Due January 2024, Part 7!

[RG9895]

Thought better make a new one!

There's a midwife on Instagram called the heavyweight midwife, she answers lots of things about 'plus size pregnancy'

@Matildahoney yes there is. She keeps cropping up on my TikTok

@Mummyme87 oh thanks I'll definitely have a read into it! I know you can get a lot of rubbish when overweight, I was warned by a few people when I told them I was pregnant! Been fine so far so just hope it continues. I've not really had an opinion whether I give birth in an MLU or labour suite, was hoping I could get some info from the consultant when I speak to them.

Are there any major benefits for an MLU? I know it's a bit comfier generally but other than that, no idea on the pros/cons!

@Mummyme87 thank you so much for all the information! I'm like @Onedayatatime24 and never really had a strong opinion about MLU or not but not really sure of the differences. The only thing I don't really want is to be induced if I can help it!!

I love the heavyweight midwife and the Facebook group is so helpful and supportive!

Depends on your MLU, but you have access to
birthing pool, usually bigger rooms with more equipment to utilise, it’s a calmer environment, some have aromatherapy/diffusers/dimmed lights, just nicer environment. Run by midwives so no pressure from doctors outside, midwives are more set up for normal birth and encouraging of ways to labour normally without intervention (I say this as a labour ward midwife, it criticising LW MW at all but I see this alllll the time).

I really recommend everyone reads the Positive birth company book, how to give birth better. It’s very very good

@Mummyme87 we have 2 rooms here in the MLU which is my plan, however what happens if they're both being used when I go into labour, do you just have to go to labour ward anyway?

Also our birthing pool is out of action and has been for months (since July?!) they're still saying it'll be fixed but no idea when so probably not going to have access to that which is a shame!

@suz2285 yes would need to go to labour ward if all full, but can move out to MLU as soon as physically made free, that happens with us, although on the whole birth centre isn’t usually full.

Hopefully the pool will be fixed before December/January.

@Mummyme87 thanks! That's what I was assuming! I honestly thought it would be fixed by now but it's not looking that likely at this point! 😂 plan is to labour at home
For as long as possible but you know what happens about plans!

@suz2285 same here! There's 4 rooms in the MLU but the pool has been out of action for...well I think all this year or so based on the website updates. No idea if or when it will ever be in action again.

With DD I unintentionally birthed at home, when our community midwife got to my home I was 5cm but DD was in distress so she called for ambulance and I gave birth 15 minutes after arriving at labour ward…DD actual birth was scary due to the circumstances but at least now I know my body can cope with labouring at home as I didn’t even realise I was in labour 🤣
DS1 was different as I was induced so spent the full time in hospital.

Suddenly feel like time is ticking on and I need to get stuff sorted.

I've got a kitchen to to in before baby is here, and got nothing but an abundance of cute babygrows 🤣

Not even thought about my birth plan. I admit after a traumatic birth first time round I feel disheartened by making plans, when I feel like they get thrown out the window anyway. Anybody on here having an elective section?

That's how I felt too @Luhou , after my traumatic births. However, I have found thinking about it again with an open mind and educating myself about options, what can happen, how to communicate with medical teams etc, has been really healing for me and I am not so terrified by birth like I was when I first looked at the positive pregnancy test all those months ago.

On house renovations.... DH is sending me mad! He is such a perfectionist with it. I caught him sanding the painted walls between layers of paint. I had hoped to get our bedroom and hallway done too before baby arrives but at this rate we are going to be lucky if he even finished the boys bedroom he started a month ago

That's interesting @Kalodin maybe I will feel better for reading up on everything a bit more. I definitely feel like until now I've been burying my head in the sand about it all.

I feel at ease with some of our others house renovations not being complete but I desperately want my kitchen done. We've put an extension on the back of the house which is now finished we just need the kitchen in! Our current kitchen is just horrific!

I hope it does @Luhou , apparently a lot of birth trauma can be linked to feeling out of control and not knowing what's going on (definitely true for both mine) and so a good way to mitigate that is through education about having various options known about. Best of luck.

I get the kitchen thing completely although I've now admitted defeat on getting that done this side of Xmas. Currently it's just a shell with a sink, small table and chairs, oven and a very old fridge freezer. Oh and a pantry cupboard that seriously needs ripping out.

Another one here dealing with house reno stress! We didn’t have any heating until yesterday because of it. Was hoping our bedroom would be done by December but now that’s looking sketchy, haven’t even started on the nursery and have a spare room and 2 bathrooms to finish before then! Eek.

@Luhou as @Kalodin said, a lot of birth trauma can be related to lack of control in a situation. Birth plans are never thrown out the window, sometimes need adjusted.
honestly read the PCB how to give birth better book. My colleague who is super medicalised as a labour ward midwife, 45 IVF, is now wanting a home birth. Not because it’s airy fairy and it makes you believe it will all be easy and fine, it’s just about regaining control.

Is anyone else having trouble logging in to BadgerNotes? Keep trying to log in using my NHS log in and just keeps closing the app. 🤦‍♀️

Hi all hope you’re all well
Had my 28 week appointment today, all was fine and measuring bang on 29 weeks so no issues but the midwife just rang and she’s looked on my notes and I have to start Claxane injections now until 6 weeks after birth 😭 Basically my Mam has had DVT when I was young and is on blood thinners all the time but I never had to in my 3 previous pregnancies but because I have 3 risk factors now I have to. Anyone else been on this ? I’m so worried now 😩

Thanks @Kalodin and @Mummyme87 that's given me the kick up the bum I needed to try and start thinking about a birth plan.

Yes with my previous pregnancy @Dannic2018 , the first few were tricky but mainly because of the thought of them. I'm unsure if guidance etc has changed, so do ask your MW, but I was shown various places I could stab them. I found doing it in my chubbiest parts on my upper thighs, bum and belly to be best places, and to pinch the skin as I was doing it and for a few seconds afterwards.

I need to do mine. I've filled in the birth preferences on my pregnancy notes and was thinking I'll just go with the flow. I mean an official 2 minute labour to birth on my notes with ds kind of indicates that there will be no time to actually deal with a plan (I arrived at hospital fully expecting to be sent home, they triaged me straight into labour suite and ds was here 20 minutes from my presentation) but maybe I should do a bit of planning?

My DH has ‘surprised’ me with a birthing ball today. Seems apt to eat a slice of cake whilst sat on it 🤣

I kind of know my birth plan/birth preferences just not on paper.
my itching follow up bloods were all good yesterday, will have them repeated in two weeks again as have still had itchy palms. Seeing midwife today for ‘28 week appt’.

No Covid symptoms yet and it’s been over a week since I was with my aunty who tested positive, so will try and get the vax maybe Thursday

@Kalodin thanks so much. I got upset last night as no one has ever mentioned it to me so I wasn’t prepared. 18 weeks is along time and it’s just another thing to worry about. I think I’ll get my husband to do it for me. Really struggling with walking yesterday and feel so achy already, next 11 weeks are going to feel long 😩