Due August 2020 Thread 2

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Hello ladies new thread here for all of us been chatting on thread 1 due in August with our babies!

@mable88 normally they don’t weigh you because like you say having the baby and associated extra weight really skews the BMI. I am being weighed this time because I’m already high risk.

@Bert2020 ah ok, that makes sense. I was asked my weight at my booking in appointment, weighed at my 12 week scan when they took bloods and then nothing except when I went in last week for reduced movement. The midwife then did all the checks as it had been a while since I’d seen my midwife. But she didn’t seem to record my weight anywhere in my notes, so I’m a bit confused by it all! Ah well, I’ll wait and see what happens at my next appointment, perhaps my usual midwife won’t bother!

@mable88 hopefully not, it’s a thing you shouldn’t even have to consider. You are growing a human after all. The booking in weigh I understand so they can see which path to put you on but otherwise it only seems to make you feel worried.

Hi guys

I'm feeling really down today, thinking about labour with my aneamia it's so daugnting. I'm on the third type of iron supplements but they don't seem to be working much either.

Have any of you thought about what pain relief you'll have during labour, I'm thinking just gas and air and practice hypnobirthing techniques. I've read up into pain relief and there's too many side effects :(

@Oldestchild90s I was the exact same yesterday, I went in for reduced movements as she'd not moved all day, they hooked me up to the monitor and she started going mad immediately! You do feel like a fool but it's good to be cautious as you just never know.

Red letter day today as DH felt her kicking/wriggling for the first time. MW yesterday confirmed she's moved head down and I'm feeling her a lot more today.

@kaxxz I'm hoping I can survive with just gas and air, but I'll take an epidural if I need it. It's one of the reasons I'm choosing to birth at the hospital over the MLU, to keep all options open.

@kaxxz you can ask for Iron transfusion to make sure you are not anaemic at the birth. I may have one possibly. Maybe also B12 injection maybe as well being an option. I'm surprised your midwife isn't yet currently discussing other options that can help with aneamia.

@kaxxz oh man, try not to worry, they will keep you well during birth. Is there anything they can do other than just supplements?

I'm hoping by having a pool birth and using some Hypnobirthing techniques I'll be able to just push passed the pain. I don't like the idea of certain things and not being in control. I want to be able to walk about/move if I need to and I don't like the feeling that Gas&Air gives, being Asthmatic as well I think it's maybe easier without it but I'm just going to play it by ear though see how I feel and what I need at the time.

I'm going to be giving birth on the labour ward due to being high risk and I think I'm going to go for an epidural as soon as I think I can't manage the pain (really wish my hospital did the mobile ones as the one negative for me is having to birth
on my back and then likelihood of instrumental delivery) . My worry is I try and wait it out then it becomes awful and suddenly there isn't an anaesthetist available!

I'd really like an elective csection as I'm really struggling with the uncertainty of a vaginal
Birth but consultant said it's riskier 😕

@mable88 I hope your regular midwife next time is better. Even with normal pregnancy weight gain by bmi i will go from lower end of normal to overweight. It would be ridiculous to judge anyones weight like that in pregnancy.
I did get weighed at my last midwife appointment but that was because I asked she just focused on the change in weight which is a much more sensible approach imo. Don't worry too much

Once upon a time I would have tried to go with a minimal approach to pain relief in labour but having to accept staying on my medication in pregnancy and taking anti nausea and pp-inhibitors. I'm probably going to take a relaxed view to pain relief and see what I need and what they can offer. I am thinking of asking to go skip forecep like interventions and move to cesarean instead if necessary but I don't know if that's something they allow. I have no good reasons for it either.

@mable88 it does seem silly, doesn't it? One more thing to stress about!
I don't remember being told I would be weighed in previous pregnancies, but I have a definite plan to reweigh me at 28 weeks this time to see if my BMI goes over 35. I googled it and apparently you get growth scans later in pregnancy if it does. I'll let you know next week. How many weeks are you?

For pain relief I was determined to go naturally my first pregnancy, I ended up having pethidine and gas and air. I had an instrumental delivery because I wasn't progressing in the pushing stage, but my baby was big with a giant head!
Second pregnancy I was induced and had pethidine and gas and air, it was fast but brilliant, my best labour.
My third I was induced again, I had my waters broken eventually because I was stuck on 3cm so they considered me not in active labour. I was begging for an epidural but they wouldn't let me (they wanted me to be 4cm or 2 hrs post waters breaking) by which time I had the baby. The pain was horrific.
This time I have spoken to the consultant and said if that happens again I will demand an epidural and will not be told no. She has agreed I should be allowed one.

So I suggest, see how you go. Your body in incredible and capable of amazing things, if you really do want to go pain free. I would love to avoid induction as it is so painful and requires constant monitoring preventing you moving around, but needs must!

Had anybody had hypnobirthing lessons?

Hi ladies, hope you're all OK.

I'm out of hospital and at home taking it easy now while I finish the course of anti biotics. They seem to be doing the job so fingers crossed I won't have to go back in.

I'm having a planned section so was really worried about 2 abdominal surgeries within months of each other. That's something I want to avoid at all costs.

I'm 30 weeks today and everything suddenly seems very real! I was on a 4 bed ward at hospital with 3 other mums to be, all further on than me and with various issues, who were all in for days just waiting to be induced or have sections. The no visitors thing is hard but the staff were excellent, i just can't imagine being away from your partner/family for the last week or so of pregnancy then not really seeing them again until you're in active labour! The women on the ward all just took it in their stride though.

