November 2023 babies - thread 4

[AngeloMysterioso]

Here you go!

@Spareincoming so sorry to hear that - sending loads of love and support to you and hoping you get good news ❤️

Has anyone been to their 24 week midwife app? And had their belly measured , I had Midwife today and measured my belly and I'm measuring at 23 weeks is that a good thing or bad thing has anyone else measured smaller. Or in front , baby has a nice strong heartbeat.

Also been itching all over too , midwife has taken bloods to rule out anything but is anyone itchy all over

@Spareincoming I hope your okay lovey and sending lots of hugs your way ❤️❤️

@LeeanneD11, that's good. As long as it's within 2cm of gestational age it's considered normal.

Yes, when I dropped too far behind I was sent for a growth scan, but don’t think a week or so out is anything to worry about (and even more turned out not to be in my case either). It’s a pretty quick and rough way of checking.

My thoughts are also with you @Spareincoming, that sounds extremely stressful and such a long wait for another appointment. I’m so sorry you’re having this difficult time and hope you get some more reassuring news and soon.

Has anyone any knowledge or history of a blood clot on the lung? I’m under investigation for one and have had part one of the vx scan today x

Thanks all. I can’t say much as it’s obviously me to the people in RL who know and I like my anonymity on here, but basically baby now has short bones and hasn’t really grown in a few weeks.
I’m praying for some kind of growth and development miracle but no one medical is being anything other than neutral.

@LeeanneD11 Ive been having lots of bloods done for obstetric cholestasis. Itching isn’t too bad, but I had it severely with my first born and it’s looking likely it’s heading that way with this little one too. Went for a liver scan today.
@Spareincoming so sorry to hear this. ❤️

Okay. I'll wait for my bloods to come back , and see what it says . And hopefully it's nothing series , I didn't have this in my last pregnancy so not sure what it could be xx

@Spareincoming so sorry to read your post. Pregnancy is like a rollercoaster, im sorry you are going through this. Sending all the hope for lots of baby growing and development xx

Has anyone bought a nursing chair?
I used a small sofa in the nursery to feed my DD in the night, but this has been repurposed to the sofa in our home office and I think I want a chair this time. I’m unsure of whether I want a rocking chair or not, so would be keen for any recommendations.

@BabyBabyBaby123 I’d love one but unfortunately I just don’t have the room. The nursery has to be part of our second bedroom as we only have the two bedrooms, and we need to keep the queen bed in there due to family flying over to stay with us.

@Spareincoming im so so sorry that you’re having a rough time of this. I hope you get some good news ❤️

I’m just buying the last few things off my list and I have breast pump and freezer milk bags on there.

i do plan on breast feeding (if I am able), but seems silly to buy these things before baby is here incase I’m not able to…what do most people do? Do you breast feed AND pump? Or do you just breast feed? I suppose in an ideal world I would like to have a freezer stash so my partner can help feed. But it seems like you have to buy so much more for that luxury. Plus then I have to go down the milk bottle rabbit hole…

any advice welcome as I feel pretty clueless.

Just to add, I’ve seen other people on a baby group I’m on suggest for pumping you need a mobile pump, wall pump, and manual pump/collector. Is this really necessary?

@Psqueak87 A silicon Haaka can be useful if you just want to collect milk from the breast you aren’t feeding from. It’s a very low effort low cost way of slowly building up a freezer stash or having a small amount of milk to get baby used to a bottle with. But you probably wouldn’t even want that for the first month or so.

I had a double electric pump but I only used it when I went back to work when baby was 6 months I pumped in the office until he was around 1 yo. Even if you plan to do similar I wouldn’t buy that sort of pump before baby is here. Some babies won’t take a bottle and just make up for the feeds when they’re with you. It also depends how long you want to breastfeed for.

@Psqueak87 I bought a pump and honestly barely used it as found breastfeeding the most convenient / lazy way for me. It’s so individual though! Defo don’t need a mobile one as well unless you really want to express on the go for any reason , they’re so expensive. The Hakka manual pump is like Pinkplant says effective but I found it caused an oversupply for me as essentially your body makes what you take. And it suctions one one boob while your baby sucks the other one. The collection cups in your bra are useful as they collect the let down from the other boob passively, so you can add to supplies.

its all so individual but if wanting to breastfeed, having a pump of sorts is useful but it will only be essential for some. That’s what I learned anyway! It did let me go swimming once or twice so husband could do a bottle!

