★ October & November 2020 Hedgehogs ★

Forums New posts
Wow congrats Azure on your engagement! And your bump looks so lovely and neat!

Hi Victoria, glad you’re doing well too!

Jess I had to lol at “a pack of maternity pads” :) I have a lot of stuff but have yet to pack anything.

Our hospital provides a bag full of toiletry/consumables stuff eg nappies, bum cream, wipes, mat pads, nipple cream, baby wash and lotion etc. We basically have to pack mom’s clothes, 5 sets of baby clothes, 5 receiving blankets, 2 warm blankets and then home comforts and mom general toiletries. And as I’ve said 5 nighties for mom which I’m not going to waste money on I’ll pack 2/3 max. I agree that nighties with a separate shirt/bottom are easiest for me. Just lift up the shirt for skin-to-skin or bf. In each baby ziplock I pack: a vest, a cap, longsleeved sleepsuit, socks. I’m going to pack pacifiers for him too. Wish it was 35 weeks already, I’m happy to have my little baby to look forward to after such an emotional rollercoaster of a pregnancy.
 
Fern I’m slightly disappointed you didn’t have anything strange on your ticker this week :haha:

Azure congratulations!! That’s wonderful news!!

I’m starting to plan what I’ll need for the birth and will have a box in my living room with all the things I need and a bag near the door that we can just tip everything into in case I need to transfer. I was in hospital a week with my first so massively overpacked for my second and we were home the same day so barely used anything. If we do end up in hospital this time then my hospital do currently allow partners to stay which is fab but they’re not allowed back in if they leave so need to make sure we have enough food for him as only I’d get meals. So difficult to plan for every eventuality!
 
Hi all azure congratulations on the proposal and what a lovely bump!!

Jess lol at the maternity pads. Iv mostly packed my bag but I keep remembering really important bits iv missed when I'm not near something to write it down and then forgetting again!!

Joanna thank you so much for the reassurance and support it really does mean a lot to me!

Victoria I find myself breathless all the time atm and this awful heat we have been having has been making it sooo much worse!!
 
Fern I'm also disappointed that your ticker stopped being random things it was funny!

Afm I reached my 2 stone loss since finding out were pregnant and an extra pound on top woohoo. Iv also had no oramorph today so I'm proud of myself for that aswell!

Finally got Bonnies cot up and my room baby ready (she will be in with us for a while).

My kids have been on one today proper trying to rip lumps out of each other. They aren't usually this bad I have used the step so much I'm worried the carpet will wear out Lol! It's my daughters 2nd birthday tomorrow and party on Thurs so quite a busy few days ahead! Hope u are all well xx
 
Catmum - I'm sorry you're kids are being difficult today but hope you have lots of fun with the party! Also great job on the weight loss! That's gotta count extra since you're pregnant lol. Every time I lose weight my peri tells me to eat more lol which is funny because I started overweight and thought it wouldn't be a big deal but baby's not getting enough nutrition so, gain weight I must. Either way...way to go!!!

Jelly you sound super prepared. I think we've officially decided to move, though to where we don't know yet, but I have to get ready for that instead of prepping for the hospital. Good job on being super organized!

Fern - now I REALLY want hot wings lol. Also, I'm sorry about your job still being such a stressor in your life. I hope the weeks go by super fast.

Victoria - sorry about the breathlessness. I haven't experienced that much, but my groin hurts all the time so I can kind of relate.

Joanna - probably not on the moving company since we really didn't plan for this move, but we do have a lot of friends, and since I'm normally the one to pack things, I keep making it very clear that there's not a whole lot I'm going to be able to do because I've just been so mentally overwhelmed by everything. Actually was getting concerned I had signs of perinatal depression but I think it was just because everything was falling apart at once. Feeling a little more centered now about it that we have some semblance of direction.

Jess - lol. You're farther along than I am. I don't even have a bag lol. The ziplock idea sounds absolutely brilliant though!

Azure congrats on the engagement!!!! Also your baby bump is adorable!
 
Cat well done on the weight loss and managing without he oramorph! Sounds like you’re having a really busy time, hope you’re managing to rest as well! Happy birthday to your little girl, hope you all have a brilliant time celebrating her birthday and that it distracts the kids long enough to stop them fighting!

