36 weeks and very anxious

[jmontan27]

Hi

It has been a long time since I posted on here, but this board helped kept me through a very dark year in 2007, and thankfully this year has been so much better.

However, I am now suffering real anxiety again because I am 36 wks pregnant with baby no. 3, and have been having regular scans to monitor its growth. Yesterday I was told that the baby already weighs 9lb and that if I go full term he/she will likely be 11lb. On top of that I have also been told I have a condition called hydromnios, where there is an excess of anmiotic fluid round the baby. There are various health implications of this for the baby and now I am really worried. I was referred straight to a consultant and begged for a c-section as both my previous births have been traumatic (I took a year to heal after the birth of my last son who was only 8lb 9), but he didn't listen to me and is refusing. Infact, I don't feel that anybody (doctors or midwives) really understand how scared I am. I don't know what to do. I am so scared of giving birth to an 11lb baby and all they can talk about is induction, which I don't want as I was in hospital for a week after losing a lot of blood following induction for my first son.

Has anybody else been through this or suffered from hydromnios?

J

[winegirl]

Hi Hun

Glad you came back to us x

All I can say is to make a special appt with midwife and tell her you sufferd with PNI with both of your pregnancies and that it was down to labour. May not exactly be accurate but if you throw the PTS line in there it might help...

If this baby is too big to push out then they will put you in for C section at last minute anyway.

I am sorry that I have not been much help. I remember when I was pregnant I was told my baby was gonna be huge (my husband is 6 ft 2 and I am only 5' 2 so you can imagine how terrified I was. I too begged for a c section but they were all just like `oh you will be fine'. I know how scary it is, but also know that whatever the final outcome you will be fine and are strong enough to do this.

Sending you massive hugs (())

WG xx

[monica]

Hi

Congrats on your pregnancy. I'm sorryyou're not getting the support you'd liek and feel the medical profession aren't listening to you.

I thnkifyou are worried baby is too big for you to give birth they can scan your pelvis to see if baby will fit. I shouldnt' think there are many women who can give birth to a 11lb baby.

If you haven't already, I would list specific questions to your midwife and dont' leave until you get a satisfactory answer. Soemtimes you have to spell everythning out and be stubborn as they can tend to fob you off; consultants can be particularly bad too. Aslo I think you have the right to demand a second opinion re: caesarian.

Apparently i fyou've lost a lot of blood previously you should be closely monitored during the birth.

Do you have the support of your partner. If so, take him along so he can also push for what you want.

let us know how you get on.

Love

Monica

[jmontan27]

Thank you for your replies guys. It is good to have someone to talk to.

I have made an appointment with my GP for Tuesday, as I am hoping he will listen (and also knows my PNI history) and maybe write to the consultant for me. I see a different midwife every time I have an antenatal appointment so I don't feel there is any continuity of care as I have to re-explain my position each time (and they all have such different opinions I don't know who to listen to!).

How heavy was your baby WG?

I have another scan in 3 weeks, so if baby does look to be colossal, I will ask them to scan my pelvis (thanks for that tip Monica). Fortunately, I do have a supportive partner, so that is something.

Thanks again

J

[littlelotty]

Hi J

So feel for you and cant believe they are doing anymore to help you or ease your anxiety. I am glad you have made a gp appointment and hope they can listen to you. I too was induced with my LO and it was awful my LO was 7.13lb though.

We are here for you hun and keep talking to us.

Littlelotty
xx

[winegirl]

Hey J.

It turned out that my LO was only over 8Ibs but just very very long! Even to this day she loks two years older than she is! I ended up with an episiotomy (she was back to back and couldnt breathe from squashing her wee nose trying to come out). I think if I ever did have more children I would try and push for a c section as I know that my birth had a huge impact on me, but I also know that if I have to labour naturally again, I will be stringer about it this time.

Sending you massive hugs mate (())

WG xx

[cheshire]

Hi Jmontan,

Lovely to hear you are pregnant again - just sorry that you're suffering with the anxiety. I did too with my second.

I opted for a home birth - and the mf thought the baby would be a similar weight to my first (7lbish). Needless to say we were all a bit shocked when I gave birth to a 10lb something baby boy !

But it was ok - much quicker than the first time round and no problems. Try not to worry, tho I know it's hard not to.

