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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

A plea if you’re going in for checks, pleeeease do a lateral flow test ladies!

84 replies

Bellyrumble · 31/08/2021 17:34

Hi ladies, I hope anyone reading this is well and pregnancy going okay!

I was in maternity assessment on Friday at 36weeks. High BP, protein, swelling. Fortunately now on close monitoring for PE and so far going ok with BP medication.

Sadly someone on the ward tested positive for covid when I was in- meaning my husband and I are now classed as close contacts and have to isolate for 10 days.
It means if I happen to go into labour or need to be induced during that time he can’t be present.

We’re not quite old enough yet to be double jabbed and use that exemption, his second jab isn’t until next week. It’s just bad timing.

This is a plea to anyone going in to a ward for routine checks/ assessment where not a complete 999 emergency.

please please please do a lateral flow test first if you can. I know they aren’t 100% accurate but I’m so scared right now of going into labour or being induced and my husband being unable to be there because the only place we have been since 28 weeks (the hospital) we have been exposed to covid.

It’s a risk we took on Friday with him coming in with me and it’s a risk we won’t take again but I thought I’d highlight the situation as quite naively I hadn’t considered this could happen to us.

I’m also now (rightly so) being separated from others in hospital at all these appointments I have to go to, just incase I’ve caught it, I’m basically being treated as if I’m covid positive just incase. This reduces the risk to anyone else on the ward whilst I’m in, but I will continue to do lateral flow tests to ensure I’m doing my bit to protect others from possible isolation where a situation like mine might have been avoided if the person had done a LFT before going in.

I hope I don’t offend anyone here but I just wanted to highlight what can happen to other mums to be if we accidentally come into contact with them and are carrying covid

OP posts:
Original poster
Bellyrumble · 31/08/2021 19:12

@IWasBornInAThunderstorm sadly not :( I asked that the other day and they’ve said absolutely not allowed in during his self isolation period, as he’s now a close contact.

Hopefully all will be fine I still have a few weeks to go and no sign of induction thankfully :)

I just don’t want anyone else having this stress if it can be helped 🤞🤞

OP posts:
FTEngineerM · 31/08/2021 19:12

I get the panic, I just actually caught covid and I’m 38+3, luckily he stayed put throughout my isolation which ended on Sunday 🥺🥲.

I cannot tell you the relief.

It’s quite unlikely you’ll go into labour at the moment, be reassured by that at least.

EarringsandLipstick · 31/08/2021 19:14

I personally don’t want to be jabbed in pregnancy and I accept that is my own choice to take the risk

Seriously? And then you come on here with 'please please please' do an LFT. Understand at least that it's not just risk for you, but others around you.

SillyBry · 31/08/2021 19:15

@Bellyrumble it’s so frustrating when rules are in place to try and minimise risk for everyone and people still can’t follow them.
Lateral flow tests aren’t pleasant, but it’s over in seconds and is a quick rule in/out to save this happening.
The thought of having to labour alone is awful - I had to go through bad news and surgery last year with no one allowed in with me and it was crap. At that time, you want someone to do the thinking for you and just help you out.
I feel so lucky to be due now rather than in the midst of lockdown last year as rules are a lot looser in terms of birthing partners, visiting hours etc, but it’s still a risk and a worry.

I’ve not been super strict - still going to shops and seeing friends, but wearing a mask and not doing anything i think will be really busy/risky… but it feels like it could get us at any time!

JudgyJudge · 31/08/2021 19:19

I don’t get why your DH can’t be with you?? I was Covid + when I actually gave birth and DH was with me the whole time?

Who has told you that your DH can’t be with you? Is this different across the country?

IWasBornInAThunderstorm · 31/08/2021 19:20

@JudgyJudge

I don’t get why your DH can’t be with you?? I was Covid + when I actually gave birth and DH was with me the whole time?

Who has told you that your DH can’t be with you? Is this different across the country?

