Pregnancy after Miscarriage Part IX - Knicker Checkers etc

[dan39]

New one! Thought I would make my mark!

FSID advice that "the safest place for your baby to sleep - night and day - is in a crib or cot in a room with you for the first six months."

Have to confess that I'm still not entirely convinced that this baby is going to sleep well in the day in a noisy, well-lit room. So will have to see how it goes.

Good call on not panicking. Have some chocolate. (Why does the word panicking always look like it's misspelt to me? V weird.)

scarlotti - that was almost exactly my reaction when I first heard (apart from the 3rd time bit!)

What nappies are you bidding on?

Was planning to try and get this one to sleep in a more convenient surrounding this time (convenient for me obviously!) as Ds was brilliant at going to sleep in the day ... up in his room with his blackout curtains. Great unless we needed to leave the house!
Am hoping I can get this one to take to his pram as much as anywhere else, as will have a toddler in tow too.
Certainly he won't be in with us for 6 months though - his snuffling will keep me awake in a startled paranoid mother fashion. I suspect I'll move him around 4 months to a room next door with the baby monitor (turned down to the lowest setting!! )

I am bidding on some totsbots bamboozles and some totsbots cotton nappies, plus two wraps. I have been lent some little lamb nappies from a friend too so have some variety to try. The totsbots ones seem to be slimmer fitting which I'm keen on.

So many to try out and only one bottom to try them on!

Know what you mean about panicking spelling. Does that mean if you have lunch in the park you are picnicking?

Still don't like chocolate, what is wrong with me - that's 17 weeks now and even though there is a big bar of galaxy in the kitchen I'm not tempted.

Hello ladies,

Speaking of panicking... Sorry everyone, I'm now going to have a little paranoid moan about my pg..

I may have mentioned that I had an early scan a week ago (6w+1d) and they found a heartbeat. I will be having a second check scan this Thursday and I'm trying not to think about it. My symptoms (period like cramping, sore breasts, etc) all disappeared at the beginning of week 5. Some of them returned but have been going down ever since (although my boobs are growing and I'm really tired?!), I have no MS what so ever and this is all quite worrying. The difference between how I felt in week 4 and week 6&7 is so massive that I can't help but think something might be wrong. I've been measuring my BBT (temperature) for an early sign of m/c but it seems ok so far.. However, today I seriously feel like pre-pg!

Guess I should just decide that if all is well on Thursday I will not worry about this pg until there is a proper reason for it, heh!

Oh, and all those worrying about parmageddon, I know how you feel! My hubby's colleague is ill with it and my hubby keeps getting phantom sore throats.. This is one paranoid family at the mo I tell you! ..and normally we're one of the most nonchalant couples we know - honest! Arrgh!

Carrie

Carrie sorry to hear you are having such a worrying time. It probably doesn't help, but I felt sick when I first found out I first thought I was pregnant at 4 and a bit weeks, then it disappeared quickly and apart from larger and vaguely uncomfortable breasts didn't get any of the other symptoms back until 8 weeks. With a vengeance.

"Guess I should just decide that if all is well on Thursday I will not worry about this pg until there is a proper reason for it, heh!"

Um, good luck with that one. If you manage it, you'll be the only person on the thread who has!

Seriously though - I hope Thursday goes well for you. Symptoms aren't really a very good indication of anything. And please don't feel that you have to apologise for paranoid moaning - it's the raison d'etre for this thread. (Apart from chatting about cloth nappies, obviously!)

carrie with DS I didn't feel sick until at least 8 weeks and with DD not at all so please try not to read too much into things.
A heartbeat reduces the chance of m/c significantly - at 6 weeks I think the chance of m/c drops to 4% once a heartbeat has been seen. At 8 weeks it drops again to 3% then 2% at 10 weeks which is roughly where it stays.

Is this your first?

As to parmageddon - DH and I were feeling rough all weekend but are both on the mend now so lots of other bugs floating around at the moment

cornflake x-posts .... So true with the comment about not managing to worry.

