September 2020 4

[ChipsAreLife]

New thread...

@Chanel05 I'm in the same boat as you! Head under ribs and bum down at pelvis with feet in the air covering the face 🙈 not sure when they try and do the external gentle moving method to try and get them to flip?! All the movements I feel are down below belly button.

@Bk356 congrats & welcome. My partner and I have decided to keep ourselves to ourselves until baby is here. It's not worth the risk. I think it's up to you to be honest. We see parents just inside their home. I'm starting to go with DP to do food shop, we go first thing, wear masks and that's enough to put me off seeing people🤣

@ShiningStarz midwife told me that if baby is breech at 36 weeks then I'd have a consultant appointment at 37 weeks to discuss options. They could do an attempted manual turn (with g&a!) and it has a 50% success rate. If I chose section it would be at 39 weeks and they would scan on the day of the section to see if baby had turned.

@Chanel05 that's good to know. As I have the gestational diabetes I would presume it would be attempted earlier than normal. I think they'll recommend I don't go over 38 weeks so could be a planned section! So much for a dreamy water birth 🤣
So glad I'm not the only one awake at this hour!! Every morning I wake around 430/5 hungry haha

@shiningstarz morning! been a terrible nights sleep again here, so hot still and my body is used to waking at 6 from when I went into work. I'm drinking lots in the day whilst it's hot as well so keep waking up to go to the loo 😩 I've not got any more scans planned but all the movement I feel is low down, does that mean baba is potentially breach too? Though could just be cos my placenta is at the front top...

@bk356 hiya welcome! So the rcog has a lot of good info www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/ (sorry the android app is rubbish and doesn't let me link!)
My midwife said "the guidance is basically shielding but I'd be happy to see people outside at a distance" but I don't trust her that much as the guidance isn't to shield unless you have other risk factors in pregnancy (such as heart disease)
I'm still going to shops etc (but wearing a face covering) and seeing friends and family at a distance outside. I think once we're allowed inside too I'll do that just at a distance and be sensible about distancing and hand washing. For me I think the risks are low and the benefits of human interaction out ways the risks. Also the way I see it is my partner is still going to work in a pharmacy (so I'd say medium risk environment) so even if i did shield I'd still be at risk from him bringing it home anyway which is another reason I'm not.
Will you be seeing a midwife for your 28 week onwards? I've seen mine all the way through but it varies between trusts but I think after 28 weeks you should be being measured BP monitored etc!
Have you been able to work from home during lockdown? I'd say as long as your work do a risk assessment and you can safely distance, if you were comfortable going back to work for a bit then do it. But like @shiningstarz says I think it's what you're personally comfortable with!
Sorry that was so long!

I wouldn’t worry too much about babies being breech at this stage. Wren was beautifully head down for all scans and exams but they wriggle around so much still at 28/29 weeks that he was somehow breech by the time they delivered him.
Hopefully yours will go the other way to him!

Thank you so much for getting back to me ☺️ It’s really nice to hear from other people who are actually in the same boat as me. It’s great to know what you have been doing and what your thoughts are.

@ShiningStarz - Thank you 😊 we’ve been staying home as much as possible and seeing our parents/friends in the garden too but I’ve recently been going out shopping with my husband too and I know exactly what you mean about having enough of other people already 😂 definitely some positives in having to avoid other people!!

@MooseWL - Not at all, the long post was great! Yes I’m finally getting a face to face appointment next week for my 28 weeks but it’s at the hospital for now with the community midwives. I’ve never spoken to the same person so far so I don’t even really know who my midwife is! Not that she’s been any help anyway to be completely honest if I’ve txt her. She once replied to my long question just with ‘who is this’ and then I heard nothing at all from her when I replied with my name!! Luckily I have lots of friends who have young babies to rely on for pregnancy questions so I haven’t bothered since!! It’s been pretty scary really being my first baby and following on from a miscarriage but we’ve had a few private scans with window to the womb who have been incredible. Yes I know exactly what you mean ... my husband is still working too and self employed so I feel the same way. I have been working from home full time since it all started but i am finding it hard mentally so I was thinking as there will only be 3 of us in a big office at a time and the other girls are very safety conscious with hygiene etc that it would be okay just to get a little bit of normality back. I think I will speak to the midwife next week and see what she says but I don’t have much confidence in them either. That’s so good you have still had your appointments face to face!

