Pregnant runners' club

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  • MinksMinks ✭✭✭
    Caramel, no - not worried about the 'label'; doesn't even necessarily mean I have fertility issues, just that I happened to mention I'm not pregnant yet after being off the Pill for nearly a year.

    I have a positive feeling that once the marathon is over and I can concentrate properly on the getting pregnant thing, it is more likely to happen. At the moment I'm too focused on the marathon, and probably have been (even if subconsciously) for several months now. Once training eases back I'll probably have more energy for other things too, which might also help!

    Have bought a thermometer and thought I'd start monitoring BBT and cervical mucus (nice!) as doctor won't even start tests until we've been trying for a year. That gives me 3 months to chart temperature which could be helpful in a) seeing if there's a pattern to my cycle and b) determining whether I'm ovulating. At least it's something I can do and as I'm horribly anal about keeping running logs I'm sure I'll love having something else to analyse! Will have to keep it all in perspective and not get too obsessive though.

    Hope all are well - been a bit quiet on this thread for the past few days.
  • Hi ladies,

    Just to say a big thank you for the advice on the pelvis alignment check: I had it checked on Monday, and indeed it did needed to be corrected (there was a 2cm difference between both legs!) and it's done now.
    Now I just need to shed a fez pounds and I'll be back on the road soon!

    THANK YOU!!
  • I am so pleased you are sorted. It does not alway occur, but I had a problem and kept getting injured.

    Once you are back on the open road the 2 stone will just fall off - I am sure.

    What race are you planning to aim for?
  • Hi Clare
    I was thinking of starting easy, with the Twickenham park weekly 5K on 6th May: that will enable me to do walk/run according to how I feel and would put me back into the race atmosphere. Then, according to the weight loss and my ability to train in spite of baby to fit in my organisation, I want to plan a 10K before July.
  • Good idea. I started off with a few 5ks ad built it up from there. Saying that I also did the trailblazer too - big mistake!! 10k on the south downs in 30 degree sun. Lots of ups!!! Finished it but nearly killed me!!

    Good luck, I am very jealous!! I am not able to do anything at all until after my baby is born. Still hopefully I will be raring to go by then!
  • mum2liya - wow, it WAS a good thing you had it checked. mind you, i had a leg length discrepancy anyway, even before i got pregnant, so yours *might* have already been there.

    one thing i did find when i had mine adjusted was that it went back again quite quickly afterwards. i knew it had because i suddenly got a really sharp pain in my back. i had to go back and get it tweaked again. with a 2cm discrepancy, you may find it does the same thing as your muscles will not be used to working together in the new position, so it might be worth a visit again in 6 weeks or so, particularly if you are having niggles...

    clare - how's it going? are you still resting lots?

    i was thinking of doing a 10k next weekend, but my last run was really really tedious so i'm not sure now whether it's a good idea. i have yet ANOTHER cold. this is my 3rd cold in succession. i'm sure that's not helping the running really. am going to try to get out again at lunchtime today because it's actually stopped raining and chucking it down now.

    minks - glad to hear you sounding more positive about it. and i think i've read before that often people don't conceive until they are really ready to even if they have been trying for a while. so once the marathon is over, you may just find it happens!
  • Hi CM

    Yes I am resting lots. I have an 1hour 20 min commute to my current client. They have been great and I am doing 50% at home 50% office. In the work I am doing for them, a lot of it is design & research which can be done anyhwere.

    I must the resting has helped and the bleeding has calmed right down. My DH is driving me mad not letting me doa thing!! However, I am staying calm and doing very little. It is funny I still dream about running almost every night. Stillness is not in my nature, but I will just have to hang in there!

    Bad luck with the colds!! Apart from the pregnancy snuffles I have been lucky - even with my husband and daughter suffering bad colds. Still I am due some slack!

    I love running in the rain - very jealous!! What 10k are you planning?
  • clare

    glad things are calmer now. when do you have more checks?

    the 10k i was thinking about was one in st. donat's castle, just the other side of cardiff. i was kind of thinking we could run that and then pop back via the birthing centre in caerphilly for a visit (one of the options for me to give birth in, if i decide not to go for a home birth), but i might be a bit smelly and dishevelled. i don't suppose they get too many mothers-to-be turning up for hospital visits in running kit :-)

    i've not done the race before and it's supposed to be quite nice, traffic free and only a little undulating.

    make the most of not having to do anything - it won't last! as soon as the baby is born, you'll be expected to run the ship single handedly again!!

