Due January 2019 (3rd thread)

[Buttercup53]

Starting a new thread for the January 2019 crew! Newcomers welcome :)

You usually need to collect as it's mainly local buy and sell, but some people are kind enough to deliver to you if you have no way to collect. The best thing to do is to message the seller and ask. Also, it's first come first served so you sometimes need to be quick.

I’ve been getting pain in the last few days sort of underneath my bump, mostly notice it when I’m walking uphill - has anyone else had this?

@GinGeum I've had this as well and I asked my midwife and she thinks it's just the uterus expanding to make space for the baby and nothing to worry about.

I've started wearing clothes to support my bump and it's helped like maternity jeans and ugly over the bump pants 😅

I've had those pains too, especially after I've been walking for more than half an hour; as Lucy said, it's probably uterus expanding. I've had pains going to my under area and on my pelvic bone where I think little one has been snuggling down! And a lot of very urgent needs to wee!

Yep, I'm on them maternity jeans too, suddenly expanded this weekend and after a large meal, everything else is horribly tight!

Glad it’s not just me, but not so glad you have the pains too! My back also seems to have lost all stamina and aches from the slightest thing. I’m counting down the days to yoga starting back up next week. I also received a voucher in the post today from an usher from our wedding for an hour long massage - heaven! What perfect timing.

In other news, I’ve been living on a diet of steak and broccoli for the past few nights and feel much less tired. I know steak isn’t the best thing to have, but it’s from our own cows so I’ve sort of been a bit blasé about the rules to desperately get some more iron in my system!

Does anyone know, perhaps from previous pregnancy experience, whether they start checking the heartbeat at midwife appointments later on in the pregnancy? They didn't do it for my 16 weeks one but I've got my 24 week appointment in a weeks time and I was wondering if they are likely to do it at that one or not!

Also, has anyone made any antenatal class plans? I'm going to ask the midwife about that too as think it's probably best to book those soon, but no one else I've asked at GPs or family centre seem to know how we do it

jenna I don’t know the answer to your first question, but I think my midwife showed me information in my notes of where to find out about antenatal classes. I was told about the different options (NHS or NCT) at my booking in appointment too. I don’t intend to do any classes so I haven’t attempted booking them, but have a look if there’s any information in your notes?

I would also be interested to know what you guys are planning to do about antenatal classes. My perinatal midwife has invited me to classes for mindful pregnancy and birth, but there’s only one lesson on the actual birth and one on breastfeeding - is that enough? The rest are about dealing with negative thoughts and anxiety which I’m not going to because I already deal with that in therapy. She’s also offered to sit with me, my midwife and my partner for an extended appointment about birth and writing the birth plan. My concern is that because they know I have anxiety all they’ll talk about is how to deal with anxiety which is exactly what I need, but I also want a chance to talk to someone with my husband about the medical side of it, too. Not sure if they even go over that in ‘normal’ antenatal classes though.

I listened to baby's heartbeat at my 16 week appointment, but not 100% sure if that's standard practise across the board. She has also booked me into an antenatal class for December, NHS run, but no mention of any others. Apparently it's 3 hours long and covers birth, feeding etc ... I think it's all down to the Trust you fall under.
I'd like to tour the birthing suite I am likely to go to, but think that will probably be mentioned at my 24 week appointment.

We got to listen to baby's heartbeat at 16 week appointment. I have heard it varies across the country too.

We are booked on to anti natal classes run by the local nhs and family centre. It's one 2 hour class this month then three more classes in December. The classes are evenings so DH can attend which is great. You can have a tour of the Labour suite later in pregnancy in this authority.

Regarding antenatal classes, I've booked into an NCT course with DH. The dates, times, length of course and prices all vary depending where you are but you can search here www.nct.org.uk/courses. We decided to do the Nov-Dec course available here rather than the Dec-Jan one so we're prepared in case of an early birth. When you book for an antenatal course they also provide information of a postnatal course after your due date, I also signed up for that.

Also signed up for a one-off class for "confident birthing" which is supposed to cover the mental preparation, thought it would be useful due to my anxiety. This is NHS run at our local family centre so is free.

I know there's also NHS provided antenatal classes available at my trust but that's apparently run by NCT as well, just in a more condensed version so I'm not sure how much they'd actually cover and how much time there'd be for questions.

At my local hospital they offer the maternity unit tour, but it's only available after 30 weeks.

I don't post here often. But i've got a concern which could be a usual symptom of pregnancy and i want to see what you all think.
I'm 19+1.
I've suddenly developed cramping in the left side of my stomach. Its almost like trapped wind pain but 10 times worse! No blood though.

Could this be round ligament pain?

