September 2020 3

[ChipsAreLife]

Just starting a new one so we don't get lost again 😅

I can never seem to drink enough either! I’m drinking all day And keeping on top of it then when I wake up in the morning my mouth is dry and I feel completely parched.
Apparently I have been talking in my sleep as well. Bit embarrassing. Last night I said “blimey Charlie”. Goodness knows why.

Hope it goes well tomorrow @Lazydaisydaydream - feel for you going through all this stress but hopefully like the others said it’s nothing to worry about and they just want to confirm that with you properly!

@ShiningStarz I'm no expert as this is my first, but we got a little tutorial from SiL and I've done quite a lot of reading so happy to share what we've found out. I'd highly recommend www.thenappylady.co.uk/ - there's a whole section with advice and also a shop on there that's quite comprehensive. You can also apply for vouchers from the government or local council in lots of areas, we got £54 through www.realnappiesforlondon.org.uk/.

To use them full time we're going with 20, and we're slowly buying that number in the newborn size and then in the one size option. We've been lucky to get lots of newborn ones second hand.

I think you need to wash most of them after each use. You can get different types though - all in ones where you just sling the whole thing in the wash, those with detachable liners that you separate then wash and some that have a completely separate inner that you wash each time and a wrap that you might not always need to wash after every use.

My SiL said that you only really need the compostable liners once they're weaned and their poo is more solid, then you just take out the papery liner with the poo and flush it down the toilet. Otherwise she doesn't bother to rinse, but I guess that depends on preference.

We've started washing some of ours to improve the absorbency and they do take a while to dry - on the really sunny warm days last week they took most of the day. I think they'd be ok indoors with the heating on or a dehumidifier but would probably take a good 24 hours.

You can buy these waterproof zip up bags to pop dirty ones in and apparently that stops the smell from getting out and apparently they don't really have smelly poo until they're weaned anyway, but again, no first hand experience here!

Hope that helps!

@LooseyGoosey @Shiningstarz the nappy lady Facebook is very good too. She did a live video a couple weeks ago and went over everything which I found really informative and useful. I need to get on and start buying my nappies. I've brought a couple wraps coz they came back into stock and had a highland cow on 🥰
The questionnaire is very helpful too

Hey!
Two arms, two legs, one head and everything else looking as it should. No willy visible, the sonographer thinks it’s a girl! 💖 though she couldn’t be certain. We’re probably going to go for a follow up private scan just to be really sure.

Awww that's fab @sianyflewog 💜

Thanks @Roxy8203 I was on that website earlier, need to give it more time! Would like to try but worried as a first time mum, the easiest thing to do would be use disposable for first few weeks. Will read more into it x

Thinking about you @Lazydaisydaydream I'm sure your head is wrecked. I'm glad your appt is tomorrow and not after the weekend. Hugs xx

@ShiningStarz first time mum here too and disposables probably are easier to start with. I have seen some ladies say their babies didn't like changing from disposable to cloth. Definitely watch the video, it was so helpful

I’ve never used reusables, but the amount of poo in the first few weeks and loads of washing from sicky muslins and clothes, I can’t imagine having the extra washing to do. You could always maybe do a bit of both to see how you get on and then change over once digestive systems become a bit more regular?

@sianyflewog fab news.
Yeah I agree, all they do is poo at the beginning, couldn't imagine using reusable nappies from the start, not brave enough

I mean, it's perfectly feasible, but I am not brave enough lol

Glad to see a few of you are looking at reusables too. This interests me greatly but I'm confused by how many types there are! Also there seems to be 2-3 sizes and that's it - are they not suitable for newborns and you just use disposables until they are a little bigger? I'm planning to watch some YouTube videos on it as that's how I learn other random things!

Just wanted to share the feeling of being let down with my maternity care at the moment. So despondent about the whole thing. I have only seen a midwife once and I'm meant to be under consultant care but nobody seems to want to do actual appointments. I had high blood pressure at booking in yet nobody is checking this again throughout my pregnancy? I haven't been sent a date for my 20 week scan which should be next week. Took me a week of making phonecalls and being passed between the hospital and my surgery to actually get hold of my midwife to sort out and today she told me my next appointment with her June is also over the phone. If I'm high risk why am I not getting basic checks? Just seems so daft and I'm getting more anxious as the weeks go by.

@flameprincess That is really poor - what health board are you under? You could go and have your BP checked at a pharmacy to check if it’s still high, but if it is they may just refer to the GP - so maybe go straight to them or your local antenatal clinic? Did they do your BP at your antenatal appointment after your 12 week scan?
I’m also under a consultant - my appointment for our first meeting was arranged after my 12 week scan, and I received the letter within days. Ring the antenatal team, as my first meeting is at 24 or 26 weeks.

@flameprincess sorry to hear this, unfortunately I think this is being echoed everywhere. I've seen MW as norm but also had a problem with one of those basic checks at 16w appt and this hasn't been followed up or checked either, I've bought myself the kit to review it myself.

Also suppose to see a Consultant due to previous section and previous cervix treatment and was suppose to get letter after the MW booking in appt but it never came. I chased this at 16w MW appt as was suppose to have seen Consultant before 16w and here we are at 21w and still nothing.

