November 2023 babies - Thread 5

[Shaker21]

I couldn't find a new thread open as the old is now full.

Got a few of the usernames to tag, definitely missed people but hopefully they find the thread :)

@spareincoming @Pinkplantcase @leeanneD11 @LilmissCa @FlyingHighFlyingLow @Psqueak87 @spanglesj @BabyBabyBaby123 @Houseonthehills @GreenAventurine @reememberly @Cegbee @DollyGx @38andtrying @JD90 @travellingislife @mldn @sb86 @TMI2000

@LeeanneD11 I just did some digging around the internet. The man who defined Braxton Hicks (John Braxton Hicks) defined them as uterine contractions that do not result in childbirth. So if they feel similar to when you have had contractions in the past it’s because they are uterine contractions as your monitoring showed, they just don’t lead to birth yet.

I hope you’re feeling a bit better this evening and can get some rest, it’s not easy when you have kids at home too. Hopefully the medicine will kick in soon, I wonder if the Braxton Hicks will calm down once the UTI has gone x

Thank you for the info that's really helpful , I'm feeling a little better woke up feeling weak and sick but had a nice nap while kids was at school, I'm hoping the Braxton hicks calm down soon as so intense but then I think it's where baby laying as his head down and back to back atm , which is making it more uncomfortable, I have a growth scan booked in for 2 weeks time when I'm 32 weeks to check on baby xx

Hi everyone, hope everyone is doing better. Looks like I'm most likely going to need a C-section due to a large fibroid. Anyone having a planned C-section? I've just started reading up and trying not to read the horror stories. I also need to pack my hospital bag too and get a few different things that I hadn't originally anticipated I'd need.

@JoyApple Im having an elective c-section, should hopefully get my date in the next few weeks, but we know it’s being scheduled in for 39 weeks. My last pregnancy was an emergency c-section and is was the furthest from emergency you could get, it was such a calm and beautiful experience and the recovery wasn’t as bad as I would have expected. I’m really looking forward to hopefully having the same experience this time all being well, but with the added bonus of being able to get prepared as we will have date from 36 weeks.

@WriMum22 amazing! It's great to hear of a positive experience 😍

We are also looking at 39 weeks too. With the amount this baby is jiggling and kicking, seems desperate to come out so I hope doesn't make an earlier appearance. Not sure what happens then. Our plans will also be confirmed after my next scan at 36 weeks so hopefully will have 3 weeks to plan ahead.

Someone recommended a belly wrap thing for when walking. Any ideas on that? I know I'd only be able to wear it if it was soft and not tight. The other thing someone recommended was dry surgical wipes. Not sure when exactly to use it though?

I've ordered a few books on c-section as feeling very clueless about the whole thing. I know alot more about hypnobirthing and vaginal birth, but hey ho, the breathing and calming techniques will at least be helpful hopefully :)

Thought I was going to need one at 36 weeks due to my complications but they seem to have resolved themselves so they're currently happy to let me deliver naturally at term as long as things don't change.

No previous section, but I have had abdominal laproscopy before. I slept hugging a pillow to my abdomen when I wanted to sleep on my side, I also hugged it when getting up and down from bed/sofa and if I coughed/sneezed. It helped massively for the first few days, I imagine for much longer if its a much bigger surgery like a section! I can imagine a wrap may help similarly.

@JoyApple i asked my midwife and consultant this as with my son my waters broke at 37 weeks, and I just feel like I may go early with this one too. They said that I need to tell triage I am booked for a c-section and provided she doesn’t come really quickly, i will still have the c-section, it will just then be classed as an emergency c-section, but like I said, my last was emergency and it was quite the opposite, everything was chilled, it was lovely. I delivered my first son naturally, so i was scared when I heard the word c-section with my second son as I’d never read up on sections as assumed I’d do it naturally again, but like I said, I’ve had the choice of both this time and I feel like for the experiences I’ve had, I personally preferred the c-section much more.

I didn’t use anything after so don’t really have any experience with belly bands. I would say the key is to make sure you let yourself rest as much as you can, which when you have a newborn, it’s perfect as you can just sit and have cuddles as much as you want. I was still able to do things and I had a 7 year old to look after too. I honestly found the recovery fine. It’s hard of course, I won’t lie, but all experiences after having a child have some amount of difficulties. I just followed the hospitals advice in regard to cleaning my wound and it healed really well.

Im having an elective section also. I have a feeling I’ll have my date on Friday!

