September 2019 #11

[Stroan]

We're really racking up the threads!

What's the fb group again?

@kyles101 yes very relieved! They are only bothered about patterns of high readings or consecutive. My dodgy ones are spaced out randomly and can mostly be explained by things I ate. So they consider that normal.
So as long as scan next week shows normal growth then I should be alright as we are.

I’ve put on just shy of 14lbs now, which doesn’t seem too bad when you account for baby, placenta, fluid etc so perhaps that’s a GD diet perk

@ColdCottage don't beat yourself up - I completely forgot about mine and was accosted by the nurse at the doctors surgery and taken straight through at approx 26 weeks? My best friend didn't get hers until approx 34 weeks either. Neither of us got the flu jab!

@stroan how did it go at clinic this morning? Or was that yesterday? Sorry, I'm losing my mind.

@TheCraicDealer that is absolutely amazing news for your DM! You must all be absolutely thrilled!

I had my scan and appointment with the Fetal Medicine Specialist today who completely stressed me out. The consultant on Monday bought my c section forwards to when I'm 36+4 because of my ever increasing risk of pre term labour and cord prolapse etc but she said today she doesn't advise delivering baby until 38 weeks and wants to admit me from 36 weeks as an inpatient so I'm "in the right place". I got extremely stressed and upset in there as I feel like one is saying: you need the early c section as, given the frequency and strength of my contractions, increasing fluid and associated risks baby is better out than in. But today's consult made me feel like I'm putting baby's lungs/breathing etc under too much pressure!!

It feels like an impossible decision. At the time I said I had made my peace with the early section and have weighed up the risks and will deal with it just as we would if I had a premature labour. But now I'm questioning if I'm brining my baby into the world too soon and he'll suffer because of it?

Thanks @happydays00

Don't beat yourself up. Is there someone else you can talk to as the mixed messages must be hard.

14lb weight gain. I think I'm at over 2 stone already with 6 weeks to go😫

happydays sorry they have made you question things. What about of it was moved just a few days later to 37 weeks? As technically isn't that classed as full term for a singleton? Plus they can give you the steroids before hand to strengthen babies lungs. I think that's got to be better than waiting til 38 and having the risks increase as you go further.

@happydays00 how confusing and upsetting! Are these two different consultants? 36+4 is so close to full term, surely with steroids the risk to baby compared to 38 is negligible if being fully monitored. Is outpatient with increased monitoring (still daily) an option and cant they do a cervical check for fibronectin (sorry if you already had one)

@happydays00 it's so hard, I think they put too much pressure on parents to make decisions when really, what you need is a doctor to say... this is what I think/suggest.

We had our scan yesterday with foetal medicine. Baby's head is large but is in proportion, brain structures look lovely (apparently) so no worries from their side. Baby is however already estimated at 7.5lbs and I'm only 36+1. They estimate by 40 weeks we could be looking at 9.5-10lbs. But a bit like @happydays00 They've left the ball completely in my court. They said I could have an elective section due to estimated size or carry on with the plan for a VBAC.

I now don't know what to do. I had my heart set on a VBAC but if baby is measuring big is there a higher risk of me damaging something or needing an emcs anyway. I know what a c section is like, I know what to expect. Would it be easier to just go with an elective? I really don't want to put baby at any risk by going for a VBAC and then needing a lot of intervention because of her size, causing her or me damage.

Don't know what happened with the bold there.

@happydays00 I'd also be asking what the difference waiting 9-10 days makes as well. Because that's all there is between 36+4 and 38. Will it make a positive difference to baby's lungs or breathing? What are the risks of waiting?

If your like me, I come up with 50 questions in the car on the way home, not when I'm in the actual appointment 🙄

florence how big was your previous dc?

happydays that is shit of them to leave you confused and in limbo, i think the suggestion of 37 weeks + steroids is a good one

Pretty sure i read majority of babies lungs are ok by 36 weeks. I think Stacey Solomon recently had her baby at 36 weeks and he was small but fine!