    we had some good news yesterday. my friend who has had lots of problems in her pregnancy (suspected ectopic pregnancy, then 2 bleeds after 12 weeks, as well as horrendous sickness all the way through), and was then told she was high risk for downs, and had an amnio only to be told the sample was contaminated and they would need to grow culture from the cells which would take another TWO weeks... has finally been told that the baby is fine. phew! i really hope she now has a troublefree pregnancy, because she's really been through the mill so far!

    got some guys in today plastering the baby's room - after i blew the plaster with the steamer when i was trying to get the woodchip off! so maybe, just maybe we can actually start painting it and getting it sorted in a week or so's time!!

    it seems like we still have so much to do and so much to buy and so much to organise! let's hope the little fella doesn't turn up early!
  • MinksMinks ✭✭✭
    Hopefully you're right, Caramel, as I'm not overly keen on the idea of having to have lots of tests and be prodded and poked by all and sundry. I'd like to try to conceive naturally for a little longer as although physically we've been trying for a while (half-heartedly at times it has to be said!) I don't think I've been mentally up for it. Once the marathon is over I know I can devote my attention to it properly and hopefully that will make a difference. When are you due? I lose track as there are so many of you to remember!

    Glad to hear that all you other ladies are doing well. The stories and advice here are great - I know I'm really going to appreciate it all when it's my turn! You'll all be back running by then and I will be horribly jealous!
  • I am still waiting for a date for a first scan. Hoping will be next week before we go on holiday to Wales, I will be 7 weeks this Sat, so should see a heart beat if there is one. Am very nervous and have heart flutters when I think about it all. How can I keep calm about this? The thought of going into the scan room is really quite upsetting.

    Have had some awful GI distrubances this time round too, not sick, other end, but do feel a bit nauseous and very hungry. One day at a time I guess.
  • minks - i'm due on 8 july. although it's a boy, so i'll settle for any time in july really, as they are notorious for being late.

    i've just been out for a 5 mile plod and BOY is it hard work! it feels like my legs are made of lead and i have terrible stitch now. ho hum. at least it's done and it was LOVELY out there. really warm and sunny.

    mitchie moo - i have no idea how you can stay calm about your scan. i was in a real state before we went for our first one and i'd never had any problems previously. all i guess you can think is that you can't change the outcome by worrying about it. the chances are that absolutely everything will be fine - and that's all you can hope for. and if it's not fine, then you have to find out somehow. that's not really any help, though. and you are bound to worry. lots.

    let us know when you find out when it is.

    whereabouts in wales are you going?
  • CM - My next check is my 20 week scan at 21 weeks! I then have a follow up with the obs again a week later.

    I really hope things stay settled as I have 2 weddings for best friends this year and my daugther is a bridesmaid for one.


    Mitchie Moo - Can relate to the other end bit - I have had this in all my pregnancies. Better than the other end of the spectrum I suppose and I sign of lots of good hormones!
  • MinksMinks ✭✭✭
    Mitchie Moo, I guess the first scan is just one of those things that has to be got through. I can imagine how nerve-wracking it must be though, especially after your previous miscarriages. Just keep telling yourself that everything will be fine this time, there's no reason to think otherwise, and as Caramel says, if it's not you have to know sometime and better sooner than later. I know this doesn't really help!

    Where in Wales are you going? We'll be there over Easter as hubby's parents live near Caersws in mid-Wales.
  • MinksMinks ✭✭✭
    Actually, thought of going to in-laws at Easter has reminded me that when we stayed there last summer, they insisted on giving us their bedroom. They've never done so on any other occasion we've stayed so immediately our suspicions were aroused. Turns out there's a Celtic fertility stone embedded in the bedroom wall (house is a converted church) - so they obviously don't work ;-) And as hubby pointed out, as if we're likely to get up to anything in his parents' bed!!
  • It seems they have lost my referral letter from the doc, so looks like not going to happen before hols. How useless is that. Whole point of early scan is that it is early to avoid anxiety. Midwife was quite rude to me too. Grrr. Calm! Calm!
  • Oh Mitchie Moo I am sorry. Having had early scans myself, I know how frustrating this must be.

    Can they see you straight after or can you push for them to sort it out!
  • Mitchie Moo - cif it's not too personal a question: can you afford a private scan? I paid £100 for a 7 week scan in Harley Street and it was well worth the money - gave me complete peace of mind and was actually far better equipment than used by the NHS (well, in my NHS hospital anyway!).

    If you can afford it it may make your holiday a whole lot more restful ;o)

    Hegs x
  • mitchie moo

    can't you just be fitted in at the EPU as a sort of emergency, given that they've messed up? they see people there all the time for emergency appointments in the early days, as people have bleeds, or suspected ectopic pregnancies.

    if you can face it, get back on the phone and try and insist.

