November 2017 #4: Bump botherers, nesting and maternity leave!

[GingerHanna]

In which we swat away unwanted hands, perform military operations every night to roll over in our sleep, clean the kitchen cupboards for the eleventy billionth time and count down the days to our maternity leave!

Previous thread here.

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34 week scan today to check placenta has moved so fingers crossed it all goes ok! Bump feels smaller at the minute and trying not too worry but it’s in the back of my head! Hope scan goes ahead - I’ve got a unexpected day off with Ophelia hitting Northern Ireland at any minute - thankful for a day off but everywhere shutting at 12 so just hope they don’t cancel the scan clinic!!!

Can’t believe first baby here - it all getting very real! Lol

I’m so excited, it certainly sounds as if there will be more babies in the group soon!

I’ve been in a bubble all weekend, what this about a storm @MrsJB1987?

Scan has just been cancelled!! Ex hurricane Ophelia is making its way up through Ireland to Northern Ireland and the whole country is battening down the hatches! Everything is closing at 12! I am still thinking they r over reacting slightly but time will tell!  @lydiangel83

Sorry tagged wrong person @theotherendofthesockportal

Well a woman has already died in Waterford because of the storm @MrsJB1987 so I think it's safe to say they're not overreacting, a scan be rescheduled.

@topsyloulou Hope everything is ok. Bump measurements are notoriously inaccurate so hopefully a scan will show that everything is normal.

@Foggymist I didn’t mean to offend anyone! Ireland is getting it bad I know that... I just mean locally I’ve been off work all day and our whole area has been closed most of the day; shops, banks etc and nothing has landed here yet! Scan can be and has been rescheduled - I wasn’t complaining! And definitely 100% better safe than sorry! Guess I meant I was hoping nothin was going to hit here!

Listening to my 2 yr old DD, in her cot, chatting to her baby doll. Impossibly cute and bodes well for number 2.

Had a significant wind related incident at work this evening. Very lucky no-one hurt. Gives me shivers when I realise how vulnerable we can be when the weather is unfavourable. Can't imagine what it's been like in the Caribbean and US recently.

Hope everyone is ok in this weather. We're reasonably far east so we just have a bit of wind and we've had the weird red sun all afternoon.

Aw @zampa how cute! My DD, who is 5, spent this morning dressing her doll for all eventualities and practicing putting it into her little toy carrier so we can go out for walks together with our babies strapped to us when her little brother arrives. She's so excited about becoming a big sister. This afternoon we went shopping for nursing bras and then she helped me pack my hospital bag

I've got an appointment tomorrow when I will be 36 + 3 ... not quite sure what they will be assessing as this time in my last pregnancy I was in hospital and had my daughter in 4 days time!

@DuRezidal our area in Kent also does a scan at 36 weeks as a standard procedure in and part because our local hospital has research links with Kings Uni London. They reassess growth as far as I’m aware. Wonder if it’s a similar thing where you are.

We’ve had a scan today and have another in 4 weeks at 38+6 as we’re now being watched extra closely for baby growth.

It was just an ordinary midwife appointment where they told me he is head down, everything looks normal etc

Scan was fine. She's tracking on 50th centile so although considerably smaller than her brother they're not concerned & her movements are all fine. We could make out her hair in the scan, looks like she has quite a bit, again completely different to DS.

Got home to a letter from the hospital saying they've been trying to contact me about the swab they took when I went in with bleeding, they haven't. Rang the Drs, they hadn't had a copy of the report so I rushed down there before they closed in case it was something serious. Dr was fab & checked the report immediately & I have thrush, joy. Luckily no symptoms but still have to use the pessary. Bit annoyed that both the midwife yesterday & the one I saw today didn't mention it but all sorted now & that's the main thing.

Consultant on Friday to discuss elcs & hopefully book a date then just a week left at work & I can then put my feet up for a week before she arrives.

I woke up early today & couldn't get back to sleep because I was worrying about my iron levels. I was prescribed a liquid supplement 5 weeks ago but haven't been taking it because it made me gag. Instead I've researched how to improve iron levels through diet & started taking spatone. I've only been on that for a little over a week though. They said they'd recheck my levels next week & they'd need to be above 10.5 if I'm going to have a home birth. It's only a 0.5 increase but I don't know how long it takes to build up & the thought of having to go to hospital, other than in an emergency situation, makes me feel really anxious. I'd genuinely rather give birth at home by myself than go to a hospital at the start! I've got a midwife coming round this afternoon to talk about home birth so I'll mention it to them then. I don't think they'll do home births before 38w so I might ask if they can hold off on checking my levels until that appt.

