Due October 2023 Thread 8

[Chanteuse]

New thread for our October group - third trimester time!!

@Esl17 Please know you have every right to decline any of the medical procedures offered. So if you don't want a sweep, say no to it. The baby will be born one way or the other. I have a feeling they often dismiss our worries and fear over pain because of the labour pains. However, the way I see it is my body is equipped to deal with labour pain but other mechanical pains inflicted by medical professionals are not natural. So my body might respond with much lower pain tolerance.

I will not have a sweep because I have cervical erosion and sweep would be painful with a lot of bleeding (it's basically poking into a wound).

And yes - I find the curtain thing rather baffling as well. I have realized I suffer from white coat syndrome and my anxieties spike every time I need to go to the hospital, partly also because of the lack of privacy and often lack of tact.

I wasn’t able to have a sweep last time as my little one never engaged so was never in the right position but it was very much talked about as a choice not something that had to be done. Our midwife is at the GP
surgery though not in hospital. I have said I won’t be induced this time and that was just noted down as my choice as well, there wasnt any pressure put on me to explain/change my mind

@Esl17 I 100% agree that you need to feel comfortable with whatever you decide is right for you and if you'd feel like you would prefer to decline a sweep that's absolutely fine. Being honest I wasn't vocal enough in my previous labour and this time I will be much clearer about preferences, however on the sweep specifically and just to give a different perspective, I didn't find it painful. No idea if I was lucky or if my body was basically ready so that was why but for me it was uncomfortable but pain free. I had one Friday morning and my son was born Saturday. I will say though that mine was done in a private room (not in triage) and I felt very comfortable with the midwife I had so can completely understand why overhearing what sounds like a difficult situation in a very open environment would be upsetting.

@Esl17 oh that poor woman. Sounds like she was having an awful time and I can imagine how uncomfortable for you that was too being able to hear everything.

I had 2 sweeps in my last pregnancy and both were in a private room. I found them fine really, not all that different to a smear test. Uncomfortable but not painful.

I ended up being induced so they didn’t work for me but I would rather have had another 5 sweeps than an induction which I’ve said I won’t have this time. The midwives have not questioned that at all. I think you do really have to advocate for yourself and I struggled with that first time round so will definitely be braver this time round.

Just make sure you do what is right for you. You don’t have to be pressured into doing anything you don’t want to.

Also, is anyone getting any kind of crampy feelings at all?

Noticed a few have come and gone this evening around my lower tummy. I read that Braxton Hicks make your tummy go firm and that’s not happened so I don’t think it’s that 🤔

Similar to OP, I had a sweep when I was 5 days late, it was also a Friday! Private room and found it absolutely fine. I was 1 cm when she did it and had baby Saturday

Funny we are discussing triage, I just got back from spending the evening there for the first time. GP sent me in after I reported shortness of breath and elevated heart rate. They had me monitored for hours without much closure-- they're running some bloods, but the midwife really wiggled around in my vein and it still hurts quite a bit. Hoping to get some actual answers later this week, the whole thing was pretty knackering.
I agree the privacy there left something to be desired and could easily overhear other families. Don't know anything about sweeps but I did find out today I have an ectropian, so sounds like that might be something best avoided!

Hi all, hope you are all ok. Sorry long absent, in all honesty having a 4 yr old home and dealing with summer hols has been all consuming.

I never got to the sweep part as my last was born at 39 wks so can't help on that one.

Currently 32 +4, time is flying! I had a few issues with restless legs and arms at night time, but I cut out caffeine again and it stopped mostly. Also the downstairs daggers has now started (ouch), meaning baby's head is probably down a fair bit. I just have to waddle and pee a lot!

Tracking movement is stressful I know. I've had an anterior placenta since 18 weeks and it's hard to know whether she's ok or there's something wrong. I'm not noticing usual patterns. She used to be active at night but lately that's not the case and it'll be morning then it'll change again. She has a quiet day now and then which makes me question it all the more. I try to reassure myself that any movement has to be a plus and if I didn't feel anything at all I would be straight to assessment unit to get checked.

I was due to have a growth scan but I received a text message last Wednesday saying there was industrial action taking place so clinics wouldn't be open. The appointment had been rescheduled for today but Badgernotes hadn't updated itself to show the new appointment so I had to ring up to check. Receptionist confirmed the scan had been moved to today at quarter to three and that I had a few more over the next few weeks which I said I was aware of.

Then I received another text stating that I had a scan booked for next Monday at twenty to eleven. I rang back up to ask why this was and the receptionist said today's appointment is actually to see the consultant and not for a growth scan.

I wouldn't mind but the scan has been booked since the 23 week scan I had by Badgernotes. It said nothing about a consultant appointment so this has be bewildered. And the text I received last week said it had definitely been moved to today.

So I'm not happy but it's more the fact that a consultant appointment hasn't been mentioned at all. The last time I spoke to her was at 20 weeks by telephone so why the sudden appointment crop up?

If they're like this now with appointments what are they going to be like when it's time to have her? I didn't have any problems with my first.

Rant over.

To be honest, I am totally ignoring the part about patterns of movement. He does broadly have patterns, but they're contingent on my movement patterns, but my movements vary a lot, and I know his position changes the feeling of movements a lot too.

So long as he's moving, and regularly, I'm not going to get wound up about it.

But this is quite probably because like @Phoenixwings1989 , I'm sick and tired of the useless communication by my supposedly "consultant led" supposed "care". They don't seem to give a stuff about anything I say.

