible night myself, really uncomfortable with some crazy movements from baby, feel better after hot shower but still not feeling right.

I was thinking of having strep b test privately too, but its hard to find much impartial info on the risks to baby even if positive and would prefer to avoid drip antibiotics if I can

Angeltatto I'll be really up for a local meet up. I live in West London but work in Kingston, it would be easy for me to drive down to meet. I finish work on the 18th March.

Ollibobs I'm paranoid too about the gender scans. On all the scans she was kind of hiding but I was told it's a girl by 3 different sonographers/drs so I just need to believe it:)

I'm nervous today, I have a 32 week scan tomorrow to see if my placenta moved or not. I've got a feeling it hasn't...

Get better Mama!! I hope Rosie is ok!?

angeltattoo, bext and kitkatsz23 (and others) would love to meet up with others around the London area, I'm based in Ealing, pm me if you want to arrange a time/place and chat all things baby, I don't start maternity leave til the week after Easter which might be a bit late for any of you but I'm happy to meet up in the evenings or on weekends

Oh, the penny has just dropped! The IV anti-biotics they gave me last time would be expected to have killed off the Strep-B?

So I would only have it if it had come back since then?

Does anyone have any ideas for a nice baby gift that's useful? Work want to give me a present and have asked what I'd like. The trouble is we've got all the stuff we really need apart from mattresses and I need to choose those.

I'd like something that's useful but not sure what and no idea what the budget is. Has anyone been given anything they wouldn't have bought themselves as an essential but really like?

mama I hope you're feeling better and get to have lots of cuddles with Alex soon.

teapig how lovely of your work! Not sure what you have or what the budget is? my suggestions would be something along the lines of Gro bags, baby gym, baby chair/rocker, sling.

Or vouchers? I'd probably avoid Mothercare if you go down this route as they seem to be in some bother but John Lewis Vouchers are pretty safe.

Teapig, if you do a bit of traveling (and even if not), a Grobag Gro Anywhere Blackout Blind is quite useful, provided you do not want to get up with the Sun at dawn. "Attaches directly to the glass using suction cups, ensuring a close fit that really does block light properly."

SW Londoners: would love to meet you, not sure if I can make it as I work until Easter and then will still have DD1 and DD2 to look after. Let me know about the date/place though!

Ollibobs I have had this baby's gender confirmed on 3/4 seperate ocassions as I have had a million growth scans and yet I still have moments of worry that they are all wrong and that this little boy will be a girl and sadly I don't think Hugo is a great name for a girl

Dysgu I feel exactly the same as you, every day I am checking for leaks expecting something to happen because of last time. You know it's guaranteed that we will both go over term just because we are so certain it's going to happen early...Good God we are going to be fed up

Teapig what about a bouncy chair? My friend is buying one for me as it was the only thing I hadn't bought (apart from the mattress and hospital stuff).

Mama fingers crossed it is just a little bug that will clear your system super quick. Alex will be waiting for snuggles the second you are better.

I have had a shit night my pelvis has been agony and today I can barely walk I'm hoping it's just a bad night and not a sign of things to come over the next 6 weeks.

33 weeks today, eeek it's all getting very real