Welcome fellow big belly, nipple tweaking, (im)patiently waiting mums-to-be..... Time to join the PMA pregnancy thread

[Dollydaydream2829]

Welcome to all the old and new PMA pregnancy ladies as we navigate our way through the amazing and not so amazing parts of pregnancy!
All welcome from all stages to help and support the transition from flat bellies and sleep filled nights to heartburn, hip pain and the growing excitement at meeting our little bundles soon!

Hello :) What does PMA mean? I'm due March 2018 with my third!

@dollydaydream2829 argggghh the first PMA baby is here!! 😍😍😍👶🏻👶🏻 Massive congratulations to you. It's a girl aswell! Was it such a lovely surprise?! Beautiful name too. Gorgeous little Olivia. I bet your over the moon. Such a precious little gift💗👶🏻

Did it all go as planned? Hope your not feeling too bad and have time to recover and recuperate to enjoy your little bundle 😘😘😘

aww Dolly congrats! she's gorgeous!, i'm glad all is well with you and baby. I've been checking the thread to see if there was any news, i've been super excited about the prospect of our first PMA thread baby. Olivia must've wanted the title pretty badly to show up so early:)

I want full details once you get a chance, i still cant quite believe we've gone from the conception thread to having the first baby, eek! xxx

Hi Phelan, it stands for positive mental attitude, we started off on the conception born, so we were trying to use pma to help conceive:)

Omg @Dollydaydream2829 ahhh congratulations 😭😭 this has made me feel a bit teary haha !!! She is absolutely beautiful and the most beautiful name!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️ over the moon for you. I can’t believe we have our first baby on the thread so lovely xxx

@Dolly Ahhhh!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Happy birthday Olivia!!! She is just beautiful 😍😍😍 I am so pleased for you that she is here and she is healthy and all is well! Bit congrats to you and DH! You are a mummy!!! Fantastic news!! Hope you are doing ok?? Lots of love to you both!! Xoxo

*Big

awww @Dollydaydream2829 Olivia is absolutely adorable. i’m welling up looking at her wee face! she’s so beautiful. i hope you’re feeling ok and that loved up bubble continues for a long long time. congratulations to you and your new wee family 😘💗💗

i want all the deets when you’ve time obviously, not like you’ve got a baby to stare at 24/7 xxxx

Thank you very much lovely ladies! It's been such an incredible experience throughout. Some of it will always remain a blur which is maybe a good thing but I will recount the details as best as I can....

Sunday afternoon, started getting regular tightenings every 10mins or so. No worse than period cramps and was able to walk and talk through them. Because baby was so prem, i was advised to go up when they started to become regular, so off I went to triage..
At 6pm, i was examined and was told I was 3cm dilated which I was elated about as I was really wanting to avoid induction and it looked as though I was doing things myself.
Was admitted down to labour suite as things were progressing quickly and I wasn't in too much pain by this point so they were worried things were gonna happen too fast.
Fast forward to 9pm and i was examined again after contractions strengthened, although still bearable without pain relief. I was still only 3cm but my cervix was now totally effaced so was told that the contractions were working. They then suggested the syntocin drip to speed things up which I was really reluctant for as id heard it can cause intense, constant contractions. Thankfully they agreed to let me go for another 4hrs before that and instead opted to artificially break the remaining waters that I had left.
Contractions started thick and fast after that, to the point where the midwife said that it was unusual I wasn't getting a break. By this point, I needed gas & air to take the edge off which thankfully, it did.
I was examined again an hour later at 10:30pm and was found to be 7cm dilated. By this point, the midwife asked DH to lay some clothes out for Baby and turn the heating up as it wasn't going to be long. This in itself was a massive motivation boost and the thought id meet my baby soon gave me such a natural pain relieving boost.
Within that hour, my contractions were so strong and constant, I'd asked for diamorphine. In the time that the midwife left the room to when she came back, I'd started pushing. She examined me in disbelief and turns out I was fully dilated and the head was there. Unfortunately this meant that I couldn't get the diamorph and an epidural was out the question.
I unfortunately panicked at this point which in part was down to me struggling with the pain a bit and the midwife also explained was because my body was doing things a bit too fast. Thankfully my amazing DH and midwife supported me through it all and managed to talk me through it. The pushing part is a blur but it was over in half an hour and baby shot out in a oner. I'd unfortunately started to tear before she was out because she came so fast but I didn't feel a thing apart from a hideously large pressure in my bum. I also only needed two stitches and have a small laceration to my labia. So all in all, a pretty lucky labour. Although it was so very intense (midwife said, some people have less intense Labour and contractions with the drip!), it was amazingly fast which meant although it was sore, it was over fast which is amazing! And I never once thought, this can't be done. So don't let the scare stories affect you ladies, labour is such an amazingly positive type of pain that leads you meeting the most amazing thing in your life. I'm so, so excited for everyone getting to experience it soon.

