Pregnancy #65

[ThisIsMyDragName]

I'm really struggling with the whole body autonomy stuff now I've popped, I've just had such a rancid week of feeling just off and like my body isn't my own anymore. If I walk too fast my legs turn to jelly and I've been feeling light headed and dizzy and exhausted. Don't think I've been eating enough and the stormy weird pressure weather hasn't helped, I usually get headaches cos of that anyway.

Also work are being shit again. Had shitty email from HR yesterday. Moved the goalposts again. I was initially told by Senior that we would have one meeting to discuss OH recs and stress, then we would reconvene to discuss manager's inappropriate behaviour. So after the horrible meeting when they ambushed me and Manager just told lies and DARVOed and made discriminatory comments about how if she accommodates my disability, it's not fair as the other team members don't need that, and this will hold back the team. I said Ok well let's move to phase 2 then. They're like "we need to think about how we're going to address it". Week passes, bullying continues. I'm told I get an update soon. I go off sick. We're still thinking about it. Then they come back and say well you've not told us about any behaviour we think can be classed as unfair so it's time for things to go back to normal. What the fuck have you been fobbing me off for for a month and a half then? And why would I have brought up examples of bullying in a meeting where the bully was present???? Said "you refer to this phase 2". That was Senior's wording and why I referred to it! Despite having told me that OH and inappropriate behaviour were to be considered separately.

I've called HR woman's bluff and replied with an email with a breakdown of every meeting we've had and what was said by them and when, so they can call me a liar and keep denying, or stop fucking around now it's in writing. With reference to an email from a month and a half ago where I referred to what they'd said in a meeting directly afterwards. Including that when I first gave her specific examples of behaviour, she described it as disturbing.

Sorry I'm rambling, but they're also making moves to start a formal restructure and I'm absolutely terrified they're going to use that as a way to get rid of me like Manager said she wanted to.

I'm due to go back next week and have asked to meet with union rep before I do, but I'm just really struggling with it

Pah, I’m sorry. They need to do better. Yes to the union rep. Can you get signed back on a phased return so you’re not working every day?

The body changes are weird for sure. I’ve always hated my own body and have somehow managed to be reasonably kind and at peace with myself but that doesn’t stop it being weird, and it does get pretty exhausting when everything feels like a massive effort out of nowhere.

 

[ThisIsMyDragName]

I’ve had horrid indigestion all day. Went out for dinner last night and probably overdid the portion control but it wasn’t particularly rich or spicy. I actually had a couple of Rennies earlier because it was bothering me so much, and I absolutely hate the texture of Rennies.

@ahtisyourself we went to a pram superstore place that probably sold every single type on the market. We had a type in mind (all terrain) and asked to see the Mamas & Papas Ocarro then asked to see any other all terrain system they recommended (it’s an independent place). Won’t lie, the all terrain ones are heavy, we just decided it might work best for the various places we will go. They had lots of systems that reckoned they were designed for city/urban life etc. as well. So, we got all of the all terrain ones demonstrated to us then went back round them and had a go ourselves at changing the things over and collapsing it, rebuilding it and pushing it around the shop. We of course have settled on a brutally expensive one that only came out this year so isn’t available second hand yet (Maxi-Cosi Fame). Typical. I did have a ‘I am overwhelmed and I don’t know what I’m doing here’ meltdown in the shop but we were browsing by ourselves initially and as soon as we spoke to an assistant I got over myself. They were not remotely pushy in there either.

I had decided a hi-lo chair was going to be a godsend and was eyeing up the Mamas and Papas Eno, which is crazy money at £350 but is supposed to last in various shapes for years and if we buy the pram we like from Mamas and Papas we will actually get money off other items in there so it would make the Eno affordable. But my sister in law had said to MrDragName that weaning and introducing food was a very messy business and they quickly sold their fancy chair for the Ikea £13 all plastic thing that can be fully wiped cleaned as she has memories of hours spent scrubbing the fabric parts of their old high chair. This has got me thinking. What I wanted was:

-something suitable from birth and onwards (I feel better about expensive purchases if they are at least designed to be used for years, even though there’s a risk my son will hate whatever we get)
-something he can recline in both on the floor and higher up in the hope he can be part of our mealtimes/knock about in the kitchen with me safely/have something to be in in the front room that’s not just a Moses basket or bassinet or play mat.
-something that will become a high chair for feeding in future years. Some models even convert to a little play table and chair to last even longer which is cool but not as necessary.

