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

@Thack I won’t be telling anyone until a few hours after baby is born too. The thought of getting a stream of texts from mum and dad and MIL is not something I want while I’m going through it. And it’ll be nice to have a few hours of (hopefully) calm before all the excitement of telling people.

I have even told everyone that doctor will let me go 14 days over, even though it’s actually only 7. My mum actually text me yesterday saying I have to tell her as soon as I go into labour, but it seems pointless, nobody can come visit as we live in a completely different country. And I already get a million texts a day asking how me and the bump are doing, so it’ll just annoy me 🥴

3 shifts left at work! Hallelujah! I don’t think I’d mind as much if it wasn’t for the commute. Exactly 2 weeks left till due date, although I am still pretty sure baby is gonna hang on until they decide to induce me!

@Psqueak87 My baby sits high too ( I’m nearly 38 weeks) and I’ve just discovered “ spinning babies”, apparently it’ll help baby engage and get in position for labour. So I’m doing all the movements they’re suggesting to try and get the baby to engage. I really don’t want to be induced! Google it and see what you think.

@Travellingislife oh thank you for that! I’ve heard of spinning babies and had just assumed it was relating to spinning a breach baby around! Lol. I’ll deffo look into that and start doing it!!

Hi everyone. My hospital appointment was terrible. Saw a doctor I’d never seen who had absolutely no clue about my history, clearly hadn’t read any of my notes. Not his fault, I feel that it’s just the strain of the nhs maybe? But it was honestly so contradictory given the last seven weeks I’ve had. My bloods were lowering and I was having weekly bloods to check the downward trend which is brilliant.
Theyve started rising this week again (they were at severely dangerous levels a month ago and we almost had to be transferred to Manchester, we are in wales, to have baby at 30 weeks) and he wanted to repeat them in TWO weeks?
But if the bloods I had today have risen by too much, they may section me next week. Make it make sense?!. Luckily, the midwife i spoke to afterwards agreed with me and found it ridiculous, and has told me to return for bloods next week.

I really don’t think an extremely high risk pregnancy should be seeing a doctor who has had no time to read any previous history, especially not at almost 36 weeks when plans are being put in place. He is clearly an extremely educated man, and he was lovely but honestly they could have pulled anyone in off the street today and told me anything and it would have made the same sense as what he was saying.

Section date has been given - 8th November. But could very easily change to earlier.

Had my last day in work today. Feeling sad to be leaving but it’s definitely the right time.

@GreenAventurine as great as the NHS is, I’m so sorry for you all having to deal with it. The medical system isn’t perfect in Canada but it’s so much better. My mum and dad can’t even get an appointment in wales. It’s sad that they’re now at the age where they need to use it, but it doesn’t seem to be available to use!

glad you managed to get a c section date! ❤️

It’s scary the way it’s going. I can’t fault the doctors and people I’ve seen on a caring level. But today it was clear to see he’d not had any chance to look at anything and wasn’t even sure why I was there. Worrying.

@GreenAventurine
Sorry to hear that...I think it is the system not the staff - they are clearly over stretched.
Went in to the assessment unit as wasn't feeling well at my local hospital the other week and had to wait 8hours to be seen.

Sorry to those managing higher risks and especially those getting messed about, so much stress.

On the topic of not wanting section date known widely, anyone got tips for what to reply if you’re asked directly by someone you’d rather not tell? I’ve already had this twice (my dad helpfully told whole wider family I needed the section). So far I’ve just lied and said I don’t have date yet, but that doesn’t feel great and will get less convincing as time goes on, but they’ll just think I’m being precious if I try ‘I’d rather not say’. Maybe I am just being precious! But I just feel anxious and vulnerable over it all and don’t really want to be dealing with messages on the day from people I’m not even close with. Plus I’m aware I could be bumped on the day for emergencies, which will be disappointing enough without having to update a whole list of people who just don’t need this level of detail! Like someone else said, would just prefer to announce once we’re hopefully both safely out the other side, as it would be with a spontaneous labour.

I’m sticking with they still havnt given me a date. Because everything is up in the air with when I’ll have baby, I might find it easier though? I’m having mine at the latest 38+4 so I think I’ve got some time to wangle the lie haha.

I agree, it’s absolutely the fact of them being overstretched. I feel like they are all trying their absolute best.

@reememberly I told people in work that my induction is this week but was upfront that I'm not sharing the date because I don't want expectation/pressure. Everyone was OK with that, but I guess that depends on how pushy people are. Best to "not have a date" for as long as possible, or keep on "meeting with doctor next week to plan"

@reememberly I’d lie and tell them a date a couple of days / one week after the one you’ve been given!

I know it feels shitty lying, but it’s for your own sanity, and there’s really no harm. If anything it’ll be exciting for them as it’ll be a surprise when it happens earlier than expected!

