Pregnancy #63

[Greencatfysh]

I am overweight and have a history of disordered eating (won’t go into it as it might be triggering for some and I dont want that!) so I’ve been trying to eat well, regularly and in a healthy but not deliberately low cal way because it’s not just about me anymore, I currently have a blueberry sized offspring that needs to be looked after! Im a bit worried that the snacking on top of actually eating three meals a day will make my weight increase because it might just make everyone a lot more frowny at me in the healthcare sphere, but I suppose at this point I am lucky that I can eat and can stomach food without it making me feel queasy so I should just go with it. I don’t think I’m eating excessively but I also know I need only look at food and I gain about 10kg

Honestly, I’m overweight too (obese according to BMI) and it never got brought up my whole pregnancy apart from when I went into being induced and they said I should’ve been having extra scans the whole way through which never happened (?!) I spent lots of appointments waiting to be berated for being large but nothing ever happened. At my 20 week scan she reclined my chair back quite far so that they could scan me properly, but again it was just a momentary thing that was mentioned. All focus is on the Baby’s health. It’s pretty messed up but you have to be a certain weight to apparently conceive a baby, but then once you’re actually pregnant, it’s not mentioned much. I just kept reminding myself how many women in our position give birth to healthy babies every single day.

that being said now that I’m 13 weeks pp I wish I’d kept on top of strengthening exercises because my chunk of a baby is so heavy and getting on and off of the floor is an almost hourly occurrence and being lighter would help! Basically try and stay strong and limber as much as you can, but don’t worry about weight gain or loss, just enjoy this precious time

 

[LittleMissMuffet]

Today was sort of better in some ways and worse in others?! Oh well. We’re over the halfway point of the week.

Today I tried to nibble on snacks all day and I’ve definitely felt less sick. Roasted salted cashews have been the most successful, followed by salted pretzels, but I also had a mix of sultanas and craisins (cranberry raisins). Can’t imagine it’s massively healthy for me though so I probably need another plan!

My first pregnancy - I was so queasy all day long. I struggled brushing my teeth because I had zero gag reflex. Something that helped me was little ginger sweets called GinGins - you can get them on Amazon and they’re usually used for travel sickness but they helped me a bit. Can’t believe little is a blueberry already!

 

[ThisIsMyDragName]

My first pregnancy - I was so queasy all day long. I struggled brushing my teeth because I had zero gag reflex. Something that helped me was little ginger sweets called GinGins - you can get them on Amazon and they’re usually used for travel sickness but they helped me a bit. Can’t believe little is a blueberry already!

Thanks my lovely! I think I’m currently getting off quite lightly with nausea so trying to get as much food in as possible in case it takes a turn!

off for the early reassurance scan this afternoon. Equal parts excited and terrified!

 

[Spencerskates]

I know it’s well meaning but I had four different people tell me how huge I am yesterday and make comments about how I must be getting close. I’m only 26 weeks so it feels AGES away, and I’m very aware of how bumpy I am.

I’ve had to admit defeat and call in sick to work today. I’ve had a lingering cold for about a fortnight and had an awful night’s sleep, feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. I work a fairly busy/demanding job and have a toddler so know it’s understandable that I feel tired but wow, this is next level!

 

[scouseconstantine]

I don’t think I saw a single vegetable my whole pregnancy apart from the lettuce on a Big Mac and the sweet corn in the tuna sandwiches I started craving at 35 weeks

 

[LockdownLurker2020]

My waters went last night… was lying in bed (my favourite natural habitat ) watching Beverly Hills Housewives and felt a gush at first i thought i had peed myself as i hadnt had any contractions and because the baby had been really moving and pressing on my bladder i thought id had an accident…then stood up and nope more went all over the carpet. Rang hospital and went in and they’ve definitely gone but they have allowed me home to see if my contractions start on their own and if not im back in later on the hormone drip

i was so confused by the waters going with no contractions beforehand whereas last time i was contracting 2 days before my waters went

 

[Hinchhater1442]

My waters went last night… was lying in bed (my favourite natural habitat ) watching Beverly Hills Housewives and felt a gush at first i thought i had peed myself as i hadnt had any contractions and because the baby had been really moving and pressing on my bladder i thought id had an accident…then stood up and nope more went all over the carpet. Rang hospital and went in and they’ve definitely gone but they have allowed me home to see if my contractions start on their own and if not im back in later on the hormone drip

i was so confused by the waters going with no contractions beforehand whereas last time i was contracting 2 days before my waters went

My waters went first too! Apparently it’s not that common, but always the order in which I thought things happened
My contractions did start a few hours later, but if they don’t you don’t HAVE to accept the drip if you don’t want it! Good luck

 

[RoseyThorney]

I’m sorry you’re being made to feel like this.
The way it reads is that because they think she’s big and she’s breech, they are worried you’ll go naturally early and if you go fast you’ll have to have an emergency CS or deliver vaginally breech which they consider, on balance, more risky. Is that right?

