Pregnancy after Miscarriage Part IX - Knicker Checkers etc

[dan39]

New one! Thought I would make my mark!

Alana have a loooveeely holiday!!

You're going to France for 3 weeks?! I am so jealous! I want to go on holiday. Except I don't, because I'd just sleep the whole time.

Have a fantastic break!

Ouch Blondie a kidney infection is no fun at the best of times, but while preggers AND with swine flu ? jeez girl you deserve a break. Fingers crossed you?ll get a smooth 6 hour, trauma free, virtually painless birth as a payback for all this suffering now! To help your kidneys try and drink blended juice smoothies (just shove all fruit/veg in a blender) with watermelon, beetroot and an apple or pear. You can add some celery as an added diuretic if you want, and some ginger too ? tastes great, dilute it with water if it?s too thick. Cranberry juice is great too of course but a lot of the stuff in the supermarkets is full of sugar ? a compound in fruit and veg that gives it that dark purple/pink colour helps clean bacteria from the kidneys and urethra (sp?) so it should do you some good.

Alana have a lovely restful time in France ? so good just to get away somewhere different. Am v , and just think of all the fab French baby clothes!!!!!! Sorry I got your dates mixed up, my memory is all shot at the mo .

Thanks for all the books recommendations everyone ? I didn?t realise the Mumsnet baby one was out yet, will def give that one a go. A friend has given me a lovely one called ?What Mothers Do? by Naomi Stadlen, am enjoying reading that when I get woken up in the early mornings at the mo. Wish I knew what kind of mum I?ll be Cornflake, hard to say at this stage. I?m quite relaxed usually and tend towards organic food / yoga / natural health in my own life, but not the whole hog hippy (bit too attached too my highlights for that!), hope to be as green as I can but don?t beat myself up with guilt if I don?t achieve that, cook my own healthy food and there?s no way you?d ever get me within 10 feet of a McDonalds or even a can of coke but I?m happy to barbecue burgers from our local butcher. Wonder how that?ll translate to mum-dom?

Carrie I love the Kaz Cooke book too ? she?s an Aussie [pride emoticon] and there her book is called ?Up the Duff?. She?s also written a toddlers book, I think it?s called ?Kidwrangling? or something ? the UK Rough Guide toddlers? one is written by someone else I think, unless they changed the name on that one too maybe.

Scarlotti which baby stuff shops do you recommend in Brighton? I?m off to Lewes again today for a surprise birthday (shhhhh) and might be able to persuade DH that we need a sneaky side trip . And I can completely understand your toenail painting desires ? just do your DH too while he?s nodded off after a big night so he and DS can match . When I lived in Sydney two gay guys next door used to paint their whippet?s claws pale pink, the poor dog .

Not so worried as the other day, thanks so much fellow Panicqueens for all your reassurances - I?ve been feeling lots of movement again and in slightly different places in addition to the ususal so am wondering if LittleSyd has flipped or something? Have finally been baby shopping and went a bit crazy with GrannySyd and the credit card in Mothercareworld yesterday ? all practical stuff really like nappies for the first few days (thank you all so much for the tips), pads and muslins but did get the odd cute outfit and a stuffed giraffe . Feels like such a milestone to finally accept that maybe, just maybe, this one is actually going to appear and be a real live baby in our lives! Gulp.....

Now all I have to decide is the car seat, the pram (am thinking Out N About Nipper as basically live in middle of field) and the crib/Moses basket/bottom drawer or wherever LittleSyd is going to sleep...
We have been given a cot but it?s too big to go in our room with us so will have to wait til 6 months or so.

If this baby comes early I am going to be in big trouble at this rate!

Hello

Please can I join in? I am 17 weeks today after a miscarriage at 11 weeks in January. It's my first baby.

I'm super paranoid about something going wrong and I think it's partly because I'm cracking on a bit!! I'm 36 later this year and so I feel a bit like time might be running out if anything goes wrong this time. I know, you may think I'm crazy as people tell me I'm not too old

I had a midwife appointment 2 weeks ago and heard the heart beat but my relief only lasts about 2 days! Next milestone is the 20 week scan in the middle of August - time is going so slowly.

The hardest thing to cope with currently is my MIL who, bless her, is fantastic and very excited but keeps asking me what I'll do once I go back to work after having the baby, and that she'll start a savings account for the school trips! I'm just trying to take one day at a time at the moment, the last thing I want to do is think about going back to work

Sorry for long ranting post.

A

I love Monsoon baby clothes for girls, too. A friend of mine had a little girl last month, and I couldn't resist buying her some tiny embroidered cardies and smocks - wildly impractical, but hey, I don't have to wash 'em.

