Pregnancy #62

[Cucumber and eggs]

Does anyone know if I can refuse consultant led care? I've had 3 pregnancies under consultant led due to health issues. But I've just had negative experiences each time. I just find it very stressful going up the hospital every week and sitting for 5+ hours to have tests, scans and waiting around to see consultants. My 2nd pregnancy I was bullied by 6 professionals in a tiny room who told me I was having a c section and booked me in . I actually went into spontaneous labour and gave birth naturally with no complications. My second pregnancy my daughter had a rare syndrome that I also have, and they suggested I abort the baby. During labour my fluid input and output were recorded, and because I had forgotten to record an output and call the nurse I was denied fluids during a 12 hour labour. I wasn't allowed to get up and move around and had to stay put in bed. I have ptsd from previous surgeries and professionals not listening to me and added complications. Obviously if there were issues with the baby I would be more than happy to go under fetal medicine and have them look after me

 

[Amylaauren]

I need some pregnancy safe cold remedies ASAP!! Send help 🥲

 

[Amylaauren]

I’m nearly 35 weeks and still haven’t been told anything about the hospital or anything about my birth plan. My next midwife appointment is Tuesday so hopeful they’ll go over something then but it’s such a big unknown im slightly worried hha

im 37 weeks and I haven’t been told either. It’s only from our antenatal courses that I’m more aware. I’ve printed out the birth plan from the nhs website which looks really good!

 

[ASAnigel]

It’s soooo tricky but first thing I will say is don’t feel like you owe anyone anything because they’ve helped you financially!!
we’ve agreed no visitors other than our parents until I say it’s okay, just to reduce the pressure of others hinting for a visit - there’s a very clear line.
I’m also planning to breastfeed and don’t feel comfortable doing it around my in-laws but I see that as quite useful that when I’m fed up of socialising I can take the baby and go in a different room
I plan to do that and then text my husband and tell him to get rid of people or I won’t come back down
We’ve had little chats here and there about these kinds of things throughout because I don’t want my husband to turn around and go “yeah but” or act like he didn’t know what the boundaries were.

he did try and throw a scenario at me the other day that would break the “no one other than parents” rule but I firmly shut that down because it’s not what we had agreed.

I think the most important thing is both being agreed about it but ultimately it should be your decision who can come round and when!
Or maybe a rule that they have to call to check it’s okay before coming over?

 

[Gracie_H]

Question ladies…I’ve got an appointment with the diabetes ante-natal clinic tomorrow morning, it doesn’t mention anything about being nil by mouth but I know from friends they’ve had a fasted blood test! Should I not eat just incase? Seems weird they’ve not said anything on the letter x

 

[hazmaz]

I'm sorry to hear this. My dad was trying to ask me about our names this weekend but I wouldn't say. I honestly can just see him coming over for weeks after our baby is born and saying this like, are you sure about this name? What.abour this name instead etc?

We told my MIL our potential name for our first and she continued to use it constantly… consequently I went off that name pretty darn quick

 

[anything at all]

Looking for some advice. I'm about 5 weeks and I CANNOT stop eating. I have never known hunger like it. It was what made suspicious and test. I wake up in the night because of hunger pangs. I will eat dinner and my tummy will be rumbling half an hour later like I haven't eaten anything. I've tried eating little and often, tried typical foods that fill you up, drinking lots of water and NOTHING fills the hole. I have already gained weight from it. I am very conscious about not overeating and gaining unhealthy amounts of weight (obviously it's normal to gain some and be hungry but this is something else) but I can't help it. Does this pass? Any ideas to stop constantly feeling painfully hungry?

Also I know it's impossible to be showing already but I am very bloated but my bloat looks very baby bump shaped, not like any bloating I've had before, it genuinely looks like I have a cute little bump. Does this go away? We aren't telling people until we've had the scan but I don't want people seeing my bump shaped bloat and asking me.

