February 2014 take 2

[bugsyburge]

well new thread already ladies.... lets go

Hope everything is ok tiny. x

tiny hope it goes well and you get the all-clear x

We've just got back. I've got a scan on Monday morning. I guess it's just a case of sitting the weekend out now.

I really hope it is nothing, but can't help feeling that something is wrong.

Thanks for all your supportive messages

tiny hope all is ok.

Hope its ok Tiny! As everyone else has said a bit of early bleeding is very often absolutely fine.

Had a text reminder of my booking in appt on Sunday this morning. As if I would forget! I've not been asked to vein a sample; I guess they'll ask me for a fresh one there and then. Do you think if I ask her, she'll try and find a heartbeat for me? If I'm 9+3, they should be able to hear it with a Doppler thing shouldn't they?

Tiny, i hope everything is okay, try not to worry (I know its hard not to). Get lots of rest this weekend.

champagne I haven't thought about any of that kind of stuff yet either - at the moment i'm just focusing on getting through each day feeling grotty so I figure those things can wait.

Off the top of my head I think i'd be most interested in birth centre or hospital (maybe a water birth although i don't know much about them). Also I would hope to be able to breast feed as I know it has lots of benefits to baby and is less of a faff than bottle feeding (if you manage to get on with it). My friend who is about to have her second really struggled with breast feeding first time round and found a real lack of support in how to do it so ended up bottle feeding, but she has read loads about it since and is now really confident in it, so I will probably borrow some books and try and prepare properly for it as I know it can be really hard at first which can be why a lot of women give up with it.

littlest they usually refuse to use a doppler until (I think) the 16 week appointment so I don't think she will agree to listen for heartbeat at your appointment :(

My midwife was banging on at me about how breastfeeding is so important but was being really negative saying 'I know ladies don't like it but it really is best for baby, try and do it for 3 months etc.' I laughed and said 'I breastfed DS for 2 years!' and she gave me a look of sheer horror. Not what I'd expect from a midwife!!

tiny I hope everything is ok. I know it's easier said than done, but try not to worry as a little bit of brief blood is quite normal.

champagne I got asked the same questions at my booking in appointment, made more complicated by my local hospital closing its maternity ward I hadn't thought it through either, we're just waiting to get to 12 weeks! When I pushed back the midwife said I didn't actually need to decide until 38 weeks.

I'm feeling fine this morning. I'm hoping that's because I'm moving 9+3 and things should settle down. or maybe it's because I spent all of yesterday evening in bed sleeping!

its crazy how much there is to consider isn't it. My friend bought me a really good book about pregnancy which i had a brief look in when i first found out but now im just spending my days sitting on sofa feeling sorry for myself also Champagne. Decision making can wait! lol

Vix that's so funny about your midwife - guess you just can't please some people hey!

Hope all is ok for you tiny

I'm off to visit family this weekend. Already being promised a boozy bbq in the sunshine tonight. No idea how I'm gonna get away without drinking whatsoever so might just sip a glass of wine very slowly and complain of one of my heat-related migraines to get out of it...

I am shocked they've asked some of those questions already champagne! I think I'm going for birthing centre/hospital. Not brave enough to go for home birth. I'm such a neat freak and know i'd stress more about blood/fluids on my sheets/towels/carpets than is completely necessary!

Also I'd like to give bf a go, but I'm not totally anti-bottles if it doesn't work out.

littlest - the mw wont usually usd a doppler until at least 16weeks and even then they sometimes cant find the heartbeat. my mw wouldn't use one until after my 20w scan last time as not finding the hb can cause unnecessary worry.

champagne - the mw asks you about birthing choices and bf-ing to get you thinking but no need to make decisions yet. did she tell you about birthing centres etc.. that are options for you?

im planning on another home birth using hypnobirthing and bf-ing again (best had as a trained breastfeeding peer supporter ). to anyone worried about breastfeeding, if you struggle a lot or a little, get help! our healthboard have people who will come out to your house and help you everyday if needs be, plus lots of breastfeeding clinics (I used them ALL ). im not as woo as I sound honest.

I've been told which hospital I will give birth in - on my booking appointment letter! So that's me told then, I guess.

