Late October Babies 2020 - Thread 5

[DressingGown87]

Thread 5 ladies!

Girls: @DressingGown87 @Jaffas22 @DogCatDex @EmmaA96 (twins) @Parks11 @LadyB90 @Strawberries4days @LST87 @sls668 @plentyofplants Uppsydaisy (Girl twin)

Boys: @sunbreak @FirstSurprise001 @WaveStreet @roarfeckingroar
@Mc3209 @KitKatKit @1990shopefulftm @Lolllyf @HelenMarie1001 @Freddie1987 @BS9790 @hmeadow24 @Ghostworld @roarfeckingroarr @Glooorb @mamavee @UpsyDaisy1234 (Boy twin) @Samk93

Surprise / Waiting
@60sPony @Monkeyseesmonkeydoesnt @AdventureAhead @Elizag20 @justtb @Clalou83 @SJR86 @Flora20 @Watersintheclouds @Jaffas22 @justtb

If I have missed you! Sorry! I did quickly scan through the start of the last thread, to add people and update the list, but only did this quick.

@1990shopefulftm They can move until approx 36 weeks. Fingers crossed yours stays put.
On my growth scan at almost 31 weeks, baby was breech, so I am hoping he will move come 36 weeks!

@Mc3209 you've got plenty of time still for him to move. Fingers crossed for you, will they do another growth scan and check their positioning by 36 weeks for you?

@LadyB90 you're worried because you care and there's nothing bad about that. I'm careless laissez faire about everything and should probs take a leaf out of your book. It's all balance isn't it.

@roarfeckingroarr
Yes, true! Balance is definitely something I struggle with! Hope your BHs are behaving themselves today! I haven't felt one yet.

@LadyB90 We've been really careful up to this point and we're going to take precautions once baby arrives, so we'll let grandparents visit as we can trust them to have been careful beforehand for example. My niece however keeps saying she'll want to visit soon, but she's a student in London and hasn't been social distancing/mask wearing etc for weeks so she's not going to be invited, much as though I love her. I've just decided to take early mat leave as I didn't feel my school was a safe environment in the third trimester so probably one of those erring more on the side of caution anyway 🤷‍♀️ but on the other hand we don't have huge families or numbers of close friends so it's not as hard a decision as it might be for some! X

@Flora20
Ah thank you that sounds good! I have quite a big family (im one of 5) and my mum, dad one of my sister's and my brother all work as nurses and none live nearby which makes a quick visit more difficult. Feel like I'll feel better if I try to make some sort of plan as to what I'm going to do.
Good idea to take maternity leave early but also annoying to have to do that! I'm a teacher too but left the school I was at last summer and then I was doing supply but obviously stopped at the beginning of lock down.

@LadyB90 It's annoying because it's pretty obvious that there's no chance of distancing in school, but HR kept insisting a risk assessment would solve it (although couldn't say how 🤷‍♀️) seemed easier just to stop! Our family are all a long way away too, with our first we asked visitors to stay in a hotel overnight and just pop in, they usually stay with us but couldn't face that with a newborn! I'm sure if they're in healthcare they'll understand if you're being careful? X

@LadyB90 I think you're being sensible, not overly anxious. The Oxford study the NHS guidance is based on says that pregnant women are not more likely to catch it or to die from it, but there is a higher risk of premature birth and emergency C-section, and a small risk of infection transferring through the placenta to the baby. We've been really careful because it doesn't seem worth taking those risks if you don't have to. Case numbers are creeping up again too.

The British Medical Journal just published the evidence the UK guidance on school safety is based on . It said the risk is very small for children, but higher for children under age of one, but that did include a number of premature babies diagnosed in hospital.

It's so hard to know how to balance the risks. Some things we're considering for family or close friends keen to see the baby:

1. Asking people to isolate for 2 weeks if they want to hold the baby
2. Wearing a mask for a very brief hold of the baby
3. Asking people to take a covid test and isolate until results if wanting to hold the baby. The tests are easy to get now and results same day or 24 hours
4. If none of those are possible, meeting for walks outside at a distance (tricky with autumn weather!)

We've not decided for sure, but that's what we're mulling over. People can be asymptomatic and I know I would feel awful if the baby caught it when they were tiny just because someone else wanted a cuddle.

@LadyB90 I think it's important to bare in mind that infection rates are likely to change, for better or worse in our individual areas so worth considering a firm plan closer to the time. I agree though that tests are easier to get hold of now so it may be worth letting close family and friends know now that if they want to hold the baby they will need to sort one out and get results 24 hours before seeing baby (and stay inside the day before perhaps?!) it's really hard to balance like everyone says because we do have to accept some sort of 'new normal' going forward. People can't isolate completely forever...

I would also urge you to speak to your midwife and doc about your OCD if you haven't done already (don't want to sound presumptuous) only because I've just completed about 3 months CBT therapy online for my own symptoms and feel sooooo much better for it!! They are so helpful in terms of putting a relapse plan in place, which I'm especially thankful for as I know that I'm at risk of mental health deteriorating once baby is here and I'm sleep deprived. The therapist has set up a review in 3 months and will keep my GP and midwife posted too, so it feels like people are really looking out for my welfare. That might help put your mind at ease a bit?

@Flora20
Yeah the concept of social distancing in school is totally ridiculous IMO. Yes my close family do understand it's more extended family and my partners family that aren't as understanding.

@Deut28
Thanks for all the info! Those seem like good options. I talked to my mum today as she's a nurse on a neonatal unit and she also suggested to ease my anxiety making people wear masks and hand washing, but also wearing a dressing gown back to front so that their clothes don't come into contact with baby so I'm also considering this option. I'm sort of on the same page as you though, so hard to know what's best.