I have had increased kicking over the last week or two and have to stop myself thinking that he's trying to let me know something is wrong in there... Carrie you are not alone in the worry stakes.

Yes, this is my first one and all this palaver is brought on purely by previous m/cs (7 weeks longest pg)...

Yeah, I can dream of not worrying! Hah! Seriously though, if all goes well I will then at least know to expect no symptoms and that it doesn't automatically mean abnormalities or complications. It's just that you read everwhere that having MS means your body is producing a sufficient amount of hormones so your pg is 'more healthy'. I'm on progesterone boost and aspirin, so lord only knows if my body is behaving the way it naturally should under these circumstances.

Oh, and if I next week write in complaining about MS as was told by Scarlotti (thanks for your comforting words and especially the stats!) I will obviously be taking it all back!

And as further evidence that any reduction in worry level is temporary - had to eat my words of last week that I was beginning to feel quite relaxed as I was lying down in midwife's room while she couldn't find the baby's heart beat with the doppler. Eventually (it was probably only 2-3 minutes but felt like alot longer) it was there, and fine, but reminded me what the first 15 weeks were like. Of course this would be one of the quieter days in terms of movement (I think with the placenta being at the front a change in the baby's position makes a big difference to how much you feel while you're rushing around). Deep breath.

Also measuring a couple of cm bigger than dates which I know is within normal limits, but my jeans were in the way to start with and she had measured from too low down and was looking quite concerned.

Not the best visit - I think I was spoiled by having the same community midwife for every appointment in first 2 pgs, and really liking her. It is now very difficult for anyone else to measure up - current one is very nice and perhaps it's just my attitude to this pregnancy is so different.

Off to find out whether they have been stockpiling anti-virals in France........

Carrie for me, symptoms have increased with each pregnancy - no ms with the first, nausea from week 4 with this, my 3rd. I don't think there's any rhyme or reason as to when (or not) you have them.

A good friend of mine had 2 m/cs (7 wks and 10 wks) and has now reached 13 weeks with a positive scan - this is her 1st dc. Sadly, it's far more common than we think to have a m/c before a succesful pg, so try to think positive

Won the nappies but lost the wraps ... all I need now is a baby to try them out on!!

Carrie - symptoms are lying liars. We think they mean that the baby is doing well, but sometimes they just mean that the placenta is doing well. And sometimes they come and go for no reason. And we worry when we don't have them and curse them when we do! (My main symptom has been grumpiness - I'm quite surprised at my DH's forbearance!)

alana - bummer about your midwife appointment - glad it was all okay in the end though.

scarlotti - excellent news about the nappies. Bamboozles are really very slim indeed - although I think all cloth nappies look huge on a newborn. Take forever to dry though. Are you going for Motherease wraps?

Hi all Bellas welcome to the thread, there's lots of experienced mums on here who've been through the same as you before and who really helped me through the early weeks (I had a MC in March, then concieved again end of April and convinced myself I was going to MC again when i had bleeding at about the 8 week mark - Bump is now 15+2!). Good luck and I hope your stay with us is a long and happy one!

Carrie I reckon Cornflakegirl had it bang on - if you manage stop worrying you'll be doing better than all of us best to just let it all out on here and get sympathy and support eh. As Scarlotti says the chances of another MC go down dramatically at 8 weeks to just 2% or so, so hang in there - and good luck for Thursday.

Alana pop over to the "4 weeks and bricking it lounge" thread as I think Jardins who lives in France is on that one, she might well be able to tell you what the SF situation in France is like at the mo. Interesting on what you say re buggies, I've just started looking and definitely need one that suits tall people (I'm five foot seven, hubby is six foot five!). Will have a look at that one!

Scarlotti glad you are on the mend and hurrah for ebay eh. Have brought most of my maternity clothes on there so far! Hope a bit of retail therapy is aiding your recovery!

