May 2017 #13 the lucky thread

[Rustler74]

Just thought I'd get the next thread ready. Let them babies arrive!

Also wondering what the sleeping check is bouncing? Don't think we have that here. Put whatever you like in your plan (or nothing if you want to keep it open). I kept mine very short last time, but included things the midwives may not find obvious, like the fact I can't see at all without my glasses and that I wanted DH to stay with the baby if she needed to be taken away from me for any reason.

Wow yellow things are getting close for you. This thread is going to be full of babies before we know it.

@BouncingBlueberry mine currently goes a bit like this, credit to the more experienced ladies on this thread

I would like to be free to move around the room and use a mat, exercise ball, birthing stool etc.
Hypnobirthing will be attempted, which requires a calm atmosphere, subdued lighting, curtains drawn, low voices
Please discuss any concerns with my husband, no medical procedures without consent
I don't want my waters broken (without good reason)
For pain relief I will bring my own tens machine and would like gas & air to be available, I would prefer not to have any other form of pain relief (No pethidine/diamorphine or similar)
I would prefer intermittent foetal monitoring with hand-help doppler or similar (discuss if continuous monitoring recommended)
I would like to be able to eat and drink throughout labour
If I am able to be mobile I would like to choose a suitable upright position to deliver, e.g. kneeling on bed, squatting etc
I would like immediate skin to skin contact with the baby and for breastfeeding to start before being interrupted for baby to be weighed etc.
If I am unable to perform skin to skin, my husband should have skin to skin
If baby needs to be removed for tests etc, my husband will accompany the baby
I am happy to have an injection to deliver the placenta
Midwife to cut the cord
Midwife to announce the sex of the baby
We are happy for the baby to receive vitamin K by injection
I do not want to be induced unless there is concern for the baby's health
I would like to leave hospital as soon as we are able

@stationaryace I'm with you on the all we seem to do is vote, even I'm getting a bit fed up with it now. The work done to get the 80 odd % turn out for the first referendum has all been undone by what feels like polling days every 5 minutes 

@MrsJW15 that does seem very odd advice re swimming, particularly when they keep telling us exercise is important

It's all getting a bit real now seems like lots of you are getting to meet your babies soon! Fingers (and anything else) crossed it all goes smoothly!

I'm convinced I'll be waiting for thread 20 something before we meet mine, if this baby actually turns up on my due date I'm going to get a shock!!

So apparently the midwife checks that we have somewhere appropriate for the baby to sleep. We have a cot and a Next2me. We also get the joy of a Heath visitor visit to double check.
Kinda makes me feel like I'm not trusted even though I'm 30, a teacher and have a mortgage and a cat. I've been worrying about it since she booked it in. I've seen the same midwife for all my community appointments, she's lovely but I feel a sleeping check is just a bit much.

God I hope I don't have to have a sleeping check. The crib isn't coming til the 15th... Don't worry about it at all bouncing. They will probably have a box to tick that they've discussed safe sleeping but won't be bothered about the state of your house or if you have things ready.

@Sipperskipper appointment booked for next Thursday - after a brief discussion with the MW, provided I don't have to have the syntocinon drip I should still have a chance of the water birth I'd like.

@jennymac31 @dreamofhungarianlanterns hope you've enjoyed your first day off!

@1004Rise I think DH and I are going to perennial massage next week so I'm prepared for it to get more undignified 😂

@Badgerbird that's exactly it - just seems a bit daft eh?

@MissMooMoo very exciting but be careful!!

@EsmesBees if all else fails, line a bottom drawer with a blanket for the sleeping check and pronounce 'ta-da' to the midwife! 😂

That seems a bit ott bouncing, we don't get any home visits here till after the baby arrives, and they've never looked beyond the room me and the baby were in. That would stress me out I think!
1004Rise after observing my bump into think my stomach muscles probably have split. Going to speak to the GP about that at my 6 week check I think.
Strange advice about the swimming MrsJW, I think I would just crack on and ignore her tbh!

Just thinking about it, no one 'professional' has ever looked at where DD sleeps and she's two. The HV did come over when we moved borough. She bought dd a new toothbrush, made me fill in a hilarious questionnaire about her, and made a big fuss about how DD wasn't walking at 17m (I had no concerns before her visit). She got me all worried, told me she would need to be referred to a consultant, and made me feel really negligent for not raising it earlier. It's now almost a year on and I still haven't heard anything more (and DD has been walking since 18m!).

Haha good idea raspberry. At this rate that may indeed be where she ends up sleeping.

@dreamofhungarianlanterns Umbilical cord ties - we ordered this one in the end.

In terms of baby sleeping, I'd just show her my bed and the sleepyhead as that's where the first one ended up sleeping for 2/3 months. Didn't set out to co-sleep, stumbled into it as the little so-and-so would only sleep in my arms and I was going to break.

To be fair stationary that's exactly where mine slept too. But the sleepyhead is still buried deep in the loft somewhere. So unprepared....

Hips got better over the day, I went swimming and that seemed to make everything feel better! Thanks for the duvet tip I will rig something up tonight! Physio exercises/pilates definitely help but I do think getting this baby out will be for the best now .

MrsJW I'm definitely going to carry on swimming for as long as possible, only place I feel normal! Is it the end of the world if you don't see your mucus plug go anyway?!