My hunger levels have been all over the place since even in the few days before finding out I realised I was always hungry. It’s so up and down though it’s actually frustrating. You might find in a week or 2 it might change as well.

The bump/bloat you have might not be as noticeable as you think! I remember feeling like I was massive in the evenings very early on but at almost 19 weeks now I do actually have a small noticeable bump (this is my second baby) so that early bloat I now realise it was nothing at all compared
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On the topic of food I feel like I’m really struggling with it right now. My husbands comments aren’t helping.

Before my last pregnancy I was pescatarian but I very quickly went off fish, couldn’t eat any of it at all. I did make the decision to eat meat again and have done since but at this point in pregnancy I don’t want either fish or meat. The idea of it makes me feel so sick. I was convinced there was something wrong with some chicken we had 2 nights ago, I just kept getting this awful smell from it and had to stop eating it, husband ate it fine (my cat also enjoyed mine ) so there was nothing actually wrong with it.

My husband keeps saying that my diet is so bad for our baby - I agree but I don’t need reminding.

I hope it’s just one of these things that passes. My ‘cravings’ have been all over the place from the start, I’ll obsess over one food/or snack for a bout a week or 2 and then I won’t want to see it ever again

 

[Greencatfysh]

I’ve been offered a sweep at 38+2 and I’m really unsure if to go ahead with it or wait a week until I’m 39+2 instead. Please could anyone let me know their experiences with sweeps and any statistics/facts/pros/cons that might help me make up my mind My worry is that my body wont be ready and it will end up really hurting, but at the same time I am very ready for baby to be here now.

Just being nosy but why have you been offered a sweep so early? As far as I’m aware I won’t have any interventions til I’m at term or 41 weeks. Just interested in why we all seem to have such different experiences!

 

[Angrysue_]

This is so shallow I know but it’s one of the reasons I want a girl I’m bored to death of vehicles/monsters/grey/navy and then as they grow up, Minecraft/marvel/spiderman/hulk etc gimme florals and dusty rose hues

Yeah that's my thinking as well, I wanted a boy but after seeing the clothes I just think nah, boring and utterly dull !. Can't bare character clothing, so ugly. Yet if a girl wants to wear a Barbie jumper I'm all for it. I am not even a girly girl myself but in all my favourited items basket it's all pink flowery girly girl stuff.

 

[Elisha97]

Oh I feel you here. I had friends come visit me for the first time in almost 2 years and straight away we're like "let's get a date in the diary for Jan when the baby is here". They would have tried to come in Dec had it not been for Christmas. I resisted and we have no date yet which is good because I don't want them coming over.

I don't want anyone unless it's immediate family the weeks after birth, and even then I can't have people around every day or I'll go mad.

Ooh I’d have been so mad! Rude how you’re expected to make commitments around the time you’ve had a huge life change and will be recovering physically and mentally too

 

[Stimpii]

Hi guys! Does anyone know if there’s a similar thread for baby chat? I’ve just got my sons nursery place confirmed 🥹 he’s not even 6 months

There’s a new baby and a toddler thread.

My youngest is almost 4 and I feel like she wasn’t born long ago. It’s gone so fast.

 

[Kaylarina]

totally agree - I hate that you either have to pay £20k to go private here or hope you can get a private room. Our hospital has them but it’s a gamble whether you get one. Seems such an added stress when the year is 2024! Also ditto with the partners having to leave. Why should I have to go through birth and then my partner has to leave and I have to lie there in pain looking after a newborn!

We went private but we were lucky as my husband did/does private work with the hospital so we didn’t end up with such a big bill. It wouldn’t take much to have all new mums in rooms but would make such a difference to them. i know the hospital I worked at in London lets you pay for a private room but I think it’s between £400 and £600 a night, which I do not agree with at all.
Also agree that your partner should be able to stay with you, especially with how stretched nurses and midwives can be and not even just to help. It’s their baby too, why should they have to be separated during such a special time.

