October 2013 - Who is the least prepared?

[GTbaby]

just made it in time for last post on old thread... i hope

Wowsers loads to catch up on as I haven't read the thread for a few days.

Star I've had this pain right side too, I think in my case it's like a stretching pain I hope this is what it is for you too.

Clapham sorry to hear about your mum, it must be very upsetting having a mum who is so down on you and jealous. Well in my opinion as heart wrenching as it is the only people who are truly missing out is your mum and sister, they will realise one day I'm sure. Life is too short for bitterness and your mum will see this one day. In the meantime you sound like a fantastic role model for DS and you should be very proud of that....I remember once having a huge barney with my mum (late teen hormonal) and I went into her bedside cabinet (she kept every card in there I ever sent her both handmade and bought) and in a temper ripped them all up...we didn't speak for about a week, it really upset us both. So to have this with your mum for years I really feel for you

Ana and umlauf sorry to hear about your housing situation buying a house is sooo stressful at the best of times but in pregnancy it's so much more. About 6 years ago my ex and I bought a house and had to pull out because of structural and access issues, I can tell you from experience it was the best thing that could have happened. It took us a few more months but eventually we found somewhere cheaper and better (more potential) so hopefully one day you'll look back and there will be a sense of relief!

Star and Flyer I've had it too, only on the left side, also when walking. I didn't take much notice and its gone away now.

Ooh braxton hicks!! what do they feel like?! Are they easy to tell apart from the real thing?

Im in a crafty spell at the moment and painting wooden letters. Baby will be Albert but Im calling my bump Bertie a lot and will probably do when hes here. Do I buy a letter A or a letter B for his room??!

Hi all

Sorry for "me" post..will catch up on the thread when i get a moment in work.

Just back from 28 week midwife apt and she has told me I am measuring small....now I think my bump is huge (bigger than last time) and I don't understand how measuring a bump translates to baby size anyway when there is so much else in there besides baby. She has told me to come in 2 weeks but that I am measuring around 26 weeks.

Now I am really worried the baby isn't growing. I have't made an apt to go back because they didn't have any that day anyway and I was was close to tears to just walked out. We have a private growth scan in a couple of weeks but will be worried until then. Last time we went privately so got lots of scans which was reassuring...this time we're not so I have no experience of this bump measurement technique. Is this common? And can they get it wrong?

The baby is very active, head down (which doesn't help my concerns about going early). Just feel like crying as it wasn't the usual midwife and she just rushed through the appointment and then gave me that news and told me to make another apt....

umlauf the real thing are even more painful you can't talk and the come with more frequency (generally) but I found it hard to know first time round never got them till later on though.

I think you should get a B :)

Sorry crossed post warlin I have heard there is around a 2 week margin for error you could be bang on! I am 6 over as i said but its def not an exact science you will only be sure with your scan but even they have a 10% window of error is there any chance you can get scan pulled forward to put your mind at ease??

Warlin you sound very worried and for you. I read somewhere measurements are innaccurate to age after aboit 14 weeks hence the 12 week dating scan. Also, they dont do any bump measuring in Spain only scans so it cant be completely necessary (they do good care here!) Think how many people have huge bumps but normal sized babies, you probably have excellent stomach muscles that will spring back after

my mw said your bump should measure 3cm either way of the number of weeks you are, so not very precise!!

Warlin in every pg, I have always measured smaller than my dates. 2 - 3 cms, but with ds2 4cms at one stage.
With my first, they sent me to my GP, to talk to me about eating more, as the mw was concerned I was starving myself because I didn't want to get fat just because I was young!

with ds2 when I went to my 37 week appt they were so concerned that they measured around my bump too. Then booked me a growth scan for the monday (this was a weds morning) I wasn't worried, and kept telling them that I always measure small, but they wouldn't listen.

On the Friday afternoon, he was born, and was 6 lbs 12 roughly 3 weeks early - so absolutely fine!

Try not to worry.

