Aug 2021 - 2nd Trimester continues

[Alittlexmasmagic]

Hi everyone, another thread begins & things are getting real now 😄 x

@Ghhh

I am also 16 weeks, And have PCOS, I was told that GD is checked due to my weight not PCOS. But I do know that in general PCOs is a risk factor for diabetes, but it depends on the type on PCOS that you have.

Yes cannot wait to get to 20 week scan for reassurance everything is ok, especially as they couldn't get my NT measurements!!!

@Ghhh

I am also due 27th!!!

@LyraShaeLilly
Well the doctor just said I needed a glucose test at 15 weeks and 24 weeks because if pcos she said my BMI was fine and wasn't classed as 'high risk ' and didn't need more scans. But I couldn't do the glucose test as it made me throw up as I still sometimes feel sick. I just got told they will contact me about another test or they will wait until 24 weeks.

I just don't really know what the good and bad signs are at this stage! Do you know how I can change my username?

Aw how exciting we're due at the same time, when your next scan?

@Magik01 not insensitive at all! I'm usually very open about it, however on a forum of mainly FTMs it's a balancing act as to be honest but not to unnecessarily cause anxiety in others. (For anyone worrying, it was just a series of unlucky events that couldn't be predicted and extremely unlikely to happen to anyone else).
My EDD is 22nd Aug, my DS is 3 on the 31st Aug so I know exactly what you mean. It's bad enough being accidentally kicked and head butted when you're fully fit and have the appropriate reflexes 😂 x

It's not standard to have monitors strapped to you constantly. Most UK hospitals will do intermittent monitoring, you'll be on the monitor for 20 mins when you arrive and then the midwife will swoop in every now and again with a doppler. They might hook you up to a monitor again periodically if it's a long labour or induction or they have concerns - with DS2 they wanted me monitored but my contractions were too strong and it kept falling off so they stuck a wire up my vagina into his head This REALLY pissed me off, but it did the job, and was actually less restrictive.

About VBAC with lots of monitoring vs ELCS I don't know. I think I would keep talking to midwife/consultant (whoever you see) and ask about different options, as well as stats relating to your situation, rather than general stats, but if your gut feeling is to avoid the fear and urgency of an EMCS and you don't hate the idea of ELCS, I think I would probably lean towards ELCS? Having had two unmedicated births... I am really not down with the whole "wonderful experience" thing. IME it's hard, painful and intense whatever happens. There are some things it's not necessarily worth experiencing IMO :o I know some people have a really positive experience, and I wouldn't say that my first birth was awful - but I wouldn't choose to go through it again, if it wasn't necessary for getting the baby out! Last time I distinctly remember saying I would never give birth again dunno why I'm here really...

@lucyrp Often makes babies quite drowsy so they can be quite difficult to feed initially. The amount of times I was having to strip off pethidine babies and annoy them so they would wake up as they hadn’t fed in like 4/5 hours!

@MrsB2019x I'm in the no pethidine club as well. I just didn't like the feeling of being on it but I'm not the biggest gas n air fan either. I think I'd rather just skip to epidural if I couldn't cope.
I have a Tens machine which I've never used but found my contractions were all up front so not sure it'd help either x

@BertieBotts I suppose if you know no different then what does it matter! I had no clue! I was only 17 so didn't question anything. I wouldn't say it was a long labour but I was having contractions 5 mins apart at 8am and he wasn't born until 1:27am the following morning so ?🥴 I was strapped up constantly throughout being in the delivery suite. As soon as I was in there I had both monitors on my belly and they weren't off until baby was born. J wasn't high risk or anything like that at I was 17 with no other health problems and thin!

@MrsB2019x oh that's worth knowing!

@Alittlexmasmagic I wasn't with it at all when on gas and air. I was up on the ceiling looking down on myself and whenever I was asked questions I couldn't speak. I have since done laughing gas in the shape of balloons and not sure I want to feel like that throughout birth but its what got me through last time so we'll see. Maybe il only need paracetamol this time and they'll just fall out 🤣🤣

@Ghhh

I made a point of telling MW I have PCOS as I was worried about M/C risk but she didn't say GTT was needed at 15 weeks only 25, will ask about this at scan on 12th April.

I go through phases of intense worry and then flipping to being ok, I'm still getting sickness and headaches so I'm taking that as a good sign. On a day when I don't have these symptoms I remember back to the 12 week scan and think about the very much live and licking baby I saw on screen with a strong heartbeat, and that no news is good news - try not to worry. I'm also FTM but feel if something was wrong you would know about it.

