Due May 2022 (thread 4)

[Bubbasmama2017]

Hi all I hope I've done this right.

@fejkalove just catching up I haven't noticed anything on my notes although my BMI is in over weight category too which was brought up by the midwife but they haven't seemed too concerned at scans. Let us know how you get on! I've got a growth scan on Monday as seeing a consultant so maybe they'll mention it to me then as well.

@luckygreenduck I've had morning sickness again too, when I first got covid last week my taste and smell went and the sickness seemed to go too but it's back with a vengeance the last couple of days!
Also been incredibly tired which I put down to covid but I think is just pregnancy!

@aNewYorkerInLondon - I'm sorry to hear your experience and results. I think you're right to complain; where I am, you have to sit in a chair for 2.5 hours for the test, no moving. You're not allowed to go to the toilet, or even stand up to stretch. I'm really surprised they've had you doing so much during your test time. Perhaps they can administer the test again; at least then you know for sure the diet and misery will be worth it.

Thanks @RosettaTheGardenFairy and @GinnyBee. It helps to have ladies who understand when I feel a bit piled onto.

30g per meal is more than I'm expecting, but that would at least get rid of the queasy feeling I get when on a truly low carb diet. I hope that's true!

It's possible to eat lower GI carbs when you have GD, you just need to pair them with higher fat or protein foods to slow down the absorption of the carbs and avoid a blood sugar spike.

I'm sure they weren't trying to cause you stress with the appointments, I'm sure some ladies complain at having to come back for a separate appointment, they were probably just trying to be efficient.

The risk of complications is slightly higher with GD but you will be offered more monitoring and more chances to keep an eye on your baby. Hopefully you'll be able to control the diabetes with diet alone and you won't need medication.
It's worth joining the gestational diabetes UK group on Facebook, loads of great tips there!

Hey ladies, I just bought a nightie to give birth in as I realised I don't own one. Got a lovely one from Marks and Spencer that unbuttons all way for easy access afterward for skin to skin. Just wondered do I pack it in hospital bag or put it on before when contractions are telling me it's hospital time. Probably a silly question. Also what's your positions on nightlights wondering whether I should buy one for our room so when he needs feeding in middle of night I can see what I am doing and not poke him in the eye 😂 x

@Kittycaz hmm tricky one about the nightie. I'd maybe put it as a "pack the day of" if you're not wearing it already when you go to hospital. I have heard lots of women don't really notice what they are wearing once they are in the throes of labour so if you really want to wear it I'd probably put it on before you go to hospital!

And I've heard that a nightlight is an essential so I am planning to get one!

I had my GTT today... 5 vials of blood taken in total and was starving by the time it got to 11:45am when I could finally eat! Just hoping it comes back ok now esp as they only offered it to me because I was worried and am not actually a risk factor group. Would be ironic! Think they thought I was a bit odd to ask for it in the first place! @aNewYorkerInLondon sorry about your diagnosis x

@aNewYorkerInLondon I'm sorry about what you had to go through. I completely understand the need to rant sometimes. It really does seem every area of the country is different in how they treat us all and all our appointments! I was told at my GTT that I could go and wait in my car or could drive home for 2 hours between appointments but I was to sit and do as little as possible as even doing a bit of washing up could change results so I decided just to wait in my car. I knew that even walking up some stairs felt like exercise at the time! I hope they will redo the test for you but if not, I really hope the recommended food isn't as bad as a normal diet feels.

I have been feeling a lot more breathless more easily this last week or so. I am now 30 + 2. Also waking up at least twice in the night to go to the toilet which is making me very groggy during the day as I like to get up with the hubby to have breakfast despite me now being on maternity

Thanks so much, @EastMidsGem. It is strange how different the advice/practices can be.

@Sarah239 Don't feel weird about asking for it. Many women get it without any risk factors, and some countries screen for it routinely for everyone, not just risk groups. I actually find it a bit odd that it isn't offered to everyone here in the UK.

