Baby Berries April/May/June 2024

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@NameSearchAccount Oh wow! That’s so late! I can’t imagine working right up until labour. :flushed: I hope that works out for you - it sounds exhausting! I do understand the financial side of it though. Going to a single income is such a change! I’m thankful for our system here - we get 20 weeks of paid parental leave, which is such a blessing.

I hope easing your client load is helpful rather than hindering. I do understand though - quiet days at work are much harder to me than busy ones. [name_f]Busy[/name_f] days fly by at least, even if they’re tiring.

We had our 32 week growth scan yesterday (technically 32w5d because of having to change my appointments around). Everything is looking good and baby is growing correctly. Growth is overall at 96th percentile and they are currently estimating weight at 5lb12oz. I feel like we’re not doing too badly given there’s GD in the mix. It explains why I am starting to feel quite front-heavy though. [name_f]My[/name_f] hips have started to ache in the last couple of days and getting comfortable in bed in getting harder.

We did learn something interesting from the ultrasound tech though. He said he wasn’t quite sure why I had been given a diagnosis of marginal cord placement, as the cut off is 20 mm and my cord is 26 mm from the edge of the placenta. He said my cord of “off-centre / towards the edge, but not on the edge and not a risk”. He apologised if that diagnosis had caused additional stress because he didn’t think it was something that we should have been told. He also advised that the cord insertion is right at the top of my placenta near my ribs, and definitely not at risk of cord prolapse, which can be an issue with marginal cords that are on the bottom edge of the placenta. It was a very helpful conversation.

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@Beort12 It’s been a while since we heard from you! Are you going okay? Xx

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@_thelittlefairywren just trucking along here! I am also planning to work up until I am in labor, or pretty darn close to that, so getting through my work days is the focus right now. And things aren’t slowing down at all! We do have a day off school when I am 40+4, so if baby hasn’t arrived by then I may consider just starting my leave then, but that involves using up sick time so we will see.

I am 38+4 right now, and definitely starting to be preoccupied with looking for signs of labor, even though I really don’t have any yet. [name_m]Braxton[/name_m] Hicks are getting more intense, but still just happen totally randomly. I haven’t lost my mucus plug either. I did do some curb walking yesterday (I am trying hard to get a walk in every day) and it did feel like it got the baby lower into my pelvis temporarily at least. I haven’t had any cervical checks - my doctor said there is no need, but that I can get one if I want. I probably will decline today, but then next week may do one even though I am worried about it being very discouraging. At my appointment today my doctor is going to scan a copy of my birth plan into my record, although after our discussion last week a lot of the kinds of things I asked for (wireless or intermittent monitoring, eating in labor if I want, delayed cord clamping, etc) are already standard at my hospital. It sounds pretty permissive, at least by US hospital standards.

Speaking of families, my sister asked me if I would want them (my parents, sisters, and brother in law) at the hospital while I am in labor or waiting at my house to be closer. I was surprised by this question, because that sounds like so much pressure! I was a well meaning “to support you” kind of offer, but they all work and only live an hour away, so feels super unnecessary. I politely declined. I honestly don’t even know if we will have anyone visit us at the hospital at all.

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I definitely appreciate the commiseration everyone :two_hearts: I’m hoping my fears are unwarranted but I’m slowly starting to figure out who will be in my village and who I won’t be able to rely on in certain ways once the baby arrival.
Yesterday I tried to have a conversation with my MIL, and had a lightbulb moment about her and toxic positivity. She was going on about how I’ll immediately love the baby and bond, and how it’ll be the best time of my life etc etc. and I gently said, yes I hope to bond immediately and not experience any postpartum depression etc, fully knowing that both are a possibility, especially postpartum anxiety/depression because of how my mind works. And she immediately brushed off my concerns as not possible etc. so that was definitely…. Informative as to whether or not I can be open about those struggles if I encounter them. I feel like both grandmothers, while excited for the baby, are not going to be my support system.
They aren’t lying when they say that pregnancy changes your relationships etc, my best friend has been pretty absent, I’ve maybe seen her twice since [name_f]November[/name_f], and I don’t see that improving as she doesn’t seem to be motivated. [name_f]My[/name_f] relationship has improved with my partner and I see my pregnant friend much more often than I have in years and our friendship has grown stronger with our bonding over pregnancy.
We had our newborn care class over the weekend and I’m so happy/impressed with my partner’s attentiveness and how involved he was in the class, how determined he was to get the swaddle right, and get the diaper on right too. He definitely learned a ton and took it seriously, I’m so confident about going into this adventure with him.

