September 2019 #8 - The 3rd Trimester Begins

[TwittleBee]

New thread!

Here is the start of the final stretch!

Google Doc for reference:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VUDuTLeibUnnaCWCjb-pqUe4Wnq-fTau4HJgmE1XE3c/edit?usp=sharing

If you are doing Kegels then you should be engaging your core muscles then btw

Oh yeah. Should be doing kegels...

Get the Squeezy app! It sends you reminders twice a day to do your pelvic floor exercises!

@Moraxella I was lucky that o had my blood pressure taken at a growth scan the day before I flew out so the GP has just written me a letter.

Off get one regardless of the airline now just in case the flight is cancelled and there is a need to use another stand in airline.

Just remember when doing Kegels that it is a bit more than "just hold your wee" - my physio was pretty shocked I wasnt doing them right at all when he asked me to do them. I thought I was doing it right too and had been doing them daily since I was pregnant with DS! Physio explained you have to go deeper than just holding a pee, its the muscles that you tense when you cough that you are also trying to engage.

I'm glad kegals have been mentioned again, I had incontinence since DD (nearly 3) so have been trying hard to do twice a day with an app. But I'm on holiday, probably had more coffee/pop than normal and completely wet myself on a walk. Pad made no difference, had to borrow OHs shorts and continued all day. Could properly feel a kick and wee come out. I was so upset and embarrassed. We did a theme park yesterday so big pad, no coffee, only water and masses of toilet breaks! I survived but the day before was shit! Like I couldnt feel any muscles at all never mind engaging them :(

Oh BBell2, don't be embarrassed. It's so common isn't it, and it's not talked about enough. Wish they were as bothered as the French, apparently they get sent to physios post-birth as a matter of course to make sure everything's in tip top shape. Here it's just seen as "one of those things" or an occupational hazard, and it shouldn't be.

Just got a secondhand spare sleepyhead cover on eBay- £36 as opposed to £65 new. Feel so frugal and smug, will be knitting my own breastpads next.

My DH is a physio, and he says that a common mistake is to think that the aim is to squeeze the muscles as tightly as you can. Apparently there are some small but important muscles forming your pelvic floor, and if you clench as hard as you can then these small muscles don’t work because the bigger, stronger muscles take over. He suggested a 3/10 squeeze in terms of effort, but doing it multiple times a day to encourage these small muscles to wake up and fire properly. Not that I do this yet I’ve been really rubbish at remembering .

Also a general moan - I think baby has switched from being head down to transverse again, pretty sure she’s got her feet wedged under my rib cage and her head poking out on the other side. I really don’t want her to get comfortable lying sideways...

BBell2 totally an issue I had too post birth with DS and something which seems to be so overlooked by the NHS, it is terrible we do not get more support.

TheCraicDealer I think that must be a recent thing in France as my french MIL is horrified at the amount of support we get here, she says no wonder the NHS is failing because we get treated like princesses...

Fortheloveofscience stressful isnt it when yo ufeel them move to transverse or breech! Mine keeps doing the same, makes me feel queasy at the time of him flipping about but also panics me that he will stay breech or transverse!

@TwittleBee your MIL sounds hilarious!! I have no idea which way round baby is?? The area is pretty well padded though!!

I'm seriously struggling today, had a busy weekend, crap sleep Sunday and Monday. Felt like I slept ok last night but the black smudges under my eyes beg to differ. Had to pop to M&S for emergency junk food reckie, not sure I'll make it til 4pm...

She is certainly interesting kyles ! She means well I am sure but 95% of what she says is just BS. I hope you do make it to 4pm, sorry you are suffering! Any chances of an early night?

@twittlebee I'm not sure I felt very princess-like after having DD!

I think the baby is still breech. I was sure he had turned last week but the midwife yesterday was certain he wasn't head down. It doesn't really matter but I'm hoping to avoid him engaging. He does NOT like me sitting against my desk so I'm getting pretty uncomfortable at work.

Also flagging today. I need a nap by about 2pm but I'm at work. It would be frowned upon.

I know but under the desk just looks so inviting today stroan. Just 20 mins, would anyone really notice??

More importantly would anyone really say anything even if they did notice?

Ha ha - I'm not sure I'd be crazy enough to wake a pregnant lady from a nap 😴 45 minutes... the sugar is kicking in now, I feel a buzz...!!

@kyles101 I'm with you on the sugar, had a long stressful day at work. Trying to talk myself out of going to the shop on the way home and grabbing a massive bar of chocolate!

Can't wait for DH to get home tomorrow - he's been away in LA. Really struggling without him.

I’m not sure I really know what I’m doing with pelvic floor exercises? Should I have already started?

Yes, they are good for posture and core anyway Hsunshine and make sure you continue them post birth as well.

People may have remember me mentioning my boss getting a promotion- well now another colleague is giving indications he's struggling with his MH and may need another break from work for a while, which leaves one colleague left in our region doing our type of work whilst I'm off on maternity leave. It's not the type of job you can really get maternity or sick cover for as it's pretty niche.

They must be getting worried as boss' boss casually walked into the office, asked how I was, worked into convo when I'm going on ML and when I was stopping taking on new stuff. I'm working right up already anyway which is probably a relief, but there was a half-jokey reference made to a colleague going out on site visits at 9mos pregnant. Not happening- once it gets to mid-July my arse will either be on my office chair or wfh.

There are some good kegel apps btw, have a little look on your app store to see what takes your fancy. This seems like quite a good explanation of them on here: www.mindbodygreen.com/0-29588/how-to-do-the-perfect-kegel-exercise.html

100% do not do site visits TheCraicDealer omg, I foolishly tried to continue them and it was awful. The worse one was a trek down to a site which took a 2 hour drive so I was busting to wee when I arrived, the men were horrified when I asked to use their loo and I was horrified I had no choice but to use it! The porta loo had no doors and needed a man to lift me up the huge step it was placed on to get inside! I then had to walk about in my heavy site boots and bloody fell over multiple times as I was so off kilter by that point. The day was roasting too as we were having a mini heat wave

I have no idea which way baby is now. She was head down and very low at my last scan, so low they struggled with head measuring. I have days when I feel incredibly full and stretched, then other times I'm more comfy. So I wonder if she moves regularly or if this depends on other things too?

@BBell2 I've had the kicks in what I can only assume are my bladder. Like you said it's kick and then pee. Only happened a few times so far but it really catches you off guard.

I have midwife next week and then another growth scan on 3rd July. It's all speeding up now. The first 20 weeks seemed to take forever but now it's going so quickly! Even DH said last night let's sit and make a list of everything else we need to get. So if he's getting organised it must not be long!

Twittle that sounds awful!!
I'm beyond tired today- work day and have been struggling all afternoon. I'd join the under-the-desk-nap brigade, but we work round one big table...

@TheCraicDealer make a "joking" comment back about waters breaking on a site. They might rethink that swiftly!!