OCTOBER 2024 BABIES - Thread 4

[CluelessInLondon]

Just getting another thread going as we are about to run out of space on the old one - hope nobody minds me taking the initiative on it!

Previous thread here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/pregnancy/5028774-october-2024-babies-thread-3

@CharlieBalf That's exciting that you've got your section date booked, must be nice to feel like you've got a definite date to meet the little one (and to not be pregnant anymore!)? Sounds stressful with the house move and stuff though, that's hard enough when not pregnant. I'm the same as you with not feeling particularly well prepared - fortunately I haven't got any other children to worry about, but everyone in my antenatal class seems to have at least started packing their hospital bag and I haven't even got a bag out of the loft yet!

@RobynC28 My husband is picking up more of the cooking in the evenings - we normally take it in turns but I'm struggling a bit with chopping, peeling etc. because of the carpal tunnel so he's either taking over or helping me with the bits that are taking me ages. He also does all the jobs in the garden and usually does all the rubbish emptying and stuff, but he tended to do all of that anyway! I'm still doing the cleaning but I don't mind that as I've generally managed to stay pretty fit and mobile during pregnancy - we've also got a cleaner who comes every two weeks so I only need to do top-up cleaning. Could you see if your cleaner could come a bit more frequently while you're struggling to keep on top of everything, if money permits?

@Bee49 Thanks for the reassurance and for sharing your experience - I've seen a few posts where people have said they had GD tests after baby was measuring big but they came back clear so I'm hoping that will be the case for me. I haven't got any of the risk factors for it so I really hope I'm just growing a slightly big-tummied baby! The hospital has just called to book in my OGTT for Tuesday morning so hopefully it won't take too long to get an answer.

@Mitsky Could you do some batch cooking of a few things and then freeze individual portions for while your husband is away? I hate cooking for one as well, it feels like so much effort just for me - batch cooking might make it feel like less hassle as you're getting lots of meals out of it, and then on the day all you have to do is defrost and reheat.

@CharlieBalf have you tried magnesium? It’s the only thing that helps my restless legs. I take a daily tablet but people swear by leg cream too.

@CluelessInLondon after saying all that yesterday we had a growth scan today and this baby is off the chart for abdominal measurement. I’ve got a GD test on Friday. It was all fine with our son and I don’t have any of the risk factors but I’m now worrying about it too. Baby is also measuring big in general so I’m also worried about implications on birth. I was so desperate for an intervention free VBAC but I can feel it slipping away.

@Bee49 Oh no, sorry to hear you're in a similar boat with baby measurements. I hope the GD test goes okay and that you at least don't have that to worry about.

Has anyone else got experience with smaller measurements?
My fundal height for this pregnancy has been low enough to trigger growth scans (same last as last my pregnancy) but this time its continuing to drop centiles, I'm not putting on any more weight than what I initially gained and on the scan the baby is slowly dropping predicted weight.

I'm just getting a bit concerned about what's to come to deal with it if it carries on, a vitamin drip has been mentioned and regular scans now booked in rather than just rushing after a midwife appointment

Does anyone have the Agamatrix blood sugar machine for gestational diabetes? I'm not sure how many times a day I should be using it,. Haven't been able to speak to anyone at the diabetes team as its a weekend. Only got given it yesterday by a midwife. Thanks

Hi @AnxiousD
I've recently been diagnosed with GD recently too. My diabetic team want me to test on waking, and then 1hr after each of breakfast, lunch and dinner.
They want the first result to be under 5.3 and the post-meals readings to be less than 7.8
I found the Gestational Diabetes UK website really helpful for advice on what foods to be eating and what to avoid to help control blood sugars.

Has anyone had their midwife tell them about the RSV vaccine yet? Apparently it should be available from next week for ladies 28 weeks+

My sister told me the rsv vaccine is being rolled out but I assumed it would take forever to roll out and we would just miss out.
Fingers crossed we don't. DS got croup every winter for the first 3 years it was terrifying, rsv vaccine would mean one less thing to worry about

One of the other ladies in my antenatal class has the same due date as me (28th September) and she has been told she won't get the RSV vaccine. I'm going to ask my midwife about it at my appointment on Friday but I'm expecting it might not be rolled out quick enough for me. I'm guessing I potentially wouldn't build up enough immunity for it to be useful to baby before my due date anyway, although I'll have it if it's offered.

They start rolling the rsv vaccine from the 2nd of September. My GP booked me in for one that week after attending for something unrelated so I would recommend calling up to ask.
Pregnant women can also book their flu vaccine from that week.

