Baby January 2023!

[TTC24]

Anyone else due January 2023?! Found out yesterday I'm pregnant with baby #2. If my dates are right, I'm 3+6, due 27th January! My daughters a Jan baby, but was due feb (she was 3 weeks early). May just must be a very fertile month for us! We fell pregnant last May too, but never met them😢.

@tokenginger are you a Muslim????? :)

I'm not, but my best friend of 10 years is ❤️ My partner's two best friends are also Muslim. We have quite a multicultural circle of friends. My friend is Pakistani, and his two close friends are from Iraq and Egypt. We've got friends from many different countries - Italy, Romania, Jamaica, Nigeria (DP is Nigerian heritage), Poland, etc., - and religions - so I try to learn as much as I can about each culture and religion to make sure my well wishes and whatnot are appropriate ❤️

Lovely. It is good to be open minded

@TokenGinger about the hypnobirthing, I don't think it's too late to read up on it. A friend gave me a book that was pretty short with plenty of repetition so it wasn't an arduous read. There's not a whole lot to it really-some breathing, some massage, how to create a nice birthing environment. Your partner will have to read parts of it too.

I'm consultant led and will probably end up being induced with an epidural but I hope to use some of the hypnobirthing stuff in early labour at least. The book I read was the Siobhan Miller one.

Thank you @Somatronic, I'm going to see if there's a version I can download on my Kindle.

How's everybody feeling today?

Yesterday morning, and this morning, I've had quite painful tightenings but only on one side of my tummy so I think it's likely Braxton Hicks or things stretching out for labour rather than a sign of anything impending. It's bloody painful though and has given me a stark reminder of how painful the contraction phase was with DS1, and I'm not looking forward to those again 😭

Had my growth scan today due to FH not moving past 36 weeks and they have estimated the babies weight as 10lbs 11oz at 39+3!

Ive to go in for gestational diabetes test tomorrow morning which I’ll get same day results for and then basically need to decide if I want to book in for a section or not. They recommend one for any babies 5kg or over which it’s looking like I will be if I go to term or beyond (4.8kg atm).

Head is scrambled not quite sure what to do!

Oh my goodness! I have to say, I'm not sure I trust the measurements they do at all. To worry you with lack of growth, to now saying baby is super big, I just don't know how they get it so different. They measured DS to be between 9-10lb from scans in my last pregnancy and he came out at 8lb1oz. Though, I have to say, being faced with that measurement at such a late stage, I don't think I'd have time to get my head around it and would be worried about baby getting stuck and I think I'd be inclined to go for the c-section myself. It's such a tough decision to make!

How are you feeling?

So I had routine midwife appointment today 38+6wks. Following a consultant appointment last week due to babies size on my last scan arranged me to have a sweep today and booked induction for 7th. Appointment didn't quiet go as planned.

Think through being little anxious my blood pressure was a little high (been perfect the entire pregnancy) and babies heart rate was little raised, so I was sent to my local hospitals maternity triage to have baby monitored etc.. told that if all was OK there I could ask them to do a sweep. Blood pressure was normal upon arrival, monitored baby for an hour all fine and happy. I asked for a sweep to be told they wouldnt do it because I wasn't 39wks. Was a little disappointed, I know that it might not have done anything, however the thought of being induced properly next weekend I'm a little not sure on so was hoping to have a sweep. Glad to be home and that baby is OK but can't help feel a bit meh is the only way I can put my mood!

@LA9610 oh my, as Token said it’s a big jump from worried about lack of growth to now the possibility of being big is a very big difference. Every where I have read has said the measurements they do are not accurate which I tend to agree with. Especially when they just use a tape measure and I personally have had a different midwife do it.

what we’re your plans before, was it a c section? Just give yourself some time to think about what you want to do but make sure it’s your decision and not what they want you to do!

@Bear486 I'd feel really disappointed about that, too. When you're told something is happening, you build yourself up for it and if it doesn't go ahead, it's so disheartening. I'm glad baby is okay but I'm disappointed for you xx

@TokenGinger yeah I’m not too sure either, I know my bump has been on the smaller side as I didn’t show until quite late on and have had comments about being neat throughout, I am tall though so presume baby just has more room to spread out. I would say I do have an average sized bump now though, definitely feels large to me 😂
Im kind of feeling the same, like I don’t have enough time to get my head around it now and that a planned section may be the best option. I don’t really like the thought of an induction as it would only be to prevent baby growing anymore, it’s not going to help delivery problems if baby is already large?!

