MSE Pregnancy Club 28

snowscreamer

I think I remember seeing that raspberry leaf tea made Braxton Hicks much worse for one of the ladies on here? Someone who gave birth within the last few months. So it's probably unwise until you are at or soon approaching term...
It's a stimulant so I imagine not great if you are not imminently hoping to give birth!

cats2012

I drank 2-3 cups of raspberry lead tea a day from 37 weeks. Clearly went overdue anyway! I did have a quick and efficient labour though so could have helped there...

arbrighton

2nd growth scan done. More confusion about general midwife appts as hosp midwife said 'but why hasn't she done your 28 week bloods?' Erm cos I'm 28 weeks now and I'm in the antenatal clinic this week .

ARGHGGHGHGHGH

Bean still growing fine. Now head down rather than breech although still plenty of time for that to change again, I know! And nice for my mum to see bean I think, as she's only vaguely thinking she had just one scan early on with my younger sister.

Consultant was slightly more sympathetic re my evident frustration that no-one seems to have figured out which appointments I should do with who and had actually read my notes to ask how I was doing without the SSRI rather than saying was I still taking them like the last one, when I'd already reported stopping 10 weeks prior to that.

So, bean's fine but I'm a bit fed up with lack of NHS communication.

Mum put on the first of two bus journeys home.

Brief sit down before I collect the dogs and try and do some prep for long tutoring session tomorrow. Pre exam panic has definitely set in there

vanilla8

I sympathise with you arbrighton about hospital appointment confusion.
Managed to finally see a community midwife today, yay. She measured me smaller than the consultant did at 32 weeks but she believes the Dr never measured me properly (think she sees this all the time)
Im just under the 50th centile.

Haven't thought about raspberry leaf tea but might order some and give it a go!
I still have 4 weeks left at work, although starting to feel like a bad idea as very tired this week.

penguingirl

I've not had any raspberry tea - bit scared to try it as my parents on holiday 8th-14th may (I'm due 20th), so I don't want baby to come too early.

I've been super impressed by the NHS today- I got a phone call at 2pm asking if I could make a physio appointment at 3pm! The physio is part of the women's health team, so very pregnancy focused and was lovely. It's just muscular, she manipulated my back a bit and has given me exercises to do twice daily and some bits I can just do while sitting to keep loose. Back again next week for another appointment. And when I got home I managed to walk up stairs without pain! Feeling much more positive and can't believe I got an appointment within 48hours of referral. It's frustrating that some of you have had less success with nhs systems, we've honestly not been able to fault them here. Although now you mention it arbrighton I've never seen my blood results from 28 weeks, assuming they were fine!

Glad your appointments went well arbrighton and Vanilla. Arbrighton my mum's experiences of scans are similar- she did have them as she needed a growth scan with first pregnancy and she had twins second, plus was considered a 'geriatric mother' for both (32 at time of 1st!!!), but she said the quality was terrible and my dad didn't go to them.

Lifestartsat40

I had the raspberry leaf tea in my last pregnancy from about 32 weeks and even though I was induced, from start to finish was only 6 hours, who knows if the tea helped but Ive bought some more and will start drinking it from 32 weeks again. I doubt very much if it would start you off in labour otherwise I don't think that they would recommend it as early as 32 weeks. For those approaching due date though and wanting to kick things off, at last nights hospital parent education class, the midwife did mention clary sage oil, and that a couple of drops in a bath can help to kick things off.

newthrift

Firebird & lifestarts - thank you. Had a bit of a recheck through my clothes but nothing over suitable for feeding. However think I may just buy a couple of basic cheap nursing vests for the summer and have a look at boobtube for under my current tops. It's hard trying to pick what items are a waste of money and what's worth spending on sometimes.
Regards hospital bags, is everyone else having one for themself and one for baby? I'm just using my old gym bag for me and the changing bag for baby. I've seen some people posting about putting some baby clothes in to your own labour bag and/or having a labour bag, baby bag then after labour bag, just seems like a lot of bags that to me!?
Firebird - I'm going to start drinking raspberry leaf from 32weeks. Most people I know who have tried it said they recommend it. I also had one friend suggest the raspberry leaf tablets instead as more concentrated apparently.
Thanks Snow for pelvic floor reminder, I keep forgetting and I know i'll be wishing I kept up with it when I laugh and pee :eek: :rotfl:

penguingirl

Newthrift- advice from nct classes and tour of unit was bag for mum (no bigger than cabin size) and changing bag for baby with some extra bits in. Have extra piles/bags for both of you at home if admission is longer so OH can just pick stuff up. We're also considering a mini cool bag for food/cold drinks with a couple of ice packs thrown in.

Advice from nct about pelvic floor was that the important thing is to continue doing them after the birth and forever! The teacher said she just does them when she remembers.

I slept so much better last night after physio and had less pain- feel so much happier!

arbrighton

My mum had a good idea yesterday- make a google doc with info like Hospital bag list, the supplier for the bedside crib etc so that she can see it/ sister can see it and help if for whatever reason OH and I are in hospital and haven't quite sorted it all.

I didn't have a good night to start with- OH full of a cold so snoring/ Darth Vader breathing then bean had a party and restless legs started. So I escaped to spare room where I promptly slept well from about one til my alarm.

Couple of hours tutoring this morning with my exam student. I'm going to struggle today, feeling a bit like banging head against wall with him.

My parcel of bits I ordered from Mothercare has been dispatched so at least there'll be something to open soon. And OH brought flowers home with him yesterday using some of what he'd won on the work Grand National Sweepstake s

cats2012

Hi all. I had a cabin bag for me (used my gym bag) then baby's change bag, plus s small cool bag with snacks and drinks. Only the snacks and drinks came out the car before baby arrived though....!

No post from Clarabell for a while...I'm being optimistic!

Also I've bought 4 nursing vest tops and finally got some proper nursing bras this week. Other than that I'm coping with tops that lift up but may buy some specific stuff soon as I miss wearing dresses! I would recommend waiting until you know feeding works though, we've been very lucky but many people can't feed for whatever reason. My poor best friend had her little boy last week after a long drawn out labour and her milk just hasnt come in at all so she's had to bottle feed.

Another tip is don't buy loads of stuff for expressing straight away. We're about to give it a go bt loads of babies won't take a bottle after being BF so no point spending loads of money until.you're sure they will. We're getting a cheap manual pump and individual bottles from a couple of brands to try before splashing out any more.

So excited to hear baby news from you all soon!! And I will make that thread when I'm not on my phone I promise :-)