Pregnancy post mc: Totally's grads part 9

[bigmacandhappymeal]

New thread!

Collie result from the CMW, that's marvellous news, and I really hope it helped you sleep last night. You're totally right about its their fault for not having sorted cover - they seem to assume these days that we'll work up to 40 weeks! How was the second breast-feeding class? Were you any more bolshy obstreperous than last week?

Youremindme I had the fasting glucose initially, but didn't need the lucozade challenge - is this the one you mean?

Izzy for the ICandy - that colour is lovely! I love your parents - can I borrow them?

Tunnocks are you feeling any better this morning? I do hope so. You are NOT a rubbish mum, you are pregnant and stressed, and that cowbag can just go stuff herself. I think we're all in denial to a greater or lesser extent - I know I am! Its just self protection kicking in, I'm sure.

No sign of labour here this morning - went out for a hot curry last night - all it did was give me the worst heartburn in the world so won't be doing that again until she drops!

Funny story from yesterday's MW appointment - minor panic that there was glucose in my wee. Then MW realised that I'd brought it in in a jar as they'd forgotten to give me a pot last time. Checking the label on the jar revealed the glucose was the traces of lemon curd still in the jar

Whips up tray of hot chocolates for all, and opens massive bag of marshmallows

Soory have been AWOL for a while guys.

Sorry to hear some of you are feeling crappy.

I still don't have a section date booked at almost 38weeks. CMW is going mad at consultant. won't be reviewed until 39weeks if she can't convince him to see me earlier. Am in pain all the time, exhausted, no sleep at all anymore. I need this baby out of me post haste and noone is listening.

Rant over, as you were

sorry for no personals.

aw daisy - I'm unofficially giving best mum in the world badge to you - not only are you over 40 weeks pg, but you are also being wonderfully caring to our fellow fredders who need it. Daisybean's a lucky girl - here's hoping she makes an appearance really soon. I'm doing fine (at the moment) but can always find room for hot choc and marshmallows! V re: your lemon curd wee moment!

Big hugs for tunnocks - sounds like you're having a hard time of it and truly horrid dreams - really hope you're having a better day today.

Good to hear from you izzy - Luuurve the sound of your icandy and thanks for the info on the placenta/cord stuff - I have to admit I had no idea about all that. re: going back to NCT classes - one of the ladies in my prenatal group has 1 child already and we have been sucking her dry for info, so if you do go back, bear in mind you will be seen as some sort of goddess with the answers for everything

Good news on your cmw collie and I hope you and velvet are taking things easier today. I have been v lucky to have been able to go to 4 days a week and I think it's really helped so take every opportunity for some R&R.

Went back to aquazumba this morning which was much better and more fun than last week's as I did have a vague idea of what I was doing. Still felt like a bit of a tit doing some of the moves though!

x post coconuts - so sorry to hear all that. Why is your consultant being such an arse? Can anyone else intervene on your behalf? Sending hugs x

My CMW is trying to get them to review me earlier but having no joy. Cons appts only run on a thurs and they had no space for this week so I have to wait until next week when I'll be 38+5 and they only run their ELCSs on a Weds and a Fri so I'll only have two dates to get him out before full term as they've already said they won't let me go overdue. It's all so rushed and panicked. I'm petrified of going into labour naturally because of all the risks involved and I'm scared of the CS itself because of the recovery.

Nothing is going to plan.

A quick post and run from me. I spoke to my MW about my birth plan, she said it was all fine but we had a chat about the instrumental delivery bit. She said that in the majority of cases, recovery from an instrumental delivery is much much quicker and easier than from a c-section. We talked about the fact that the one scenario that I'm really scared of is going to theatre for trial forceps, them messing about when them for a while, and then going to c-section anyway. She reckoned that there's only maybe a 1/10 chance of trial forceps not working out so I think maybe I'll cut the forceps bit out of the plan. I am going to go away and google Keilland's though - MN had lead me to believe they are a work of pure evil but MW didn't seem to think so. Will let you know what I find out

coconuts is it possible for you to speak to AIMS or maybe the supervisor of midwives at your hospital? Your CMW says she's doing her best but maybe she's a bit ineffectual and it does sound like they need to pull their fingers out already

That's really bad coconuts - I appreciate they have to have certain schedules but they don't seem to realise that babies aren't timetabled. Would you consider just going along tomorrow and insist that the consultant sees you? There may be a cancellation somewhere along the way..... all this stress is not good for your or minicoconut. Here's hoping someone budges soon (and that the someone isn't minicoconut).

Very interesting about your birth plan / forceps pink - thanks for sharing. Never heard of Keillands so will be curious to know what that's all about....

What is AIMS?

