Due September 2022 (Thread 7!)

[HaresHoping]

Hiya everyone,

Just starting a new thread for when we need it as thread 6 is almost full! ☺️

@amorningperson yes I ordered mine! Hopefully all goes smoothly! I'm actually really excited about this birth :)

@TurquoiseDreamCatcher no baby prep here I am too scared baby will come out the opposite sex so keep tags on stuff 🙈 x

@amorningperson I'm also 31 weeks today, we must have the same due date! Finally convinced OH it's time to start the nursery prep today. He started clearing the room ready to paint tomorrow and I've ordered some furniture, eeek! Would like to get some of the bits I've bought put away properly as I've actually forgotten what I've bought as it's all in bags!

I probably should have had a bag packed a few weeks ago when we had a scare baby was going to need to come really early (had a scan with funny readings for the cord blood flow and the consultant was looking a bit concerned, warned me he didn't think I'd be able to go to term).

But I didn't, though I thought about it a lot, and now I'm almost feeling superstitious about it - like if I pack a bag then that'll be it and next appointment they'll want to deliver baby. I really do need to do it though because I'm at the point where it will only take one scan where they decide baby's not growing and they will want to deliver.

I ordered the last of what we need this morning, Moses basket mattress, sheets, next to me crib sheets and the mattress for the carry cot. Also for the MAM bottle set for when we started combi feeding, have been putting it off, but looking like we won't complete on our house before the baby arrives, so thought I may as well just get it and accept we'll be at my parents a few weeks more.

It's so lovely to hear everyone at different stages now with hospital bag prep, baby buying craziness and just general feelings of omg it could happen at anytime now!!!

I took the NB, 0-3 and 3-6 clothes out of the garage! I only took out the neutral bits as we don't know what we are having! Will probably wash this week then wash and put away! Must also pick a hospital bag, I'm having planned c section so bag won't be as bad as it was first time round! I bought so much stuff I never even took out of the bag!!

This baby is going into our only other bedroom (live in a 3 bed). It's got a double bed in it and not baby type furniture but I feel so much more relaxed this time round. Not worrying. Baby needs me and fed and changed and won't be concerned about how well their bedroom is decorated !! 🙈

Hope everyone is feeling good and coping in this heat !!

Hi all had my growth scans today.
All is well with baby and growing nicely.
Saw another consultant who couldn't understand why I was having growth scans as there shouldn't be any concern because my epilepsy is controlled. So now I have an open appointment just in case and will just have my regular checks with midwife if she gets her shit together.
I should be seeing her this week for my 31 week check up but still waiting to hear from her, it's been 2 weeks of waiting now😩

We have done some baby prep, nursery is ready, cot is built and bedding is on.
Need to get next to me mattress and bedding and a baby carrier and my changing bag then we have all the essentials.

Don't know what flavour baby is so we haven't bought many clothes but had a baby shower at the weekend and my loveky friebds bought me some adorable unisex clothing so should be covered for the first few weeks.

It's all going so fast now. Can't believe that we will be having a newborn in the house again soon.
Nerves are kicking in and I feel like a new mum again because my youngest is 10 in October.

Hormones are all over, really missing my mum this pregnancy and work is very stressful, far too hot and too much to sort before the summer holidays.
Sorry for rambling, trying to catch up and join in all of the chats x

@MummyToBe2022 I still have growth scans even though my second son was normal weight my first was a small baby and this one is currently 3lb 2oz atm so will be a normal weight we can't understand why I need the follow up one in 2 weeks time and then my routine 35 week scan cannot wait for these scans to be over now had so many 🙈 xx

A cranky one from me....is anyone else sooooo fed up of hearing everyone else's opinions on anything you say you would/wouldn't want at the birth?????

I feel like everything I bring up - when asked about it, I may add - is met with "Oooh no, you don't want that because X,Y,Z...". I feel like the only thing people want to hear is that you want zero pain relief and as natural as possible. Getting so fed up with it and I don't even bring it up. Just going to brush past the question in future I think!

