Anyone else due August 2020?

[Jem9153]

How are you feeling if so? How far along are you?

I’m due 12th August, 21 weeks 1 day today, first baby and I’m having a boy!

I’ve felt a bit overwhelmed with this whole pandemic and the unknown of whether it’s going to be better by then! Fingers crossed for the best.

I also really want to start buying things but feel bad for shopping online given the current scenario, I just don’t want to leave it all til last minute and be really unprepared.

Would love to hear from you all

@JMill13 yea he's happy if he doesn't have to pay for it I think! I made him do some research on the stats re home births and they aren't wildly different from hospitals so 🤞🏻

My DH picked up my bounty pack from Tesco so defo ok for them to collect it for you (says so on the voucher I think) x

@stephd2020 ah amazing. Will keep my fingers crossed all goes to plan ☺️

Just joined so I guess I'll post here. I'm due August 6 with my first, a boy. It was a huge surprise and not ideal timing, and it's definitely been challenging dealing with it all during the pandemic and lockdown, but we're getting through it and are excited for him to get here.

As far as how I'm feeling pregnancy-wise I'm tired and achy and nesting like crazy but otherwise not too bad. It's been a relatively easy pregnancy thankfully, at least as far as physical symptoms. I just officially switched to appointments with my OB every 2 weeks (alternating over the phone and in the office) and get to do the oh so fun 3-hour glucose tolerance test later this week since I failed the 1-hour. So fingers crossed I pass.

I hope everyone is doing well.

@StephD2020 Yay for your positive midwife appointment, it makes all the difference!

@Camia welcome to this thread. Although at the rate we're going we'll have to start another one before the babies start arriving. Hope your appointment goes as well as can be later in the week.

Thanks for the welcomes everyone :)

@jmill13 I'm going to get my OH something :) I reckon it'll be something like what @squashie34 suggested. I got sweet FA for Mother's Day but like it was mentioned we're further along now and feeling more real and he's getting more and more excited and I know he'd love a gift like that 😊

Morning ladies!! So I am up early this morning because it's so bloody hot!! It's already 19 degrees here in London and our little flat retains heat like an oven 😫 anyone else worried about being heavily pregnant in mad hot weather this year? I used to relish going to work in the heat for the air con in the lecture rooms - not quite sure what I'm gonna do this year!

Welcome @Camia - a welcome addition to team blue in this thread!!!

@cannotmakemymindup and @jmill13 yup feeling much better since my appt on Monday - now to start the saga today of trying to find out the results of my blood tests 🤣

@StephD2020 Are your blood test results in relation to checking for gestational diabetes by any chance?
They've switched how they're testing here to just a couple of blood tests that don't involve drinking that sweet liquid and waiting two hours.

Yup @cannotmakemymindup it was the GD tests I was calling up for. I had a set of bloods for fasting glucose and HB1C and they both came back with a score of 4 and normal is somewhere between 3 and 11 so all good! Absolutely delighted with that! All other tests also normal with the exception of my iron levels which they forgot to do 🙄 so gotta get that checked when I go in on 8th June for my next antenatal appt.

And to cap it all I've now been referred over to the home birth team who are taking referrals again providing there isn't a second peak! I am having the BEST morning so far! 😁

Oh least that's not to long a wait to check your iron levels @StephD2020 glad to hear all good though. Here's for hoping for your home birth plans!!

What interests you in a home birth @StephD2020? I’m intrigued by them as they are becoming more & more popular. Where do you give birth in your home? Do you have to clean up afterwards? 🙈
Such silly questions but it’s always fascinated me lol!!

@Newmama29 wow I could rant on here for ages about them! So I'm a FTM and therefore I don't know how this will play out for me so first off I'm very much keeping an open mind about needing to be transferred into hospital for whatever reason - am closing down no options!

I find a hospital environment gives me anxiety at the best of times and given the current situation I think it's more heightened than ever. Home births statistically have a bad outcome rate for the baby of 4 in 1000 births (elevated to 9 in 1000 births for first time births). They are deemed just as safe for the mother, first time or otherwise.

I also have a massive fear of instrumental delivery and the NICE guidelines state that FTM's who give birth at home or in a free standing midwife led delivery unit are less likely to have forceps, ventouse, episiotomy or c section than those who give birth in an alongside midwife led unit or obstetric unit.

So based on that, and the fact that I'm not keen on the pain relief options of epidural or opioids, I think it suits me best. I have spent hours researching it (I've had lots of spare time!!) and I think it really suits me and my partner.

You can give birth anywhere in your home so I plan to have a pool in my living room as there is more space in there (and I have hardwood flooring and not carpet!) Apparently they advise you to get some cheap shower curtains to cover any soft furnishings like sofas and some cheap towels and the midwives will take it all away with them if you are happy for it to be disposed of after. They often let you borrow/rent a birthing pool and you just buy a new liner to go in it and they can bring Entonox for you for pain relief. I'm really starting to visualise it all taking place here now which is exciting!

www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/nice-recommends-home-births-for-some-mums/

This is a good unbiased NHS review of home births with stats if you want a quick read

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg190

This is the link to the NICE guidance which is more clinical and detailed if you are interested. Hope that helps! X

Hi ladies...a movement question coming up!

