August Due Date Crew - Trimester 2 (Thread 7)

[AnnieApple123]

As always, newbies are most welcome.

Apologies if I’ve missed anyone. Do shout if so. Ditto if you have any changes or updates.

July
26th @MidnightSunshine12
27th
28th
29th @DesertSnow @Mulner88 @Porcupette @Loudmouth1 & @overwork
30th
31st @AnnieApple123 & @BusyBushBaby

August
1st* *@ChloeN @CityKity & @SnowL2021
2nd @sprollie11
3rd @PumpkinEverything @Chl0o@Miraclesdohappen88 & @LS88
4th @BMK @Alpacabag22
@Amme18 & @UsernameNotPresent
5th @LBF2020 @Desperatelyboredhousewife & @BoodifulGoose
6th@buttercupbee@somuchtolearnabout @Rowanandremy & @TattyTil
7th @marleyandme
8th @RGxo13
9th
10th @VickiGo& @Sjw30
11th @tax19@nadsc& @@Rose05
12th
13th @sally16 @newmummie & @@Nic2908
14th
15th @Gizzyanne
16th @Recoba
17th @Narwhal88, @jollydollyirl& @cococat88
18th @sommeliermama& @EsmeSusanOgg
19th @Firsttimemomma1 @P1pk& @allgoodthings84
20th
21st @BCxx
22nd
23rd @MinnieFirstTimeMum
24th
25th @unluckyinlife
26th @MummaYoung2023 & @Wife2b
27th
28th
29th
30th
31st

September
1st @froglou

Also @SkullCollector. Apologies, I don’t have a date for you yet.

@CityKity I’m so sorry there’s been so much stress, it doesn’t sound melodramatic at all. I can easily imagine feeling the same in that situation, it sounds as though the trainee didn’t know much at all (meaning no offence at all) if she was asking so many questions so I’d try and see it as she didn’t know what your baby is. I admire, so much, everyone who doesn’t want to know - I honestly couldn’t do it and I know my wife couldn’t either even though, initially, she hadn’t wanted to know with either of ours (that lasted all of 5 seconds 🤣)

@overwork I’m so pleased for you! What wonderful news and how nice you can start telling people and look at all the baby things. I don’t know what’s deadlier, IKEA or mamas and papas 😂

@AnnieApple123 I am so sorry your scan wasn’t a positive experience. As @BCxx said, I hope it’s just a precaution or if it’s an infection it’s one that’s able to be dealt with swiftly. Wishing all the very best for tomorrow.

@AnnieApple123 might this have something to do with the chest pain/breathlessness? *what kind of problem do thry think or how is it presenting, given that it's going from clear NiPT to possible infection?
Wow. That's not irrational but eerily intuitive. However is this sth new or sth that has been there all along zI wonder. Scans every 2-3 weeks though doesn't make it sound like something worrying? Are you just going to fetal medicine for your own purposes or for follow on tests etc?
Oh I'm sending ❤ as this is a bit rubbish for you! A bit rubbish but also hopefully a passing blip on an otherwise bright and shiny horizon!!!

and a word to everyone; Hevea do reinforced borosilicate glass bottles with natural rubber teats so there's NO plastic involved. Be really careful as all those plastic bottles in the sterilisers and with hot liquids etc in them,leach their phthalates,microplastics etc out into the liquid in the bottles. It took me a while but I discovered the Hevea ones. The natural rubber is 100% from the rubber tree and exactly the same re functionality if not better than any of plastic teats. Thanks @unluckyinlife re medula info!!

Oh @AnnieApple123 I'm sorry. This is not going to help your aversion to scans! Wishing you all the best for a positive outcome today, hopefully FM can give you answers.

@AnnieApple123 so sorry to hear about your scan and sending you lots of positive energy for today, thinking of you.

@unluckyinlife thank you for the info re Amazon, I’ve been building up a baby wish list for a while there.

incidentally does anyone know if Mam teats fit on Medela bottles?

@AnnieApple123 sorry to hear about your scan. I can well believe you knew something wasn't 100% right though. How are you feeling about it all? Hope the appointment with foetal medicine goes well today and gives you some clarity.