@superscientist I think the problem with emergency C sections in that situation, is the baby has already descended so low that a section would be tricky to get baby out, and a harder recovery for you. I had ventouse which is the suction cup on baby's head. It wasnt so bad for me personally, my baby was fine minus some jaundice, but the episiotomy is not very nice to recover from.

@sel2223 ah bless you! So glad you avoided surgery, I didn't even know that was an option with appendicitis. Feet up, rest easy, sending you fast recovery vibes!

@sel2223 it's so sad isn't it! Glad to hear you are out of hospital now though

@stephd2020 my 4D scan was with a company called "meet your miracle" I think they have 3 stores around the midlands area x

@MamaFirst I’m 29 weeks, this was my 28 week appointment (late!) I guess I’ll just see what happens at my next appointment - which I thought was going to be at 31 weeks but I got booked in for 4 weeks fine, so I’ll be 33 weeks by then!

@sel2223 so glad you’re home now, must be such a relief.

For pain management, like a lot of you have already said, I’m going in with an open mind - I’d love to do it with only gas and air, but being realistic and knowing that the option of an epidural is there if needed. It’s all so unpredictable when you get to that point that I’ve figured it’s not use having my heart set on a certain option in case it isn’t available when the time comes. I think I like the idea of a water birth though!

The pain relief topic has been tricky for me because I'm a natural ginger and unfortunately have the linked gene that requires higher doses of pain meds to be effective. The last time I had anaesthesia they had to try twice for it to take effect. And I also have to keep in mind the potential for that same gene causing complications with certain meds. So between that and the research I've done on side effects I'm heavily considering going natural if I can. I'm still looking into having a backup option in mind though since you never know what'll happen. I definitely don't want an epidural and I like the idea of being able to move around as I want/need. My doctor wants to discuss all the options with me soon now that we're getting close

@Camia it's funny you say that as I'm ginger and when I had my emergency section it took them three times to get the spinal to work, you can imagine that wasn't such fun while getting contractions!

I was already 8cm at this point and had just had a tens machine. I have no idea if that was just how I dealt with it or whether it was down to his position (breech) I didn't go into hospital till I was 5cm. I'm open to all options though as each birth is different. I'm high risk so not allowed a water birth or the midwife led centre so I know I'll have lots of options if I do end up with a natural birth this time.

@Luna321 what’s a tens machine?

I would ideally like a water birth, does anyone know if you can have one if you’re induced? I’m going in with a pretty open mind regarding pain relief, epidural etc as I’ve never been in labour before so have no idea how I’ll handle it! I would like to avoid a section but baby will have his own plans lol. I would also rather have a section over forceps etc but again, whatever is safest for baby at that time is the most important!

My NCT session on Monday was on pain relief, it was really useful. I'm hoping for a water birth too in the midwife led unit, but not getting my hopes up too much in case things change. I want to use a tens machine at home and hoping for just gas and air, but we shall see!

I've had a couple of episodes of reduced movement so they sent me for a scan today, everything looked fine though. Baby is measuring about 3lbs 7oz (30+2 today), I thought that sounded a lot but they're on the 38th percentile (I know the estimates can be completely out though).
They could see on the ultrasound that they have hair 😍, made me even more excited - if that was possible - to meet them and also find out if it's a girl or boy!!

@2020Aug ooh thats good to know, our NCT starts on Monday so hopefully we'll get the pain relief session too! Glad all is ok with your baby - how exciting to see their hair!

I am getting soooo impatient to meet my little one now, I just can't wait to see what she looks like. But ultimately I would rather she stayed put and cooked a bit longer, given that I'm 29+2!

Hi ladies
Hope everyone is doing well.
Had my 28 week appointment today and I'm a lot more relaxed about everything. 29 weeks today and I finally get told that my placenta is front facing and that's why I don't feel all the big kicks, punches etc. all the time and why they're a bit lighter than I always thought kicks would be 🙈 nice to finally know.

@JMill13 gosh that’s a long time not knowing, I was told at my 20 week scan! Hope it’s reassured you a bit, I always can’t help wondering how many more movements I’d be feeling if I didn’t have an anterior placenta. Mind you, madam is wriggling and kicking so much now I’m not sure I’d want to feel her much more! 🤣

@mable88 I know, they just wrote in my notes at the 20 week scan but didn't actually tell me, the notes are a mindfield so I didn't know.

I know, I feel enough kicks and and punches so am happy with those anymore I think they'd be sore. Little one gave a massive kick to the doppler this morning was quite funny.

@JMill13 oh I know the notes are a nightmare, especially when they use acronyms - not a chance of understanding what they are on about!!

My little lady sometimes kicks me so hard it hurts a bit - this only happens high up on my left side, so I’m assuming my placenta is lower down on the right as I barely ever feel movements there. Babies are funny, mine had hiccups on the Doppler the other day!

@mable88 I know, I tried reading my notes from this morning there and have absolutely no idea what it says.
Omg, hiccups would be so cute to hear! I''ve felt a couple of hefty kicks or whatever that have made me jump, it's such a weird feeling.

Hey guys 31 weeks pregnant getting freaked out about labour but I guess that's normal plus have so much anxiety about this covid 19 have to go work aswell so always freaking out some reassurance would be lovely lol