Early Oct Babies Part 7

[Treaclepie19]

Entering the final stretch! 😁

Sorry @Quiffy on the feet - sounds so uncomfortable - I’ve just got the leg cramps at night but will try out the tonic recommended here 🤞

And @HerondaleDucks - I agree with the shout above: if your midwife is so tricky maybe worth asking to switch? I don’t know if we have to see the same midwife at all after birth, but even 10 weeks of pre-birth might feel a bit long!

@babymama09 - so happy for your news, wishing you and the baby all the best!

And @CouscousEvaporator - I’m wheezing like a cartoon character, it’s ridiculous 😄 I make loud “oof” noises if I have to reach for anything or bend my knees, at least this is great practice for old age!

@babymama09 glad you've got a wriggler! Glad you are OK!

Yeah think I might ask to switch! Clearly this isn't normal!

@CouscousEvaporator not wheezing but sometimes I feel like a turtle on it's back when I try and get up from the sofa!

@HerondaleDucks I think I’ve put on the exact same! I was 72kg at booking I think and now weigh 12 stone- which I think is 76kg. Can’t understand why they are being so horrid. I haven’t heard a peep from my midwife and I think I put stuff into an online pregnancy weight gain curve calculator and it looked fine from memory.

Was is @BntTowers who got the dark choc? That cracked me up!! Unforgivable!!! I’ve been inhaling the M&M choc bars on an almost daily basis.

@blankiesandunicorns I feel really weird down there when I walk now and constantly need a wee. I bought a support band from amazon which I’m going to try the next time I do a long walk.

I’m 29+3 feeling ginormous but still not feeling the baby move much! Blasted anterior placenta.

@quiffy sorry your swelling is such a pain. I only really wear croc flip flops now and hope for no rain. They are super comfy. I am hoping September/october will still be warm because I'm not sure what shoes I will wear then!

@babymama09 glad to hear baby is still behaving and doing well. Fingers crossed for the next appointment.

@CouscousEvaporator yes to breathlessness and it's so random. Sometimes I get it sitting down but then not when I go on a walk. Can definitely feel everything slowly being squashed though. I keep saying I'm trying not to complain because I'm very aware I've still got months of this to go!!

I think it's so postcode lottery with care you receive but even then it even comes down to the individual professional you see as I'm the same area as @HerondaleDucks and cant really complain about the care I've been given, I've been really happy with it. I've seen the same midwife for nearly everything, shes taken her time and given me plenty of time to ask questions etc. All appointments are booked at that appointment for the next and it seems so straight forward. I feel so grateful as I know it's not the case for lots of people at the moment from reading here and other groups. Some questions people ask I feel frustrated for them that the midwife doesnt just take a couple more minutes to explain things rather than leaving people to go home all confused! Surely in the long run it gives them more work later on.

Are you planning on breastfeeding @LexiM there is a really lovely Facebook group for breastfeeding in Salisbury and they do 4 zoom chats a week. I joined one and they sent me loads of information to read and a free course to go through.
They do real meetings but they are closed whilst covid is going on.

Girls I have a question for everyone... When baby is born, will you be letting your family (that you don't live with) hold the baby? Just wondering because of Covid. My friend's sister gave birth a few weeks ago so my friend quarantined for two weeks before visiting her sister so she could hold the baby etc and feel pretty sure she wasn't giving the baby covid. Spoke to my mum (who lives about 200 miles away) just now and she basically refused to take any extra precautions before meeting the baby and even said she would get my brother (who works in a hospital so very exposed and can't WFH for 2 weeks) to drive her down for the 5 hour journey. I know everyone will be different, just genuinely curious about what everyone's planning to do.

My MIL had agreed to quarantine for two weeks so she can meet the baby - my mum now seems really annoyed with me for suggesting she do it too... We might just arrange for the visit when baby is a bit older and has a stronger immune system. It's hard to know what the right thing to do is because this is such a new situation everyone's in but interested to know your plans if you have any yet.

I formed a bubble with my mum everyone else I social distance from. My mum is going to come down and stay to keep the bubble.
I would be wary of letting everyone come and see baby. Especially those working in at risk environments like child care or NHS etc. I might just let them socially distance visit.
Its a tricky one with covid!

