September 2024 - Thread 7! 🐣🧡💛❤️

[BeautyAndTheBump1]

As requested a new thread for us all! 🥰 can't believe its thread 7 already!

Then hopefully by thread 14 we'll all have our babies in our arms talking all things post partum!

Good morning to all!
I have been reading both threads and I must say I am delighted to learn about all the positive news! I am hoping that the recent scan results allows you to continue enjoying the pregnancy once again after some stressful time 💖
I have my first consultant appointment today morning, I have to drive to the county town for it, I’ll let you know how it goes. My work has been pestering me about the MATB1 certificate, and I had to ask for it to be issued by the community midwife office but it hasn’t arrived yet.
This weekend we are going to attend the baby show in Birmingham, spouse keeps asking about whether I have any ideas of what I would like to buy.

I had a weird morning yesterday, my husband found a starling nest in one of his new projects (customer bought a new vehicle, brought it to his workshop for repairs and the following morning he discovered chirping in the hangar and found a nest of 5 starlings under the engine cover).
He didn’t want them to die but since the mom was left behind where the vehicle came from, he decided to bring them home. So yesterday morning at 8am I had 5 starling chicks on my kitchen floor. I dug up some worms for them and my husband bought them some meal worms but they were too scared to eat so I ended looking up a wildlife sanctuary and luckily there was one about 6 miles out of my town. It was such a surreal feeling, cos obviously we know we are becoming parents soon, but we anticipated a human child and just one not 5 birdos. I put the box in the backseat of my car and safety belted it, I opened the side window and as I was driving to the sanctuary the birdies heard other birds singing outside as I was passing through and started chirping and try to fly and jump out of the box. Obviously they couldn’t because they’re too small for it 😂

Just checking in on the new thread!

Like lots of you I am hungry all the time. I'm 20+2.. in don't even think it's hunger, more that I want to eat a lot.

I also need my MATB1 form and don't have a midwife appointment until I'm past 25 weeks. So do I ring the midwife hq to request it??

@WinsandSam
Community midwife office, I got the number from the surgery reception but it did take 2 days to get through, it went to auto response and had to wait for a call back.

@tryingfortwo2 @SpicyMoth that makes a lot of sense! I’m 21+5 so firmly in that growth period. Also travelling for work a lot which always makes me hungry, I’m very concerned with where my next meal might come from 😂

@Lillers thats so cute!

Good luck to anyone with scans today!

I am also going to book the Katherine Graves hypnobirthing course. I have been following her on instagram, she does these daily short videos where she answers common pregnancy questions. She had a survey for open questions about a month ago and I asked how to distinguish types of aches and pains in your first pregnancy. She posted a video answering my question and to be honest it was a very good explanation. I’m certain now I’ll go with KGHB course.

Thank you @Xur
Will give them a call today as there's no way I can survive without maternity pay!

@WinsandSam I just messaged my midwife and she sorted my mat1b for me so they should do it for you.

Also another one constantly hungry. I'll defo take this over the first trimester sickness though. I've packed my work bag full on snacks today so I dont run out 🤣

Thank you for the new thread!

I definitely got some kind of form at my booking in appointment at 7 weeks - can’t remember what is was, potentially too early for the MATB1?

Definitely apply for your maternity pay as early as possible, I forgot last time and they only back pay a certain amount!

So lovely to see all the scans 🥰 I’m 22 weeks today and being kick constantly. If I had forgotten I was pregnant, I’m being reminded all day long lol

@HRP1990 at 7 weeks I was given my maternity exemption form so you might be thinking of this. You use that one for free prescriptions, dental etc.

Aaah how lovely! @Xur That's very nice of you and DH to save their little lives like that 🫶

Good luck to everyone whose having scans today!

Anyone else glad the weather is finally warming up? Though I've been hiding under my big coat on the school run all this time but I feel I'm gonna have to put a dress on at pick up later so will have the bump on full show, so preparing myself for all the questions 😂 as I do look pregnant now!

My dog did this 🤣 was so funny!!

I am seeing belly moving with baby girls kicks now 🥰

I also called to chase MATb1 just left a message with GP and either GP / midwife can leave one for me to collect - fingers crossed 🤞🏻

I neee it as I am yet to tell work I am pregnant and I’m 21 today! WhoOO can’t believe it 🥹🥳

But definitely starting to show… or just look fat still

I had a consultant appointment today which turned out to be a scan (as a follow up to low Papp-A findings)! I have had the baby and his environment throughout inspected today, as well as the placenta and the blood flow and I have been told everything is normal and that I can stop worrying because significant restrictions are now unlikely if at all. My next scan now is only at 32 weeks, so other bit of July!

