Due May 2024? Part 3

[Sa11yCinnamon]

Just kicking off a new thread, hoping no one else does it at the same time!

@Athena1984 hope all is ok, keep us posted xx

"I'm excited to meet her & be a family, but scared as she is my first & I don't know what to expect." - that's how I feel with my existing due date so I can only imagine it ramping up with the possibility of it all happening sooner!

Sending you a big hug and all the positive vibes, I'm sure she will be absolutely fine whenever she arrives xx

I'm having a tea party this weekend which I have been asked if it's a baby shower by a few. I also just want to get friends together for cake and keep it low key, but one friend has offered to bring some leftover 'baby prediction' sheets she has and I conceded. Just hope I haven't taken on too much hosting!

@Clarkey34 that does sound like a lot to process, the usual first time mum stuff on overdrive! I do hope you can take concrete actions to prepare and take care of yourself

@Clarkey34 Sorry to have missed your updates. Sounds like you have alot going on. Hope you are being well looked after and that you are taking good care of yourselves. X

@Clarkey34 oh wow! Hope everything goes ok and take care! Must be scary knowing it might happen sooner than u think! I'm a first timer too so can imagine how scary it must be! I am sure all will be fine 🤞 X

Hi @Clarkey34 - thinking of you, hope you get the answers you need and that you're happy with the plan they put forward.

We're also having a bit of a time and our section has been brought forward to April 30th (38 weeks) and could be borough forward again to April 23rd (37 weeks) depending on how the management of my gestational diabetes goes.

@newbie12345678 oh gosh, that's soon! How do you feel about it? x

Over the last few days I have been finding myself having intrusive thoughts and increasingly anxious that the baby isn't going to be ok. There aren’t any physical symptoms that would make me doubt this, apart from a return of nausea and sickness (and some fresh red blood in my vomit). I called the midwife triage unit about that for reassurance and they don't seem worried, just told me to monitor, but I'm getting a bit obsessed with baby's movements. I woke up in the night, had a snack and waited until I felt some strong ones before I felt I could go back to sleep. Baby is still wriggling away so this is mental health, I have my next midwife appointment on Tuesday so will tell her about it then, and talk more to my husband, but just wanted to share and see if anyone can relate. I have had bouts of anxiety in the past but have had support and it's not a day to day issue.

@Yourowgirl Is it worth you speaking to your GP in the interim or you could phone a local mental health charity? Ours does a text / WhatsApp service which I have used when I have struggled to "talk" about my feelings. Equally please phone your midwife back if you have any concerns whatsoever.

On the Tommy's website, they have abit about mental health advice on there as I was given that by my midwife (I will try and find a link and add it for you).

Unfortunately I see the perinatal midwife for a few mental health concerns that have reared their ugly heads since being pregnant so whilst I have similar thoughts to you and an increased worry about labour and it all going wrong, I'm not sure how much is "normal" and when it should be seen as a concern.

Just remember to be kind to yourself and try to relax about things as much as possible x

@Yourowgirl I cant find the link but have found the Tommy's midwifery led pregnancy helpline, for anyone worried about mental health during pregnancy 08000147800.

Take Care and please remember your not alone x

Thank you so much @MrsB2005 sorry to hear about your own mental health struggles in pregnancy. I have looked at NHS and Tommy's but I guess I am also wondering how severe it is and whether I can find ways to cope in the interim or should make a GP appointment before I see my midwife. Planning to have a relaxing evening because the last couple of days have been quite full on as well. I was quite anxious at times in early pregnancy but have had a good level of wellbeing since January, and now it's creeping in again... thank you again for your supportive words x

Hi @Yourowgirl - no particular advice but just wanted to say that I also struggle badly with anxiety. I have OCD to begin with and pregnancy has taken it to a new level. I very much relate to your post and hope you know that you are at least not a lone! I think it has to be more common than we realise. Intrusive thoughts are so hard to deal with. Sending love

@Sa11yCinnamon - I feel good about it being relatively soon as I am quite anxious about everything so I just want to get there. Otherwise I feel like we have a lot to do to get prepared practically but I feel excited too.

Well this week has been an eventful one for us! Another potential April baby over here. 🌼

We were sent for a growth scan as fundal height had ever so slightly dropped on the graph since last appt — expected nothing to come of this and was actually expecting to hear she was a giant, as all of our family babies have been! However we were told she is only measuring on 7th centile & there is some cord flow resistance which they were a little concerned about. They aren’t sure whether this is FGR or if she’s just always been small.

After a couple of hours of monitoring yesterday and seeing the consultant we are potentially looking at a section next week (35+4) although we are hoping we can hang tight until 37 weeks! On red alert for reduced movements in the mean time until next week’s cord check appointment. If the flow is worse I will need to deliver, if it has improved they will let us go another week.

Was naively hoping for that dreamy water birth however we are now looking at the total opposite end of the spectrum with a hospital section for baby’s safety! But it’s ok, we are wrapping our heads around everything and above all just hoping she gets here safe and sound when she’s ready. She’s just under 4.5lbs at the moment. Can’t wait to meet her. 💕

Oh wow, can't believe we may have a few April babies! Hope you can hang on til 37 weeks @junebuglb, it sounds like you're being very calm and pragmatic so well done x

Sending big hugs to everyone who's struggling a bit, it really isn't easy. Definitely don't be afraid to reach out for help, I think women are quite often stoic and don't want to bother anyone but mental health is so important, especially now. These wee babies need us to look after ourselves so we can look after them x

Light hearted post - no offence intended

Ladies, I need your help to settle an ongoing pregnancy / baby related debated that is currently on going in my house - whereby my pregnancy hormones are questioning my choice of partner 😅

Baby nursery is the box bedroom (was teen boy gaming room), which we have jointly decorated and furnished lovingly in neutral tones; however it repeatedly looks like I imagine the stock room of a baby shop ... there is not only all the nursery furniture but the pram / car seat / bouncer / crib / moses basket etc etc which ends up almost being piled in there "out of the way", I frequently moan about this as I hate the way it looks but am reluctant to move things out of there and "clutter" other areas of the house when its not being used yet and hopefully wont for some weeks and always (nearly) apologise for grumbling.