It also depends if your bladder is full/ baby is lying low down or whatever xx

Warlin please don't worry. As I've said before I was actually induced with ds1 as they said he was measuring dangerously small and would have a much better chance of survival outside than in. He was 7lb 8oz, so not small at all. My smallest baby was 6lb 1oz and they weren't worried then.

Oh Warlin - sorry you are feeling so worried, the midwife sounds rubbish

I really don't think this bump measuring is an exact science (or even scans for that matter). I measured small for dates at my 20 week scan with DD and had to have 1 or 2 extra growth scans.

She was born at 40+6 and weighed 8lbs 8oz - so really not small at all!

Just come back from the doctor. Tried to get a repeat prescription for Eumovate eczema cream and the doctor completely refused to prescribe anything with a steroid in because I'm pregnant. She wouldn't even give me hydrocortisone 1% and gave me a talk about harming my baby's development.

I've just got a prescription for an emollient that I know will have zero impact. I've had eczema ever since I can remember and know by now how my skin responds.

Now feel really cross, worried, and confused since I was made to feel a total idiot by the previous doctor I saw for not wanting to slap on betnovate willy-nilly and he prescribed the Eumovate as a compromise (and told me it was milder).

Arrrggghhhh......How on earth am I meant to make safe choices if the doctors can't agree!!!!

star87 - have you had your appendix out by any chance? I get stretchy pains on both sides but they're worse on the right side because they seem to be just behind my scar (which has been there since I was about 8!).

Warlin - I've definitely noticed my bump changing size throughout the day, once I've had lunch and dinner it just seems to be pushed out further. Maybe your stomach was almost empty since it was the morning and that's made a difference? One of my friends was given an estimate for an 8lb baby, and he came out at 10lb so I really don't think they're accurate.

Best of luck with the houses umlauf and ana - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you..

Warlin try not to panic I always measure "too small" also, was measuring 19wks at 24 week check but convinced mw to leave me alone as was fine at 20wk scan.

Can I ask a question if you curvier ladies on thread? I am a typical size 14 (sometimes a 12 and sometimes a 16 depending where I shop). Anyway, yesterday I wore a dress for first time in years and today I realise I have a rash on inside my legs where my thighs have been rubbing together. It is so sore, how can I stop this happening when I go on holiday and for future? All I got to wear is dresses and swimwear, now in a panic as its bloody sore

I think there are some products you can get to help, jellycurls - I know I've seen them advertised on tv. I have some stuff that might work, that I used to stop chafing between sports kit and skin-to-skin rubbage areas, it's called Bodyglide and is incredibly effective. Also it comes as a solid stick, so there's little risk of it spilling/marking clothes like vaseline or creams might. Just a thought.

Thanks all for the reassurance. It just seems ridiculous to be worrying us all with inaccurate measurements!

Caz my ds was also 3 weeks early and 6lbs 13oz..practically the same.

Tried to get my growth scan brought forward but they have no times that suit so going to just wait and not bother going back to midwife. She's annoyed me and no point getting another inaccurate measurement a few days before our scan. I also told her I'd had some leakage and she was completely disinterested! Thankfully she is just standing in for the normal midwife who is on hols.

clapham sorry your mum and sister are stressing you out. So hurtful. I'm glad you have MIL though. We have the opposite. MIL has been a complete bitch to me and hasn't seen ds1 for 8 months...she has now crawled back into his life and has not even mentioned the fact I'm pregnant again. It's them that are losing out though...you have your own family now and keeping stress free and protecting this baby is your priority. Chin up xx

Just got caught up after the weekend.

Warlin I second what everyone else says - measuring bump is very inaccurate, and 2/3 week window either side is still within 'normal' range, so I'm surprised your MW wasn't more reassuring. With DS I was measuring 28 weeks at the 24 week appointment, then 28 week appointment different MW measured me at 27 weeks - so I apparently shrank by 1cm in 4 weeks. Of course I completely panicked, and demanded a growth scan - went to FMU and they measured me at 30 weeks, had scan and baby nice and big.

