May 2017 #7....... Final months, rapidly growing bumps

[RasperryInAMelon]

We are a chatty bunch!...

For those newbies who are joining or want to update your details on the spread sheet of EDD's...

May 2017

Also a link to the last thread Thread6

Another dry skin lady here 🙋🏼 although mine seems to be around my mouth rather than my lips or hands 😔

I've been really lucky with midwife appts, bloods etc, I'm fine with hospitals etc but my anxiety levels go through the roof so DH has been able to come to every appointment and will continue to do so. He really enjoys it too and his boss has been so great, not made him take any of it as time off.

We're hoping to go and check out QE Hospital in the next few weeks if I can find an evening to do it in and will sign up to the mothercare event too!

Dry lips and dry skin on hands here too especially between the fingers. I am rubbish at remembering to moisturise but vasaline works for my lips and I use El for everything else.
DH has been to the scans and 16w appointment... but he only came to that because I was upset after the booking appointment and wanted some support. The only other one he plans to come is 36w when we are discussing the birth plan.

savage I could barely remember my own name, let alone that G&A or birth pools existed - both of which I would have liked to try!

I'm also going to put in my birth plan to direct questions to DH.

I definitely couldn't remember risks associated with interventions, despite having done all the reading.

I'm hoping for a home birth not realise things could change. Oooh fox I didn't realise the hypnobirthing course was for couples! That's interesting...

savage can't wait to hear how the conversation goes with ds! The twins I look after are obsessed with Blobby, as they call it and constantly ask questions. The other day the pulled my top up to look at my belly, saw the linia nigra and said "oooooh, that must be where they cut you to get the baby out!" That's when I realised their parents or school hadn't had "the chat" with them yet

Yes dry skin and lips here too. I've found aveeno cream works well for hands (sold in boots).

I wrapped myself up in bed at 8 last night and woke sitting up in bed at 1am all confused. DH was away and I didn't know if it was time to get up or if I'd been out for 5 mins! Didn't sleep well the rest of the night as pain was keeping me awake. Feeling better today so hopefully that's the worst over. I couldn't get a doctors appointment today so I think I'll leave it now unless I'm bad tomorrow.

DS occasionally asks me "has the baby come out yet?" He really doesn't get the whole idea.

Yeah, very much for couples Badger. In fact, I think DH gets more out of it than me. I like having it all presented to me in one place, and the backup of hearing it from a midwife but tbh it's nothing I didn't already know. DH on the other hand does not do reading...

Ah I see. Thanks for that blossom. I didn't get an actual measurement, the sonographer said it was 'just' overlapping the cervix. But the midwife and consultant saw "overlapping the cervix" and so came up with a more negative prognosis. This is all from an abdominal ultrasound. Mine is anterior. How do you feel about the possibility of a c-section?

My NHS trust is of the opinion that they scan as late as possible because if they do earlier and it's not moved then they just have to do it again. I can see where they're coming from but it's hard not knowing.

I'm in dry skin club too, hair is dry too which is good because it requires a hell of a lot less washing. Splashed out on some posh moisturiser today to treat myself, hopefully will wake up fresh faced looking 5 years younger 👍🏻
Having some strange pain 'down there' which I can most closely relate to how I felt after birth last time. Not really sure what's that is, anyone had anything similar? Like being tender and bruised? Nothing is swollen so I was wondering if its another symptom of pgp?

Ok, I'll pm you to save going on about it too much here!

Ok, first-timer stupid question alert, but what exactly is meant to go in a birth plan? I don't think I'm particularly bothered about stuff other than being in a hospital for the birth. It may be that I don't know enough yet as I am burying my head in the sand haven't really looked into the whole birth thing.

Barnes I'm going for the Hurrah for Gin version of the Birth plan... 1. Get baby out safely 2. Drugs.... As far as I can work out they seem to go out the window, no plan survives contact and all that. I understand they have to give people options based on their beliefs etc. but it all just confuses me!!