UK is good because they are very patient led (although sometimes you have to be quite insistent to remind them of this!) and evidence based guidance so you can always ask about the risk/benefit of any situation and it's likely you'll receive a good answer. You can have a proper back and forth about it.

Germany is a bit more rigid, I think because of insurance reasons. So they are a bit like this is the rule, do this - you can argue against it, but most people don't so they don't really expect you to, and you won't normally get very far. Although they are quite natural and gentle in approach and won't do interventions etc unless necessary, as a rule.

I think sometimes the continuous monitoring is just done for some reason or other, but you can def ask for it not to be. However with VBAC I believe there is a good reason to have more monitoring - I can't remember the exact reason why but I've read about it before.

All your talk of birth options I'm finding interesting, I'm very anxious about birth and think I actually have a phobia of it.

Without going into details my risk of a stillborn is double, I am more likely to have a longer labour and a bigger baby and the EMCS rate is 40%. I was already leaning towards an ELCS due to tokophobia, but after knowing these risks my decision is made up.

Your pethidine discussion is also interesting as if I end up having a natural I would have opted for pethidine, I didn't think about the effects on baby.

@LyraShaeLilly did your midwife say people with pcos was more at risk of MC?

I'm the same part of me is like I've got past the 12 week mark I still have some symptoms even though they have eased, I tell myself if something was wrong id be bleeding or have intense pain. But then other times I worry thinking what if I get to 20 weeks and there's something wrong etc. I had a MC at 6 weeks last time so I suppose I'm approaching further on this time.

You'll have to post of here how your scan goes but I'm sure everything will be fine :)

@wimbler thank you! I need to stop googling so much as it just adds to the work. It's such a long wait between the 12 and 20 week scan. On the birth plan - I was planning to have our baby in a birth centre too, are there any hypnotherapy books you would recommend?

@Ghhh I can't wait for the 20 week scans too!! Mine's in two weeks!

@LyraShaeLilly do you take cyclizine for your sickness

@ghh

I'm so sorry to worry you and so sorry about your previous loss, it's something I gained from google, so not the most reliable source, M/W wasn't concerned when I explained my worry if M/C. and I was also referring to the first 12 weeks.

I don't take cyclizine I am just managing best I can, Sickness isn't so bad when im at work as I'm distracted but on weekeds as there isn't much to do it's worse.

When is your scan? I hope your sickness eases, it must be tough for you if you are on meds!!

Wow, so many pages to catch up on! I had a really busy day again, my brain is tired and I forgot what I was going to say already 🤦🏼‍♀️

What is pethidine, sorry? Never heard of it?

Also I'm 18+1 today and I don't think I felt any flutters for a few days. Not sure what to make of this. Definitely no kicks yet - at least not that I was able to recognise. I'm a bit worried that they disappeared considering I had flutters most days for a couple of weeks before

Congratulations to those of you with positive recent scans and MW appts listening to the heartbeat ❤ Also thank you @MrsB2019x for linking up your thread, I'll have a read now xx

@PurplePansy05 Pethidine is another form of pain relief for labour. Can make you quite drowsy though and does pass through to baby

Gosh everyone's quiet today!
Has anyone else had back pain every single day and quite intense at times ? Wondering whether to check with the midwife or whether I'm just being stupid

@lucyrp very quiet today. Hope everyone is doing ok!

I do - lower back only. Where is yours? Makes it difficult to get off the sofa most of the time and it's worse after walking too 🙈 I did have lower back trouble before but it's worse now!

@Daffodil21 mines middle back down to lower and it's quite intense when it comes! It's worse after sitting for periods of time too!

Yes quiet today,

Just wanted to mention about pethidine that it is a very good pain killer but does have side effects like all medicines.

@lucyrp Yeah my back can hurt quite a bit sometimes, especially after walking! Don’t even have to go far 🙄

@lucyrp today does seem particularly bad. I'm not sure why - I sat in a garden chair for a bit earlier then went for a short walk. It hurts so much to go up the stairs! This is where I wish we had a downstairs loo 😂

Currently lounging on the sofa with my pregnancy pillow 😂 hope yours eases up soon! Let us know if you find something that helps!

Hello ladies.

It's been a nice quiet Saturday from the looks of it.

I had a question regarding knickers. Best place to get maternity knickers and also postpartum knickers? I know they say cotton is the best ...

I ordered maternity bras/nursing bras from hotmilk today. Pricey but I found a 20% discount code after I had a virtual fit appointment this morning. Plus they don't look like mummy bras which just happened to be convenient too!x