October 2024 Babies thread 2 👶

[Nic2908]

Seems we got to the end of a thread. Not sure if a new one has been set up.

No judgment but I just love this topic as I'm going for one. How come you aren't just planning for a vbac?

@Oct24 sorry below was for you x

@mrssunshinexxx. A few reasons.
Firstly and most importantly my mum lives abroad from us. Due to Covid she missed when my son was born and didn't get to meet him until he was 16m. We want to make sure she's here for the birth this and have the magical grandma experience of holding her newborn grand-baby.
Secondly, my EMC was very traumatic and I still have a lot of feelings about it. I feel a planned one will be calmer, easier on my mental health and I know what to expect. Taking all the guess work out of it.
Thirdly. I'm giving birth a beautiful private hospital and you get a 4 night stay with a C section. It'll be basically a full expenses paid 5 star holiday while my mum and husband deal with a toddler at home. 😂

But I'm going to book it one day before my due date. If I go into labour naturally before then, then the gods have spoken and I may get the physiological birth I originally wanted 3yrs ago.

That all makes total sense @Oct24 I lost my mum when I was 35 weeks pregnant with my first so I can totally empathise with how much you want her there xx

@mrssunshinexxx I'm so so sorry. That must have been such a hard time for you. I hope you had/ have a lot of support. Sending you a huge hug. Xx

Interesting to hear on here and along my travels since birth of DS 18 months ago how many people invest hypnobirthing and then are so disappointed by ending up in theatre.

I remember this so well and felt I failed, also isolated hearing about other new mums birth stories, whilst some not great they all gave birth 'naturally'.

With delivery it seems not matter how much you prepare, what will be, will be.

Thanks @Oct24 my husbands great but since gone NC with one sister and my dad. It's been tough miss her madly x

Thanks all, I think I will complete the online hypnobirthing course but I understand that births just can't be predicted and it may not be helpful in the moment.

Feeling rotten today, have a bad phlegmy cough and keep heaving from that, but also feel sick. I've stayed off work, which I feel guilty for, but I don't feel well enough to go in!

I had an epidural with my daughter so I didn't feel any pain down there when it happened so I can't really say sorry! Annoyingly the epidural didn't work on my stomach or back so I still felt every bit of the contractions, but it numbed down there so small mercies haha xxx

@WickWood I did hypnobirthing with my first and I found it super helpful. I did an in person class for about 6 weeks and it was nice to chat to other couples too. I also avoided any negative talk around birth so avoided certain tv shows and conversation topics which I think helped a lot as I only thought of it as a positive experience. The midwife also explained things a lot better, just the actual “mechanics” (I can’t think of a better word) of pregnancy and how the baby comes out etc. I found that the antenatal class at the hospital didn’t really help with that. I learned a lot! And the relaxation track was perfect for helping me go to sleep. I was struggling but it was so peaceful and helped me to drift off.

I’m now about 10 and a half weeks and feel like I have a small bump but at week 6/7 I felt enormous!! It must have just been bloating as it’s definitely subsided now. I was worried I would need maternity trousers way too early!

@WickWood on tearing... please please dont worry about this, from someone who literally tore in every direction possible. Im not going to put the deets here as I know some of us in prep would rather not see things like this, but please be reassured by someone who has been through it, it's the last thing you'll be worrying about, if you're worried about it when pushing it'll delay your progress and recovery was absolutely fine for me, miles better than expected xx

Thanks all, that's reassuring to read. @Fullofconfusion That's good advice, I'm going to try and avoid anything negative about birth. X

Hope everyone is doing okay. I feel like the first weeks will drag, and then after that it'll fly?!

I didn’t get on the visualisation and happy clappy side of hypnobirthing but the breathing exercises from it and from yoga really helped me - I had a water birth with no pain relief.
I really liked the whole contracting muscles / pushing muscle contractions explanation. It really helped me to understand my body as things were happening.

Agree @WickWood it is dragging now but this is my third and wasn't planed we are starting a big side double extension early April and my eldest starts school in sep I just feel like it's going to be absolutely chaotic 😂 and before I know it I'll be packing my hospital bag!

Just had another scan. Little one is growing so fast! We could see tiny little arms and legs (stumps!) Baby was busy dancing away. Oblivious to us having a check in to say hi. Everything looking textbook and very uneventful. NIPT in two weeks.

It's starting to feel real now. I'm allowing myself to get excited. Just hoping the NIPT results are all good and then we're golden!

@Oct24 oh that's so lovely for you!

How far along are you? I have my first scan next week at 8+1 and was hoping to see little arm and leg stumps and something resembling a baby but wasn't sure if it's too early for that.

@Oct24 amazing news! We have our first (early private) scan on Saturday and I'm a big mix of anxious and excited. Just hope all is okay. I'll be 8 weeks then xx

@Oct24 That's wonderful, it's so exciting when you can actually see a baby shape moving around!

@SELE97 I found this website before my last scan which has some helpful videos to give an idea of what scans at different stages might look like (and my 9 week scan looked pretty much exactly like it said it would!), hopefully it's helpful for you in terms of what to expect: https://www.baby-scan.co.uk/8-week-scan/

@CluelessInLondon thank you so much that website was really helpful. It's nice to know what to expect to see in a scan I think, as if you go in expecting to see a baby but instead get a blob it may be disappointing😂 At least I know now and am still super excited, as long as there's a heartbeat I'm not bothered about anything else.

@SELE97 I'm 8+6 but little one is measuring 9+2. We're 100% sure on dates but this early there is only mm in it.

The nausea is back and kicking my arse today! I've been sick for the first time in well over a week. Any tips?

Congratulations!
what gestation are you having your NIPT at? I was going to do it at 10 as I'm sure my NHS stats will come back as high risk due to age, but now I'm not sure. Worried about doing it too early and not getting enough DNA in the blood sample

Okay sharing this here to just check it's not just me. Has anyone else been thinking about something that they used to eat loads of and now it just really grosses them out and makes them feel icky? I can't stop thinking about these wings that I used eat really regularly and used to love but now the thought of the smell of them just really make me cringe. I keep trying to think of something else but can't help think of those wings 😭 Is this food aversion?!

@Shootystealy it sounds like a food aversion! I’ve gone off loads of things, especially eggs, fish, meat and veg which I used to eat every day! All I want to eat is crumpets and chocolate biscuits 😂 everything else is serious effort to eat!

@Shootystealy I don't keep thinking about food, but I've definitely gone off a lot of my favourite things. I used to drink tonnes of coffee everyday, I now haven't touched coffee for like 7 weeks!