36w appointment with the midwife tomorrow, getting the Group B Strep swab and I think I’ll be committing to the birth Centre if she raises no concerns about the plan! Full/Early term in 4 days and aside from missing a baby monitor and a diaper pail I am definitely feeling ready. Definitely going to miss having her safe on the inside but also looking forward to feeling more comfortable in my daily life!

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Sounds like everyone is approaching due dates pretty soon!! So excited for all of you :smiling_face:

Had my 2nd appointment with the midwife and scheduled my 20wk ultrasound (which I’ll be about 19w). Counting down the days until we see baby again and find out the gender :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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@Beort12 Urgh, I feel sorry for you and all the mummas stuck in impossible employment situations where you have to work until labour or use up your hard earned leave if you need to stop earlier. What a frustrating and unfair system!

Ooo baby time is getting so close! So exciting! Do you feel organised?

How refreshing is it to discover your wishes are just standard for your healthcare provider! I was so relieved when I found that.

Having family at the hospital while you labour sounds so overwhelming! I would say “thanks, but no thanks” too! We have agreed that we won’t be announcing labour because I don’t need my phone being blown up with 1000 “have you had it yet” messages! We will be telling my best friend and our photographer (obviously) only. It’s a bit frustrating because I wouldn’t mind if my Mum was a birth support person, but I don’t trust my Dad to respect any boundaries, so we decided just not to involve family at all. The midwife that ran our antenatal class said that if you think someone has the potential to cause you even the smallest amount of stress, then they don’t belong in your birth suite. It hit me pretty hard to realise that kind of applies to my whole family one way or any other. It makes me feel a bit sad, but it is what it is at the same time.

On the topic of BH, I think I can definitely identify them now. My lower belly got really tight twice last night while sitting in bed - it was like a cramp, but not at all painful, just tight and then slowly released itself. It’s kind of an odd sensation, but at least it doesn’t hurt.

@kibby I hope they are unwarranted too, but I understand what it’s like - when you’ve seen it go bad so many times before, you just assume and set up boundaries a head of time to try and negate any drama! It’s so hard and sad when you realise that the people that should be in your village are not the ones you can actually count on. Support ends up coming from the most surprising places sometimes!

I’m sorry that your MIL is not being helpful and not listening to your concerns. That’s so frustrating. It’s hard when you feel unheard, especially when you’re trying to process something as complex as birthing a human!

Pregnancy definitely does weird things to relationships. One of my close friends has kind of disappeared from my life - it started before I was pregnant, but has become even more noticeable now. She doesn’t talk to me at all, hasn’t asked how the baby’s going… it’s all very strange. I wish I knew why too. Maybe she feels like we can’t relate to each other anymore? I don’t know. I just wish people would have a conversation about these things rather than just ghosting you.

I love hearing about partners that are super involved! What a blessing they are! I hope your appointment goes well tomorrow.

@WildroseofJuillet How exciting to be counting down to halfway! Can’t wait to hear if baby is a boy or girl!

Our baby shower is in a week! :flushed: It’s come around so fast, and I feel a little overwhelmed with all the last minute things to organise. I have a list of thoughts in my phone that I add to whenever think of something that needs to be done. I’m looking forward to celebrating baby with everyone, but I will be thankful once the organising is over!

Once the baby shower is done, I’ll go through what’s left that we still need and get the last few things. It’s stressing me out not having everything sorted, but I also see the wisdom in not buying things before the shower and ending up with multiples of things. It doesn’t help that I was told at my last appointment that induction could be as early as 38 weeks, which would mean only 4.5 weeks til baby is here and I don’t feel organised for that at all!! :scream::tired_face:

I also realised I have a bunch of boxes of baby things in our garden shed to go through. It’s all stuff from when I was little that my Mum kept for me. I might pull some of it out today and see what’s there.

