August 2018 #5

[peterpanwendy]

As we enter month 5 of our pregnancies we need a 5th thread!

Good luck to everyone having their 20 week scan this/next week :)

@peterpanwendy 7 weeks lucky you! Did you take maternity leave earlier or does your work make you? Xx

Nikki for me the BH just feel tight. When they happen and I touch my bump it’s rock hard then relaxes again. I get them quite often. Can be uncomfortable but not painful for me.

I finish work in 4 weeks 2 days! Can’t wait. I have holiday for 2 weeks then start maternity leave just before 36 weeks. I really don’t think I could work much longer my brain feels like it’s dying and I’m so tired!

And believe me.. no one cares what your bits look like!

@StrawberryLemonade hmmm i wonder if thats what it was today, it was quite tight but could really feel it around my belly button.

I know what you mean, my brain is fried from work these days! X

@NikkiL123 I'm a teacher so break up for the summer holidays at the end of July! My mat leave doesn't actually kick in until she's born (I'm due 26th Aug so around then hopefully!) so it all worked out really well timing wise. I can't wait to finish work my job is so active and non-stop. Not to mention all the bugs and illnesses I'm trying to avoid 24/7!

I'm finishing on August 24th, the day before my due date 😩😩😩 I'm so jealous of those finishing fairly soon! I have 13 weeks left at work yet!
I've been really suffering with some quite excruciating pain under my ribs on the right side, has anyone else had this? The pain actually made me sick today. It feels like my ribs are broken/bruised and the pain gets worse throughout the day until it's wrapped around my side and back. I called the maternity assessment unit last week but they just said to grin and bear it, but I'm not sure I can stand it for much longer 😥

@WaitingforToto I've had this, it's so so painful. Mine would gradually get worse through the working day until I'm almost in tears. It was ok when standing. It was at its peak between 25 and 29 weeks, it's eased a little, still there but not as bad. I went to the doctors, they said they'd refer me for physio, I never got it. If you have a desk job, ask for a back support block to sit in the small of your back, or a chair that moves with you. Those things helped me. Also pilates, cat stretches are heaven. Try a you tube pregger one. I can totally empathise, it's excruciating.

I remember having bad rib pain with my last one - and I think it was because she'd get her foot or something wedged under there and it would be horrible. It would hurt to breath sometimes.

Have you tried the usual things to get baby to move? Sweet cold drink, lie on one side etc? If it is the case that its a foot or something up under your ribs then hopefully that might make the baby move enough to get you some relief.

I've not had it this time (yet) as I don't think baby is head down.
I know my last one was really early and I'm getting a bit worried that this one will end up breech :(

@Emmasmum2013 my DS1 was head down really early but I've read that subsequent LO's can only go head down quite late. Mine was breech at my last midwife appt but have another appt so will see if he's moved (I don't think he has though based on where my movements are).

Thanks for the advise @milney25 and @Emmasmum2013 - when I rang the MAC the midwife said that at 26 weeks the baby won't be high enough up yet to be causing the pain/using my ribs as a jungle-gym so it's likely to be inflammation of the cartilage. I've been doing lots of stretching and hanging from the monkey bars in the gym to lift my ribcage away from the rest of me and give it some room! It does get worse as the day wears on Milney25, I'm glad you said yours eased a bit at 29 weeks because I don't think I can stand it until the baby comes! Need to toughen up I guess!
I have no idea which way up my baby is, I feel most of the movements lower down and at either side. I'll ask at my next MW app to see if she can work it out.

@WaitingforToto
Hopefully you can just take it easy for a wile and it will get better. Does paracetamol do anything to help?

My silicone wedding ring came yesterday too!! I quite like it. It’s a bit snug but it not too tight and it has a bit of stretch so I can get it off easily if I need to and it’s not cutting off the blood supply when I get too warm or puffy!

Ignore my terrible nails, they’re very short because one broke and I can’t bear them being uneven so they all got cut.

Ok ladies sorry for the TMI but I'm pretty sure my boobs (actually just one boob!) are leaking! Is this colostrum? I noticed it yesterday when I woke up from a nap there was a tiny mark and it was wet and then when I woke up today and there was a mark about the size of my nip that had dried but you could still see it! Is this normal?! I'm only 27+3. Pregnancy is sooo glam 🙈

Urgh have had tightenings of the stomach and the ribs today, has been painful to even bend over. Not to mention I shaved last night and thrush has come back temporarily with vengeance :( my vagina feels like a rotten heavy apple and my body just aches even just sitting my rib cage hurts! Not sure if this is braxton hicks as it’s the first time it’s been the tightening feeling.
@Emmasmum the ring looks lovely! Very nice!
@peterpanwendy sorry I haven’t experienced that yet! I only want one symptom at a time haha

Also how do you know when baby’s head is down?