Co I don’t feel that organised! I think I’m just a bit (a lot!) of a worrier and find there’s very little I can actually control about pregnancy and birth so I just grab onto anything I can control and go all out :haha:

I’m 27 weeks today and in the third trimester according to most of my apps! I’ve spent the morning getting school uniforms sorted for the kids and ordering the extra bits they’ll need. So strange to think of them heading off to school in September, hopefully it’ll make the time pass faster!
 
Victoria: I found that I spent the first couple days in hospital wearing the hospital night gowns rather than my own pajamas. I think this was because you might stain your pajamas with blood and with breast feeding, skin to skin, nurses checking your stomach/healing areas, etc... I personally just found it way easier to untie the top of the hospital nightgown or lift it up depending on the situation. Both of my hospital stays were 4 days long, so I did wear my pajamas the last night or two though. But I'm also struggling with what type of nightwear to bring, especially given the time of the year.. in Canada it can be quite hot in Sept/Oct time, but also quite cold! ... I think I'll pack a nightie and pajamas but also bring a housecoat.

Jelly - I'm going to start my list of things to pack... put what I can in the hospital bags but I always find keeping a list of things I think of along the way really helps. Plus, a lot of things you can't grab until the last minute (like phone chargers).

Catmum - must be something yesterday, my daughter had an hour long meltdown yesterday evening! My husband has finally been able to go back to school this week to finish his studies after everything being closed since March.. so the kids have been put back in daycare and I think it's a bit of a transition. I hope you have fun at your daughter's birthday party.

Foster - I'm sorry your feeling so down. Often once a decision is made, you feel a huge weight lift off your shoulders... even with the stress of what is left to get done. Good luck on the new place hunt.
 
Hey everyone, it's been lovely reading through the last pages and seeing everyone do relatively well <3 been MIA (again 8-[) as just got back from a mini-vacation with two of our friends in the Algarve. Had such a lovely time but it's good to be back home.

Azure, fantastic news!! Huge congrats on your engagement! \\:D/I am low-key hoping for one before baby arrives :) I agree it's so irritating to refer to your SO as "boyfriend" (especially because we're practically married already - living together for 4 years). We're both not in a rush to get married but he's been hinting at at least getting engaged so we'll see if he does it pre- or post-baby lol. Also, you and that bump of yours are so beautiful!

Everyone's talking about hospital bags which just reminds me that I should start thinking about that too. Still a bit confused on what to pack but reading through the posts I got some ideas.

We have pretty much everything ready for baby now even to the smallest details, I'll place one last order at the end of this month and buy the Hakaa pump, as well as nipple cream/ nipple pads/ vitamins for breastfeeding, and a pack of size 2 pampers.

Movement has been insane these past 1-2 weeks. This one is from today - https://imgur.com/a/rvcyykf :shock:

having a LOOOTTT of Braxton Hicks contractions every day. Sometimes 3-4 in a span of 10 minutes. Bit annoying especially beause when they're especially intense, they press on my bladder HARD, which can be painful especially while walking.

Not much else to update from my side - 32 week scan is tomorrow (will be 32+5) so very curious to see if he's in a lower percentile now and not 99th anymore, which would be great!! Off to the gym now for a booty/-leg workout!
 
Last edited:
AFM - I finally got to meet yesterday with my OB. She is so much more thorough then my GP and I'm really happy about that. We discussed me having a VBAC or C-section and the risks involved with both options... so I have to make a decision but I'm so torn.

Basically I was told that if I want to attempt a VBAC (vaginal birth) I'll be hooked up to the monitors the whole time so baby is watched closely, due to the risk of having my c-section scar rupturing. I will not be able to labour any other way except in the hospital bed, which sucks but I also like that baby is going to be carefully watched. I was also told that if I go into labour at night and there is an emergency then we will have to wait for an anesthesiologist to be call in. In addition, they will not induce me, so I have to go into spontaneous labour by myself and hope that I don't need any medications to help along the labour... I guess induction medications increase the risk of uterine ruptures.

But, if I go ahead and book a c-section then any future births will always have to be c-sections.

I think for the time being I am going to tell the OB that I'm still open for trying for a VBAC but of course if we get closer to the time and any other issues arrive then I'm happy to switch to a c-section. I was lucky to have a great vaginal birth with my first baby, so lets hope this one follows suit.

Does anyone else have a decision like this to make regarding their labours?
 
CC that’s a very cute picture! Hope you’re keeping well!

Joanna I’ve got no experience of VBACs but did have constant monitoring during the late stages of my last labour. They were able to strap the heart rate monitor around my bump but I could still move about. I gave birth kneeling up over the bed but had previously been standing over it so it might worth asking about getting a balance between monitoring and being able to move?