Thanks very much for your recount @dollydaydream2829 sounds like you did an amazing job! An wow didn't she come decide to come quickly to make her entrance lol. Pleased to hear at no point did you think this is not doable. Makes me excited to meet my baby. How amazing is it all 😍😍

aw @Dollydaydream2829 gas & air queen, love it. i’m so so happy for you. have just shown DH little Olivia and he also thinks she’s full of gorgenosity! and fab weight too. so she arrived exactly on 35 weeks didn’t she?

i got super excited reading your story, so much so it’s prompted me to dig out the perineal massage oil to start getting ready for this boy to make an appearance. it’s like it’s all been make believe but now Olivia is here, it’s become so much more real. just ordered my RLT too!

are you already/planning to breast feed? sorry if that’s nosey, just wondering how quickly your milk will come in as she’s a wee bit prem. xxx

Aww thank you anna & bella - I defo wish I'd had a bit longer to do perineal massage so defo get on that! Every little helps....

She was born at 35+1. I've always wanted to breastfeed if possible but was warned from various different midwives and doctors that it may not be quite possible initially as they don't generally develop sucking reflex until 36 weeks..... however, little star that she is, took to the nipple straight after delivery almost and has a VERY strong sucking reflex. Been a few ups and downs but going to persevere and hopefully it'll be possible.

Wow @Dolly what a birth story! You absolute star!! Little Olivia really wanted to meet you didn't she! I'm sure you can't quite believe that she is here! And great that she has taken to breastfeeding so well - what an amazing little lady!

Congratulations on the safe arrival of Olivia! She's lovely! Glad to hear you had a positive experience during labour and that breastfeeding has got off to a good start.

Huge congratulations dolly xxx welcome to the world baby Olivia xxx

Sounds like you did amazing Dolly! Do you know when you will get to go home? Have you had any visitors?

I had my gd test & 25 week appointment today. Listened to the heartbeat. The midwife first felt for the babies position which was near my ribcage, put the gel on in that area and then next thing I feel a wriggle super low down. Baby had ran off lol.

Lol Rose! The little tinker!! Glad it went well :)

@dollydaydream2829 hope you can get home soon with your little one! Nothing beats your own bed and comforts.

@roseandbee I have my 25 week next Thursday & looking foreward to hearing baby again. Were you measured? Believe our area they measure at 25 weeks according to my friends but know some places don't start and plot until 28.

Attached is pic of pram we've ordered ladies. Opted for regal navy as just loved it & the tan handle we thought was lovely combo. Would any of you presume it was a boy in the pram if you saw it? We thought it was pretty gender neutral colour & could be boy or girl. Just wondered if you guys were of a same opinion seeing as we're team 💛

Gorgeous pram @Anna! No I wouldn't assume boy. Ours is chestnut so a dark brown/grey and we're team yellow so I worry about that too! Lighter colours are probably more neutral (grey/cream/etc) but I had my sensible head on and figured they would get dirty quicker so I opted for dark!

Glad your appointment went well Rose. Round here Anna they don't measure till 28 weeks, but think some women must be aware it's from 25 weeks elsewhere, as remember midwife explaining they didn't measure till a bit later when I went at 24 weeks.

I wouldn't assume that pram was a boy's either Anna. We went for blue too last time, as although we knew we knew we were having a boy, electric blue seemed fairly gender neutral and we expected to use the pram for a second too. It was a toss up between that, red, lime or purple. Black seems a popular colour round here, but think like lighter colours it's quite bad at showing up stains esp if something like milk gets spilt on it or baby vomits over it.

@Dollydaydream2829 😍😍😍😍

She is AMAZING! Congratulations xx

Cherry, thats my birthday 😃

fab pram choice @Anna2006 i agree with the others, i wouldn’t assume gender based on colour of pram. love the colour combination on yours! x

how are things going now @Dollydaydream2829 ? hope you’re both well x

aw how nice to hear baby @Roseandbee and glad all went well with GD test. typical that baby moved, they always seem to sense when someone wants their attention and they do the opposite. x

weather in glasgow today is dismal. glad to report i’m on the sofa cuddled up with a blanket and cuppa on an enforced day off from my boss. i’ve agreed to work saturday to train my replacement so iv been told i need to take today off so i’m not working too much. rain pelting off the window and heating on. and best of all, no1 knows i’m off so i won’t get any visitors or be asked to do anything. how terribly anti-social but absolutely needed ha x

@anna2006 yes I was measured for the first time. I think I measured 26 weeks or 25 can't quite remember but on track anyway. I'm 25+5
Love the egg pram its one Im considering.
I'd say the navy and tan combo is gender neutral. I love navy and tan myself

Thanks Bella & Moo, I get my results on Thursday I think. I was so relieved they drew blood without problems. If anyone remembers trying to do the 20 weeks scan bloods I got stabbed 5 times and they still couldnt get any, luckily I'd already had the harmony test otherwise I don't know what they would've done.

@Bella that sounds like pure bliss!! My boss told me yesterday not to have any hot curries until I finish ... our bosses sound like polar opposites!!

@Rose - fx for your results tomorrow :)

@Dolly - hope you and Olivia are doing well! :)

I had my 36 week apt at the hospital today and it couldn't have gone any better!!! Key highlights

1. No glucose in my urine (there was at my last app so I was worried I would have to take the GD test today!)
2. I have had a banging headache the past week that I can't shift - of course I googled and had diagnosed myself with pre-eclampsia but my BP was find and no protein in my urine so all clear there too!
3. Baby is no longer breech and was waving its arms and legs - still amazes me
4. The consultant has given me the go ahead to go midwifery led! Yay!! :D:D:D