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

@GreenAventurinee Thanks, I’m not googling recovery times or anything as I’ll just be stressing over it!
Irritatingly, he broke his wrist and had to have it pinned 3 weeks before 2nd DC was born so maybe I should have expected some drama! Fortunately he wasn’t totally useless then, so hopefully he’ll not be useless this time round!

Hello all, long time lurker 😊 hope it's OK to jump on and post. I'm due early Nov, am 34 weeks, 3rd pregnancy. I've been really sick today, it feels like a return of morning sickness 😫 but I'm just a bit worried in case it's something else. Awful back and pelvic pain but I've had that for a few weeks now. Has anyone else experienced a return of nausea/vomiting at this stage?

33 weeks yesterday and I’ve been very nauseous this weeks. I’ve recently started new meds though so put it down to that. 🙃
Due 18th Nov, 2nd baby.💕

@TwistedSisters I noticed mine starting to return at 28 weeks. I was really bad 1st trimester and beginning of 2nd. Lost a lot of weight and had finally regained it when it seems to have struck again (not as badly thankfully!). I've been unwell and had no appetite for past couple days, which has made the nausea worse.

Midwife keeps lecturing me on healthy eating but quite frankly its eat the bad food or don't eat! All my bloods are good, no anaemia, no other deficiencies.

Babies will take what they need to if you're feeling crap don't worry about it x

@GreenAventurinee @FlyingHighFlyingLow Thanks both. I had v bad sickness at the beginning but it basically cleared up by around 14 weeks and it's a bit disconcerting to have it suddenly return! I have been on extra iron supplements as my bloods showed my levels were low but that's been a couple of weeks now so can't imagine it's connected to those. Not much longer to go hopefully !

@Spareincoming oh no! Sorry to hear that! Hope he’s out and recovered soon!

no morning sickness for me. Still eating like a horse!

@Psqueak87 thanks, hopefully he’ll be out tomorrow as there’s a Doctors strike on Tuesday and Wednesday so I don’t know if he’d be discharged during that.
He also wants to go get his stuff out of his truck immediately because I’ve said I won’t go climbing around in it - it’s gross in there - and there’s no windows on one side so everything “will be ruined!”
Fortunately he’d taken all bar one of the DC’s car seats out.

Morning everyone! Just wondering, does anyone know if low iron can affect a c section? Or birth in general really?

Theyve put me on horrible iron tablets (amongst all the other meds..) but I’ve read they can take ages to kick in. I’m due my C-section in four weeks when I’ll be 37 weeks!

They mentioned an iron transfusion back a few weeks ago when I was in hospital and tbh I’m not sure if I’d just rather that if it works quicker.

So I had a growth scan and baby is weighing 4lb 4oz at 32 weeks today, I've also had a consultant appointment on the phone and I'm not allowed to be induced to due to previous c section so I'm booked in for a elective c section at 38 weeks , I'm so nervous it's finally happening 6 weeks time I get to meet my baby boy , I've got another growth scan at 36 weeks to see how his doing xx

@GreenAventurinee hey 😊 I’m having trouble with my iron too on this pregnancy.
I don’t know if it can affect the actual c-section but I’m assuming it would be more for the recovery afterwards as low iron cause low energy and the more energy you have the quicker and better the recovery.

I was with my consultant a couple of weeks ago for further tests and she did mention iron supplements can take a couple of weeks to kick in. She upped my dose of iron too…I’m now taking 2 x 10mls galfor a day. She also gave me a food recipe to try….
*Equal amounts of cranberries,walnuts,figs and apricots (all dried).
*Blend together and add honey and boiling water to make a jam like consistency.
*2 tablespoons daily (I use mine on toast or with porridge)

I have to say since eating it daily along with the iron I can feel a big improvement in my energy levels.

@Katiec1
I'm also having huge issues with iron deficiency with this pregnancy so am taking iron tablets as advised by the midwife. My levels still haven't come up enough though so will need to make a huge change in my diet as well I think

@GreenAventurinee do you know what your haemoglobin is? That's more important for your CS. I got an iron infusion because my Hb dropped to 9 (or 90 depending on units) and I couldn't tolerate the oral iron.

@GreenAventurinee @Cegbee beat me to it; I’m pretty sure pre c-section they review your haemoglobin and ferritin levels; I’m sure that’s why I had an iron infusion last time.
This time round my levels are ok… about the only things that are!

They don’t seem overly concerned so hopefully my levels arnt too low. 🤞🏼

Has anyone harvested colostrum in previous pregnancy? Are you planning to again?

Hope everyone is feeling well x

@GreenAventurinee i haven’t as it wasn’t really talked about during my last two pregnancies, but my next midwife app is next week and she asked if I wanted an hour booking so we could go through harvesting colostrum and she would give me a pack to start. I said yes because I’m intrigued, but I’m not 100% yet on whether I’ll do it. Would like to hear stories.