@Freddie1987
Really good point about things continuing to change between now and then. In my head I feel like it's so close now but I guess a lot can change in a few weeks! I'll be honest I haven't discussed it with the midwife. Mainly because I've only had one face to face and wasn't really confident enough to bring it up but I will try to do that on my next appointment as I'm seeing the same one again. That's really good that the CBT has really helped you, and definitely something I feel I should consider! Thank you

Is anyone else still having inconsistent movements?

Baby has moved Non - stop today, its been constant!! Does anyone else have days where they have much more movements than usual? Is it normal or something to flag up?! X

@BS9790
I have the same thing and wondered whether it is to do with baby's position but I'm not sure! Think it's normal though. My baby doesn't seem to stick to any particular pattern and the midwife didn't seem worried when I said her movements vary, so long as she's moving regularly. But maybe talk to your midwife if it's worrying you.

@LadyB90, we've been in same position for a few weeks now! I mentioned having no pattern to my midwife yesterday and she actually sent me up to the hospital for monitoring and the hospital also scanned me. Everything was fine, as I had assumed it was... As he moves.. just randomly 🤣

However today I've had movement like never before, he's not let up wiggling at all!!
He has however moved from my right side to my left, so maybe that's what it has been 🤔 who knows!!

@BS9790
Such little rascals aren't they! Sounds like you have a really vigilant midwife though, mine didn't seem bothered at all! Glad everything was ok when they checked baby, definitely better to be safe than sorry. My baby seems to turn from feet down to head down quite a bit as she's always been in a different position at each appointment/scan, so I figured that might explain her movements varying so much. She definitely had hiccups last night when I was trying to get to sleep haha. They like to keep us on our toes I think!

Hmm a bit of a funny one, yesterday at the private scan the sonographer said I had an anterior placenta which I was quite shocked about as I'm pretty sure I remember in notes it said posterior. My notes are electronic so I didn't check there and then. Now I just had a look back at my 20 week anomaly scan and it says posterior high. I'm so confused right now.

@1990shopefulftm no other scans booked, so will see how it goes!
@SamK93 that's a weird one. It might be worth checking it with your midwife.
@BS9790 mine is still having quieter and more active days. The quality of the movements has changed, it's more rolls and turns these days as opposed to kicks. The rolls make me quite queasy actually.

So they’ve still not taken my area out of lockdown on the update today.

@BS9790 yes! I have no pattern, she does what she wants, when she wants. I’ve got to keep a close eye on it due to having placenta inefficiency. But this inconsistency makes it hard, so I’ve been monitored 3 times now. Some days I hardly get anything, others I think she is having a rave, no in between. Glad your midwife is keeping an eye on it though. I’m yet to experience the hiccups.

@samk93 have you got any other scans booked? They changed my position on my notes, on my last 3 scans in the last 3 weeks I’ve had posterior, fundal, left lateral! What ever that means...

@Mc3209, yes my movements have changed over the last few weeks too. More rolling and squirming as opposed to kicks, just like you say 😊 I agree with the queasy feeling, took myself to bed this afternoon!

@DressingGown87, I've been monitored twice too. I'm exactly the same, some days (most days) hardly anything and I've to concentrate really hard and sit still all day just to feel some, a handful of 'normal days' and then the odd day like today (although today is the most extreme yet) where he doesn't stop...!!
I wonder if his pattern is more over a few days, i.e 3 quiet days then a busy day, but I've never thought to track it like that.
I've just started feeling hiccups recently, he had them when I was on the monitor yesterday!

[quote FirstSurprise001]**@KitKatKit* I’m glad (in a way!!) that I’m not the only one struggling with week 32. I felt like I’d really got my sh* together and hormones had levelled out and then this week I’m all over the place. Lost track of the amount of times over the last 3 days I’ve sobbed on the sofa. Eyes are more swollen than ever. Peeing every 2 hours in the night, uncomfortable, hormonal and just feel like no one looks after or thinks about me.

I hope week 33 is better 😭[/quote]
Oh @FirstSurprise001 this sounds awful. I'm sorry it's not been great for you either. I felt just like you, like I had everything under control and then suddenly feeling like it's all spiralling. Hope next week is better overall for everyone!

Has anyone found any helpful products to buy for postpartum? I m allergic to lavender so I can't use sprtiz for bits or anything similar to that so it feels like my options are a bit limited.

@1990shopefulftm A couple of bottles of witch hazel are what helped me the most last time - I just put a big glug in the bath to soak and used it to dampen loo roll after having a wee. If you're really sore you can also put it onto maternity pads and pop them in the freezer - I didn't need these but had a couple in the freezer just in case as it sounded a good idea! Basic but works wonders 👍

@Flora20 do you remember where you got the witch hazel from?

@KitKatKit @FirstSurprise001 I cried all the way through week 32! I was an emotional wreck - between totally flat, disengaged, not eating, to full on sobs. My eyes were sore for days!

Week 33 has been much better, I feel pretty good again.

Pregnancy is so strange !

Is anyone else getting to the stage where exercise is a real effort? I'm 33+6 and this week I've had to properly drag myself to the pool / for walks / to my yoga mat.

@1990shopefulftm Boots always has it in, Holland and Barrett, superdrug etc would all have it. You can get witch hazel gel to put on burns etc but you want the liquid. Or there's this on Amazon www.amazon.co.uk/Witch-Hazel-200ml/dp/B001PMNW9S/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=witch+hazel&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1598719652&sr=8-5

@roarfeckingroarr I'm feeling like it's a real drag to do anything too energetic, no way would I make it to a gym but that's standard anyway 😂 My parents in law visited us today and we went for lunch but I came home rather than go for a walk as it felt too much today (32 weeks).