Due February 2024 Thread 5!! 🤰🩷💙

[MummyTo4BoysXXXX]

last thread is nearly full so thought I would make a new one for us all 😊

Sorry I should have added that all medications come with risks and side effects - these should be explained to you by the hospital/midwife

Thank you! I called the midwife back and she said to try with the gummies and if I become symptomatic she will refer me for an infusion.

@Ebonythoughts how do you get on with liquid iron like spatone? I've found that way better personally than the pills

I was taking that pre-pregnancy but I was severely anaemic so the GP advised that it wasn’t strong enough. Tried it in pregnancy during my first trimester and couldn’t keep it down. I might try it again and see.

Ladies be honest with me. I'm going to be 28w tomorrow so officially 3rd trimester (whoop whoop!) I'm so excited but also kind of nervous about the physical aspect of the 3rd trimester. For those that have had babies before, how bad is it? Like am I really going to not be able to tie up my own shoes? Will my back just hurt all the time? Will I get so big I can't drive? Am I going to start wetting myself?

I just need some honesty here about if I'm worrying too much or if I need to just suck it up!

@LavenderSweetPea my first pregnancy was fine until I hit 37 weeks and I became nocturnal.

Yes I was uncomfortable, couldn't shave my lady bits, ankles became cankles.
I drove until the day before I went in (induction)

I would say keep active as you can but listen to your body in the last few weeks.
Enjoy the peace whilst you can 😂

@LavenderSweetPea I've been wondering the same! I am now 28 weeks as of today and I've already noticed in the last couple of days that it feels like a bit of a strain to put my socks on.

@LavenderSweetPea your post made me chuckle.. that’s pretty much me already hahaha. On a serious note everyone is different.. I am WAY bigger this time around than before (hence why I’m already struggling with socks/wetting myself/back aches) but previously I’ve been pretty much “normal” until 38 weeks then it became a bit of a struggle. I am quite an active person though and HATE sitting around doing nothing. Like @Sunshineclouds11 said, try and stay active BUT listen to your body! It will be fine and just think, you’re on the home stretch now! 🩷

@LavenderSweetPea I think you know this already but, it's my first baby this one. To be 28 weeks on Sunday.

I am struggling to put my shoes on as bending over the belly + reflux make me feel like I cannot breathe and honestly I feel like I might just die if I spend one second more LOL what am I going to do later!?

I drop a bit of wee when I sneeze already :<

I cannot cycle anymore either and walking 30 min also make me feel like I'll die.

I used to be so active, cycling 30 min to and back from work, walking etc. perhaps my extra 12kg are not helping but I'm so scared what I'll do in the next 3 months 😭

@LavenderSweetPea I think everyone is different. I felt okay first time around, still went to work, parties, dinners, weddings and walked my dog a few miles daily.

This time around I definitely feel more tired and breathless. But I think part of that is I'm now commuting on the train (used to walk to work), have an under two year old, and am renovating a house.

Having said that friends of mine continued with the gym and spin classes etc pretty much up to their due dates. So I think some people feel very well with the third trimester. So wait and see how it is for you, and hopefully it's all okay!

This is my first pregnancy and I'm so out of breath at 29 weeks! And I'm huge.. worried about the remaining 11 weeks!! Not quite sure how it will go with driving etc as I go to the office everyday.

I had a question regarding nursing bras... I wanted to get them in advance but realised I have no idea what size would be appropriate! Do people normally wait right until the last minute to buy these?
My boobs haven't gotten that big just yet so I can't even gauge what will happen

@LavenderSweetPea this is my first too, third tri starts Tuesday for me and I've not long wet myself so I hope it doesn't become a regular thing 🤣

I’m glad ppl have mentioned “wetting yourself” I feel like when I go for a wee it then leaks out a bit after I’ve gone! So I have to dash back in to re - wipe!

Same.

I've started staying on the toilet to ensure all wee is out before I get up.

Discharge is still ridiculous. Is it for anyone else?

@Sunshineclouds11 I have lots of discharge, to extent my little girl who we're toilet training, saw and said I'd wet my knickers too as I use the toilet at same time typically to encourage her and gently chastise if any leaks...
It is getting a bit excessive so I asked to do a low vaginal swab at my 28 week appointment this week, but not heard from midwife so assume no news is good news as she said she would text 🤞

I am so ready to finish work already haha and finally got some annual leave approved so need to clarify some details and then can submit my final intentions of when starting mat leave 🙌🏻

Same, still quite a bit of discharge but I am still also using progesterone pessaries but only once a day now

@Ihatewinding I have my 28 week next week, what would the swab pick up?

I am dreaming about finishing work!! When are you hoping to leave?
I can't wait 🤭🤭

When do you finish them?

I remember them with my first (IVF) and they were bloody awful things

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I feel reassured it might be ok, or if not then it is what it is!

I've not really experienced so much discharge but like @Nemo145 I'm still using the progesterone daily so I feel like that kind of masks it

@Sunshineclouds11 i think I’m on them till the baby comes

@Sunshineclouds11 Most important thing I want to rule out is bacterial vaginosis as that can increase risks of premature birth and low birth weight. Though at this point I wouldn't mind 37-38 weeks as pretty done and only just started the third trimester! Also thrush but that wouldn't concern me but treatment might help with the copious discharge. More for reassurance really and so I can continue my toilet training lectures haha. You can always ask your midwife about it?

Have you decided when you're going off?
I work for NHS but will be finishing up with the patient facing side at 32+1 and using annual leave to cover that, but still attending weekly educational/non-clinical sessions so if all goes well I won't actually start mat leave until bang on 37 weeks (or week before if they don't approve the final week of annual leave). Not used any annual leave since July so glad now to make it work out like this, and defo helps being part-time as well so less days in general!

@Ihatewinding thank you for the info, I was going to raise it but didn't know what could be done/tested so will mention this thank you!

That sounds a good plan!

My AL starts in Jan so I'm going to wfh from Christmas, Mat leave to start 1st Feb and then I'm going to add AL onto the end. I would love to take AL from the new year but I know I'll regret it.
I done it this way with my first and it worked well. But I'm so ready to be off 😅

@Sunshineclouds11 defo raise it if it's bothering you enough to be thinking about it. You may find midwife reassurance is enough but I think I know too much from medical side for that, even though I can rationalise I have no other symptoms consistent with BV like fishy smell, etc 🙈 ofc your midwife might go overboard and send you to Triage if think could be waters, and obvs if you think could be then should ring Triage rather than wait for your midwife!

This is my second too and have been counting down the days for at least a month haha. Honestly it's mainly the bad sleep and pain from PGP/SPD kicking off 10 weeks earlier this time, but I did 12.5h night shifts until 28 weeks and 12.5h days until 32 weeks with my first, and I was vomiting all way until due as well! My resilience is so much worse this time around, mentally and physically, so think would end up signed off if not on AL anyway tbh. It's good you can WFH and hopefully that makes those last weeks more bearable 🤞I do worry about going over and losing the time with baby though.

Whilst we're discussing that region, can anybody recommend any knickers? At this point I'm willing to pay ££ if they're good. I've tried a few pairs now and they're either uncomfortable and the elastic digs in, or saggy and falling down if I size up!

I’m starting to feel really grossed out about how my breasts are touching my chest, feels like they’ve massively drooped. Should I be wearing a bra all the time, or would that make it worse?