April 2014 Thread 4 - We're almost in Trimester 3!

[LeeHandy]

Here's to fantastic 20 week scans, feeling baby move and other exciting milestones and best of all, the end of sickness!

Oh gosh me too! Worrying about breast feeding, overbearing family, how dd1 will be, etc etc lol good job back at work in a few hours. (No idea why I'm awake, been tossing and turning all night) DH is snoring away....jealous!

Hi everyone, and thanks to Trinpy, Cannotbelieveit, LightTripper, Vikkijayne2507, LeeHandy, wendle70, Churros and jen2014 for welcoming me to the thread.

To Trinpy, we’re not finding our gender, it’ll be a lovely surprise either way. We’ll have to share our homebirth plans – I am definitely getting hold of a birth pool again! Some good links to follow here: www.homebirth.org.uk/ Love this site!

wendle70, are you keen to get baby into a routine asap? I always found that trying to impose my routine on my older two didn’t work – I tried letting them ‘cry it out’ and all the other Gina Ford style suggestions to get them to do what I wanted, but found, quite simply, they would sleep when they wanted to, call for comfort when they needed it, and that, in the end, we were all much happier following their ques. Although, I can’t quite get my head around the full baby-led attachment parenting as baby will have to fit in with the school run and after school clubs etc., but I will certainly be in no rush to force a strict 4 hours feed/sleep schedule. That comes soon enough, and the stress of trying to do so nearly broke my heart! There are some great questions to find out what style of parenting might suit you here: www.nct.org.uk/parenting/approaches-parenting

Vikkijayne2507 and iloveweetos, do you think it helps to know other people are anxious too? If I’m not worried about something, I think I’d worry!

It is great getting the room prepared, but by prepared I mean putting the baby’s things in the chest of drawers in the spare room. We won’t actually set it up as a nursery until baby moves out of our room, around 6 months old – ish (my other two were a bit younger than that, if I remember correctly). We will leave the sofa bed in there, because having that for DH to sleep on so he can get a good night’s sleep when baby or I are unsettled, or for when parents stay over to help out, is infinitely more valuable to us than having the cot all set up.

I am getting excited now, getting things out of the loft and writing my list of things I need to get. I got my nappies out (we use cloth) and I forgot just how cute they were! I have my gorgeous little Kissaluvs with their fold down bit for the umbilical cord, and then my ultra fluffy Tots Bots and my funky colour Motherease! There are even more great nappies available now, but DH says I can’t have many more (he didn’t actually specify a number, so I think ‘many’ is subjective!). Anyone else going for cloth, even just part-time?

Thanks for the website link Mrs! We're planning on using cloth nappies too. They are really cute aren't they? I can't wait to try them out. Did you use them from newborn?

Saw my mw today. I've gone from measuring on the 93rd centile to 68th so was sent for a growth scan. I wasn't too worried because I know a few of us on this thread have been sent for growth scans now, so I guessed they just have to be cautious. Luckily everything looked ok on the scan and baby weighs about 3lb 7oz at the moment .

30+3

I am stressed now. I had a bit of brown spotting today and called my consultant hoping he would say it's nothing to worry about. but he said that I need to rest and if it happens again tmw I need to stay home and get some rest for a few days as it may be a sign of pre-term labour.

only 31 weeks today!

Lee, poor you. Sounds stressful.
Hope a day or two rest sorts it. In fact my niece and nephew were born at 28 weeks and 31 or 32 weeks respectively, and have had no health or other problems at all (both growing well, doing well at school, lovely fun kids) so I know it's scary but at least you are far enough through that the outcome could still be perfect.

Sending hugs and virtual xx

lee sorry to hear that! sounds stressful. I had a bit of bleeding last week when wiping after going to the toilet, but put it down to having done the hoovering earlier that day (heavy Hoover) and having just done a big poo... have you done anything strenuous today? Hope it settles down.

mrs we used cloth with ds from birth and planning to with this one too. I'm yet to sort out the nappies but have some tiny newborn bumgenius ones which will get me going no doubt :)

We've had eventful day with morning at A&E for ds who had blood in his nappies. All fine though and he seems to be conquering his fear of hospitals, yey! The amount of time we spend in that place is unbelievable.