@Zaalfruit it's a crazy system isn't it. We all do what we can I guess, husbands already panicking about when I start asking about baby #2 😂

I had to stop walking the dogs (Basset hounds so stubborn and hefty on a good day) about a month ago. Too strong for me and I can only walk a wee bit cause of the SPD.
I've made up by being chief ball thrower in the garden 😂

@MrsD1990 my parents live overseas so I've had the very sad job of telling them they won't be able to meet her right away 😢 travelling through an airport is just too risky. We're all really disappointed about it as my mum was going to be one of my birth partners.

My in-laws live locally but again, we'll probably hold off on them physically holding her. Until when, I don't know. But I know they won't self-isolate for two weeks so no point asking. Hopefully things improve by October!

@NWnature I hadn't thought of a support band, you will have to update us on if it's any good. Just seems like I am weeing a lot generally but when I go for a walk it's so much worse, baby is pressing on my bladder. I am 30+5 and getting big so I suppose it's not surprising.

Anyone else have a low lying placenta? Got my 32 weeks scan next week to check mines moved so fingers crossed

@MrsD1900, I have no idea what to do. My inlaws live 2/3hrs drive away and with FIL being diagnosed with Parkinsons they will only be able to get the train down, and will have to stay in a hotel. My parents look after my nephews a lot, who will be back at school, and my sister and her hubby work. So no option to quarantine. And DD will be at nursery as well, so exposed to other kids and adults. I just think we'll go with making them wear masks, wash hands, etc. I'm not going to invite extra people round

@HerondaleDucks yes I'm on that facebook group but haven't done a zoom. Do you just join any one as I see they are regular? Do I need specific questions or just say I want to know more? Thanks

@MrsD1990 we are struggling with our thoughts on people holding the baby. If it remains as it does now we are thinking only my mum to hold the baby. It seems pointless for her to self isolate for two weeks as she lives close and we are hoping will support us with having a newborn regularly. It would be impossible for her to self isolate as it would mean she couldn't help us by getting us things or for my grandma and then who would shop for her. She also has lots of animals that need food etc. Although she does live with my step dad and grandma, so therefore cant technically bubble with us, my grandma never goes out and my step dad very rarely and if he does it's with my mum, so I cant see how the risk is increased compared to if she lived alone and went out like she does now. We would just insist she is very strict on social distancing and whilst she does do it now, sometimes we feel she does get a bit close to friends - not hugging or anything just not quite 1m away and that's what's making us hesistant. It's so horrible to have to be in this situation isn't it, I am just very aware of my mental health and having that help from my mum which I think both me and my husband have said we think we will want as first time parents.

@LexiM I just joined a random one and asked my questions. Sarah made a post today with links. The ABM team baby thing looks interesting as is free.

@HerondaleDucks wish I could bubble with my mum!!

@MrsD1990 personally, I'll be letting everyone who visits hold the baby. There may be exceptions, e.g. if I knew someone had a high chance of contact with covid, but broadly I'll be saying yes to anyone. I'd be more worried about raising a baby with no immune system whatsoever because they haven't come into contact with any germs for the first months/years of their life. There's a lot of evidence of the lifelong damaging effects that being raised in a too clean environment can have. Seeing as covid is likely very minor in babies and children, I'd rather risk that than risk them developing a life-threatening allergy.

@blankiesandunicorns yes I get the pressure, it was worse when I was still working with an active job. Felt like I had weights down there some days. Midwife just said when it happens take it a bit easier and rest. I used to put my legs slightly raised to try get baby to go up a bit and also started doing pelvic floor exercises which helped.

@Quiffy hope your feet go back to normal soon

@babymama09 glad to hear all is going well with baby!!

@CouscousEvaporator not like really breathless but more just everything is an effort so there's lots of huffing and puffing from me but more because I'm trying to get more air into my lungs!!