The Association for Improvements in Maternity Services www.aims.org.uk/

tunnocks I hope you're feeling better today. As others have said you are a good mum, some women just like any opportunity to take the moral high ground even though their children are just the same probably worse As you say, even 2 year olds have their moments!

coconuts I'm so sorry you feel like things are out of your control and not going to plan. It sounds like you are really struggling and it's really no good for either of you. What are you measuring now? I don't really know what to suggest, but perhaps calling the mw team at hospital/senior mw, might be a good idea? Or calling the secretary of the consultant yourself?

izzy good call on the icandy, very nice! Lovely colour too and definitely not too girly!

wiw good for you going to aquazumba, I'm very impressed with your efforts. Yoga and a swim are as much as I can be bothered to do these days!

daisy sorry to hear the only thing the curry did was give you indigestion! daisybean is obviously very comfy in there! How are you feeling yourself?

Thanks everyone for the support yesterday, and sorry for hogging the thread yesterday. I had a much better nights sleep last night. Woke a coupe of times between 1 &3 but each time got back off and managed to lie in as I'm not in work, until 9am....I can't remember the last time I slept in till 9! So feeling significantly better today, although strangely still quite tired!

I've just been doing some research, am still terrified of the potential damage that can be caused by mid and high cavity instrumental delivery so birth plan is staying as is

We have progress... been on the phone all morning to the city hospital (not the one I was under) and they are disgusted with the care and want me admitted there so have transferred and will be going for a scan and to see a consultant today at 3pm. Potentially admitted today, or maybe tomorrow.

CMW relieved I have transferred, which screams out to me that it was the right thing to do.

I don't have a clever phone so will not be able to update from hospital so just want to say thank you for everything over the last few weeks and if I get admitted I will be next online to announce an arrival hopefully.

Well done coconuts, it definitely sounds like you've had a massive improvement in care. All the best for the next couple of days, will be thinking of you, and can't wait to hear about minicoconuts x

pink i read a little bit about the keillands forcep things and according tot he first page of google that came up people have been questioning it's use since 1983 because of the rate of mortality with it.

coconuts how ridiculous, i really hope they get their backsides in gear for you soon.

daisy thanks for the duvet hon, i'm still knackered even today.

3 weeks left at work (11 working days), really feels too long. had a practice fire alarm today and had to go down the stairs from the 6th floor, my spd didn't half kick in.

coconuts as you can tell i glanced at the last two messages without actually reading apparently. so glad the other hospital is being so much more helpful, and that you were able to transfer. fx for you hon.

grrr coconuts at the other hospital, am glad you have switched and I'm looking forward to baby news :)

collie I'm pleased that you've been signed off and can now have a rest.

Pink thanks for the continued info to go in birth plans. Methinks I have some googling to do!

Daisy thanks for looking after us wiw is right daisybean is a very lucky girl so needs to get her arse in gear so she can meet her lovely mummy! I don't think I'll be going down the curry route now so thanks for testing that out :)

tunnocks how are you feeling today?

I had a mw appointment today and she has advised that I don't go back to work. She said that the pgp is my body telling me it's time to relax so I should listen to it. Also, there are still concerns over baby being small (even though she's still within the normal range) so I have to make sure I cook her for as long as possible and teaching isnt the sort of job that helps with that! I've got another growth scan on Monday and she thinks I'll probably have to have one every couple of weeks.

Has anyone else been taking raspberry leaf (capsules or tea). I started it yesterday but it has vitamins in it so I didnt know if it was ok to take it with Pregnacare? I need the Pregnacare for the iron since if I miss it for a couple of days I get more dizzy and breathless.

Hi ladies, sorry not been on for a few days. Another one struggling here! My spd is agon, not sleeping and still got sickness. I phoned in sick on Monday, but all I've had all week is sarcastic comments from my boss and another colleague. It's most unlike me not to give as good as I get, but I just want to go home and cry tbh. My sister wants me to see an employment lawyer as she reckons I have a good case for constructive dismissal....

wiw it's obviously the week for naughty lo's!

Who was asking about the cord?? Dh said he didn't want to cut it, but when it came to it he did. He said it was tougher to cut through than he anticipated and a bit gristley......

pink ds1 was a keillands delivery (he was posterior) after a 36 hour labour! This was in 1989 and I was 18 and didn't know better. He is perfectly fine though. I had an episiotomy and was sore for a while, but most definitely a quicker healing time than a cs. I have to admit to thinking about begging for a elcs if it turns out that this baby is big (measuring 3/4 wks big at the moment), mainly because my pelvis is so painful and my hips quite unstable.

velvet if you're worried about iron/vits, maybe knock the pregnacare on the head and get some Spatone. It's fab stuff!

coconuts you're gettting some very shoddy treatment. I hope mw can sort them out for you very soon.

collie ooh interesting re getting mw to talk to gp. I wish I'd known that earlier in the week....... I have a gp appointment for Monday to beg to be signed off.

harassed come and join us under the duvet sorry you are struggling, I hope you get signed off soon

coconuts I'm so glad you've got transferred, you must have been getting so stressed with all the messing about. Fx you get a sensible consultant and we have some good news from you soon x

Big hug for tunnocks - you are not crap and that other mum was unspeakably officious and rude.

pink I know that K forceps are different from "normal" ones and used when baby is higher in the birth canal...not sure how widely used they are now? Anyway I'm sure I read something about the damage the Keillands ones could cause and it was really scary - I thought it was in my Ina May Gaskin book but had a quick look through last night and couldn't find it! Will have a better look later and see if I can come up with a reference, but it definitely put me off! Am not absolutely resolved against normal forceps if necessary but ought to look into it.

