Second and Third Trimester Discussion (11/03)

footprint · November 2014

Hola! This is second and third trimester discussion -- discuss away!!! Feel free to ask anything or to answer anything that anyone has ask -- it's a free-for-all of knowledge and education! If you have a question that you would prefer not to have associated with your SN, please feel free to pm me and I will post it, as I have no shame. If you have suggestions for this post, let me know.

peggels24 · November 2014

For the past couple of days, the feel of the baby's movement has changed - it's reverted back to more of a "popcorn" feel almost. I have no idea what she's doing in there - hopefully she's turning about so that she's no longer breech.

dragonfly1809 · November 2014

@peggels24‌ As baby grows and runs out of room the feeling of movement changes, so I think popcorny feelings are totally normal nearing the end.

My question is about movement too - I'm 27 weeks and baby boy is seriously doing the hokey pokey river dance with back flips constantly. I have never felt a baby move like this ... Does anyone have any experience with an active in utero baby? Does this mean he's going to be crazy active outside? Should I start building a bigger fence? (LOL) (sort of not kidding)...

His movement also makes me worry more about a cord accident. Does this increase his risk of getting tangled?

Should I just stop worrying and see this as a good thing?

When will he run out of room and return to that popcorn feeling?

I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon. My list of questions for her might get me committed. I'm a crazy person. :S

pblge · November 2014

I have a registry question. Do I need a pack and play (planning to use this as the bassinet and travel crib), rock and play, bouncer, swing, AND play mat? How do you decide what you need?

I'm trying to get the basics in place before Christmas shopping begins.

@dragonfly1809‌ - good luck at your appt!

dragonfly1809 · November 2014

@pblge‌ I would say yes to all. Some might not agree, but I'm the type to prepare for everything. A pack n play for travel is very handy. Some kids hate the swing, but for those who like it (like my daughter did) you'll pray to the swing gods. A play mat is handy for entertainment when they're young. I'm new to the rock n play but have heard nothing but good things about it.
You may not use them for long, but when you do you'll be happy to have them.

peggels24 · November 2014

@pblge We got them all. We debated it and even after we received them as gifts, we debated returning some. But each has a different use and so we decided to keep them all. It's probably overkill but I have no idea what the baby is going to like. I tease that she's going to have at-home gym

peggels24 · November 2014

@dragonfly1809 and @mmheartspb Thanks! At least I know I'm not going crazy now. There are still some definite kicks - like last night when I was trying to push her away from whatever the hell she was resting on because it hurt - she decided to kick me instead - but the popcorn feeling is often and was starting to freak me out.

Ok next question: when do I have to start worrying about her positioning? When I went for my a/s, at 19 weeks, she was head down but ever since then she has been breech. The docs don't seem worried and I'm not particularly worried yet at 28 wks (well 29 on Thursday) but when should I start concerning myself with this?

peggels24 · November 2014

So I have another couple of months to go before I need to concern myself

Mel&John2013 · November 2014

@Hawkward I love the combo swing/bouncer/vibrator as well! Space saver, plus you get to switch it up based on what baby likes. Seriously love that thing.

ToriGirl2014 · November 2014

@dragonfly1809 - my LO is extremely active. No idea what this means in terms of her personality/energy level once she's an outside baby. However, my MFM always does a biophysical profile and my LO always scores the highest because of her activity level. The doc says it means she's strong & vital ... they've never mentioned concerns about cord accidents or other issues in the womb due to activity.

BTW ... at 32 weeks my LO went head down for the first time in the entire pregnancy. She was laying transverse the entire time (she would reverse herself from right to left/left to right a lot except for week 31 when she faced breech. No one has been concerned about her positioning to date; they still have time and room to move from my understanding until the mid-30 weeks. Even then some babies find a way to make it head down in the last few weeks.

rox825 · November 2014

@dragonfly1809 This LO has been super active throughout, FWIW my dr never mentioned concern about a cord accident and at my 36 week US there were no problems.

@pblge I got all except for the rock n play. It just seems so similar to a bouncer and I really don't want the baby sleeping on anything other than a flat surface at night unless it's an absolute last resort. So I figured if the baby absolutely will not sleep on anything that we have between the crib, PnP, swing, bouncer, etc, then we can easily pick one up in that first week or 2.

KJsbabe · November 2014

dragonfly1809 said:

My question is about movement too - I'm 27 weeks and baby boy is seriously doing the hokey pokey river dance with back flips constantly. I have never felt a baby move like this ... Does anyone have any experience with an active in utero baby? Does this mean he's going to be crazy active outside? Should I start building a bigger fence? (LOL) (sort of not kidding)...

His movement also makes me worry more about a cord accident. Does this increase his risk of getting tangled?

Should I just stop worrying and see this as a good thing?