@H44123 no I was never planning a C-Section as I’ve had a very straightforward pregnancy with zero complications. So now it feels like a big decision to make 🙈

@Bear486 sorry to hear you didn’t get the sweep. If it’s any consolation my midwife attempted a sweep at 39 weeks for me and couldn’t do it because my body isn’t ready yet. That’s why they generally don’t offer them early but they shouldn't have said they would if they don’t do it!

Add to the mix I’ve woke up this morning with a horrible cold, was told to still go in for the diabetes test as I’ve no actual Covid symptoms and they want the result now… if I need a section booked they need to do that asap as due to the bank holidays they are extremely tight on slots but I’m going home to do a test because I feel absolutely awful and will probably need to hibernate for the next few days.

Not going to lie, the insomnia is draining me a bit. Woke up at 3 really struggled to fall back to sleep, I did at like 5/6 then alarm went of at 8… feel like a zombie hungover .

im just wondering anyone’s advice on this. My first birth and pregnancy was horrendous, was really ill with pre eclampsia, GD, edema .. basically I had it all and at 37+3 was induced. that was horrific, three days of forced labour, drips , x3 epidurals that failed then were rushed into theatre cause baby stopped coming down and her heart rate dropped and mine went up so they had to cut me to do forceps and pull her out.

so taken me 5 years to mentally recover from the trauma of my last pregnancy. So had consultants app etc and my first consultant was like ‘yes c section is fine if you feel you want to do that we can book it at 36 weeks for the following week’ then ended up two weeks ago seeing a totally different consultant who basically was encourage me to keep going with a natural birth as she had is not for c sections as she knows how hard they can be to recover from etc but I feel like now she’s decided to be my consultant she’s just going to keep me going til my due date in the hopes natural labour will happen and then I won’t have a choice but a natural delivery.

I would a thousands percent love a natural straight forward labour - which isn’t guaranteed and can’t be. I’m so anxious now that I feel Iv been forced into a corner to ‘keep going’ because the consultant doesn’t want me to have a c section. I feel really annoyed and tricked into this when for the entire pregnancy my wish was a section.

i just don’t think I can mentally go through with another disaster of a labour and for it to all go wrong.
I understand it might now and could be fine but I’m so scared to fall into post natal depression again if it does go wrong.

i have another app with her in a week ish time . I really don’t know what to do.

I understand the c section and the risks etc as well.

WWYD?

@LA9610 that must be so frustrating and worrying for you to have that put on you so
last minute. I tend to agree re your thoughts on induction just brings it on. That’s one of my fears, going through all the hard work and pain trying to have a vaginal birth to then need a c section. How did the diabetes test go? Are you booked in for induction/section now?

@Jusmakingit wow that is so unfair to change their mind last minute! However, it is your birth and your choice if you want a c section. Don’t let them bully you or change your mind, they cannot refuse you I don’t think? I follow the nakeddoula on Instagram who has some great tips on getting your decision across to the professionals.

Hope you all have a nice new years! I’m laid in bed not bothering this year. I keep thinking from tomorrow I am in the month of baby actually being due!

Happy New Year Ladies - wishing you all the best!

@H44123 no, despite them saying I’d have the blood results by the afternoon they are not showing in the badger app so I’m not yet booked in for anything! There was also no consultant there this morning to discuss a planned section with so I’ve kind of just went home in limbo. My husband really wants me to have the section now as he is worrying about the risks of trying to deliver a large baby as a FTM and he thinks that would be safer us both. I don’t disagree to be honest, I just have in the back of my head that the weight could be grossly inaccurate but at the end of the day I’m scared about vaginal birth anyway as I’m a very anxious person and one of my best friends lost a baby in childbirth a couple of years ago when the baby got stuck for too long 😭

Did a covid test and it was negative so at least that’s something but I have the most horrendous cold!

Happy new year all, 2023 babies here we come!

