URGENT questions :-( Need advice from any and everyone but midwives are especially needed.

[TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied]

36+1 and had a growth scan today. Baby is already 8lb 3oz. Her heartbeat is still very irregular as it has been throughout.

She has a lot of amniotic fluid, way above average.

And most worryingly, she has a large abdominal. Way above the top line on the chart.

Obstetrician has decided to give me a sweep 2 weeks today and then induce within 48-72 hours. He is an exceptional consultant, however, he is going to be away!

I have bad SPD, I'm on crutches and so my legs will only open 39cms. This is also a bit of a problem but he thinks it will be ok.

The head midwife asked if I had been tested for downs.. so now I'm terrified this baby has downs.

I have high sugar in my wee and have done all pregnancy but I don't have gestational diabetes.

The consultant did not mention the baby's big tummy once and I wonder if he overlooked this information.

I'm beside myself with worry. I don't know what's happening or why or how I can make it better.

And I cannot see how she's going to get out safely with all these problems.

Also, consultant said they will not be able to use forceps due to SPD so in that instance I guess I would need an emergency cesarean?

Please help me, I'm in a state, I need information and can't find anything online.

Can only apologise for the typo's. It's late

((((((((hugs))))))))

All will be well.

Get some rest and persue a follow up contact of some sort tomorrow.

Oh love. How do you know there are a lot of still births? That is an awful thing to be told.

I think you need to see your midwife today and ask for reassurance.

I have to go out this morning but if you want to ask anything I will be back later. There was no sign of any problems with my son until the day before he was born and then there were clues but the midwife was crap.

How are you feeling today?

I'm sure if I'd had scans with dc2 (10lb 6oz) there would have been lots and lots of panicking I actually measured small for dates but looked huge and they kept telling me the baby wasn't big.

Once she was born it was panick stations because of her weight and grade 3 meconium, even then they couldn't see she was extremely long rather than being fat through undiagnosed diabetes.

I hope you get to speak to someone today to go through your concerns.

Totally, I hope you've spoken to someone who has put your mind at rest? (As well as all these lovely posts)

Totally Sorry to read this, really hope you have gotten to talk to someone today.

We're all thinking of you on the February thread. xx

Totally - I have just read this thread, the Feb girls mentioned it.

I have know knowledge or experience of the things you are asking, but wanted to let you know I am thinking about you.

Hope you and baby are ok!

I'm sorry that you're having such a stressful time.
I don't know about irregular heartbeat- did the doctors seem very worried about it?

When I was pregnant last year, I barely passed GTT- another 0.2 and I would have been over the treshold, so they made me do it again few weeks later and it was tiny bit better, but on the limit. But since it was under the treshold, they decided I didn't have GD.
I gained a lot of weight and my belly was huge, so they did a scan to see how much amniotic fluid there was and there was a lot, but again, just under the 'limit', so they let it go.

I had an extra scan at 37 or 8 weeks and dd was huge and had a very fat tummy- but except the doctor joking about the fat baby noone seemed overly concerned.
Anyway, she was born at 9 pounds 6 ounces, was totally fine.

I think that if the doctors were really worried they would be doing more at this stage.

I think I had a borderline GTT or impaired glucose tolerance, but since it's never been diagnosed, who knows...anyway, a lot of fluid in itself is not necessary bad and I think it often goes with big babies.

What was her AC?Just thought maybe I can look at dd's and put your mind at rest at least on this- she was either in top 5% or off the charts, I can't remember now, but can check if you would like.

Please, try not to worry.

*threshold

totally also thinking of you from the February thread. I think the advice you've had on here has been sound and consistent. I hope you and your baby are okay and you're not too worried. Good luck and hang in there!

You poor thing Totally!

I am 37 wks and also have a big baby with very large tummy - everything else bang on normal but tummy measurements way off the scale and have been since 20 weeks (DH says she just looks like me!). Is your's hiccupping a lot? Mine is and is apparently drinking lots of amniotic fluid so is the likely explanation.
Like you I have had GTT as high sugar levels all the way through, but it came up neg, am just (trying) to be a bit careful about what I eat.
Also have bad SPD, on crutches too, and I had this with DS1 but still managed a vaginal delivery on all fours. Have you thought about seeing a chiropractor? They can help to align your pelvis to where it should be to make the birth much easier.
More than anything you need to try and be as calm and confident as you can that your body knows what it is doing and will bring this beautiful baby into the world. If you are stressed your adrenaline levels will rise and make labour longer and harder. Could you bear to listen to a natal hypnotherapy cd? I'm loving mine!
There is a great website called the Pelvic Partnership (sorry, don't know how to put link in) which has masses of SPD info and ideas for birth etc.
Keep your chin up, you aren't alone and we are all thinking of you! xx

Hey totally just another quick hello from the Feb thread. Hope you and baby are Ok and that you've mamnaged to talk things through with your consultant - good luck and keep us posted if you can xx

I hope my experience may be able to reassure you a bit. I do not have experience of irregular heart beats but I do of a big baby.

I was sent to have a scan at 36 weeks with my ds because I was due to have a home birth. All his measurements were average apart from his tummy which was huge. So huge in fact that it was literally off the scale. The computer could not cope with the figures and the sonographer had to go off and work out his centile score by hand. I was sent off to see a consultant all doom and gloom with murmurs of inductions etc.