I have a very active LO, too and I've been wondering about the same things. Some times he just goes crazy in there! DD was never so active and she's a pretty laid back toddler. I'm wondering if he's going to be wild child! When he does get really active I get worried about cord accidents, too. I really don't know what the stats are on cord accidents in relation to how active baby is, though. I try not to worry about it, but it's still there in the back of my mind.

taberbtb · November 2014

@pblge‌ we registered for (and will purchase if we don't get) the PnP, and a friend gave me her bouncer. We plan to use the PnP for travel and naps in the downstairs of our house during the day and decided we are not bothering with a RnP, or swing until LO gets here. We have no idea what she will like and I hate the idea of us or anyone wasting money on something she may not even use. If we decide we need at of the rest after she arrives we will just get it then.

@peggels24‌ I think my LO just flipped over the weekend as I have noticed a change in movement, but she has been transverse since 18w. I hope to find out at my appt next week, but my midwife assured me there is still plenty of time for her to flip if it hasn't happened yet.

KJsbabe · November 2014

pblge said:

I have a registry question. Do I need a pack and play (planning to use this as the bassinet and travel crib), rock and play, bouncer, swing, AND play mat? How do you decide what you need?

We used the pack and play as a bassinet for the first month or so before moving to the crib and it worked great. It was also nice to take with us on trips. I actually picked up an extra one at a yard sale, so we had one upstairs in our room and one down stairs in the living room. The down stairs one had a changing table on it, which was really nice. It also was a good place to let DD nap during the day so I could keep a close eye on her.

Some people swear by the rock and play, but we did just fine with out one. I skipped the bouncer, too. I got a swing/ seat combo (Fisher Price space saver) that worked really well. It worked well as some place to put DD down in when I need to fold laundry, or eat, or whatever else. We had a play mat, too. DD really loved the hanging toys on it and it was a good place for tummy time.

footprint · November 2014

@pblge My son slept next to our bed in the rock n play for the first seven or eight months of his life. He loved it. We went out and bought a second one for our downstairs for him. It folds and slides for easy storage. I highly recommend! That being said, every baby is so different. We have two PnPs that we rarely use, but others seem to love it!

chicagojackie · November 2014

Hey ladies. Everyone worried about stillbirth. I did an exhaustive literature search and have found the following information.

The data is from a study done between 2006 and 2008 and includes 512 stillborn neonates. The mothers consented to a post-mortem exam (autopsy) of the babies and also to the review of their medical records in pregnancy.

Interestingly 60% of the moms were given a probable or likely cause of death. Almost 4 out of 10 were not given a solid reason and those moms were closer to term or were post-dates. It is an obstetrical fact that post-dates pregnancies are more likely to result in stillbirth so that doesn't surprise anyone.

Here are the most common reasons:

-Obstetrical complications (abruption of the placenta, multiple gestation, pre-term birth): 30%

-Documented existing placental disease: 23%

-Fetal genetic/structural disease (heart problems, anencephaly, small for gestational age, etc): 13%

-Maternal or Fetal infection: 13%

-Umbilical cord abnormalities (single vessel, abnormal insertion into fetus): 10%

-Hypertensive (high blood pressure) disorders (pre-eclampsia, etc): 9%

It also mattered how far the pregnancy was. Women 24-27 weeks were more likely to lose a baby due to infection, abruption of the placenta, and fetal abnormalities (mostly small for gestational age or intrauterine growth restricted babies). Women after that (28+ weeks) primarily lead with abruption but were mostly unexplained (and in the minority).

The article also explains that many healthy children have a nuchal cord (cord around the neck) but this does not cause compromise enough to cause suffocation/death. Some children are also born with a knot in the cord which also does not cause complications. This idea of a "cord accident" is not well documented in the literature and seems to be what they say when they don't have a reason. Also a lot of moms do not consent to an autopsy which may reveal the cause of death.

So here is what I think about all of this.

If you have had normal level 2 and surveillance ultrasounds and have regular fetal movement you should feel reassured. If you don't have any medical problems (or they are well managed or controlled) you should feel reassured.

Maternal risk factors for stillbirth include:

Smoking (even as few as 10 cigarettes per day)

Having pre-existing high blood pressure or diabetes

Intimate partner violence (trauma is a major cause of abruption of the placenta)

Advanced Maternal Age (>35 due to more issues with placentas)

BMI >30 pre pregnancy

History of previous stillbirth

Multiple gestation

Nullipara (first baby)

"In 2001-2002 in the United States, the stillbirth rates for white, Hispanic and black women were 1/202, 1/83 and 1/87."

TheFutureMrsD · November 2014

@BananaBoat05 Congrats on team blue!

Like PP said, anterior is front, and I would also guess she meant top front. I also have an anterior placenta and it was hard for me to feel her even at 21 weeks. I would say it was closer to 25 or 26 weeks before I could really feel much and then I had to really focus in on it. Now, however, it's like a dance party in there.

akleng · November 2014

BananaBoat05 I also have an anterior placenta. Like Hawkward said, my doctor has also had some difficulties finding the heartbeat at almost every appointment. I asked my doctor how the anterior placenta would affect feeling movement, and she told me that by 24 weeks LO's movement should overcome it. I think I really started feeling him around 21 weeks or so.