Congratulations to you both too! xx

I think I won’t be going back o the office physically for the last bit but that’s because my office won’t expect it and I can easily work from home. As PP said we’re not shielding as such but the RCOG advice is still to pay particularly close attention to social distancing from 28 weeks (which you may interpret as is similar !). I think the risks are reasonably low (unless you have existing comorbidities). As I understand it from a quick chat with my consultant one of the main risk is that eg if you get it and are very poorly they may end up taking baby out as pregnancy takes so much from your heart and lungs, so I guess the risk is from pre- term delivery from that perspective.

@MooseWL to be honest I don't know. As I'm older and tried for years to get pregnant I decided to go private so I am scanned at least monthly, now it's every 2 weeks due to the GD. I thought the NHS were supposed to be measuring belly for growth chart?

Haha @Sara7455 I suppose there's no control over their position!! I guess the further along they get the less likely they move much.

@Lilice yes Window to the Womb! Are you excited for your scan?

@ShiningStarz oh god I was awake for ages! The struggle is real heat wise at the minute. How else does GD impact your pregnancy? I don't really know anything about it.

@Sara7455 how's Wren doing?

@Bk356 your misfired aounds like an absolute bit*h!!!! If I were you I'd contact the ins and gynae dept and ask questions about the rest of your care. If I'v learn anything it's that you are one of thousands they manage and you need to be proactive if you want to be checked out. Even go via the emergency room if your concerned, they are great at checking heartbeat and providing reassurance.

@ShiningStarz there really isn’t! I was hooked up to a monitor twice a day to check on him before the c-section and couldn’t believe how much he was moving around - I couldn’t even feel most of it!

@Chanel05 he’s doing really well thanks! He’s back at our local hospital now and I was finally discharged yesterday so we’re moving in the right direction!

I'm still learning myself @Chanel05 but if my sugars remain high then the baby gets high sugars too which makes it grow too much too quick so they monitor growth closely. Also can't go over 40 weeks, in some cases 38 weeks. Also baby might be born with low sugar / High so has to pass sugar tests when born to make sure they are ok. I was freaked out for couple days after diagnosis but feel better about it. No more treats and hopefully my weight will be in healthier range for it too. Xx

@bk356 wow I can't believe you got a response like that from your midwife!!
Hopefully your f2f appointments will be a bit more consistent and they'll be able to answer your questions properly! I've been working from home too and it is hard, my office isn't opening until October at the earliest so I won't be going back before mat leave which is strange. Though its kind of easier knowing my whole team are in the same boat. I manage 8 people so a lot of my work has been checking on their wellbeing etc whilst we're at home and it's hard for everyone!

@sara7455 ahhh does that mean you get to go home? Bet that's nice!

Welcome @Bk356 With regard to going out, we're being sensible but not restrictive because the toll of mental health from being cooped up is quite high. We're only really seeing family at the moment and the weekly shop. I do need to go into town but where I live, the rate is still high so avoiding that at the moment.

@Sara7455 great news that you have been discharged and Wren is doing well

Entered the third trimester today!! Finally get to see my/a midwife next week face to face!!

@Bk356 hi.
How you've been treated is awful- even my husband was like - you what?!
Like others have said I'd investigate/ say something to someone high up.
I've been lucky enough to have all midwife f2f. You poor thing.
I too have been advised to shield even though (like others have said) on rcog it just states strict social distancing.
I'm avoiding contact with shops etc
and not going back to work (I'm a teacher). I may see people once rules are eased a bit for shielding people- I have seen family in garden but at 2 meters and one set of friends who I know have been following the rules too.
It's hard but I think you're got to listen to advice and do what you feel comfortable with. I think we are still just vulnerable rather than clinically vulnerable.

Morning all, was so glad the temp dropped her last night. Much easier to sleep, although got kicked all night by three year old 🤪

Re advice it's just the same as vulnerable so mainly social distancing. Shielding is stopping end of July too anyway. But the advice is still work from home if you can, and just keep your distance in shops etc. I think everyone should do their own risk assessments based on where you live etc. My area has had one of the lowest amounts of cases in the country so I feel pretty safe. My girls are back at school and I've been to the shops a few times, you have to be quite close to someone for 15 mins to catch it they say. So the chances of getting it walking past someone in a shop is almost nil unless they sneezed or cough in your face. I just sanitise constantly and don't touch my face! I find if I wear a mask I touch it loads so I tend to not wear it, plus they're more to stop the person with the virus spreading rather than protecting you. So ideally everyone should wear them!!!