Anything you like Barnes! Your midwife will give you a sample template or a leaflet or you can get one online. You can say anything or nothing. Right from 'I'll go with the flow' to very detailed choices about pain relief, vitamin K, how your want your placenta delivered etc.

I did a bit of a birth plan with DC1 that nobody even looked at but in fairness I had pre-eclampsia and was fairly unwell and so not really going to get any choices in what happened.

I didn't bother doing one with DC2 and 3. Will probably not bother with one this time either!

Barnes my birth plan with number 1 was go to the hospital have a baby and I wrote nothing in my notes apart from I would like a water birth. Planning a repeat level of planning this time!

My placenta is 0.5 CM from the OS according to my report. I wish I had asked the sonographer more about what it all meant but I didn't think to at the time!
I've read online they like it to be 2.5 cm from the OS for a vaginal delivery.

Peas yes dry hair too, a benefit at last! I don't need to wash it every other day anymore, thankfully because I can have more baths than showers. Standing up in the shower and washing hair just seems like so much hard work

Barnes you can include stuff like if you want the midwife or your partner to announce the sex. Mine did get read (I kept it very short) by the student midwife.

Savage she's two in March (so I'm guessing younger than yours as she hasn't half as much of a clue about what's going on?). I hadn't considered I might labour at night, in my head it's going to be exactly like last time! My problem is that last time I didn't know I was in labour, so by the time I got to the hospital she was practically out. I wouldn't want to be worrying about the midwife not getting there if the same thing happens (hospital is 10 Min drive away). I've heard (anecdotally from local mums) it can take a while for them to get to home births.

Birth plan - whatever you want - if there's something you specifically don't want as well. As fox's experience testifies, you may well be convinced before labour that (plucks a random example out of the air) you don't want pethedine but would consider an epidural, and if that's not written down anywhere and you can't remember the details of either option while labouring no-one will know what your wishes are.

Of course there's a chance you go completely 'off piste' which you should take into account too. You could be very general, or you could be very specific. You may want to specify what happens post-birth as well - I know of some friends who've been very upset that baby has been (say) carted off to another ward and given formula post c-section; so may state that if you're unable to be with baby (say you've had to have general anesthetic for an emergency c-section) that your husband/partner should stay with baby and have skin to skin etc. You may also want delayed cord clamping, or have a view on whether or not to have a managed or physiological delivery of the placenta.

There's a book I found useful - www.goodreads.com/book/show/6424419-your-body-your-baby-your-birth - as it covers most things and from a UK perspective too.

Pain 'down there' - I'm still riding my bike and it's more uncomfortable, similar to what you're describing. I think it's just generally more blood / fluid making things a bit tender plus some pressure from baby/bump.

Esme yeah, he's 4. I'd love your "problem"

Don't even know what pethadine is! Never mind whether I want it.

On a different note, it's official - I need supervising on the stairs! Just had my second mishap in 4 days (I thought I was on the bottom step but was actually one up so jarred my lower back and sacroiliac joint which is now a tad sore). The really embarrassing bit is that part of my job involves checking people are able to safely manage the stairs...

Are you doing antenatal classes Barnes? They tell you all about the different drugs there.

Yes savage, I was very lucky last time. I just don't want to give birth alone on the kitchen floor with only a toddler and Peppa Pig for company!

Really recommend the book savage linked, think I mentioned it about 4 threads ago.

The pain being pressure related is possible as I defo feel it moving about rather than laying down. Oh the joys !
I have a growth scan next week due to a blood problem. Looking forward to seeing the baby again

Yep, they'll discuss drugs (and other things!) at antenatal classes. One of the reason going to the one at your hospital or run by the midwives is a good idea as you'll find out what the routine is in your hospital. Eg there's pethadine and another drug (name I forget) which are very similar (but with slightly different side effects), you could be offered a choice, or your hospital may only have the one. Similarly with epidurals, some hospitals will give you mobile ones so you can still move about a bit, others you will be bed-bound after, etc.