November 2014- Thread 6- Pink, blue or yellow? 20 week scans coming up for the rainbow collective

[Alita7]

Wow this makes me feel so far along! Nearly halfway!

Congrats amy and Twizzy and now we await the next set of scans!

Congratulations Amy and Twizzy :-) how exciting!!! I also have the same problem with picking names - I think being a teacher makes it so difficult...and It's always the mischievous kids names that DP likes... He tells me all the time to stop linking the names with the kids a school - unavoidable!!!

I'm not 100% but I think I felt baby move properly for the first time last night. I managed to stomach a bit of food and then was lying on the sofa and I started to feel these really strong movements. I pushed my hand on my belly and i felt proper pokes on my hand 6 times in about 5 minutes ...u reckon that was baby? And I had list if twisting in between. Just above my pelvic bone!!!

Good luck with any scans today :-)

Good luck for scans today, ladies. And congratulations on happy scan news Amy and Twizzy, glad to hear all is well.

Woke up with terrible cramping in my lower abdomen at 5:40 this morning which hasn't gone away yet even with Paracetamol and hot water bottle wrapped in a towel. Now progressed to lower back pain. I think it's probably nothing, but am waiting on call back from MW to check if I need to go in. Scan booked for tomorrow so I'm sure they'll probably say to wait until then. Finding it hard to concentrate on work and feeling a bit fragile emotionally now though

Twiglet I had a terrible day of cramping a couple of weeks ago. Was checked out in the EPU at work and everything was fine so they diagnosed ligament pain caused by a growth spurt.

But it lasted all day and Paracetamol and hot water bottles only barely touched it! (actually I think the hot water bottle was better than the paracetamol which did damn all)

Had a physio appt this morning and they gave me a maternity belt which looks brilliant. And she showed me how to do pelvic floor exercises "Imagine you're at a party and you suddenly realise you're going to do a big smelly fart and you try to hold it in until you get to a bathroom...."

Baby button those sound like proper movements! Nothing else can poke you like that. I also hope you'll continue to feel better.

Twiglet, like you said it's probably nothing but its good that you're calling the midwife.

I think it's amazing how these tiny babies are already trying to communicate with us through kicks. At least I presume that's what happens. I sat with my knees up on the chair the other day and got a couple of really strong kicks. I translated that as 'whatcha doing, it's way too cramped in here!' When I moved it stopped again. Mad.

Thanks, ladies MW said she thinks it's nothing to worry about, cramps eased off after about 5 or 6 hours and now just an ache, which is much more bearable. Feel a bit ridiculous for having a panic now, but she was very nice and didn't make me feel stupid at all, thank goodness!

blamber and Baby, I am so envious of those feeling movements. Still not a peep here!

Have just read an article by the US Midwives' Association that discusses whether horse-riders have more difficult births/increased risk of tearing due to a toughened perineum. Uh... Eek! Is anyone doing perineal massage? Sorry if this is asking for TMI, but is it easy to grasp? (No pun intended!) I am quite scared now that I am at increased risk of damage or difficulty in labour! Perineal massage allegedly helps soften and relax the skin there; how often/early are you meant to do it? Waaah!!

Twiglet do a boards search, I'm fairly sure I've seen it me tioned on here before. Also fairly sure they said it didn't make an iota of difference but who knows.

I think all that stuff should be taken with a pinch of salt. Have they surveyed horse riders? How long/often were they supposedly riding? What other mitigating factors during the birth were there? What positions were they in? What positions was baby in?

So there are so many variables there that I call bullshit on that one.

Anna, you're right of course. Phew! Normally I'm quite a level-headed person, but for some reason today I appear to have turned into some kind of gibbering lunatic Let's hope I have my sensible head back on tomorrow!

twig - we did perineal massage. researched it a fair bit back then and interesting how many cultures practice some form of it, more westerenised cultures being the exception. we are also more likely to practice epistiotemies and have tearing in child birth. not saying an automatic link but i was willing to do whatever it took to avoid stitches.

we ended up with not a stitch or tear here. MW said that if only more women did it the better. my homebirth mw has also encouraged us to do it too.

I read about that massage too and thought it would help. I think you do it in the last couple of months? The idea of doing it is a bit weird, but I think it's very woman's fear to tear, so if it helps why not! I was going to do some more research on it later on to see what to do exactly.

At the moment I keep trying to remember to do the pelvic floor exercises!

I don't know why, but I hate the idea of perineal massage - it made me cringe so much the first time around that I honestly preferred to take my chances. In the end I did have an episiotomy, but it was totally untraumatic (the cut and the stitching) and healed perfectly, so I don't regret it. However, I don't know what the implications are for damage the second time around, as there's bound to be a bit of scar tissue, even though it's never given me any trouble.

Each to their own on this one, I guess!

By the time I got round to attempting perineal massage with DS1, I was so huge that frankly I couldn't reach. It wasn't something I was going to ask DH to do for me either. Never got round to it second time round.

A friend who has just had a baby was asked at a hospital check up to give herself a perineal swab to check for MRSA. Apparently this is now standard procedure at our local hospital. Friend was a bit . I suspect that I will be requested to do the same.

I'll second what books said, I had an episiotomy and stitches last time and the healing was absolutely fine :-)
Although I haven't thought about the implications of scar tissue this time.....

