Do you have questions about pregnancy or your new baby? Ask midwife Hannah Harvey - £200 voucher to be won

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There are so many exciting moments to experience when you’re a new parent or parent-to- be, but it’s the unexpected moments when we all need a little bit of reassurance. Hannah Harvey, Juno’s expert midwife, will be here on the 1st of April to help answer your questions.

Here’s some more information on Hannah Harvey: “Hannah Harvey has worked as a Midwife since 2011 in both hospital and community settings. She worked for 3 years as a caseload midwife and in this time realised how important it was for the women she was looking after to be able to reach her whenever they needed to. In 2016 I developed a service called Ask the Midwife. Users could use the app to contact a midwife whenever they wanted and it was a great success with so much amazing feedback on how useful the service was. Juno is now relaunching an updated version of this and I am so excited to be a part of it and watch it grow."

Here’s what Juno has to say: “At Juno, our mission is to provide the very best specialist health advice to help support parents and parents-to-be. We're really excited to be partnering with Mumsnet and offering this expert at source via the brilliant Hannah Harvey. As a super experienced midwife, mum and entrepreneur we think she's the perfect personification of what Juno stands for. This is not one to be missed!.”

So whatever questions you might have about pregnancy or your newborn, if you'd like some advice please post your questions on this thread for Hannah to answer. Hannah will be back on the 1st of April from midday to answer your questions.

Everyone who shares a question on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

@FreshBedding

Hello, what BMI is classed as an at risk pregnancy please? Thanks.

Hi @FreshBedding, thank you for your message. A BMI of 30 or greater is classed as a higher risk pregnancy. Women with a BMI over 30 are at an increased risk of pre-eclampsia and Gestational Diabetes and also have an increased risk of caesarean births. Most hospitals will offer additional Consultant led care if you have a BMI of 30 or over to keep a closer eye on you and the baby during your pregnancy.

@SteakChips

I’m due to give birth in 6 weeks to my first and I’m unsure whether I’m meant to arrange my own antenatal class or my midwife? I have only met them 3 or 4 times.

Thank you.

Hi SteakChips, thank you for your message. Congratulations on your pregnancy! The best thing to do would be to ring your local maternity unit in this instance and ask. I know a lot of Hospitals across the UK offer antenatal classes for first time parents as part of your maternity care, but this may have changed during the pandemic. If you ring your local hospital and ask to be put through to the community midwives office, you can ask them there about whether you can sign up to NHS antenatal courses. They may well be running them online now for first time parents. If they do not offer this service as part of your standard maternity care, there are other private antenatal courses available to you that will also be running online during the pandemic. You can google online antenatal courses and this should bring up classes available to you in your area. I hope that helps and good luck in the run up to the birth of your new baby.

@HLW22

I'm in the process of trying to lose weight at the moment but am trying to conceive. As I have quite a bit to lose, is it still safe to carry on with restricted calories (between 1000 to 1600 per day) if I get pregnant or should I stop once I am?

Hi HLW22, thank you for your message. We wouldn’t advise counting calories in pregnancy, but rather focus on a healthy diet and lifestyle if you can. It is important not to restrict calorie intake in pregnancy. Instead focus on eating the right foods and cutting out junk food. So plenty of fresh fruit and veg, meat is great for keeping your iron levels up (but no red, undercooked meat like rare steak) and a healthy balance of carbohydrates. Try to avoid high levels of sugar and caffeine, and by maintaining a healthy intake of food this should help keep your weight levels stable anyway. In pregnancy a healthy weight gain is around 25lbs throughout the duration of the pregnancy. If you feel like you need extra support during your pregnancy with controlling your diet and what you’re eating, your hospital may have a weight management group that you can attend where they will give you tips on healthy eating and help you with things like portion control and what foods are good and bad for you. This may be included in your NHS Maternity care if your BMI is over 30. I hope that helps.

@BristolMum96

I had pre eclampsia with my first, is it likely to be worse/present earlier with my second pregnancy?

