November 2020 Babies - Thread 4

[Sakura54]

Another new thread for the Nov mums to continue our discussion. It’s nearly time for our dating scans!

Fingers crossed our OH’s can come to the anomaly scan in 2 month’s time, as that is better and more exciting and we find out the baby’s sex! It’s probably unlikely though...all we can do is just go with the flow really and hope for a successful pregnancy. I got extra scans last time in the 3rd trimester, but don’t know yet if I’ll be entitled this time, so potentially DH won’t see baby until it’s born lol.

I'm the same as a lot of you ladies, first pregnancy and more than likely only pregnancy and did picture this as how my first few months would be (under lockdown) however, I'm trying to appreciate the good things, I've been able to work from home in my comfies, get more sleep without a commute and keeping it a secret is easy when people are visiting you!
I'm gutted that the likelihood is that I wont be able to tell family face to face, but we're hopeful that the restrictions may have lifted by the time we find out gender (July) so we could have a little family get together to reveal gender, or a baby shower around October time?

Wow, this thread is flying by! I genuinely have no idea what's going on lol 🤣
Getting really aggy with the lockdown now, I just want to go out! I want to be able to go and eat a burger, or chicken or whatever when i feel like it! (Prioritites lol)
It sucks, we cant sit around drinking all day like pretty much everyone else seems to be doing, and cant eat whatever we want when we want, or go looking at baby stuff its just argh!!
Stupid ass China!!
Sorry, rant over 😇

@futuredreams from my experience, instead of going down the road to see the midwife like I had been doing for months, I had to annoyingly start going to the hospital to see the consultant and random nurses would do my checks beforehand. I preferred the local midwives as they seem more caring and it’s quiet.

This time I’ve changed hospital and all my appointments will be there for both midwives and consultants. I don’t even know who my main person is as it wasn’t made clear at my booking, but tbh I don’t care if I see someone different each time, as long as I’m being looked after!

@futuredreams I was seen by a specialist clinic as I was high risk - I only saw the consultant a couple of times, the rest was a specialist midwife so I’m not sure if that’s the same as consultant led.

I had extra scans and appointments, and there were some birth options not available to me, however the team were brilliant and did everything they could to support what I wanted during the birth.

@futuredreams oh yes, same as @Sakura54 all my appointments were at the hospital too.

@Sakura54 @excitednerves. Thanks so much for explaining a little. I’m assuming it’s because I’ve had recurrent miscarriages. Will a consultant be there for my booking scan? Sorry this is all new to me now. In Northern Ireland you don’t see anybody or get any information until your booking scan. Just got me a little nervous. It’s the same cons that did my ERPC in September. I used to be so afraid of hospitals but it’s def diminishing every time I go I’ve been there so much now

@ParisInTheSpringtime @wannabebump @katieglow I'm in the same place as you. First baby, first pregnancy actually and very likely my only. It has hard telling DH that he couldn't come to my next scan. Like many fathers, at this point he doesn't feel the baby is real and he's been trying.

@canueve I'm also far away from family, currently living the the US but DH is from the U.K. and my family are in South America. I was hoping to go in May at the start of my second trimester for a bit family party. It feels sad, at the moment everything relates to the pregnancy feels tinged with sadness. I'm sure once our babies are here it will be better.

Hello everyone 👋 super late - but have you room for another?! Just found out i’m pregnant with number 3 - edd 18 Nov, but will be an elcs so probably closer to beginning of November. All a bit surreal and unexpected. Booked in y’day- weird experience doing it over the phone. Now just a wait for the dating scan- i’m a bit worried about that as its all been unexpected 😳

@futuredreams I was booked in by the midwife then didn’t see the consultant until 16 weeks.

Which hospital are you at? A friend is a midwife at the Ulster.

I’ve had recurrent miscarriages and have hashimotos disease, both of which seem to get you consultant led care in other hospitals, but not in mine 🤷🏼‍♀️. And rightly so actually as neither had any impact on my last pregnancy. My midwives are based at the hospital so I have to go there for all the appointments anyway, though my 16 week one is also going to be over the phone so I won’t actually see a midwife in person until 26 weeks - seems crazy!

