Graduated Elerberries - 30+ and expecting DC1 (thread no 4)

[HazleNutt]

Welcome old and new graduates and everybody else who wants to join us, elderly primigravidas aka Elderberries.

And here's the list:

Hazle - D-day 21st of June
Cavort - D-Day 26th June
Purplemonster - 2nd July
Janey - D-day 9th July
Alex - D-day 28th Nov
foody - D-day 26th Dec

sorry, added you too, frog

Hazle - D-day 21st of June
Cavort - D-Day 26th June
Purplemonster - 2nd July
Janey - D-day 9th July
Alex - D-day 28th Nov
foody - D-day 26th Dec
Frog - D-day 13th Jan 2014

Marking place. Just looking at those dates is scaring me - how have we all got to this point so quickly?!

Hazle - D-day 21st of June
Cavort - D-Day 26th June
Purplemonster - 2nd July
BraveLilBear - D-day 22nd July
Janey - D-day 9th July
Alex - D-day 28th Nov
foody - D-day 26th Dec
Frog - D-day 13th Jan 2014

Hola Hazle thanks for doing the honours! You just beat me

Congrats to Alex and Foody for scan joy... esp to Alex for not murdering MIL. Or DH.

All hunkydory here, yesterday's dramas seem to have picked up a bit - Mr Bear's job is not looking quite so perilous, and I am acting like a grown-up today too.

How's everyone else?

I am in a caravan near Newquay in what I can only describe as a monsoon. Ahhh, the good old British weather. It's still better than being at work.

Today I am mostly knackered, aching and bored with work after my day off yesterday turned into the opposite of the relaxed lying on the sofa I wanted and I actually ran around like a blue arsed fly doing hard core cleaning and tidying.

No, it wasn't 'nesting' as I'm led to believe that is accompanied by a huge enthusiastic burst of energy, this was more resigned and exhausted 'I can't take living in a shit pit any more, nobody will do it if I don't' kind of cleaning!

Really though, everything is pretty good and I've managed to get an Osteopath appointment next Tuesday so I'm holding out a lot of hope for that.

Glad to hear that Mr Bear's job might be ok, if not, he can have mine, I don't really want it anymore

Marking my place and sitting here with a big on my face!

work not too bad today - several colleagues have been saying how great I look and how they can't believe I'm just weeks from due date. Much better than the "OMG I can't blieve you can possibly get any bigger" people.

Going to see the maternity ward this evening - can you guys also go and check them out beforehand? For some reason, they don't do it in Switzerland any more, but actually recommend in France.

Ooh that'll be useful Hazle - I think here it depends on the hospital/MLU. I don't think I will get the option as I suspect they're just too busy to have scared looking people waddling around for no reason.

It's a shame as I think seeing the setting will really help take away some of the fear. Hope it's good for you.

at Purple and Cavort - even in a monsoon is better than being at work!

Have found, oddly, that the only coat I own that still fits is my anorak I bought two years ago for Glastonbury. I can even do up the zip and still have room! Twas quite big at the time, mind...

Still, it's nice to have some protection from the wind and showers

My hospital offers NHS antenatal classes, and the fourth and final one of those includes a tour of the maternity ward. Am sure it's worth taking a look before the big day!

I've had three, THREE people already at work today tell me how huge I look, that I've grown AGAIN!, that I can't possibly get any bigger...WIBU to poke the next person who comments on my size in the eye with a sharp shit covered stick or is that just excessive violent pregnant lady rage talking?

purple you response should be to say...
"I know! I've been meaning to ask you where you shop now we are the same size"
and good luck at the osteopath!

Does anyone know anyone who had to have a cervical stitch done to prevent miscarriage at a later stage? Just had my app with a specialist and need to decide whether to have a stitch put on my cervix in two weeks. He recommends it based on looking at/feeling my cervix. Gone from to

I had a leez loop a couple of years ago so have read a bit about it, this is the most useful info I found -
www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Cervical-stitch-Oct-20101.pdf
They say is very unlikely i will need it as only had the 1 procedure, but I had read a bit before I knew this.

Sorry don't know anybody, but poor you!