Hi BristolMum96, thanks for your message. As you may be aware, if you have had pre-eclampsia in your first pregnancy then there is an increase risk that you will get pre-eclampsia again in subsequent pregnancies. As you have had it previously, your maternity team should monitor you closely from the beginning of your pregnancy to try and prevent it from happening again. You will be put on low dose aspirin from the first trimester to try and prevent the pre-eclampsia from returning. Research has shown that actually in second pregnancies if you do get pre-eclampsia again it may be less severe than the first time. This is dependent on how severe it was last time and also any other risk factors you may have. But taking low dose aspirin will lower your risk of pre-eclampsia, and being under consultant care will help to manage the condition if it does happen a second time around. I hope that helps.

@alwaysataldi

I am 41 and TTC, what tests would I have which are non-invasive for downs or other chromosomal abnormalities ?

Hi alwaysataldi, thank you for your message. Every hospital trust has different guidelines. All Trusts should offer non invasive screening at your 12 week scan. They will check the fluid level at the back of babies neck and this will be accompanies with a blood test to check for chromosomal abnormalities. This is then sent off to a lab where they take into consideration maternal age and other factors and will be able to give you a low risk or high risk result. It will not give you a definite answer at this stage but will be able to tell you if you are classed as low risk for chromosomal abnormalities, or high risk. Some NHS Trusts will offer something called a NIPT or Harmony blood test to women over the age of 40 as part of your standard NHS maternity care. This is a blood test that looks at the DNA of the foetus and will give you a definite Yes or No answer as to whether your baby has a chromosomal abnormality. Unfortunately, some Trusts do not offer this as standard care at the moment, but if you are looking for a non invasive test then I would recommend having this done privately. The cost can range from £300-£500 depending on where you live in the UK. I hope that helps.

@jellybeanpopper

I was told at my 20week scan I have a low lying placenta. Are there any risks I should be aware of which may be an issue before the 32week scan? It feels a long time away to have to wait to find out if it's still a concern. Thank you

Hi jellybean popper, thank you for your message. Having a low lying placenta at 20 weeks is fairly common. As your uterus and baby grow, your placenta should move upwards with your uterus and move away from the lower segment. This is why they rebook a 32 week scan for you to make sure it has moved from this lower position. It really depends on how low lying the placenta is. If the placenta is low enough to be touching or covering the internal os (which is the inside part of your cervix), this means you are more high risk for it not moving as your uterus grows and you will have been advised to abstain from sexual intercourse for the time being and if you experience any bleeding to go straight into hospital to be monitored. If it is low lying but not low enough to be touching the cervix, then they normally will see you at 32 weeks to rescan and hopefully your placenta will have moved upwards with the growth of the baby. If you get any bleeding between now and your 32 week scan I would advise you ring your local maternity unit as soon as possible and explain that your placenta is low lying so that they can check you over. I hope that helps.

@jacqui5366

I had very severe morning sickness with DS1 and 2, I just felt utter despair at facing each day feeling so bad, not being able to eat, and the tests showed that I was missing some essential minerals in my system, both babies were average weight, I would love a third child to make my family complete, but the fear of morning sickness makes to feel I cannot put myself through this ordeal once more, how likely would it be that I would get the same severity of sickness again ?

Hi Jacqui5366, thank you for your message. Unfortunately, if you have experienced severe morning sickness with previous pregnancies it is likely that you will experience it with the 3rd as well. If you do decide to go ahead and try for a 3rd baby, I would recommend getting prepared for the first trimester before falling pregnant so you feel able to cope with the symptoms. You can speak to your GP to make sure they have anti sickness medication available to you as soon as you fall pregnant, and there are also products online that can help with morning sickness including the Emeterm - which is a TENs bracelet that goes on your wrist and sends electric pulses to help alleviate the sickness slightly. You can also visit websites dedicated to severe sickness like the Pregnancy Sickness Support page to read as much as you can to educate yourself on how to manage your sickness if you do decide to try to conceive. The hospital will also be there to offer support if you get too sick and can offer strong anti-sickness medication and IV fluids to help you feel better. I hope this helps.

@SearchingTheSkies

At what age should a baby's jaundice have disappeared? When should you seek further help if it doesn't seem to be going away?

Hi SearchingTheSkies, thank you for your message. Jaundice should normally clear up within 2 weeks of being born for full term babies, and 3 weeks if the baby is slightly premature. If your baby is older than this and still showing signs of jaundice, you should still be under maternity care so it would be worth speaking to your midwife about your concerns. If you have been discharged from maternity care, then the best person to speak to would be either your health visitor or GP. Sometimes, prolonged jaundice can be a sign of an underlying health condition with the liver so it is definitely worth speaking to a healthcare professional as soon as you can if you are worried. I hope this helps.