@AnnieApple123 sorry about your scan :( it's good they are taking good care of you though!
In regards to anti-anxiety meds for fears I find mines really help!

I keep having panic attacks about things that won't happen, like dreams of car accidents when I'm a reasonably good driver and never even drive the routes in my dreams etc and found the tablets let me ground myself fault quickly opposed to me stopping driving.. which I did for 4 weeks 🤦🏼‍♀️

Was just browsing the Amazon sale after someone mentioning it above. Has anyone any recommendations for a decent baby monitor?

@jollydollyirl we’ve just got the bt one and still use it with our toddler so will need to buy a second one. It was the one with the smaller screen but it’s been fine, does the job. Will probably keep an eye out for another bt one

I think it might have been this ‘baby brain’ that seems to be causing a few problems but I was taking my toddler swimming last week and we were on a country road. We would have been going about 50, it’s a big country road. I was telling him about cows in the field and I just all of a sudden saw the car in front had stopped and was turning right. I had to do an emergency stop and my heart was beating so fast for ages after. Luckily we did manage to stop but when I got up to them I noticed it was two old people so part of me thought maybe they just indicated at the last second and stopped dead, as some older drivers might.. but I still don’t know if it was me just driving along completely oblivious 😳 no idea how I didn’t see it earlier but it’s given me a bit of a fright that my brain isn’t fully in gear right now

Thanks everyone for your good wishes. The thing that strikes me as most ironic is that one of the things I have most obsessed over is a virus known as CMV (www.nhs.uk/conditions/cytomegalovirus-cmv/).  I didn’t want to mention it here as didn’t want to freak anyone else out. It’s a bit like rubella in that people catch it all the time, often without even being aware of it. Yet in pregnancy it can have catastrophic consequences, although thankfully this is very rare. One of the major ways it’s spread is through children’s urine and I’ve had a lot of thoughts which I recognise as being OTT and irrational, like that perhaps I shouldn’t have potty trained DS because it will increase my risk of it and that perhaps I should delay his start to nursery in case he contracts he and passes it to me.

Now this is something that has been raised as a concern and I’ll likely be tested for it today (there’s a group of blood tests known as TORCH screening). @BMK definitely nothing to do with the tight chest. That passed very quickly. Baby must have been stuck in an awkward position. The baby is also measuring huge again and over the 99th centile for abdominal circumference. Because DS had almost identical measurements though at exactly the same gestation, I’m not so worried about this.

Ok well @AnnieApple123 it's not really irrational, I think it's moreso the capacity of your mind to take in so much information and retain it and unfortunately due to knowing so much you're aware of so much more; when the rest of us are in blissful ignorance. If you had more to engage your brain you wouldn't be researching so much and worrying then about what you find. However it may have been a strong instinct too. But I really hope it's much less than what you're fearing and that you get lots of consolation from today and also not waiting long on results!! Head up and get something nice to distract and comfort you when you can, like your favourite bun and coffee or etc! We're all thinking of you!!!

@BCxx I had the old medula double pump before and I honestly can't complain. It was good. If anything it was a bit heavy but I used to pump in bed. Even still I spent hours researching and was stuck between the MomCosy and the Medula, I choose the Medula as apparently the mom cosy leaks for some. But I still hav decision anxiety.

I got tommee tippee anti colic bottles small bottles and some closer to nature small and large ones and they were all in the offer.

I think amazon offer a mam bottle and dummy as a free gift on their wishlist.

I've heard the Elvie is good too, is the kne you got portable? x

@AnnieApple123 sending you lots of love today. I hope you get some answers soon and your mind is put at ease. I also have scan anxiety that is stopping me sleeping at night so I can sympathise with you there. I also require a 28 week scan and every 2 weeks from 32 weeks. We're always here if you need to chat 💓 💛

@BCxx I had to do 3 emergency stops today.. because I wasn't paying attention with baby brain 😭

Now my panic dreams are closing in again because I've never had to do even one before!

@BMK & @unluckyinlife thank you. Not really got any further answers this morning unfortunately. There’s definitely an abnormality but it may be significant or it may not. I’ve had the TORCH bloods done and will see the consultant tomorrow at 4:30pm by which point the results will hopefully be back. If those don’t show anything up, I’ll likely have an amnio and/or MRI. We were meant to be going on holiday next week but I’m not sure if that will be able to happen now.

