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

@Sarah84848484

I’m losing weight to help me become pregnant again for my second child. How much weight gain is ok for someone who already has a BMI of 27/28?

Hi Sarah84848484, thank you for your message. With a BMI of 27/28 you should make sure that you are eating as healthily as possible throughout your pregnancy. Healthy eating and exercise can help keep the weight gain to a minimum, and decrease the increased risks to you and the baby. Some of the increased risks with a raised BMI are thrombosis, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, induction of labour, caesarean birth, anaesthetic complications and wound infections. These can all be reduced with healthy eating and exercise during pregnancy. Your BMI is still only slightly raised, and we don’t tend to recommend a certain amount of weight gain in pregnancy (anywhere between 25-35lbs is a normal range of weight gain) but with healthy eating and exercise you will be making sure you are giving yourself and your baby the best start. I hope this helps.

@Montydoo

What is the safest sleeping position when in the third trimester ? My baby is breach at the moment and I feel that sleeping propped up is the most comfortable for me, but have heard that side or back sleeping is preferred ?

Hi Montydoo, thank you for your message. Sleeping on your left hand side during your third trimester is advised. You have a main blood vessel that runs along your back which can be compressed by the baby if you are lying flat on your back, which is why back sleeping isn’t advised as the baby gets bigger in the third trimester. Back sleeping can restrict blood flow and oxygen to the baby so the advice is to avoid going to sleep on your back. If you wake in the night and are flat on your back, just turn to the side and continue sleeping, this won’t have any adverse effects on the baby, but it is advisable to get back into a side sleeping position as soon as you can. You can get pregnancy pillows to help feel more comfortable sleeping on your side. I hope this helps.

@Teatoweltable

How is pregnancy and newborn appointments etc different with the pandemic?

Hi Teatoweltable, thank you for your message. There have been varying degrees of changes in different NHS hospitals due to the pandemic. A lot of NHS Trusts are now doing telephone and video appointments to try and limit the number of face to face appointments to only those appointments that are necessary. Most hospitals at the moment will only let you attend appointments by yourself, but some hospitals are starting to let partners attend the 12 and 20 week scans. Health visitors are now also doing telephone appointments instead of face to face appointments. The pandemic has changed the maternity services significantly and it is such a shame, when it was already a very limited, stretched service as it was. Hopefully, times are changing and things will start to get back to normal soon. I hope this helps.

@1boo1

I am 8 weeks pregnant with our first child after a MC in January. I went for an early scan at the EPU and they mentioned I have a fibroid. Is this anything to worry about and could this be why I MC in Jan? Thank you

Hi 1boo1, thank you for your message. Most women will experience no side effects from a fibroid in pregnancy. It also depends on how large the fibroid is. There is no way of knowing whether your fibroid caused the MC in Jan. 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage so the chances are that it was unfortunately just one of those things, and you shouldn’t let the fibroid worry you this time around if you can help it. Your doctor will keep a close eye on your fibroid during pregnancy if it is a large one, as you have a slightly increased risk of things like fatal growth restriction and pre term birth, but only if the fibroid is a significant size. Wishing you a healthy pregnancy. I hope this helps.

@lovemyflipflops

I had a cesarean birth with my first, mainly due to the baby being breach and me being in labour for 50 hours, and baby was in distress. Does the scar heal enough for your body to go through a subsequent pregnancy (2 1/2 years post partum).

Hi lovemyflipflops, thank you for your message. We normally advise at least 18 months between a previous c section and a new pregnancy, so 2.5 years post part is more than enough. This means you will have given adequate time for your scar to heal, but also time for your body to replenish all the nutrients and iron stores that were depleted in your first pregnancy and birth. If you are thinking of having another baby, 2.5 years is a good amount of time to have recovered from your previous birth. I hope this helps.

@ursuslemonade

Why frequent ctg monitoring is still not routinely offered for all pregnant women?

Hi ursuslemonade, thank you for your message. Frequent CTG monitoring is not indicated in a low risk, healthy pregnancy. We use CTG monitoring in the antenatal stage if there are any concerns with the woman or the baby, and again in labour if we are concerned about anything. There is no medical need for regular CTG monitoring in pregnancy or birth if everything is progressing well and the pregnancy is low risk. I hope this helps.

