May 2017 #10 - To be prepared or not prepared

[RasperryInAMelon]

Here's a link to the last thread and photo updates just incase anyone's looking for anything!

Thread 9

Photo Page - Bump Update

I don't have access to a desktop right now though so can't post the link to the GoogleDrive spreadsheet, but it's a few posts down in the previous thread!

Happy chatting!

Nurse, I love the cosy caboodle . I was looking at them, and they look good. What do you think to it?

MrsJW sounds lush! Never been to South of France - never got beyond Sancerre/ Beaune (other wine trips ). Where would you suggest if we tagged it onto our trip in October? Might be nice to make the most of the trip/drive.

Bright that's the idea!! So long as we remember we have the pram and I manage to express/ use formula so we don't have a drunken child - because as Vic & Bob say, you can't give a baby booze! - we should be fine!

Rustler so odd how it differs from place to place! All my MW care is at Tommys along with consultant, GTT at Guys (same trust), etc. And I'm out of area. Congrats on the turn #jealous and it's lovely hearing the heartbeat isn't it?!

Slings - would love some advice on differences/ what makes a good one. Why do people cat bum face (LOVE that ) at the Abba one? I saw one of those for sale on MGF earlier for £50 and wondered if that was good.

@Brightsmoke I attempted to put the kitten in there on the day we got it! Haha! It feels soft and it's easy to pop on. I couldn't afford/justify the price of a connecta, especially as I've never worn a sling before. If I get on with it, I'll upgrade. We have got it purely for "settling" rather than carrying him, but DH wants it in the pram all the time as a just in case. I have a friend who loves the baby wearing, and it seems so positive.

Can. Of. Worms. Teaspoon.

Sorry that wasn't helpful. I don't know what to say other than do your research and decide what suits you. There's millions of threads on MN about it but briefly there is a theory that certain slings are damaging to babies hips and/or uncomfortable for parents. I've looked lots and cannot find any decent peer reviewed clinical evidence to back this up. There are blog posts from chiropractors out there but I never see any research quoted. Baby Bjorn seem to get the brunt of this and there is stuff on their website refuting any claims that their slings are harmful to babies. The feeling amongst babywearers seems to be that your baby's hips should be in a certain position in a sling and the forward facing or pressure on the crotch should be avoided. Sling meets and libraries seem to be very helpful in promoting sling use and getting it right and comfortable for the baby and parent.

Not counting working days yet... will start when there is less than 20. Concentrating on 6.5 weeks with 5 days holiday dotted about

Was awake in the middle of the night again... at least this time there was a reason, I was being sick Bizarrely I felt 100 times better after and went back to sleep really quickly so feel much better than the zombie I felt like yesterday!

Been to NHS ante-natal class today, was with our local midwife and was really useful, ended up being just me, DH and one other mum to be so was quite cozy but we learned a lot. DH is good for asking questions that I would only think of 2 days later. So while it's fresh we're going to sit down tonight and go through the what's important to us for the birth plan. DH is quite happy with the role of communicator/protector

I think baby is back to front because the kicks I feel are more like echos and when s/he pushes out it's bigger bits, if that makes sense. If s/he is... how to keep him/her there

Esme that's so sweet of your DH, can't blame him though baby clothes are confusing!!

I did get a random tip from my friend that had her baby last week, apparently they put her hat on as soon as she was born so it got rather messy, so make sure you have one that you're less attached to for then and keep the nice one to go home in!

Oh and had a bit of a moan about the feeding class last week and got much more useful information... including a booklet with 101 regulations to support you when you go back to work if you want to continue to breastfeed!! I never knew they existed

31 weeks appointment today, it was lovely to listen to the baby's heartbeat again. I've got omeprazole prescribed yesterday for a heartburn and it makes me feel so much better. It's nice not to burp the stomach acid anymore

Booked a doula today

Omeprazole is the dogs isn't it?

I've just put my lovely cream towels into wash and remembered ruining loads in the past so can I suggest you dig out some old dark towels and bath mats for the first few weeks after the baby is born.

@teainbed @newbieho I've been on omezaprole since 2009 as I had my gallbladder out, love the stuff!

@1004Rise your ante natal class sounds lovely, and I love the idea of DH being your "protector".

Any ideas to boost my iron levels ladies? I've eaten meat all this pregnancy to help (normally I'm veggie!) but still low. Steak makes me gag!

Had a growth scan today, baby is average size (whatever that is!) hospital is paperless so they didn't put a report in my notes which is a shame. Another one at 34 wks and I think if that's all ok I'll be left as low risk and to get on with it which will be good! Have an antenatal at the DR's tomorrow going to be asking for this omeprozole stuff as I'm so fed up of the acid reflux and gaviscon isn't doing the trick this time.
Such a lovely sunny day today!