@LA9610 Oh my goodness, your poor friend. I feel the same as you, I'm anxious about delivering a big baby and I feel like the scans must be much more accurate than the tape measure so I'd be inclined to take the scan measurements as a truer record than the tape, and in which case, I'd be opting for a c-section, too. From people I've spoken to, recovery from a planned c-section has been tolerable. A friend of mine I was speaking to had a big baby and ended up with an episiotomy and ventouse and she said she recovery from that was horrendous, she couldn't sit down properly for 6 weeks, whereas she felt she'd have been up and around a lot quicker with recovering from a c-section xx

Morning ladies,

Waters have just gone (a lot) after back pain and cramping last night!
Could today be the day?????? Lost the mucus plug and continued to lose it up until now since Tuesday! Am very excited !

Woohoooooo!

Congrats and good luck ! How exciting x

You’re convincing me to just ask for my planned c section lol I’m so anxious about natural birth cause my first stopped coming out too. Either option is scary but if your been told the baby is measuring big I would just go for the planned c section xx

@PopsicleHustler best of luck! How exciting!

Oh my goodness! Exciting! Our first baby of 2023. Good luck, I can't wait to hear how it goes. Sending you the best of luck xxx

@PopsicleHustler woo, very exciting for you! Definitely sounds like something could be happening today, hope all goes well.

@Jusmakingit If I were you I’d definitely be pushing for it, it’s your body and your choice and if that’s what you’ve planned all along and they supported that then it sounds like they need to honour that!

@TokenGinger You are right, even if I can deliver naturally I’m at higher risk of bad tearing which could mean a tough recovery anyway which I’ll have no control over, so it’s not just the baby I’d be worrying about it’s myself as well whereas I don’t think I’d really worry so much going into a c-section as it’s a routine procedure and they know what they are doing (albeit still major surgery).

I’m not sure when the hospital will be back to normal staff levels after new years to call and ask about the section, I’ve got a midwife appointment on the 3rd anyway so if not sorted it by then I’ll speak to her about it.

Got an appointment next week so il see what the consultant says. They have already given me the consent forms so consultants can't be that opposed to it.

@PopsicleHustler How far along are you? are you due yet ? exciting!

Thank you everyone for your well wishes. I am currently at home as we speak with waters still coming out quite a lot, but I am wearing a pad to collect it all. Incase labour ward wants to test it to see if it is waters. It clearly is. Its coming out of me like a tap lol.

My due date is 6th Jan and this is our 6th baby!
Not really having anything in the line of contractions @Jusmakingit so just staying home until the contractions pick up and its unbearable. I Have incredible slow labours.

Last baby number 5 was a week of slow latent phase labour of contracting at home, went on to the hospital after contractions ramped up at 4am to be 4cm dilated and they kept me in but it was nearing midday and still nothing was happening so they gave me a sweep and broke my waters. And then that sped things right up. And I had her at 12.07 weighing 7lb12 haha.

Its been 3 hours now since they broke and had a couple cramps and one contraction and that's really been it. All housework is done and the kids bag of clothes, snacks and toys have been packed for them to go to our relatives. So just waiting for things to pick up!!!!! Ideally I would love to have him today and be home tonight haha! But we will soon see.

@PopsicleHustler how exciting!! Hopefully it’s not a lengthy one again for you but it definitely sounds like baby is on their way! Hope all goes well! You sound very prepared with the housework and kids etc!

@LA9610 that must be so frustrating for you! I don’t blame your husband either looking for the option he think will be most controlled and safest for you both - I think I would be the same too! Also a very high probability the measurements are incorrect too but a scan is more accurate than just a tape measure.

@Jusmakingit if you want a c section ask for it and don’t back down. You are totally well within your rights to have one!

I’m scared of my birth ending in a section too, but i keep reminding myself it could happen in any birth couldn’t it. I would be very annoyed if I went through all the pain etc to then need one as I would think I should have just gone with a planned one in the first place to avoid as much of the pain/effort as possible. But it’s just something you don’t know and can’t predict. I just think as long as it’s your decision then that’s the best it can be. Emergency’s happen and as long as baby and mum are ok that’s the main thing.

Good luck @PopsicleHustler xxx