Yes I'd just clarify this just incase (unless you have already). It might depend where you are.
Original poster
Bellyrumble · 31/08/2021 19:21

@SmidgenofaPigeon I’m also 28 so same as husband. If I’d chosen to be vaxxed would have booked same time as him so also wouldn’t have been able to be double vaxxed until this Saturday, simply down to availability of appointments in our area unfortunately

People criticising me for not being vaccinated, I still wouldn’t be double jabbed until this weekend (4th) if I’d chosen to have it. I accept there’s debate over my decision not to have the vaccine but that wouldn’t have affected the situation we are in anyway, which might have been avoided by people doing LFTs

OP posts:
worrybutterfly · 31/08/2021 19:22

@JudgyJudge

I don’t get why your DH can’t be with you?? I was Covid + when I actually gave birth and DH was with me the whole time?

Who has told you that your DH can’t be with you? Is this different across the country?

In my trust your birth partner can't have been told to isolate by test and trace.

We aren't in a high case rate area, but our maternity restrictions are still extremely strict. They still can't stay past the 'golden hour' and instead get give a single visiting slot each day (time non-negotiable).

Patapouf · 31/08/2021 19:23

Well if you are going to refuse the vaccine this is what you can expect 🤷🏻‍♀️

All patients and partners have to show negative LFTs to even be admitted into the maternity zone at our local hospital.

SmidgenofaPigeon · 31/08/2021 19:29

Incredibly young to have been through fertility treatment, from age 26?

Most hospitals have had had vaccine pop-ups, so you don’t have to anything booked- most of them have seen the awful potential risks of being unvaccinated in late pregnancy.

Original poster
Bellyrumble · 31/08/2021 19:29

@worrybutterfly @JudgyJudge

it’s the same here- because he’s a close contact of whoever tested positive on Friday, at the moment he’s not allowed to be in with me as he’s in a period of self isolation as he is a close contact. I understand why as it reduces risk of anyone else getting it if he’s carrying it

@Patapouf this situation hasn’t arisen because I chose not to have the vaccine. It arose because someone went onto the ward covid positive and my husband is classed as a close contact of them because he was sat with me on the ward. If you read up thread he has had one vaccine but not quite the second as it was booked for this Saturday. Me having a vaccine wouldn’t have made a difference to this situation

OP posts:
Original poster
Bellyrumble · 31/08/2021 19:31

@SmidgenofaPigeon sadly yes, pcos, endometriosis and adenomyosis all combined together. Ovarian drilling surgery did the trick in the end thank goodness and we are so grateful.

OP posts:
worrybutterfly · 31/08/2021 19:33

I'm surprised your trust aren't testing women as they go onto the ward. Ours you get a cubical/room and they test you before you go anywhere else.

Either way in this scenario someone potentially ends up birthing alone. With the LTFs your non-symptomatic partner (double vaccinated) does one before you go in and it's positive then they can't be with you for labour. So I can see why people are reluctant, it's my worse nightmare that despite me and DH being double vaccinated one of us will test positive on the LTF and I'll have to birth alone.

That said, we both religiously test twice weekly, and if one of those comes back positive then I'll have the time to arrange an alternative birthing partner.

MiddleParking · 31/08/2021 19:34

[quote Bellyrumble]@SmidgenofaPigeon I’m also 28 so same as husband. If I’d chosen to be vaxxed would have booked same time as him so also wouldn’t have been able to be double vaxxed until this Saturday, simply down to availability of appointments in our area unfortunately

People criticising me for not being vaccinated, I still wouldn’t be double jabbed until this weekend (4th) if I’d chosen to have it. I accept there’s debate over my decision not to have the vaccine but that wouldn’t have affected the situation we are in anyway, which might have been avoided by people doing LFTs[/quote]
It might have avoided the situation you could put someone else in around the time of your due date, when you’re extremely likely to be going into hospital. It’s pretty daft to be publicly pleading with other people to take relatively ineffective measures to limit the spread of Covid when you yourself have declined to take the most effective available measure for no good reason. Anyway, when you got pregnant there was no indication that fully vaccinated close contacts wouldn’t have to isolate - it was a risk we all chose to take getting pregnant around that time.

