June 2014: Thread 6! The 2nd trimester and Christmas shenanigans!

[GillyBillyWilly]

Boom!

Bee I'm also feeling pretty miserable & low & isolated (my family are hours away) but I felt the same throughout my last pregnancy & enjoyed my maternity leave so I just keep reminding myself this isn't forever (even though it feels like it). I looked you up on fbk I'm afraid you are bloomin miles away from me otherwise I'd have made you a cuppa. Chin up

Bee and bee - I have weirdly felt a bit down today but I don't really have any reason to ( family close by, had a good day and so on) I am blaming the hormones. Lets hope we all feel better tomorrow. Maybe my HV didn't just turn up (I have a terrible memory for such things) - am sure it will be ok and I don't see why you should have someone in your house that you don't want.

Redcliff - in the end I might be grateful for the support, the midwives so far have been lovely, I'm just a bit disillusioned by my GP at the moment.

I am having duck rillettes with Schloer rose and pretending it's wine & pork pate...

BEE can you get a different GP? I know it was very odd going to an NHS GP after having seen private ones in my home country all my childhood who of course will bend over backwards for you as you are paying them. I have had experiences of absolute horrors and some lovely GPs here. I know it is not the same as home but I do like the NHS reluctance to treat things unnecessarily.

When I went to the GP in my home country with a vomiting DD aged 6 months and they gave me antibiotics for her virus I was livid but that is what people expect when paying. A cure. Hopefully you will find a nice GP to help you and listen to you. Have a Christmassy virtual hug to help!

Marlena, oddly, my experience is the opposite - back home in Germany everybody's big into alternative remedies and my GP would always try to prescribe something else first to get you back on your feet, I have allergy related asthma and had a lot of chest infections as a child and never needed antibiotics.

My first GP prescribed me antibiotics three times over one winter! I'd never taken anti-bs my whole life! Very odd - and this practice is similar. Is it bad enough for antibiotics? Here, have some. Is it not? Well, just tootle off back home, why did you even come here?

My colleague is with the same practice and has made the same experience.

Since we've just moved house I need to change practice anyway, but the midwife told me not to while I'm still off so I don't know what to do - it's a bit odd to change GPs in the middle of a long spell of sick lines. Honestly, I don't know what the best answer is. I'm seeing the midwife again on NYE and plan to ask her about it as I feel really stuck.

Christmassy hugs to everyone, btw! I didn't mean to bring the thread down, and the bleeding has stopped, so I am anticipating a lovely and relaxed Christmas! And an excuse to make DH peel the spuds and sort out the sprouts.

I feel like poop. After a blissful first trimester of no vomiting, limited nausea and no real food aversions (other than risotto), I have now totally gone off food. If it was up to me (and physically possible), I would quite happily eat absolutely nothing all day. DH made macaroni & cheese yesterday which I've managed to get down fine but then trying to have some chicken this evening nearly led to me throwing up. I feel so bad that baby isn't getting fed properly. :(

Mina I had that over the last week, I loved off satsumas, bananas, bagels and yoghurt, every meal I cooked made me feel revolted. I'm still off most cooked food, but cold stuff is fine.

Just find the few things you still can eat, make sure there's a few bits of fruit and veg in there and take pregnancy vitamins and I'm sure you'll be fine. Just make sure you stay hydrated, I found drinking a chore, too.

Bee - not bringing anyone down. I love that this is such a welcoming place where people can talk about anything. Share away!

Both Bees- hugs to you. Another one from overseas here albeit this is my home now. You'd be surprised how much help and support you can get from internet strangers.

Hope everyone feeling down can gain some comfort soon.

On another note, met up with a friend today whose due in March. Asked her if she knew what gender her baby was and she said we've got an idea. I presumed they'd chosen to not find out but apparently they'd asked at the 20 week scan and the sonographer couldn't be sure! She didn't seem that bothered but I've set my mind on finding out at that scan! Slightly worried now!

I think it does depend on the position! My mom was told that she was having a DS at the hospital scan and at her next check-up and the gyn he said 'oh, you're having a girl, then?' - apparently, my dear brother had just decided to be a bit shy. So it can be confusing, but I believe at 20 weeks it's about 90% accurate!

Anybody wants to eat themselves to death at night? I've got a vision of blue castello cheese on crackers, brussels pate and wheelbarrow of tomato/chilli chutney, beetroot one could do as well.

Night night all, going to hit the town tomorrow, hope it won't be too crowdy deluded

Definitely every system has it's pluses and minuses. I just got a copy of my notes to take back to UK and apparently at my first visit I had normal tonsils and pharynx, no lymphadenopathy, normal thyroid, good dentition etc. etc. None of this was actually examined. Only examination was a breast exam and auscultation of lungs and heart.
It's pretty serious to write these things in notes when it has not been assessed.
It also states that I refused amino/CVS. Again this was never recommended/discussed and isn't even required due to my low risk screening tests, The system in the USA is very much about covering the doctors' backs and shifting any responsibility onto the patient. It is tough being in a different healthcare system, even when you happen to be part of the profession yourself. I have a friend at DD1s school who is German and she finds the US system bewildering for other reasons, as again it is different to what she knows.
It'd be great to combine all the good parts of various countries systems.