Hi how is everyone doing? I have my 20 week scan on Tuesday and still deciding whether to find out haha! I didn't find out last time and it was nice. To those who have found out have you regretted it?

also has anyone else got really bad pain in the rib area on right hand side just under boobs and in middle right side of back? I have had it with all my pregnancies and its so painful. Like a stinging aching pain that is constant. Im 20 weeks tomorrow.

Scan was ok although my baby boy was facing the wrong way to show his heart properly

Congrats to Amy, Twizzy and Spanner on your scans.

Twiglet - I'm sorry to hear you've had such a painful day. I hope your scan tomorrow brings you reassurance and that the pain goes soon.

I have to confess that I have not been doing my PV exercise! I am bad, I know I need to do them and have tried but am not sure if I am doing them right. The idea of perineal massage makes me cringe!

I am so in awe of all you ladies who manage to commute into London everyday - I was on a course today so had to brave rush hour on the train and tube and it was horrendous! People pushing and shoving, even though I was wearing a vest top so am obviously pregnant. One kind person did give up their seat though. It made my very grateful for my 15 min drive to work!

Congrats on the scans ladies, I have 15 hours and 10 minutes to wait!

Eeeek!

Spannertime, does that mean that you have to go back for another scan to check heart? Nice to have another chance to see baby!
Hope you're ok and continuing to feel better?

I have every intention of doing perineal massage but no way would I get DP to do it for me so if I can't reach.

He's freaked out about pregnancy and birth enough as it is!

Still, if the perineal massage intention goes the same way as the yoga DVD intention has so far then ...

2boys, oh m goodness, yes!!
I have had excruciating rib pain on and off for weeks and it's getting worse! It's on the right, just where underwiring would be but radiates around to back of ribcage.
Paracetamol doesn't even touch it and the only thing that vaguely helps is ice or hot water bottle and it goes eventually if I lie on my left.
It's horrendous.
Apparently know as rib flare!
My acupuncture lady improved it since Friday but back with a vengeance now
Was hoping it might go when bump gets bigger?
Some people online have said about possible gall bladder issue as hurts after eating too but that might be because stomach expands and pressures ribs?
I hate it!

Hello all

Working way too much here and being way too sedentary as a result. Can't wait until this busy phase of work is over and I can start walking in the evening again and going to yoga class etc.

I did perineal massage last time. I haaaaaated doing it. But did it anyway from maybe 35 to 38.5 weeks, after which time I just couldn't reach properly anymore (and def no way to getting DP to do it either).
I didn't have an episiotomy and according to the MW I didn't tear. (I'm a bit suspicious though - I think I did tear a tiny bit, just not seriously enough to warrant any stitches.) She asked me if I'd done the massage and did also seem to think it was worth it.

However I do not think I can be bothered to do it this time around. What's stretched is stretched! It seems to only make a difference for 1st vaginal births anyway.

spanner = will you be back for another scan to check heart?

elliekins and 2 boys -no rib pain thank goodness.

i have my 1st appt with perinatal mental health team in the morning. feeling nervous but very appreciative to even get appt as i know ALOT of people have not even got that far due to budget cuts. I know the consultant from last pg and post natal and most of the team which makes it less daunting bu have to make sure i dont do my usual minimising of things when faced with health professional " ach - its not that bad".
off to meet my midwife again in the afternoon - DD is off school so she is coming with me and hoping to hear heartbeat!

talking of tearing / stitches etc - was reading another MN thread earlier on elective c-sections. Jezz - nice to read all the comments dissing women who have vaginal births Each to their own and all that but omg some things on MN are downright nasty!!!!!

Why are they didsing vaginal births???

runs off to find thread

Elliekinks and 2boys, no rib pain but what started last night was what I can only describe as a stabbing like / really bad stitch pain on my RHS just above my hip bone. Meant I couldn't sleep properly and really hurt every time I moved.

Being a complete novice and not knowing what's normal and what's not, went to the GP who did the normal checks, listened to its heart beat (phew - still going strong!) and said to was probably muscular...still hurts like buggery though . Still 20 week scan tomorrow and really looking forward to that.

Scan went really well, all looking happy, healthy and very wriggly! Had to go in three times though and the sonographer couldn't get a proper view of the cord going into the tummy as baby's knee was in the way! Got sent away to eat, drink and jump around!

It's a good job we wanted to know the sex though as our little man wasn't shy about waving his winkie around!

And after feeling no real movement til now, he's decided today is the day he's gonna make his presence known - been wriggling around like a good 'un all evening!

Perineal massage - gulp! But tearing - double gulp! Think I'll investigate this closer to the time as I'm really worried about tearing so anything that helps is worth a shot!

Urggghhh just looked up Perineal massage and saw a diagram and it's made me cringe massively, I can't imagine wanting to do that AT ALL. But suppose I will try anything not to tear! Thank goodness it's only from 34/35 weeks on!

Hopeful I'm the same with Pelvic floor exercise, when I remember I try for maybe 3 mins but I find it quite uncomfortable and can't hold them for long - maybe I'm doing them wrong too?/ How would you know if you're doing them right?? Or maybe my muscles are so weak that it literally cannot hold for long enough!!! Does worry me!

Congratulations on the lovely scan news guys, so wonderful to hear! xx

Hadn't heard about perineal massage before, google shed the light on this... Oh dear... Can we just stick to pelvic floor?

There seem to be soooo many things which seem to be benefitial that I start to wandering if we are supposed to choose one/few or true to do all of them as much as possible.