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!

@Kittycaz thanks for posting that breastfeeding info, very useful!

I have a Tommy tippee nappy bin with the capsules, it was £17ish on Amazon. I haven’t bought any actual nappies yet but my mum has a Costco membership so she’s going to get a load of Pampers from there.

My hospital isn’t doing tours because of Covid but there are video tours of the midwife-led birthing centre on the website, it would be useful to have the same of the labour ward though.

@TashieWoo I was looking at that pedal bin the tommee tippee twist one it's on offer in boots. Is it quite big or is it small enough that I can keep it in bathroom.
I didn't even think about that they may not allow ward tour. I'll ask midwife Tuesday anyway I wouldn't mind a virtual one. Just don't fancy wandering around hospital while in labour looking for where am supposed to go.

Found laleche really useful when starting out breastfeeding DC1 www.laleche.org.uk/get-support/

As for clothing, the general rule of thumb is to put baby in 1 more layer than you are wearing yourself

Yes, this keeps coming up, but I still don't find it very helpful 🙈 who is the 'you' in this? Always mum? Sometimes dad? My husband runs hot and I'm always cold, I often have not just one but two extra layers on compared to him, so depending on who would dress the baby he would end up in very different set of clothes! 😅

@Kittycaz I got the tommee tippee twist and click one. I'll take a photo against something for size reference (I got it as a free gift with 1 refill on Amazon when I spent over £20 from my baby wish list). I would say looking at the size of the box, it could definitely go in the bathroom though.

This is it on a standard dining chair so you can see the size x

@EastMidsGem thanks. It's bigger than I expected it to be but should still fit in my bathroom x

This is going to sound super ungrateful so I would only say it here 🤣. My family have given me so much second hand things for the baby. It is lovely but I am now at the point where I feel nothing will be new and I get so much push back if I say no!
In general I love reusing things but it's got to the point where I literally haven't been able to pick anything. Money isn't a big issue for us but every time I try to politely say no everyone jumps in saying it's a waste to buy it new when these ones are fine. I think I might be just be hormonal but trying to put my foot down and say I want to pick out at least a few baby grows for my new baby!
Am I been a diva/ spoilt brat?

@Luckygreenduck I don't think you're being a diva or spoilt brat. I completely get it. We haven't been given that many things yet although I know as soon as the baby is here, we'll get a crazy amount of things from our families as we're close to them both. But you're still entitled to get things yourself. I think sometimes it's better to just accept things and then you can always sell them/give them away once the baby is slightly bigger. One of my friends really pestered me for what I wanted for the baby as gifts because she wanted to get something useful so I said baby blankets and muslins... I've since been given loooaaads of baby blankets, both new and used and new muslins. So I think it's a bit of a lose lose situation sometimes!

@Luckygreenduck you are defo not acting spoilt end of day it's your baby you as the mother have a right to dress your LO in whatever you would like. I understand with the baby grows thing we got loads to from people who have had babies and are like "it's not even been worn I brought it and my little one never got chance to wear it" which is nice but not to me nor my husbands taste so we wouldn't dress them in it. Some items have been useful like a snuggle baby bath one of our friends got as a baby shower gift but never used so we took that but when it comes to clothes you really want that experience of buying something you like for your baby. I've loved buying baby clothes (although I go over board)
Is anyone packing wipes or cotton wool in your hospital bag for changing LO at hospital? I've heard different things that u can't use wipes on newborn skin or that u can use wipes as long as they are gentle formula ones. X

@Luckygreenduck That's not at all unreasonable. It's completely normal to want to choose things for your baby. And as much as people are trying to be helpful and nice by donating stuff, they're really taking it a step too far for getting insistent you accept everything and making you feel bad for trying to turn it down. Go and buy cute clothes, and donate the ones you like the least to a charity shop!

@Kittycaz I have wipes on my packing list, I'd not heard you're not meant to use them! I've got my list off various ones I've found online, so they must have been included in some of them. But I'll probably ask at our NCT classes when they start, I'm sure they have some good advice for what to take.

I have a growth scan later today as we're in the 10th centile, it wasn't booked until I saw my consultant who said she likes to do a bit extra every time, the midwife who measured my bump said it's exactly where it should be. So it doesn't really worry me, and my EDD was adjusted to be 5 days earlier at the dating scan, which isn't really possible going by my ovulation date (which I tested) so I'm assuming he was just growing fast at the start and is now averaging back to "actual" size maybe? Although slowing down might not be a good sign? We will see later. He's moving fine.

@GinnyBee yeah I originally read it in a leaflet that for first few weeks should be wet cotton wool. But I know allot of people who use wipes am bringing it up with my midwife tomorrow. Good luck today x

Cotton wool and water is best for at least the first week. We started on wet wipes around 2 weeks and have now switched to washable & reusable cheeky wipes which knacker the environment much less. Going to make the switch to reusable/washable nappies when at home now too!