@MooseWL completely agree. I need to start seeing people now for my mental health. I go for a walk with two of my good friends once a week and this week we sat and a had a drink and chat after which was lovely. I worry so many women will get PND as we are all probably low as it is, so if makes you feel good and you're being safe, go for it!

@Bk356 that's dreadful from your midwives. You 💯need to be seen at 28 weeks if you've not been seen since 6. They need to check the size of baby, heartbeat, your BP and urine. If you're not getting a response from community team call your MAU and tell them what's going on and they'll see you. Makes me really cross how women are just left to get on with it like pre natal care is somehow a luxury.

Re breach babies my first turned at 35 weeks. Scrubbed my kitchen floor on my hands and knees and it worked!

@ShiningStarz sounds like you're doing everything you can re GD. Must be hard but like you say good to be healthier. I've been eating loads of ice cream in this heat. But have now stopped and trying to have a small treat every other day if not less. Sounds like you're being well looked after. 👏

@Sara7455 ah how nice to be home. Although I'm sure upsetting Wren isn't with you just yet? Do they roughly know when you can bring him home?

I need to start getting my list together and ordering final things for the baby. I'm trying to choose a sling but there's too many and I feel overwhelmed!!!!

Hello all,

Does anyone have a good list about what to pack in a hospital bag- soooooo many on the internet. I'm just getting a big frazzled!

Thanks very much

@Sara7455 glad to hear it's all going well for you.

@MooseWL I am indeed home! Best night of sleep I’ve had in weeks. So happy to be back!

@Bk356 I agree with the others! That’s terrible from your midwife, I’d absolutely speak to someone about it. My assigned midwife is only part time so texting her doesn’t always get a speedy response but the rest of the community midwives fill in when she’s not available if I call the main office (and have taken it in turns calling to check on me while I’ve been in hospital)

@ChipsAreLife definitely weird being at home without him. NICU are happy for me to call anytime of the day or night to check on him but with post c-section not being able to drive I can’t get to him as easily now as just walking down the corridor! He would have been 30weeks gestation this week and they normally keep them until 36/37 weeks assuming they’re growing and coping well with feeding / breathing etc so still a way to go yet

Thank you for all of your replies 😊 we’ve been doing the same and just seeing people at distance in gardens or parks so I’m glad that wasn’t the wrong thing to do. In regards to work I think you’re all right. I can work from home without any issues so it’s probably best for me to just carry on as I am now and not take the risks where I don’t need to.
I was very shocked at my midwife to be honest as it was really early in my pregnancy, and it was probably a stupid question but I’d never seen a pregnancy bump be completely on one side before! Now I know my little girl just prefers the right hand side and she’s always there, where I can see her with her bum sticking out 😂 her first response was ‘this phone doesn’t receive pictures’ so I explained what I was seeing and she then just replied asking who it was and then nothing until my 12 week scan. I don’t think I’ve spoken to her since then but I was a bit worried to say anything as she’s the resident midwife at my GP so I thought I would have been dealing with her throughout my pregnancy. I will mention it though now my f2f will be at the hospital as it really did upset me. Like I say though, I’m lucky to have friends who just laughed when I sent them the picture and reassured me it was completely normal!! 🙈 i looked on Mumsnet too and found a few people asking the same question. Really appreciate the support. It’s so nice to get answers from people who really understand and are at the same phases as you. x

@Sara7455 Wren is such a lovely name! I haven’t caught up on the whole thread but hope you are doing well

@Bk356 there’s definitely no silly questions so she shouldn’t have made you feel like it was one! Cute that your little one prefers the one side and you can see her always though!

We’re doing ok thanks! We’re a case study for why the 28week check should be f2f as they picked up severe pre-eclampsia when I went along for what I expected to be a routine midwife check and I ended up being sent straight to hospital and having an emergency c-section at 28+6. I’m home and on the mend now and little Wren is in neonatal under the watchful eye of the wonderful people who work there. He’s doing pretty well too just set for a long hospital stay

Oh wow @Sara7455 That must have been a real shock and so scary for you! Glad to hear you are both doing well though and they are keeping a close eye on Wren. Hope you both have a speedy recovery and you can get little man home as soon as possible

@Bk356 thank you! Definitely very glad to be home myself at least. Can focus on little man getting bigger and stronger now so we can get him home too!

Can anyone recommend a private scan company?
Thank you