@Willieowinsbury

I have Reynaud's in my nipples which I found out when learning to bf DC1. Still feeding as a toddler and pregnant with no.2 and Reynauds back with a vengeance. Took nifedipine for three months after first one but imagine that's not advised during pregnancy. Makes little difference keeping nipples warm and dry. Any advice please?

Hi Willieowinsbury, thank you for your message. Congratulations on your pregnancy. Sorry to hear your Raynauds has returned whilst pregnant. The best advice I can give you for this would be to speak with your GP regarding medication to help improve the Raynauds. As I don’t have access to your medical history, and your GP will have all the relevant information to be able to prescribe something for you that will help your symptoms whilst pregnant. It’s such a shame that keeping them warm and dry doesn’t seem to help. I hope that your GP can offer some support and you manage to get it under control for the rest of your pregnancy.

@Sophiemumoftwo

Hello. I found out I’m expecting on 4/2/2021 after ttc for a short time. My pregnancy tests started of faint and got dark but now I am testing faint again??

Hi Sophiemumoftwo, thank you for your message. Congratulations on your pregnancy. If you haven’t experienced any pain or bleeding then I wouldn’t put too much weight on the pregnancy tests getting fainter. They are designed to tell you if you are pregnant or not, so looking at a faint/dark line won’t tell you anything other than you have hCG, the pregnancy hormone, in your urine. The further you get into your pregnancy, the higher your levels of hCG will get and sometimes pregnancy tests struggle to pick up the hCG if the level is too high as they are designed for use when your hCG levels are low, so this could be the case as well. If you do have any bleeding or pain, you can speak to your local early pregnancy unit and request a scan to check on the baby. I hope this helps.

@TheWhalesOnTheBus

What's the best way to safely lose weight during pregnancy, just tipped into a 30+ BMI so would like to reduce it if I can. Thank you!

Hi TheWhalesOnTheBus, thank you for your message. I would focus on a healthy diet and lifestyle if you can. It is important not to restrict calorie intake in pregnancy. Instead focus on eating the right foods and cutting out junk food. So plenty of fresh fruit and veg, meat is great for keeping your iron levels up (but no red, undercooked meat like rare steak) and a healthy balance of carbohydrates. Try to avoid high levels of sugar and caffeine, and by maintaining a healthy intake of food this should help keep your weight levels stable. In pregnancy a healthy weight gain is around 25lbs throughout the duration of the pregnancy. If you feel like you need extra support during your pregnancy with controlling your diet and what you’re eating, your hospital may have a weight management group that you can attend where they will give you tips on healthy eating and help you with things like portion control and what foods are good and bad for you. This may be included in your NHS Maternity care if your BMI is over 30. I hope that helps.

@TheGlitterFairy

At my 20wk scan, it showed I have a low lying placenta covering the cervix and also a secondary/ “accessory” placenta. Is there any guidance on things to do/ avoid regarding the low lying placenta (main one) and should I be concerned with the fact there seems to be a second one there? I’m 42, it’s a long awaited IVF baby, I have endometriosis (stage 4) and have had previous uterine surgery too. Thanks.

Hi TheGlitterFairy, thank you for your message. Firstly congratulations on your pregnancy. I imagine you will be having another scan to check placental position around 32 weeks. In the meantime, if the placenta is covering the cervix I would advise to avoid sexual intercourse and toys until your 32 week scan. If you have any bleeding leading up to your next scan, make sure you seek urgent advice from your local maternity unit as they will want to see you and check the baby. Take it easy as much as you can, but you do not need to be on bed rest. If your placenta doesn’t move away from your cervix then your Consultant will discuss your birth options with you nearer your due date. With regards to the secondary placental lobe, this does happen occasionally and isn’t usually a cause for concern. It will need to be highlighted in your notes, so that when you give birth they can make sure when checking the placenta that the second lobe has also delivered. The only danger is that it may stay inside your uterus, potentially causing an infection if it hasn’t come away from the uterine wall (this is rare). The midwives and doctors will know about this and will make sure that they check your placenta after birth to make sure they have it all. I hope this helps.

@wellingtonsandwaffles

Would an elective section or a very large badly positioned baby induction be best for mother and baby in your opinion?

