Due September - Thread 5! 🐣❤️🧡💛

[Lillers]

New thread! Can’t believe we’re on 5 already.

To my total surprise, we are adding another baby GIRL to the group! I still can’t quite believe it, but given how stubborn she was during the scan… perhaps I shouldn’t be so surprised 😅. Little madam literally had her bum to us, with her legs crossed, so it took quite some time and me jumping around to find what was needed!! Very funny. All looking great & measuring well so far.

I’m so excited 💗

@WolfMother326 urgh that sounds stressful. Hopefully your Dr can arrange a blood test for you. Fingers crossed it's just a cold!

@Emmaev they'd forgotten to make me a consultant appointment! (due to post partum haemorrhage and placenta having to be manually removed last time). Hopefully I'll get mine through soon. My midwife said it'll be straightforward enough - I'll just need a cannula in when I arrive at hospital in case I need to be put on a drip. I'm guessing you'll be more complicated though?

Apologies if this has come up already and I've missed it in the chat - but is anyone else slightly worried about care/staffing at their local hospital? My friend gave birth recently and while it was all OK, she needed a cannula and the midwife had been brought in at short notice from a rural birth centre and hadn't done a cannula for 15 years 😬 then she could have the epidural she asked for because they ran out of time. I've heard so many stories recently. Things weren't ideal at DS's birth either, nothing dramatic but could have been better.

Congratulations @Bakerbean

@YellowZ i had to chase it up with my midwife who contacted them in the end. So maybe worth asking your midwife.

This might be tmi but I woke up early this morning with the worst diarrhoea, my stomach is in absolute knots now. Feel so ill. I don’t think I’ve had anything different to my partner and DD so no idea what this is

@YellowZ this is a big concern of mine at the hospital - there are two in my area one which is where the Lucy letby case was and is still rated as needing improvement so everyone including me goes to the other hospital. But I know people who have gone to give birth and there been turned away because it's so busy so you have to then drive an hour to the other hospital it's pretty scary!
My brother is a consultant anaesthetist there though so I am really hoping he turns out to be working when I go in and can get me a bed!

@WinsandSam yikes that's shit! That would have made me cry buckets too!

@Xur ah hopefully after you get your time to relax for a bit. Sounds like you'll be more than ready!

@WolfMother326 hope you feel okay today. There really is so much going around so the sore throat and aches could be the start of the damn cold that's doing the rounds 🤞🏼 I don't know anyone that's not had it and we're a no children family (so far) hope you get some reassurance soon

@Bakerbean congratulations 💕 another girl! Think we must be about even on the thread now but I can't keep up. Would love to know.

@YellowZ yes this worries me too. I've read my local hospitals quality care report a few times and it's all 'good' but the comments to improve included not enough staff on the maternity ward and not all maternity staff up to date with recent training which is slightly concerning. It's hard to not want to add something on the birth plan when it's done or speak to my consultant about it but I think that might be a bit twatty of me but it's purely because I'm a bit worried.

Congrats @Bakerbean 🌸✨
I’d also love to know the tally haha! Perhaps the Facebook group could do one?

I have been to out of hours and pharmacist in Cornwall 😂🤦🏼‍♀️
not how I thought I’d spend the holiday
they said it looks like tonsillitis but as it’s already been 5-6 days it should sort it’s self out doesn’t sound like strep
come back in 2-3 days if not better! (Yay)

I have some throat spray which I wasn’t keen to take but it does say on nhs website okay if approved my pharmacy and max 2 days use. Also some Kool&Sooth head patches and keep getting violent headache.

there is so much going around just typical I got it when I’m away! 🫣 feel better soon all out there suffering.

@YellowZ I have a huge fear of needles and when I was in labour with my son I refused to have a cannula put in unless the person could get it in first time as otherwise I would refuse point blank any further attempts. They brought in an experienced anaesthetist to do it for me 😂 I was out of my mind on drugs and having a mental health crisis during the labour and they were worried about me 😂

@WolfMother326 it must be so stressful! Please remember it’s a very small portion of ladies who have an effect on the pregnancy, normally only cases where the body really suffers with an infection is where the risk of complications is higher! I hope it’s a cold(or just an scare) and I will have my fingers crossed! Please indulge in vitamin C to boost your body against whatever it is!💜

@Bakerbean congratulations on the princess news! 👑👑👑

I had my midwife appointment today, had my urine tested for protein and it came back all clear. Whew!!
We listened in to the baby and as soon as she put the microphone to the belly there was a loud “BAM”! The baby kicked the microphone! Can you imagine that, so small and already has an attitude! 😂

Well I had a bit of a teary morning! Had my consultant appointment and left feeling very worried. Basically I have had ITP (low blood platelets) for the past 7 or so years and my platelet levels usually stick around the 80 mark which is fine and just requires monitoring. From the booking in blood test (8 weeks) to last week (15 weeks) it dropped from 78 to 49. I was expecting it to decrease but not this much this early on! Doctor seemed quite chill and said she had a woman previously with 5 so not to worry to much and just lots of monitoring at the moment but steroids and transfusions may need to happen if they drop too low. I am particularly worried as I have my wedding booked abroad in Greece in June. Doctor just said to check with travel insurers but my mum is saying I should postpone till next year! So overwhelming 😭 does anyone have any good recommendations for travel insurance and pregnancy? Mine were a bit vague and said normal pregnancy isn’t covered but complications are.