@Gem173, it sounds like you're having a properly rough time :( Can you not get the day off work or something so you can chill out at home under a duvet or in the sunshine?

I've no idea what braxton hicks fees like.. I remember when I went into labout and had actual contractions I thought to myself "Yeah, I've never felt anything like this..." so unless BH are really different to actual contractions anyway.. I don't think I've ever had them.

Midwife will tell you if the baby is head down.. last appointment I had on Friday she said baby was bum down and her head was to the top right. So I'm hoping she moves soon.

There's something you can do called Belly Mapping as well where you're meant to be able to feel where the baby is. But I've tried and can't do it. I've no idea how the midwife can tell!

I know @Emmasmum, it’s been plain sailing till week 24 hit!
My managers funny with sick leave etc so I try to stay away from taking sick time off. I know it doesn’t count but she makes it sound as if it does to her, and I can’t be arsed with that stress!
Also I put all 28 days annual leave onto the end of my 6.5 month mat leave to mat it at least 7 months long.
If my mum agrees to some plans of mine I will be able to extend my mat leave to a year. So here’s hoping she will be okay with my plans and I can have more time off. If not then I guess 7 months will have to do!

Ladies can i ask your opinion on this

My two friends asked to organise me a baby shower which i thought was really nice as i have done their Hen Do and birthday parties last year.
I gave them a budget and transferred them the money. I got a text from one of them today asking for more money as they had spent the money i already gave them!
Am i being stupidly hormonal / over reacting / ungrateful at this or am entitled to be seriously annoyed they have gone over the budget i set and then just expect me to give them more?!

@NikkiL123 I'd be a bit annoyed with that too. I'd be asking them how they've managed to go over budget. If you don't want to/can't afford to give them more then you'll have to ask them if they can return some things... I don't think that's unreasonable. Its called a 'budget' for a reason haha.

I agree with @Emmasmum on this, however I’m not having a baby shower and no one has offered to do one for me! So basically I’d be happy to just have one planned for me 😂

@Emmasmum2013 it's supposed to be a surprise so not going to know what they have spent it on but just really annoyed me they disregarded my budget! I would have preferred to spend the additional money on the baby than anything else!
Just had a full meltdown about it tears and everything, bloody hormones nobody at work has seen me cry before been here 5 years 😂!

@Gem173 come and join mine, it's costing me enough 😂😂😂

Aww @NikkiL123 you'd think they'd know you've got other things to be spending your money on! Its very nice of them to organise though but I think you might just have ask them if they really can not manage it without additional cash..

I did my own last time - it was very basic though. Nearest and dearest just came to my house, I laid on a buffet and everyone brought some additional buffet food and we had a good catch up.

I've texted my friends today and asked them if they all want to meet up for a nice meal some time before I am due.. I'm specifying no presents this time though. I just want everyone together. And we've got about 12 kids now between us all so it'll be good to have a nice grown ups only evening.

@Emmasmum2013 the crazy thing is they are doing a buffet and it's being held at my mum's house so what is costing £160 god only knows!!
I just said i wanted an afternoon tea type thing but didn't want to go out somewhere as don't think people should have to pay to go to a party.
I'n sure it will be worth it and i know i am sounding like a brat but still 😂. X

@Gem173 my baby is head down and deep in my pelvis confirmed yesterday. I had no idea, never felt a thing

I'm 31 weeks today and seriously suffering with heartburn now.

@NikkiL123 I might take you up on that offer! Haha I’m only joking

@youcantbesirius I sympathise with heartburn have had it twice so far, and it’s painful! My next midwife appt is next week when I’m 28 weeks il see if they can tell me positioning then.
Called my doctors because I forgot to get my swab results two weeks ago when my thrush was at its worst. Anyway called today and receptionist said she wants doctors to explain my result. She said usually the results say ‘normal’ if all okay, but mine hadn’t got that and she was uncertain on one thing.
I’m sure it will just be the doctor calling to confirm it was thrush that I had/ still have on and off... Hopefully 🤞

@Gem173 midwife told me position last week at 28 weeks and said head was down bum was up and legs to the side, she must have had x-ray vision cos she literally touched my bump for 3 seconds and could tell the position! X

@NikkiL123 wow haha really must have had X-ray vision! It’s weird how they turn now and not later on in the pregnancy. Thank god they don’t get head rush 😂