The MSE Pregnancy Club

rchddap1

I bought a gym ball instead of a proper 'birthing ball'. About £6 from Tesco if I remember correctly. Very comfy to sit on. When I can get near it because my lovely OH likes it too.

Congrats on being engaged though....I'm 35+ weeks......and my little bean isn't (yes its my first). No point in worrying though. She's already demonstrated to us that she'll do what she wants whether we like it or not. She had a thing for lying transverse for quite a while and nothing would shift her. Until she decided it was time to move. Dad is a bit worried about having another 'awkward' female in the house.

oueyouey

Deleted_User wrote:

I've a question for the more experienced mummies here.

This is my first baby and I saw in my notes that my consultant has written 3/5ths. I assume this is related to the head down position my baby is currently in? Am I also assuming correctly that once he is 5/5ths I am in labour? I am nearly 34 weeks and hoping this is not the case or will the transition from 3/5ths to 5/5ths take the remaining 6 weeks I may have left?

My MW tells me my baby is also in the wrong position and he needs to turn. His back is currently facing my back causing me a lot of backache, she has advised some things to help him turn but did say there is still plenty of time yet. If he is 3/5ths engaged will his head stop him from turning especially if he goes 4/5ths over the upcoming weeks?

Sorry for all these questions but my pregnancy book doesn't really cover this.

Hope someone knows, otherwise I am going to try remember to discuss this with my MW when I see her. But my memory is awful at the moment.

Thanks
Bay

Hiya

When i saw the midwife at 36 weeks she wrote 3/5ths in relation to the brim which meant that 2/5ths of the head was in and 3/5ths was free but it depends how it is written on your notes. There's a diagram on page 61 of the nhs pregnancy book. With my pregnancy up until that point Libby was in a "good" position and midwife said she probably wouldn't move positions - then the day after i started suffering terrible back and hip pain - so bad i couldn't keep up with my 90 year grandma in the supermarket!! Didn't have my next ante natal till 38 weeks where i was told that Libby was in a back to back position and she was still 3/5ths engaged. They gave me a leaflet on how to turn to a better position so i spent the next 2 weeks on one of those gym/birthing balls not sitting on comfy sofas, spending time on all 4's!! Libby arrived at 40 weeks + 2 days - 3 days before my next scheduled ante natal appointment so i don't know when she engaged but when i arrived at the hospital in labour they said she was still back to back they said labour would be longer and hurt more. She arrived 2 hours after they said that and i was pushing for 17 minutes!

I think all babies engage at different times - some not until the actual labour starts.

Hope that all goes well - make the most of the few weeks you have left!

purplepatch

One of the midwives said something about back to back babies being more common for dark haired mums. Any truth in that? I'm dark and 2 of my friends who had back to back babies are as well. Just curious.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for all your replies. My Mum has just turned up with a gym ball curtesy of my SIL, who had one in her wardrobe from her pregnancies. I'm not entirely sure what to do with it, just sit on the ball instead of the sofa?

I am swimming twice a week as the MW said that will help him to turn and to float for while in the pool on my tum.

I find when lying in bed often my left side is uncomfortable as thats where the majority of him is especially limbs. I get kicked and feel movement far more on my left than my right. So I tend to lay on my right but that goes numb in my sleep and I often awake in the night to find myself on my back. Which I know isn't advised. Oh the joys of pregnancy.

Thanks for your advice, its hard not to wonder and worry. I am not working now since I was 30 weeks and had threatened premature labour. Work told me not to come in and they will still pay me. They have also revised the unpaid leave business that I had over the summer through being too tired to work 5 days. I was working 4 and taking unpaid leave. They now admit they should have accommodated me and I shouldn't have suffered a detriment. So they are giving me back the days I had off as annual leave and reinstating my maternity pay based on 5 days and not 4. Naturally both DF and I are very pleased as so many people were telling me I shouldn't be taking unpaid leave, but I wasn't being offered an alternative.

Rchddap1, yes I remember we are quite close together in our pregnancies. Are you on maternity leave yet? I was planning on going on the 9th Nov, but this little man had other ideas. How are you feeling these days?

Oueyouey, thanks for your help, was it really 8 weeks ago when your little one was born, time flies.

Purplepatch, I have strawberry blonde hair, (light ginger with blonde bits), so if this little guy doesn't turn, that would blow your friends theory. I'll let you know how he goes.

rchddap1

Last day of work on Friday. Sniff...sniff. Feels very odd. I am taking 3 weeks of holiday before I'm on maternity though. That feels nice.

Other than the usual feelings of 'beached whaleness' I'm doing remarkably well. So far I have sailed through things. No pains to speak of...except the one wriggling around inside of course. Difficult to move fast once I've been settled for a while.

As for the gym ball I tend to sit on it and roll my rear end around. I find it really comfortable when I do feel a bit dodgy.

purplepatch

As well as sitting on my gym ball, I also lean over it on my knees, rocking - chest resting on it and belly hanging down - figure this gives baby some room and a chance to get in a good position.

They say that back to back babies used to be much rarer in our grandparents day when they used to be doing more hands and knees tasks like scrubbing floors. Better stop lounging on the settee with my cup of tea and choccy bars!

andycarmi

purplepatch wrote:

One of the midwives said something about back to back babies being more common for dark haired mums. Any truth in that? I'm dark and 2 of my friends who had back to back babies are as well. Just curious.

Never heard of that but I have dark hair! DD WAS back to back

Becles

My eldest was back to back and I'm blonde - just to blow the theory.

It wasn't too bad, but he used to wriggle and his head or shoulder would press on something in my right hip that used to make my right leg go dead. It was weird!

He turned back round the right way before he was born. His head was engaged on the Friday at my 36 week check, but they said I had ages to go as it was my first baby. He was born the following Wednesday!

I'm quite pleased he was born early as he was due on the 22nd Dec, so as he arrived in Novemeber, he avoided a Christmas birthday

oueyouey

purplepatch wrote:

One of the midwives said something about back to back babies being more common for dark haired mums. Any truth in that? I'm dark and 2 of my friends who had back to back babies are as well. Just curious.

Think that maybe a myth - i have mousey blonde hair and my SIL baby was back to back and also has mousey blonde hair

oueyouey

Deleted_User wrote:

Oueyouey, thanks for your help, was it really 8 weeks ago when your little one was born, time flies.

Hiya no she's only 4 weeks today but it is going really quickly.

Glad you got the work situation sorted out.