Also, happy Easter, to any Berries that celebrate! :hatching_chick: :rabbit2: :latin_cross: It’s Good Friday here. We have a four day weekend in Australia. We’ve booked ourselves in for multiple things, which I am regretting slightly. I may opt out of hubby’s family Easter egg hunt on Sunday if I’m feeling too tired. We’ll see.

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So we did a bunch of shopping for the baby shower today and I’ve made a collection of things in the dining room that need to be taken to the shower. I’ve ticked off most of my list and I feel so much better!! :blush: I feel on top of it now, which is much nicer. I felt a bit spirally before haha :sweat_smile: I just have to finalise some games and then make sure we remember to collect balloons, etc, on the day and we’re all sorted. I feel much more excited now that it’s pretty much organised! :blush:

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@WildroseofJuillet - So exciting to have your scan booked!! We had ours in the 19th week too and it was very clear that she was a girl, a very uncooperative girl that day haha we almost had to go back again to get all the photos needed!

@_thelittlefairywren - Shower planning can be so stressful, I wasn’t even planning my own and I was stressed by all the preparations needed. It was fun but I was so glad to get past it. I only just today finished washing the clothes I was gifted and got them sorted and put away!

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I’m officially booked in to use the birthing centre! Fully paid and ready to roll. It feels surreal, I hope I’ve made a good decision but can always transfer to the hospital if I feel I need more support or different pain management. I’m looking forward to labouring in water though.
[name_f]My[/name_f] fundal height is still measuring behind, 34cm at 36w but my midwife isn’t concerned, I think she’ll just be a petite little girl when she comes out which suits me just fine!
I’ve started laying boundaries with my MIL and Mom, about the sheer amount of gifts they keep buying as well as the amount of my time they want right now. In no unclear terms I’ve said that I’m not making plans for anything in advance anymore, I’m already exhausted and all the demands on my time before baby need to stop because I need time to rest and prepare for myself!
I’m trying to consider how much time I want at home with just my partner and our baby before sharing our energy and space with others, I know how excited every one is to meet her, but I want to feel okay in my own skin and have time to bond!

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@kibby It’s definitely stressful for an event that only takes a couple of hours. I’m my own worst enemy though - too much of overthinker! :sweat_smile: The forecast is now saying it’ll rain all day and the event is meant to be in the park! :grimacing: I’ve just emailed our church to see if we can use the hall as a back up venue!

Yay! How exciting to be all booked into the birth centre! I hope your birth experience goes well and you don’t have to transfer to the hospital.

I’m glad you’re setting clear boundaries for yourself. Your time and energy is so precious at the moment, and no one is entitled to it except for you.

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IT’S APRIL! :tada: :sparkling_heart: :grin: :tada: :sparkling_heart: :grin: :tada:

[name_f]Happy[/name_f] due date month @kathleen12345 @Beort12 @MamaEnzi @Kibby @NameSearchAccount @samosier24

So, so excited to hear about you all getting to meet your babies!!

flail-excited

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It IS April!!! It’s absolutely crazy that it’s finally the first due date month for this thread, feels like just yesterday we were all filing in and filling out our name tags hahah

I’m officially [name_m]Early[/name_m] Term as of today and 37 weeks! I’m hoping she stays put for another week or two til closer to 39 weeks for full term. From my understanding their brains still grow quite a bit in the next couple weeks along with still developing some liver and other organ function.
I feel pretty done being pregnant but also want her to be as strong and healthy as possible! There’s a lot of pressure when I stand and some sharp cervix pains that aren’t fun, but honestly everything is still pretty tolerable.

I’m also not gonna say I’m nesting but my fridge and pantry are now so organized :sweat_smile:

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@Kibby It’s definitely a bit mind-blowing to process that we’ve arrived at the first due month for the thread! I was looking at the early day posts recently, where there were so many nerves and counting down between each check up / scan. So, so special that we’ve all just about made it! :tada: :heartpulse:

Yay for 37 weeks! That’s such a milestone! I hope baby stays put a bit longer, but it must be a comfort to know she’d be ready if she did decide to turn up soon.