We were just in our local Monsoon today, and I picked up some formal linen striped trousers for DS. We have his godparents' wedding in a month, and I want to dress him in a white shirt, a linen waistcoat, and sandals - not sure how hot it's going to be... I also picked up a dress for myself with a high waistline - I just hope this kid manages to stay low for the next month, or it won't fit!

I really like the Kaz Cooke pregnancy guide, and I didn't know she did a toddler book too! Will have to look it up.

I just found out that a friend of mine who miscarried two weeks after I did is finally pregnant again. I do feel for her - that first trimester post miscarriage was just agonising, and since she lost the last one very late (thirteen weeks), she has a long wait before she feels in the clear. I do do hope this one sticks...

Waytooslow - welcome to the thread and congratulations on your pregnancy. Hope you start to feel more secure soon - I know the 20 week scan was a big thing for me. Once I knew everything was okay, the fact that I could feel movement really helped.

It must be weird having your MIL be really excited though. I've only just started to feel a bit excited, and I'm due in 3 weeks!

suze - completely forgot to reply to your post! I want a stuffed giraffe too now! If you're a bit of a hippy, I'm guessing the routine-based stuff maybe won't be for you - maybe Attachment Parenting type stuff?

(I wouldn't normally drink a lot of Coke, but have had a 2-can-a-day Diet Coke habit for the last couple of months. Very odd!)

Tamlin - love the sound of DS' outfit! Will your friend return the favour of impractical clothes in November?

Thanks Suze, as luck would have it at the moment our juice is apple and pear, and I've been eating lots of lovely raspberries and melon anyway for the last few weeks. I lurrve soft fruit! Bizarrely beetroot is on my "banned" list of veg - it's goitrogenic and so interferes with my thyroid medication which is pants cos I loved it! Ummm... onto shopping, glad you've joined me in the nesting now! On the subject of car seats all my friends who are already mummies are recommending Maxi Cosi so worth checking them out. The choice of prams and stuff is so confusing though isn't it. Bet the giraffe is very cute!

Waytooslow hi, welcome along honey... don't worry about ranting or worrrying - this is SO the right thread for all that! I'm just a bit behind you, I'm almost 16 weeks now. It's a great thread full of nice supportive ladies: welcome, hope your stay is a long and uneventful one!

Tamlin oh I know but all Monsoon's stuff is utterly irresistable isn't it! Nice to see you back, hope all is well with you. Sending sticky vibes for your friend.

Am very envious of Alana - THREE weeks, how lovely!

Cornflake ytou do make me giggle. Love the image of the little boy in a spotty sundress, hehe! My nephew demands to have his toes painted if his sister is painting her nails, is very funny cos his dad gets a bit about it!!!

Ash hope you sorted out your work stuff ok and are having a good weekend and that all is well with you...

Am feeling LOADS better today and have had a lovely sociable day seeing friends. And one of the girls from my Italian class popped round with flowers and a card from them all this morning, which was a lovely surprise!

Have great weekends all!

Hi girls, I am back! Got a positive pregnancy test yesterday (4th pregnancy - no children). I am only 4 weeks today and wanted to ask you all how you got through the first trimester? Did you do anything to help you relax or distract you? My main hobby in life is riding my horse but my husband says I shouldn't do it now incase I fall off. I know he is right but being on my fourth pregnancy I am sick of putting my life on hold and not getting anything at the end of it - I hope that doesn't sound selfish. So what tips to you have to stop me turning into a complete basketcase, I already feel very anxious and stressed which I know will not be good for me (and dare I say it - the baby).

ozbride - congratulations! Really hope this one works out for you. No tips at all on avoiding the anxiety - except venting on here, because we understand all the worries, rational and irrational. Don't know anything about the safety of horseriding in pregnancy - what do non-paranoid pregnant women do?

ash - don't know if you'll see this, but hope the scan goes well today. (hugs)

waytooslow welcome to the thread and feel free to vent away. We all understand the feeling of just one day at a time, whilst other family members start talking childcare and further education! Maybe try the homer approach and just imagine funny puppets in your head whilst they're speaking?!

ozbride welcome back and congratulations!! I'd google pg and horses if I were you, my SIL rides and she did for a good first few months of her pg. I thought the risk was if you fell, so not to ride once you're showing or your centre of gravity starts to shift. Don't take my word for it though, am sure you could check it out online and find some sensible advice.
As for distraction advice - it's not for everyone but I had acupuncture this pg (following 2 m/c). I started it for the dreadful nausea but the woman also did points to strengthen the pg. For me, it felt as though I was actually doing something - who knows whether it helped or not, I think it did but I can't prove that.

Ash good luck with the scan.

Suze did you manage shopping in Brighton after? Was away at the weekend so didn't see your post in time.