@Spareincoming sending so much love and hope for positive news for you soon. Can only imagine what you’re going through waiting for updates on this. x

@spanglesj & @PinkPlantCase thank you! I did have the Hakka on my list to buy, and it’s only around $25 so I’ll get that!

the other baby group I’m in is 99% Americans and I swear they’re all quite extra in what they buy, so they give me a fright every now again thinking I’m unprepared.

I think I’ll aim to feed for 6 months, and I have at least 6 months off work, but a year if I want it, so I won’t buy a pump unless I decide I need it.

thanks again for your help! I need to stop reading the posts on the other group!

@Psqueak87 ah thats interesting about Americans - I wonder if that’s because the norm there is to go back to work so much sooner so they need mobile breast pumps and anything that helps! Who knows!! X

@Psqueak87 happy to help 😊 I think in the US women can get pumps as part of their health insurance.

@spanglesj I’m not sure, they’re quite extra with everything they do. It seems like they buy so much unnecessary stuff. Which is weird to me as most of them don’t get maternity pay or anything, it would make sense to only buy the basics…same with the celebrations, I know people having a baby shower / a gender reveal / a diaper party / a diaper raffle / an online quiz where you pay to enter and guess the birth details to win 50% of the entry money.

im not sure if that’s the thing back home these days, but it certainly wasn’t with my friends.

Hi everyone

Looking for advise if possible, so I woke up this morning laying on my back, baby was moving but one big movement but when I turned on my side he stopped and he normally doesn't he is very active , I'm only 25 weeks , js there any tips to get baby moving? Or would they see me at maternity unit? I would rather get baby moving before heading up there , I'm just in a panic really cause you hear these stories about laying on your back and waking up your back . Thank you everyone xx

No sleeping on your back guidance is only after 28 weeks on Tommy's and they say not to worry if you roll onto your back as long as you go to sleep on your side.

If it was a big movement my guess would be baby moved into a position that you can't feel the movements as well (e.g. into the placenta). Mine does it frequently 😂. Personally I never find the whole eating/drinking sugary/cold things works to get movement. If baby is asleep or where wants to be nothing moves them - apart from if daddy talks/sings to them of course, then there is a decent chance they'll say hello to him!

My baby has a loose pattern of movements 6am - 9am, 11pm until I fall asleep then a few less defined smaller episodes throughout the day. Doesn't move if I walk a lot, I think motion rocks them to sleep. If I slept in and woke up at 10am I probably wouldn't get movements for a couple hours. If you're really concerned ring triage, they'll likely offer to let you come in and do a quick check of your vitals and quick doppler of baby to reassure you.

No matter what, can almost guarantee you rolling into your back has absolutely nothing to do with it. Even after 28 weeks the risk is still tiny.

@FlyingHighFlyingLow

Thank you so reassuring to know , mine has a slight movement pattern , 6am-10am sometimes & then in the afternoon he will move , I do a lot of walking and always busy myself with toddler children . But I will ring triage and see what they say about it , but his so active , it's also annoying when you have anterior placenta too doesn't help lol 😂 xx

@LeeanneD11 I would bet that they've moved into a position you can't feel, esp if you've an anterior placenta but it's not worth stressing or spending the day worrying about when triage is just a call away

How are we all doing?
We are trying to be as positive as we can, so built the new nursing chair up this morning and got the cot out of the loft.
I had to laugh as the previous occupant of the cot wasn’t a chewer, teething toys were sucked and many, many things were licked (poor DDog!), but on getting the cot out, there’s teeth marks on the top rail! Little mischief! Fortunately it can be assembled so the top rail is the bottom rail!
Anyone after recommendations for a bomb proof cot - this IKEA Singlar was cheap and cheerful but has served us incredibly well and it clearly tastes good too!

@Spareincoming I’m doing well. Definitely starting to feel much larger now! Having to remind myself to listen to my body a bit more.

I’m excited that it’s almost 3rd trimester time! I have times now where I can feel big solid lumps of baby in the bump and I try and guess if it’s a head or a bum. I generally assume bum with the hope that baby is neatly head down 😇