Feb 15, Number 6- Third trimester is ON!

[BanglesSpangles]

Helloo!
Here we are, new thread- we whizzed through the end of the last one!- Hope everyone finds their way here

Scummy, thinking of you and hoping there's some good news today.

Christmas here is a bit hectic as myself and ex share ds and this year ds is at his dad's xmas eve night through to xmas day Eve. So DP and I won't do xmas day. We'll then go to my dads for Boxing Day. Unfortunately we don't see my mum or dp's family. Then dp is straight back to work until New Years. My bday is also 30th dec.

Frenetic boots also do maternity pads. Depending on bleeding they say use maternity pads for at least a week and then you can move onto normal night time pads.

Haha Viper, i was thinking the same thing yesterday- saw the maternity pads in tescos but coukdnt quite bring myself to put them in the trolley- it seems to spell 'ewww, seepage' to me! Going to get those bad boys with an online supermarket shop!

My christmas period is always mental, mainly because all our family lives so nearby so we see everyone!
Christmas morning- my mums for presents with immediate family
Lunch- OH nans
Evening- my mums to see the rest of the family
Boxing day lunch- stay at mums
Evening- OH's mum and dad

Makes me feel sweaty just thinking about it!

Thanks Jack! Waitrose online is really rubbish sometimes for searching. now I can include in my regular online shop

Viper-
www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Maternity-Towels--48-Pack/382349,default,pd.html

But boots ones are cheaper and supposed to be better -
m.boots.com/mt/www.boots.com/en/Boots-Maternity-Pads-1-x-10-Pack_25813/

DH will be buying mine, he's good with things like that and doesn't get embarrassed and shopping is too hard for me to do now (can't drive more than 0.5 of a mile on a good day, need a wheelchair to get distances further than a few steps, so pretty much housebound - the hell of PGP/SPD) and I don't tend to do that much online shopping other than Asda or Amazon.

Thanks Why

Scummy are you okay?

Morrisons do maternity pads as well, only 1 but I don't know about quality! I plan to add them to my weekly shopping along with nappies etc post-christmas.

Now I'm permanent in my job, I finally got to speak to HR who were all ok about the pregnancy (I wasn't entirely sure my boss who hired me but abruptly left had actually told them before his departure). Looks like I'm starting ML on 9th February, great to have a date to work to- the 9 week countdown is on! The relief is immense, didn't realise how much not many people not knowing was weighing on me

That's great news peppermint congrats

Appointment with midwife this afternoon to sort out hospital handover... along with being signed off from work, I feel the least stressed out in months. I'm cautiously optimistic that the last 10 weeks might actually be a little less soul destroying! Woo!

Peppermint that's great.

grinning last time I tried, boots, Asda and Morrison's maternity pads - boots were the best at staying put and soft, then with the Asda and Morrison's ones, one of them was crap and didn't stay stuck to knickers resulting in lots of leaks the others were OK - I just cant remember which way round it was - possibly it was the Asda ones that were crap and Morrison's that were ok.

The boots ones actually come out cheapest at the mo anyway (£1.05 a pack but on 3 for 2 offer so 2.10 for 30pads).

Whilst were on this kind of topic - breastpads - I recommend lanisoh or johnsons, expensive but the only ones that were comfortable (soft, and surface stayed dry) and stayed put last time.

scummy thinking of you and lo and hoping you're both OK.

Yay peppermint we start ML on the same day. Mind you I have a week of annual leave beforehand so last day in the office will be at the end of January.

Not looking forward to getting through the next couple of days. This is my last 5 day week, but I have to go to Birmingham tomorrow and various locations on the south coast on Wednesday. I won't be home until 8pm on either day. Urgh. I will be a mess. At least I will be working from home on Friday, but I don't think that will be enough somehow...

grinning and peppermint that is also when I start maternity leave, last day in the office is 6th feb. My due date is the 12th, so not much leeway there, but with my daughter I was in the office the day before she was born (3 days early) so I hope to remain as healthy this time round. Not particularly happy or energetic, mind you.

why my heart goes out to you hope you've got plenty of support around you.

honey DH is being fab. He is working full time, yet doing all the housework. He also gets up in the night if I need a wee and can't get out of bed by myself (happening more and more, lying down in any position keeps causing me to lock up and literally be unable to get up by myself). He does all the shopping, etc. Other family live a bit far away, although mom visits for an evening every week and helps with sorting stuff.

Its DS I feel sorry for. I can't take him out much - on a good day I have just about been managing to drive to the soft play literally just down the road (less than 0.5mile door to door), where I just about manage to get in to a seat, whilst DS plays. It means I really suffered that evening and next day though.

Just had my chat with boss and I finish on 26th jan with due date of 5th. Took my holiday that I'm owed.

Sounds like you have a gem of a dp there.

