Sept 2024 - Thread 9!

[SpicyMoth]

Continuation from the previous thread before it fills up - we're getting so close ladies, ahhhhh!!!

Previous thread here; https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/pregnancy/5094920-september-2024-thread-8?page=39&reply=136855271

For everyone worried, my first baby was breech until 37 weeks. He moved on his own, I felt it, and then he stayed head down. It's not that uncommon for them to figure it out!

Also I gained a ton of weight last time around, way more than recommended and pretty easily lost most of it within 9-12 months just by walking with baby etc. Try not to feel bad, every body responds differently to pregnancy and the blanket suggestions aren't that helpful!

I wondered if maybe bump shape dictated the position of baby but I suppose not! I’m feeling kicks high and low but again I’m not sure what are hands and what are feet lol. 3 more weeks and I’ll find what he’s up to!

Are pregnancy/birthing balls worth the purchase? I'm thinking now.... My back kills, and it might help baby turn too? Says also good for pelvic floor!?! Who's used one?

@TripleESept24 I hope it’ll be helpful for me - mine arrived today! It was my last Prime Day purchase late last night.

@TripleESept24 I find it helpful for stretching on now I can't do any on the floor as my belly gets in the way.
Made a rookie error of leaving it in the freshly painted conservatory for a few weeks though and when I got it out last night it's pulled a chunk of paint off where it's heated up 🤦🏽‍♀️ I wasn't in the good books!

@TripleESept24 I’ve been using it at the gym, but I just do like a few hip rotations, front, sideways and elliptical, like an exercise, but I wouldn’t use it at home if I have one at the gym. My friend used it at work, when it became difficult to sit and work on a chair she pulled the ball out and she just sat in the office by her PC and worked with the ball.
She said though, at the end nothing helps, even the ball looses the effect it had against the feeling of discomfort.

@TripleESept24 I've had a pregnancy ball for weeks now as I was recommended it by midwife and physio for PGP. I love it and use it all the time for pelvic pain. I was given exercises to do from the physio team and it has really helped me.

I am just thinking with only 8 weeks to go is it a necessary purchase or is it a bit late now really? 🤔

@TripleESept24 Id deffo recommend one, it’s so comfy to sit on and rotate your hips around so I do it most evenings. It feels almost therapeutic 😮‍💨😂 It’s what I think flipped the baby too as I got it between my 28 and 32 week scan and by 32 weeks she was head down. Really helps with posture too.

You don’t even need to splash out, someone in a local WhatsApp chat of mine said they were getting rid of theirs so gave it to me for free (but I gave her a fiver when I collected it as I felt bad just taking it). When I had my second, I’d only had it 3 weeks then he was born so I got rid of mine on marketplace and someone snapped it up instantly.

Genuinely, I reckon there’s so many lying around that you would probably do someone a favour taking theirs off their hands if you posted on a local fb group or something

@TripleESept24 id 100% get one! They’re so much more comfy than the chair, and are brilliant for getting your pelvis/baby in the right position for Labour. As others mentioned there are some gentle rocks, figure 8s, sways you can do. We used it until maybe 7-8m PP as our small lady loved being bounced. Well worth the purchase and not too expensive (make sure you get an anti burst one the right size for your height!)

Hi all just checking in, can't sleep so just caught up on the new thread. Currently 33+1 and today is my last day at work 🎉 (maternity leave doesn't officially start till end of August but I work in a school and it's the last day of term) although I'm not sure how much rest I'll get as I have 3 other kids who will be at home now and I also thought it would be a good idea to leave everything till the 6 weeks holiday to sort so will be washing lots of baby stuff/starting to pack hospital bags/buying anything else we need/bouncing on the ball etc. I'm tired just thinking about it, I also feel rubbish at the moment as not sure if I have a cold or hey fever but I keep getting headaches, constantly running nose, painful sinuses and popping ears 🤧

@TripleESept24 another vouch for a pregnancy ball! I used mine alot in the last few weeks with my first as it was comfier to sit on than the sofa.. but also used it at when my contractions started! You’ll deffo find someone is getting rid of one as they do take up alot of space lol

Thanks @hrp @PinkWatermelon88 @Honeyandsunshine1 I'll have a look on Facebook/marketplace!!