SydneySuze FWIW if you are going to get it, you're going to get it. I was so careful about hand hygiene, and moving away from anyone who sneezed/spluttered near me on a train and I still got it. I think the media have made too much of it tbh - in my experience it's been like normal flu. Except that now I'm only allowed paracetamol and crappy lozenges that don't really work instead of the max strength everything I'd be taking if I weren't pg! I also can't help feeling that it's better to have it now rather than get it when the baby's here and be trying to recover from flu and tend to a newborn. Are there any cases at your uni and if so would your employer send you on discretionary leave till yuor mat leave starts officially? Last week on the health board there was someone who was a pg teacher and was being sent home and told not to come back till the autumn term to protect her!

Ash hope all is well with you....

Conflakegirl hope you're not suffering too much today with pains. Big giggles at "hope I get the compliant baby I ordered"! I guess not long to wait now to find out! Have you packed your hosi bag already?

Still feeling fluey here, but the lovely GP has signed me off till the end of the week - hopefuly I'll feel better towards the end of the week and be abe to make the most of the time at home!

blondie - sorry you're still feeling crap - flu with just paracetamol sounds no fun - I know I felt really hard done by when I had a cold and couldn't take decongestant, but flu must be a hundred times worse!

rofl at the idea of having packed my bag already though - last time I packed it when the contractions started! I did buy some maternity pads last night though.

Ash - where are you, girl? You'd better not have beaten me already!

Has anyone heard anything from Crunch? Was wondering yesterday how things were going with her husband, but can't find any recent posts from her.

Hi aaaall! Sorry I have been AWOL, I have been thinking about you all lots and wondering about 'The List' I havent beaten you yet Cornflake ... Are you next? What date is your due date? Ooooh its all getting so close now?! You must only have a couple of weeks left if i remember correctly?

We had a midwife appointment yesterday and the baby is breech, and fundal height is 32cm, only 1cm more than 31cm at 31 weeks and we were 35 weeks 2 days yesterday, so they're packing me off for a scan on Monday to make sure he is okay, and if necassary to get me booked in for an ECV - if that doesnt work then I'll be booked in for a CSection between 38 and 39 weeks - So really I could only have 3 weeks left now! Thats a strange way to look at things I suppose. Just have to hang on and hope he turns himself as was really coming round to the idea of the birthing pool and trying to go without an epidural.. Please call keep your fingers crossed for me and hope that this LO turns over...

Blondie sorry to hear that you're not feeling great, I am pleased you've been signed off so you can have a rest & catch up on probably some much needed rest. Although i doubt you can sleep much between the bump and the flu. Thinking of you.

Carrie Hope that the worrying subsides a little bit for you, as you can see by my self indulgent post I am still worrying about everything at 35 weeks... I dont think we ever 'know' its all going to be okay but we're all here to help each other along and hopefully we'll all just worry together.

Suze How are you getting on? Well I hope. Not long left now really is there? How is Littlesyd. Think you work at the university (please please forgive me if i am confusing people) so I am just wondering if you've finished working now? I hope you're doing well.

Scarlotti How are things with you?? I hope that you and the LO are doing well. Well done on deciding to do the reusable nappies, you're like supermum.. I think i'll be sticking to disposables as i imagine i'll be biting off more than i can chew if i go down any other route. And also a v.v.v helpful tip on rolling up T-Shirts for the moses basket.. This thread is so helpful for tips like that one that I probably would never have thought of.

Alana Hi there, how are things going with you? Hope all is well there.

Right i better get on with some work, am off on Friday and then only have next week until I am off on Maternity Leave/made redundant. Hope everyone is doing well and if anyone has any success stories/just stories about breech babies etc, please please share as I am a frantic mum to be who just doesnt know what to expect.

Love to all and hope everyone is hanging on in there well. xx

Ash - that must have been a tough appointment yesterday - hope you're not worrying too much. Will pray for you. Have you got plenty of stuff to do when you finish work to keep your mind off things?

