December babies 2021! Thread 4

[Scarletpig1]

Seems thread 3 is shut. Not sure if I'm doing this right as never started a thread
@climbershell
@moo37

Hi all! I’ve been lurking for ages anxiously waiting this weeks 12 week scan. All went well, due date 4 Dec and had the Harmony Test also so found out we are having our (third!) girl! My poor husband ha. Messaging today to see if anyone has had any experiences with contracting Covid while pregnant and how you got through it and any reassurances that the baby won’t be affected as I’m feeling quite anxious - I had a positive lateral flow test this morning and just waiting on the proper test results. Hoping it’s a false positive but I haven’t been feeling great the last few days.

@XandraB pregnant women are no more likely to have anything but mild covid symptoms until week 28, so I wouldn't worry 🙃

Hey everyone, I haven’t been on here for a few day’s so I’ve just been catching up.

I had a scan today and both babies are still in there measuring 10+2 and 9+6. It was lovely to see them wriggling around and such a huge relief as I’ve been so worried, though I’m still worried. I can’t really see myself settling into this pregnancy and really believing it until I get passed the point I lost my son which was at 18 weeks. I know I’ll probably feel a bit better once I can feel them moving about, but if I’m truly honest with myself I don’t think I’ll ever stop worrying about this pregnancy.

Next scan is my dating scan which is the 11th June, so two weeks to wait and I know I’ll be having another scan at coming up to or around 16 weeks to check my cervix. Just hope these little beans keep on hanging in there.

Symptoms have been going strong this last week or so, I find my sickness is worse in the evening when I’m tired. My belly is definitely growing, and due to the bloat my bump looks huge in the evenings but always back to small bump again by the morning.

@Horehound Haha that gives me the absolute fear! I’d like as few people as possible in there while that’s all happening. It’s not a family outing, absolutely not!
I saw OBEM recently and the woman’s teenage daughter was there throughout all the pushing, groaning, blood, mucus...not for me!

I had a private scan today at 10 weeks. Baby was really good, and they gave us videos of heartbeat and got a lovely one of the baby loving their legs and head. Even though it's only around 3cm. Was such a relief and worth it.

Thanks @climbershell and congrats @Lillygolightly and @HPmagic on the happy news from your scans x

Hi ladies,

I don't know what to do. I'm 13 weeks tomorrow. Scan on Monday everything looked good. This is my 2nd pregnancy. Never had any spotting or bleeding before but just gone to toilet and there was a small bit of blood in my underwear. I'm worrying and don't know what I should do or if I should do anything? X

@May2311 Give the EPU a call and get their advice. Always better to be safe with any new symptoms like bleeding. It’ll probably be nothing but might give you peace of mind, especially since we’re heading into a bank holiday weekend.

@TreeRoad thanks for your response. Ive been checked over and I have water infection. So relieved & hoping antibiotics kick in quickly. It's as soon as you see the spotting or bleeding you just go to the worse scenario. Hopefully my DD will let me have a little lie in tomorrow as just getting to bed now! X

@May2311 Ah that’ll be a relief for you! I know exactly what you mean. I haven’t had to deal with any of that but I’d be the same - always worst case scenario.
Best of luck with that long lie 😆

Glad everything is ok May231 and hope you got your lie in.

My due date is 23rd December and I'd definitely try and book for induction on 22nd or 23rd, really don't want a Christmas day baby! Obviously it's a blessing to be pregnant and if it happens it happens but I'd love to avoid it.

I'm 10+3 today and had been feeling better but the last few days I've felt so rough.

@Kinsters I thought they won't induce you until you're at least several days past your due date, unless the baby is particularly large?

I've also read being induced is pretty horrible compared to not and some people still take 48hrs to give birth after being induced.

Also lots of horror stories with epidurals and long term / permanent back pain & sometimes failed epidurals or the needles falling out multiple times, so that scares me too and no idea what pain relief to go for!

I'm a FTM tho, so just going by what I've read.

climbershell I'm not sure, something to ask at my next appointment. I don't live in the UK and birth is a lot more medicalised here. I'm hoping either baby is early or I'm like with my daughter and already kinda dilated at 40 weeks so an induction would be more likely to work (I think they can tell by feeling your cervix how likely it is to be successful).

For pain relief it's epidural all the way for me! I tried without and idk, for me the epidural worked great and didn't make any difference to how I laboured as I was in bed with continuous monitoring due to meconium. I'd definitely get it again.

Re pain relief though I also found gas and air really good. I think if I'd had more support during transition and was able to move around more then gas and air might have been enough.

@climbershell Yeah you’re right. Sometimes induction can slow down labour and people can be going for >24 hours, exhausted, making very little progress. Painkillers can slow things down too.

Equally, some people have a great labour and birth with all the painkillers and an epidural. It’s so varied.

I think I’ll take it as it comes, I’m a FTM too, so will have nothing to compare it to. They say it’s very important that the Mum remains calm and relaxed (easy eh?) so sometimes more pain relief or an epidural will relax you, making the whole thing better.