Now I’m wondering if this is daft. Happy to get a total wipe clean high chair, but what can I stick the boy wonder in from birth/early weeks that will allow him to be close to me whilst I’m doing stuff but not necessarily in a carry/papoose thing? Any thoughts? Am I kidding myself that I will ever get to eat my dinner with two hands and without a child on me? Haha.

 

[ThisIsMyDragName]

Oh lord, do I have a set of swollen trotters on me tonight probably didn’t drink enough water today, probably sat down too long and have been up later than I planned. It’s not like I ever had the shapeliest of pins but these are some serious cankles I’m sporting.

kept joking to MrDN that I would get an Only Fans account going through my pregnancy to cover my mat leave/extreme lack of mat pay but I’ll be honest, even the most hardcore of preggo fetishisists would find this tough going

 

[ThisIsMyDragName]

Just had a growth scan and baby is measuring at 4lb5 at 31 weeks
Do I need to be concerned the baby is going to be massive

If TikTok is to be believed, it seems like the growth scans are routinely wrong, or at least they can’t accurately predict how big the bubba is going to be when it is time to deliver, in most cases. I’m dreading having my bump measured because I was fat anyway and they never measured how much of me there was before the baby came along, and also dreading the growth scans I’ve been asked to have because it seems designed to terrify you one way or the other and not often for a good reason!

 

[LittleMissMuffet]

My bump dropped a fair bit today. I’ve had no acid reflux. I’m 33 weeks so a little nervous as I really don’t want this baby early.

 

[calabazarock]

Four hours and two blood samples and three urine samples later the diagnosis is still "????? WFK ". Bloods and pee being sent off to labs to try and work out wtf is going on with Lily Kestrel. Back there on Monday for monitoring tests. WFK

If they are worried about pre eclampsia or something, shouldn't they have sent you home with the bottle to do the 24 hrs urine test? It seems so cryptic what they are doing. Glad baby is doing good though.

 

[Hinchhater1442]

I take them as the iron makes me constipated but they don’t give me what I imagined- it just makes my stools ‘softer’ so it comes out easier(?) Not like the runs haha. Sorry if TMI but the thought scared me at first too as I didn’t want to have to be dashing to the loo at inconvenient times but it really isn’t like that for me!

 

[ThisIsMyDragName]

I’m trying to write the ‘I’m pregnant’ letter to work (who already know and are totally chill) and I am struggling with my mat leave intentions and the letter has to go in this week.
Was going to take 1 week of annual leave then start my mat pay/mat leave clock after that which will be 1 full week before the week in which my due date is knocking about.

Intending to take 52 weeks but thought I could maybe cut the mat leave short by a couple of weeks and then take some annual leave so I have some wages back. But then I realised I’ll go back to work and miss JuniorDragName’s first birthday and I’m like, I can’t do that! My consultant has said must have delivered by 40+6 which gives me a ‘latest’ birthday date, haha. So, do I take all 13 unpaid weeks, then stick what could end up being 3 weeks of annual leave on the end of that? Or do I just use my annual leave for a phased return to work that manages to miss his birthday once I know what it is.I will have accrued 5.5 weeks of leave between today and then assuming I book absolutely no further annual leave (unlikely), and will have additional entitlement to leave after that as the leave year starts in April.

I know I don’t have to be totally final about when I’m coming back right now. I also know my boss is super flexible. But I really want to have a crystal ball to know exactly what I need and exactly how painful the no pay weeks are going to be before I embark on all this MrDragName is no help, he doesn’t understand what I’m talking about.

 

[ThisIsMyDragName]

I have no idea if this is universal, I would presume it is, but my work's mat leave policy is if baby comes before mat leave was initially projected to start then mat leave starts the day after baby arrives

Hope you can get some rest this evening, that sounds like a heck of a day

Yeah I’m completely pooped! I did test negative for covid this morning at least but the sniffles still prevail! Is it working day or calendar day? BabyBoyDragName is making his world debut on the Friday, my mat leave is due to start on the Monday. I should be able to ask my work but they can’t handle the fact that I’m more senior than anyone else so don’t like answering my questions

 

[ScoutFinch]

Had my consultant appointment yesterday on the back of my scan (baby measuring 8.6lbs at 36 weeks), and she asked if I wanted an elective c section, induction, or wait it out. She recommended induction at 39 weeks, and I’m done with pregnancy so I agreed

