Feb 2016 babies: Welcome to the 3rd trimester - the final stretch! (in more ways than one)

[haquoi123]

New thread! Stats in next post

troika lovely bump pic - the measures are complete rubbish in my opinion! Although my bump was 2 weeks ahead & I'm nearly 37 weeks and she was apparently 5lb at 32 week growth scan so I'm preparing (freaking out...) about a big baby! Have my booking in app tomo at new hospital (we have moved) so going to speak to midwife about my anxiety over size of baby & see is she is nicer than the last one!

rufus gorgeous scan pic! He is smiling!

haquoi yes I've spoken to triage and the antenatal clinic and they've booked me an appointment with my consultant next Weds have told them I need to speak to someone else quicker and I want to be booked in for an elcs ASAP so waiting to hear back from them.
Have also found an expert in the condition who does private appointments so hoping to get one arranged with him.
I love the NHS but this has properly freaked me out. The midwives and consultants dont seem to know or be bothered about a condition that carries over a 60% chance of fetal mortality if left to a natural birth and they're just ignoring to RCOG guidelines without telling me why

zebra that alarming! I really hope you manage to get this sorted. Let us know how it goes

Thanks haquoi

Clarabell we've done several trips to the maternity unit for scans and it's a bad enough journey with a full bladder never mind being in labour my husband works 30 mins away from home so we have no idea how it'll all work out at all.. Just hoping for a weekend or night time water breaking I think :p

Has anyone experienced low down pulling/heaviness? I'm sitting at my desk in agony today, feels like the baby wants to burst out!. Been to the loo, and haven't done any stretching so neither of those things. Baby had been head down for about 4 weeks now. Hurts more to move or cross legs, but not coming and going like I assume contractions would.. bet it's something simple like gas :p

zebra sorry I think I missed your first post somehow. I am angry for you that you can't see someone sooner. Can you call again?

So saw midwife. She can't decide if breech or not as the bump in my liver definitely feels like a head but she thinks it's a bit broad so could be a very bony arse.

Thing is we know it was head in liver a few weeks ago and I haven't felt it in any different place. So we need a scan.

I am booked in at a different hospital to where my midwives are based. Cue random phone calls trying to sort. Eventual agreement to see hospital midwives at week 37 and scan if necc.

So I come away and then notice that hey have booked my appointment at 38 + 1. So now will have to phone them tomorrow and query.

Will be amazed if bubs has turned but would be god news I suppose.

ratty I've been phoning them all day. They keep telling me they're busy and they'll phone back - looks like I'll be phoning them all day tomorrow too!

zebras I'm sorry to hear you're going through this and I hope you can get seen ASAP.

Good luck on the phone tomorrow zebras, let us know how you get on.

Your line about the west of Scotland and massage did make me laugh too clara, brilliant. My family was fairly 'let it all hang out' hippy, so don't mind nudity, etc. I have however booked myself for a delux pedicure on Saturday, can't wait. It's my treat to myself, but it's 'allowed' as I genuinely can't do my toes! I also invested in a little electric razor to do bikini line and bits as I'm not waving scissors around there any more

So no imminent c-section then rufus? Btw, I find I get a funny smell when I'm ill, so don't know if you're coming down with a cold or something?

DD-to-be leaping around this evening, I keep on having to grab my bump. Got my much-delayed-by-Xmas MW appointment tomorrow, which means a lie in, and given I've just had to schlep to Oxford and back via public transport and stay overnight for a training session, I can't wait! Watch DS wake me in the middle of the night, sigh....

zebra good luck tomorrow, can't imagine how worried you must me.

madsaz I have the appt on Saturday to see if the baby is still breech, but from what I can feel it's very similar to you! I think I'm looking at a c-section. Did they mention manually turning the baby to you via the scan? Some people seem to be offered this from what I've read online.

Early morning waking moan: I've been up for over an hour after dreaming I was an assassin so intent on getting my person I accidentally hurt my baby. Grr. And I've been reading the spinning babies website to pass the time and scared myself about sleeping on my left and putting too much weight on bubs (don't have enough pillows for a tummy one). Eurgh. Moan over!

Zebra sorry I missed your post too, I really hope you get to speak to someone today and they book you in ASAP.

Midnight I think the pulling/dragging feeling down low is your body preparing for labour. I've started to get it this week but iirc it can be ages before anything actually happens.

Had to phone the ward last night as we have a case of meningitis at work so needed to check if any risk to baby. All should be ok but now have my mum and dp telling me this is why I shouldn't still be at work.