It sounds like they’re not giving you all of information and being a bit “because I said so, you don’t need to know why” but ultimately, if she doesn’t turn sadly the birth you wanted and envisaged won’t be possible so even if they were lovey that’s hard to take.

Sometime it can help to arrange your thoughts when stressed, to break it down on paper. I’m not “questioning” you to judge, stress or put pressure on, but to try to help think of it as though you’re taking to friends (us) rather than justifying yourself to professionals. You don’t have to actually reply of course…
What is making you want to wait? Is it that you think she may not be that large or that she may yet turn so you won’t need the c-section full stop?
Have they explained what breech position she is in currently and if your placenta position is any issue?
If she is the predicted size, can they tell you the chance she will turn and if she isn’t, what are the chances then?
Do you have additional risk factors that make your specific case different to someone else’s. Can they explain them?
Would you rather try for a vaginal birth if she remains breech? If not, is 40 weeks your max?

The only things I will say from a personal level is while they way overestimated 2nd baby, 1st baby they had spot on size wise. Urgent emergency c-sections aren’t nice at all. Anything you can do now to reconcile that you mightn’t get your birth preferences will help you in the days after, that hormone drop can do strange things.
And most importantly, if you’re struggling to connect to baby right now that has absolutely no bearing on how you’ll feel when she is here. None, not a single bit. Annnnnddddd even if she arrives in a way that makes you sad and disconnected, it doesn’t say anything about how you’ll feel the next day, or the day after that… Do not worry about that bit at all.

Lots of love to you x

Thank you so much for your response. My bloods all came back fine, my placenta is posterior and I’ve no other risk factors. I’m happy and healthy, baby is happy and healthy, she’s just measuring big according to them and breech at the moment.

They’ve finally agreed to push my section date back to something I’m more comfortable with. Another consultant got involved and the senior charge midwife apologised for the distress they caused. I’m currently booked in for a section on the 11th at 39+1 (which falls in line with NICE guidelines) and they’ll scan me right before. If she’s head down they’ll give me the option to be induced there and then instead.

 

[ThisIsMyDragName]

Turns out my blueberry is probably still a lentil! My early reassurance scan has me measuring at 6 weeks rather than the 7 weeks that the first day of my last period would put me at. JuniorDragName was a blurry little smudge but there was a heartbeat moving and grooving away in there. If we’d been able to go next week instead then we would have been able to see a bit more but MrDragName is away and I couldn’t wait any longer anyway.

 

[clmay]

Turns out my blueberry is probably still a lentil! My early reassurance scan has me measuring at 6 weeks rather than the 7 weeks that the first day of my last period would put me at. JuniorDragName was a blurry little smudge but there was a heartbeat moving and grooving away in there. If we’d been able to go next week instead then we would have been able to see a bit more but MrDragName is away and I couldn’t wait any longer anyway.

Ah good news! Am I right in thinking your periods were quite irregular? In which case it’s hard to date based on the first date of your last period as you can’t be sure when you ovulated. Maybe book yourself in for another early scan in a couple of weeks so you don’t have to wait a full 6 weeks to your 12 week scan!

 

[Shinythings]

Turns out my blueberry is probably still a lentil! My early reassurance scan has me measuring at 6 weeks rather than the 7 weeks that the first day of my last period would put me at. JuniorDragName was a blurry little smudge but there was a heartbeat moving and grooving away in there. If we’d been able to go next week instead then we would have been able to see a bit more but MrDragName is away and I couldn’t wait any longer anyway.

Just for a bit of a reassurance I don't think this is unusual for the measurements to be a bit out. I had to go for an early scan for a bleed at about 6 weeks. They dated me back to 5 weeks which wasn't possible from dates I had worked out of conception. Then when I had my dating scan they revised it back to what I originally had it at. I think at that size they are just so teeny the measurements aren't particularly accurate. But it's heart is beating which is what we like to see!

By the way I totally think you should go with Junior Drag Name as it's real name.

