July 2016 (7) We're halfway to meeting our little bubs

[allthegoodnamesalreadytaken]

Hi all started a new thread as the old one was getting almost to 1000. We're a very chatty bunch! Happy Friday

Everytime I write a long message it disappears . Was trying to catch up with everyone's news but as there's a few pages I keep forgetting who's said what by the time I go to write. The thing that stuck out the most was poor scase's mum! I hope she's ok.
Someone was wondering about carseats, I found the staff in mothercare really knew what they were talking about safety wise.
Wrt movements I read that at this stage there's a lot of movements we still don't feel and it's more from 28 weeks we've to monitor - does that sound right?
You may remember I had a hard bump to the stomach last week? Well I went that evening to hospital for a blood test to check if baby's blood had mixed with mine and a doppler (baby wiggling away and heartbeat was fine). Was there almost 4 hours and there was a lack of beds so women in the waiting area quite far on in labour on hard seats sitting on towels etc. I was horrified and my poor husband just looked at the floor the whole time. He felt it wasn't right for him to see other ladies in labour (probably right!). There was a lady behind a curtain at 8cm and they still didn't have a room for her. Completely made my worry over birth worse. After my blood test they said they'd call me if I needed to come back. At 7am I called them anyway just to check so if I had to go I could go before work. The person that answered quite rudely told me 'we will phone you'. Well they did phone me.. at 9.30 to say they had mislabelled my bloods and I had to go back! Had to leave work to go back to hospital for another blood test. Again they said they would call me. Hadn't heard anything by 6pm so I called them and yes I had to go back in for anti-d (wonder when they would have called me) was there for another 2 hours.
The upshot of all this is because I had to leave work for my second blood tests I reported the accident to HR as it happened at work. They have never done a risk assessment and they were all over me after that for a supportive chat etc. Ha!

Beautician hope your move went well!

KayTee that sounds so stressful! Glad all is okay now but I would be freaked out after seeing all the women in labour without beds too.

I forgot the name of a pelvic floor app that someone mentioned on here before so have been browsing the App Store. The NHS has an app for exercises called Squeezy - costs £2.99 but has good reviews. I'll give it a go today and report back later!

Kaytee hope ur ok that sounds like a horrible experience

I'm not going to lie when they phoned me at work at 9.30 to say I had to go back I did go to the toilet to phone my husband and ended up crying. I think it was because HR had been so shitty about my normal midwife appointments let alone extra things. I also thought I was going to end up having to cancel my day off the following day as I had so much work to do but I worked late that night and did some from home the next day so ended up enjoying the rest of my days off.

Kaytea. That sounds like an awful experience at the hospital. Makes me more hopeful I can have a home birth again. I didn't have to deal with anyone else's experience and there was loads of room in my house for me to roam around!

Going loopy if it wasn't my first I would be seriously swaying towards a home birth. I'm just a bit too far from the hospital to feel comfortable with it this time round. My plan is to stay at home as long as I feel able, we've got a double bath so planning the first half of my labour in that anyway!

KayTee that's sounds so awful, not surprised it's made you feel anxious about giving birth there. And I'm glad work have finally fallen over themselves but jeez - you really have had an awful time of it. I can't get my head around how people can be so ignorant on so many levels. It's the law! And you clearly haven't been taking the piss! Really hope things improve for you on that score.

I'm considering a homebirth this time, too - eek!

kaytee - the experience sounds awful. I am pleased that you got it sorted. If you hadn't caused, who knows if you would have heard from them.
I haven't been to see my local maternity unit but my guess is that all the hospitals in London are very stretched, including mine. I have to say, I am petrified of giving birth as it is. It is not the pain, it is all the unknowns and will the baby be ok etc. I expressed my anxiety to my MW, who just dismissed it. Is anyone else feeling anxious? And do any second time mothers have any reassuring words!!!

thom hope it all goes through for you. We're the same our house is just too small now we've got the second on the way! I keep getting bashed in the kitchen by Oran's and rides on and driving me mad!
It's completely normal to feel anxious about birth. You know it's going to hurt even if it's straightforward. I had a really long and hard and in the end scary labour. That said it was two days of my life and id do it a thousand times over. Just remember it's not forever just a small time and it will end! You could try some hypno birthing maybe? I did some and the breathing it teaches you I still use now to calm down.

kaytee you poor thing. Maternity wards vary in busyness so hopefully when you go in it will be better. I was in labour on Boxing Day and had the whole delivery suite to myself for ages!

eliz I love those! I'm getting one for sure. It's on the list I'm so excited about warmer weather and drying clothes outside!

