Some news...

[Katster]

Not sure if that news helps or hinders my current situation lol. Hopefully they will send me home so i can have bed rest there rather than here although having said that i have just put my order in for lunch (vegetable lasagne) which is a much better service than i would get at home lol.

[feral chile]

You're close to the end now - I'm not sure if in my case BP was signalling the start of labour. And we didn't have scans at the start of my babymaking days - God, don't I sound like a quaint little historical figure - so we had to rely on date estimates.

[Katster]

Still here. BP didn't budge even with double dosage. I'm tired

[midnight]

Bummer.

But at 36 weeks it should be quite ready, lungs and all, try not to worry, even if they suggest an early-ish delivery.

Best of luck. xx

[Katster]

Aye baby more than ready for life I'm sure of that. We will be fine and dandy. I'm just tired and bored mainly, and a bit gutted i didn't manage the next three weeks in work. Also hoping I don't have to be in hospital for my birthday in three weeks time...

[bunique]

You may be a family of three by your birthday Kat!

[Katster]

Cheers folks, will keep you updated.

[greenfairy43]

How are you doing?

[Katster]

My last BP check was at 2am and was 134/78. They said then if it stays like that i will be allowed home this morning. Not had another check yet but fingers crossed the BP drugs are finally working at keeping it down for me. Then it will mean daily check at home from midwife and not bed rest specifically but the doc said he didn't want to see me in Tesco doing a big shop under any circumstances lol.

[Katster]

I'm home

[bunique]

Good stuff! Feet up!

[Katster]

So then. For someone who likes to keep busy, and finds it difficult to just sit and rest, how exactly am i going to know if i am doing too much over the next few weeks? If i wash the pots then sit down with a brew am i ok to get up and do another light task followed by another sit or perhaps a little kip? He said he didn't want to see me doing full shop in Tesco but can i waddle across the road to aldi and buy a bag or two of bits? I think being off work will be all the rest i need, but what do i bloody know?

[bunique]

Honestly I would say do absolutely as little as possible. That includes housework and so on. Speaking as someone who is ridiculously lazy, that would suit me down to the ground but given the difficulty they've had getting your BP under control, and how close you are to the end, I would consider allowing yourself maybe one or two light tasks a day, and not much else! Can you ring midwife in the morning and ask for clarity?

Edited September 14, 2014 by bunique

[Katster]

She's calling here tomorrow to check my BP so i will check with her then

Just to add to my worries, after three days in bed the baby is now breach and i can feel it struggling to turn. Will speak to the midwife about that tomorrow too. I'm trying to sit more forward and even crouching on knees but that doesn't help me with resting. Bloomin eck.

[bunique]

Have you got one of this yoga balls Kat? You can get them in tesco (well, you can send someone to get one for you ). R was transverse up until quite near the end, I spent a lot of time cleaning ovens and skirting boards and bouncing/rotating hips on the ball and she turned before labour. Found it quite useful whilst actually in labour too!

[bunique]

Google "Spinning Babies" - loads of advice there!

[Katster]

Cheers guys. Will have a research and a chat with the midwife tomorrow there's plenty of time yet for baby to get into position. It seemed to be attempting something on Friday (could that have kicked off high BP?) but with me being stuck in bed for three days when i left hospital they said it was back to back. I am so glad to be back in my own (spare) bed without constantly being disturbed by complete strangers. I swear all that was doing nothing to help my BP and I'm fairly sure now i am forced to give up work I will be fine until the end. Night!

[Katster]

Midwife came this morning and BP was a perfect 120/80 so that's good. Baby has also managed to turn back slightly so is in better position but still not engaged. Work don't seem to know for sure if this kick starts my maternity leave or not but the midwife advised me to stay off until the hospital appointment comes through and see what they say and also that gives my employer chance to check their policy along with any government policy there may be. I feel fine so feels very weird to be off work, i am hoping to be allowed to pop in to see everyone as leaving so abruptly feels really weird. I am taking myself off for an afternoon nap now just because I can but the midwife did say i can do most things i want/need to as long as its not too strenuous.

[Katster]

I am in my last four weeks, just. I was 36 weeks yesterday.

[greenfairy43]

Back to back (OP) position is NOT the same as breech presentation.

OP means baby is still coming head first, but not in the optimum position & can cause really painful contractions in the back. Your waters are more likely to break prior to labour establishing if junior is OP.

BREECH is baby coming bum first, in a variety of positions.

Fingers crossed it's not breech & that it sorts itself out into a better position!

[Katster]

Yeah i realised my mistake after typing but couldn't be bothered to change it lol. Its turned slightly now anyway and there's time yet for it to engage. Awwww. Not long now. BP needs to behave so i can get my water birth... Its being good so far so fingers crossed we can still at least try.

[midnight]

So then. For someone who likes to keep busy, and finds it difficult to just sit and rest, how exactly am i going to know if i am doing too much over the next few weeks? If i wash the pots then sit down with a brew am i ok to get up and do another light task followed by another sit or perhaps a little kip? He said he didn't want to see me doing full shop in Tesco but can i waddle across the road to aldi and buy a bag or two of bits? I think being off work will be all the rest i need, but what do i bloody know?

Our grandmothers would have knitted booties.

Got any good books you always wanted to read, but never got round to (and won't get round to for years after the happy event)? Some proper distracting page turners?

I agree with the advice on getting most of the shopping delivered. Wish I'd cottoned on to that earlier!

[bunique]

I *think* I remember from first time around that lots of first babies don't engage until labour so don't worry too much!

[Katster]

I checked with the midwife who came yesterday and she said I can do anything without overdoing it. I don't need to stay in bed all day but equally I shouldn't do anything too strenuous. My main issue here is five flights of stairs to clamber back up if I go out anywhere but we have agreed that I make sure I sit down when I come in before cracking on with anything else.

I really don't like being on these tablets, I was told in hospital they don't cross the placenta but have since read that this is not true and for about an hour after taking them I experience dizziness and head rush whilst my baby goes unusually quiet. I understand that high blood pressure is not good for me or my baby either so it's a no win situation but now my BP is much more controlled I am going to ask if there's any possibility of reducing the dose and/or coming back off the tablets and seeing if I can maintain it just by resting. In these final 4 weeks I guess the benefits outweigh the risks, at least I haven't had to take something that might not be that great for baba throughout my pregnancy. And so the worry/responsibility begins.

Oh, and yes, I am reading a fabulous book but knowing me it won't last very long. I will find hobbies I was meaning more in terms of house work really. The bathroom desperately needs cleaning but that's hard work, maybe I could do the easy bits then get Dan scrubbing the tiles for me lol.

[midnight]

Yes, so the worry begins.

But really, I don't know what to make of the rest of this, here's a girl who has been given a "get-out-of-strenuous-housework" card for perfectly good medical reasons, and she is complaining about not being able to scrub the bathroom!! Honestly - what is wrong with the youth of today?