Wow, so much admiration for everyone that's already sorted everything for the baby...so far I've picked up a 2nd hand crib and have a few outfits and that's it. My sister is on the ball and has got some other bits but we are nowhere near ready. Really need to start getting some more essentials but I still just feel like I'm tempting fate.

But then my friend recently went into labour and had her baby 3 weeks early so I may not have as much time as I think!

@Sweetbabydust1989 my baby is measuring 4lb so know it will be a decent size.

I'm so glad that I don't need anymore, it's nice to know that baby is doing well but I just haven't the time to go for the scans all of the time x

@MummyToBe2022 I no the feeling hun I have 2 other kids one with disabilities and I have to go to London for all my scans as we no longer have them at our local hospital it's a nightmare.. I am not sure if I will need my other growth scan I am going to ask my midwife xx

@GlitteryGreen oh I no that feeling I don't really believe in them as every plan I have had went out the window with my 2 boys I am having a robust birth being done for this one but I honestly don't believe it will go to plan xx

@GlitteryGreen that's so annoying. Everyone has an opinion on everything so I just don't say a word!

Hi all! I had a scan today and baby at 31w 6d is 3oz 9 (10th percentile) which is small. My first was small thought so so no concerns however they are scanning me again in 2 weeks to check growth.. seems like a few on here are in the same boat 😊

@GlitteryGreen you have every right to be cranky! I think every mum has a birth horror story/opinion because no matter what you do, it's fairly life changing and traumatic, so everyone and their grandma has opinions! Don't stress about getting things ready, as long as you have a car seat and somewhere for the baby to sleep, you're fine. A friend of mine adopted a few years back and was given 3 hours notice to accept the baby she was being offered 2 years earlier than expected, and she managed. Most Asdas are 24 hours now if needed. You've got this :). We have been told that ours could be taken out by C section at any point now, and we have nothing ready. In fact our in laws who live 8 hours of a drive away still have our infant car seat, but our DD's convertible one will do for the trip home if that happens, but we are now expecting some NICU time so 4 weeks from now realistically would be when he could come home (maybe). With all the uncertainty, the last thing I want is to look around my house right now and see all the baby stuff reminding me that this is imminent and he wont be straight home, so i'm continuing to live in procrastination land. The only thing i've done is packed a hospital bag for me. Do what you need, at your own speed, and shut out the extra noise x

@Butterflytulip sorry to hear that yours is small too. It's frustrating to hear. At 32+3 ours was 3lbs 7oz on the measurements, so just under 4%. It does help to hear that others have the same going on, i'm definitely feeling less alone, so thank you! I say this as off I go to eat more steak/eggs/sweet potato/drink all the fluids I can. All I'd like is a fruit scone and lurpak and a good nap tbh.

That's meant to read 3lb 9oz!

@madeleine85 I struggle to keep up with all the messages on here! Why do you think you'll be having your little one early? Hope all is ok

Sorry @Butterflytulip I wrote a FB message on that group, but I don't know who is on that vs here and didn't want to post it everywhere and annoy ppl :). I went in last Friday at 32+3 for my routine growth scan (no issues at 20 weeks) and they completely panicked and admited me to the hospital as I apparently have very low amniotic fluid and the baby is less than 4% for growth. They did an overnight stay, several IV infusions, steroid injections and a lot of monitoring, but basically think that my placenta must be failing in the 3rd trimester, and result in fetal growth restriction (FGR). So now i'm allowed home, but have to go in twice a week for several hours on a monitor, ultrasounds for the fluid and growth, and they've said to not expect more than 34-36 weeks, and definitely some NICU time. My DD came at 35 weeks, and was very small, not good at breathing and eating and was in the hospital for almost 20 days, so everything fits that this has happened a second time, and was likely her cause of being early and not coping well at birth. I'm guessing another 3 years (i'm now 37) didn't do my baby making abilities any benefits which is why he is smaller and getting even less. Hoping to get more answers at the scan this Friday about how he is doing, but we're still very much in the dark. For now, as long as there is oxygen passing ok via the placenta, and he stays above 3% growth they would rather he was in. I just feel like a sitting duck as the doctors have said that nothing I do now will make a difference, and all I want to do is help the little one. This guy is also breach and they said that regular births can stress out this kind of baby even more, so theres a huge chance of a C section, which wasn't my hope at all. I'm terrified of knives and needles, and my DD was a regular birth so I optimistically thought i'd get the same. These babies really do just take all our plans and throw them out the window!