I'm definitely in the same boat in terms of tracking movements. I think as long as you are aware baby is moving regularly and keeping a loose track of patterns in your head, it should be fine. I do get slightly wary when baby is not moving much on a certain day, but it usually compensates for it the next day. Agree that tracking on an app would make me go crazy. Same reason I am not planning to use sleep/poop/nursing tracker once baby is here, it just feels like extra work and unnecessary worry. But each to their own of course, if it is helpful for some, then go for it 😊

@kingfisher168 same here!

@kingfisher168 I so agree with you. I think babies are not made to be robots, they have their own active and passive days, just like us. I think as long as he is moving he's fine. There was a couple of days when he was super active, it has now calmed down. He's still flipping around but he's less brutal in his kicks. So I don't think constitutes for "movements slowing down".

@Phoenixwings1989 I had complained about my change of consultant team last week so please, do rant away :) it seems to be quite common that they change appointments without informing you. I had no notes on anything being cancelled etc., waited for 1.5h only to be told I won't see the consultant because she's no longer in charge of me.

@cruciverbalista I have the same condition. Have you been bleeding in early pregnancy? I was relieved once diagnosed so I knew bleeding is not from the baby but from the cervix. But I still don't want anyone poking around there now.

Totally with you on the apps and tracking stuff.

My experience of being "high risk" is that they have looked at a lot of past facts about me (weight, previous mental health, etc), but have entirely ignored my actual, current reports of my health and experiences. It's like the consultant (who has changed...) looks at my file, and completely ignores the things I'm telling them. And different consultants have different approaches to how they deal with those factors anyway.

And I'm just supposed to comply with it like I'm a lump of meat with a baby inside. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd rather be seen by a vet.

My vet actually gave me more useful information about gestational diabetes than any of my NHS staff deigned to, even when I was asking questions.

@thecatsthecats I think it really depends on the people. I believe they all have skills but often forget how to properly speak to people. I think I mentioned here before but I literally said to my diabetes doctor that I am aware I have a choice to decline treatment and it will at the end be me who will decide what I do and what I don't do. They can't force me although he did say he'll "twist my arm". I don't let anyone intimidate me, I have way enough education to not feel subordinate to them and if I need to show them that, I certainly do. But I also meet extremely lovely doctors, nurses and midwifes so I am aware it is down to people and their people skills. And them being tired of their job sometimes - I don't know if I'll be as patient with people as some of them are.

lumps of meat - yeah, not me :) I usually just resort to a joke and say I am a teacher so I have an inquisitive mind and am used to be listened to 😂

if you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, are you on fb page GD UK? really helpful. I do struggle with foods and pairing and sugar control. It is so stressful.

I’ve had an okay experience of consultant care so far. Had a phone call when I was 26 weeks. I only have one risk factor (BMI) and so she was happy to refer me back to midwife led care. Then I had a growth scan at 28 weeks which showed him being well over the 99th centile, so referred back to consultant. Second growth scan at 30 weeks showed he’s still on the same trajectory. I’ve got my next consultant appointment at 34 weeks, and I should have a growth scan then too so we will see what they say.

Any of the other ladies from Ireland still on this thread? If so anyone on the public system having consultant-led? I had midwife-led for my last pregnancy but assume this time because of my age (39) I'm with the consultants. I have had a different person every time which is a bit unsettling although they have all been very nice and courteous. And every second appointment is with my GP so at least there is some consistency there.

Well, I don't have GD - at least as far as I know.

I have no problem saying no to medical professionals, I'm just professionally outraged by how bad their communication around data and choices is. My whole job is developing better communication around data, and they are shite at it.

I am educated, informed and easy to engage with. So if they can't communicate well to me, lord help women who are actually vulnerable and under-informed.

Saying no to my husband is a different matter. I don't defer to him by any means, but he's a useful counterpoint to my outrage. I rely on his ability to listen to counterpoints I might miss or undervalue, so I do take his opinion into account.

Ugh! What a nightmare!

My appointment was supposed to be quarter to three but I only got in to see the consultant at quarter past four. The appointment lasted for five minutes going through information she already had. I just feel time could have been saved had it be a telephone appointment.

I've also had my blood pressure checked, urine checked and had a carbon monoxide test done to which I blew a one instead of a six. BP was a little high but it was redone and it was fine. I'd been walking non stop up until that point so that's probably why. I also had to wait for my bladder to fill up before I could do the sample and I have a feeling that's why the wait was so long.

Here's hoping the scan on Monday is plain sailing than today.

@Phoenixwings1989 I suggest you bring urine with you every time you go to a clinic. I cannot wee on demand so I asked and they said it is ok if I bring the morning urine with me. It speeds things up. My trust checks BP and urine every time I show up, irrespective if I only have a short doctor's consultation.

@peonygirl I had a small bleed at 12 weeks which they said was an SCH. On Saturday I had a few drops of blood after sex, hence the examination. Barely any bleeding though! Did you have a lot earlier on?

@BeaKind just noticed your question, yes I've had some mild cramps in the lower right part of my belly, I can't tell if it's my uterus or a baby elbow tbh.

@cruciverbalista yes, I passed a blood clot and totally freaked out. This was around week 16w I think. They checked the baby's heart beat and I remember how both midwives relaxed after we all heard the heart beat. After they checked me out they told me I have a small erosion but they cannot say if it will get any bigger. I luckily didn't have any further issues. They said to really worry I should have had three soaked pads in one hour.

I know a few of you also have health visitors booked - to reassure you, it was absolutely fine. She was really lovely and they just asked about baby’s sleeping arrangements, how I’m planning on feeding baby and access to help/support if I need it. Asked if I had support from DH and family etc so it was all good and not daunting at all!

@Chanteuse thank you for that!! 💕

I don't have a health visitor appointment booked. I'm sure they offered me one if I wanted but not compulsory. Are you all seeing them through choice or is it standard in your area?