This week however DH has taken it upon himself to take control of this, and has moved everything that wont be staying in the room out of there ... 2 days, most things stayed on the landing where the children have tripped / moved it etc etc ... tonight he has moved the carseat base into the car, the carseat & pram are currently in our dining room, and everything else is in our family / playroom ... in the BLOODY way of the children playing / watching tv etc.

He argues I moan about the nursery and now hes muttering to himself as I have asked him to put it all back ... to save our marriage and stop us from divorcing ... who is right??

Disclaimer: This is light hearted and once he takes the youngest to her club shortly I will take it back upstairs and put it how I want it and he will come home knowing full well what I will have done and just give me the knowing look and all will be forgiven.

@Yourowgirl I’ve been getting a bit anxious about baby’s health towards the end of pregnancy. I’ve had worse health in this pregnancy than my previous one and it makes me feel like my body doesn’t have what it takes to grow a healthy baby. I was also nervous at the start but felt better during the second trimester.

Despite that, my anxiety was much worse in my first pregnancy, I think in part because the idea of growing a little life was so huge that I couldn’t get my head around it or believe I could actually do it. I was convinced my baby wasn’t going to make it and convinced my anxiety was some kind of premonition but in the end I ended up with a healthy and happy little boy. Just wanted to reassure you in case you get into the same cycle that I did of mistaking my fears for some kind of intuition.

@junebuglb Oh my goodness!! Fingers crossed little one stays healthily put untill 37 weeks.

Hope everyone else is doing OK - I still cant believe we are all in our final few weeks. It seems a lifetime ago, the thread was started as we all got our BFPs.

I flit between being excited to an absolute nervous wreck and back again daily although I am now at the stage where it feels like a gym work out to get dressed / undressed especially my socks and shoes so I am looking forward to hopefully being able to do these again with ease soon.

@junebuglb wow that’s so soon! I’d love my wait for baby to be over but can also see why you want to hold on until 37 weeks - fingers crossed for you x

I think if someone feels as though they're struggling with MH concerns, it's always a good idea to reach out to someone. It doesn't need to be severe, its all relative and there are different levels of support available.

I called my midwife last week because of some anxiety I was feeling and she was very supportive. She said that it's always worth mentioning and like any other pregnancy concerns, they'd rather you called a bunch of times than not and suffer.

Sending everyone positive vibes, we've all got this ladies, we've all come a long way and we're far from alone in this ❤️

In any and all disputes at this stage of pregnancy, you are right!!

I have a similar issue, I'm in a two bedroom flat where the spare room was previously my office/gym/guest room and is now chock full of baby stuff without having really cleared out anything else, it's driving me mad. Solidarity!

@Sa11yCinnamon Thanks Lovely!!

I will show DH later that I am right, and dare him to question a whole forum of heavily pregnant ladies ...

He dropped DD off last night and came back to help and has actually managed to make it slightly more organised in the nursery (Not that I shall ever tell him, that his idea was better than mine) 😉

I must stay off of social media where everyone has the perfect house / nursery and not a damn thing out of place! Apologies to anyone on here, who has such a home - please share tips on where all the random "stuff" lives ...

@MrsB2005 Your light hearted post made me laugh. I'm glad DH realised you were right.
We've had similar in our house, that I want the room to actually look like a nursery, with everything in place and DH is so blasè about it, saying she isn't even going to be in there for another 6 months at least.
Obviously I've won the battle and nearly everything is sorted in there 🤣

Sorry to hear a lot are struggling, please reach out & speak to someone if you are struggling. Hope things start to ease more soon.

Just an update from me, so after the day on Monday & being told she is potentially going to arrive at 37 weeks. At my scan/appointment on Wednesday, we got told everything was fine & no need to deliver early.
I'm so confused & baffled by it all, but the main thing is baby is ok.
I'm now very concerned that I will be having a little 10lb monster though 🫣 She is also 7lb 5oz with 4 weeks left.

@MrsB2005 I went through a phase of a pregnancy-induced hate of our flat a couple of months ago (ie thinking it’s not adequate for a family three let alone four). For some reason unknown to me my mind just switched and I stopped worrying about it. It seems to be a bit of a theme during my pregnancy - things getting really under my skin for a while and then suddenly they don’t bother me!

@Clarkey34 I am worried about a large baby too! My son was just over 4kg and that was a low PAPP-A pregnancy so they thought that was going to restrict his growth a bit. This time I have no such problems and worry that means Im going to grow a monster!

How is everyone with iron problems going with getting their levels up? I found out yesterday that my haemoglobin has gone from 100 to 118, which is great, but now I have a B12 deficiency, which means I have to get injections every other day for the next couple of weeks. I’m hoping this might finally help me feel better as I have a racing heartbeat and lots of breathlessness, but not loving the thought of lots of needles!

@PeppedUp I've not had my iron rechecked since being put on tablets, but can't see I'm feeling much difference and it's been 5 or 6 weeks now. I hope the B12 injections help you!