Hxx

[jmontan27]

Thank you for all your supportive words. I was up at 4 this morning trawling the medical books for more info on hydromnios. With this condition, there is much more possibility of cord prolapse starving the baby of oxygen if your waters break naturally or by induction and I just can't stop thinking about it. All the consultant said is that they'd "make sure theatres were on standby" if I was induced. I just want this baby out safely before there is any chance of things going wrong. I asked what would happen if my waters break while I at home and basically was told to get on all fours and call an ambulance. That is just not practical when I have my 2 year old to look after and I have to take my 5 year old to and from school on 2 buses every day. Sorry to rant...

[winegirl]

Rant away mate! I think you should start shouting at these people again and tell them you are not willing to put yourslef through this. Flipping mental that they have just diagnosed you and sent you off with no plan!

[littlelotty]

I agree with WG and start shouting at all the prof, you need some help - even if it is to take your LO's to school etc in order to give you some much needed rest! Start shouting and loud!!!!

Littlelotty
xx

[monica]

Hi

I know you don't need the hassle, butmaybe start threateninglegal advice. Get him to write down in your notes your exact fears and keep going on if something happens......I would get your hubby to write down exactly what dr says. I can't believe they are so stuck in the mud about you wanting a c section. I know people who have requested them for far less serious (but valid) reasons and got there request.

Good luck with your dr.

love

Monica

[jmontan27]

If only the medical profession were as supportive as this forum! I saw my GP this morning and my partner came with me with a whole list of reasons why we felt it appropriate that a c-section be considered (more than a side of A4). We went to ask for our GP's support, as had he bothered to read my medical records, he would have seen that I was on antibiotics for 6 months after the tear caused by my last birth, followed by a referral to the mental health team for anxiety/depression and 5 months of CBT. However, his first comment was "I don't know what I can do in my position as a GP". He then suggested that we ring our consultant's secretary ourselves to try and get an appointment with her as we had seen a dfferent consultant last week. At this point my husband pointed out that as our GP, he was responsible for my health and could he write a letter to the consultant stating my concerns and requesting that a c-section not be dismissed out of hand.

Honestly, it was like getting blood out of a stone. Typically, he took the consultant's side and spouted the line that hospitals have been criticised for carrying out too many caesarians and that he could see the consultant's point of view. I showed him my antenatal notes where this consultant has wrongly interpreted the scan results, saying that only the baby's leg length was above average, when infact the scan clearly states that the leg length is within normal range and every other measurement including head circumferance and abdo circumference are already past the 95th centile for a full-term baby. To make matters worse, I bumped into a friend this morning who was told she was having a large baby and also had excess fluid and she had been offered a c-section straight away at another hospital.

Don't know where to go from here. My GP reluctantly agreed to write to my consultant expressing my concerns, but I am not confident that anything will come of that. Tomorrow I intend to get in touch with my former health visitor who once told me that if ever I had another baby, she would write a letter in support of a c-section as I was in such pain for so long after my last child. Whether sh'ell remember saying that to me (or even remember me!) remains to be seen. I just can't stop worrying about this and it looks like there is literally no one prepared to stand up for me.

[winegirl]

Hey Hun

I think you will get it. You are certainly not going to let it lie, and I think with the back up of the health visitor you will get it. Do you think you could get your old mental health team to get in touch with the consultant too and give him some advice on how this could affect your mental state again etc??

Thinking of you babes x

WG xx

[monica]

Hi

Can you get in touch with another hospital. You are not obliged to have it at the one you're booked into. I had my son at a different one to the one I was booked inot (9 years ago) as I ended up living in a different area with my partner. On calling they said I could have my baby anywhere. Might be worth getting in touch withanother hospital just to see what they say.

Love

Monica

[jmontan27]

I asked my GP if he would refer me to another hospital but he said it was too late in the day for that as all my notes are with my original hospital. I have even considered waiting till I go into labour then just going to a different hospital, but the baby will probably be massive by then as my last two were both born at 42 weeks+ and I will probably end up having an emergency caesarian.

I left a message on my hv's personal answerphone, but she still didn't ring me back even though I know she was in work that day as I asked the receptionist. Instead I got a message left on my phone 2 days later from a completely different hv. I think my hv is avoiding me because she had to keep visiting me when I was ill last year and she just doesn't want to get involved.

The community midwife I saw on Thursday was kind though and even let slip that the horrible consultant I saw last week has had a few complaints and that the hospital aren't impressed with his manner. She has promised to speak up for me if I need her too.

I don't know...I just feel close to tears a lot of the time with the uncertainty of what's going to happen. To top it all I am coming down with a cold and one of my teeth broke today so now I've got to face the dentist as well. It is good just to have a moan sometimes.