June 2016 #7 - We're still waiting for the second trimester "bloom" but healthy babies and stronger kicks all around!!

[nehagarg]

Here is the next one people.

Stats here!

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oTx71GeTR-ilVPTpIhNhutAwZPqNyYNEyIDwO80PmKQ/edit#gid=0

Impressive passenger-shaming, MindfulBear. I was in London yesterday and was impressed that people actually moved for me and gave up seats (all older women). Squeezed on to a packed train home and would have been OK standing in the vestibule, admittedly a bit squished, but the passengers there all rallied and asked guard to let me sit in first class. I was ushered to a seat no questions asked. I was treated v nicely so hats off to GWR, mob rule in the vestibule and the nice guard.

Also, to Madrigal and other first timers worried about how life will change, it's totally totally normal to feel that way. I remember lying on my bed weeping at 38 weeks last time thinking I was making a huge mistake, but much as I miss the old life, the new one is brilliant and I wouldn't change it for a second.

Geneva the preferred way to give birth in Brazil is CS, and for women that don't request one, there are plenty of stories of doctors making excuses once the woman is in labour which lead to an unnecessary CS. I think the key is to find a doctor you feel really comfortable with and can trust. Ask what proportion of vaginal vs CS births they do on average. I changed doctors twice before I found one who was on the same page as me. Luckily there were no complications and I had a water birth, which is still almost unheard of here. I presume with private healthcare there you have a doctor following your pregnancy who will help you deliver? I recommend writing down everything you would want or not want, if there were no complications, just to see where your doctor stands. It should help calm you a bit.

We're stuck on names here too. Think we've got the girls one (although I'm not convinced the Brazilians will say it right) but nowhere close with a boy. I also look at the credits on the tv lol!

Oh and Mollie it works a bit differently here but I was given lots of extra scans last time as they picked up DD's tummy was measuring small and started chatting iugr and induction and I panicked myself silly for months until she had a huge growth spurt and we were in the clear. I don't think there's any harm in taking extra scans if they are offered. I'm still not convinced on the link between bmi and small babies though. I'm on the low bmi end and DD was only 6lb, but this baby is measuring bigger than average via ultrasound and my bmi is the same. My mum is the same size as me and I was 8lb3!

Oh sorry Mollie think I replied to your previous post without refreshing the page. Glad your midwife was able to reassure you.

Morning all

Had my 24 week MW appt this week. It was a different MW than usual which I don't mind but I felt she was pretty useless. It felt a bit like she was ticking boxes and it wasn't very friendly. She took my blood pressure, measured my bump, gave me my MatB1 form and that was it. I thought we would start talking about birth plans but that wasn't mentioned at all.

I told her I'm getting really bad PGP and am finding it hard to sleep. She said there was no point referring me to a Physio because all they would do is give me exercises to do at home. She gave me a number to ring about a PGP info class which I have booked onto for next week. Maybe in asking too much but really thought there would be more help available. I have never heard of PGP before and it is so horrible. Last night I was in tears because I couldn't get comfy in bed. When I walk I get a pain in my pubic bone. It does get better some days but it's so upsetting thinking I have another 15 or more weeks of this. Hopefully the class next week will give me some remedies.

Also upset because DH came home at 1am last from a works do. Felt it was so unfair that he is out boozing all night and I'm in agony at home feeling like two ton tessie. We had a huge row and now I know I overreacted but when you get no sleep and you are so tired and in pain I really don't need a beer stinky husband.

Sorry for miserable post ladies

homebody - sorry you saw an unhelpful midwife, they can be hit or miss I'm afraid .
The PGP class sounds positive, I was referred for PGP physio in my first pregnancy and it too aaaaages for the appointment to come through (it arrived the week before my due date! ). At least you'll get help and advice shortly. Push for a referral though if you think you need it.
I found sleeping on my side with a pillow between my legs help me to sleep a little.

Thanks laughing. The pillow between my legs Dosent seem to make a difference unless I'm doing it wrong.
Do you think it makes it worse that I am sat at a desk all day? I have ordered a ball to sit on which should arrive Monday.

Hello all! I have been away for about two months! It's been a super hectic time at work and I've been in and out if the hospital with stomach pain they can't seem to diagnose! Everything is fine with baby, so they think it's something wrong with me. Oh joy!

We still haven't bought our pram although we now know we're getting the iCandy peach blossom. Just have to order it.

Other than that everything is good!

How is everybody getting on here?! It feels so good to be past the half way mark! I'm also looking out for ways to ease PGP so let me know if you hear of any homeboddy!

I'll try and catch up a little in the thread...

Homeboddy - I don't think they really discuss birth plans until well into third trimester it's just too early really. These early appointments are just box ticking exercises if you're lucky enough to be low risk / complication free.
Sorry to hear about your PGP - a class sounds like a good start. I've got sciatica at the moment. It's not too bad, more like irritating than really painful. I'm not bothering with the doctor because I doubt they can do anything more than what I could find out myself online E.g sleeping positions.

Homeboddy sorry to hear you're also struggling with PGP. I think a lot of things suggested are more to stop it getting worse than stopping the pain completely, so things like sleeping with a pillow in between your legs, try to avoid crossing your legs at all (even at the ankles), avoid walking up and down stairs as much as possible, and do take paracetamol if you need it. A ball to sit on should also help as it keeps your posture correct (and stops the leg crossing). Other than that I'm finding lots of chocolate helps a bit too hopefully the class will be helpful too.