I’m really keen to avoid a section, if possible, but you know what they say about best laid plans...

@climbershell I was induced at 37 weeks with DD. Was in for a week and nothing happened, ended up with a c section at 38 weeks.
I had polyhydramnios so was absolutely huge and ended up crying at my consultant and he just booked me in. So you can ask, just they would prefer if you go naturally if you can.

Oh that must have been tiring Em39ma. With my daughter I booked an induction for 41 weeks in case I hadn't given birth by then and when I booked it for the Friday the Dr seemed very sure baby would be out by the evening. I think it's so medicalised here they just go straight for the drip and then c section of it's not working..

I had an induction with my youngest who is now 3. Induction was started at 38 weeks and I had x3 lots of pessary which didn’t get things going. I ended up having the drip which really did kick things off and painfully so. Induction contractions are much more intense than the contractions I’d had with my two previous births. That said I still managed without an epidural, and I usually find gas and air very effective but for my induction birth I ended up having morphine too. Overall it really wasn’t too bad, nothing like as good and as calm as my water birth, but it really wasn’t the worst either.

These babies if they hang on in there will be a C-Section birth, I’m really quiet worried about it, but it’s a long way off yet so I’m trying not to think about that yet.

From experience with my DD and from what I've read I think pain relief is probably quite a personal choice PLUS dependant on how the labour/birth goes. The one thing I'm sure of is regardless of what you think your preference is, you still need to go into it with an open mind as you don't know how things will plan out/what will be on offer( sometimes some medications aren't available). As long as baby/babies arrive healthy/safely that's the main thing.

I'm feeling a lot better today apart from drinking loads so needing to go even more than usual!! DD did let me have a sleep in and we have had a nice relaxing day so far. Fingers crossed for no more bleeding. X

@WildflowerPetals

Hi all, hope you don’t mind me joining 😊 Going by LMP I’m due 11th Dec (my birthday!) but had an early scan at 8 wks and was measuring 7 (I ovulate late so it’s not a concern and there was a heartbeat) so from that I’m due 18th Dec - but for ease I’m going by LMP for now. I’ve got my 12 wk scan next Tuesday (1st June). I’m nervous as I had a MMC in April last year and it’s taken DH and I almost a full year to conceive. Almost immediately after my early scan all my symptoms pretty much disappeared and haven’t really returned so that’s making me a little more nervous, but last pregnancy I had symptoms up until my 12 wk scan and found out baby had stopped developing around 7 wks so I guess symptoms don’t really mean much with regards to baby’s health! Anyway, just wanted to say hi and have a bit of company while I wait for my scan day to come round x

I also have my scan on 1st June. I don't know my exact conception date due to miscarriage so it's been a bit of a guess. I thought I was around 9 weeks at a private scan but was 7+5 following measurements so my due date changed from 10th to 20th December. In fairness baby was a tiny bean so I think it's difficult at that stage to measure accurately.

Hopefully 1st June will shed some light for me.

I've never had a baby so this may be totally misplaced but... I am WAY more terrified of epidurals than the pain of childbirth. Something going wrong with it... and not being able to move around... and a catheter (I am really sensitive to UTIs)...

I am on the 'never say never' and 'don't plan too much' team. But beforehand. .. yeah epidural is a huge no currently.

Wish there were more options for pain relief though! I'd take pretty much anything else they can offer.

@AnonymousXXIX I get uti’s and didn’t have a problem with the catheter. In fact I loved it, I’d been having too wee every 20 minutes for the last 4 months of my pregnancy, so not having to get up for that was amazing.
I had no problems with my epidural either, never felt them do it and by the next morning was up and having a shower with help.
What I would say is ask for help if you are not happy doing things on your own. I did and I think that’s why I had a better experience than others.

@AnonymousXXIX I'm with you regarding the catheter and fear of epidural. I had a catheter in for surgery years ago and the aftermath of UTIs was horrific.
I'm the same, it's a no to an epidural for me at the moment, but then again I'm a FTM so that may change.
My friend just told me a horror story about accidentally releasing her bowels after an epidural and it's filled me with fear 😳

Epidural was a no from me for various reasons before dc1. After 28 hours in labour and being completely exhausted when the midwife said she'd be back to check me in two hours I decided it was time to cave. No regrets other than I should have done it sooner. No way could I have coped the remaining hours on gas and air alone. Obviously there are options in between but I didn't want those options for other reasons.

Anyway, you have no way of knowing how a labour will go so I think have a plan but don't beat yourself if it gets thrown out the window.

I tried for a homebirth with just gas and air with my first. After 48 hours and ran out of gas and air I asked to go to hospital and demanded an epidural asap. It was fantastic but i was numbed too high up my body so they had to counteract it and after that, o started feeling all contractions again so went back to gas and air

Honestly, epidural was sooo good. I'd deffo have it again. When you go through childbirth you will not give a shit about the risks because anything will be better than the pain of contractions