Honey, yeah I'm probably taking a week's leave on the 9th first. I don't qualify for smp so want to work as late as possible, plus I'm in an office and sitting down all day/can get up and about when I want so work isn't too strenuous at all really, it's just the driving there that may be problematic as I'm discovering my car isn't really bump friendly though DM said she would drive me if need be.

Scummy - I hope things have settled & you're feeling better. I had unexplained heavy bleeding at 27wks last time & had to have steroids too as the docs thought early labour was imminent. Hoping your baby stays put for a good few weeks yet...

WhyO - that sounds really hard. Did you have this with your first? Your husband sounds brilliant though!

Can't wait to finish up next week - although feels like i've got to get through a mountain of work before then.

I am feeling so much more positive... got an info pack for my new hospital and spoke to a midwife from there who was surprised when I said I was told I wouldn't be allowed a water birth - I get to discuss my options in full when I have a proper appointment there.

The maternity centre has a proper brochure and everything, I'm so impressed! Much more personal and comforting. Fingers crossed that this is the start of a much more positive experience.

WhyO - my PGP is gradually getting worse, we have quite a high bed with a mattress topper though, so getting in and out of bed isn't too much of an issue - it's stairs that are causing me the most discomfort at the moment. I can still drive with just discomfort rather than pain - I'm dreading the day I have to give that up as it means I'll have to forgo Aqua Yoga which at the moment is my one time a week I'm guaranteed an hour free of pain.

purple I didn't have any SPD/PGP what so ever with DS's pregnancy - had some back pain from preexisting back problems but nothing that restricted mobility. I did severely injure my coccyx in a fall on the stairs when DS was a few months old though and have recently read this can cause PGP in future pregnancies.

Frenetic I'm glad things are looking more positive for you. Our bed is high too and up until 2weeks a go I could manage, but things keep getting worse - I'm especially bad at night. Stairs I can only actually manage with the serola belt on (otherwise i actually feel my pelvis clunk out of position and can't then physically lift my leg) and i only manage once down, once up in a day.

I had hoped I'd have been able to manage driving all through pregnancy, as I drive an automatic, so no clutch to worry about, but the pain pressing the brake/accelerator kept increasing to the point that most days its impossible and even on a good day 0.5mile seems to be the limit before the pain escalates too much.

It is increasingly frustrating. I hate being restricted in this way. I'm also terrified of how bad I might get in the next 9weeks.

I thank my lucky stars for DH.

scummy I'm really hoping you and baby are OK.

Have we heard from memphis recently? Or is she on holiday? I vaguely remember something about packing!

I think she is away bangles

Hi guys. Just wanted to update then I'll go back and read the rest of the thread. Thank you so much for all the good wishes. Whilst we're still in hospital probably until Wednesday at least, happily BabyS has calmed down and contractions have stopped so everything is looking so much better today. I've also FINALLY been allowed to eat after 36 hours so in a considerably better mood and can actually concentrate. Think that must be the longest I've ever gone without food but they were so worried they'd have to take me to theatre, they wouldn't let me have anything until we stabilised.
The thing that really freaked them out was a big scare in the afternoon as baby's heart rate suddenly started to alternate dropping to 50/60s then racing up to 200. They started prepping an OR but thank goodness with oxygen we both stabilised and immediate danger was averted. Contractions continued for quite a while and I started to feel them in the evening. But the drugs seem to be doing their job and now they've stopped, they're far less concerned and we'll move from L&D to antenatal this afternoon. A scan this afternoon will also give us much more of an idea of what's going to happen next but I'm not sure we're going to make it to February.

Honestly this baby!! This is the 4th big scare it's given us and the doctors aren't sure any of them are related!! Fingers crossed we're getting the drama out of the way now and will have an angelic teenager

Btw, bedpans are seriously humiliating! Steroid injections weren't as bad as I was expecting, but magnesium sulphate was hideous!! It makes you soooo overheated and spaced out. Really weird feeling. Oh and hospital bag, hospital bag, hospital bag!! Can you tell I felt pretty unprepared?!

Apologies for the mammoth post, looking forward to catching up the news and hope the rest of you have had a smoother time.

Thanks for the update scummy and glad things are looking more positive
I was the same when I got admitted to hospital-hadn't packed a thing! Had to trust my OH to fetch a few things, mostly successful!

Gosh Scummy, baby S is handfull at the moment but glad you're both stabilising!

what is this pgp? Slightly behind with the lingo

Scummy glad things have settled down. Let's hope baby S stays put for a good while yet.

Sand PGP stands for Pelvic Girdle Pain, it used to just be referred to as SPD (symphysis pubis dysfunction). Basically in pregnancy your muscles and liagments relax and your pelvis spreads ready for birth, that in itself is painless and natural. In PGP sufferers its moved wrong, kind out out of line, which puts pressure on the joints, ligaments and muscles which in turn causes pain. It can vary vastly in its severity, with mild forms just causing some pain after a particularly active day through to severe sufferers being made completely wheelchair bound.