 

[littlepup]

No I love chit chat like this hahaha I find it interesting too!!
However, surely those 2-5 days of induction is still more ‘controlled’ from a management point of view than the alternative? E.g the 5 week span spontaneous labour could happen from 37-42 weeks (for most).
Obviously I only know what happens in my own trust, but 1:1 care between women and midwives was only once they were in established labour, so those initially being induced weren’t taking up official bed space in labour rooms as they were just on the ward, or sent home as @Greencatfysh said. Then once in established labour they were receiving 1:1 care as they would regardless.
Totally agree though that so much outdated data is the cause for most inductions. I was always very adamant I wouldn’t be induced, still needed the c section anyway 🫠

Tbf I thought that after I wrote it regarding being in labour and needing 1-2-1 care.
I was induced by drip 24hrs after my forewaters went, the process was over 24hrs and I had a midwife there pretty much the entire time once drip went in and the contractions started so a good over half of that. But I realise that contradicts my point about there being lots of ways of being induced. That’s just one of them, probably not that common plus it was Covid restrictions so maybe they weren’t switching rooms as much as they usually would. Bit clouded by my own experience there!
Still, it’s more work and resources (cost) to induce than let nature run its course, plus the increased chance of interventions after still makes me think they wouldn’t do it unnecessarily for staffing reasons.

 

[Aemee00]

Can anyone recommend a good changing bag for on the go?

 

[Elisha97]

anyone else’s gut feeling about their babies gender correct?
I’m sure with my first I thought he was a boy from fairly early and was correct. I did have boy feelings at first this time but more recently over the last few weeks been feeling more toward girl. Maybe wishful thinking since we already have a boy.

I was told at my fetal medicine scan on Wednesday that I have a left lateral placenta some theory says girls on the left and boys on the right - but not always the case

it really is just one of those things that’s 50/50 isn’t it?

I’m still waiting on test results so I don’t know why I’m letting myself get attached here 🥲

My gut feeling was right, I think sometimes you just know. I even had some dreams I was having a girl!

 

[mashedbananapancakes]

23 weeks today but feels like I've been pregnant forever after finding out in April

 

[Seeemm]

I was so excited to go pram shopping today, but it was such a let down. Most were so out of our budget and the ones that we could afford couldn't fit in the car. We have a small car and just couldn't fit the smallest pram in.

And we just saw people walking around buying these expensive travel systems and it just made me feel a bit flat. We think we've found one that will work online, but i just feel a bit meh after the whole thing.

Have you looked at the doona or something similar? Theres usually decent reductions online too. I love mine!

 

[Bec_123]

I've been told I will have consultant led care for my current pregnancy due to my previous gestational hypertension induction. Can anyone advise me on what this means/entails? Had my booking appointment tonight and I've struggled to retain what the midwife said thank you in advance x

 

[Super_Berry]

Has anyone flown with Ryanair when pregnant? I fly this weekend and just realised I need a fit to fly letter but it's £50. My midwife won't do it and says it needs to be the consultant. I bet they don't even ask for it when I fly but then I don't want to be refused the flight if I don't get one.

 

[Angrysue_]

It's so strange! Gravy is absolutely disgusting to me at the moment. Even writing the word makes me feel ill. Flicking through Insta and people posting their roasts covered in and it's knocking me sick. I loved it before I got knocked up.

I was saying to Mr Shiny things that if we have to carry a kid for 9 months it's only fair we should feel amazing, but nooooo my own saliva makes me gag.

Hahahahaha I know it's shocking on us females, it really is ! I am struggling to do food shopping in general, everything just makes me want to vomit !

I hope you can like gravy again because it is beautiful stuff! Haha
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I had a friend who could smell the cold air on her husband when he'd come back in from walking the dog in the morning... So weird!

That's me ! The cold air literally makes me gag ! Eyes watering and everything.