Hi wellingtonsandwaffles, thank you for your message. This very much depends on how many weeks you are and if you have time to try and get the baby into a better position before an induction/elective cesarean is needed. Any intervention should be avoided if possible, I would need more context on this to be able to answer fully but I would always recommend natural methods of trying to turn your baby into a good position first. If you have Gestational Diabetes and a large for dates baby, and the doctors want to induce you, then I would recommend making sure you discuss what this would entail in detail with them and making an informed decision on what you feel is best for yourself and your baby. I hope this helps.

@MissingTheMoonlight

Do all babies go through a "purple crying stage" or does it mean something may be wrong, such as reflux or CMPA?

Hi MissingTheMoonlight, thank you for your message. Not all babies turn purple when they cry. This is a sign that your baby is in discomfort and may suggest something like reflux or CMPA. I would suggest speaking with your GP or a Paediatrician to see whether they can confirm if it is normal newborn crying or if your baby is suffering from reflux or CMPA. I would also recommend videoing it the next time it happens so you can show your GP and they can accurately diagnose. I hope this helps.

@PickledChicory

I'm just 10 weeks with no 4. Im convinced that I can feel baby move. I've also had a few tightenings. My midwife says its too early to feel these things. Is this the case?

Hi PickledChicory, thank you for your message. With baby number 4, it is possible for you to be feeling more of these symptoms early on. This is the fourth time you have been through it, so will be more in tune with your body, and also your body knows what it is doing as it has gone through it before. Tightenings don’t tend to start until the second trimester, but it isn’t unheard of that you may feel them earlier. That being said, I would make sure it isn’t something like a urine infection so make sure you see your GP or midwife if you are concerned. Baby movements can also be felt earlier on in subsequent pregnancies - so all those little popping sensations and flutters may well be you feeling the baby move. Congratulations! I hope that helps.

@Sleepnowprettyplease

This is my 4th pregnancy, I'm 7 weeks pregnant, with my other 3 I had nausea and sickness. This time i've not had any, I have other symptoms such as bloating and breast tenderness but even the fatigue doesn't feel as bad. Is this normal or should I be concerned?

Hi Sleepnowprettyplease, thank you for your message. It is normal to experience different symptoms in early pregnancy and isn’t a sign that anything is wrong. As long as you’ve had no bleeding accompanied with abdominal pain, the lack of symptoms doesn’t suggest a miscarriage or that the pregnancy isn’t progressing. You may find that the symptoms start to kick in shortly if they haven’t already - but if they don’t kick in at all then it’s still not a sign that your pregnancy isn’t progressing. Congratulations on your 4th pregnancy! I hope this helps.

@whitershadeofpale

Is it dangerous to take a low-dose of aspirin in early pregnancy?

Myself and many others have resorted to self-medicating after losses that won’t be explored. I’ve tried discussing it with both my GP and midwife and neither seem happy to give an answer, but the alternative seems to be to just wait until we’ve have the ‘right’ number or miscarriages.

Hi whitersadeofpale, thank you for your message. I am sorry to hear of your losses. I would never recommend self-medicating in pregnancy. It is a really difficult one, because you’re right there are guidelines in place that suggest miscarriages are explored after 3 recurrent miscarriages and this seems so unfair when you are the one going through it. The reason this is in place is because 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, which means if you have had 2 miscarriages it doesn’t necessarily mean you will go on to have another unsuccessful pregnancy next time. Medications like low-dose aspirin and progesterone suppositories are explored after 3 or more miscarriages to try and find a reason as to why the miscarriages are happening. Please do not self-medicate if you fall pregnant again as it may be unsafe for you and the baby to do so. If you are feeling like your GP and/or midwife aren’t listening to your concerns it may be worth trying to speak to a fertility specialist to try and get some answers or help. I would also recommend taking a conception or pregnancy multivitamin every day prior to falling pregnant again. I hope this helps.

@Sarah1417

I actually have two questions. One relating to my 3 week old and one relating to future pregnancies.

My newborn was beech at birth and we have been referred to the hospital for a hip scan at 7 weeks. We have noticed that his foot and knees are twisted inwards and at 3 weeks (currently) this doesn't seem to be looking any different. Is this because of him being breech? Is this likely improve over the coming weeks?