Dogoodfeelgood · 31/08/2021 19:39

LFTs are great but I have deep suspicions in how inaccurate they are at catching covid cases, especially in vaccinated people with low viral loads. You could definitely test negative in an LFT and have Covid. Just saying people shouldn’t rely too heavily on a negative LFT result and should still be masked around vulnerable people. I hope you make it through your isolation period before you have to give birth OP! I’m sure you will xx

FTEngineerM · 31/08/2021 19:41

Don’t get the unvaxxed pile on, I’d had one and was awaiting my second vaccine and still caught it.. it doesn’t stop you catching itConfused

IWasBornInAThunderstorm · 31/08/2021 19:44

[quote Bellyrumble]@SmidgenofaPigeon sadly yes, pcos, endometriosis and adenomyosis all combined together. Ovarian drilling surgery did the trick in the end thank goodness and we are so grateful.[/quote]
Completely understand why you didn't want to be vaccinated, you've been through a lot to get where you are. There are so many people saying its affected their periods so I think I'd be reluctant in your circumstances too. There are other people that just don't want it and have no other reason than they don't want it.

IWasBornInAThunderstorm · 31/08/2021 19:45

And I'm not an antivaxxer. Just appreciate it's a tricky choice.

Patapouf · 31/08/2021 19:45

@FTEngineerM

Don’t get the unvaxxed pile on, I’d had one and was awaiting my second vaccine and still caught it.. it doesn’t stop you catching itConfused
Probably because you need both doses to dramatically reduce your chances of catching and spreading it 🙄🙄🙄

It's relevant because the current rules relate to self isolation being applicable to those not fully vaccinated.

MiddleParking · 31/08/2021 19:46

@FTEngineerM

Don’t get the unvaxxed pile on, I’d had one and was awaiting my second vaccine and still caught it.. it doesn’t stop you catching itConfused
It makes both catching it and passing it on less likely, as well as significantly reducing your likelihood of becoming very ill with Covid (which is higher in pregnancy). All of which are helpful to other people as well as yourself.
Reallyreallyborednow · 31/08/2021 19:48

Don’t get the unvaxxed pile on, I’d had one and was awaiting my second vaccine and still caught it.. it doesn’t stop you catching it

No. My point was the o/p tried to claim they both were “too young” to be double jabbed, when that’s not the case at all.

She has chosen not to have it, her dp had one but for some reason hasn’t had the second- only now is he going to a walk in for the second.

So not about age at all.

JudgyJudge · 31/08/2021 19:48

How naive of me Shock we just stuck to one room. I had an ELCS and they cleared all the corridors and wheeled me down with DH in tow.

I assume once your DH has his vaccine on 4th September he won’t have to isolate anymore making the issue a moot point? Good luck Bellyrumble

PurpleDaisies · 31/08/2021 19:49

It’s quite surprising that a twenty five year old has wanted to be double vaccinated but hasn’t been able to until now.

Alwaysad45 · 31/08/2021 19:50

@FTEngineerM certain posters on this thread are clearly just piling on for the fun of it. OP has a VALID reason as to why she isnt having the vaccine and I'm sorry doctors that know her medical notes are more equipped to tell her what is and what isnt right for her in terms of the vaccine not bloody random people that think they know it all. As you said the vaccine doesnt stop people from catching it. Some posters on here should really be ashamed of the crap they are saying. Especially the ones that are pregnant themselves.

Imgladyoulikedit · 31/08/2021 19:53

I think you need to get your head out of your arsehole if I'm honest.
You have decided not to get vaccinated and accepting the risk is accepting that you'll need to isolate if a contact etc.

You're 28 so I'm not buying the "even if I wanted it i wouldn't be double jabbed by now" but that is just my opinion.
You don't get to plead with others to take tests to stop you from having to isolate.