My due date according to the dating scan is 15 August. Due date according to LMP (which was a miscarriage) is 21 August. Don't trust the dating scan, as it was too early with DS because he was big (9lbs), and I'm guessing this one could well be big too. But I don't trust the LMP date either, because I have a 23 day cycle, and because it was a miscarriage. So I have basically no idea when I'm due!

cornflakegirl just as well you're not bothered about packing that bag in advance if you have no idea when you're aiming at

Ash try not to worry too much, the fundal height measurement is quite an old way of doing things, and fairly crude as LO's position can affect I think. At least you are going to be followed up now just in case.

Blondie did your flu start with temperature / sore throat as it says on the SF leaflets? I don't have either of those, but woke up with almost all the secondary symptoms - tiredness, nausea, headache, some aching joints - but that list sounds like being pregnant as much as being infected with anything!

I'm more worried about holiday disruption than being ill - but I think that might be because the last time we were away, although it was just for a weekend, was when my miscarriage started.

Ash sorry to hear you're going through such a worrying patch. I would agree with alana though in that the position of baby is bound to affect fundal height. At least your scan will give you a much more accurate picture.

I've heard that spending time on all fours can help turn the baby around, or kneeling up against an exercise ball/sofa. Might be worth a shot if your knees can handle it?

Oh, and ROFL at supermum!! Far from it but thanks for such a lovely thought.

blondie hope you're on the mend now.

Alana hope you're not coming down with anything. My bug started like that but luckily only lasted about 3 to 4 days.

cornflake you are so relaxed for someone who's not sure when the baby's due - good for you! Not sure I'd be so calm.

I was wondering how Crunch was getting on too. Hope all is going ok with her.

I made the fatal mistake of adding up what's been spent so far on this little one's impending arrival Must stop looking on eBay!

Thank you all for being so reassuring, I am worried about things but I just need to relax and wait and see what they say on Monday. Fingers crossed he'll have a little somersault I will try both tips, thank you Scarlotti I think it will probably be the most my excersise ball has been used all pregnancy...

Cornflake Thats a bit confusing.. I think you should pack your bag as I am thinking the baby could come any day from now with that span of dates What date do you give when people ask?

Alana Hope you're feeling better soon, and very much hope that it isnt SF! All she said about fundal height was that it wasnt that accurate and to just see what they say on Monday. Doesnt stop me worrying all week/until monday though oh how the pregnant mind works ay!

Scarlotti do not count how much you've spent.. haha! I had my baby shower on sunday and got given a LOT of stuff... I think this baby has had more money spent on him than i have the whole of my life.... well maybe not quite but you get my jist. I think you should step away from the Ebay - Do they have such thing as Ebay Annonymous?

xx

scarlotti - rofl at counting up. I was sorting through DS' baby clothes last night, and actually had to bin quite a lot of sleepsuits etc that have developed weird stains in the intervening period. So have an excuse to do some shopping now - woohoo! Am also trying to buy a Moby wrap at the moment (having been a Gina Ford girl with DS, I'm going to be an earth mother with this one...) so that is my current Ebay obsession.

Ash - I should pack my bag, but I'm far too lazy - one of life's procrastinators! I'm generally going with telling people mid-August. If I do say the date, I tend to say that I think it will probably be later. Mostly I'm trying to remind myself that the baby probably won't arrive by the 15th. (Am hoping that it doesn't go too much over though because I don't want to get into fights over induction dates.)

Did the midwife not give you any tips on getting the baby to move? Was going to mention what Scarlotti said about the ball, but figured you'd have all that info already!

Thanks for the good wishes everyone. Feeling MUCH better today ta ladies - well enough to "do a Paxman" on Andy Burnham on the Swine Flu/health webchat he did earlier! webchat thread

Nesting has recommenced (well, kinda) - have boil washed all bedlinen and towels and have just dettol-ed the whole house in a bid to get rid of any SF germs that might be lurking! Have also done some light ebaying but won't be doing much adding up on the basis that it's all stuff this bubba needs and is so much cheaper than getting it new! It's also a distraction from worrying what effect the Relenza may have had on bubba - roll on 20 week scan (which isn't till the first week in Sept!).