My midwife is doing a home visit at the 36 week appt but she made out it was only because the clinic was fully booked, didn't make a big deal of it. We'll see! Hope all the animals don't freak her out .

esmes that's a really good idea to put about your glasses... I also can't see without mine so can add that in!

Don't some people lose their mucos plug during labour?

Thanks everyone for good luck messages feeling excited and nervous with having a date!!

Morning everyone
Hope you're all well and thanks again for all the kind thoughts
Was a long night on Monday- woken at 11,1,2,3,5 and 6 for various monitoring so was a bit of a mess yesterday. Continued 2 hour testing until midnight last night so have had a slightly more joined up sleep. Steroids all done now, and thankfully my sugars are stable enough for them to let me transfer to my home hospital this morning for scans and consultant appointment there.
He's been on ecg every 6 hours and seems fine. No more fresh bleeding but still brown- if I get any fresh will be looking at an early c.
Can't believe he might be an April baby after all, after being almost at the back of our bus to start with.
The consultants don't seem to want to commit 100% to cause of bleed but do think it's a placental. He's been breech for days so my little theory after chatting with midwifes is he's maybe just tried to get his head down and can't...
Care here has been great, nurses and midwifes lovely (in south Essex)
One thing I have learnt is diabetics not catered for on food choices (here anyway-guessing this might not be a one off) so if any of you with GD go in for any monitoring or are going for labour, make sure you have suitable snacks ready or someone to bring you food suitable to continue diet control until the finish line. I would have been screwed were it not for my sis, especially as well maintained sugar levels were crucial to the success of the steroids.

Looking forward to catching up properly when I'm back home (fingers crossed I don't bleed again and get readmitted straight away in London!)

Take care all x

Glad to hear things are stabilising mighty. Sounds like you are in good hands. Are you in Southend? Hope you are able to get home soon.

We had a sleep check last time by a post natal midwife visit. Our area is high risk for cot death so they aren't much happy with cosleeping (the bedsharing type which we were doing by then!) so when she asked I said "we have a cosleeping cot" which ticked their box. (Neglected to mention we weren't using it by then except as a means of ensuring baby didn't fall out of bed!)

They'll just want to make sure you know about safe sleeping (on back, feet at bottom, nothing covering face, not in car seat, not on sofa, etc etc)

I'm supposed to have a home HV today, they've started doing a pre birth one now which we didn't have last time. It's not really convenient for me so I've tried to move it but not sure they have!

That sounds like good news mighty. Awful they don't provide food tailored to diabetics though.

At the DR's for weekly BP check, feeling so crap today. SPD is horrendous, slept terribly and think I may have had braxton hicks for the 1st time in the night which scared the crap out of me at 4am. Only another 2-7 weeks to go ..... moan over! Hope the sun is out for all of you today.

So I am back at work, sort of. Working from home now for the next two weeks then off on holiday/maternity leave. Best of both worlds I think, I can still work but don't have to worry about passing out mid commute or aggravating my SPD.

My SPD is bad now, some days I cannot get up from sitting without help and laying in bed is agony.

Still, could be worse I guess.

mighty that sounds positive although I am really shocked at the lack of food for diabetics.
peas hope your appointment goes well and you feel better
red hope working from home works... take it easy when you can

Morning ladies

Am off to hairdressers before I have my acupuncture consultation so will let you know how it goes.

Told my dd yesterday that she'll be going to the same school as one of her best friend and she was very happy.

@mightymouse76 that's good news, hopefully he's happy to stay put for a bit longer. Shocked at the lack of diabetic sensible food! Hooray for awesome sister again... she might have to get priority for newborn cuddles 

@peasandquiet sounds rough, can you relax at home after your appointment?

@RedBlu glad you've managed to find a balance

I've had no mention of a pre birth visit, either from HV or midwife. Seems like another location based difference.

Getting ready to drive south today, looking forward to seeing all the family, still feel a bit self conscious about bump because I'm essentially a bit of a hermit at home

Good to hear @mightymouse76 hope the transfer goes ok. What were you hoping for food wise? Current thinking is there is no separate diet required for diabetes though it's obviously preferable to make lower GI choices. I found the meals fine apart from breakfast where it was toast or cereal but would be hard to do eggs or something at scale I imagine.

Hello everyone! Sorry for not updating sooner! I got home yesterday from hospital after everything pretty much stopped - was so glad after being so far away from home! 36 weeks today with steroid injections on board so at this stage if labour was to start up again it wouldn't be a major issue and unlikely to need a neonatal cot anyhow. There's one neonatal cot in the country and it's in my home hospital anyway so for now we're good! Will have a proper catch up later on the computer - the app makes it super hard to keep up with everything!!

Back from midwife 34W appointment and based on fundal height bump has grown 1cm in 3 weeks so being referred for another growth scan. Bump is now measuring 28cm.

Midwife also had a prod and either LOs head is hidden in my pelvis and he has a very "pert bottom" or he's turned and is now bottom down after spending most of my pregnancy head down.

Good luck barnes. At least they'll be able to confirm where the head is at the same scan!

@Barnes79 that's exactly what mine did... head down at every appointment that didn't matter and the one where s/he was supposed to be head down s/he wasn't!! If he is head down, definitely look at spinningbabies.com ... the exercises have worked for me (I think) at least mine definitely isn't transverse anymore I'll find out if s/he's head down next week. I'm still doing some of the exercises because it does feel like they're making more baby space