June 2023 Babies ☀️ (Thread 3)

[firsttimelondonmummy]

@BellaTheDarkOverlord @MrsP4 @BobbySD345 @DrinkingAllTheGin @CaliGirl47 @Tor88 @B1993 @HalWin2221 @Texasholdem20 @LT103 @NalaNana @thedust @Babybaby66 @ireneadler101 @theodora2146 @Okapi99 @justbelieve @Pumpkincat11 @AstroH @peonyjam @Ally1992

Swollen hands and feet are definitely signs of preeclampsia but they may not show until later. Mine started with rib pain around 20 weeks last time. My blood pressure and urine checks all fine. Then at 36 weeks on a Sunday at a party my left leg, hip and ankle ballooned. I thought I'd wait until the Friday for midwife app. By the thursday I was throwing up and really ill and got admitted to maternity unit with severe high blood pressure. 2 days later they induced me and baby came as they couldn't reduce my blood pressure.

Rib pain has started again now at 18 weeks and I'm going to assume it's going to be the same. I'm going to enquire about early csection this time for the other risks I have to try reduce the issues at birth. I'm worried about baby getting stuck and haemorrhaging again.

I've just picked up a chicco next to me crib from FB marketplace. Very happy with it! And a bargain.

Just need to buy a new mattress for it.

Had my gender scan today and all looking good. Found out we're having a little boy! I can understand some people having a bit of gender disappointment. This will be our first and only baby and I think we were both slightly hoping for a girl. I think part of me just wanted to be able to buy cute little dresses etc. It only lasted a moment though and I've been looking up boy clothes and there's some really cute bits too. Also I've never really been a girly girl so getting excited about all the fun boy stuff we can do when he's older!

Hey guys, I hope everyone's pregnancies are going well. I had my 20 week scan yesterday and all was well apart from them being unable to get measurements of baby's heart so I have to go back next week for that. Also found out I'm expecting a girl which I'm beyond excited about as I will have one of each!

I've also been having rib pain on my right side but it's quite dull and doesn't bother me too much.

Also feeling kicks officially and it's so surreal!

@firsttimelondonmummy I think it’s itchy hands and feet that you need to be worried about, especially at night. Other itching I’ve heard is normal due to skin stretching and hormonal changes

Anyone with an anterior placenta, when did you start feeling movement? Or how far are you without?

Also, I’ve felt a weird ache/pressure/uncomfortableness really really low where the top of my underwear starts. Is this round ligament pain or just general ligament stretching? Has anyone else had this?

@firsttimelondonmummy I have been getting really really itchy feet, only the top of my feet for the last couple weeks and only at night time. It's awful and just so itchy. I spoke to the midwife who did my bloods (bile salts and liver tests) and came back normal but we will keep an eye on it, currently googling ice packs for my feet because they get so hot and itchy at night. I'd defo get it checked out

Pre-eclampsia scares me , because my mum has had it historically they do always check with me in regards to it. @BellaTheDarkOverlord I hope they allow you have the elective c-section.

This pregnancy has been full of migraine headaches for me but my pressure doesn’t high.

@justbelieve I have a anterior placenta just patiently waiting for the kicks. The low pressure pain sounds like stretching - is this your first baby?

Also congratulations to everyone that has found the gender!

Picked a few Next items for baby girl - started to few more excited. Plus I met up with my cousin who has 3 little girls and said it’s good that I didn’t let it pent up and I was quite open about it with dh . I think if I didn’t air it - it would just made me feel really guilty .

@DrinkingAllTheGin great purchase - we have the next to me and I loved it .

@justbelieve I have an anterior placenta. Now I’m 20+3 and haven’t felt anything that I know definitely is movement. I think it can be up to 24 ish weeks.

When I lay in bed quite late last night, I felt some kind of bubbling movement around 5 times which I think was baby. Can’t wait to feel definite movement though! (First baby) x

I have an anterior/lateral palencia I feel slight bubbles only on my left hand side which I'm guessing is baby. I had protein in my wee last time I went to the midwife which was nearly 2 weeks ago and haven't heard anything back yet? I must say this time round I find the midwives not as good, it seems they just want to get you out all the time and when you ask a question you don't get much of an answer back, it may just be mine midwife and cause its my second baby they are never as fussed?

Has anyone still got their DH on a sex ban? Ours has sort of been mutual because same with our 1st he seems terrified at the prospect but I actually googled the other day and found that with low lying placenta you should avoid it anyway, and orgasms...! Anyone else heard this or been told this?

Sorry, @firsttimelondonmummy, it seems that itching is unrelated to preeclampsia! Hard to keep up with all these pregnancy related conditions! 🤦🏻‍♀️

@tigerlily0, how awful! I hope the itching calms down soon and you manage to get some proper rest. 😴

@justbelieve, it can be quite a bit later with an anterior placenta I've heard. My friend had one with her first and wasn't sure about movements until 22-ish weeks.

Congratulations @fifi113 and @Kelvie103 on your updates (sorry if I've missed anyone)!

Tomorrow can't come quickly enough for me! My appointment is at 11:30 so have to go to work in the morning, which I'm sure will be busy and keep me occupied until then.

