February 2014 - is there an octopus in there?

[LittlePandaBear]

Okay I don't like to run out of things, even threads, so here's the new one.

Can't remember who described their baby kicking like an octopus but it's very true :)

Don't worry littleen I have done the same. Final decisions on this baby's name have been made several times so far from Leo to Elijah then Benjamin and Casper to Jasper and Flynn... and now I'm back with my full list of 10-15 and not loving any of them. When we see the baby we will know I'm sure. Your baby will not be nameless.
I just weighed myself for the first time in 10 weeks. Looks like I've got a total weight gain of 16lbs so far at 30 weeks. I was expecting worse considering my waddling breathlessness but there is still time to break records. I blame the flapjacks.

What you could do littleen is print off the top 100 or more Uk names and circle ones you like (you don't have to love it) and then wait until baby is born before you pick one. It'll help make you feel more prepared even though you can't make a full decision.

Littleen you're not alone - we still have no names that we love just can't find any that work.

Me too too Litleen, seems I am very fickle with names. And then I find it far to easy to veto a name than to put it on the list. Gaaah

We still have only 3 boys names and 1 girls name (which I don't love very much if I'm honest). Am hoping that inspiration will strike when I meet baby for the first time!

We have a girl's name which I like, I'm still dithering over a name though that I cant decide whether it goes with our last name or is a mouthful of too many Hs. So the jury is still out here really.

Since we decided our name, I'm not even letting myself think about alternatives. I do have concerns about it - I think it's quite a grown up name, not sure if it will work for a baby/little girl - but it took us SO long to find one we agreed on and it will be a good name for her whole life if that makes sense.

Had a bit of a freak out last night. Baby had been very quiet since the morning and I couldn't get her moving after dinner (normally a very active time) So we got out the doppler for some false reassurance and she went NUTS. A quick google suggests that a lot of babies aren't keen on them. However, her heartbeat sounded a wee bit erratic on the doppler. I figure as long as she's still keeping busy it's not too much to worry about - googling of that too (I know, I know) makes it seem like quite a common thing that usually sorts itself out before birth, so I'll not stress for now and chat to MW at 32 wk appointment. First time I've seen DH look worried about anything in his life though :)

Misskat, hope all goes well at the Premier Inn! The nice thing about a hotel at this time of year is it's always very warm without you having to worry about heating bills

Marzi I believe their heartbeats are meant to go up and down - it's actually a good thing as it shows they're moving around and their bodies are responding. I've heard a heartbeat that stays stable for a long time is the thing to worry about! (But obviously you'd only know that from going in for monitoring)

Mine's been pretty quiet since last wednesday, after a week of being crazy active. I'm trying not to freak out.

Morning!

Just checking in as it's been an absolute age since I last posted. Currently at hospital for my 28 week mw appointment and GTT. I've got 2 hours to kill til my second bloods so it's the perfect opportunity to catch up on a weeks worth of posts and see what you've all been up to!

Yes, apparently it's normal for the HB to go up reactively but this was going down a bit. However, home dopplers and the average person's ability to read them are notoriously fickle! Who knows, we might not even have been listening to HB but to blood flow through the placenta..

Anyhow, am just continuing to keep an eye on movements. It does seem as though the periods of higher and lower activity are normal, even if the guidelines don't suggest it...

Marzi Yeah... I juts have to remember before the active week my DH would ask how he was and I'd mostly answer' quiet'. So maybe the higher levels were the anomaly for us, as it were. My 'what to expect' book says differing activity levels are normal, but the RCOG guidelines are a tad more cautious alarmist I have the feeling if I monitored so closely I'd be at the day unit at least once a week!

Harlem May I ask what got you referred to have a GTT? I'd actually like one since I tick a lot of the risk boxes for GD, but got told by the midwife 'we don't go looking for trouble'.

Man on train just asked how long I had to go. When I said 2 1/2 months he just said "wow" and looked a bit shocked

Mind you, I wasn't really concentrating and nearly told him 10 mins because i'm getting off at the next stop... Doh!

Rare rush hour trip to london this morning and despite apparently humungous bump, not one offer of a seat. I don't know how you regular commuters do it - I'd be fuming every time I got off the train (on top of the uncomfortableness)

My bump has quiet and active days too - never at the right time though. It's started doing really uncomfortable squirmy movements now too, usually directed at my bladder when there's no chance of a toilet stop. Dh has still only felt a couple of kicks though despite it being usually quite actice - think he's feeling a bit left out.

The changes in movement are really worrying aren't they. I think we're not supposed to rely on home dopplers as we can't 'read' them accurately.

My trip to Brussels tomorrow is going to be a joy. The hotel have given me an 'unspecified' room, I hope it has a bed! And on the way back in having to travel on a tip up seat. I hope eurostar take sympathy on me and give me a proper seat.

julietee the risk factors my MWs took into account are

• someone in the immediate family having Type 2 diabetes (in this case my mum has just developed metabolic diabetes due to statins)
• a BMI of 30 or more (I used to lift weights, so am pretty solid, and not very slender anyway, so this is a fair cop, although every nurse I've mentioned my BMI to has looked shocked to be told I'm "obese")
• having had GD before or
• being over 35.

