Another posifrickintive thread for those pregnant after miscarriage #4

[Treaclepie19]

Welcome aboard ladies - bumps big and small :)

Diddley and Gr33dy - great news on the positive scans/check ups

Treacle - glad you went in and your little one is ok. I went in for reduced movement last week and they were lovely about it. So much better to go in and get the reassurance or help of needed rather than to worry or not go in when you should.

I think things are kicking off here. I've had irregular contractions that aren't painful, and the midwife did an exam earlier and a sweep. Apparently my cervix is soft, low and favourable and the baby is in an excellent position. Really hope it kicks off properly soon!

Whooo Phryn how exciting! Are you doing all the usual things? I just have visions of overdue pregnant women sat on a ball with a load of pineapple in one hand and a curry in the other. Good luck!

I really need to have a full catch up on here! hopefully I will tonight.

Anyway.... 31 week midwife appointment today. I was 'measuring big' at 29 weeks so a little apprehensive for today. I really really REALLY do not want to be induced so everything that makes me think it could be a possibility scares me. I am hoping the last midwife I saw was just not measuring properly (although then I would be worried in case she has stopped growing). I just want her here now.

Ooooo, exciting indeed! Keep us posted Phynn. I'm trying to sort out the nursery, so far it's been me reading through loads of paperwork that I've shoved in there because I couldn't be bothered putting it away properly... That'll teach me!

Hi all, been out of touch for a few days enjoying some sunshine so just having a bit of a catch up! Hope you had good weekends.

fizzie, mrsD and cherry glad your scans went well

topsy always reassuring when you hear the heartbeat

Iamnot sorry to hear the bleeding is causing more worry, hope you are ok.

metal I think you are having Harmony tests this week? Hope they are more conclusive.

ginger have been thinking of your all weekend. You sound like you are being really strong. Only natural for your thoughts to swing around when told news like that, I hope this week brings you some more answers.

smallbear congratulations on getting to mat leave

gum if you could find a way to hibernate through the first few months, I will def pay for the method next time. Horrible waiting! Hope Weds is ok.

broody good luck this week, hope something happens soon for you

zeux I did the same and booked in at nearly 11 weeks. Midwife wasn’t best pleased but kind of understood why! Anyway, I managed to get a scan between 13 and 14 weeks, was hard waiting but as you say, even more reassuring if ok.

All good here. At 22+4 starting to feel a few more movements which is reassuring.

Ooops, missed a page!
phryn how exciting - looking forward to news from you. Good luck!
gr33dy glad everything looking ok

How exciting Phryn! Keep us updated. This is all leaving me scarily close to the top of that list. Can I ask the non FTMs on here about a birth plan? I have preferences but haven't written then down - and I'm generally of the view that although there are things I'd obviously prefer, I also don't mind if a c section is necessary so long as the baby is ok. But should i formalise it more than that and if so how...?

GAH I hate fundal measurements. A week and a half ago I was measuring 29.5 cm at 29+3 and was told i was measuring big. I was seen by a different MW as I was at my GTT. ANYWAY I have seen my normal MW today and she has measured me at 29.5cm again.... she then said 'erm.... maybe it could almost be 30cm' which was clearly to make me feel better. 29.5 cm today would put me bang on what was expected, but because I was measured 'big' last time, it now makes it look like my baby hasn't grown. Everything else is fine, HB, position, movement (kicked the MW), fluid levels feel fine. My MW isn't worried but after 10 days of worrying about having a baby that is too big or too much fluid, I am now worried my baby isn't growing... when in fact.... it was probably just some dodgy measurements from the different MW I saw.

Happy I'm sorry you've been given so much contradictory information! I'm sure that these measurements are incredibly imprecise. Some of my midwives haven't even measured, just prodded!

thank you!

great news on the good scans.

measuring the bump, especially in a weeks timeframe its probably really easy to it slightly out depending on how the babies laid etc. id try not to worry if everything else is ok.

im back at hospital tomorrow for another scan and amnio. finally been able to speak to steps charity today which was helpful. pffd is very rare by all accounts. the person i spoke to wasnt quite sure why i had been advised to have an amnio and thats kind of how ive been feeling. its so tough.

i know people have amnios all the time and are fine and chances are i will be too it just seems like a big thing to do if it is pffd which wouldnt be diagnosed by any tests anyway. then on the other hand if i dont have it and dont rule out the trisomies will i spend the rest of my pregnancy worrying?

im going to have to get used to all this worrying arent i?!

Ginger that's a tough one and unhelpful to be given conflicting advice, however well meant. Good luck tomorrow, will be thinking of you.