Ash I read somewhere that sitting on an excercise ball (even if just to watch TV!) helps the baby move into position. I will definitely keep my fingers crossed for you that your baby turns soon! Also hope your last few days at work this week are not too hectic...

Alana hope you're also starting to feel a little better? Did you find Jardins at all to find out how they dish up anti-virals en France? To answer yur Q, my flu started as what I thought was the worst ever bout of morning sickness in the morning but I did have a high temperature by the afternoon and it stayed like that for 3 days. I thought the other symptoms would start to go once my temp came back down but it's jsut dragged on and on (not helped by the fact that I can't throw loads of flu remedies at it cos they're all out of bounds for pg ladies!). Also I looked at that Mclaren, very nice! A tall friend recommended hers, a bugaboo chameleon but it looks so bulky and heavy compared to the mclaren!

Cornflake I hear second labours are supposed to be much quicker - have you chosen which pj's and little outfits you're taking to hosi? I guess the baby will turn up when good and ready but like you say at least you have some leeway to argue against being induced. I have just recieved the Gina Ford book on ReaditSwapit (have also requested the Baby Whisperer one), am going to read a couple then decide what approach to take. Good luck with your sling quest!

Hi to everyone else of course, even if you're just lurking I hope you're hanging in there and doing ok!

blondie - I found GF really useful, but I would take it all with a large pinch of salt. I like having a set of rules to work within, and didn't mind her bossy style, but lots of people on here hate everything she stands for! My one word of caution would be around breastfeeding (assuming you're planning to) - DS thrived on 3 hourly feeds, but having read people like Tiktok on the feeding threads, I know they can create supply problems for some people - just something to be aware of if you do use her routines.

Will probably just take vests and sleepsuits to hospital. Don't think I can be bothered with outfits for this one while it's tiny. Although if it turns out to be a girl I'll probably change my mind and buy ridiculous quantities of pretty dresses!

blondie I did the baby whisperer with DS and it worked for us, just the right combination of rules/routine and flexibility to allow me to go with DS' cues.
Glad to hear you're feeling better

cornflake you sound like me! Have decided I'll keep this little man in babygros longer than ds (to preserve the baby period I wonder?!) and am not as worried about clothes outfits as last time. I too am hoping to be a little more earth mothery this time around ... I suspect that will all change though after a few weeks of broken sleep and not knowing when he's going to eat/sleep next!

scarlotti - snap! I'm not really an earth mother at heart, but figure that I have a little more idea what I'm doing this time, so am a bit more prepared to go with the flow. Until it all goes pear-shaped! Although the main thinking behind the babywearing is that if the baby is on the floor while DS is around it will probably get stood on!

(I did try to do the Baby Whisperer when DS was 3m or so - spent ages trying to analyse DS' cries, but never could match them up!)

I did Baby whisperer with DS 1, too. No that's not true - I read it when he was 3 months old, having seen her programme on discovery health, then carried on as before with rubbish routine, cuddling when he wouldn't sleep etc. How I wished I had tried it properly when I was still having to sit by his side aged 3 to get him to nod off

On the other hand put DS2 down to sleep with no fuss, and no further reading of baby books, from day 1 and he just accepted it.

I know what you mean about babies getting stepped on Cornflake, DS1 used to try to sit on DS2 whenever he could so I took to carrying him in sling at home rather than sit him in bouncy chair which was like an open invitation for big brother to squash him. He is now getting his own back by being a violent little so and so who thinks rugby tackling everyone else in the house (including me, on the stairs today } is the way to get what you want.

I did find Jardins, Blondie thanks for the suggestion. Still just feel generally rubbish, no temperature or cough so hoping it's just a cold coming on.