Jan 2016 #7 - headaches and exhaustion but 1/3 through

[BeeMyBaby]

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12-46WHExOXbKsKon2nKyEth9RRyKw9paIw4V4SGTFE8/htmlview?pli=1

Is anyone planning to test themselves for strepB? I've read the kits only cost around £35 and for the benefits of knowing if you have it means you can have the antibiotics during labour.. im not quite sure why nhs don't test for it when it can be potentially life threatening to some babys

I think I will be tested for it? Midwife definitely mentioned something about it at booking in.

I'd never heard of it before until v recently and so am going to raise it at next midwife appt.

The reason they don't routinely test is down to cost vs. incidence. Fortunately it's v rare and unfortunately we are in an environment where tests, drugs, treatments can't be funded unless there is a) appropriate and compelling evidence and b) it's a justifiable expense for the numbers. Sadly this is what public healthcare commissioning comes down to, but other than contributions from taxes - we don't pay anything for it.

Sorry for my soapbox moment - guess where I work!

I've already tested positive for gbs during 3 swab tests with the nhs.

hehe pug you sound just like my step dad.. he's pretty high up in the nhs.. That's the type of reasoning i hear alot..
i guess for the sake of £35 I'll do closer to D-day but im going to ask my mw what she suggests at my 16 week appt.. when I'll be 18 week lol

brickie where you swabbed routinely or specifically for a reason if you don't mind me asking?

Specific reasons misss firstly it was because I suspected I had thrush and the other times it was because I was bleeding heavily so was a routine test due to that.

My ob swabbed for gbs and i tested positive with dd2. I was supposed to have antibiotics during labour but it was so quick they only managed a very small dose about 5 mins before baby born. I was swabbed when pregnant with dd1 but tested negative.

braxton hicks aren't scary! It just feels like your belly is getting tight crumble I've been getting them after dtd! I thought it was too early and actually thought I was imagining it, so thanks for bringing it up!

I've been having fairly noticeable bh for the past week or so.

The only time I had bh with my first was after sex!!!! So v rarely!!!
My understanding of strep b was that it can change from 1 day to the next so doing a test too early is pointless??? Not sure if that's right?
Just had a v vivid dream that I had a baby girl, I was asked how the birth was and couldn't remember but had not scar and didn't feel too sore so all normal! V v weird! Hope it's a sign that I can have a vbac and a little girl. Xx

Yes frozen your gbs status can change during the course of pregnancy so if you plan to test yourself it's best to do it towards the end of pregnancy and with a private test not nhs. They are far more accurate...nhs ones give lots of false negatives. In my situation though....because I've had a positive test the nhs guidelines state I must be offered the antibiotics in labour regardless of any further negative tests. It's up to me whether I take them though however.

I've been a bit of a lurker so far but feel quite strongly about Group B Strep so going to pipe up!

Frozen - your status can change but is v likely to remain the same for 3 weeks after doing the test (rather than changing day to day). That's why they suggest doing it at 37 weeks.

We sadly lost our first baby to GBS complications and our second baby was born too quickly to get the antibiotics in labour and so we were kept in whilst he had preventative antibiotics for 2 days. It's much simpler and safer if you can get them during labour!

Should add that what happened to us was very rare, I'm not trying to scaremonger.

I think I'm going mad. Last night and the OH was lying in bed watching TV, I had my hands on my stomach then all of a sudden it felt like I had a really bad pulse. I know my stomach area really well so I'm thinking was that the little one kicking. I bet it was telling me to turn the crap I had on TV lol

So sorry about your loss Penelope. In my last two pregnancies (in US) I had test at 38 wks, it was routine. I thought I remember midwife mentioning something similar so it might depend on your NHS trust. I know there was a petition going round fb recently for testing to be mandatory.

pug I travelled across world with DD when she was 8wks. I filled in all the forms ahead of time and found it relatively easy to print off pics at home. When she was born I sent off the forms asap. I admit this was to get her American passport but as soon as we got to UK I did her British passport and it arrived very quickly. I actually found travelling with a newborn very easy, I just had her in a carrier and so she slept most of the time. I made sure she had all her immunisations in time. This was because we were moving from USA back to UK so we didn't have a choice, if it was for an optional event then maybe I would have waited, but I did think it worked fine. Also I had a good birth with her so recovered quickly. If you end up having a c section or difficult birth you might not want to travel so soon after giving birth.

penelope that is awful, I'm so sorry. If you are lurking on this thread, does that mean you are expecting number three? I'm like you brickie I will be given anti-bs regardless this time around, which is okay with me.

fairy that's a fab dream, hopefully a good sign!