I my last pregnancy I was told to wait until 37 weeks for colostrum gathering, which I didn't quite get to.

MW said the advice is now from 36weeks. I'm still feeding toddler once a day, so I don't know if I'd just end up with milk so I am going to wait.

MW said it's to get your breasts ready, to get them into the swing of things but it doesn't really define how we'll bf is going to go, just an activity to give it a boost.

I expressed lots on DC1. They didn't latch so the first few days I was attempting it for hours on end.
My advice is to start off having a little practice. Don't worry about harvesting to begin with, have a go at the action and see what works. There is a knack to it and the pressure to get lots and not waste syringes will be counter productive.

If there are BF groups by you then you'd be welcome to go along - some mums are happy to show you, the supporters can explain and it's a start to building a network.

Happy to help if I can too, it's all open book here.

I collected colostrum last time, my DS was 2021 so I think the advice was from 36 weeks ish.

It gave me a lot of confidence and it was useful knowing how to hand express in advance of baby arriving.

It was very small amounts, around 1ml in a 1ml colostrum syringe each time. I think I have some bigger syringes this time round as I only stopped breastfeeding DS a couple of months ago and I’m not sure I completely stopped making milk. I might not start until I finish work though this time which is just before 38 weeks, I don’t think there’s enough time in the day until then 🤣

We didn’t need to use what what I’d collected so I think we just added it to other milk later on but it was comforting knowing it was there if needed.

@GreenAventurinee
I'm same boat for iron, my HB was the concern was 92 then came up in 2wks to 98 now another 2 wks is 105. Saying that the iron tablet made me so sick last night.
@Katiec1 im going to try your recipe & keep taking Vit C.
Not taking a tablet today I need a break from last night. They are happy the levels are coming up but now my platelets are dropping.. never ending!

On iron levels, it takes 4 weeks after an iron infusion to convert the iron into heamoglobin (and it's the heamoglobin levels that matter).

I had an iron infusion in Aug and had an awful side effect to it where I fainted and my phosphate levels went dangerously low. I've had to go on medication for phosphate for almost 4 weeks. Personally I'd recommend if you can get your iron levels up through tablets, do that!

@LilmissCa that sounds like great progress re your iron. It took 4-6 weeks post infusion for my haemoglobin levels to go from 91 to 109.

@GreenAventurinee yep, my ferritin is the lowest it’s ever been, although I always have low iron. Haemoglobin was low too. Iron pills were making me nauseous, and the wait here for an iron infusion is 3 months.

I’ve stopped taking iron cause it wasn’t worth it. But I am trying to eat iron rich foods. Mostly a big bowl of cheerios every night. Lol.

my dr mentioned that you can bleed heavier with low iron / low haemoglobin. But he also said 75% of the pregnant women that he sees have it!

@Psqueak87 Another of my anecdotes incoming!
When I had my first DC I had 5 weeks postpartum bleeding then 2 weeks later what turned out to be the worst period of my life; I have super heavy periods anyways but this was like nothing I’d experienced and rang nhs direct in a panic, not realising it was the return of my period and the first few after childbirth can be horrendous.
NHS direct sent me to hospital for fear I’d reopened my emergency section - I had to wear incontinence pants to get to the hospital and went through another pair before I was seen; had a barrage of scans and tests; the on duty Dr freaked out about my iron levels, got me on massive doses, wanted to
keep me in etc.
The iron prescription made me feel awful! Absolutely awful!

2 weeks later I was at my GP’s who gave me a run down of the notes etc from the hospital, declared the hospital doctor neurotic as up to 80% of women are iron deficient postpartum and the dose he’d prescribed was completely over the top and it was no wonder I felt like I was being poisoned.

LT:DR most women are iron deficient post partum!

@Spareincoming yeah I went in n saw my doc a few weeks ago and he was reading my blood results and he said “oh look you’re anaemic, you’re the third pregnant woman I’ve seen today who’s anaemic, and I’ve seen a total of three pregnant women today”. He prescribed me iron pills but told me if they are making me sick, it’s doubtful they’ll even have an affect on my iron levels in time for the birth so don’t make myself sick over taking them. I do feel guilty sometimes incase I’m not giving the baby what it needs, but he didn’t seem overly concerned.

that bleeding does sound quite terrifying though. Hopefully I’ll be a bit more prepared now 🥴

Hi Everyone, how are we all getting on? Long time lurker here! Im due 3rd November, 4 weeks today, planned c section! Scary! 2nd child but 7yr gap so it feel like I'm starting all over again!

Still no date from my consultant! Back again next week for another scan and assessment. Baby has been slowly sliding down the percentiles for 8 weeks now but they seem to want to keep it where it is!

in other news, this weeks theme seems to be stabby crotch pains… oh gees!!