I've been thinking about this, and because my two risk factors were borderline, I nearly didn't get sent for testing, and would therefore have run the risk of trying to vaginally deliver a potentially large baby (large babies are classed as over 4.5kg or 10lbs) and I know lots of women do deliver large babies, and I wonder if they had undiagnosed GD? It's not necessarily a major problem, but increases risks for pre-eclampsia, as well as macrosomia (big baby), so I wonder if we tested everyone if we'd find a lot more women have it and carry on as normal, and don't have an issue? That said, so far I've been dealing with it through diet, and haven't had a huge problem, so if you were worried about it, you can probably eat a modified diet and ask for or go privately for additional growth scans to make sure your baby wasn't getting too chunky.

Eeyore yes you're absolutely right re doppler. Though I was relieved that it got her moving :) Best of luck with Brussels this week. I really think they should have you in business class!

Julietee I asked my MW about the GTT because I have PCOS and that can be a risk factor. She said given I didn't meet any other criteria there was no need, and they test blood for glucose at the 28wk appointment anyway (have you had that one yet?)

I'm public sector so no chance of business class sadly!

This will definitely be my last trip this pregnancy though!

Had my 28 week growth scan today. All looking good with baby although she's in top 5% size wise at this stage and weighs around 3lbs 5oz Placenta is still low but was assured there's still time for it to move up. Confirmed she's a girl which is good as dd wouldn't be impressed if baby sister suddenly became baby brother Next growth scan is on Christmas Eve! X

Ahaha sunflowered I wish you had said 10mins then held your belly. Guy's face would have been priceless.

I've been off the bike and on the tube lately and actually getting a seat is more or less ok. You get a lot of ppl, especially those in priority seats staring straight thru you but there's almost always someone in the carriage that stands up. Good thing as I'm not brave enough to say anything I just tend to look pathetic.

Bean has been super quiet today :( well quiet but hiccup-y. Think she may have turned or something tho as have had what I think are boots to the bladder but I HATE it so much when she's quiet it does send me into every kind of panic despite my rational brain saying it's probs ok

And good news about the scan sassy!

Relieved to hear I'm not the only one going off all the names! I'll just keep my shortlist, and add any that my other half likes to it, and see what happens. Who knows, in 2 months I might just decide to love one again!

The changes in activity must surely be a normal thing if so many of us experience it! My midwife says I need to phone the hospital if he's not moved for a whole day (24 hours), but I am normally able to wake him up before then just for some reassurance. The last week has been incredibly active, and my other half has felt it a few times :D Also had an 'alien' moment where he was kicking with both feet and I could see it on the outside. Weeird.

Julietee I think also if they find sugars in your urine sample they might send you off for a test. That was one of the things they listed for when I had GTT.

Talking of the tube, I got a mortified text from a friend this morning. He always offers his seat to pregnant women and this morning thought he was doing the same. Woman wasn't pregnant and had a massive go at him. He feels really bad and said it was really awkward, he is now worrying about upsetting more women....

A friend (with preg wife!) revealed his motto recently...
"Better to make a pregnant woman stand than a fat woman cry."
I sort of understand his logic! I always tried to avoid the issue by not sitting in priority seats to avoid difficult decisions. My nanna was mortified when someone offered her a seat (she was 79 at the time but never thought of herself as an old lady...)

Dh and I had a spurt of name ideas in the summer but it's all gone a bit quiet now. I think we have a couple of girls names, but not sure either is 'the one' - I like the idea of the names but not so much when I say them.

Hi all, not much news to report here. Struggling to keep up with this thread, but otherwise ok apart from SPD and insomnia. I have had a pretty hard week with the latter but hoping I can get some more sleep in before the baby arrives! Have had a pretty unproductive week as a result (though I did make an awesome lampshade for the baby's room yesterday!)

I weighed myself a few days ago and have put on 12lbs so far, though it looks like I've put on a lot more than that! I have a massive bump but also am really feeling the extra weight round my hips and bum which I am not thrilled about

marzipanned it's strange how the criteria for GTT change depending on where you live isn't it? I had no other symptoms of GD but was 'routinely' tested because I have polycystic ovaries. I'd really rather not have had to undergo it! I have another MW appointment this Thursday (ought to be next week but she brought it forwards as I'm away next week).

All preggos should wear the baby on board badge to avoid awkward situations. And perfect the slightly forelorn look at having to stand as well. I'd be lost otherwise as o STILL get told ay work I don't look preggo. Am in the f-ing third trimester and quite clearly am, they must all be blind.

littleen you'll be like the woman in that video on fb soon for your sake I hope not it scared the bejeebies out of me