@AnnieApple123 I'm sorry to hear you haven't got the answers yet. I'll be thinking of you over the next few days.

Hopefully you get a better indication tomorrow to allow you to make your decision regarding the holiday. I can completely understand why you'd be in two minds about what to do. Remember to take care of yourself whilst you're waiting although it's hard. Your health is just as important too ❤️ xx

Thank you @unluckyinlife . I really appreciate your kind words.

@overwork any advice on having amnio? I hear there can be cramping in the five days or so that follow and that rest is recommended. It’s crazy isn’t it that I always had an inkling I would need one. Unfortunately I won’t get the free one I could have got from Fetal Medicine Centre if this had been apparent when I had the scan there at 13 weeks.

Oh @AnnieApple123 the not knowing/waiting is awful. But it's just 1 day. You have to find some way of whiling away the rest of today as tm will fly with travelling etc. Don't forget to eat and my witchy senses have a good feeling on this one. And hopefully after tm you'll get the all clear to go and enjoy your much deserved holiday. Is it the same female Consultant? *is the baby showing signs of discomfort or how do they know sth might be wrong?

@sally16 oh no! I’m so on edge driving now because I don’t think I can trust my own brain to work quick enough and not daydream 🙈

@unluckyinlife thanks will take a look! I thought the medela one would probably be like that but I’ll only use it at home (probably in bed) anyway. The elvie one is the portable one, it’s like £499 for the double but I got a new one on eBay for less. They sell really well on there second hand so if I don’t get on with it il hopefully be able to sell it again

@AnnieApple123 sorry you've had worrying info from your scan, I hope further investigations prove to be reassuring.

I was found to be CMV negative before my first pregnancy which limited our choice of donor but nobody has mentioned it since so presumably am not expected to take any extra precautions.

Hi @AnnieApple123 that's such a shame as you feel so comfortable there.
I had mine on the NHS at KCH Fetal medicine research institute (nearby to but not part of the main hospital).
The midwife was absolutely useless at getting me referred when I mentioned it to her at my 16 week appointment, she suggested that I go to ANU and get seen that way. Don't do that, there's no guarantee anyone from FM in those clinics anyway. The doctor at the ultrasound clinic referred me directly to the hospital where I will give births FMU, who don't do amnio but referred me to KCH, I was seen and had the procedure in less than a week from his referral.
My partner commented afterwards how warm but professional seeming the all female team of doctors and consultants were (and so well dressed! Actually quite intimidating). I agree.
But some of the feedback I'd seen online prior was not as complementary.
They repeated the full anomaly scan first and agreed with the findings. Whilst I was still on the bed, we discussed an amnio and the risks / benefits etc, so no need swap rooms etc. We were desperate for answer by that point so no hesitation for us. Might be worth thinking it through beforehand.
As for the procedure itself, I didn't watch. No anaesthetic. The first bit really was nothing. My partner said after the initial needle they seemed to thread a larger one through, that was more painful. Nothing unbearable, but it brought on almost instant cramps and I was happy when that part was over.
The doctors there said that I could continue with day to day activities but not to lift anything heavy.
I was able to walk afterwards, we'd chosen to take public transport but depending on how far you have to travel you may prefer to drive. I'd thought I'd work in the afternoon but my boss had other ideas and she was right, I spent all afternoon on the couch sleeping on and off, so take the whole day off.
I worked from home the next day and I felt fine but the cramps did last on and off until the evening of the 3rd day (infact this was the only time I allowed myself to google as I was convinced that would be a bad sign), but I actually think it's the first 24 hours that is most significant - after that your risks go down. I also spotted lightly. By the fourth day I was back working with patients and I haven't had any cramps or spotting since.
They said 3-5 working days for results, I got them on day 4.
I think that's everything but if you would like to chat please do or message me.

@AnnieApple123 we are all thinking of you ❤️ It must be horrible waiting and not knowing exactly what's going on. Hope you are able to look after yourself and sending lots of love to you and your baby

Thinking of you today @AnnieApple123