Thanks for the new thread @BeautyAndTheBump1

Checking in with a 24 week bump pic!! Im hungry all the time too but I do generally eat a lot so not sure if it's little lady making me need more or just me! She's very active a lot of the time now, big kicks and tugs all day long to the point I would worry if I didn't feel them now.

I was also wondering about the Covid booster - I've had the flu and whooping cough but not so sure about the covid one while pregnant.

Marking place, thanks for setting up.

Regarding vaccinations - I’m getting whooping cough vaccine tomorrow with nurse at my GP surgery.

However I was told by midwife that for Covid vaccine I can only get this if I get informed that I’m entitled to it, I can’t just book it like I have for whooping cough. Not sure if this is region dependent though?

Just checking in. So pleased to hear everyone's scans went well. I am 22 weeks today and still don't feel much movement and it's my 3rd baby, hoping his kicks get stronger soon.
I had my whooping cough vaccine at the hospital after my 20 week scan. I've been meaning to book flu vaccine but not sure about covid one.
I too have been hungry a lot 😂

When I had my 12 week scan in March, the midwives told me they weren’t offering flu jabs as it was out of season. But I heard another midwife offer it to another lady whilst I was there 🤷‍♀️ so I’m not sure whether I can still get it or not. I’ll ask in my GP surgery tomorrow when I go for the whooping cough vaccine.

I would definitely like to have the flu jab in September, when I think the new one is available? Don’t want flu with a newborn!

I asked my colleague whose ahead of me and booked in at the same hospital - she said she just asked for whooping cough at reception on the day of her 20 week scan, and then when she went in the nurse also offered her the flu vaccine. That was 8 weeks ago so hoping they’re still offering it now. Not sure if they’re offering Covid - if they offer it I’ll have it, but I’m not going to chase it.

@Khanga27 your midwife is incorrect, pregnant women have always been eligible for the Covid vaccination. Direct her to chapter 14a of the JCVI Green Book 📗 where we are clearly listed as eligible!

Edit to add. I’m hoping to have mine in early September as I don’t see much point in having it now as it’ll wear off and I feel it unlikely I’ll catch it over the summer months.

@Khanga27 you can book it online, just tick ‘yes’ to immunosuppressed, because we are!

Regarding the flu vaccine, my GP gave it to me a few weeks ago so that baby will have immunity coming into flu season when born in September. So I imagine if you ask for it and explain why they can't deny you.

Adding to the vaccine chat, I had my flu jab in March as they stop offering it up here at the end of March and don’t start again until September. I’m due late August, and wanted to have it on board ahead of baby’s arrival.

I got my covid booster at the same time, for similar reasons. I also caught covid at 30 weeks pregnant with my first (in April), and had had my booster a couple of months before, and I barely had a sniffle with it. Obviously this could’ve been the case anyway, but I’d rather not take the risk of being sicker/a fever in pregnancy, so getting the booster just put my mind at ease.

Do flu and Covid vaccines also offer protection to the baby after it’s born? My understanding was that the whooping cough vaccine is for the baby, but flu and Covid would be for me because I could get very poorly with it in pregnancy (which of course would also be bad for the baby). So I’ve decided to take the whooping cough vaccine but not flu and Covid because we’re out of the season now…but I would change my mind if it helps the baby in autumn and winter.

On another topic: I’ve been told at my 20-weeks scan by the sonographer that my placenta is borderline low-lying - 2.1cm from cervix. 2cm and under would be classified as low lying. I will address it with my consultant when I see them next, but does anyone have any experience of what could happen? Apparently in most cases, the placenta will move up…is it also possible for it to move down and end up as placenta previa, or am I out of the woods if it’s (even just) not low lying at 20 weeks?

@Cinai afaik they wait until later (close to due date) to see if it moves up, if it doesn’t they just get you in for a Cesarian. I’ve heard that most cases it does move up.

@Cinai I just wanted to chip in with my Covid experience! I had Covid in labour and my daughter was born healthy, without Covid. Despite me having a temperature and a cough, amongst other things. I also had Covid at the start of her pregnancy, so I’m assuming the antibodies were passed down to her?

My scan today went well ☺️ Though much jumping up and down and stomach prodding was required to get little one to rotate into the right places...

We're not planning on telling anyone the gender for at least a few weeks but it has suddenly made it all feel so much more real! Very exciting!