@MsLadyMojo

I’m a very slim build, and I’ve heard that women with narrower hips usually have to have a Caesarian. Is this true or a myth?

Hi @MsLadyMojo, thank you for your message. There are different shapes of pelvis that can make birth harder for some women. Even if you are of a slim build, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have a smaller pelvis shape and it will impact on your ability to birth your baby. The majority of women will have a gynecoid shaped pelvis and this is a wide open shape which will help the baby move down through the birth canal. The other shapes are Android, Anthropoid and Platypelloid and these shapes can make vaginal birth more difficult. If you are petite, it is not a sign that you may have a difficult birth or that you have an uncommon shaped pelvis. I hope this helps.

@Asiama

I had problems with low milk supply with my first baby. With my second, should I start pumping as soon as he's born to help stimulate more milk ?

Hi Asiama, thank you for your message. I would recommend offering the breast to your newborn as much as possible in the first few days to stimulate milk production and build your supply. You absolutely can pump if you feel you need to, but you need to be careful not to over produce as this can lead to mastitis and engorgement issues. Try foods that help increase milk supply like fenugreek, oatmeal or oat milk and lean meats and poultry as these will all help as well. Feeding your baby on demand will also help increase your milk supply. I hope this helps.

@RA010

Hello, hope you can help me. I am 17 weeks pregnant and couldn't be more thrilled. At 6 weeks I had a extremely heavy bleed which I found out was due to a hematoma. On my 12 week scan they told me the hematoma is still there which has been constantly worry. I have been on furlough since last November , now I have a return to work date by that point I will be 20 weeks pregnant. My scan isn't until the following week. I work in retail for a living which I am stood up on my feet all day. What do you advice I do? I have no idea if my hematoma is still there after a couple of weeks and I'm worried about returning to work incase I have another big bleed. Thank you for your help x

Hi RA010, thanks for your message. A haematoma is very common in early pregnancy and do tend to go away and get reabsorbed into the body. It does create a lot of anxiety and worry for you, especially as you have had a significant bleed in early pregnancy. If you haven’t been put on bed rest, or have been offered medication to stop the bleed - this suggests that it is a small Haematoma and going back to work shouldn’t have an impact on it. You may find when you go to your 20 week scan that the haematoma is no longer there. I would try to take it easy when you can, but as long as the team looking after you aren’t concerned, then you should be able to go back to work. Good luck for your scan, I hope it all goes well.

@somuchcoffeeneeded

My baby is almost 3 weeks old and I’m still bleeding. How long does it last for? Also how long does it take for stitches to dissolve? I can still feel them.

Hi somuchcoffeeneeded, thank you for your message. The bleeding can last for up to 6 weeks after having your baby, as your uterus returns to normal and your hormone levels settle down. As long as you aren’t soaking through pads and having to change them every hour, then you are likely experiencing normal post natal blood loss at this stage. The stitches should normally dissolve between 10-14 days after birth - but it can take up to 4 weeks if you are still feeling them. If you can still feel them at 4 weeks postnatal I would advise having your GP take a look to see why they aren’t dissolving properly. I hope this helps.

@HLW22

I've been trying to track my BBT and was doing well for the first 2 weeks of taking my temperature within the same 15min window. However, the last week I've been waking up 2-3hours before my usual wake up time and don't have enough time to sleep for another 3hours uninterrupted as the instructions on my thermometer say I should. I'm getting quite frustrated as I'm usually a very regular sleeper and normally sleep 8+hours a night. Why is it so important that BBT is taken right after waking up?

Hi HLW22, thanks for your message. Unfortunately this isn’t a question for a midwife, a fertility specialist would be able to answer this question in a professional capacity. Your temperature fluctuates throughout the day and when checking your BBT, it is most accurate after sleep, which is why it is recommended to take your temperature as soon as you wake up. As I said though, this is out of my remit as a midwife so you would get a more in depth response from a fertility specialist. I hope this helps though.