Re measurements, I was measured twice in 1 day at 28 weeks as I happened to see a mw and doctor on the same day and the measurements were at least a cm different!
Then last week I was sent for that growth scan as I am apparently measuring 3cm too small, baby was absolutely average size, albeit the wrong way up. I am pretty sure the relatively lovely but inexperienced mw got the measurement wrong!

i think the fact that pffd is so rare doesnt help as if the consultants i see are unaware of the condition theyre going to wonder why all these things are happening when in fact all these things (apart from the spine) are actually one thing if pffd is the case.

i guess i could have the amnio and something be diagnosed but am thinking that is unlikely because of combined results and no markers that would indicate those things in particular.

yes i imagine over the tummy measurements to be way out. when i read they did that i was surprised as because of peoples different shapes and weights how would they even be able to get anything relatively accurate from that?

ginger, I hope all goes well at the hospital tomorrow. What a worrying time for you. ((hugs))

All this talk of bump measurements is completely alien to me. I've had five babies and not once was my bump measured. They just don't do it in Australia. We don't have midwife care throughout the pregnancy, we see our GP or a "specialist" (consultant) if there are issues. The Drs check us over once a month, order tests etc and towards the end see us more often. Then,when you go into labour, you go to your local hospital and whichever midwife is on duty will be your midwife. Usually the doctor takes a look at the bump, has a feel, and if he's concerned about size he'll send you off for an ultrasound.I wonder why they don't do bump measurements here, I think it may be that they decided it was an imprecise science.

I do think having midwife care, like you do in the UK is preferable to what we do. You have the chance to build a relationship with the midwife, so you don't have a complete stranger (or strangers if you go over a shift whilst in labour) looking after you when in labour. when the baby is crowning, they phone the dr to come in for the birth and to look over the baby when it is born. The Dr does very little,really.

Already my tummy is much larger later in the day that is in the morning due to bloating. Surely that may affect measurements too?

thanks gum.

where i am altho i see the same community midwife throughout as far as im aware when you go in to have the baby its just whoevers on shift who will be your midwife. dont know if thats the same everywhere else in uk.

ginger hope tomorrow goes well. Will be thinking of you.

My midwife care sounds similar to ginger's - you see the community midwife for your regular checks, and when it comes to birth, it's whoever is on duty in the hospital, unless you are doing a homebirth.

Wish they would see us once a month here! Antenatal care in the UK is very hands-off - you meet the midwife for your booking appointment at around 8 weeks, then again at 16 weeks for your check, and then it's another 6-8 weeks to the next appointment (from what I remember). It gets a bit more often once you are in the 3rd trimester, but until then, you have to get on with it by yourself.
In Germany, where I grew up, you are looked after by an obstetrician/gynaecologist, so it's all a bit more clinical. Having said that, they have their own surgeries, like a GP, not based in a hospital (and I've been told that all of them have an ultrasound scanner, so no faffing about with arranging scans!). It's quite amazing how healthcare varies, even in industrialised countries.

ginger Hope it all goes well for you! Thinking of you and wishing you all the best xx

Looks as if my GP might be able to help me with getting more heparin - they will call me tomorrow to discuss, but the receptionist was quite positive that they would write me a prescription. They've done it before, so I don't see why not, especially as they have a copy of the letter from the haematologist. Fingers crossed!

Thinking of you 2moro gingerbread

Good luck today ginger

Thinking of you ginger x

Luck ginger

thank you everyone x

little, I personally don't think you need to make your birth preferences any longer or more formal - it needs to be short enough that the mw at your birth can read and understand it, without questioning or bothering you while you're labouring, but substantial enough to get your point across.

Got my 34+1 mw appt today. Quite apprehensive tbh because I'm pretty sure baby is lying transverse and I was really quite ill yday, with diarrhoea and sickness, blurred vision and puffy hands....

Good luck ginger! Will be thinking of you and keeping everything crossed.

Broody hope your midwife appointment goes ok too

I haven't seen the same mw once during this pregnancy and definitely won't see the same one in hospital as it's a different team.

Ginger thinking of you today

Broody that sounds horrible, hope you feel better and the appointment goes well.

broody hope you feel better, do get checked out by the MW!

Any news from phryn?

Little Do write a birth plan and make sure that your DH is capable of communicating it, in case you aren't. But you are right - you'll need to stay open to the possibility that it might all go out the window. That's what happened with me, and by the time the MW actually asked about my plan, it was already crystal clear that it wouldn't happen. But I found it helped me writing it all down beforehand.

Off to visit DS school now - I can't believe that he is going to start in September!

Thinking of you ginger.

When's best to write your birth plan? I still have no clue what I want...