@Catmumma2 that sounds a lot to take in especially with your wedding in the mix. Re travel insurance have a look at staysure travel they are the only company who would cover my partner abroad for his autoimmune condition and were very reasonable.

@rupertbear91 oh jeez I'd want to avoid the Lucy Letby hospital too 😬 I had a 40min drive from home to the hospital with DS. The birth centre nearer to where we lived then was closed because there weren't any staff. It was not a pleasant journey! My friend had a home birth, but was given a small gas and air canister to use in the car in case she needed to go to hospital - such a good idea!

@MudandMoet I'm thinking of switching hospitals. The one I originally chose has just had a new inspection published and now requires improvement. The other local one is 'good', BUT is the one that I've heard a few horror stories about. I think it's fair enough to ask your consultant or midwife about the report and staffing levels. Perhaps things have improved? I was thinking about asking my midwife about the reports for both hospitals...only thing is my next appointment isn't until June 😬I should have asked about it on Friday.

@SC126 haha it's good they listened! Was that pethidine that made you high? How are you feeling about this birth?

@Catmumma2 I wouldn't panic if the Dr isn't. Sounds stressful though. Could you time infusions etc around your wedding or is that not a thing? Infusions sound a bit grim, sorry.

@YellowZ it was the pethidine! Wouldn’t recommend. I had an emergency c section last time in the end so this time I’m going for an elective which I’m funnily looking forward to.

@SC126 yeah I had pethidine too. I'm hoping to avoid it this time. Long labour with DS, it didn't make me hallucinate or anything dramatic, but I was definitely felt like I went to a far-away place, inside myself. I've heard good things about elective C-sections being very calm.

@YellowZ yes the pethidine made me hallucinate and I thought I was screaming for hours but actually only 5 mins had past and I wasn’t even screaming 🙈 I also called my husband Batman and I kept saying the midwives hated me 😂😂 those poor midwives!

Sorry if I’m scaring any first time mums in the group. Every labour is different guys I promise.

Actually you're right @YellowZ I will mention it when I'm back at the hospital (think it's 16/04) always worth asking if the items on the list that 'required improvement' have improved at all. I can't really budge as the other hospital I could go to has been on the news recently for poor maternity performance so that's out of the question though I'm guessing right now they've seriously had to pull their socks up.

@MudandMoet i feel like unless you go private all nhs hospitals are sadly understaffed and struggling with an good service. It’s also worth bearing in mind that September is literally the busy month for midwives. The ward will be full and busy all month. I work in an nhs hospital and although it sucks when you don’t feel like you’re getting the best care I also can see how rushed around the staff are when it’s very busy. I’ll be birthing again at my workplace 🙈

Hahah @SC126 batman! The screaming part sounds...not so fun though.

Hmm yes, sorry I should have thought about mums doing it for the first time too. In general, I'm looking forward to giving birth again. Even if there are things that happen that are less than ideal, it's still a profound experience...and it can be fun swapping stories afterwards haha.

@MudandMoet you'd hope they take the reports seriously and try to make changes. With the training thing, the report for one of the hospitals I looked at said that staff training was 90% complete against an 85% target, you could ask what the current percentage is for your hospital against target?

@MudandMoet sadly a lot of maternity care is inadequate or rated poor. I work as a nurse in the nhs and we are rated inadequate, but I assure you the care is good. It's all down to paperwork, waitlist, mandatory training etc. not direct patient care. I can't say it's the same everywhere but try not to worry too much.
We're short staffed, under funded and treated badly.
Swear it's the governments plan to privatise everything in the not so distant future!

Are many people opting for an elective c-section? I am, it's my first and I've always been terrified of pregnancy and particularly labour.. so feel it's my best option. I'm also scared of any medical procedures so not sure how it'll go.
My thinking is I'll feel more in control, know a time frame, recovery etc

@WinsandSam I am just due to my previous birth. I will say the procedure will be mostly calm. But the recovery after a C-section can be really hard. And be prepared that you will probably stay in a day or two afterwards. I’m sure you already know as a nurse that you will have clexane and can’t drive for 6 weeks etc.

@WinsandSam that's an interesting insight, thanks 🙂 so one of the hospitals I'm looking at has low staff morale. The other hospital seems to have a happier team with good leaders. According to the reports. I felt like, even if they're both really busy and understaffed the one with good team morale would be a better bet? I know obviously it's going to vary from shift to shift.

It's actually slightly stressful having a choice of hospital! With my son I didn't even think to check what rating the hospital had, because there was only one hospital nearish to me (lived somewhere v rural)

@SC126 yes the recovery I'm worried about. I've heard mixed things from friends and family. See what the consultant says but I can't see me changing my mind

@YellowZ yes must be hard, I didn't have a choice really. I live in a city with only one hospital so takes away the worry (although think our service has just gone from poor to good.)

Yes it's so hard, staff morale in our service is poor but actually people are really happy at work. I don't think many places are good, that's the nhs sadly!
We get so annoyed with the media and their lies! For example, I work in mental health. The media reported over 2000 deaths whilst under our care due to poor services and not preventing suicide. When looked further into only 2% were from suicide.. but were still being blamed for old age, heart attacks etc! Crazy

Omg, the December 2024 babies thread has just started! Aaaah I still can’t believe we’re not the newest on the board!