Big hello to everyone else, hope you're all doing well. Cornflake get to pick up a parcel from the post office tomorrow with my first installment of eBay nappies!! Very excited

Suffering a bit achey wise today, too much running around on my feet on Saturday. Or at least, I'm hoping it's just that and not that my dreadful fitness (or lack of it) is now starting to take it's toll....

scarlotti - yeay for nappies! I washed my pastel Tots Bots at the weekend - they looked so lovely on the line!

It's my totsbots parcel that's arrived I think [excited emoticon]
I am slowly starting to get to grips with it all but there is so much choice.

One of the things I'm struggling with is whether the expensive slim fitting types are worth it? The Itti Bitti nappies look lovely and say they're slim fitting, good absorbency and still good for drying but are around £14 a pop. I can't even get them on eBay for less than £12 - and that's preloved.

Am I really going to struggle clothes wise if we're using totsbots or little lambs?

Don't know about little lambs. Cotton totsbots and fluffles are bulkier than disposables. Obviously not a problem for the first six months, since we're keeping them in sleepsuits... but with DS I found that some cuts of trouser really didn't work - mainly Adams iirc. H&M were fab because of the proper fly.

As they get older it becomes less of a thing anyway. I did have some bamboozles for when I wanted him to have a slim bottom, but I think that was an aesthetic rather than a need thing. I certainly never bothered with any of the specialist stuff designed for cloth bottoms.

I wonder if anyone can help me, I have had 2 anembryonic miscarriages, one at 11 weeks naturally and a D&C at 6 weeks, both last year. I was diagnosed with Factor V Leiden by Mr Shehata and take aspirin, and heparin when pregnant. Since those miscarriages had trouble conceiving, and had 2 chemical pregnancies, 1 in January this year and one last month. I saw Mr Shehata again and he recommended taking steroids and projesterone in the next pregnancy, to see if it would help sustain it, although all of the tests I had taken did not show anything to suggest those medications. I am now 5 weeks pregnant, started taking the steroids just over 2 weeks ago as prescribed, however I now have a probem. I have had gestational diabetes in a previous pregancy, and last night measured my blood glucose levels, as I still believe that this may have had some bearing on the previous miscarriages although this has not been supported through medical tests, and my blood sugar was very high. I then checked on internet to find out that steroids can effect blood glucose levels and it seems probably shouldn't be given to people who are prone to insulin resistance. I spent all night panicking about effect on pregnancy of increased blood sugars and have not taken the steroid today. I have tried all day to speak to a dr at the hospital but no joy, summer holidays, and wondered if anyone out there has any thoughts on whether I'm doing the right thing in stopping the steroids? I hope all that makes sense!

Hi pygmalion, afraid I can't answer your question but didn't want your post to go unanswered.
Hopefully someone will be along soon who has experience of this that they can share.

Oh Pygmalion you poor love. My heart goes out to you. Have you had a good look through the separate Miscarriages topic section on Mumsnet? It's under 'Health' I think - I know when I was going through my MCs there were loads of lovely posters with very specifc advice and experience of the different treatments from Prof Regan, Mr Shehata etc - apparently there is a big trial in Liverpool on the use of steroids to prevent MC? I'm sure they will have much more up-to-date advice.

When I thought I was losing this one (currently 33 wks, fingers crossed) I emailed Prof Regan directly via Imperial College and she did contact me back with advice. Keep trying to contact Mr Shehata, email is often good as I bet they take their crackberries on holiday. Please please keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/miscarriage

Sorry it's in 'Body and Soul'

Hello lovely ladies, I'm sorry not to have posted for AGES, I've been having a bit of trouble keeping up with RL, never mind trying to keep up on here as well! But all is fine here so far as I know (why can I never resist adding "so far as I know" or similar? - feels like somehow it's tempting fate a bit less if I do) and am 36 weeks tomorrow!! how did that happen?!?!

Pygmalion I'm sorry to hear what you're going through, I hope you manage to get hold of the docs asap. Does your consultant know about your previous gest diabetes? If so I would be tempted to continue with the steroids, but I hope you get some proper advice soon.

Just wanted to post quickly for Ash, though it's a bit late now as I think her scan was yesterday? Though really this goes for any of you who are worried about fundal height measurements. A few weeks ago my LO was having a bit of a quiet day and I was a bit concerned (though amazingly not full on melt down as normal) so I called the day assessment unit at the hosi and asked if they'd mind having a listen for me. They said that was fine and in I went. when I got there to my surprise (and delight ) I was called in to a scan room and got to see LO again! Everything appeared absolutely fine and she was measuring just above the 50th centile which is where she's been all along. The next day I had a pre-arranged mw appt. I thought about cancelling it but decided to go along anyway as I wanted to discuss group B strep among other things, and the hospital hadn't checked bp/protein etc so thought I should. All was fine til we got to the fundal height measurement, when she informed me I was measuring 29 weeks - a week smaller than when she last saw me and 4 weeks smaller than I should have been!! If I hadn't had the scan the day before I would have been frantic, but it just goes to show how wildly inaccurate those measurements can be, for a slightly above average size baby to be measuring a month small!!