DH just texted that with the energetic dog-mindee gone, it's so bloody quiet at home, like we don't even have pets. (And we have 5).

Told him to stop complaining and enjoy the last few weeks of silence

Hey alex, yes, a colleague at work had one. Had it put in early doors (but think she had three treatments on cervix?) and taken out v.late just before labour. That's about all I know - she said it was just a preventative measure, just in case? Think it's relatively common though. Did he recommend you have one after just one lletz treatment?

No sorry Alex, I'm afraid I don't know anyone who's had it done. I believe it's a relatively common and straightforward procedure though.

YANBU Purple.

Alex I don't know anyone either, think there was a thread on pregnancy board a while ago with good info. Sorry for the downer. However, if it were me, I'd probably go for it (unless there are risks I wouldn't know about) as it might help reassure you that the odds are in your favour.

Tough call though.

Nice response Foody am so stealing keeping that one up my sleeve.

In other news... anyone else not putting on much weight at the moment? Was putting on a fair bit every week but not much in the last 3 weeks. Was happy first week (ahem) but now a bit worried that I'm starving the wriggler

Thing is, I'm not very hungry at the moment. Am just eating little bits here and there (fairly nutritious, mind) and trying to avoid heartburn that has gone from annoying to murderous - I've had it off water - in the last couple of days.

My weight gain thus far is 'normal' according to American app, up to 65kg from 57kg at 30 weeks, but just worrying that I'm unwittingly stunting little one's growth (and won't know for two weeks).

Well that's the thing, I've only had one LLETZ and the standard rule is they monitor it if you've had more than one or a late miscarriage. I pointed out I don't want to be back there after a late miscarriage saying "do I qualify now for monitoring" and he was understanding and asked how much I'd had removed etc. I said I was young and no idea. He then took a look and had a feel (really hurt, I was so tense and worried at him prodding around and kept saying "be careful!") Then afterwards he said it did look like I'd had a significant chunk removed and he thought it would be safer to put a stitch in. He booked me in for the surgery but I said I really felt that him looking and digging round wasn't accurate (in a nice way) and asked him to do a proper scan to check the length, so he's going to do that first. He said maybe 1 in 100 woman have it done very roughly so it isn't ridiculously rare. Still terrified though and wondering if I did the right thing insisting he took a look?!

brave water has given me heartburn too, several times. Oddly squash doesn't seem to do the same thing?! Must all be in my mind...

alex I don't know the risks but brave's advice seems fair enough. Sure it won't be particularly pleasant to have it done, but better than worrying for the next six months?

Thanks both, I guess imagine if I didn't do it and the worst happened? Just feels weird that I was the one insisting for monitoring - wondering why they don't check after one treatment if this can be the resulting advice?!

Alex I feel for you, it sounds utterly grim. Hope DH was there (and no sign of MIL anywhere in sight) to give you some support. I think you've made a very wise choice to get checked, especially so early on.

I have a vague recollection of a trial being carried out in London or Kent where every pg woman is invited for an internal scan at circa 14-15 weeks to check cervix length in a bid to prevent problems by offering a stitch in time (if you will).

Some women with no previous treatment or previous history do have shorter cervixes and this is obviously a huge risk. That they don't automatically offer this to women who have had treatment in the past seems a bit bonkers to me.

Given that you're one of us older generation where risks seem higher anyway, I'd say it's sensible to take any precautions possible. Admittedly that's easy for me to say that, because I'm not the one going through it - but I'd like to think I would find the courage to do so if needed.

alex - have just mailed the colleague asking her for her experiences for you. We talk quite a lot so am sure she'll happily share. Will report back when I've heard from her...

Thanks bear really apprciate that. I'd told DH to go back to work as he'd already had the time off this morning for the happier appointments (haven't told him about this news yet) but MIL insisted on driving me to the hospital and back which was lovely BUT she then banged on about the distance/parking "issue" with that hospital, it's no better etc - I did nearly lose it with her

I'm hoping to get a second opinion on my crappy short cervix privately but need to find somewhere good. Just keep thinking, if I need it, how crazy that they weren't going to look?! And if I don't need it, am I putting myself at more risk by having anaesthetic and having it tampered with? Argh just when things were going so well!