Must. Go. To. Bed and not fart about on mn for hours then be knackered the next day

29+5

Mrs just seen your message and replied! Sorry!

Anyone had the whooping cough vaccine? I've just had mine and it really hurts! I'm a wimp when it comes to injections but fine when I got tattoos .
hope everyone is doing ok x

Lee - I know it's easy to say, but please don't get stressed! Lots of women get bleeding during pregnancy and go to term. I'm sure your consultant was just being extra cautious. I hope the bleeding has stopped now.

smiles my arm and neck ache always hurt for days after a jab. I'm a wimp too .

Haven't had mine yet smiles - I am only 28 weeks next week, so planning to book it in with my 30 week midwife appointment (though actually that reminds me that I must book both - thanks!!)

Lee hope all is ok today and no more spotting? I always thought brown spotting wasn't too much of a concern as that was old blood but hope you are taking the advice to rest and not feeling too stressed.

Mrs I used cloth nappies from birth with DS and will this time too. I love them but am trying not to buy anymore as I really don't need them. I mostly used muslins when DS was a newborn though (which were great as you could fold them to fit and they dried super quick) but I get £20 from the council so I think I'll spend that on a couple more newborn sized nappies.

Misty hope your DS is ok, that sounds stressful. My DS has an ear infection so we are having a quiet day at home today.

Trinpy glad all was ok with the growth scan, just proves for other people with worrying measurements that it is not always an indication of a problem.

Hope everyone else is well!

27+4

thanks Mrs it does help. I've had a bad day very emotional for no reason but I made a chocolate cake and that was yummy baby then kicked me in appreciation of the chocolate sugar rush. I had a bad nights sleep awful heartburn and was sick so didn't start day well but cheerier now. 29+ 6 weeks

He'll all! Have been woken up by cramp in my foot two nights in a row now. Hope I sleep through tonight! Anybody else had cramp? I end up stamping around my room at 2 in the morning and it is freezing. Maybe I'll try bed socks tonight!

On the plus side I have just made my first ever eBay auction purchase, a Tricot Slen sling. Hope it is good when I get it. Was much cheaper than new so thought it was worth a go!

Hi everyone, thanks for the messages. it was the same yesterday but luckily my consultant was more reassuring because nothing further happened apart from the spot. if I have spotting again today he has asked me to go in for a swab. I am also feeling better that it hasn't escalated and it just seems to be a bit of old blood from somewhere. baby has been especially active last few days so I am hoping it had something to do with that and not to do with having a 16 hour day going up to Manchester and back on Saturday and then running to catch a train on the way home
I also had pain in my arm for 3-4 days after my whooping cough jab and am not normally a wimp, so I think it is something to do with the jab..

Glad it is stable and consultant is being more reassuring (and also that I am not the only person carrying on as normal and then worrying afterwards that I've pushed it!). Hopefully that does mean you've just dislodged some old blood?

Really hard to believe that pregnancy is really the best way nature could think of to produce a baby sometimes....

yes, it seems like other mammals don't have to suffer as much.. I went for my first nct class yesterday and it was nice, though the teacher spent more than an hour dissing hospitals and advocating home births.
light I also woke up twice yesterday with cramp in my leg. I hope it doesn't become a regular feature now!

also light I forgot to mention that it was reassuring to hear that your niece and nephew are doing fine after being born so early. I felt better knowing that even if I was going to go into labour it would only affect my schedule and baby would be alright at the end. xx

Glad to hear that your consultant was more reassuring yesterday Lee. Hope you don't have anymore spotting.