I quite like having a date though, so it gives me time to prepare and get everything sorted beforehand. She did also repeat my gestational diabetes test (bloods this time not the OGTT), and it’s come back positive 🥲 what do I do now I have 2 weeks left and I’m cutting out sugar…they want to see me on Monday to give me a glucose monitor.

but at least this explains why my baby is huge 🥲

I graduated from this thread a while back but I still lurk and just commenting to say the same thing happened to me! I didn’t have the GTT automatically as I had no risk factors and found out at 36 weeks the baby was measuring big so was tested and found to be positive. There’s a really helpful group on Facebook if you have it (just search GD UK).

I was petrified when I found out as it was so late, but I just followed the low sugar/carb diet until my baby arrived and his sugars were absolutely fine.

 

[Londonsays]

I am 37 weeks 1 day - tonight I’ve started getting pain in the right side of my bump and back, it doesn’t feel like period pain or any kind of pain I’ve ever felt before. It feels like I am being stretched. It doesn’t hurt much when I stand or sit up straight but when I lay down it hurts a lot. I’ve no discharge or excess fluid. I feel like my bump has visibly got bigger in the last hour. Baby is just as active as usual.

Is this something or just side affect from a long day out and lots of walking and climbing stairs?

I haven’t called the hospital because I don’t feel like it’s at that stage but it’s at the stage to ask you lovely ladies

 

[calabazarock]

Im thinking im a nerd because I got a hand me down moses and just sew some sheets for it.

 

[lilykestrel]

I've just been on a raid of Vinted because Master Kestrel is now very much making himself physically visible and I had to go to town yesterday in my last surviving pair of shorts that were 'buttoned up' using a hair elastic under a baggy t-shirt

annoying thing is I'm a 34" leg in jeans and it seems for most clothes retailers who do tall sizes, you are EITHER tall OR pregnant you are NOT BOTH
(did find some Long Tall Sally jeans on Vinted for a couple of quid so I can't moan)

 

[amarantine]

Can sex cause lots of watery discharge in pregnancy? Asking for a friend

Joking aside I just called triage for this exact reason because I was worried about fluid leaking - I did not realise pregnancy was SUCH a minefield and having to explain this situation to triage was HUMBLING. Please say there are others who have made these ridiculous calls and feel free to have a giggle at my expense

 

[fishsticks]

I managed to find a waterproof cover for the bassinet mattress which was like a terry towelling on the top for my Silver Cross pioneer a few years ago - pretty sure I found it from Amazon. I probably just searched for pram brand plus bassinet sheet.

 

[LavaFlake]

I’ve been trying to up my water as I’m so thirsty and definitely getting constipated but I’m not loving having to pee every 45 minutes

 

[lilykestrel]

Hi everyone! I’m new to the thread and have been dreaming of joining for two whole years
V anxious due to previous loss and difficulties (molar pregnancy, surgery etc).
I wanted to ask about movements…
I still cannot decide if I like them or not I’m so grateful and happy of course but it feels like there’s a big fish flopping about in there Anyone else?

Oh god, tell me about it, I feel bad complaining and I'm mostly very grateful to have a very active baby who doesn't give me any worries movement wise, but I'm 24 weeks and his kicks and punches are already sometimes visible from the outside. God knows what he's up to, feel like he's planning on auditioning for Flatley's Riverdance once he arrives. Last night I was sat on the sofa and he was doing his mixed martial arts practice and I was getting so freaked out and upset cos my tum was just jerking about while I was trying to watch telly and relax . He also keeps me awake with it or will wriggle in such a way that I feel sick or do his barrel rolls and it feels so weird. So yeah, I hear you. Magical, but also deeply disconcerting for me sometimes.

 

[indeedjoy]

18 weeks 5 days, baby is so healthy.
Facing my back little monkey!
What do you think xx

Have you got a full scan picture?

 

[ThisIsMyDragName]

What are we doing for constipation? I don’t take iron tablets (don’t need to) so it’s not due to that. Taking magnesium nightly. Drinking plenty. Trying to get fruit and veg in and brown bread etc.

I’m still waiting for the pregnancy glow and I’m 31 weeks tomorrow

 

[Daisybee]

Any tips on what I can take/do to relieve a head cold at 14 weeks more so a really runny nose please?, seem to have got one after catching a flight at the weekend