BEE that is really spooky - satsuma a, bananas, bagels and

Whoops posted too soon...

Satsumas, bananas, bagels and yoghurt are EXACTLY what I have been living off as well!

Also a mountain of cheddar cheese and crackers.

R

Morning ladies, not had much of a chance to catch up but hope everyone is doing well and surviving the Christmas madness!
I got my bloods and nuchal scan results back and it said I am low risk at 1:767 so no further action needed.
I'm sure I saw people saying their risk were results of a much higher ratio such as 1:100,000 am I imagining this? I feel worried but maybe shouldn't as the letter stated I was low risk.

Morning clutter mine was 1:10000 but that was based on a harmony type test, I think that for the combined test because it has soft markers which can't be changed and some women by age start off will really low odds the results can still vary loads, but 1:767 by all accounts is a very very good result! Congratulations

Heading into London this afternoon to the FMC for my repeat nuchal and Harmony. Figuratively shitting myself. Worried all last night. When I finally did get to sleep I dreamed I gave birth to a tiny baby girl (early), DH was not there and had to be by forceps as baby in distress. When she came out (doll sized) she had afro hair down to her waist. Then I kept forgeting to wrap her up so she'd be warm. WTF.

Good news on your bloods, Clutter. I'd say 1 in 767 is pretty good. Problem is the background risk is effected by age. So, for example, at 35 my background risk is 1 in 350. And then the blood results/measurements apply a muliplier to that background risk. When I was 29 and having DS my background risk was more like 1 in 1500. The older you are the worse the starting point. But doesn't sound like you need to worry.

Morning! I got a 1:325 result which the Dr seemed fine with . It seems that 1:150 is when the NHS will do extra tests so below that is not too bad ( she typed hopefully )

Had an odd night - my DP woke up screaming at 1.30 am and my FIL rushed up the stairs to check we were ok. He must have had a bad dream but he couldn't remember what it was about. Luckily DS didn't wake up but it took me a whole to drop off again.

I have to go shopping tomorrow (boo hiss) partly because FIl wants to take DS shopping for an extra present and partly because a few online things have not turned up !

Lady - I hate dreams like that . They can seem so real at the time can't they. Hope your ok.

Clutter perhaps the harmony tests have a different scale. my nhs combined was 1:1474. with ds was 1:1890 so it's more or less the same type of values. NHS' guidelines state the cut point as 1:150 so don't worry. You are well above the line.

I'm in my mobile so couldn't read everything about the discussion on HV. when DS was born I stayed most of time o my own. Because DS was a preem baby we had a couple of visits that I found particularly reassuring. She was also very good about keeping an eye on my borderline postnatal depression. I never felt judged about my home or where the baby slept or any other safety things. It was really much about the baby and my mental health. in that sense I'm very happy I had that support.

Bee I'm also away from home. I can be hard sometimes but a great experience. My sympathies. hugs

Thanks for reassurance ladies. I am 35 so that is probably putting my odds as higher to begin with. Feel better now from knowing 1:150 is when NHS would do further testing.
Good luck Lady, sounds like an anxious night and been processed through your dream.
Got to go shopping later today as ordered dh jammies which came ages ago but only opened today and I've only ordered the Jammie top!

Oh Mina I feel for you! No interest in food whatsoever, I only eat because I have to! Christmas is going to be a little bleuuuh...

Bee, I'm not originally from UK myself and things are different compared to "back home " (which to be fair does not feel like home anymore!). I'm in mumsnet type of Internet forum over there and everyone's seeing a gynaecologist every two weeks, have loads of scans and tests, some of which are slightly odd (eg you need to be signed off by an optometrist to go for a natural labour! ), etc ect But most annoyingly, they have something called "pregnancy leave" which starts at 30 weeks, 100% salary paid by NI, oh and the maternity leave is also 100% for 12 months (starting from the day your baby is born) but you also have an option of 70% pay for the first 12 months and 40% for another year AND your job is secure for 3 years!!
I always laugh when people talk about 'benefit tourists' coming into UK. You need to be really dumb to do that if you're from over there! :)

Morning Ladies, This Christmas stuff is hard work. Did last minute shopping on Saturday, tidying in the evening and yesterday and a family lunch, I am soooooo tired now and I have to work. I only just managed to get in To the office and have to leave again at 4pm to go and collect my bird for Wednesday, and still have tidying to do tonight! Arrgghh, just want to sleep.