I'd heard some nct teachers can be a bit overly pro home/natural birth. Its one of the things that put me off the classes (main thing that put me off was the cost ). Hospital births make me a bit nervous so I only want to hear good things about them in case I end up having to have one, iyswim. Saying that, there's an active birth class at my old workplace which I'm considering. Knowing my old colleagues I'm fully expecting an evening of homeopathic pain relief recommendations and realigning our chakras .

30+5

Oh good Lee - I didn't know whether to say or not, because I didn't want to say that I thought baby would come early, just that it could still be OK anyway even if the "worst" happens. It's really difficult to know what other people will find reassuring or panic-making!!

Anyway, glad it is all settling down now, so hopefully even your schedule will be OK too

Hi all. Lee glad all is well. Light i have cramps here and there, only this time a lot less. I am chuffed because my boss told me to stop work yesterday. My mat leave was tarting on 1st feb but she said it could start today [ grin] lovely woman. She has two kids of her oewn so she knows what it is like.
My male bosses however were asking me to continue part time, i work from 7-3 and stands all day. The job is very physical as well, i was mad that they would expect me to keep working. Thank heavens female boss sorted it.
31+4

Lee glad you've had some reassurance and are feeling better. Maybe just your body telling you to take it easy for a bit?

Light I had the worst cramp in my leg the other night. It was agony!!! It still ached the next day. I read that calcium helps so I'm going to have a glass of hot milk every night from now on.

blessed yay for finishing work!! What are your plans for maternity leave?

Just had a doula around for a chat. She's a trainee so a lot cheaper than a fully fledged one but still not cheap. I would be her first birth. Not sure whether I'll hire her or not, she was very nice. Need to have a think about things some more. Got my birthing class tonight and seeing the midwife tomorrow. It's all starting to feel very imminent!
We've started talking to DS about the baby this week (otherwise he just thinks I've eaten too many cakes - he said 'you're fat Mummy' the other day!). He told me at lunchtime he wants a baby girl and we should call her 'Spiderman, baby or Susan' We've been reading the book 'There's going to be a baby' to him which is where he's got those names from!
27+ 5

Hi ladies!

Glad you're feeling better lee after some reassurance from the consultant!

Does everyone need to have the whooping cough vaccine? My midwife hasn't mentioned anything.

Had my 28 week midwife appointment today. We are both doing fine and baby was head down which explains the movement just under my ribs. The midwife asked me if I had considered a MLU or a home birth (I've considered neither). She was very keen on me considering these options if not slightly pushy about it. Is this the norm?

28+5

Oh and the midwif measured me and I'm slightly over average but at my 4D scan last weekend they said her weight was slightly under average. I wonder who's right???

pretty - they recommend the whooping cough jab for all pregnant women now. You can have it anytime between 28 weeks and the time your baby is born. Just make an appointment with your gp surgery.

And ignore your pushy mw. It's not fair to try to push women to give birth somewhere they're not comfortable with.

Churros, that is cute! I will try the hot milk. Have been having quite a bit of calcium I think, but haven't been doing vits every day since I passed 3-4 months, so am trying to go back to that. Somewhere else I read bananas/nuts (for potassium and magnesium), so will try to sneak some of those into the diet too...

Pretty the NHS e-mail thingy I signed up for does suggest they want everybody to get it. The benefit is that it can give your baby immunity as soon as they are born - when they are still too little to have an injection themselves. I am planning to have mine in a couple of weeks when I go in for my 30 week appointment. Here is the NHS page for it. You can just get your practice nurse at the GP to do it. www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/whooping-cough-vaccination-pregnant.aspx

My midwife also very keen on homebirth (or a "lovely home birth" as she calls it - there seem to be no other type available ). Where I am at Homerton I think the MLU is the "standard" unless there are medical reasons or you explicitly ask to be on the ward or to have a home birth. TBH I am quite happy with that as it looks a lot nicer than the wards anyway!! But at Homerton you can move from the MLU to the medical bit pretty easily if there are any problems I think, and I imagine that must be the case most places?

LT xx