I have my rescheduled consultant appointment late morning today! Hope she's actually there this time 🙄 If I waste another three hours and get nowhere there will be a tantrum!

I am into my third trimester as of today! Bracing myself for things to start to get more uncomfortable and difficult from here on in.

Good morning
I'm now on steroids and some other concoction of tablets - 9 a day! I'm just not used to taking meds unless one off illness. I've also got my head around them planning to take her early and come to accept it as the safest thing for her. So this time next week I'll be able to say my babies coming next month absolutely unreal.
I hope everyone is feeling ok I'm so tired and have a headache last night was just pure broken sleep and belly jabs xxx

@YummyMummyXoX, I hope you can get some good rest today! Things certainly seem to be getting very "real." I hope that the tablet concoction helps you to feel better, as well as helping baby. I think there will be several of us May mums who end up with April babes. Thinking of you today!!

@aNewYorkerInLondon I know it's crazy isn't it. At least we can be around for each other not so long til we get to hold our bundles - I've had a few dreams about her - God roll on sat for HD scan hehe x

Welp, didn't waste too much time as needed to have my 28 week checks done anyway, but the consultant again wasn't there so after the routine checks I was then told to just go home, no point seeing the registrar who was filling in. And I got a new appointment for next week, which is a great improvement from the 5-week wait I had between today and the previous failed appointment. And instructed to call them in the morning to check she's actually there before going in.

On other news, I don't have GD, my bump is measuring exactly right, heartbeat was perfect. Little dude is head down, bum against my right side and feet kicking against my diaphragm. I feel like I can't breathe today!

I can't believe how much you're trouble you're having seeing that consultant @GinnyBee!

I had my 28/29 week appointment with the community midwife today - I usually feel really underwhelmed by these appointments, but she was lovely. I told her I was feeling tired again and needing naps again during the day (anything from 1 to 3 hours ATM 🤦🏼‍♀️) - I think it's just a perfect storm of not sleeping well cause I'm uncomfortable, needing the loo, DH's snoring being particularly bad, and staying up til late. My bloods are fine, but she's told me to go back on the iron tablets, every other day and see if that makes a difference.

She also didn't measure my bump, but did check the position of the baby. Apparently they were low down in the pelvis and to the right, and weren't happy about being prodded 😂

@YfenniChristie I know, it's crazy. How can she just never turn up? The appointment was originally booked for 6th January but I got a call a week or so before to reschedule because she wasn't going to be in and I needed to see the consultant and not someone filling in, and then the rescheduled appointment was 20th January when we found out after waiting for nearly 2 hours that she wasn't in and I got a new appointment which was today, and again she wasn't there!

On the iron, have you had your ferritin levels tested? That can be low even if your hb is fine, and would cause symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia. It's not checked routinely, you'll need to ask for it and I don't know if midwives can request it, but I've had it done quite easily through my GP before.

@GinnyBee I can't believe you've been waiting this long and still haven't seen them. And there's no way you see someone else?

I don't think they've tested my ferritin levels. Apparently my iron levels look great, but the midwife today said it could be that my reserves are low (??). She's booked me to see her again in two weeks and if I'm still tired then after taking the iron tablets, then they'll test my bloods further.

Yeah, ferritin is the reserves :) Ideally should be close to 100 in pregnancy, and I know people who have levels of less than 10 so practically empty with haemoglobin still in normal ranges.

@aNewYorkerInLondon I think my LO is gonna be in April baby especially with the growth scan showing baby being a week ahead. I'm so excited to hold him. I saw a newborn yesterday while shopping being hugged by I assume babies dad and god the LO was so so tiny.
I've got my breast feeding class Monday excited for that and been ordering nursing tops online to easily feed my boy when we go for walks or when I introduce him to his nana. Hope all you mums have an amazing day x

I'm excited anyone that has baby in April it's my birthday so it'll just make me super happier all these new babies arriving x

@Kittycaz, it is exciting to think how close we all are! My consultant today said that early delivery is likely due to blood pressure, so my fingers are crossed that it won't be too early. I'd like to get past 38 weeks.