I’ve been starting to feel pretty uncomfortable too. We were walking around town yesterday and my hips were aching and I had this moment of “ohhh this is why people complain about the late third trimester…” because up until basically the last week I was thinking it wasn’t so bad. I feel like the “uncomfort” sprung on me all of a sudden last week. I don’t quite feel done with pregnancy, but I am looking forward more and more to being able to feel like myself in my body again.

Haha love that pre-baby buzz of organising! I’ve had some, but I’m not scrubbing anything like crazy yet.

Had my 34 week appointment today (technically 33w5d). [name_f]Baby[/name_f] is happy and healthy, but starting to look chunky, with measurements putting them in the 96th percentile. The doctor said that given how baby is looking and that my GD is getting harder to control, I’ll most likely be induced closer to 38 weeks (May 2nd). [name_f]An[/name_f] actual plan / induction date will be decided after my 36 week scan.

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Yay for April!! Countdown is so much on here at 39+3, although baby doesn’t seem to be in any hurry. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband got up this morning and immediately said “the baby needs to come out!”, so we are getting pretty excited! Realistically I don’t think he is coming until next week, though. [name_f]My[/name_f] bet has been [name_f]April[/name_f] 9th or 10th, but I wouldn’t mind if baby surprised me.

I am feeling okay, overall. Actually on [name_f]Sunday[/name_f] I felt GREAT for whatever reason, and was really bored and restless because it was raining and I felt so good. I actually feel like week 37 was the most uncomfortable, and then I think I sort of got used to my body and it has been a bit better. Sleep is still a struggle, but last night was okay. The new thing now is my stomach is a bit off, which I keep hoping is a sign labor is coming but more likely it’s just the baby squishing my stomach.

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I had my first cervical exam yesterday just to see what was going on, and we officially scheduled me for induction at 41 weeks if I haven’t had the baby before then. I was 1.5cm dilated and 60% effaced. She did also say my cervix was soft and baby’s head was “right there”. Cervical exams have very little predictive power anyways, but these results were super ambitious even on that murky standard! The doctor did say she thinks an induction would go well, at least, if I don’t have the baby before that. I would really like to go into labor in the next 9 days before my induction, so I am trying to do lots of walking, movement on the birth ball, curb walking, etc. I also need to try to chill, though, because I can totally see how easily you could descend into desperation trying to get yourself to go into labor even though none of these methods likely do much of anything.

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@Beort12 Ooooh that’s so exciting!! :grin: Fingers crossed you go into labour naturally before 41 weeks. Sound like your body is slowly starting to do something though. The countdown is really on now!! :tada::tada:

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It’s so funny how things go full circle in pregnancy. In the first trimester I’d wipe and check for blood or anything strange constantly out of fear, and now I’m checking constantly for signs of labour! Mucous plug or bloody show haha very different but still so similar!
It seems so surreal that we are getting to the point where inductions are being discussed and the ins and outs of the end of our pregnancies, labour plans, hopes and such!

I haven’t had any cervical checks yet, I did my GBS swab on [name_f]Wednesday[/name_f] and should have the results from that before my next appointment. [name_f]Baby[/name_f] girl is way low so I’m hoping she’s putting pressure on the cervix that’s causing some effacement and dilation, it’s definitely causing some seriously sharp pains at times!!! I’m still hoping she stays in another week for developmental reasons but I‘ve booked an “Induction massage” for exactly 38 weeks on [name_f]Monday[/name_f]. It’s not like a magical thing and no guarantee but the prenatal masseuse focuses on the pressure points to help the body prepare for labour and help the hormonal balance to encourage things to move forward. I figured if I’m getting a massage anyway, why not at this point? It’s something they offer starting at 38 weeks so the timing is perfect. [name_f]My[/name_f] friend is trying end of pregnancy acupuncture treatments for the same reason, so we’ll see how it goes for both of us!

We are also insane and have committed to a contractor to finish our basement and are deep into product selection, it’s a good distraction to keep from fixating on labour and the wait, but construction will be starting right around my due date haha what do they say, out of the frying pan and into the flames?? It’ll be a busy stressful summer around here with everything we’ve got going on!!