Thanks for all the comments on the toy. DD is only just 15 months so hasn't got a clue what's coming her way but I can't wait for them to meet!

Anyone else struggling with mood swings? I'm much worse this time. I lose my cool really quick with DH and am constantly apologising. Hoping it's not just me

Oran's is of course prams!

Thom are you feeling anxious about the birth itself? If you are it is totally understandable. You are allowed to feel that way. And although it may not be reassuring as you step into the unknown but you are not alone. Even second/third time etc mums will feel anxious. Just because I had a dream birth last time, who's to say it will be the same this time round. What I do know is that I will have a plan, my hospital bags will be packed soon and the baby will be coming out whether it os through the door or the sunroof. It might be at home as hoped or emergency section at hospital. Either way I will get/demand good care and be enjoying my sprog grow and learn all about the world as she grows with her brother. Make an appointment to visit your local hospital and have a look around.

Hi ladies! Long time no speak I have been away the last few weeks setting up a stage show with work. I think 26 weeks pregnant and working 18 hour days have taken their toll. I tried to stay off my feet when I could but felt so sore and tired. My last major show til May and now I know what I am up against I have to say I am not looking forward to the flight and show. Thankfully I will be there more socially than rigging stages.

I hope to catch up this week with the thousand pages of chat I missed. Just wanted to check back in.

Anna & Goingloopy - I think that I am just working myself up about it all. I usually have a high pain threshold, but I am just getting more anxious. I think it is about not knowing what to expect, what if something goes wrong etc. Going for a visit is a good idea. I am 23 weeks tomorrow, so I have a long time for the anxiety to build! I will try & focus on the positive. Sorry for the moan.

Gosh KayTee what a horrid experience. I can see why it doesn't fill you with confidence. Thom I am also a bit worried about the birth - not about the pain but about the baby getting stuck, as I am quite small (or was before I got pregnant!) - although I don't know if that actually makes any difference. I am really worried about them maybe having to use forceps - that would terrify me.

Guys, we met someone at the weekend who had their baby at 34 weeks and that has FINALLY put the wind up DH in terms of getting things ready! He wants a hospital bag prepared, pronto! Hallelujah!

Baby boy is so active at the moment that I almost can't believe it. I was lying in bed last night and DH left his hand on my bump for a bit... After a few minutes he asked me how on earth I was managing to fall asleep with so much wriggling going on inside me! (So GoingLoopy you are not alone.) The down side to this super activity phase is that I am of course going to worry when he grows and can't move as much!

I've had leg cramps twice in the last few nights. DH has been fab - waking up and stretching out my leg for me and massaging it till the cramp goes. I think this is going to become a regular thing!

27 + 1

Also, has anyone else started to feel pressure in their foof area when they go for a wee? I only notice it on the loo - I guess maybe because I relax - but it feels like the baby is weighing pretty heavily on that area - not the most pleasant!

Thom and bluebel, I can't tell you not to worry. It won't make any difference. What I can tell you that you already know if how amazing the human body is. You are growing a person inside you and your body does not want it to stay there. One of my most amazing memories of labour last time was the feeling of pushing my little boy. I can't say it was the most comfortable I have ever been but bloomin' 'eck out came a little boy.

I find that the excitement and anxiety can build momentum and it is easy to forget the amazing feelings you are going through are very special and will be gone before you know it. Suddenly you will be celebrating a second birthday and wondering where the time has gone and what you did before little came along. Giving birth is just a blink in the grand scheme of things. And don't worry, the baby won't get stuck just because you are little. My friend had her first in 4hours from start to finish and she is a titch. And although I am not petite, I am only 5'3 and ds came in 10 hours from start to finish. I have taller friends who needed intervention but it all worked out well and she has two lovely littles.

KayTee sorry you had a scary time at the hospital, it must have been very unnerving. You might have caught them on a very unusual day, maybe issues with staffing?