Oooh a doula savage. Have you met her or is it all arranged over email?

Have spent most of today on the sofa with ill toddler. Sometimes I'm so grateful to be parenting in the age of on demand cbeebies.

esmes we have met, as conveniently she's the lady who did our hypnobirthing course :) I did look at a few others online, but as we'd already met and her version of hypnobirthing is the same as what I'd be doing, seemed to make sense.

What is this opramazol of which you speak? I got a repeat prescription of ranitidine today but I'm not sure it's as effective as it was before.... does opramazol work differently?

Teaspoon we stay right down in Provence but it's a long way south! We are getting a train to Marseilles and driving from there. Chateauneuf is lovely if you can get there!

Slings also blowing my mind a bit but the Close Caboo looks good to me Nurse/Tea/Rustler. I also want an Ergobaby. I'm wondering if NCT may cover this at the weekend.

Rise I think I know what you mean. MWs usually think baby is head down and back to the left. On my right side I get quite big movements, or I can feel limbs. So that suggests the right way round. I get more 'shadowy' movements lower down which I guess are hands? Good tip on the hat also!

Tea do you mean towels for you? That does make sense, helpful to know as I don't want to ruin our nice (John Lewis!) ones. Will see if we can find some older ones.

Nurse my iron levels are also a bit low. No idea what to eat to boost them. I'm avoiding steak because of the rare meat thing.

Peas it's a lovely day but sun makes my office unbearably hot! All my maternity work clothes are quite wintery so I could really do with buying some more summery stuff. Don't want to spend a fortune, and ideally I'd like nursing stuff so it lasts longer. Can't find anything though!

Evening ladies

Am absolutely knackered after work today and spd aches are coming back so am glad I've got my physio hydrotherapy session tomorrow.

Not sure how I'm gonna cope during these last 5 weeks but my senior manager is planning on taking me and my team out for afternoon tea as a maternity leave send off, which is quite nice.

Thought I'd drop a few lines before catching up with the thread so no doubt I'll be back on here soon.

@MrsJW15 I grabbed a couple of cheap black towels from Primark the other day.

Managed a 2 mile uphill hike yesterday and today we've cycled around the city... totally wiped but it's been so worth it! ☺

I knew there was something I wanted to run by you all. I had an appointment with the midwife yesterday (just a check up, as I was quite tearful last time I saw her) and she measured bump at 33cms when I'm 30 weeks. She didn't seem concerned about it but I've got a growth scan next week so will ask again.

Should I be concerned? I had a look at my notes and noticed that when I saw the midwife at 28 weeks I was measuring 32cms.

I'm trying to take the measurements with a pinch of salt, as the measurements taken in my 1st pregnancy were average but my dd was born very small but definitely feel as though baby boy is bigger than dd was.

@1004Rise when I worked in cardiology, we have omeprazole rather than rantitide as it wasn't effective, and patients would still have heartburn. The ladder would go gaviscon, rantitide, then omeprazole or lansoprozole. Omeprazole is basically an anti acid tablet which they can prescribe in 20mg or 40mg. You can buy it from pharmacies, I can't recall the name but it's in a purple and yellow box and is about £8 for 7 tablets. It's safe to take in pregnancy, and people take it either because of other medication causing reflux or like me, no gallbladder!

@RasperryInAMelon you look lovely on your bike!!!

Well, 33 at 30 is a bit bigger than "normal" but 32 at 28 is even bigger....

If you've got a growth scan anyway no point worrying, all they'd do if bump was big/small is send you for one to check that baby's normal size and you don't have too much fluid. I think (tbh) that mostly the bump growth is to see it's not suddenly tailing off (i.e. potential for baby's growth not being normal - due to insufficient placenta, or too little fluid) or spiking (which I think would normally be too much fluid, rather than baby suddenly growing, unless you developed GD overnight!).

Is your charty-thing (if you have one) showing that the middle line is roughly 1 cm per week, or is it higher? They're supposed to be sort-of customised taking in your booking in BMI and (I presume) previous baby size, but mine seems not to take into account previous relatively large baby.

@jennymac31 did the midwife say anything? Have you got a growth scan booked? Bub here at 30 weeks is weighing 4lbs, and should be weighing 2.5lbs. Bloody typical. My tummy is quite "small", and I'm putting it down to my build.

@RasperryInAMelon also love that primark do black towels. Asda here have dark grey for £4 if that's any help for anyone.

Here's my growth chart thing - you can see I'm on the top line, and there are details at the bottom (if legible!) about when they might send for growth scans.

Well that's not legible at all. Sorry! You can see my two crosses are right on the top line, where the 'average' 'for me' would be the middle lighter line.

The bottom bit done again in the hope it's now legible...