I would choose to breastfeed, if at all possible, but aim to go in with both eyes open and do as much prep as possible. It sounds weird, prepping for breastfeeding, but there are classes and all sorts available, much further down the line, so my thoughts are the more I know the better able I will be to get on with it. Which has pretty much summed up my attitude to this first pregnancy! Not planning anything definite till after my scans though...

That's good to know there is so much breast feeding help around prettyprudence. It seems that often (and this is just from what i know from my friends who have had kids) that they are often really encouraged to breast feed but then aren't prepared for how difficult it can be. I know my best friend really struggled with it with her first and instead of giving her much guidance she was just encouraged to bottle feed instead (she did mixed feeding for a while). I'm definitely going to find out in advance where i can get help if needed as i think i would prefer to breast feed.

Have you done hypnobirthing before? If so did you go to a class or get cds? I've bought a pack of 4 pregnancy and birthing cds from amazon (Maggie Howell ones) as i'm hoping it will help me prepare for labour etc (and maybe make coping with pregnancy a bit easier). I must start listening to the pregnancy one more as i've only listened a couple of times thus far. It does seem like a lovely way to ease some of the scariness of giving birth!

Fuck sake. Fed up. Midwife cancelled my booking. I've got to re book it on Monday. Grrrrr.

Just had my booking in appointment. Lovely MW, said I could give birth wherever I liked - could name a hospital hundreds of miles away if I wanted! Opted for one of the local ones though She also said I could have a VBAC if I want (even though I am quite happy having another CS) She took blood and urine samples, she was absolutely lovely throughout and then she said 'Would you like me to see if I can get you an early scan?' Ummm....yes please! :) (Due to having 3 consecutive miscarriages) So I have a scan at the EPU booked for Tuesday at 8.30am!

MW today didn't ask me about breastfeeding. I will BF DC3 as I managed with DS1 &2. IME you have to be quite determined to breastfeed as it can be hard to get started - lots of hospital staff wanted to shove a bottle at me at the first sign of difficulty, but you do get the odd MW who really knows her stuff and can help you with positioning advice etc. Most of them, however, have not breastfed a baby themselves and some of the advice I had was a little

Sugarmice I am with you on determination being the key if you want to bf. I grew up in a family of woman, everyone breastfed that was just the way. So I knew it was what I wanted. With my first DC I had to be induced and she was prem. she was so sleepy she found it difficult to feed. They said I should give her a bottle because her blood sugar was so low. I said no way! So I had to express and cup feed her for the first few days until she started to wake up enough to latch on.

It wasn't easy as most know who breast feed, the first month is hard as nipples can bleed and blister you find yourself wincing every time it's feeding time. But it pays off eventually and before you know it you are whipping out your boob anywhere and everywhere

I think my body is craving a good meal. I have such a nutritious diet usually. How long can one survive on white bread, lukazade and hoolahoops? I mean white bread? I have never eaten white bread before. But even picturing wholemeal bread makes me want to boke

I can't believe I have so long to go until the 2nd trimester hoping it goes quickly.

Must be the day for midwife appointments. I had mine this morning too at 9 weeks exactly.
It was just boring paperwork and I gave her a urine sample, which she seemed oddly happy about.
I told her about my bad experience at a hospital and the happier experience at a midwifery unit with ds2 and she seemed to want me to go there again or have a home birth. I still can't decide so she said I could think about it for a few more weeks. Didn't mention feeding options but I'll probably breastfeed for 18 months same as I did with ds2. I couldn't breastfeed ds1 due to breast infections, tongue tie and post natal depression. I don't view either way as right or wrong its just what's best for each family.
My tummy is expanding. I'm wearing a floaty top today because my extra pudginess is noticable. My boss knows and kept looking at my tummy area so I've probably drawn more attention to the area with an empire top. I've got to stop eating so much bread.
I hope the weekend goes quickly for you tiny.

[thingy] I have started wearing floatier looser tops too. I have no bump as am too early. But I have stopped holding my tummy in so I all of a sudden look pregnant fat. I keep thinking people are going to ask me.

I cannot wait for my midwife appointment as I just want to know when my scan is.

I am praying I don't get obstetric cholestasis this time around as I really don't want to be high risk, induced and attached to monitors.

I would really love love love a water birth. This is going to be our 3rd and last baby so I really want to enjoy the birth experience more.