I have my first consultant appointment tomorrow due to problems during an emergency c section with my first daughter which resulted in an extension to my scar which means I am not suitable for VBAC, as I’m treated the same as someone who has had a uterine rupture.
Any ideas what might happen at the appointment? I only had a phone appointment with DD2 where she basically scheduled my c section for 38+3, so I’m not sure what to expect from a face to face appointment.

@JoyApple I had a short notice (day before) c section with my first and had a lovely experience too. You can play your own music if you want, getting the bub out doesn't take too long, stitching you back up takes longer, but in that time you can enjoy snuggles and skin to skin. I also had really easy recovery, I rested a lot initially, but might bandage was off pretty quickly then just kept it clean. I bought some big pants to go over the scar and stayed in leggings for longer that I perhaps would have done.

@BabyBabyBaby123 , I've got mine Next Wednesday, from previous f2f appt they'll just go through your latest updates/scans. They also said they'd make a date and plan etc.

@JoyApple
I’m another c-section-er. Got my latest possible date and several possibles before then.
My previous sections have been wonderful experiences, calm, chilled and even though one was classed as an emergency - I was in labour before my booked date - it was a great birth.

I had a private physio after the first one and they said no to belly bands etc as the muscles become used to them. I have healed well after mine, big pants and making sure after a shower the scar is patted not rubbed dry and a cool hair drier wafted over the scar helps too.

Tena pants are great for post birth as they’re high waisted and easy on and off!

You may find yourself really windy and May feel pain in your
shoulders because of it, peppermint capsules are your friends!

Have a good stock of paracetamol and ibruprofen in at home - most places won’t send you home with many/any pain killers now and you can’t buy loads in one go!

Take a pillow for the drive home and keep the seat belt off your tummy. Similarly press a pillow or towel to your tummy for coughs, sneezes and um, any mild straining! If you’re straining, get lactulose!

Also, practice getting out of bed not using your core. Roll on to your side and push up with your elbow and then straighten up with your arms or have a rope tied to the end of the bed to pull yourself up hand over hand!

Anyone experiencing quite intense back and rib pain?

I've been having it for weeks, but it’s really ramped up the last few days and I find myself writhing around on my chair at work desperate to get it to stop.

I use an ice pack for most of the day, and have finally caved into taking over the counter pain meds. But it’s not really touching the sides.

i wake up feeling good, but by early afternoon I’m really struggling with the pain, and by the evening I’m really really hurting.

I usually work 2pm-10pm and by the end of my shift I’m almost in tears.

have a regular OB apt next week so I’ll speak to him then, but I’m assuming there’s nothing that can be done until baby decides she wants to come out. My ribs are really quite narrow usually and I’m wondering if that is the issue, everything is being pushed outward.

@BabyBabyBaby123 if it’s anything like my consultant appointment, you’ll be in the room for about 5 mins max! He basically just said yes, c-section will be booked for 39 weeks, I’ll confirm date at 36 weeks and I’ll see you next at 32 weeks, goodbye! 😂

My next appointment is next Wednesday so imagine it’ll be pretty much the same. All felt a bit pointless but then I imagine they all depend on why your under the consultant, I’m under just because I had a c-section in my last pregnancy so, so far we haven’t had much to talk about luckily.

@Psqueak87 is the chair the problem? Or is it still bad on your non working days?

Last time at some point I would swap my work chair for a yoga ball for a bit and that helped but I tended to get pain in my hips rather than back.

Maybe try some different chairs or standing for a bit and see if it makes a difference.

@Spareincoming I'd forgotten the getting out of bed! It's fine in hospital with the moving bed, I got home and my husband had gone to buy a pump and I went to get out of bed and just could t at all!! There's definitely a technique! I also was steered off the band wraps.

Thanks to everyone who shared their C-section experiences/plans :)

Given a planned c-section is most likely, was wondering if I should avoid sitting on the gym ball and taking it more easy during the last few weeks rather than trying to be more active etc? Is there anything that can be done to slow things down so baby doesn't appear early?

@JoyApple one of my good pals is a midwife, she’s always told me to just potter around as usual, not
to slow down particularly as baby will come when baby wants really!
Just make sure your bag is ready for a c-section because if you go into labour pre section date, you’ll more than likely have a section but it’s classed as an emergency one!

I’ve had a call this morning to say antibodies have been found in my blood (I’m rhesus negative and baby is predicted to be positive). I now need regular blood tests and extra monitoring. I’ve been told not to worry at all, and they will keep an eye on my antibody levels and if they rise too high, baby will have some blood taken from the umbilical cord to check how it’s affecting her. I mean hearing that, how can you not worry, I’m freaking out to be honest! Luckily a midwife is doing an home visit tomorrow to take my blood so I’ll ask her questions. Everything was going so well until this 😭

I've been playing this game. I had placenta previa with recurrent antenatal haemorrhages and am also rhesus negative. I've had a lot of anti-D as a result.