Thom, regarding anxiety about the birth, I felt similarly last time. It is a situation that it is not possible to control, you've never done it before, or experienced the hospital/midwife led unit before. Everything is new, and unexpected things can happen. It's bound to make you worry! In the end last time, I had a birth where basically everything went how I didn't want it to, but when it was done, me and DS got through it and we were ok. My best bits of advice are to make sure your birth partner(s) really understand what you want so they can advocate for you if you're too "in the zone" to do so. I would also challenge anyone who 'tells' you something rather than asks you. I wrote a load of choices in my birth plan, things like I'd rather have a c section than use forceps. I found the midwives were good about referring to my birth plan - I'd said no vitamin K injection, but because DS had a difficult delivery they wanted to give him the injection. They managed to ask me for permission (which I gave), and explain why, even though it was a very hectic moment immediately post delivery.

I think the most reassuring thing I could say is that, I'm doing it again! I'd take all of the difficult bits for a second time if it came to it, as it means being fortunate enough to have baby number 2

Speak no words. You have said what I wanted to so much more clearly than me.

Thom - what speaknowords says is bang on the money in my opinion.

Bluebell - I too feel the foof pressure. Been getting it a while which I put down to having had a baby before. It's worse if I'm stood up for long so taking it as easy as I can.

I haven't got much advice re birth. Dd's was quite straight forward - I'm 5'2 and managed to push a 9lb + baby out ok. I never liked hearing other peoples birth stories as that just scared the pants off me and was nothing like my own experience in the end so I was glad to avoid that. Despite the fact that i had to get a large dd out a small space it was truly amazing. Are you going to antenatal classes? They should give you practical advice to help any worries.

Started feeling a little foot/hand/elbow with the kicks 😃. Also struggling to keep up with this thread so don't take it personally if you don't hear from me very often .

Hello, just to inform you all its Scase but Ive changed my username :) wanted to for a while but havent been able to come up with one.. But now I have

Hi photographerlady! Wondered where you were. Sounds absolutely knackering...but creatively very fulfilling? Hope you can take a backseat now and put your feet up? I can't imagine doing a full on production at this stage. Wheeling Ted up and down the park does me in.

Cheery - are you about? Maybe you're still in Italia?!

Agree with everyone else - totally understandable to have nerves about the birth. It holds a disproportionate position in the mind I think considering it is two days or so out of your life compared to bringing up your child.

Having said that my experience of maternity depts in London is that they are very busy at certain times - September is famously busy because of all the Xmas-conceived babies and last March seemed also to be packed...the key is, as loopy says, to be as prepared and informed as possible and trust your instinct and judgment. I had an emergency c section under general anaesthetic which wasn't what I predicted but was home in 2 days and that's when i felt 'the rest of my life' was truly beginning.

Hi again

Slow day back in the office as I am the only one in (most people take their days they earned over the weekend right away but I am saving for mat leave).

Ellizado - I do really like my job but I think I hit a physical limit. I seem to have lost my ankles this week and begging for them to come back.

Birth. I had a nightmare of an induction last time but overall I have to say childbirth wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Saying that... I was high as a kite on gas and air. I mean no one told me to stop and about 12 hours a later I was huffing on that pipe like it was going to run out any second. Little things I wish I knew last time were 1. You aren't wetting yourself you just are losing your waters very slowly over the course of hours. I constantly thought I was peeing the floor and always thought that losing your waters meant it was in one big gush. 2. contractions come in waves and for the most part didnt have any lasting pain. It meant that I could be upright a lot as I hated sitting/laying down. 3. gas and air is amazing.

These posts are making me feel a bit better about birth . I told my husband last night that I've always been terrified of the idea of giving birth but thought I would feel differently once pregnant but nope it got worse. He asked why I was so scared and I asked wouldn't he he? He said yeah actually I would he shitting myself - strangely that made me feel a bit better too.
My husband had his arm/hand round my tummy last night and the baby did 3 big kicks. He felt 2 out of 3 of them, first time he's felt baby kick. He didn't seem as excited as I was about it but we were half asleep at the time.

Work got way too hot today and felt dizzy and almost fainted so had to be sent home pain in the ass as Ill be earning less money but my health id more important I suppose.. However the weather is lovely so I cant complain!!