Had 28 week appointment and GTT yesterday and all went well, measuring 29 weeks, heard heartbeat, GTT fine, blood pressure etc all good. Feel almost guilty that I am such an unexciting pregnant woman for my student midwife!

Question - how many months pregnant do you say you are? To those that I know have children I use weeks, but for the young sales lads it means nothing to them - at 28 weeks am I 7 months? Or 6? Was confused about this last time as well .

Sorry to hear about all of those with toxic parents. Mine are not perfect by any degree, but certainly not anything like you have been describing. It's difficult to imagine how anyone can treat their children like that - even more so now I am a mum, but even before, I've never really understood what can motivate someone to be so unpleasant to other human beings. and for you (not you clapham, and i see you have had your weekly allowance )

warlin I measured big and was told 10lb minimum if dd made it to due date, she was born 39+5 at 8.8lbs still a decent size for full term but not the 10lb the predicted. So try not to panic

jellycurls u can try talk on your legs? Also they sell anti chaffing gel now too but never tried it so can't recommend as such just no its available

I also get a really horrible pain just by my ribs on my left hand side really painfull whenever I walk and goes when I rest not sure what causes but was talking to a friend yest who's 36 weeks and she said she gets it too x

bowlfull my phone app says I will be 7 months in 5 days and I'm 26+1 not quite sure how that works so I think your safe to say 7 months :-)

jellycurls - lanacane gel is pretty good and easy to get from Boots.

bowlful this drives me mad, as people would expect 28 weeks to be 7 months, but I'm not due for another 3 so it confuses people!! like you say unless people understand weeks its pretty confusing. I didn't realise before that you aren't really pregnant for 9 months!!

Thanks Natalie and roofio - and I'm glad I am not the only one to struggle getting my head around this seemingly simple concept

jelly - a bit of talc does it for me!

If you work out when day 1 was (around the first day of last period but probably not exactly due to changes at 12wk scan) then you can count months from there. You start from the same place the weeks start iyswim. 40 weeks is 9 months and one week. Eg. I'm due on 14th Oct which means day one was 7th Jan and I'm 6 months and 2 days.

Hi all, not posted for a few days, been too busy trying to enjoy the sun!
The thread moves so fast and as soon as I think I'm caught up a whole lot more stuff comes up! clapham happy birthday and sorry for family woes. Mine are far from
Perfect either and I try not to let it bother me but sometimes its all a bit much I know how you feel.
ana sorry about your house move, hope you can find another house soon.
warlin I've heard totally inaccurate bump measurements too, I really wouldn't worry. Hopefully your growth scan reassures you that all is well.
I don't have any pregnancy woes to report, this pregnancy is so much less problematic than my first- it's really nice!! Hopefully it will be that way for the next few months too although I am dreading the latter stages.

Just realised that probably contradicts everything else so

Sorry to hear about family issues, my mum had a difficult relationship with her parents growing up (understatement of the century!). But I think it has spurred her on to be an amazing, supportive mother to me and my brother (and everyone else actually) as she is determined to 'break the cycle'. So in some ways you have the benefit of knowing exactly how not to parent. I hope it hasn't put too much of a downer on your birthday celebrations Clapham after all the whole of Clapham did turn out to give you a party

I think its confusing because I have it in my head that one month=4weeks which of course it doesn't really. that way 40 weeks would be 10 months!!
but feminist your way does make sense!!

feminist that's how I try to work it out, but I always work backwards to mentally help people who don't get the whole 40 weeks thing (I didn't before I got pregnant either). So I am currently 6 months 1 week. That way if people do the maths themselves to 9 months then they'll get my due date

Sorry to hear that so many of you are having rubbish times with midwives/landlords/family/pain. If I had any advice to give then I would but I am rubbish at all of that and my family complaints are irrelevant in comparison! Big virtual hugs to you all though.