Sorry for the lenghty rant, but I thought it might be helpful for anyone else who finds themselves in a similar position.

Love to all, I'll be lurking even if I don't manage to post much xx

Hi all,

Hope everyone is okay today and the weather is not too bleak, it is raining here.

Well we went for our scan yesterday - baby is breech still... We've booked in for an ECV on Friday at 1pm to try and get him turned round... If that fails we're booked in for a cesarean at 39 weeks (around 16th August)... I just really want him to turn around, I know that he'll be happy and healthy however he gets here (fingers crossed a million times over) but I was finally getting my head around birthing pools and pain relief! Does anyone have any experience of an ECV? My mum said that they tried to turn me but i was having none of it - that was in the days when they still delivered breech.

lola fabulous to hear from you - I didnt know where you'd gone! I am pleased that all went well when you had a little peek Have you managed to replace your laptop now? Hope all is well!!

Pygmalion I hope that you manage to get in touch with the Dr soon, I cannot answer your Q but hopefully they will be able to.

Hi to everyone! Sorry that I have not had a massive catch up, and that this is a VERY me me me post. I will try and catch up later but for now, I am off to do some work! After all, tomorrow is my last day here.

Love to all. xx

Glad the appt went well Ashleigh, so were they happy with LO's measurements? Only tip I have heard for ECV is to keep using your breathing techniques through it as I understand it can be pretty uncomfortable. Also, and not to freak you out, I would have an overnight bag in the car as I know a couple of ladies who have ended up staying in for a little while after theirs. I have to admit, in some ways the more I find out about 'natural' birth, the more tempting an ELCS becomes! No pain (not during anyway), you know when LO is going to arrive, and you get to stay friends with your pelvic floor! Let us know how you get on, will be thinking of you on Friday.

Hi all

Thanks for your kind welcomes. Just to let you know I chickened out and rang the midwife - I'm going in to see her for an unscheduled heart beat check next Monday. I'm really pleased that the midwife let me do that - I guess they are used to paranoid first timers!

One other question while I'm here. I had pretty awful sicky nausea feelings from week 4 till about 2 weeks ago (week 15). I was never actually sick but felt grim most of the time and had to force myself to eat - mostly weetabix. This has eased off (hooray!) but one day last week and yesterday I was just randomly sick - actually vomiting just once in the morning. It comes on really quickly - I'm sick and then after 30 mins or so, I feel OK for the rest of the day. Is this a secondary morning sickness thing do you think? It's very odd - both times I had just finished a cup of tea, but most days I can drink a cup of tea no issues. Any thoughts?

waytooslow friends IRL have said that their nausea came and went quite randomly, there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it! Lovely to hear the heartbeat soon though, it's very reassuring to actually hear it!

Lola thanks for posting that info about fundal height - hopefully that'll stop me panicking so much if mine isn't quite where the MW expects it to be!

Ashleigh good luck for Friday - hopefully your bubba will decide to turn of thier own accord tonight or tomorrow. Have you got one of those gym ball things - I heard sitting on one of them is supposed to be good for encouraging the baby to get into position?

Hi to everyone and I hope all is well with the bumps!

I still have this kidney infection, had to take in a second sample to the docs this morning to be re-tested - results due end of the week then they'll prescribe more antibiotics. DH very amused at me going off this morning with a little pot of wee in my bag . And nearly fainted this morning in the office when I got up to go to the printer - blood pressure was lower again on Thursday when they measured it.

Blondie Sorry to hear that you're still not feeling great - how low is your blood pressure? Hope you're not feeling too bad.

Lola they didnt measure him! It was honestly the most rushed scan I have experienced, screen came on confirmed breech screen went off and we were told he had another appointment. I hope they'll do a more detailed scan on Friday before they start flipping etc, but i can only imagine the size is incorrect because his legs are up by his head...

Waytooslow I didnt have much rhyme nor reason to the morning sickness like blondie says, just came and went in waves.. including starting around my 18th week again - its different for everyone i suppose. I am pleased you're getting in to see the midwife

Hi to everyone else - tomorrow is my LAST day at work thank goodness!! xx

Thankyou for your replies. A bit of a long story, but hospital did speak to him on his holidays - poor man - and I am now being managed for gestational diaebetes aswell, so restarted taking steroids and am on metformin for the high blood sugar. I just hope that the high blood sugar and/or stopping the steroids for the 2 days, have not caused a problem in the pregnancy. Oh the anxiety!