I think I may have showed myself up at my yoga/active birth class when we had to go round in a circle and say what our hopes and fears were for the birth; everyone else was banging on about how they really wanted everything natural and greatest fear was intervention/pain relief/cs. Then it got to me and I basically said I didn't care what the labour was like, I just hoped I ended up with a healthy baby. Teacher, who knows about the mc, was fine with that but everyone else just looked .

velvet I'm on iron tablets here too, if I stand up for too long I start to feel breathless etc, it's a horrible feeling isn't it?

harrassed sorry you're having a naff time.

velvet I think your midwife is talking sense. You don't want to go into labour absolutely knackered. I've been drinking raspberry leaf tea, I don't think it's got any extra vits. I think Spatone is working a treat for me - I've been feeling much more lively since I've been on it.

cep it's terrible that you had to be involved in the fire drill - I had special dispensation that I didn't have to do any drills while pregnant!!

daisy PMSL at your lemon curd wee Maybe have a gaviscon chaser with your curry next time?

izzy TBH I think you were the only one at your yoga class that was actually being realistic. I can't help but think that being obsessed with a natural birth is just setting yourself up for bitterness later. I'd like to start without pain relief but I'm open minded that I've never done this before and have no idea what it involves. Plus you wouldn't have major surgery without pain relief - no-one would think you were big or clever so I don't understand why women feel the need to make themselves and others feel bad about accepting what's on offer!

coconuts that's great news that you are transferring and that they seem keen to get things going!

This forcep talk is very interesting. Strangely only the normal ones came up in my NCT class so I clearly need to get on dr google do some research myself!

Harassed I'm really sorry things are so crappy for you too, both because you are suffering and because your boss is an arse! If you feel at all like he Is trying to squeeze you out you should do something about it! (did you say a while ago the company had family links /history? Sorry if that was someone else, but if so I can imagine it complicates it, but at the end of the day he is the one being a nob, and putting that relationship at risk, not you).

By the way harassed the sick note via cmw didn't quite go to plan. They (the GPs) were in training yesterday afternoon so had to wait till this afternoon, which I was bothered about as I didn't want to ring in sick without it, but the receptionist, like mw, said it shouldn't be a problem. But it turns out it was-not really sure why but gp wanted to see me first, and the earliest apt I coud be offered was next Tuesday. Which was no bloody good to me as I really didn't want to self certify AND had had to tell boss I was off sick today and was getting sick note! Cue tears (I don't know what's wrong with me!), which miraculously meant receptionist did have a heart and somehow managed to find me an apt for this afternoon. So, thankfully DO have sick note. Anyway, moral of that long winded story is, your probably best off with your gp apt to be sure of getting one! After worrying that the GP wouldn't sign me off, I found him hugely sympathetic and supportive!

izzy I'm quite surprised that people where actually shocked at your comment in your class......surely at the end of the day that's all any of us hope for. In contrast at my NCT class there was at least 2 women who were 'all about the drugs', and were quite keen happy to have whatever was on offer.

Just back from yoga and feeling quite relaxed. Forgot my tankini though so had to miss the ante natal swim after which is a shame!

x-post pink I agree totally with you on attitudes towards birth..... Especially here on mn where people are so self righteous! I'm going to write it a birth plan, but I expect apart from a few things that I might feel particularly strongly about wanting to avoid unless absolutely necessary, I'm going to think of it more of a rough guide, in an ideal world. Not a strict plan I feel I must achieve. I've been beating myself up this week about being a whimp, and not 'coping' especially as I'm only 30wks and DH so insightfully said, 'who cares, noone is to give you a medal at the end of it for having had the perfect pregnancy!' It really made me realise that I do stupidly care what people think too much, and shouldn't. I suppose same can be said about birth-if not more so!

I'm finding it really interesting hearing about everyone's birth plan ideas. It is only just sinking in for me after spending most of my pregnancy not quite believing that it is actually happening. Now I feel like I'm having to play catch up. Last time I was reading up on everything and doing all the yoga, raspberry tea, perineum massage etc, this time nothing. I think my hormones are playing a big part, and the tiredness. I feel a bit in a daze, pregnancy hormones relax me into a state of calm considering the massive and painful event that is on the horizon. The other thing is my last birth was such a palava and so far removed from my original birth plan that I've been thinking what a pointless exercise it was.