I lied and told my mum that my induction will be at 42 weeks instead of 41 because I KNOW she will be messaging me relentlessly. I know her messaging comes from a good place, I’m generally calm and chilled person, but the relentless badgering makes me feel stressed and suffocated! Same reason as only my partner and I will know if I do go into labour naturally before then. Even today I had to mute the family chat with my mum, dad and brother as she wouldn’t stop asking questions, the same questions I’ve answered for weeks on end! Lol.

It's good to read it's not
Just me that wants to keep things quiet around my section date. I've had to tell my mum as she is our child care, but I've not told anyone else. I keep saying my due date which is a week afterwards.

I did this last time with my daughter, I knew which date she was coming, but told everyone else a week later.
For some reason I haven’t managed it this time and I already wish I had!
I can just see me being the one who ends up a day or two later due to emergencies and being bombarded with messages that I cba to answer. If that happens I think I will come up with a generic reply and just copy and paste that to anyone who is bugging me!

Thanks all, will just try and carry on being vague as poss then I think, although I have one aunt who is not easily fobbed off! I love her, but she can be a lot and would easily give Jeremy Paxman a run for his money when it comes to persistent questioning. 😂

And good luck with the induction @Thack!

I can't believe babies are starting to come! Congratulations to all those who've had theirs and good luck to the inductions coming up.

I've just had a text through that I'm still carrying Group B Strep :(
They only tested as I tested positive last year when I was having tests for secondary infertility.

The midwife said I should be able to have the antibiotics during labour through a small catheter rather than a drip so I'll be able to move around. Anyone else in the same position? I suppose it's good to know.

I'm just so keen to avoid interventions that it's taken the wind from my sails a little. My last labour was induced, very medicated and ended in an EMCS so this time round I wanted to be all mother nature about it if I could... ah well.

@Alloveragain3 I declined the testing, if you’re positive the NHS page says that the risk of it transferring to baby during labour is in 1 in 1,750 (0.057%) yet up to 40% of us carry group B strep. The risk to baby is really very very small.

It seems like a massive overuse of antibiotics at a time when baby’s gut bacteria is first forming and when breastfeeding is being established and the antibiotics can cause nipple/mouth thrush. The US tests everyone and gives antibiotics to everyone who’s positive yet their outcomes historically for babies in relation to GBS are no better than ours where testing is a very recent thing and only on a trial basis in certain trusts.

Sara Wickham has a short book about it called group B strep explained. I haven’t read it but I’ve read some of her other books and they were recommended to my by midwife in my last pregnancy.

Thank you for this info, that's really helpful. I'll have to consider all options.

@Alloveragain3 just to jump in on the strep B topic... I haven't personally had this during my pregnancies but my mum had strep B when she gave birth to me and this was undiagnosed. My mum recognised something was wrong and demanded tests after I was born and turns out at 3 days old she had passed it on to me and I developed a blood infection from, I was transferred to NICU so it was very touch and go. Obviously I recovered and as far as I'm aware there are no lasting effects but if my mum had not of pushed for this it could have been a very different outcome. Just because of this I would never decline antibiotics if the test came back positive as this would be my fear. This is not to say anything like this could happen to you or your baby, just thought I would share my family experience so that you could consider all options x

@xLMCx Thank you for this.

I'm generally a cautious over thinker so I'm likely to take the antibiotics. I'm currently looking into taking probiotics at the same time and will hopefully breastfeed.

DS has bad eczema and allergies, so I'm really keen to protect baby's gut microbiome and antibiotics are a bump in the road, but probably the best way forward.

No worries at all. I can understand the cautiousness with DS1's eczema and allergies. Ultimately you will know what is best for you and your children, whichever way forward you decide I, of course, wish you and little one all of the best :)

Sorry to jump in on the Strep B conversation but my friends baby has only recently returned home from NICU after she unknowingly passed it on to baby (she wasn't offered testing sadly). Thankfully baby is on the mend now but it was very serious and was touch and go on whether baby would make it at multiple points throughout the 8 weeks that baby was in hospital. It's uncommon it does happen.

I had strep B earlier in pregnancy and will be tested again soon. Risk of passing to baby is 1:400, antibiotics take risk down to 1:5000. If baby does catch it 1 in 19 babies die, 1 in 14 will have a long term disability as a result. I'll be taking the antibiotics.

1:400 may be low, but I know many that got that result from the combined screening test would want a NIPT. If you're that 1 in 400, the risks of 1 in 14 and 1 in 19 of disability or death are just too high for me to want to risk it.

https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/pregnancy-complications/group-b-strep-strep-b-and-pregnancy

Great to hear a range of responses here.

I just had a urine test at the midwife centre to make sure I don't have a Strep UTI and then plan to have the antibiotics, but hopefully not from a drip so I can remain mobile.