October 2014 #9 - Into the home straight we go, 3rd trimester here we come!

[sazzlehopes]

old threads is here

Keep up the chitter chatter ladies!

My mum is coming, she did last time too. My ds will be with my ILS which is totally perfect for us.

Your mum will understand, I was undecided for ages this time about what I wanted in labour and mum was very supportive of whatever decision I would make.

I have a 'what would you do' type question.

I saw the consultant last week, saw midwife at the hospital then too - midwife scary and awkward, consultant laid back and reassuring. Have still not met midwife at my local GP surgery, or met a GP actually since we only moved here in February - saw a locum for referral to consultant, but that's all.

It says in notes that I should see a GP at 31 weeks for blood pressure, urine, baby's growth and heart rate. Firstly I'll still be on holiday at 31 weeks, but have a growth scan booked for 32 weeks, so that takes away half the reason for going to the GP appointment. Especially since getting in to see a GP seems impossible, and I HATE sitting in clinics waiting to be seen. Riddled with germs.

Next consultant appointment is 34 weeks.

Next midwife (local midwife - so first time I'll meet them), is 36 weeks. I've spoken to them on the phone and they said go and meet them at 'some point'... vague.

I'm thinking: go and see local midwife during week 32 for blood pressure and urine, have growth scan as planned during the same week. Don't see GP. Then any follow up from those can be dealt with at the consultant appointment at 34 weeks. Yes?

Confusing, soz.

Sounds reasonable to me, unless there's any other medical reason why they HAVE to do it all at 31wks?

I can fully sympathise, having moved house between pregnancies and now being in the 'catchment area' for a hospital with a terrible reputation, I put my foot down and insisted on going where I had DD. Trouble is my GP's midwives are attached to the crap hospital, so I'm having to schlep to the outskirts of town for antenatal appointments, I even missed my 16wk check because I wasn't on anyone's caseload.

Next available midwife appointment - no shit - is 18th August. Hahaha.

Never answer their phones, no return of messages, no appointments available when you actually need them. Feeling quite glad I'm consultant led really.

Haha goats your bathroom antics are the same as mine, I had to get hubby out of the shower the other morning as my urgent need to go to the loo was more urgent than ever! On subject of colitis mine is starting to flare again now because she is growing, this happened early second trimester so went on course of steroids, not sure what they can give me in third trimester.

On subject of birthing partner I just want hubby but mum has insisted she will be there and I believe her as she turned up to my sisters labour as well and stayed all night!

I didn't realise you could have two birthing partners actually? Thought it was just one.
Giggling away at the soft lips/hypno-pooing chat haha!!
Last couple of days I've felt some bizarre bubbling sensations now and again inside my fanjita, anyone else had this?! Assume it's just weight of baby pushing down and expelling air or something, v odd!
One of my managers at work today was saying she doesn't know how I hadn't toppled over yet, to be fair I made the same joke to my mum a couple of weeks ago so don't feel I can be that offended!!

OMG has anyone else got a problem with nose bleeds? I never get them normally and only when pregnant. I've had two today. One in a mtg when I could escape to the loo and the other on the train home. Didn't have any tissues so had to ask for donations. So very embarrassding.

I also have a pile - probably more the size of a blueberry than a sprout though. Lovely.

Thanks for the thoughts re my fear of dodgy virus or listeria. I agree it probably is just a cold. And thank goodness baby starting moving like normal when in some boring meeting later this morning!

Fedup I get them, at slightly less inopportune moments than yours, like when I'm rushing about trying to get ready in the morning or just as I'm plating up dinner, gah!! MW isn't worried, said they're common.

Thanks Sparkle, midwife has now taken blood and will contact me if I am not immune so going on the premise that no news is good news. Still upset the doctors advice was so different to the midwives. I have to say that most of the GP's I have ever interacted with have been crap! I wish the surgery could be run by the nurses & midwives, they are the only ones who seem to know anything!

Goats, sorry your surgery is rubbish, at least I can actually get an appointment with mine! Confused as to why you need to specifically see a GP at 31 weeks though, surely a midwife would be better equipped?

RE birth partners, not sure that all hospitals allow 2? I had a bit of a panic about who would look after DS should I need to go to hospital (planning a home birth) but we have a plan now, feel a bit more relaxed after doing that!

Loving the idea of hynopooing lol! Might give that a go next time, my vitamins make me awful constipated!

Yeah I think with my hosp you only get one birth partner. Was just watching "She's Having a Baby" and both the women had long labours, DH walked in during the throes of it, said "Have I to be there for this....cos I don't think I'd enjoy it..." Lol, big fecker

I haven't even asked officially - I assume that since my doula is known by the hospital, and I've spoken with both the hospital and the doula about why I want one (to help both me and boyf), that by now someone might have said 'erm'. But who knows!

Also no idea why the 31 week appointment - it's on a list in my notes of appointments that I should have, which I'd ignored until now because I saw consultants more regularly. Since things are going OK, I think it's been reduced a bit.

Just been watching some silly programme about vintage clothing with Dawn Porter raving about it, and got even MORE excited about not being pregnancy anymore. 6 weeks 3 days until small is fully cooked... yeah yeah I know 5 weeks more is more likely but still

goats the chronic understaffing of midwives is shit for everyone, which is why we are finally being balloted to strike (won't happen for quite if few months yet if majority vote yes)
As for your appt schedule don't worry if it isn't exactly the week schedule states week earlier or later is fine.

jelly hopefully you are immune most people are however I would chase up the blood result myself anyway just in case.