    (((mitchie moo)))
  • Tis OK. They have found the letter, 5.30 last night got a call from a still quite rude midwife even when I was very thankful for her ringing me back. Shame as they were so nice to us on the early pregnancy ward after we'd had the 12 week scan last time. Anyway can ring up for appt later on this morning. Phew! But doesn't half get your heart racing.

    So hopefully tomorrow or early next week.

    Can't really afford private care, as hubbie is self-employed, and business not too good, I also now work 4 days a week in an effort to reduce stress.

    Thankfully my foot is on the mend so hopefully can do a small jog this weekend that should help a lot.

  • Scan next thursday. Fingers crossed.
  • mitchie moo

    that's really great news. shame about the midwife though. some of them *are* a bit funny, though. but then i guess they get to see all sorts of people, and some women will naturally be very stressed/upset about things. doesn't make it right for them to be rude to you, though.

    went to my antenatal class again last night and our teacher had her assessor there. she was a real po-face. i was asking our antenatal teacher (before class began) how much support you would get on breastfeeding if you decided to give birth at home. i was thinking that you would get more if you went into hospital or birthing centre because you would be there for longer, possibly overnight, and someone would be available for you to ask for help if you got stuck/stressed etc.

    this assessor then said to me in a really huffy tone 'breastfeeding's not THAT hard you know'. i was really surprised to hear her saying that - yes, i know it's supposed to be natural, but from what i've heard, it can definitely be not THAT easy either!! and on your first night alone with your new baby, you *might* just want someone to tell you that you're doing it right. i know the midwife stays with you for a while to make sure you are able to feed before she goes, but what happens in the middle of the night when she's not there and you suddenly aren't sure that it's working like it was before? anyway, i wasn't very impressed with her attitude!
  • Mitchie Moo - that is excellent news - fingers crossed that all goes well for you.

    Caramel - I think that's outrageous!! Breastfeeding comes with a whole host of potential problems - for example, my baby had no problem latching on, I had a good milk supply and no problems with pain etc, but my baby was very small, jaundiced and a very sleepy feeder. This meant that he failed to gain weight and it was impossible for me to know how much/ little he had taken and I spent my entire time trying to feed him myself or using expressed breast milk which left me knackered and upset. In the end - and due primarily to lack of support from the midwife/ health visitor - I introduced formula which made it much easier to (a) see how much he had taken and (b) was much easier to keep him awake with. I would definitely try breastfeeding again with any future babies, but I maintain that it is NOT easy! On top of all this they then tried to have a go at me for using formula even though they could see that both he and I were a lot happier.... sigh!

    IMHO, it is not a crime to use formula if that is what ends up being best for you and your baby, but there are obvious benefits to breastfeeding and as I said I would definitely try again next time. What is definitely lacking is support from the health visitors/ midwives. Have you tried the NCT or La Leche League? They are meant to be very supportive, and can visit you at home.

    My friend recently had a home birth & breastfed straight away - she has had problems with her little girl's weight gain and so has also introduced some formula, but having a home birth didn't seem to have a negative effect on getting started. Am happy to ask her any questions you might have - she said it was a wonderful experience.

    Hegs x
  • Caramel - agree with Hegs that that isn't a helpful thing to say as it's not always easy and I think a lot of women give up because they think it should be easy.

    Not sure you'd get any more support in hospital (although you've mentioned a birthing centre and they might well be better) - I always felt the midwives were too busy to come and check whether the baby had latched on properly so just got on with it. Didn't find it easy but persevered and breastfed until he was 18 months. Good luck with whatever you decide re birthing options.
  • MinksMinks ✭✭✭
    One of my close friends gave birth 4 weeks ago and confirms that breastfeeding, although supposedly 'natural', definitely isn't easy. Her baby is tongue-tied which makes it very difficult for him to latch on, and when she was in hospital he wasn't really getting enough milk. Consequently he lost 16% of his body weight in the first week (max is supposed to be 10%) and one of the health visitors made my friend feel like a bad mother because she hadn't noticed that the baby wasn't feeding properly. Friend ended up in tears and felt really guilty. When the midwife visited her at home, though, she took the time to help her learn how to breastfeed properly and she's now doing both that and bottle feeding with formula as the baby just won't take enough from the breast and falls asleep easily while feeding that way. At least with the bottle she can see how much he's taken and also means he gets used to feeding from both breast and bottle which gives them more flexibility (i.e. dad can feed the baby too).