Thanks for all the bump feedback

Anyone using bed mats, I have washable ones and they are much nicer and less sweat inducing! I used them when the dc were first out of nappies at night and am planning on using one as a changing mat too. They are about £9 each though so not cheap. I think mine were just from boots but there are probably loads online.

Troika I have something similar by the clevamama brand - I got it in mothercare for around €7 so should be cheaper again in £. It's nice and soft and doesn't feel sweaty. I'm going to use it under my top half the next few weeks while the boobs are leaky and I'm sure it will come out again when I'm toilet training in the future!

I didn't test it out as I hopped out of bed when I heard the pop and felt a little trickle - so the bedroom floor got the first torrent! Luckily it's wooden!

mawsy are you still is hospital? You must be getting out soon, are you?

Terrible nights sleep last night, I think I'm going to put a single duvet under the sheet on my side of the bed as the mattress feels rock-hard these days. That should soak up any waters that might appear too and I can wash duvets in my WM. I don't expect my waters to break, as they didn't in either of my previous labours. Could be different this time though!

37+2 today. I think I have everything for my bag so plan to get fully packed today.

I've read some really tragic stories re. the outcome of allowing a doctor to try and manually turn a baby. Please read as much as you can about it or just say no and go for a caesarean.

We didn't get very far on discussion as she couldn't tell babies position at all. I'm sure bubs hasn't moved.

Evidence wise most manual turning is safe - I would be willing to try but not to excess if that makes sense. I always read the green top guides from the RCOG and other available evidence if I need to before coming to a decision .

Where I am booked they are very conservative so section highly likely. Assuming that is I can get them to plan a scan on the right day!

Getting in touch, organising things & appointments is much more of a pain in the arse than I ever realised. Everyone knows pregnancy induces anxiety yet system doesn't semi able to acknowledged it. Even getting useful info from a website would help - my local unit has very little available. Drives me mad

maisie I'm still here! Due to be in until tomorrow but should be get out this afternoon - have to wait until 96hrs after first feed for the heel prick test but otherwise everything is done except for someone to take the big long stitch out.

I can't wait to get home but I'm also apprehensive about how ds1 will be

My toddler has just been a twat of the highest order. He goes to pre school most mornings. My partner was able to be there in recent weeks because of the pre Xmas, post Xmas time off he had. So any tantrums and running off he has been handling. Yesterday I picked him up and he wouldn't follow me, found the biggest deepest puddle he could and waded into it, sat down in it, ran through it back and forth for about 10 minutes. I had walked to the end of the path and just waited for him to get cold basically. Any intervention was going to lead to a fight and struggle and lifting etc which I refuse to do at this point in my pregnancy.

Fast forward this morning I put him on reins to prevent a repeat and we were running slightly behind schedule. My god did he just have the tantrum of his life. I had to manhandle him eve very step of the way and ended up booting the door open and dumping him into the lobby by the hood of his coat and his arm. With him bellowing at the top of his voice 😳😳

I am so sick of it. They then handled him beautifully but I feel like the worst mother in the world. I am just not getting into lifting him at this gestation as he then punches and kicks and fights and I swear he would pop my waters.

mawsy I hope they let you out later. Fingers crossed. I'm so nervous about how DS will react to the new baby too. Did you read the thread about having two close in age that's going on in Parenting atm? I'll find it for you.

It's here- have a read

Some encouraging experiences!

whoknew that sounds really stressful. How old is your DS? Mine is 17 months (just) and I'm still carrying him a lot because he isn't walking much. He takes a few steps round the house, that's it.

I've noticed that the baby squirms around a lot when DS is on my knee having a cuddle. Just now I've felt hiccups at the top of my bump after them being low down for the last week and midwife saying baby had gone head down. I really hope this doesn't mean he's flipped again

Thanks Maisie. I have limited tolerance for it at the moment as DP and I are still not talking, Dad still very ill in hospital, no help with childcare aside from pre school and a three year old that I'd hellbent on kicking this baby out of me. He is like Damian from the Omen sometimes. He kicks my stomach and then laughs, it's quite scary 😁

Managing a toddler and being pregnant sounds really tough. I need to take all this into account.

You have my sympathies - not too long to go now

I had no idea either. I had three miscarriages inbetween my son's pregnancy and this one and I thought him being older might actually make it easier. I actually think the opposite now. You've either got to go for a small gap, a large gap or just hope to god you have an angel for a three year old.