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That is so funny you made that comment about being back to constantly checking for blood or mucus! It feels so much like either first trimester or even TTC, when you’re constantly on the lookout for either cervical mucus or your period. Actually, waiting for labor in general feels a lot like the TWW, although more pleasant. After my cervical check on [name_f]Wednesday[/name_f] (she didn’t do a sweep, though) I did have a little bit of spotting and lost a small amount of my mucus plug the next day. Haven’t seen any more since, but hey it is something.

I hope that induction massage goes well! A massage of any sort sounds amazing. I hope baby finds the perfect medium between not coming too early but not waiting too long either.

I am actually finding it very comforting to have an induction date set. I would still prefer to go into spontaneous labor in the next week, but I reread all the research on post-date babies and inductions and feel good about having 41 weeks be the cutoff. Plus it gives me something to look towards and obsess very slightly less about if I am going into labor. I do feel like labor is closer, although whether that means it will actually happen this week or not who knows.

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Woohoo! The first baby from our group is here!! :tada::smiling_face_with_three_hearts::grin:

https://forum.nameberry.com/t/baby-girl-arrived/455057?u=_thelittlefairywren

@kibby It’s true! The change in approach to those kind of symptoms, as things get closer, is quite amusing. I’m not quite there yet though, and any of those symptoms would still concern me currently - I’d like baby to cook for a few more weeks yet! It definitely feels surreal to be counting down to that point though!! :exploding_head::smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

I hope your swab results come back favourable and your induction massage helps! I’ve heard of acupuncture being done for induction - be interesting to hear if it works / helps.

Oh wow! This seems like a brave time to start renovations! :flushed: Good luck with your project. I hope it goes well!

@Beort12 I’d never thought about the similarities between TWW and waiting for labour, but I can totally see why now that you mention it. Although, as you say, waiting for labour must feel more definite and positive.

I’m glad having a date is helping you feel better. I’m excited to get my date just so I have a definite point to work towards!

I was just thinking about how I’ve had barely any [name_m]Braxton[/name_m] Hicks recently and then I had very noticeable ones this evening. I don’t think I’d say they hurt, more just uncomfortable (like any other mild muscle cramp).

[name_f]Baby[/name_f] is very busy in there too! I feel like they do nothing for hours and then, all of a sudden, they start kicking the same spot over and over again for minutes at a time.

Our baby shower was yesterday and went really well! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: It was lovely to see friends and family, and celebrate together. This was our cake (which I thought turned out so sweet!):

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We were blessed with so many gifts and lovely things! One friend drove over 6 hours to be there - it just amazes me what genuine friends will do to celebrate with you! :heartpulse: Unfortunately, I had a cold in the three days before the shower and it didn’t go away, so I wore a mask for the whole event and felt totaly exhausted after. I almost had no voice today and my cough was worse, which is annoying. [name_f]My[/name_f] parents threw an “after party” BBQ dinner for any guests that wanted to come and then also hosted a [name_f]Sunday[/name_f] breakfast for an family and friends that wanted to eat / catch up before travelling home. It was great, but so tiring!! I feel like I could sleep for three days now! :sleeping: :sweat_smile:

Urgh. [name_f]Baby[/name_f] is currently shoving their bum right out and my belly has a hard lump in the centre! It’s so funny, but also uncomfortable! :sweat_smile:

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I’d put money on this being the baby having hiccups!!! Does it feel like the same sort of bomp repeatedly at pretty regular intervals?? [name_f]My[/name_f] girl started getting them often and strong mid third trimester! It makes my whole tummy jump hahah they can last forever, I think her longest streak was 10 minutes!!!

I’m so glad your shower went well!!!
(Will catch up more later, just wanted to mention hiccups before bed hahah)

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@Kibby Oooh… I hadn’t thought about the possibility of hiccups! But that would totally make sense. It’s this very rhythmic, but gentle bomp-bomp-bomp sensation. No where near as strong as big kicks, but a similar feeling (perhaps most similar to the little fist bumps I get in my lower belly). They’ll be like every five seconds for a couple of minutes and you can see the rhythmic pulse in my belly. So many people I know have said they never felt hiccups or they think feeling them is not possible that I kind of just figured it was more likely to be kicking.

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