Sorry hear your feeling so rubbish homebody pillow between the legs can help a bit at night - I wouldn't say I've got PGP though just achy hips and a sore back by the end of the day. Being uncomfortable in bed is horrible though.
I find the trouble with the pillow is that I already seem to be really hot at night and it makes me hotter! So I usually end up throwing it out of the bed around 2am.

Hope you feel better soon magic sorry you've been feeling rubbish.

I'm definitely feeling bigger over the last few days. Skin on bump is feeling really stretched and my back has been aching too.

Hi Homebody! Agree with Jbiscuits on the chocolate and every time DH goes out boozing I get myself a really nice takeaway. I have also found some alcohol free beer which isn't too bad.

I have found exercise the best remedy for PGP, even if it's just moving around more. I do a great pregnancy yoga class and there are also some good videos on YouTube for exercises. I am at a desk all day too, so I try and talk a little walk at lunchtime if I can and lifts your mood a bit. I also had someone come and check my desk/ chair set up which helped.

Thanks all for te advice. I will keep going with the pillow then. I have signed up to to a yoga class which is starting next Thursday so really looking forward to that. Good to hear there are ways to help. I read somewhere if you don't get help now it will just get worse so really want to start helping myself.

It's funny of all of my pregnant friends over the years that have told me about their Pregancy journey I have never heard of this before. It's so different to back pain.

Chocolate 100% helps as do magnum's!!!

Chocolate is a magical cure to everything. I have a cold right now and chocolate is the only thing that helps!

homeboddy slightly disappointed that I didn't order magnums with my online shop today. I'll have to hope that sainsburys own cornettos hit the spot instead.

homeboddy I'm also really suffering with pgp. It's really painful in my groin, I have to walk really slowly now and I also can't believe it might be like this for the next 3+ months. I've seen a physio a few times and this is what I was told, in case any of it helps you:

• try to keep your knees together when turning over in bed or getting out of the car, then land with your weight on both feet
• use a pillow between your knees in bed
• avoid stairs as much as possible. Try going up & down one stair at a time. If you have one side that hurts more than the other, lead with the opposite leg.
• sit down to put on knickers, trousers, socks, shoes etc ie try not to put weight on just one leg
• rest as much as possible, if you swim definitely no breaststroke, take small strides when you walk.
• you can put ice on the area (when nobody is around lol!)
• avoid crossing your legs

Something that might be just me is that I've found sitting on hard chairs/surfaces also makes it worse.

Unfortunately I haven't found anything that helps alleviate the pain a little besides rest (which is almost impossible with a toddler) but I'm doing all these things in the hope that it won't get too much worse. I'm being loaned a support band soon so I'll let you know if that helps at all. I'm a bit embarrassed to wear it out though!

So sorry to read that so many of you are suffering with PGP. I'm a first timer so can't offer any advice I'm afraid. Thinking of you.

Sleeping is a pain isn't it! I'm trying to stay on my left hand side but always wake up on my right hand side or on my back! Grrrrrrr.

I weighed myself this morning and was then extremely down and very miserable for the rest of the day. I've put on 19lbs (26 weeks) but I already have a high bmi. I'm really pretty rotund and feeling ever so down. Going back to slimming world so they can monitor my weight weekly. 😥 Sorry for the moan. It seems most of us are feeling a but out of sorts at the moment. Xx

Sambababy thanks for the tips I pretty sure I've got it again although told the midwife yesterday who said it's hormones? No referral or anything, are those bump support bands any good? Mine is in my groin and goes down my inner legs a little, almost feels like I've been forced in to the splits. Sitting on the toilet hurts so much but I'm fine on soft seats. Also got carpal tunnel (may have spelt it wrong) in my left wrist feel like im falling to bits!!

Emma try not to be too hard on yourself. You can lose weight after pregnancy. I have high bmi too and am trying no to worry too much. Xx

I've put on 2 stone since booking - but I see it as 1 really because I lost a stone from the hyperemisis before the midwife weighed me.

Sorry to everyone suffering with PGP. I've been lucky so far, though the last week or so I've been getting pains where my leg joins my body, could this be PGP? I really hope not! It's not too bad at the moment so hopefully it's nothing that will get worse.

Another random thing I noticed last night- my stomach muscles have separated! If I'm lying on my back and then tense my stomach muscles (e.g. to sit up) you can see a bulge going down the middle of my stomach to my belly button where there's no muscle holding things in. Very odd. Has anyone else had this?

For those struggling with pelvic pain - when I have a shower I hold the shower head just a few inches away, the pressure and heat really takes the pain away.

Belle my physio suggested a support band but said they're really only for walking and you shouldn't wear it sitting down too long. As i needed it for the walk between work and bus stop it wouldn't work as I wouldn't be able to take it off at the bus stop for sitting down on the bus journey home. I've heard though that they do help if you don't have this problem!

I ended up going into our hospital midwife unit last night to get checked out as I had increased discharge to the extent that I thought my waters were leaking, and reduced movement. Baby is absolutely fine, they put a heart monitor on to measure it over half an hour and it's very healthy apparently. Feel a bit silly for going in now though even though I phoned ahead and they told me to. Didn't get home until 1st :(

Everyone seems to be having midwife appointments at 25 weeks, I haven't had one since 22 weeks and next is 29 weeks :/ maybe it's different in Scotland.

1am that should read!

spock it also depends whether it's your first pregnancy or not. As this is my second I only had a 16w then 28w appointment. My next appointment is at 34w. Glad everything's ok when you got checked out.

I've also got a support band which my physio friend lent me. I find its helpful for walking/standing a lot, so I wear it to things like toddler group and taking DS to the park. It doesn't stop the pain, but at least seems to make it bearable!