@Scuttlingherbert

Hi, I'm currently 18 weeks pregnant with my first baby. I need to work on my pelvic floor as I've already had some slight leakage when sneezing but my compliance with doing pelvic floor exercises is crap. I have the Squeezy app but always ignore the reminders or hate doing them.

In the past I used pelvic floor weights, after finding I leaked a bit when sneezing or jumping, and got on really well with them. I put the weights in every morning while I was in the shower and found my pelvic floor got much stronger and I could do things like jumping on a trampoline with no concerns.

The pelvic floor weights I have say not to use while pregnant. I've looked at similar products but it's hard to find out if they're safe in pregnancy or not.
I don't get why it wouldn't be safe to put pelvic floor weights in, when apparently sex or using a vibrator is safe during and I feel like a penis would be jabbing around a lot more?
But obviously don't want to use them if there is a risk to the baby!

Hi Scuttlingherbert, thanks for your message. Kegel exercises in pregnancy are a great way to strengthen your pelvic floor, prevent stress incontinence and help with labour and birth when the time comes. I haven’t heard of being unable to use Kegel balls in pregnancy. I know that some offer electrical pulses, and contain monitoring which can show how effective your exercises are and these may be contraindicated in pregnancy, but as far as I am aware, Kegel balls are fine as long as they don’t have any of the above. Just always make sure they are clean before starting your exercises. If you are worried, it may be worth speaking with a physiotherapist who specialises in pelvic floor and women’s health. I hope this helps.

@Beth92

I've just found out I'm pregnant and due my second covid jab on friday. I am a student nurse so work in hospital. My GP said it's my choice and wasn't overly helpful! Has anyone had the jab whilst pregnant? I'm so unsure on what to do

Hi Beth92, thanks for your message. This is a grey area because the vaccine is so new. The RCOG advice at the moment is that pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should only be offered the vaccine if they are either classed as clinically vulnerable or working as a frontline healthcare worker. As a student nurse, this means you are eligible to have the vaccine if you wish. There are small research studies now starting to come from America, that suggest that pregnant mothers are passing the COVID antibodies onto their unborn babies which is great news, and early research suggests there are benefits to both the mother and the baby to have the vaccine - but it is still early days and these are still small studies so please research as much as you can and make the decision that is best for you. I hope that helps.

@HotToddyColdSauvignon

Is it safe to have the covid vaccine when we’re trying to conceive? For both DH and myself?

Hi HotToddyColdSauvignon, there is no evidence at all that the COVID vaccine causes issues with fertility. The advice at the moment is that you avoid having the vaccine if you are trying to conceive, but this is just down to lack of research so they are being cautious with who should be having it. Early research suggests it is safe for women who are trying to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding - but there is still a long way to go before we can determine any longer lasting side effects of the vaccine. It is a completely individual decision so please make sure you research as much as possible and feel happy in the decision you make. It is worth thinking about the balance of catching COVID over having the vaccine itself and how this may effect you as well. I hope this helps.

@HobNobAddict

I had IVF with DS1 and 2, and TTC number 3, I had a great deal of hormones and am worried about the long term effects of this on my body - are there any physical symptoms I can look out for - I am using an ovulation kit and know I am ovulating - but am unsure on the quality of the eggs (age 35) would the IVF lessened my future chances (we do not qualify for further cycles and I have no embryos remaining.

Hi HobNobAddict, thanks for your message. This is outside of my remit as a midwife and is something that a fertility specialist would know more about. As far as I am aware, the hormones experienced from IVF cycles shouldn’t affect future pregnancies. I don’t know your history or why you had the initial rounds of IVF, but it is worth taking this into consideration with regards to TTC as it may mean it will take longer for you to fall pregnant naturally. I am also unable to tell you the quality of your eggs or what would help in this instance due to a lack of history with regards to your previous fertility issues. I wish you the best of luck though and really hope you can fall pregnant naturally this time around.

