January 2021 mums to be. The one with hospital bags and heartburn!

[Onekidnoclue]

Hello ladies. Bit more space on this thread! X

What's with eating dates I've actually never heard of it enlighten me ?

evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-eating-dates-to-start-labor/

Thank you @LiG123

I'm trying it all on the weeks advised

Raspberry leaf
Dates
Clary sage
Harvesting colostrum

Etc etc

Does anyone know how long it takes to get swab results back?

Had a swab at the weekend due to a suspected infection but still waiting to see if i need antibiotics. Getting a little worried. I'm guessing they will also test for strepb at the same time?

Ring the gp @MeganC104 they will probs have it back by now

Awww, I really wish I liked dates now!
I am drinking Raspberry leaf tea and taking capsules. Not bothering with clary sage this time though.

So I have 40 days left today.
I literally love the smell of clary sage have you used it before with no avail?

I used it in my baths for about 4 weeks but DC2 was still late. I just don't think it did much for me. I definitely think the RLT is causing Braxton hicks. I am being induced at 40 weeks (possibly earlier depending on my next scan) so really hoping I can go into spontaneous labour about 38 weeks but think it's fairly unlikely.

I'm going to keep going with the Raspberry leaf tea and capsules, I'm constantly on my ball, and when I get closer I've told DH we will be having lots of sex!
I will be having sweeps from 38 weeks so I'll just have to hope one of the above works or it's induction number 3 for me!

@Grumpy19 hey, at how many weeks should you start eating dates or drinking the tea?

Just thought of another item for hospital bag.., oilbus oil. I won't be able to do any nice controlled breathing if I'm bunged up which is all the time in winter.

I started drinking one cup and taking one tablet at 32 weeks. I plan to up it to two cups, then two cups and two capsules.
Not sure about dates. That's not one I've tried before.

Got my results back and no infection but now being tested for ICP because of itching.

Good news though. Baby is measuring well with good heartbeat.

I'm on my ball constantly now. I find it more comfortable than a chair. I'll probably try a few things nearer the time to get baby out but really don't fancy sex at all. I'm too uncomfortable 😂

@MeganC104 that's great news and reassuring.

I'm totally laid up with sciatica. Bloody agony and husband has to take to the toilet even.

Hi All - just catching up as I missed the new thread starting! Welcome to all the new folk!

I’m due 22nd Jan with my first - a little boy ☺️

Currently at 32+5 and not started on the raspberry tea or the date eating yet... was thinking that would be in a couple of weeks. Need to double check timings now! Also not packed hospital bags yet, though planning to very soon (my sis ended up with a C-section at 34wks on the dot so I want to be prepared!!)

Anyone else doing the course by the Positive Birth Company? Started going through the videos the other day and finding it really helpful and interesting!

Had my 32wk midwife appointment and all looking good. Next one will be at 36+5 (!!!!) - seems crazy I’ll be practically full term when I next see someone! 😱

I have bought as book on Hypno birthing because couldn't really afford the courses and would prefer to do them in person which doesn't seem to be happening. I'm doing a baby first aid course in 2 weeks.

My results came back clear so I think it's all just hormones. I found a cream that has really helped me control the itching and the rash has already started to clear up. Probably won't be back to normal until after birth but at least I'm not scratching constantly

I have a hypnobirthing track which I listen to every night from the positive birth company (I used it for my last two labours as well)
I don't think I am actually am self- hypnotizing but but it helps me stay calm and breath.

Glad to hear your results were clear @MeganC104.

Great news @MeganC104

Is anyone harvesting colostrum? Think I’m 34 weeks so should work out how to do it soon!

Hi all! Haven't checked in for a while but it's good to see that everyone is getting on OK. Not long to go now - next month, eek!

I'm on a bit of a rollercoaster at the moment. I went in for reduced movements yesterday morning. Heartbeat and movements were OK following monitoring but I got referred for a growth scan as my bump was measuring small. I had the scan in the afternoon, and surprisingly the baby is not small but big - like 97th centile abdominal circumference big. :-/ So I need a GTT test on Monday. I don't have many GD symptoms - I do need to wee a lot and get regular thrush, but those are generic pregnancy symptoms too I believe. I wonder if it's because my DH's family are all quite tall (he's just under 6ft and his mum and sisters are quite tall too, I'm 5'2") so maybe baby is long but squidged up, making her abdomen look bigger. Head and femur measurements are normal.

Also a little worried by the umbilical artery flow measurements they did. Nothing was mentioned in the hospital but I saw them in my notes and having googled (big mistake) one of them is a little concerning. I'm going to ask my midwife if a consultant can take a look.

So all in all I don't really know how to feel. This pregnancy has been so straightforward up to now, but now things don't seem to add up - small bump, big baby, unpredictable pattern of movements, dodgy blood flow... I was quite excited about giving birth but now I'm scared of being induced or needing a C Section because of the size of the baby. And I'm worried about long-term complications because of this blood flow thing. I just want to go back to being excited.

@MissHoney85 don't Google! I have learned this very early on. If there's anything they're actually concerned about they will tell you. Ours had a massive abdominal circumference at 20 weeks and small everywhere else. I stopped myself from googling this. I knew I'd read something horrible and then panic for weeks. It was never an issue and probably why they didn't bring it up at the 20 week scan.

@MeganC104 Yes I'm trying to resist the urge to google anymore! A little knowledge can be a bad thing, as you say it's best just to trust the professionals. It's so tempting though when there's all that information out there.

@SnookyPook we have the same due date :-) I read somewhere (maybe here) that the PBC voiceover woman was irritating and was directed towards Birth Ed (@MeganC104 she has a few free bits on insta if you have it?) and then bought the course in the Black Friday sale. I'm jumping around a bit as I'm having regular monitoring at the moment due to suspected PPROM (losing waters) so want to be armed with the right info about options etc. Fingers crossed if my scan goes well tomorrow I'll be back to normal monitoring when I'll have a 34 week midwife appointment then nothing til 37 weeks probably.

@Onekidnoclue interested in the colostrum harvesting. Last time I was given a tiny syringe and was dripping colostrum in v slowly after baby born as it took ages to come in - maybe due to planned c section. I was crying so hard I couldn't see my nipple. I was told it can stimulate labour though, or is that the point?

@MissHoney85 echo what's been said about trying not to google, though I'm a total hypocrite after a rollercoaster of my own this last couple of weeks. If it helps though, we've discussed our previous experience of c sections a little further back on the thread. I didn't want one - sounds like you don't either - but it was a positive experience in the end so that whilst I will try for vbac this time I'm pretty relaxed if that can't happen. Hope your next scan/meeting puts your mind at ease x

Thanks @pigletpie2177. It's always good to read some positive experiences. I've always thought I'm pretty open minded about birth - I've watched enough One Born Every Minute and known enough birth stories through friends / family to know that things don't always (or even rarely do) go according to plan and you just need to go with what's best in the moment. But having done NCT now I have to admit I'm a little sad at the thought of potentially not having that experience of labour coming on naturally, and worried about he complication / recovery implications of having medical interventions. Oh well, the most important thing is to get baby out safely.

@Onekidnoclue me and I am very pro harvesting colostrum. You have a few weeks yet as you start at 37 weeks