I got a text on Friday and booked the first week of September!

@CluelessInLondon that's so unfair that they won't give her the jab! There are still several weeks for the antibodies to transfer across the placenta, plus all that might transfer during any breastfeeding she does afterwards. If I were her I would push to have it. October is the start of UK bronchiolitis season!

@CluelessInLondon I would definitely push to have it if you/the other mum in your class want it. The Gov website says mums can have it right up to giving birth but it will give greater protection the closer to 28 weeks it’s given!

We're packing baby's hospital bag. Do we need bottles and formula? None of the lists have bottles and formula on and I'm hoping to breast feed...

@Sara1988 It's probably worth asking your midwife - I checked with mine and she said if I'm planning to breastfeed but it's just not working out initially the hospital will provide some formula, but then if we need to carry on with formula we'll need to get our own. So I'm not taking any on that basis, but will send my husband to get some if we need it while I'm in hospital.

@CluelessInLondon are you colostrum harvesting? Cause I suppose if we're successful with that I won't need formula either way.

@Sara1988 I've got the kit, midwife told me to try it from 36 weeks so I'm going to give it a go next week. Need to try not to put too much pressure on though, as I know it just doesn't work for some people.

Has anybody tried perineal massage? I've been trying to do it for the last few days but it's so uncomfortable - it's really hard to reach but I would really rather do it myself than get my husband to do it!

@CluelessInLondon I plan to do perineal massage too but not touching anything which might even potentially trigger labour until 1st September as want to avoid August baby! My partner has offered but I think I'll get one of the stick things you can get. Let me get you a link.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Frida-Mom-Prepare-Perineal-Massage/dp/B0CXV2VJDC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?adgrpid=97904815886&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XzEQITL4G74_OUsDdemrKzanSoWCtPPrzFDM1husgRI9sLij4-irxWEPsRw01-cII26PWj5bubaDjQpEGK_IgKjFRoMdPL_fW4Vt9X1hZDFVk2JkbumuSWhYGpgPYmXOpiu4VRNhZ2yFaWywBYTEgAnPLtLr3tCNTkndaSD4P_-saWl8VjBLcjExdeJ5o1QWI0uhAC0NbfpDSikNaofGVA.hM2EO6FIuDQ5abF5t8S1wu9j3XCXXBsCpvxBwXN9Mf0&dib_tag=se&hvadid=606325054696&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=1006867&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16920123685168869192&hvtargid=kwd-307794543490&hydadcr=8043_2284811&keywords=perineal+massage+tool&qid=1724671817&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1

I’ve packed 2 boxes of the little ready made bottles as I’m planning on bottle feeding and you only get 6 little bottles in each one. Apparently there isn’t anywhere to sterilise bottles in the hospital unless you take your own steriliser!

A lot of the packing lists are from the US and their hospitals seem to provide a lot more than UK ones! One thing I will say is the little bottles with milk in are always out of stock (we’ve had to just keep an eye out for some when doing the weekly shop) in supermarkets so personally I’d pick some up before baby is born and when you go to hospital you could keep them in the car if you don’t want to pack them in hospital bag.

@Sara1988 Ooh thanks, that looks like it might be just the kind of thing I need. I finally managed to find a more comfortable position to do it today but feel like I'm squashing my ribcage trying to reach around the bump, and I figure that's only going to get worse over the next few weeks, so anything that helps with reaching looks great!

I wouldn’t buy formula if you are hoping to breastfeed. Baby needs so little to begin with that colostrum is sufficient for a few days.

Is anyone else's belly bruised?

@Sara1988 if you’re planning to breastfeed I wouldn’t take formula. Last time I didn’t even have any home. If breastfeeding really doesn’t work out then the hospital has some bottles of the ready made stuff and then your partner could run out to get some.
I was put under general for my son’s birth and the hospital gave my partner a ready made bottle for his first feed because he needed something asap. I only went in for monitoring and he was evicted an hour later so I had nothing with me. Wouldn’t have even been worth harvesting colostrum as it would have been at home.

@Bee49 best case scenario I'll take colostrum in. Having spoken to some friends today, we're going to take some of the premade bottles in as the one they give out in hospital (in fact most formula) isn't vegetarian and we don't want to get caught out in an emergency

@Sara1988 if you strongly want to bf I wouldn't take formula and Don't have any in the house. It's a slog, you don't need any temptation x