OH will be my birthing partner, though childcare is a big worry as we have no one here hope I get enough notice for OH sister to make her way down 1.5 hours away.

Re appts with gp some areas like mine do shared care so usually the 22, (or 25 in some areas) 31 and 38 week appt are with gp it's just a different model of care some areas have.

Me23 - oh I'm totally on board with all that shortage stuff (and September/October is apparently busy too), also agree that striking is a reasonable option (I'm a teacher remember!)... but I'm still glad I'm not relying on medical stuff that I have to book up weeks and weeks in advance, when I have no idea what I'll need in weeks and weeks time.

To be fair to the 'customers' though, the NHS is clearly in a dire state. Lots of people I know are going private (on credit, not because they can afford it), which ends up making you question why you've paid tax for yonks.

Doing things like booking appointments for 8.25am in the morning, then leaving clinical staff in meetings (standard meetings, not one offs) until 9.15am, doesn't help - it's as if 'we' have all the time in the world to sit and wait for them. This is particularly the case with consultants, who I bet wouldn't keep private patients waiting for up to 3 hours beyond an appointment time. Sucks. Just another them and us thing for most of the population though, huh. The government needs voting out.

What I don't get the most about the NHS is why have weekends? People don't choose when to get ill. And you are basically a bit fucked if you are ill on a sat or sun. And Offering appointments in normal working hours that you then have to wait three hours for in some germ infested zone just doesn't make sense to me!! Totally get that it needs to be resourced to do that but is one thing I just really don't understand. Same for social care. Too many people get shoved in a residential home because it's Friday at 4pm and no one is around to sort out some care for them to stay at home with support. Daft.

I also had ds on a Friday and couldn't get out of hospital as they wanted me to see a physio before I went but of course... The physio a don't work on sat / sun. My dad had to stay in hospital over the weekend just so he could be first in the queue for MRI on the Monday... Where is the logic in that? And then no one came to see him till 3 pm on the Monday - waste of money and awful experience for my dad. Apparently death rates much higher at weekends / outcomes much poorer if you are admitted on a Friday Anyway... I will shut up now!

goats I totally agree! Things must change soon.
fedup it's shit I know, though where I work physio and antenatal clinic run on weekends. Plus in maternity due to the unscheduled nature at which events occur at least we have consultants on weekend and nights.

There are lots of services that need to work 'real' hours though - times are a-changing, banks can't work banking hours anymore - it's absurd that they open from 9 - 5 weekdays only in lots of places, GP surgeries where I've lived in the past only open 8.30 - 5.30 on weekdays, small businesses like grocers complain that they are going out of business - well, what do you expect when you work 9 - 5.30 on weekdays? We can't all do our shopping between 9 and 12 on Saturdays. Everyone goes to work at that time, then goes to Sainsburys out of town on the way home, you need to work later.

If you work in a service industry (which a GP is, a dentist is, a bank is, all shops are, etc) then you need to be available for service, and I'm afraid it's a 24 hour world these days.

Don't start me on Sunday opening hours. Dismount high horse.

OMG I'm struggling with this heat. What are you all sleeping in? It was 28C here today & I have changed all bed linen to light stuff & am in knickers & sleep bra & I am boiling! :(

Here here on the NHS rants, my hospital now has a system where you cannot talk to reception unless you have a ticket. You arrive for your appointment, take a raffle ticket, wait for your number to be called, go up tell them you have an appointment, sit back down, few hours after your appt time see consultant or midwife, come out, take a ticket, wait to be called, make next appointment at reception, Process begins again if you need blood tests done! I spend hours at hospital every time I go there, appt always in morning and place is heaving until noon when clearly they don't make appt as everyone goes on lunch, blood tests finish at 11.30 as well. Having said all that, we are lucky to have it lol

Excited - I sleep naked! Only cope with heat at night because we have a fan on all night long.

Sports bra and knickers is my current sleepwear. I kip on top of the covers, window open. My mahoosive preggo pillow takes up half the bed, feel kinda bad for DH sometimes! Also miss proper squidgy hugs as my bump's too big!

Injury ice packs in the bed - wrapped in tea towels so I don't fall asleep on them and get ice burns, but one near feet, one under pillow by hands. Sorted. Last couple of nights that has made me feel cool enough to have a duvet, which in general means I sleep better. I'm away without the boyfriend though, so in bed alone - definitely makes a difference.

I'm scared of keeping the windows open after Monday night when a bat flew in and landed in my hair - I shocked it out of the air by putting the light on to work out what the whirring noise was. The whirring noise was it flying around and around in panic. I made more than whirring noises when it crashed on me.

Goats eeekk! Did you have to extract it yourself or did it fly back out the window?
Good tip with the ice packs.
I've chucked DH into the spare room & have light duvet pulled up to my bum, still too hot but blanket/sheet too light & annoying & duvet too heavy. Ice pack near feet would be bliss right now. I can't sleep with nothing over me.
Kirsti I'm missing the company/hugs in bed too but poor DH gets more rest in spare room, I would have woken him up by now! :)