Thanks all for antenatal insights. I think I'm going to see what the midwife says next week, hopefully she can point me in the right direction! I've already forked our £250 for a hypnobirthing course, so I'm reluctant to pay for antenatal as well if I can help it! I'm sure I read somewhere that it's best to start them at around 30 weeks so still have a bit of time to arrange

I didn’t get to hear the heartbeat at 16 weeks, but had the 24 week appt yesterday with the midwife and she listened. It’s amazing. We also have already booked our nhs classes. They start October 17th and run for a four week block. I thought about NCT classes but they just seemed a bit expensive for me.

I got details of my anti natal classes at my 16 week appointment. They start in mid November for about 6 weeks, I did not have to book on to them I was just told they are every Sunday either from 10:30-12:30 or 1:30-3:30 and I can decide what one I go too or If I want to go at all.

I also have various other classes such as physiotherapy for mums only, couple of breastfeeding classes and also classes for young mums under 25 and they were all the same as anti natal and I don't have to book on and just turn up if I want too.

I am NHS Scotland so I don't know If it's different.

@loumsc I get similar it's like a stitch more to the left hand side and been told it's round ligament pain.

@purplesmiler yeh i now think thats what it could be. Just after i posted this morning it got so bad i decided to call nhs24 so i have an appointment at the hospital this afternoon to get checked. I was almost on the floor with the pain!!!

Also after i phoned them i had almost like diahorea type bowel movements so it could have been more bowel pain. Anyway, best to get checked out now that i have the appointment. There was also a tiny bit of blood and I'm rhesus negative so was told to contact them if theres ever any bleeding

I’m sorry to keep complaining on here but I don’t know who else to talk to! I’m so worried about this breast infection as it has all the signs of being an abscess now, except I don’t have a fever and it’s not excrutiatingly painful; all the physical symptoms are there though. Antibiotics haven’t made a blind bit of difference and after 2 days they should’ve done. I’m going back to the GP tomorrow, but I know they won’t do anything there and then, they’ll probably refer me for a breast scan that’ll probably be available in like a month. This is interrupting work now, I feel really unwell on top of feeling extremely anxious. Has anyone had experience of mastitis? I know it’s unusual for those who haven’t breastfed (which I haven’t) but if someone else has had it at all I’d love to know how long it took for treatment to work for you. All the advice says to try and massage your breast to clear it, but I’m not breastfeeding so I can’t! Argh, so stressed...

@Buttercup53 don’t applogise! It’s honestly better out than in, as if you get worked up it’s not good for you at all.

Can you ring your out of hours or 111 for advice? Or if you feel you can wait can an emergency appointment at your GP tomorrow?

I thought to have mastitis you had to have milk being produced etc as the milk duct isn’t draining properly but not fully up to scratch.

Can you put the shower as hot as you can stand on the breast to relieve pressure? Or a hot flannel on it?

@dol thanks for replying I really appreciate it. So when I last saw the GP she said she suspected an infection in a milk duct, but didn’t say it was that for sure. Now I’ve done a bit more research and periductal mastitis sounds exactly like what I’m experiencing, and the images look very similar. I rang 111 and they said I need to be seen in 24 hours so just to see my GP tomorrow, which I will do. I’m just so mad at myself for not going to the doctors earlier than I did as I was so sure it was just normal pregnancy breast changes, I’m normally the first to go to the Drs at the slightest sign of a symptom. Good idea about the hot flannel I’m going to give that a try now - thank you!

@Buttercup53 it’s okay honestly, it’s no fun being ill in pregnancy as so much is changing.

I don’t know if this would help but if the duct is blocked, it might be worth looking on YouTube too, but massaging your breast towards the nipple in a C shape, it might help relieve the blocked duct as that’s what you do with blocked ducts after birth.

A friend had post natal mastitis & flannels helped with that but hopefully the doctors can help you more tomorrow & you at least get some rest tonight.

Forgot to say it’s so hard to know what’s right & what’s not in pregnancy but my old, amazing midwife with DS2 said if something doesn’t feel right always get it checked out no matter how silly it feels.

I’ve been experiencing the under the bump/left side pain this past week too. Usually when I’m doing something a little strenuous, like walking the dog up a very gentle incline I’ve now got zero stamina and even going upstairs takes effort.

Just a quick update: I’ve been seen by the GP, I’m correct in that the antibiotics aren’t doing anything. Apparently I’m on the cusp of needing to go to A&E to be put on an antibiotic drip but not quite ill enough yet. So I’ve got new, stronger antibiotics to take now, if I feel at all worse over the next two days I’ve got to go straight to A&E to be assessed by a surgical team. I could cry, I nearly started crying in the surgery which was embarrassing.

Butter good job you went! At least you know you weren’t worrying unnecessarily now. I hope these new antibiotics work for you.

sex that’s exactly when my pain flairs up too. Also had it this morning when carrying a basket round the supermarket. I’m struggling with our garden now. I’m almost at the point of having to stop and have a breather half way up the path from car to House, no idea how I’m going to manage it in the third trimester. I’m not out of breath necessarily, my legs and back just ache so quickly these days.