    It really annoys me when women are made to feel somehow inadequate because they have chosen to bottle feed or use formula. As a baby who was fed almost entirely on formula I have grown up very healthy and robust (can't even remember the last time I had a cold, let alone anything more serious) so don't let anyone tell you that formula is "bad" for your baby. What's bad for the baby is an unhappy, stressed out mother.
  • Caramel, about breastfeeding: no, it's not easy but it doesn't have to be a burden. Just be prepared for a few difficult days (or weeks) to start with, but remember it gets better! I wished I had been told about that before (My antenatal breastfeeding counsellor made it sound so easy that I ended up wondering, at some stage, if that was ever going to get good. And overnight I was fine, the pain had disappeared and my "damaged" nipple healed.).
    2 things I wished I had been told before: 1/ buy your nipple cream (a good one; I hear the best one in UK is Lansinoh) before the baby arrives, that will save you having to go and buy it once the pain is already there.
    2/ in the first couple of weeks, don't let your baby on the breast for more than 10 minutes and breastfeeding as often as possible: that will help a good supply production and will avoid your nipples to crack.
    My baby refused to feed on the left one the first 3 days. Therefore my right one was a war territory afterwards, and it took me 2 weeks to heal it.
    If you know someone in France ask them to get your "oligoderm" (by Labcatal), it saved me and my problems and pain disappeared overnight. It's a spray containing copper.
    Good luck , it's all worth it!
  • Hello all, am back from Holland, about to go to Ireland for the next week so quick note as I feel I've neglected the thread!! My sisters baby had laser surgery last week and is much better, she had a floppy airway and was very ill, but hopefully they can go home later this week. Really made me appreciate that Liesje is such a healthy baby!

    About breasfeeding; it isn't easy! But it also gets much easier quickly. I was only in hospital two days and got very little help from the midwives. I had the Lanisoh cream and it was good (gave Liesje very greasy hair!!) and the nipple pain went after a little while. My best tip: once you have finished breastfeeding, most of the milk is replaced in the next twenty minutes so don't worry that your breasts are 'empty' as they won't be for very long. It made me much more relaxed especially when Liesje would vomit all her milk up straight after a feed!!

    Good luck with all the scans, nausea and strange midwives...
  • thanks all. i know from talking to my friends that breastfeeding isn't straightforward, and that's why i was SO surprised that this NCT assessor (!) was making out that it was!!!

    i'm still undecided on the home birth thing. haven't actually talked to my midwife about it yet, though, and she may be able to sway me one way or another.

    had a 'freebie' scan on saturday, because i was a volunteer on a basic ultrasound course for GPs. had another little peep at the baby, although not quite as good this time because the doctors were a bit all over the place with the probe! they couldn't confirm it was a boy, because the legs were crossed, so we are hoping all this blue stuff we've bought isn't going to have to be dyed pink ;-)

    i was wondering why i was getting REALLY bad stitch on my right hand side when running, and the scan showed that the baby is breech, with his (her??) head just under my right rib, and back curled around. so that will be why i'm getting stitch there, and also why i feel like i'm being kicked in the bladder all the time!!

    does anyone know when babies usually turn (if they are going to turn, that is?). one of my friends who was planning a home birth had to have a c-section because her baby was breech, even though she spent weeks wiggling her bum in the air (or whatever you are supposed to do to try to get them to turn).

    marijke - you are a real gad-about at the moment, aren't you?!
  • Hi Caramel,
    No wonder the assessor is from NCT, mine was. They're really helpful but when it comes to breastfeeding they tend to "forget" the unpleasant bits.

    My baby was breeched until 7 or 7.5 months, and then at the next visit she had turned. How far are you again?
  • Caramel - don't worry, my baby was breech until 34 weeks (just as they were threatening to send me to the hospital for a scan etc.).
  • Caramel - In spite of all my other pregnancy health problems my little chappie was head down at 32 weeks..... then he turned breech at 33 weeks!! Although I ended up with a c-section it was nothing to do with position - he actually turned himself back down a few days before he was delivered (34 weeks).
    If you have a very wriggly baby they can keep turning up and down right up to birth. I believe that breech vaginal deliveries ARE possible, but generally not recommended.
    One of my friends had her baby turned via manipulation at 37 weeks, and the little wotsit turned herself back the next day! I guess it's luck of the draw. If you are very small build and the baby doesn't turn by 35 weeks, there is less chance that it will simply because there won't be any room for him to manoeuver. Otherwise there is every chance, but keep sitting on swiss ball, sitting forward with elbows on your knees, that sort of thing.

    Hegs x
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