I have had the 12 and 20w scans though so at least this has been going ahead.

I agree that for your own health sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands so could go to pharmacy for BP check or call your GP to discuss high risk and not having had this checked yet.

For scans I would try phoning the booking line from the letter about your 12w one perhaps if it's the same office that arranges both. Could try MW but sounds like your not getting much response through that route. I think you've fallen through the net for the 20w one somehow, as you certainly should have this and have an indication of date by now.

I'm sorry to hear you're all having such rubbish experiences. I understand partly that things are more chaotic and that where possible low risk appointments can be done over the phone but where things are flagged up and it's not being followed up it's really not acceptable. Antenatal care should not stop!
I wonder who makes the decisions on whether phone appointments are done. My last appointment seemed brief but at least they took urine samples and BP.
You shouldn't have to chase these things but make sure you keep chasing until you get what you need

I'm really pleased so many are considering reusable nappies and thank you for sharing tips and websites all so useful! I had no idea about the council grants available!

And @lazydaisydream thinking of you today, hope you get some answers at your appointment and fingers crossed for you 🤞🏻

Great news @sianyflewog!

I feel the same @flameprincess I had high blood pressure and high bmi at booking appointment. No no check or weight check since. FTM but expected to be monitored a little if high risk. Also consultant led and met him 8 weeks ago when he introduced himself and that was it lol.

Hopefully things will improve soon. Think we’re just gonna have to deal with it unfortunately.

@sianyflewog no I never had an appointment after my 12 week scan I've only seen my midwife once when I was 10weeks. I'm in the West Midlands. My local pharmacy are all behind screens at the moment too I'm not sure if I can get my BP checked or not.

@HugeAgeGap I managed to get an answer on my 20 week scan now. I do have one booked but was never sent a letter and it wasn't showing on my midwife's records either so just an error. At least I have this sorted.

I'm hoping by my next appointment with midwife there will be some lifting on restrictions with lockdown and I'm just going to have to be more forceful and ask that I'm physically seen. I should have a right to basic care if a concern has been raised in my pregnancy enough to be put under a consultant I just need to emphasise this I think. Whether it will get me anywhere time will tell...

I'm having a similar experience re antenatal care.

I saw a midwife at 8 weeks & had my scan at 13 weeks but that's it.

I'm consultant led because of previous sections but I think it's awful not to have even had a phone call to check in with expectant mums.

I'm lucky that I'm quite clued up on the signs and symptoms of things going wrong but there's a huge potential for women to be sat at home with a headache or terrible itching, thinking it's normal when actually they can be signs that need investigation.

A 5 minute call from the community team to discuss physical and mental health would go a long way to preventing a spike in complications or, god forbid, baby loss.

I feel the same but luckily I'm low risk so not too worried but compared to previous pregnancies i can see that antenatal care is massively different this time
Unfortunately we are not the only ones affected. My son was due to have sessions of therapies for two different issues plus an operation but everything is put on hold at the moment. It's very frustrating and I find that you always have to chase things up to get things moving or get feedback on what is happening. I understand the situation is exceptional but they still have a duty of care to patients!

Ahhh girls, sounds like a nightmare for some of you! I think telephone checks over the phone are commonplace - my 16 week check went ahead at the surgery, but she did say if she’d realised ahead of time she would’ve just rung me. Generally, ABUHB (South East Wales) have been really good though - they’ve even set up a Facebook group with videos for the cancelled antenatal classes, and so that you can talk to a midwife and get responses on queries. My midwife spoke to me at length about conditions for birthing, scans etc and the fight that the midwifery council are putting in for expectant mothers (such as really fighting our corner to have a birthday partner which they wanted to take away completely! Probably a man that came up with that idea.) I think 28 weeks onwards they have to see you face to face though.

@flameprincess When is your scan? I asked the sonographer yesterday if I had to go to antenatal following my scan, and they told me you only go if it’s your first pregnancy or you’ve been told to. Ring your midwife or the midwifery team, and ask that an appointment is made in the antenatal clinic for the same day as your scan - express all your concerns, and stand your corner. They have a duty of care to you and your baby, I don’t think they can turn you away if you have a general concern.

Do they still give these books out? This timeline shows the weeks you should have a midwife visit, and for what purpose: 7-10 (booking), 16, 25 (first babies only), 28, 31 (for first babies only), 34, 36.

My midwife wrote down that she would see me at 32 weeks instead of 34, so not sure if that’s changed 🤔

Thinking of you @Lazydaisydaydream I hope everything is ok x

the specialist said that basically the bowel is a concern, and that in combination with some other factors there is a risk the baby has cystic fibrosis or down syndrome. Me and my husband will be having blood tests done next week to see if we are carriers for cystic fibrosis, and they are going to test my blood for the down syndrome (harmony test). I was offered an amniocentesis but there is a risk of miscarriage with this, and even though the amnio would be 100% and the harmony test is only 99% accurate I decided I didn't want to take the risk. We should have all the results within a few weeks. So it's another few weeks of waiting and worrying, but after the video conference I then had a long discussion with my consultant and she said the odds are still really low. She was very reassuring so I'm just going to do my best to think as positively as possible (although I know that will be hard at times!).

Thanks to everyone for your support honestly this thread has helped me so much!! Xx