@canueve I am the same as you. I live in the uk and my family lives in ireland. We are incredibly close and supportive. I got very upset this morning thinking if this virus gets a second wave before the flights open again I may go my whole pregnancy not seeing any of my family. DHs family are 40 mins away but arent a close family. They are the type to come over, take pictures of the newborn, demand their dinner, not speak to me for the duration, then not see us again until I make the effort to bundle the kids in the car, and moan because they 'dont know their grandchildren'.

Doing all of this without family is very hard, but I suppose we are all in the same boat at the minute. Fingers crossed we get to fly to see them at some point before november.

Same here with my family in Ireland. Haven’t seen my mum since Christmas. And she’s high risk so even if restrictions are lifted I’d worry about her coming over here in flu season when the baby is born 😭

@futuredreams umm I didn’t get a consultant until later, but I did see her after my extra scan. This time I’m seeing one when I’m 18 weeks. It just all depends on why we need a consultant really. I’m classed as intermediate risk atm, but only because I questioned the midwife lol so have to wait and see what happens. It’s great having extra scans and appointments though!

@futuredreams - i was consultant led with dd2 as my first birth was an emergency csec.I’m consultant led again this time as will be c sec number 3 ! I only had a handful of consultant appointments last time- they always seemed a bit random, the consultant was never on time, frequently saw his ‘understudies’ (registrars?! Not sure!). Bonus- consultant scanned me each time i saw them so extra chances to see baby. I saw the mw in between as per normal.

Oh @HarrietM87 that's a long time! I saw mine at the end of Jan, and my mom is the type of hard core irish Mammy to attempt to swim the irish sea to get to me when I have the baby haha. But it is a long time. I am finding it hard, especially when some neighbours and friends are visiting family because they miss them after 3 weeks.

Hopefully they will relax the rules in maybe july or august and we may get to see them then xx

@ChasingTheSunshineAlways I guess having the baby will make it all worthwhile. I was planning on going around July/ August at the latest. There is a tiny hope but I wonder how airlines will $$$ after this is over so I am keeping my expectations low.

@katsnmouse hey, welcome and congrats x

@SqidgeBum oh that sucks! My in-laws are pretty great and I'll have some support, but it's always different when it's your own family.
Truly hoping we can all see our families before then

@SqidgeBum and @HarrietM87 Same here! Living in London and all family are in Ireland. In laws are 4 to 5 hours drive away. Haven't seen family since Christmas. I always knew it was going to be tough having a baby without them around, but not even being able to visit each other is awful. My heart breaks for people having babies at the moment and having to introduce them to family over Skype or through closed windows. God, that's made me tear up again.

Welcome @katsnmouse I also have two dds and will be having an elective csection.
Another one who hasn’t seen family since Christmas. I’m missing my mum but they live 4 hours away. Both my siblings live abroad so no idea when I’ll get to see them either. I will be meeting my sister’s baby over FaceTime when it’s born.

I haven't seen my father since July, and will probably fly never see him again after I tell him I'm pregnant. So yeah, I got great support 👍

*remove word fly

I'm feeling really anxious. I don't feel pregnant at all, at least for the last couple of weeks. I'm obviously worried that things have stopped progressing. Waiting for my scan now which is a week on Monday. Can't come quickly enough...

I’m sorry @Hancock2020. That’s rubbish.

I’m only a few hours from my parents, but we don’t see them very often as we are always so busy. After this is all over we will make more of an effort. I’m desperate to be able to tell my grandmother in person, but I think it’s unlikely to happen any time soon.

It's good to hear that I am not alone with my worries. Also my first baby and things like my husband not being able to come to the 12 week scan have been getting me down but he is a lot more positive about it. I'm also quite sad about having to tell my friends and family over the phone because that's just never going to be as good.

However, I did have my booking appointment on Tuesday at my local health centre and it was amazing. First time in a month I've had a destination other than a random walk or various locations around the house which was super exciting. And the midwife was really lovely and the appointment itself was good fun. Made me a lot more excited about everything!

Just had a call from my lovely midwife and she has my blood test results. All fine apart from my iron levels are very low and she has said I am anemic. So I need to collect some iron tablets from the pharmacist on Saturday. Does anyone know how the prescriptions work now we are pregnant? I've heard they're free but have no way of proving I am pregnant. Are we meant to be given a medi card?

Also my friend has said spatone liquid with orange juice is more effective than the tablets the doc will prescribe. Anyone share this opinion or have any other tips for low iron deficiency? I have no appetite for the recommended Leafy greens but could perhaps eat a bit of red meat if I was forced