Regarding future pregnancies. I am 31 years old and have had 2 c sections now (one emergency and one planned) I am also type 2 diabetic however well controlled but I do feel this pregnancy was harder then my first but the recovery was much more straight forward. I know there are no set rules to how many sections you can have but I believe the general rule is no more more 3 due to more complications after that many. So my question really is, we have decided to wait a year to enjoy the milestones with mt newborn but we're considering trying for a 3rd next year. Is this sufficient amount of time for internal healing or do we need to wait longer?

Thanks:)

Hi Sarah1417, thank you for your message. With regards to your first question - This is called positional tailpes and can happen whether the baby is breech or not. They don’t have much room in the uterus towards the end of pregnancy, so can sometimes have feet that are turned inwards. There are exercises you can do with him to help, like gently stroking the inside of his foot to make him turn it outwards. This will correct itself over time. With regards to his knees, this may be related to him being breech and I would recommend speaking with your consultant about it when you go for your baby’s hip scan at 7 weeks.

With regards to your second question, we recommend a recovery time of 18 months between a c section and falling pregnant again. This is mainly to give the scar enough time to heal and for your body to return to a pre pregnancy state with regards to hormones and also your blood levels. That’s not to say that people don’t get pregnant a year after a c section, but the advice is to wait 18 months at least if you can. I hope that helps.

@JustTheDAB

In the study "Factors Contributing to Facial Asymmetry in Identical Twins" it is said that sleeping prone when growing is a factor for both nose & mouth asymmetry.

Should we start encouraging our children not to sleep prone and/or to use special pillows?

Hi JustTheDAB, thank you for your message. We do not advise letting your baby sleep in a prone position. You should always place your baby on their back to sleep to reduce the risk of SIDS. If you are unsure of the safe sleeping guidance in the UK, you can visit the Lullaby Trust’s website, that gives you guidance on safe sleep in newborns and young babies. I hope that helps.

@Ruuth

Hi,

For some background:
17+5.
Age: 36
BMI 31.5 (I am currently maintaining my weight since conception).
First pregnancy
My sister had gestational diabetes.

I have had two UTIs, both treated with nitrofurantoin.
I am vegetarian and am eating a high carb diet (3 meals + 1 or 2 snacks).
Now drinking at least 3L water a day.
I'm feeling well within myself.

I have consistently had ketones in my urine over the last week. This ranges between a trace and 2+. I have read that this can be an indication for issues with the foetus, such as being born with learning difficulties.

I cannot figure out why there are so many ketones in my urine so frequently. I feel like I ruled out 'starvation'.

I am obviously really concerned about any any harm being caused and wondering if (and why) it's ok for me to have ketonuria under these conditions? Should I be doing something different to eliminate the ketones? Do I need a serum test (thinking of buying a monitor off Amazon).

I am awaiting a glucose tolerance test.

Hi Ruuth, thank you for your message. This is more common in pregnancy than you would think. Ketones in your urine normally suggest that you aren’t getting enough sufficient nutrition from your diet. I would recommend trying to add in some protein rich foods if you can as well as the carbohydrates and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. It may also suggest that you may develop Gestational Diabetes. Your midwives will monitor this for you and help with your diet if you do develop GD. Having ketones in your urine isn’t an indication that something is wrong with the baby, so try not to worry about what you have read on the internet. There is a tiny increased risk of babies being born with learning difficulties but this is in cases where the ketones have been high throughout pregnancy and uncontrollable, and even then the risk is minimal. I think it is probably more likely to do with your diet so try changing it up a bit if you can and see if that helps. I hope that helps.

@Peoniesandcats

When I had my first baby at 36 weeks it took a week for my milk to come through. In between that time my baby lost a lot of weight even though she was latching ok and was checked by midwives before I left the hospital.

In the end I did have to go back in because of baby's jaundice.

But I wanted to ask should I have fed baby formula? Am pregnant again so wanted to see what I could do differently next time.

Thanks!

Hi Peoniesandcats, thank you for your message. It is common for babies born before 37 weeks to struggle to maintain their weight and feed. It can also take longer for your milk to come in. In a full term pregnancy, your milk normally takes 3 days to come in and the colostrum is enough in the meantime to supply goodness to your baby. I don’t think you did anything wrong at all with your last baby. It is harder to feed a slightly premature baby and they do tend to struggle with weight gain and jaundice because they are that little bit early. It sounds like you did everything right. I wouldn’t recommend supplementing with formula unless you really need to. See what gestation your baby is born at this time, and how they take to feeding and see what feels right for you and baby at the time. I hope this helps.