Congrats and welcome to Team Blue!

Flowerstar1023 · November 2014

This may be TMI, but anyone else having a constant "wet" feeling? I'm not leaking when I get up, but I constantly feel wet and my underwear is sometimes lightly damp. I've had watery discharge throughout, but this started last week. Anyone else and how do you deal?

pblge · November 2014

Flowerstar1023 said:

This may be TMI, but anyone else having a constant "wet" feeling? I'm not leaking when I get up, but I constantly feel wet and my underwear is sometimes lightly damp. I've had watery discharge throughout, but this started last week. Anyone else and how do you deal?

This has been happening for me, too. :-/ It sounds normal from what I've read, but it still isn't a good time.

pblge · November 2014

@chicagojackie - Interesting study findings. Could you please share the source?

chicagojackie · November 2014

@pblge there are about 15 sources I looked at but here are the most recent and interesting.

World Health Organization. Definitions and indicators in Family Planning Maternal & Child Health and Reproductive Health. Geneva: WHO Press.

Causes of death among stillbirths. Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network Writing Group. JAMA. 2011 Dec;306(22):2459-68.

Getahun et al. Risk factors for antepartum and intrapartum stillbirth: a population-based study. Am J Obst Gyne 2007; 196:499.

ToriGirl2014 · November 2014

mmheartspb said:

Olivia has recently decided she likes to go all the way to the top of my rib cage and I do sometimes feel like I'm being suffocated...normal? Any other ladies have this happen? I try to gently push her down a little but she just pops right back up...

My LO likes to push herself into my ribs/lungs the last couple of weeks as well.

A co-worker's baby used to do this to her and she passed out at work a couple of times - scary. But she was fine and so was LO. He would just press on her lungs her and she couldn't catch her breath (and her LO wasn't very big).

ToriGirl2014 · November 2014

mmheartspb said:

mmheartspb said:

Olivia has recently decided she likes to go all the way to the top of my rib cage and I do sometimes feel like I'm being suffocated...normal? Any other ladies have this happen? I try to gently push her down a little but she just pops right back up...

My LO likes to push herself into my ribs/lungs the last couple of weeks as well.
A co-worker's baby used to do this to her and she passed out at work a couple of times - scary. But she was fine and so was LO. He would just press on her lungs her and she couldn't catch her breath (and her LO wasn't very big).

_______________ Thank you! I'm glad I'm not alone. We better not pass out... that does not sound fun.

__________

Yeah, definitely not fun. But it made for interesting office gossip at the time.

chicagojackie · November 2014

@snowbigdeal‌ actually it is a response to questions asked above using medical evidence and information from reliable sources. This thread is 2t/3t pgal so I'm not sure where you're coming from on the issue with the audience selection.

I actually have multiple risk factors and am going to worry no matter what. But the baby being super active is a risk factor for nothing. I'd rather focus on the things I can control like my blood sugars, my weight gain, etc.

chicagojackie · November 2014

@snowbigdeal‌ no problem love. Sounds like you're having a rough go of things. Hugs to you.

footprint · November 2014

@snowbigdeal I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea for four years or so and have used a CPAP since my diagnosis. My apnea is so much worse as my pregnancy progresses. I can no longer nap without my CPAP

I suppose it is the weight gain, but I have no proof or anything. I have no real advice except to insist on a sleep study and see if you can schedule one soon. Maybe try one of the over-the-counter mouth guard things from CVS or Walgreens?

footprint · November 2014

snowbigdeal said:

footprint said:

@snowbigdeal I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea for four years or so and have used a CPAP since my diagnosis. My apnea is so much worse as my pregnancy progresses. I can no longer nap without my CPAP I suppose it is the weight gain, but I have no proof or anything. I have no real advice except to insist on a sleep study and see if you can schedule one soon. Maybe try one of the over-the-counter mouth guard things from CVS or Walgreens?

Thanks! I will definitely insist on a sleep study. Are the over-the-counter mouth guards the same kind that you would buy to prevent teeth grinding, or are there special ones for sleep apnea?

I'm sorry you have to sleep with a CPAP, I imagine it isn't very comfortable (though I'm sure it is better than not breathing). Right now I get so anxious near bedtime that I can't even sleep, so I'm hoping for a sleep study and then some, really any, solution.

I think I have only slept one night without it in the four years that I have had it. It's a bit of a pain, but I sleep so much better with it! I am also really paranoid about it, so idk if I could even sleep without it. I think the over the counter ones are different from the teeth grinding ones in that they are supposed to pull your bottom jaw forward so that it doesn't fall back against your windpipe. I have no idea if they work, but it might be something to check out before you can get in for a sleep study.

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