Yes I'm planning to use reusables too, but starting with disposables for the first few weeks. I want to get comfortable with the idea that I have a frickin baby to look after before switching from the easy option to the environmentally friendly 😅

I have heard different things about using wipes on newborns. Some places have said water wipes are ok from newborn. I imagine cotton wool is quite difficult? I will probably buy both but if anyone has any tips!

Just had a 28wk growth scan and she's only on the 10th percentile (966g).

Was scanned by a trainee who seemed really unsure of what he was doing and so have booked a private scan tmw to just get a second opinion. I know it's not really going to be a different result and might even come out lower, but I just want them to have a more reliable measurement to compare to when they rescan in two weeks and I just can't trust the accuracy of today's result.

It's been such an awful pregnancy so far and now I just feel so scared and helpless and really really sad 😢 I desperately want her to be okay.

Has anyone managed to find some magic solution for increasing fetal weight?

@Hyggeandhugs It's a shame that you didn't have someone more experienced today! I hope your private scan is more helpful tomorrow. Please let us know how it goes. My mum and my sister in law were both told that their babies were measuring small but they both ended up with very big babies so they don't always get it 100% right. My mum had severe vomiting throughout most of her pregnancy so she has no idea how my sister ended up so big either! Have you tried asking a midwife for advice? If you haven't already then it should help to let them know how worried you are and that you would really appreciate some help. I hope you have a helpful midwife to talk to! Sending lots of love Xx

Sending hugs @Hyggeandhugs I hope the second opinion is helpful. Always so tricky when you get someone you feel is unsure, doesn't exactly inspire confidence! Wishing you all the best. 10% is still ok I think?

Has anyone else noticed what I can only describe as "rhythmic pulses" coming from their bump which I think might be hiccups? They are every 1-2 seconds, like a very regular ticking. I wouldn't be concerned but there was one article I read that said you should feel them less after 28 weeks? I'm 30 weeks now and I've only just started noticing them really. It confused me if they were hiccups as they are so fast!

That sucks @Hyggeandhugs :( hope your scan tomorrow is nicer! But as @H0peing says, they're not always accurate anyway.

My growth scan which I got sent to because my bump was measuring on the 10th percentile, now had baby boy on the 90th percentile 😂 He's been a whopper throughout! He has a slightly podgy tummy so I have another scan in two weeks just to monitor and if he keeps being tubby then they may want me to repeat the GTT to rule out diabetes again. I highly doubt I have GD though, my levels two weeks ago were on the lower end of normal.

@Hyggeandhugs sorry to butt in (I'm a lurker on this thread, due 2 May!) but I am in very similar position. Baby has measured on the 10th-12th percentile since 28 weeks. I'm now 32 weeks. You'll probably get twice monthly growth scans and possibly also a doppler scan to check cord function. In my case they seem happy that baby is growing consistently, they're just small. Consistency is key though and if growth continued to drop, they may look at other options. I know it's super scary, but just wanted to say I'm here if you want to talk about it!

Thanks everybody ☺️

@lawandgin sorry to here you're facing this too... it feels just like being back in the first trimester doesn't it, when you're constantly waiting for the worst to happen and wishing the weeks away! I'm going to try and binge on protein and calcium and all the nutrients to see if that'll help. It does occur to me that those growth charts don't take into account that baby girls are usually smaller, but that's totally clutching at straws. At least we're not alone

Thanks @Hyggeandhugs and yes definitely feels a lot like the first trimester! Also remember the measurements can be wrong. I've heard of plenty of people being told they were having a huge/tiny baby and when they were born there was like a 2/3lb difference! Do you know what you weighed when you were born? I was 6lb 12oz, we don't know what my husband weighed, but he's quite petite now, so maybe baby will just be small! My mum was also only 5lb

@Luckygreenduck my tip would be to buy cotton pads rather than balls or a cotton wool pleat that you tear off. Then you don't get loads of little bits of fluff sticking to their bum!

@Hyggeandhugs remember that all centiles 1 and 99 are all normal, the thing about averages is that not all babies can be above average.
10% of all normal babies will be 10th centile or less. @lawandgin is right, it's the pattern and consistently of growth that's the most important thing.

Hey ladies thanks for the advice on cotton wool. Am gonna buy some pads to put in hospital bag. Got my midwife today 31 week apt. At my 28 week my bump was measuring way above the 99th percentile but when they scanned me he was at the 75th mark. It will be interesting to see if my bump still measures big. I've written down all my questions for MW as my brain is like a sieve these days lol x

Hi all haven’t posted in a while due to being poorly and having each of my kids poorly too has been hard work I am also very worried and stressed about my little one as she’s measuring on the 3rd percentile measuring very small I also had reduced movement where I went in to be monitored which was a scary experience as they said they couldn’t even feel baby in my
Tummy and also took over 15 minutes to find a heartbeat they said she must be so
Small she was curled up right at that back which was worrying got my growth scan soon and Doppler each of my babies has got smaller tho with my youngest being 6lb 3oz at birth and she is only on course to be roughly 5lb 10oz at birth very stressed! Hope everyone else is doing okay