On the upside, now that I have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I'm seen only by the GD midwives and consultants going forward, and they seem, so far, to be rather more compassionate than the regular team.

@aNewYorkerinLondon sorry that you have GD too. I had a midwife appointment during my GDD wait too, but it worked out OK for me as I was just giving medical history and it meant I could leave earlier (rather than having to see the midwife afterwards).

I've tried low carb diets before and I don't like them, but monitoring my glucose levels has helped as I've been able to see that I can manage with a certain amount/type of carbs, so I'm not eliminating them completely. I've never got on with things like spiralized veg, it's too much of a faff to prep and no one in the family will eat it, but I've been having small amounts of brown rice/pasta instead and that doesn't seem to trigger a spike for me.

I was told I have low iron so have been on ferrous fumarate tablets. It's definitely made a difference to my energy levels, I was taking naps in the day before.

So lovely to hear about everyone's 4D scans! I've been able to pencil in a date of 27 April for my c-section, although it's not confirmed. But it's likely to be an April baby rather than May (due date is 4 May and previous babies have arrived earlier, so I don't want to leave it too close).

Hello all, I have been lurking for a little while but thought I would say hi now 👋.

This is my third so I’ve been flat out with work and my older two but I’ve been moved to working from home from 28 weeks which is much easier on the energy levels as my job doesn’t really exist at home!

The 4d scans are so lovely! Even baby grows make me feel a bit mushy now so pictures of actual squishy babies are lovely to see- thank you for posting them.

Sorry to hear about everyone’s trials with their antenatal care. This is definitely a good place to rant as sometimes it does help just to moan that it’s not fair- I often come round to thinking it’s not actually that bad when I’ve had a little uuurrrgggffff time.

My thoughts (for what they’re worth from some random woman on the internet) are

@Kittycaz- I’d pack the nightie in the bag. I had an overwhelming desire to take all of my clothes off when actually labouring. I’ve seen a fair few women labour and was always mildly surprised about the amount of complete nakedness right up until I laboured myself and then totally got it! Plus it’d get manky. It’s much nicer to be able to have a quick wash and put on a new clean nightie and have newborn snuggles after you’ve got your breath.

I also say yes to either a nightlight or a small low watt lamp. Breastfeeding is a skill that requires a bit of work to start with which is much easier when you can see what you’re doing and bottle feeding you’ve not got the proprioception helping you out so either way a bit of light helps!

@aNewYorkerInLondon forgive the judgement but you sound a bit of an all or nothing kind of personality? As you’re only a bit over the GD threshold, you could try doing the GD diet ‘a bit’ too and find a balance between happy mummy and your blood sugar level?

I am the hell not doing this again so although I’m fat and tired and achy I’m trying to remember to enjoy it and in 2 months I’m never going to be pregnant ever again in my life so make the most of the wriggles and nesting…

Good luck all

This may sound like a strange one all, but on general conversation today with one of my friends, she told me that you aren't supposed to use TGel shampoo whilst pregnant. I checked the box when I got home and it does say not to use when pregnant or breastfeeding. I've been using it about 2-3 times a week since well before I was pregnant. I don't want to ring community midwives about it because I haven't been having any problems that I know of but wondered what you all thought. Obviously will raise it on my next appointment and am going to stop using it straight away

@EastMidsGem it's the coal tar in it that could affect pregnant women but mainly in 1st trimester so I wouldn't be to worried but might be a good idea to stop using it and bring it up with your midwife for peace of mind. X

I've been looking at playmats for tummy time. Has anyone got one yet or is it something I should get when little one is born x

So lovely to see baby today 💕 she's approximately 2lb 2oz have a nhs scan 22nd March so will leave her in peace til then lol
Hope everyone's having a good weekend and relaxing whatever your up to x