Coffeenut - Yes indeed. Nearly halfway (due early Jan). It's definitely going quicker with a toddler as distraction!

All my notes are online only so I don't get a physical thing to carry round. It's a new thing apparently. It's good that I don't have to remember to carry anything with me. However my worry is should I be outside my district, how will anyone know my background, since this is a new system? Half the time it takes the midwife three attempts to log on to it so I've no faith anyone will manage it away from here. I have a 3 day business trip (within the UK but 3 hours from home) at 26 weeks and I will have zero paperwork to take with me. Not so reassuring. Thankfully my notes are very normal and dull so perhaps it won't really matter as there's nothing exciting in them anyway.

maybe well done on making shortbread it's v easy isn't it!
Back from a brilliant hen weekend but as Maid of honour I definitely over did it. Danced till 1 bed by 2 but suffering now feeling lightheaded and nauseous had to take a sick day to try and recuperate :(

Morning All

Brickie - I've managed to get an appointment with the practice nurse tomorrow at 6.30pm so will finish work early so can have a couple of hours to de-stress from work (as it were) and i'm going to tell her why i've asked for it re-testing etc and take my notes with me.

I took one of the tablets on Saturday and it amde me feel exactly the same, really dizzy and sick, shaking etc so i think it might be lowering my BP too much (IYSWIM) so have given up on them for now and will tell PN i haven't started taking them yet as i was concerned the reading was false.

I also know the cuff they used wasn't large enough as it was cutting into my arm, they need to use the largest possible cuff for me and they didn't.

Thanks so much for your responses i really appreciate it. x

Morning all, hope those that haven't been feeling great soon feel better

Hugely relieved to have this week off work. Feeling really good, but probably because I'm not tired or stressed from work . MW on weds. Had hair done on Saturday and having nails done today, nice to feel relaxed and pampered for a change lol!

I was getting vivid dreams but they stopped a few weeks ago. We haven't even been thinking about cots etc. Supposed to be moving house, house we are buying is all set to exchange but our buyers are being tossers and have now gone on holiday despite the being to exchange back on the 24th July.... So once we finally move we can start planning the baby's room and sleeping arrangements!!

That should say, plan being to exchange.....

Hi ladies. Have had a manic weekend moving into the new house, but slowly getting straight. Still suffering with vertigo but feeling less ill with it than I did last week. But got low blood pressure so also got the dizziness and feeling faint from that so am a proper delicate flower at the mo.

Still only getting occasional flips from little lady, I'm 16+3 today and impatient for them to get stronger and more regular. For those who are further ahead have you found them getting stronger, and if so when?

I've got three days off this week with my boys so not back to work until Thursday, and a bit worried that my boss will say something about my absence last week. In the last 12 months I was off for two weeks after an operation, a week with labyrinthitis and a week after my miscarriage and HR were starting to "show concern" snorts derisively I know this recurrence of the labs is probably linked with pregnancy hormones so I am definitely recording it as such but still would rather not deal with HR crap when I go back.

penelope thanks for the correct info! I hope u feel like u can join in rather than still on the outside? We are a very welcoming bunch! Sorry for your devastating loss. Makes me want to look into private testing at 37 weeks. Although might beg the midwife and see?

Kep - surely they can;t do anything any way as its a pregnancy related illness. My boss just has to have a Return to Work interview with me and notes it as 'pregnancy related' and thats the end of it basically

On a work note, just been to another office to pass some paperwork over and 'shared' my news with them as they aren't aware yet, one woman said 'well i did do a double take at the size of your stomach'.... i just laughed and said 'you mean you thought i was just getting fatter'

rolls eyes

Thanks frozen - definitely worth asking your midwife. I will join in more, you do seem like a lovely bunch