@MrsD1990 oh I've thought about this lots in great detail!! I think it sounds a bit mad what I'm planning but it's how I feel at the moment.... we have 3 sets of grandparents (my mum and dad both have new partners). Two of the sets live hours away. I've said I'm treating all grandparents the same, they aren't getting any special treatment just because they live so far away. So at the moment I feel we have a really clean unused garage, I'm going to put some chairs down there and lamps - little heater etc make it really clean and cosy, may even paint and get a rug 🙈 and when baby here anyone who wants to hold baby has to wear a mask, wash hands or wear gloves and I'm planning on getting almost like the hairdressers gowns for people to wear over their clothes. Keeping the garage door open so that everything ventilating. Sounds a bit crazy and extreme I know but I'd rather that than have loads of people in my home where I'll have to clean afterwards every time because I'm worried about my surfaces and Covid etc. And when I feel the baby seems more robust (no idea when that will be) I'll start to relax. I don't feel bad, my mil works in a bank and goes in the metro every day, FIN he goes to lots of pubs every weekend and my mum is working and has a very active social life.

@Quiffy sorry my last comment sounded like I didn't actually care! Sorry I do i just read it back and it seemed like I didn't!! 😂

@AutumnBabyWinterMummy the thing is I normally have an active job but I am working from
Home now so trying to be active when I'm not working by going for walks etc. I am trying to do more pelvic floor exercises though.

I find it difficult thinking of not letting people hold my baby. We will take precautions like others have said but I will need the support. It's an individual decision for everyone though

Thanks girls for all of your responses, so useful to get everyone's views! We might just hold off on visitors for as long as we can

@otterbaby that sounds like what we'll have to do - my family and my in laws both live hours away so if they can't quarantine we'll just hold off having people visit until baby is older (don't know how old...) Mum won't be happy but I hope she understands eventually. Sorry your mum won't be able to be your birth partner - Covid has really put a spanner in the works.

@Spark27 such a difficult situation to be in!! Hopefully things will be better by the time baby gets here and theres a vaccine like they mentioned a few days ago! (Trying to stay optimistic about that... Husband checks for news on a vaccine all the time)

@lexim totally see where you're coming from - we have to balance lots of things (like mental health and getting help with a newborn) so makes sense that you want to bubble with your mum.

@blankiesandunicorns I know I feel really sad that my baby and also me and dp and all of the grandparents won't get the chance for a "normal" start to babies life. I feel I'm being a bit extreme and I may feel so different when baby here but at the moment I just feel pretty strict and probably a bit highly strung about it all. It's very hard knowing what is best. I also don't want a baby who doesn't "like" other people or have any sort of separation anxiety when eventually she's old enough to be looked after by other people because shes only used to me and dp xx

@bluemoon2468 there's absolutely no risk of baby being raised in a too clean environment in our house 😂

@autumnbabywintermummy I'm so glad I asked everyone what their plans were - I hadn't really started to think about it until recently!! I think deep down I've been hoping the situation would get a lot better and I wouldn't need to think about it (I still hope this!!)

@AutumnBabyWinterMummy my daughter has continued going to school as I'm a key worker so I feel like we're already exposed to a certain amount of risk, so I think I have perhaps been more laid back about it that I otherwise would have been. I am remembering that I can't make plans yet too much and will deal with it as it comes otherwise I feel worried about what's to come. Focus on pregnancy and bringing a healthy baby into the world and not further than that for now is my advice to anyone

@AutumnBabyWinterMummy that's probably what I'm most worried about with these precautions - that baby won't be socialised like he usually would be and he'll hate being held by other people (when he does get to be held by others). I guess it's all a balance and hopefully it'll be quite early on when he is considered low risk. But I feel the same in that I feel like I need to take extra precautions when he new born/very little

@blankiesandunicorns I think in a way your situation is probably slightly taken out of your hands a bit more like you said your daughter at school and with your job. I probably would also be a bit more laid back if I was in your situation. As it stands I'm furloughed and dp working from home and has been told it's indefinitely. So that's probably why in my head I'm feeling a bit more sheltered. Plus anything could change between now and then, hoping for the best 🤞 xx

@Buzz22 that's not right not listening to your baby's heartbeat, I'd be right on the phone to them, that's the important part of the appt! @Quiffy defo call your mw as that is quite bad swelling @blankiesandunicorns I also feel the need to go to the toilet at times when out walking but it's just the position of the baby as it happened today but I made sure I went to the toilet before I went out. My little guy has moved around tons today xx