I always have antibodies in my blood now, but they're pretty certain it's the anti-D they've given me rather than my body being sensitised. Have you had your prophalactic anti-D and were they aware of this?

Usually first pregnancy levels stay really low and unlikely to be a problem for baby, its more likely to be a problem in subsequent pregnancies as memory immune responses usually trigger higher antibody titres in your blood. It's good they know and are keeping a close eye.

@FlyingHighFlyingLow thanks so much for your reply. I’ve had extra anti D this pregnancy due to knocks so they think it’s most likely picking that up rather than actually being sensitised. It was just a shock to hear and then hear things like testing blood from baby. My first two pregnancies both babies ended up being negative blood type, so this is the first time I’ve really had to think or worry about it.

When you get to our stage of pregnancy you just feel so close to the end so to have a bump in the road at this point, it just knocked me slightly.

@PinkPlantCase unfortunately I don’t think it’s the type of chair. We actually have about 8 types of chair at work and I’ve been going through them all, we even have a yoga ball chair which I thought would help but I still get the awful pain. If I’m walking about all day it does make it slightly better, but I get it on my day off too if I’ve been standing around a lot (I did a week of food prep on Sunday which meant standing in the kitchen all day).

the only thing that makes it better is lying down. I’m gonna try some stretches today, I have been neglecting them recently just cause I’ve been working so much. But I finally have 4 days off so I’ll give it a go and see if it’ll help at all! It really is becoming unbearable!

I had rib pain which woke me nightly for about 5 days at week 24. It was painful and only eased by getting out of bed to stand straight and stay standing. I couldn't sit. I never found the cause but it left after 5 days and hasn't come back. I thought maybe the baby had moved or had a growth spurt

Yes, I've had all the same discussions about special scans to look at whether baby is anaemic if antibody levels too high etc. I ended up getting so stressed with it all having people tell me I need the anti-D, but having too much was also a problem etc etc. So then I was like hang on do I need as much as I'm getting and no one could really answer my questions and just said I could decline it if I wanted. After one phone call from triage I had a bit of a rant about how they could tell me I had the right to decline all they liked but unless they could answer my questions I didn't have the info to make a choice.

They made me an appointment with a consultant who could answer my questions and it helped clarify things a lot. Ultimately I've had 6 anti-D injections now at 30 weeks. I have also declined a couple for very specific reasons after discussion with a consultant - I asked the consultant outright if it was them pregnant would they have it and the ones I declined, they said they also would have declined it for themselves. I'm absolutely not encouraging you to start declining them. I did on specific occaisons for very specific reasons with direct input from medical professionals, and have had more anti-D both before and after declining them as I, along with medical professionals, felt those ones were necessary. But you can ask for more input from the doctors if you feel its helpful, even just to understand a bit more.

I've had this along with various other complications and it has been rough. Multiple visits to triage most weeks, overnight admissions for monitoring, discussions about closeness to viability. A couple of weeks ago I took the plunge and ordered the car seat, crib and pram. For most it's exciting, I sobbed after thinking I'd jinxed it and convinced I was going to wake up in a pool of blood. I still haven't fully allowed myself to believe I'll be leaving hospital with my baby but last couple appointments have been much more positive, with the worst complications seemingly having resolved themselves. They're even currently seeming happy letting me go to term - which is longer to be anxious but still a good sign and a heck of a lot better than the admitted to hospital from 32 weeks with delivery by 36 weeks they were looking at before!

I'm experiencing intense back ache & pressure it's so intense it hurts , my baby is head down & back to back atm so it explains it for me but the pressure I get it so unbearable. It stops my daily activity and I have to sit down for an hour cause the pain hurts so much , I got pregnancy tape to see if helps , have you tried a support belt how far gone are you if you don't mind me asking xx

I had my consultant appointment today and they checked my urine, blood pressure and listened to baby’s heartbeat. All was fine.
I’ve been booked in for my c section on 31st October! When I am 38 weeks exactly, she said she didn’t want to risk leaving me any later due to the extensive scarring on my uterus and because there will only be 22 months between my previous c section and this one.
I wasn’t meant to be starting my maternity leave until 37+3, so now I’m considering going earlier so I have a little bit of time before the baby comes.