I am 26+4 and this week my movement has been sporadic (yesterday and today) I have felt a lot less, but still some movement. Did any of you that are further on or at the same feel anything similar at this stage? When I spoke to my midwife last week she implied as long as there were some movements at this stage it's ok - just feels a bit weird when things were so strong on Sunday evening.

Ah @stephd2020 brilliant news! Happy for you. I think a home birth would be amazing. So, much more relaxed in your own environment as well.

I'm hoping to ask at my 28 week appointment but does anyone know if they're still doing pool births? I read that a few places haven't been but that may have just been the US so not sure if UK did the same. I'd just love for them to be able to tell me if I'll be able to give birth at the midwifery led unit that I am suppose to be at, so I could decide on changing my mind to a home birth. I don't want to be in the hospital that they've moved me to so far for appointments.

Do you get an actual scan at the 28 week appointment?

@JMill13 I think they are, I am hoping for the same, my friend said it really helped.

Home birth does also sound appealing, we're quite well carpeted though so it puts me off a bit 😂
I'm pleased you've made progress @StephD2020 and good job on your bloods!

@worriedbutterfly I'm 26+5 and feel the same way. I had next to nothing on Monday all day, even when Oh had the guitar out which usually makes baby go crazy, woke up to pee at 4am Monday night/Tuesday morning and baby was going crazy, had an on and off movement day yesterday, and feel a lot of rolls and slight nudges today so far. I feel like my little one spends a lot of time with their back against me so if there is movement it'll be against my back but I'm not sure really. From what I've read at 26 weeks although smaller now there's still quite a bit of room in there for them to wriggle about in.

@WorriedButterfly I've experienced similar to you and @JMill13
Monday baby was quite quiet and I was getting worried, I could feel little movements right at the bottom of my stomach but not much compared to normal as sometimes she practices her Irish dancing up the top of my stomach! I know my placenta is at the front so I don't know if that stops me from being able to feel things?
Yesterday and today she's barely stayed still so I'm a lot happier!

@StephD2020 that was great information! Thanks for sharing that ☺️ I’ve got majority carpets in my house therefore it’s not for me but it sounds a nice & relaxed choice. I have a feeling I’ll be induced so wouldn’t qualify for a home birth anyway 😔

Does anyone know if you can still have a water birth when induced? This is my ideal birth plan but I’m pretty relaxed in the fact that my baby is gonna do what he wants

I'm 27 +2 and she her movements have been noticeably more forceful and deliberate compared to last week. At 26 weeks I was still getting odd periods of time where I would question whether what I was feeling was movement.

Great news @StephD2020 so happy for you!
@Newmama29 sometimes you can, it all depends on your hospitals facilities really. Some will only induce on labour ward and few have pools there. If you need monitoring then some have water monitors. Ask, but hopefully you won’t need inducing anyway. There are also different levels of induction and if a happens then b must happen but not c etc, each hospital has different policies.

I can't cope with this heat 🙈 it's not even that nice out or that warm temperature wise (16 degrees according to my phone) but it feels like 20. One trip to the shop less than my 5 minutes from my house at lunch time and I came home busted 😂 what on earth is it going to be like in actual summer? I'll be buying a pool and setting it up in my living room.

We sat outside for lunch and it was so warm. I'm not good in hot weather at the best of times.... I'm really not looking forward to a hot summer!!

I would ideally like to give birth in the midwife-led birth Centre but not sure I will be able to as I'm high risk and she might need extra monitoring for withdrawal from my medication. :(

It's 25 degrees here in the Midlands! I'm trying to research to find the best skincare for baby. I always thought I'd get Johnson's baby skincare but having read the reviews people are not sure about the ingredients in there products.

I've found aveeno baby to be a top seller, does anybody have any suggestions?.

@kaxxz 25?! Think I'd be living in an ice bath, 😂.

I'm not sure about the baby products as obviously haven't used them yet but I love Green People their adult skincare range is so nice. I also bought the baby starter pack as a gift to a friend last year and she said it was really good and helped her boy sleep anytime she used it in the bath.

I wouldn't use Johnson's on my own skin, unless someone bought me it and it was sitting here with nothing else. They're renowned animal testers as well. So I wouldn't use for baby but it's really up to yourself and what you're looking for and price bracket. I've been looking to into more natural baby skincare. Burts bees looks like a good choice (I've been using some of their products myself since I got some as birthday present in December and have found them lovely). Not sure but Superdrug might also have a decent range of own brand stuff.

We used Burts bees & childs farm and will stick with the same unless of any issues. My sister used Aveeno for my niece and really liked it. I would say get just a small amount to start just incase of any reactions or not liking the smell.

Also, H&M have got lots of new clothes in small sizes and a fair bit of neutral too.

Oh and I've read good things about Childs farm products too. @kaxxz