Pineberry glad you had a lovely trip and I hope the scan goes well! Braxton hicks have been getting more intense here too. I quite like it, feels like I’m getting closer to the end (though hopefully at least 10 more weeks to go for me!)

I’m finding that I’ve gone from not really having to get up during the night to needing to get up to wee twice a night! It’s been a very sudden shift. Also getting more heartburn. Wonder if baby has had a growth spurt? Scan on Monday so will see then. I’m feeling quite nervous about it though I’m nervous about everything in general at the moment. So much going on!
 
Joanna, ugh such a tough call. I’m definitely not qualified to give any good advice on that, though I’d probably guess I’d try to go for a VBAC if I were in your shoes (esp. if you plan on more kids after this one), and if anything goes wrong then a c-section can still be done. Like I said, that’s just my newbie input though. What does your doctor say is best/safest?

CC94, aww love the pic. Looks like she has beautiful full lips!

jelly, I do think they go through a growth spurt around that time! Having to get up to pee all the time is so annoying so I totally feel you there. Wish it was only twice a night for me though, sometimes I’ll go up to 5 times per night. :lol: :neutral: Dont be nervous hon, i’m sure there’s nothing to be worried about (ha I should take that advice myself sometimes). Babe is probably just getting bigger and squishing your insides more, hence the increased heartburn.

Just got back from my 32 week growth scan- OMG so happy! Bub is officially not macrosomic anymore. Went from 99th percentile down to 75th percentile! Still kind of big, but at least not gigantic! And I think a vaginal birth should be pretty safe at 75th percentile (gonna have to do some online digging now).

Gonna see what my doc says tomorrow in regards to c-section or not. Also, hope bubba stays in this percentile and doesn’t go up again (next growth scan is 9th September).
 
Thanks so much everyone!

Good to know about the pajamas and stains, thanks Joanna! Never even thought of that.

Fingers crossed for you, Pineberry!! :) Super cute vid there, too :) Also great news on your recent scan!

Such a cute picture CC94!!

jellybean I have been struggling with really bad heartburn lately (I get really bad back pain between my shoulder blades with it, too) and have to pee at least about 3x a night!! Seemed to suddenly change a week ago as I headed into week 27.

AFM saw my OBGYN yesterday and have low iron so I get to start taking a supplement for that (joy) but may be a good reason why I've been so darn tired lately. Also got a note to get fitted for compression socks if I can't stand the swelling in my feet/legs anymore lol! May come in handy as weather starts to cool but can't imagine wearing them right now unless indoors. Going next week to get my whooping cough vaccine.

Also experienced hiccups for the first time ever the other night and got to hear them yesterday morning at my appointment! They had the doppler out to check his heartbeat and he had a nice little rhythmic hiccup going on in there. So cute!
 
Catmum hope you managed to have a lovely party for your daughter and congrats on the weight loss and trying to cope without morphine.

Co_foster sorry that you have to cope with the unplanned move now... hope you manage to get it done fairly easily. Sorry to hear you are feeling depressed but it’s so understandable. I had peri- and postnatal depression (on top of a pre-existing anxiety disorder) with G, wasn’t diagnosed until 2 years later when a lot of Sh&t had already hit the fan. Even during this pregnancy I’m struggling but at least I see my psychiatrist frequently and am taking medication & will be getting the correct postnatal care this time. Please reach out to a professional if you need to, apparently peri- and postnatal depression is also more prevalent in women who had to undergo assisted reproduction. Hugs!!!!

CC94 what a cute pic, looks like she is blowing kisses :)

Pineberry I’m so jealous of your holiday (again!) but sorry to hear about the frequent bh. I really dislike bh and mine only happen a couple of times a day... oh well your uterus is probably getting in a good workout for giving birth, hopefully for your vb that you want :) I’m glad baby’s growth slowed down a bit.

Joanna- hope you manage to have your vbac too especially if you are planning on having more babies.

Oohh enjoy your scan on Monday Jelly and I agree I just want to make time pass more quickly.

Azure I bet you’ll feel better once your iron levels are up. I had such hectic dizzy spells at the beginning of my pregnancy and started myself off on iron supplements & have asked the doctor to have my levels tested a few times already. It made a huge difference to me.

Our weather is really starting to get nice after what was apparently one of the coldest winters in this past decade. My jasmine has started blooming and I always see that as a sign that spring is around the corner. Over here Sept 1st is officially regarded as “spring day”. I’m probably going to spend the bulk of October, in my off time, in the swimming pool. Looking forward to that.

