Due Feb 2019 - we’re halfway!

[MakeLemonade]

Thread 8, let’s do this...

@Lookingforadvice123 I'm glad you've said though as I'll now leave early for our scan Incase.

I have a anterior placenta. Lots of movement the last week which is a relief. It seems to be very common! Through my research apparently mostly with women with O+ blood type or people who tend to sleep on their front.
How true that is I don't know but I fit both!

I don't think it affects you much but maybe takes longer to see limbs poking out and feel strong kicks. Although baby had no issues giving me a massive boot when I sneezed the other day 😂

@Lookingforadvice123 I do. But as far as I was led to believe most people do (just over half my mw said). So I wouldnt worry about it. I only read it by chance on my notes from 20w scan as id been complaining of back pain so she pointed it out on notes and said that is probally why.

Baby160p we were 25 mins early! Lucky we were too.

Ah cool good to read about others' experience with anterior. I had a posterior last time so didn't really know although I know it's nothing unusual. I do sleep on my front, weirdly!!!

I have an anterior placenta (again). Didn't feel much with dd and quite often towards the end could feel movements with my hand but not from the inside. I'm feeling more movement this time so placenta must be in a different place even though it's still anterior. Glad all went well today and that your dh made it in the end!

@Lookingforadvice123 I also have an anterior placenta according to my 12 week scan notes. I can feel baby a lot and sometimes on the outside too now, though it’s usually to the side as I guess the baby can’t kick me through my front because of the placenta.

@lanalawr
Thank you. Doctors gave me some ear drops and just said to come back if it gets worse then will prescribe antibiotics xx

Legs feel like lead today. Hours commute to uni, then 45 mins back to the hospital to see anaethetist, now another 45 minutes commute to my therapy and another 45 minutes home. Urgh!

Anaethetist looked so much like someone I know that I was a bit thrown! She went through all the options and how they test if an epidural is working (they use a cold spray and something sharp and unpleasant) but I forgot to ask whether I’d be OK to go in the birthing centre. I feel better knowing how it all works and what the options are but they all involve needles so spend the whole time going ‘arghhh needles’ rather than being able to listen and ask questions. My hands were so clammy!
It is very hard for them to assess what the situation my genetic condition will cause as it’s so different for each person and the literature is poor, but think I’d prefer AV opioids than risk trying an epidural that doesn’t work (potential risk). Think I’d find that a lot less stressful overall. Still it’s all a big unknown.

First baby- so they say to have a birthing plan.

I'm know they don't always go to plan and sometimes do the opposite so I'm very open to this.

IF I say I want just gas and air and the baby turns out the be stuck and gigantic can I then say I was other drugs?

No one has ever even looked at any of my birthing plans 😂

But yeah, they are not binding in any way, you can request what you like at the time (whether it can be granted is another matter!).

@Baby160P You can change your mind at any time (either way). If you find you want more pain relief you can ask. They may remind you that you said you only wanted gas and air but that wouldn't be a reason to refuse other pain relief (although it can be refused on other grounds e.g. too close to delivery). Equally if you said you wanted an epidural but changed your mind that would be fine too.
The midwives looked at my birth plan last time but we didn't really need it as my birth was quite quick. I was still asked if I wanted the injection to encourage the placenta and they asked my permission for a few other things after the birth (catheterisation and cord traction). Nothing was done without asking me first.

Obviously you'd have to change your mind about wanting an epidural before it was started.

I never bothered writing a birth plan for DD 🙈 just went with the flow.

That sounds rough @powkin ime if you want or request an epidural you’ll have to go to the labour suite so not birthing centre as that’s midwife led so no doctors. I’d be surprised if that differed. I started off in birth centre and then moved so entirely possible if you change your mind no one will care x

I never had a birthing plan either! And won't this time. I gave consent for a couple of things eg the injection to deliver placenta and vitamin K I think.

I had wanted a water birth but until 34 week scan it all is on hold until I see if my placenta has shifted so I'm pretty much in the mind set of no point planning anything!

I’d love a water birth as water is my happy place but stupidly I’m worried about pooping in the pool! Haha. The idea of husband being in there and me doing a big poo is making me very uncomfortable. Very silly I know!!

@powkin it's not guaranteed that you'll poo. The midwives are very discrete too and would catch it quickly.
I did have a birth plan last time but it was very brief and more of a wish list for being in the water with minimal pain relief while still seeing how things went. The only thing I was very clear on was that I didn't want interventions without my consent being given either for me or the baby. That's standard anyway though. NHS website has a tool with some questions you can answer to shape a plan. They're fairly generic so if you want pink elephants to fly through the room singing classical music you'd have to be pretty explicit!

I wanted a water birth and asked for one with my two kids, under staffing meant I had no chance though.

Opted for no needles during labour, so placenta was delivered naturally both times. No epidural or drugs other than G&A, but I was obviously flexible should the need arise!

All of this I verbalised though, as no one read my plan as far as I’m aware.

This time round it’s not so much the thought of pooing in labour (I didn’t with either of my labours), but more the worry of it not being solid... in a birthing pool that would be pretty horrific 😬

@powkin I highly recommend the water birth although i didnt end having DD in the water i was in for most of my labour but they thought i was 8cm and my body was pushing so they pulled me out and was actually 10 so never got back in and just pushed her out. Will try to stay in this time my labour with DD was 1hour 49minutes from when waters broke to her being in my arms so just hoping i actually make it to hospital this time as second is usually faster!!

Ohh and may i add i didnt poo ha! The midwife was on stanby with her little shovel incase though! I think maybe because that was my first sign of labour going to the toilet??

Second attempt at the 20 week scan today and we managed to get all the measurements with a couple minutes to spare - they won't give you more than 30 mins and as it was already the second attempt it was that or nothing! I've got a small one, head was on the 14th percentile and abdominal circumference was 24th. I know baby could be smaller, but still a little worrying. My bump isn't huge, and I've not put on that much weight but then neither did my mum apparently. I'll chat to the midwife when I see her in 3 weeks :)

I'm hoping for a section this time. (Consultant in Nov).

I did have a birth plan for my first but I ended up being induced so didn't go to plan. I did want a water birth though but unfortunately that couldn't happen.

All I'll say is by all means make a plan but try and be open minded too. I spent too much time upset because it didn't start the way I wanted and actually, as long as you and baby are safe that's the end goal xx

I've always said I'd want a water birth as whenever I'm ill or in pain a bath or shower is a miracle cure....

Until we watched one born every minute with a birthing pool and the blood and everything else and poo were in the pool and I was like errrrrr no thanks. Shame they don't add bubbles to hide it all but then I guess you wouldn't see the baby coming out 🙈

Honestly although everyone says this at the time you just don’t care. I had meconium in my waters when they broke and by the time I got up to the labour suite I was vomiting in pain, flashing everyone and leaking everywhere. Honestly didn’t give a shit.

Until I had my epidural (amazing) and prepped for the c section and then had to counsel my husband who was most concerned as to whether he should put the scrubs on over his jeans and whether he was allowed to wear his trainers 😂😂