Also, I can't believe so many of us are officially half way now! 😯🎉 Roll on June! ☀️👩🏻‍🍼

@Hlc86, I'm a STM, too, and found my midwives to be really helpful! The one I had at my 16w appointment (I was 18w) was lovely and spent ages talking through my worries with me: having covid, covid vaccinations and rough and tumble with DS. She was very reassuring on all amounts and told me where to get the most relevant info re covid.

Is it a possibility to ask to change midwives? Might be awkward if they ask why but you want to feel like you're getting the best care.

@BobbySD345, since the first trimester, I've not had anymore spotting and so we're still having sex as and when and aren't being cautious now. With DS I had placenta previa (low-lying placenta) and didn't avoid sex at all. No one ever told me there were associated risks and l never had issues that resulted from that (or orgasms).

Yeah I might ask to change, I mean she is very nice but she just seems to always rush me through, my 16 week appointment lasted exactly 10 mins. And I'm chronic anemic (have to have iron infusions etc) and she hasn't shown the lightest concern, just said they will do your bloods again at the 20 weeks scan, but with my first I had to have bloods every 2 weeks and scans every 2 weeks, like I say maybe it's cause this baby is my second.

@B1993 that's really helpful thank you. Did yours stay low for the entirety of the pregnancy and did this have any effects for example requiring c section and/or extra bleeding? X

@Hlc86, I'd be disappointed, too! No harm
in asking for a different midwife and seeing if that helps. Like I said, my experience hasn't been like that and this is also my second.

@BobbySD345, after my 20 week scan, I had an additional 2 scans to see if the placenta had moved. Luckily for me it had! If not, I would have had steroid injections at 37 weeks and a scheduled section at 38. RE bleeding, I had VERY minimal spotting at around 16 weeks and that was all (I've had more bleeding this pregnancy and, as far as I know, don't have a low placenta this time). It didn't effect my actual labour which was quick and free from any medical intervention. Likelihood is, the placenta will shift out of the way as the uterus expands and you won't need a C-section.

@B1993 Thank you for this info ❤️ I would really like to avoid a c section if I can. I know birth often doesn't go to plan and I may have little choice. Also remember how horrendously painful natural birth was but the recovery time for c section worries me with having a 3 year old and I'm also really sickly with any kind of strong pain killers or anesthesia which would just make the whole experience pretty grim.

@BobbySD345, I know exactly what you mean RE sections and was so relived when I found out I didn't need one! Especially now I have DS, it would be even worse! I'm really going to push to leave hospital after both this time and not stay overnight, which I wouldn't be able to do with a section.

I had a pretty straightforward birth the first time around so hoping for much of the same with this one 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

@B1993 Mine was straight forward too. I had a bad tear so I found the first few days tough but the actual labour although it was painful beyond anything I could ever have imagined, there were no complications 🤞🏻 and that's all you can ask for really isn't it x

@BobbySD345, I tore, too! 😭I had 2 second degree and 1 first degree tears - all internal due to such fast progression in the final stages of labour. I'm going to speak to my midwife to see if there's anything they can recommend to reduce the risk of that happening again. If anyone else has suggestions - I'd love to hear them as I'm definitely keen to avoid that again if possible!!!

On the whole though, I feel like my labour wasn't too painful for the first 8-9 hours and was only bad (and by bad, I do mean excruciating) for the last 2-3! Unfortunately, I ended up doing all the hard work at home without any pain relief and had my first urges to push there. We did luckily manage to make it hospital for the delivery but was pretty much told to get on with it despite asking for them to give me anything for the pain! Also keen to avoid a completely unmedicated birth this time and will 100% pushing for gas and air (and a water birth if there's time)!!

Speaking of quick labours, are there any 3rd+ time mums here that can say how true it is that second births are half the time?! 🤔

@B1993 This is my third pregnancy, my first two children were born a long time ago and only 17 months apart. My second delivery was just as long as my first. I think it just depends on what your body does, I’m not sure there are any hard and fast rules on how the second birth will go.

@B1993 I had a home birth and a birthing pool with both of mine and I had a very small tear with my first and nothing with my second. I did find the birthing pool a positive environment as the sides of mine were inflated so we’re comfortable to lean on and of course the feeling of less weight was a relief. I have read that it can help to avoid tearing too.

@dresslol, thank you! That's really helpful and really good to know about the birthing pool! I have toyed with the idea of a home birth but feel like hospital may be way to go as I'm at risk of bleeding due to the injections I have to take. I will talk more with my consultant about it and see how hubby feels as I think he's also prefer the hospital.

I remember looking around the hospital when pregnant with DS and seeing a lovely birthing suite with pool. I think they only had one or two so not a guarantee that you'd have it if the hospital was busy.

I am probably getting way ahead of myself though as there's still lots of time to think about the birth!

My SIL just had her 3rd and had a very long labour. My first was about 20 minutes. I hope this one is quick. Hoping for a C-section to control the risks more. I tore with my first but no one told me until the midwife afterwards mentioned the stitches would heal. Like what stitches??