@IVEgottheDECAF 8lbs 10oz and she was born at 41+4!

I really don't know how much to read into the estimated weights they give. DD's labour was 21 hours, waters broke but no dilation, so they sped it up with syntocin drip due to meconium in waters. Only got to 3cms so emcs due to failure to progress.

Anyone else's eating habits changed ? When I get up on a morning I have to force a bowl of cereal down as I feel sick and really bloated then same again at lunch usually a sandwich but then I start to want to eat everything today I had 3 bags of wotsits and 2 chocolate flap jacks 3 satsumas from the fridge and their skins (my craving) then for dinner I thought sod it and had 3/4 of a tub of unicorn ice cream from Asda that was left in the freezer and my OH just ordered a Chinese so I have eaten a full bag of chips , so far I've put 17lbs on I hope I lose it as quick as I did with my first two I was only young then and walked out in my size 8 jeans somehow 20 years later I've a feeling that's not going to happen I weighed more before getting pregnant than I did full term with my first !

florence my dc 4 was 1oz lighter and born at 39+6, couple of days after i was told at a growth scan he was 7 and a half lbs!

A couple of weeks ago i was eating EVERYTHING. Now i cant eat much or i feel sick. Also cant bend down after eating or my food reappears!

So they were 8lbs 9oz at 39+6 but you were told 7.5 lbs?

Sorry that was to you u @IVEgottheDECAF

@Dipsy77 I've noticed small changes in tastes maybe but I've definitely been hungrier some weeks, but then not so much others.

Yes! I panic bought smaller baby clothes! Dc3 had been 8lb6 so i had assumed 4 would be bigger and bought no newborn

Growth scan this morning shows baby is still extended breech, im 32wks so loads of time but OH went to dig out my birth ball and a rat has eaten masses of it. We thought we successfully got rid of it with bait last year and I recon it just killed itself eating rubber!
Babies size is ok, bit reduced so onto fortnight scans. After saying on here only yesterday that I would never be measured the consultant did, then said it was important MW starts because it's so far behind the scan size, she will love that! what a waste of time.

@Florencenotflo I had a 3 friends who had very traumatic emergency c sections so went for elected section for their second baby (one had ptsd after birth of 1st).

Yes I think a vaginal birth is what most of us want but I think that a trauma free birth leaving a more stable Mummy is probably the better option. I know all 3 friends said they were glad they went for the planned c section. One even went into labour and they just fast tracked her at the hospital and she had her planned section. You could go for that option.

Thank you @ColdCottage DD's birth was ok. Not what I'd planned in my head but it was ok. And my recovery was quite good too! Yes it was awkward and painful for a little while. But I was driving again at 3 weeks.

I think I have this sugar coated idea of what labour and birth could be like, I've done the positive birth company digital course and found that very useful. But the reality is, I felt like a failure having an emcs with dd and it took weeks for me to let go of that feeling.

I just wonder if a planned c section would be best because if I go into a VBAC with this idealised view again of how it could be, and it doesn't go that way, I'm setting myself up to fail.

I think maybe I need to stop thinking altogether! 😂

I decided to try out my TENS machine last night. Ended up throwing my back out so I've been hobbling around struggling to walk today and in pain. I can't believe the items that's supposed to help pain actually caused it!

Baby seems to have moved a bit too and is in a really uncomfortable position for me.

Work Presentation no 1 tomorrow. Arghhh

@Megan2018 yeah I'm 15lb - agree it's a perk. I must admit, on the whole I do feel good for the low carb approach too, it always has agreed with me... I just love the carbs too much to stick to ordinarily!!

@happydays00 god what a decision. Is there anyone else you can talk to? What a pain having conflicting advice...

Happy August, guys! We're due next month

I'm due this month!!

Archy

I wonder how many people will go early and how many will go late. We could start seeing babies really in the next 2 weeks!

Archy =argh!