Re hospital gowns and nighties- Joanna what you said reminded me of what the nurse shared at my first round of prenatal classes and that’s to remember slippers and a gown to cover up the nightie in case you need to walk to the NICU or baby nursery. I wouldn’t have thought of a gown but it was really helpful to cover up and feel decent as I walked up and down from the nursery to my room with the previous birth. Oh and dry shampoo lol.

Whoever said to type out a list of things to pack- brilliant, it suits my anxious personality well, I ALWAYS type out lists and tick the items off because I always seem to forget something. For some reason I wasn’t thinking about making a hospital bag list. Pregnancy brain!

ETA as from next week Monday I have 9 weeks at that school left before I put myself on maternity leave. Single digits yay! I’ll probably keep on tutoring for another week or so though, which I actually LIKE.
 
Fern I always forget that it’s starting to be summer now where you are! So crazy hahah. This summer in Portugal has been HOT and I actually can’t wait for temperatures to drop and for fall/winter to come. I’m weird that way. Also, those 9 weeks are gonna fly by! :haha:


Speaking of Braxton Hicks... I had a consult with my doctor just now, and he was actually a bit shocked that I have so many per day (for sure more than 30 per day if I really counted them).

He then checked my cervix and said it’s shorter than what it’s supposed to be at this gestation. (2.41 cm)

He thinks there’s a chance I might go into premature labour and told me which hospital to go to if I start having real contractions before 36 weeks (won’t be my hospital which bums me out a bit, but a public one- for insurance reasons). Also said I should stop exercising and take progesterone

Feels so weird knowing that bubs might come early. Will wash his newborn clothes today & also get my hospital bag ready, just in case. :shock:
 
Pineberry hopefully baby stays put for a while longer, you’re so close to the finish line now though. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that you got your BFP!
I’m also looking forward to autumn. I love that feeling when the temperature drops and the leaves change. Such a lovely time of year!

Fern I hope those 9 weeks pass quickly for you! Enjoy that spring weather!

Azure going into week 27 definitely felt like a sudden shift in gear! How strange!
Hope the supplements help your iron levels and the side effects aren’t too bad!

I’ve been feeling more and more nervous about my scan and appointments next week and also about the world in general! I struggle so much when I can’t control things and it feels like there’s a lot that’s out of my control at the moment. I had a good chat with my perinatal mental health nurse today though. She saw me through my last pregnancy and first year of my youngest being born so knows me quite well! It was helpful to have someone to talk it all through with! I just wish my husband was allowed to come with me to the scan and appointments. Other people will have partners there for their 12 and 20 week scans as they’re allowing that now but I have to sit in a busier waiting room alone as I’m not allowed anyone with me for growth scans. It feels very unfair!
 
Wow Pineberry that’s crazy! Take it easy hun, at least you are quite far along and hopefully he will stay put for a good while longer.

Jelly I really think the main reason I’m so stressed out about everything that’s happening is also because I feel like I have no control over anything. Glad you could talk to somebody x
 
That's good to hear that the iron supplement made a difference for you, Fern. Fingers crossed it won't take long to start feeling somewhat normal again. Congrats on hitting single digits for mat leave!

That's interesting Pineberry. Good thing you consulted with the doctor on that! Hopefully he doesn't come too early. :)

Definitely agree that the temps can start dropping any time. My swollen feet and legs would appreciate it lol!

That's so nice about your perinatal mental health nurse, jellybean. I bet she helps quite a bit. It does suck that we can't bring our partners in for hardly anything :( Big hugs and fingers crossed everything goes well!
 
Hey all thanks so much for all the well wishes means a lot!

I can't reply to everyone just now but thought I'd update u all, the party was a great success Thank God

So I can't remember who asked the vbac/repeat section question but that's the exact position I'm in. I have chosen section because I want no more kids (6is more then enough so getting tubes tied) and I found the recovery last time wasn't too bad .

Atm assuming nothing goes wrong I will be having my section at 39 weeks so only 8 weeks to go thank God! So ready for this to be over and her to be out and safe!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)

Members online

Total: 984 (members: 4, guests: 980)

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,650,202
Messages
27,141,461
Members
255,677
Latest member
gaiangel

Share this page

Back
Top
monitoring_string = "c48fb0faa520c8dfff8c4deab485d3d2"
<-- Admiral -->