Oh no @madeleine85 I'm so sorry to hear you are going through this. Sounds very panicked however also sounds like it you are being monitored closely and looked after well by your hospital.
I'm 40 and apparently the older you get the smaller the babies are!
All was ok in terms of amniotic fluid and heart rate etc so I guess we just wait and see what the next scan in 2 weeks will show. I hope the scan goes well on Friday and little one is continuing to do well ❤️

Thanks @Butterflytulip hoping your scan in 2 weeks also goes well. My ovaries are 100% retired after this experience! x

@madeleine85 glad you're getting regular monitoring! Hopefully he'll turn, my friends was breach at 36 weeks and turned a few days later, so hopefully all being well he'll turn before you have to deliver.

This one turned last week, so am hoping she'll stay that way.

It's so stressful when history repeats itself isn't it, sending huge hugs and fingers crossed for your next scan. My next one is on the 29th, kind of wish it was sooner, but have the midwife on Wednesday. We're braving a camping trip by the beach for two nights, was meant to be three, but I have the gestational diabetes test on Sunday annoyingly. Googled the local labour ward which is fifteen mins from the campsite, hopefully I won't need it, been getting so much downward pressure, feels like I did when I was 40 weeks with DD, so it makes me a bit nervous. Got the hospital bags just in case.

@madeleine85 so sorry you're going through this. I'm having a similar experience though not quite so bad - after having a very small DD, this baby is now tracking below the 2.5th percentile so I'm on weekly scans with the possibility of baby needing to come out at any time.

The one thing I will say is that they can get some of those measurements wrong. I had a nightmarish scan at 25 weeks where literally everything was out of the ranges they wanted it to be in - amniotic fluid, cord blood flow, baby's size - you name it, it wasn't right. At that point I was being warned I very likely wouldn't make it to term - the consultant was talking about magnesium injections before delivery, which means delivery before 30 weeks IIRC. Next scan: baby still small but everything else looked fine, and has continued to do so on all subsequent scans.

The history repeating itself thing is tough. I don't think I fully realised until this pregnancy started to go not according to plan that I'd been wanting to do it again and get it "right" this time. But I have to remind myself that I am doing it right!

I'm still not put off the idea of a third (we did initially say we'd probably have three children) but DH is very uncertain - I don't think he wants me to go through the whole emotional rollercoaster again. We'll see.

Just wanted to send massive hugs to all of you who are having stressful times 💕 thinking of you all. Sounds like you're all being monitored closely which is great 💐 this last trimester is a tough one isn't it?

I was going to ask if anyone had thought about their birth plan yet - naive FTM here. It seems like they pretty much go out of the window right? I'm trying to just be open minded that what I'd like may not be what happens, but also inform myself as much as possible on all the potential interventions so that we can make informed decisions on the day. My DH is terrified of the whole thing bless him.

@HaresHoping I find the whole thing so hard tbh, there seems to be pros and cons to every single approach and as you say, a lot of the time it completely goes out the window anyway. I started off wanting the birthing pool but now think I'm going to try for an epidural.

It's really hard to know when you've never done it before so you just don't know how you're going to handle anything or how intense you're going to find the pain. Like, I don't want to rule out the birthing pool if it's going to turn out that would have been fine for me, but I don't want to go with that as my first choice if it means I'm less likely to be able to get an epidural if I need one (which is likely the case as I'd have to move over to hospital from the birthing centre, even though it's on the same site).

All so confusing and stressful.

@HaresHoping as a third time mum I can tell ya both mine went out the window i am having a robust one done this time due to my last 2 i won't go into detail but they were both traumatic I no this one probs won't go to plan but will have one done so they have some sort of guide.. I am going for the drugs this time I didn't have anything with my first 2 but I will be having them this time round if there is time xx