@ohdannyboy

I had pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain from month 4 until delivery for DS1 and 2, and this was very debilitating - especially at night - are there any exercises or sleeping positions you would recommend TTC number 3 at the moment. Thank you

Hi Ohdannyboy, thank you for your message. Sorry to hear you suffered with PGP with both of your sons. There are plenty of gentle exercises you can do to help PGP, and I would recommend starting them early into your pregnancy to help strengthen the muscles and hopefully prevent the PGP from being as bad as it was last time for you. You can try pelvic tilting, pelvic circles, inner thigh stretches, the cat stretch, child’s pose stretch and many others. These can all be found on the internet and guidance on how to do them as well. Yoga is also great for PGP so I would recommend a regular yoga class if you can. With regards to sleeping, you want to take as much pressure off the pelvis as possible. So try sleeping on your left hand side, with your knees tucked up and a pillow between your legs for additional support. If you need to change position in bed I would also recommend trying to keep your knees together as you roll or change position. When you do fall pregnant, make sure you speak to your midwife about your previous PGP, as they will be able to do an early referral to the physiotherapy team to help you. I hope this helps.

@pushchairprincess

I was totally debilitated with hyperemesis gravidarum, and required admittance to hospital to be put on a drip due to loss of fluids - they said this would not affect the baby, but I feel a little better now, and can cope with the sickness, can this affect the very early and important development of a baby ? Other than nibbling on dry biscuits and drinking little and often I can't find anything which can help.

Hi pushchairprincess, thank you for your message. I am sorry to hear you have been suffering with HG. The most important thing is that you stay hydrated during the process so the fact that you have been in for fluids is great. As long as you are managing to keep fluids down and some food until the sickness subsides then you’re doing well. Lots of people suffer with severe morning sickness and go on to have healthy babies so try to focus on eating little and often and keeping your fluid intake up until the sickness starts to subside. I hope that helps.

@Asuwere

Does having had a PPH increase the chance of having it with a future birth? Is there anything I could do do reduce the risk?

Hi Asuwere, thank you for your message. It depends on the reason behind the PPH. If it was due to tearing, then there is not an increased risk of it happening again. If you had a medically induced labour last time, then the PPH could have been due to your uterus not contracting properly after birth. If you go into spontaneous labour next time around, then the risk of it happening again is the same as anyone who has not suffered a previous PPH. It is important to make sure that after birth you feel as relaxed as possible to help the oxytocin flow as this helps contract your uterus and lowers the risk of PPH. I would recommend skin to skin immediately after birth and low lighting in the birthing room if possible. There is also an injection called syntometrin that you can have to help your uterus contract and you can discuss this with your midwife when you are thinking about your birthing options. I hope this helps.

@Kiki275

I'm currently 17 weeks, with my 3rd pregnancy. 1st resulted in induction & EMCS at 42 weeks due to failure to progress (4cm) and foetal distress. 2nd was a twin pregnancy that sadly resulted in a loss at 22 weeks (miscarriage induced) but I know I at least got to 5cm. This time I'm reluctant to go overdue but also reluctant to just opt for an ELCS as my recovery was awful after EMCS and I'll have a toddler to watch this time. I'd quite like a natural birth completely dissimilar to my previous two but also appreciate that there is little guarantee. What are your thoughts on VBAC in this scenario or will it be better all around to opt of ELCS and get appropriate plans for help put in place for recovering.x

Hi Kiki275, thank you for your message. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your twins. This is a very individual decision. You are well within your rights to opt for either a VBAC (vaginal birth after c section) or an ELCS. Women who have had previous c sections for ‘failure to progress’ have a good chance of having a VBAC next time around. If you do decide to go for a VBAC, I would recommend staying as upright as possible throughout your labour and staying mobile if you can. This will help the baby to move lower into your pelvis and put pressure on the cervix to dilate. You should be offered a consultant appointment to discuss your birth options and go from there. It is completely your choice on how you would like to birth your baby, the doctors are there to advise you on what they think is best, but ultimately, the decision is down to you. I hope this helps.