A few days later I spontaneously went into labour and my ds was born at 36 + 6. He weighed in a 8lb 10oz and had a vast stomach. He is, and was, absolutely perfect. No problems whatsoever. Incidentally, my dd was also born 3 weeks early so I don't think his early arrival was due to his size.

During his pregnancy and in the first two years of his life I took part in a research project which looked how babies grow. I asked these researchers why they reckoned my ds was so big. They said that some babies get big when their mums have gestional diabetes (I knew I didn't have this because I was tested as part of the research) but they also said that some babies were just made that way. It didn't necessarily mean that is any problem at all. I found this particularly reassuring because these were researchers working at a very well respected hospital /university and who had spent the previoust 5 years looking at exactly the issues which affect how babies grow both inside and outside the womb.

Sorry I've not been back, I seem to have had loads on the past few days. Thank you all so much for all this support- it really is a credit to MN. Hi to the February ladies. Treedelivery your post was especially brilliant, thanks.

I rang the labour ward and spoke to a midwife who's been brilliant throughout this pregnancy. She called the consultant in and they sat me down and explained everything in detail, then just had a good natter and laughed and joked to calmed me down.

They said other midwife should not have said things to panic me. They're hoping I'll go into labour from a sweep and them breaking my waters as I had awful prostin pains last time but they said if it does come to prostin it will be a lot quicker this time round.

They said the fluid isn't an issue and the baby's tummy is big because she's porky. The scan ladies had checked it for fluid and there wasn't any. He said babies put on weight ready for losing a bit of weight in the first 2 weeks.

Her heartbeat is irregular but it's normal for this baby and her body doesn't know any different. There will be a paediatrician in the room when she's born just as a precaution but it's not really needed.

They're inducing early to avoid a ten pound baby getting stuck at 40 weeks (especially with SPD) as they want to avoid cesarean. She should weigh 8-9lb at 38 weeks when she's delivered.

They said despite all the little things, I need to get into the mind frame that I'm having a normal baby and normal delivery.

So I feel so much better now and I feel like she's actually going to get here safely so I've put up her moses basket to help me get in a baby mindframe.

They even showed me ways to bring labour on like crab walking and different positions I can deliver in with SPD.

It seems like there's a few on here who have had the same experience which is really reassuring and those who've said they've got SPD I sympathise!

MummyMellie- I think we are twins!

Fab- there's stillbirths in the local paper every week. Although I have noticed lately a lot of the time it's one of twins.

Babymutha- I feel a bit better in myself now but before I spoke to them I couldn't even imagine having a baby IYSWIM.

I've read every word and I'm going to show DH when he gets home as he couldn't go to the hospital so he's still a little worried.

Oh and an extra, when they sent me to the detailed scan, they would have checked for downs as they would have been looking for any explanation according to midwife, but she looks like a perfectly healthy baby.

pheeewwww

xxx

Glad to hear you have been reassured totallyandutterlypaninied.

Easier said that done, but hopefully you will be able to relax and enjoy the last few days before she arrives.

That all sounds so much more positive.

Hopefully this is positive for you too......

I managed my big babies just fine even with spd. I delivered on my hands and knees which I found really good as you're not having to push them over your tailbone like you do on your back.

I too found the prostin pains excrutiating and nearly cried when after 6 hours of them with dc4 my bishops score was still bl**dy 1 - it was 1 before i even got pregnant. I then delivered within 4/5 hours of the 2nd lot with gas and air & tens only and it was fine. In hindsight I think the prostin pains were good for getting my body to start all the natural pain relief endorphins as it all felt so managable.

I also found sitting on a birthing ball much less painful when in labour I think mainly because I could reach the floor properly and bear some of the weight down my legs.

I would also find an osteopath and get treatment for your spd asap both before and after birth. After 2 treatments I was able to stop using my crutches when I was heavily pregnant

All the best totally I hope you have a wonderful birth and speedy recovery.

Totally - great to read your post. Hope you can enjoy some quiet, relaxing time before baby arrives!

Hello also from the February thread. So glad your mind has been put at rest.

Just wanted to share something I didn't know about fetal heartbeats until last week. I went to the maternity ward for monitoring and noticed that the baby's heartrate fluctuated between 135 and 180 over half an hour, whereas at all my appointments when it's checked using a Doppler (quickly) they always write down 140. I asked the midwife wasn't that some pretty wild fluctuating and she said it was totally normal and she would be more worried if the heartrate had remained the same for 30 minutes.

PHEWWWWW indeed. We're SO glad you came back to tell us all that.

Lookng forward to hearing the happy news back on the feb thread xxxx

Thanks guys. My stress levels are through the roof tonight. Just feel like screaming and I'm starting arguments anywhere I can but it's allowed at 9 months pregnant... isn't it??

I have vowed to start relaxing from 9.30pm tonight and I'm going to spend the next few days enjoying DS before there's two to cope with

i dont know about the other things but my thoughts are with you. But in relation to spd i was on crutches from about 18weeks preg with my ds it was so bad they considered putting me in a wheelchair for the rest of my preg, however i had a 20 min labour with him and he was 6lb 6oz, and i also had spd with my dd and i had a 4 hour labour with her and she was 7lb 11oz, so try not to stress to much about the labour ( i know easy to say hard to do)
Take care and the best of luck to you and your baby x x x x

Glad to hear that all is well Totally. Good luck with the relaxing!