😂 I learned something that blew my mind today morning!
obviously we all know we have these things inside wrapping our uterus -round ligaments, when the uterus grows they hurt. For some more, for some less.
What blew my mind was the round ligament position when we are bigger, this video is from a 32 weeks of gestation, watch this video (it’s a FB reel). He shows the round ligaments at the very end. No wonder the discomfort is there, look how they are 😂
https://www.facebook.com/reel/497583445940708?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V

Woah! (Can’t take that guy seriously in his Simpsons tshirt 😂)

@SpicyMoth on the weight gain chat, remember you lose around a stone of it instantly when you give birth.. plus if you’re having issues with swelling then a fair amount of it will be water retention too so that’ll go fairly quickly after birth. It comes off again, maybe with a little more effort for the last few lbs but it will go!

@TripleESept24 I’m in the same boat re: pregnancy ball.. can’t decide if I really need one. A friend loaned me one the first time and I used it towards the end to try and get things going (there are movement you can do on it that are supposed to encourage dilation - didn’t work for me) but they do take up a fair amount of space, and my toddler would have a field day (and probably break an arm…). With 5.5 months eels to go I’m still undecided!

MW today ekkkk it seemed to take forever to get here now I’m excited 😂
It is probably a boring one but I am keen for bumpy measurement and to have a positive experience after last time when I had high BP and traces of protein 🙈

🤞🏻🤞🏻 it’s a nice one I don’t fancy triage on a boiling hot day!

Marking place, hope everyone is doing ok

@TripleESept24 I love mine! Have had it since early on for my Pilates classes. It's so comfy to sit on compared to sofas etc physio also recommended one so yes, do invest.. well mine was £15 on amazon 😂

Has everyone had a breakdown of their maternity pay? Got mine through today.. woah, it's going to be a tough 12 months!! My September pay is a third of my usual pay. I've opted for to split over 12 equal months. Some months are better but i need to do some serious budgeting

@WinsandSam I got my mat pay calendar through last month also splitting it over 12 months... I'm hoping everyone is happy with a photo of the baby for Christmas because it barely covers my bills never mind any extras 😭

Yep it's gonna be a Christmas of little presents here too!!

@rupertbear91 @TripleESept24 scary isn't it! Too right about the Christmas presents, it'll be photos of baby 😂😂 my first 2 payments don't even cover my half of the bills and that doesn't even take into account tax, NI and pension

C section was booked in this morning so it’s all feeling really now also they are happy to go ahead with the sterilisation I requested which they do during the same procedure. Last day at work today too. I can’t wait to be off even though I’ll have no break since my eldest will also be off all summer.

@WinsandSam I’m NHS and decided to spread my mat payments over 12 months too. So defo some lower paid months but I think we will be fine as long as we budget for those months. The good pay months are worthwhile though!

Back from middy … finally had a good BP with her 😂 I think I definitely get white coat. So taking it this morning at home and knowing it was fine must have made me relax.
baby she thinks is still breech and is measuring a week ahead via bump so a jump from 50th to 85th 😳 but they aren’t concerned so no more growth scan…

she seems to think 32 weeks placenta check they won’t check it again?! And if it’s still low I’ll be a section 🤞🏻 so guess I’ll find out next week!

I feel pretty lucky with my mat pay, my work has a good policy and then my mat leave maps almost exactly onto our annual leave year so with that, I get a bonus 42 days accrued AL to add on the end of my leave which ends up being almost an extra two months of pay. Also means I could take a 14 months mat leave, effectively, but I think I'm going to just take like 12 and a half months and get paid for more of it... although it's hard to know now what I'll want once baby arrives. But I work in a university so it makes sense to start back in October next year at the start of the next academic year, I think. I don't know, all these decisions are so mystifying!