@Looloo89

Hi :) I am currently 10 weeks pregnant from IVF. I've been having some nausea in the evenings since 6 weeks but nothing too bad. I had a scan at 7 weeks 3 days and all was good with a heartbeat, but I am worried because since the end of 9 weeks until today I've been having much more severe nausea and was even sick for the first time last night. Is it normal for sickness to get worse this far along the first trimester?

Hi Looloo89, thanks for your message. Unfortunately it can be normal for nausea to get worse until around 12-14 weeks of pregnancy. Your hormone levels are increasing rapidly in the first trimester, and this is what causes the sickness symptoms. When the placenta starts to take over around 12 weeks of pregnancy your sickness should start to ease up a bit and as you move into your second trimester, you should start to feel better. I hope this helps.

@yuyubooboo

I know the current nhs dietary advice for pregnant women is online but compared to other countries across the world, there's so much variety! What's the evidence for avoiding soft cheeses for example? It's different in Europe and that makes me doubt our guidelines a little.

Hi yuyubooboo, thanks for your message. At the moment in the UK, the guidance for soft cheese is that you should avoid:

• mould-ripened soft cheeses with a white coating on the outside, such as brie, camembert and chèvre (unless cooked until steaming hot)
• soft blue cheeses such as danish blue, gorgonzola and roquefort (unless cooked until steaming hot)
• any unpasteurised cows' milk, goats' milk or sheep's milk
• any foods made from unpasteurised milk, such as soft goats' cheese

Soft cheeses in the lists above can harbour bacteria like listeria, which can be dangerous for your unborn baby so this is the guidance we ask all women to follow in the UK. Advice is constantly changing and updating as research is developed - which is why there is so much differing advice out there. It is worth listening to your midwife and following NHS guidance on what you can/can’t eat in pregnancy. I hope this helps.

@RosesAndHellebores

My first third trimester baby was posterior and had the cord wrapped round his neck. The midwives did not know this until I was about to deliver and the Senior midwife and senior registrar were called - and then hit the red button. Women are so often told to trust their midwives who will be there to support them. Three times my baby's heartbeat disappeared. Two times the midwife blamed the positioning of the belt.

Please could you explain with absolute clarity why any woman should ever trust a midwife and why a fully qualified midwife at a major London teaching hospital failed to think beyond the belt?

Also, if midwives may miss critical signs when women are admitted in labour, why isn't every woman scanned vis the position of the baby.

Finally, I have a name, and am the mother to my children. Why do midwives think they may call me mum?

Hi RosesAndHellebores, thank you for your message. I am sorry to hear about your traumatic birth experience. Without access to your notes and having a detailed discussion with you and the team involved - I am unable to completely understand exactly why this happened to you. Did you have a chance to go back and go through your labour notes with a midwife to try and understand it all a bit more yourself? This is something every hospital should offer, especially if you have had a traumatic birth. It can be common for babies to have the cord wrapped around their neck and not cause any issues with the birth, but it can also mean that it causes the baby distress as it travels down through the birth canal. It can also be fairly common to lose the babies heartbeat on the CTG machine if the baby changes position, and for us as midwives to have to reposition the monitor to pick it back up again. Again, it is really difficult to understand what has happened here without having access to more information with regards to what was happening with your baby. When you have had a traumatic birth experience, it is very difficult to put your faith in the people that you feel let down by. That is completely natural and completely understandable. Midwives are the specialists in normal, so when things move out of a lower risk environment and become more high risk, the care should then be escalated to the Doctors to take over the lead in your care. When/If you decide to have a baby again, it would be worth speaking with the senior leadership team and going through the details of your last birth to make sure it doesn’t happen again and you feel fully supported. I think it is really important for me to say that not all midwives are like this. The majority of us go into midwifery because we are compassionate and caring, and we are avid feminists who believe in rights for birthing women and women in general. I have personally never called anyone in my care “Mum”, have never told anyone she is a “good girl” or used any other patronising, derogatory language and the majority of my colleagues would say the same. In every walk of life you will find people who say things that you wouldn’t say, or do things that you wouldn’t do - but I truly believe in the birthing community that the majority of us are there to support birthing women and advocate for them as much as we possibly can.