 

[sushimama]

Baby sushi arrived tonight I can’t believe I’m saying this but I had almost perfect delivery especially for a first birth. It took only 6 hours from the first contraction till baby was in my hands and I’m so proud how well I handled it because I’ve been treated for tokophobia and wanted an elective section but they are not possible in my country so I prepared like crazy and I think it all worked! I was constantly telling them to up my pain medicine, had epidural and gas but it helped a lot. Honestly I’m just so proud of myself and my little baby girl. 🥹

 

[ThisIsMyDragName]

Ah good news! Am I right in thinking your periods were quite irregular? In which case it’s hard to date based on the first date of your last period as you can’t be sure when you ovulated. Maybe book yourself in for another early scan in a couple of weeks so you don’t have to wait a full 6 weeks to your 12 week scan!

They had been, then they settled to 27/28 days but before my BFP I was 7 days ‘late’ so had a 35 day cycle then BFP either on day 35 or day 36. Flo didn’t seem to think this was a big deal and kept telling me it might be that 7 extra days. The sonographer today (who was also a midwife) wondered if I ovulated later this cycle. I never did any LH testing but my Flo app had been pretty accurate regardless and it said 26th December was ovulation day. I don’t really ‘mind’ how pregnant I am as long as it’s in the right place (it is!) And doing ok at this point (so far, so good!)

 

[ThisIsMyDragName]

Just for a bit of a reassurance I don't think this is unusual for the measurements to be a bit out. I had to go for an early scan for a bleed at about 6 weeks. They dated me back to 5 weeks which wasn't possible from dates I had worked out of conception. Then when I had my dating scan they revised it back to what I originally had it at. I think at that size they are just so teeny the measurements aren't particularly accurate. But it's heart is beating which is what we like to see!

By the way I totally think you should go with Junior Drag Name as it's real name.

Yeah, I wasn’t all that sure and was going by the standard ‘first day of last period’ but was able to guess my ovulation date and tell her the date of my BFP (had been testing in the days leading up as well so I caught it on the first possible day) and that info combined with how teeny JuniorDragName is meant the sonographer (also a trained midwife) said 6 weeks. We’ll see what the dating scan says but you’re right, seeing it getting its groove on with a heartbeat was awesome!

id be happy to call it JuniorDragName

 

[Greencatfysh]

Baby sushi arrived tonight I can’t believe I’m saying this but I had almost perfect delivery especially for a first birth. It took only 6 hours from the first contraction till baby was in my hands and I’m so proud how well I handled it because I’ve been treated for tokophobia and wanted an elective section but they are not possible in my country so I prepared like crazy and I think it all worked! I was constantly telling them to up my pain medicine, had epidural and gas but it helped a lot. Honestly I’m just so proud of myself and my little baby girl. 🥹

Amazing news, congrats

 

[Greencatfysh]

Yeah, I wasn’t all that sure and was going by the standard ‘first day of last period’ but was able to guess my ovulation date and tell her the date of my BFP (had been testing in the days leading up as well so I caught it on the first possible day) and that info combined with how teeny JuniorDragName is meant the sonographer (also a trained midwife) said 6 weeks. We’ll see what the dating scan says but you’re right, seeing it getting its groove on with a heartbeat was awesome!

id be happy to call it JuniorDragName

Sooo happy for the little bean’s heart bopping away in there

 

[LittleMissMuffet]

Anyone have any tips on surviving severe congestion and a horrible cough while pregnant? It’s been a week now and I’ve barely slept. Paracetamol doesn’t do much and neither does olbas oil and steaming. I was hoping to enjoy my very early pregnancy but I just keep wondering how this little one hasn’t been coughed out.

 

[MeghanSnarkle]

Anyone have any tips on surviving severe congestion and a horrible cough while pregnant? It’s been a week now and I’ve barely slept. Paracetamol doesn’t do much and neither does olbas oil and steaming. I was hoping to enjoy my very early pregnancy but I just keep wondering how this little one hasn’t been coughed out.

I would really recommend a pure saline nasal spray it really does work very well, we had bad colds here in the run up to Christmas and I couldn't bare the congestion the pharmacy said it was completely safe for me to use during pregnancy so I bought the biggest they had to last me it wasn't cheap but since then I've seen they sell them for 99p in home bargains

 

[LittleMissMuffet]

I would really recommend a pure saline nasal spray it really does work very well, we had bad colds here in the run up to Christmas and I couldn't bare the congestion the pharmacy said it was completely safe for me to use during pregnancy so I bought the biggest they had to last me it wasn't cheap but since then I've seen they sell them for 99p in home bargains

I used the one I’d bought for my toddler. It didn’t do much but I’ll try another! Thank you!

 

[calabazarock]

The saline spray is great, I use during spring and alergy season.