@AGnu I also have low iron and have been breathless and Midwife totally missed it in my blood test results until I noticed it in my file a few months later! Sounds like ur doing the right things could you also make some sort of green smoothie and also have greens with at least one meal a day. Make sure you’re getting enough vitamin c to help absorb the iron.

@AGnu do you cope with swallowing small tablets? Maybe ask for iron tablets instead? I’m on them and they are smaller than paracetamol and enteric Coates so don’t have a bad taste

@AGnu typo- that should say enteric coated

Good morning ladies, I too have been given iron tablets and I have the ones with the sugar coating on. I’ve only been taking them for 48 hours and I am eagerly awaiting them kicking in. How long did it take before you felt the effects? Did you feel noticeably different?

We were released from the hospital last night. I cried because I was desperate to leave the hospital then cried when I got in the car as all of sudden the world seems a bit scarier place! I now cry at the drop of the hat even when I don’t actually feel sad.

My parents also got back from their holiday yesterday and came to see us despite being severely jet lagged! It was one of the best feelings in the world to introduce them to their new granddaughter.

I’ve had the best night sleep I have had in months despite getting up twice for an hour at each time to feed the baby.

@theotherendofthesockportal ahhh I’m so excited for my parents to meet their grandchild it must have been a special moment for you and them :) I am so tearful I will be a complete mess I think. You’ve just created a life, your entitled to feel a bit emotional :) xx

@theotherendofthesockportal so pleased to hear you’re home and doing well. It’s an exciting scary new adventure so I’d no doubt be emotional too if I were you! X

I didn’t feel the effect of the iron tabs, just got told my bloods showed they had returned to normal. I had been taking the tabs for about 2 months at that point and have dropped down to just one a day now despite being told I could stop them as I don’t want to let my levels dip just before birth.

I spoke to the midwife about it yesterday & she seemed really encouraging & didn't think my iron levels were likely to be a problem. She also couldn't remember if the cut off for home birth is 100 or 105. If it's 100, I'll be fine!

I have iron tablets after DS1 was born. Energy-wise I felt a bit better after a week or so but the constipation was awful. I'd do anything to avoid that again!

I think I overdid it yesterday. I was buzzing around all morning trying to get everything just right for the MW home visit & after she left we had a lovely time playing board games with the DC but I didn't really get any rest time. I ended up with such painful BHs that I thought I might actually have been going into labour! I need her to stay in there for at least another 9 days so we get to 37w & I can have my home birth! It's terrifying that we're now counting down to "term" in days!

Last day at work tomorrow. Only doing a half day which is nice. Already met my new team for my new job and talked about what's happening whilst I'm away. Crazy.

Was back in hospital Sunday and Monday. Had reduced movements all day so called midwife mid afternoon. She came over and did a check - all okay but wanted me to go to hospital to do a CTG and scan to be sure. CTG was fine but scan showed amniotic fluid levels a bit on the low side. Back in on Monday morning to review and again, CTG fine but now fluid levels at the very bottom end of normal. Placenta function and growth seem to be okay so going back Monday next week for normal myoma check and will also look at fluid levels again. Growth scan the following Friday as cannot do too close to last one as inaccurate apparently.

If fluid drops too low, or growth or placenta function start raising red flags, then I'm told we will have a discussion about inducing. Oh and blood pressure is on the rise but not at risk levels!

36 weeks tomorrow so feeling okay about it all (now anyway) but really don't want to be induced if at all possible.

@GingerHanna hope all is ok for you xx why would having one growth scan close to another make it inaccurate?! I’m so sceptical of these growth scans and midwives tape measures!

@AGnu eeek counting down in days!

@GingerHanna crikey it sounds like your having a worrying time. I hope you are getting some rest.

I foolishly decided to catch up on Eastenders and have bawled my eyes out over Stacey’s baby.

I’m summoning up the courage to inject myself with clexane. I’ve got to do this over the next 4 days :(

Hope you're OK @gingerhanna.

Ooohhh sock I'm dreading having to do those injections - the midwives were still doing them when I had DD 5 years ago. Good to hear you're home though.

I have taken DD swimming today, been to ikea, walked the dog, and had some friends over. Feeling pretty good all things considered. I've also made gestational diabetes friendly lemon cheesecake - delicious!

Last day of half term here tomorrow, looking forward to resting a bit more next week once DD is back at school.