Minime's pregnancy diary: infection after birth

[minime]

I'm assuming everything is pretty much sorted for it then as you seem quite calm.

I've just been working out my maternity dates as work has asked me, due to me being on long term sick. I won't officially return to work after my maternity leave until mid march 2011 or near end of march 2011 if I add on holidays.

That means I'll have been off for well over a year, seems like a long time and not too sure how I'm feeling about it. I've only been qualified as nurse for 18 months and feel having 14 months out might set me back a bit. OH suggested I go back earlier than the 9 months period if I'm that worried, but then feel that is making me selfish as a new mum. Anyway, I've decided I'm not even going to think about it, I'll hand dates in to work and then forget about them till nearer the time.

 

[fatfighter]

It might be worth speaking to your manager about having a few weeks with a preceptor when you go back to ease you in gently. Have a think about how you're going to keep up with your PREP to, something to think about while you're off sick and still able to attend study days etc. Might stop you going stir crazy and helps "keep your hand in" so to speak. After your first week back on the ward it'll be like you've never been away though. Make sure you take any and every opportunity to practice your practical skills (cannulation, cathetering, etc) when you first go back and it'll quickly become second nature again. You'll be fine
Yeah wedding pretty much sorted, we only decided to bring it forward 4 weeks ago but everything has just fallen into place!

 

[LovelyLauren]

Enjoy the time off hun, rest and look after yourself, theres nothing worse than SPD, iv got all the supports and excercise ball the lot, adn yet im still in agony! 3 weeks to go then hopefully will get my body back lol

keep smiling!

Also - i got my maternity jeans from peacocks and there so comfy! getting a bit snug now though haha

xxxxx

 

[Sunflowers]

Another nurse/midwife with spd - I've been off since 8 weeks pg.. Last pg I was on crutches by 14 weeks and on buprenorphine patches with oramorph top ups by 25 weeks - this time I started Bowen therapy at 8 weeks when I went off work. I cannot begin to describe the difference it's made, I'd so strongly urge you to try just 3 sessions to see how you go..

With having so long off - I was worried the same last time but I was given a couple of supernumery shifts when I went back with good support from the practice educators on the unit (I work in neonatal intensive care) and it was fine - the fear of going back was much much worse than the reality, you do find it all comes back!

 

[minime]

Thanks for your replies guys.

Sunflowers - hadn't heard of Bowen but am looking at info now. Is it expensive, I need to contact the 2 people I can find that can do it.

Are you taking any painkillers this time. I was on cocodamol 30/500 and voltarol last time, however, wee boy stopped breathing and was rushed to SCBU and was poor feeder.

Since read up on this and found codeine can distress respiratory system and also cause drowsiness (wasn't a nurse last time so didn't know any of this). I'm trying to avoid painkillers but find I'm in tears with the pain.

 

[abz]

i have been told i can take my cocodamol 30/500 for my back pain (i've been on it for years) but told to avoid it in the third trimester as it can make babies drowsy and therefore they can have problems breathing when they are born. i am avoiding it now anyway, now that i can feel baby moving i don't want to panic myself by sending it to sleep...

abz xx

 

[fatfighter]

I'll have to look into that Bowen technique.
Minime it might be worth seeing your GP, even if like Abz said you take any prescribed meds til the end of the 2nd trimester. I'm seeing my GP today, really hope she gives me something even if it's just to take at night so I can get some sleep!

 

[minime]

I saw a locum last week and he would only prescribe co codamol 8/500, told me to take 1 of them and 1 paracetemol. Obviously didn't understand the level of my pain.

I still have 30/500s and have taken them twice in the last week because I could barely walk and had to crawl upstairs. My wee boy was knocked down, kids ran in to tell me, I ran out to get him, adrenaline takes over until I realise the pain I'm in running to getting him. Pain was so bad I was in tears every day and there was no other way round it. Thankfully he is fine, I ended up worse off than him.

On a good note for me, I weighed myself and have only put on 11lbs up to now, which for me is absolutely fab.

 

[fatfighter]

Go back and see your regular GP, 8mg codeine isn't gonna be enough to relieve anything!
Glad your little boy is OK but sorry you're in so much pain.
It's so hard controlling your weight when you're pregnant, well done on keeping it in check

 

[abz]

i daren't weigh myself. haven't since my midwife weighed me a while back and i was 16 stones :S i don't look like i'm back at my heaviest in my face or neck or arms etc, so i can only hope that i haven't gained three stones and i'm not seeing it in the mirror. which i'm very good at!! i just daren't look. i suppose i'll have to bite the bullet and get on the scales in boots at some point :S

 

[minime]

Abz

I don't think you'll have put on as much as you think you have. Reason I say that is that when you are so used to dieting, the minute you stop you think you getting bigger by the day. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[abz]

i really hope so hon!! still, i don't want to look. especially since i've been so bad over the last few days. still, now i feel horrendously sick so that should stop me shoving crap in there...

 

[fatfighter]

Does your MW not weigh you Abz? Go and update your journal!

 

[abz]

ha. nobody reads it!! she only weighed me the once at about 15 weeks i think. she says she won't need to weigh me again now.

 

[minime]

I've only been weighed once at my booking in appointment, not keen on getting weighed unless its necessity.

Meant to say I was talking to OH last night, part of the reason I didn't want to take codeine was because I felt such a failure with DS due to his poor feeding and then he stopped breathing after he was born. I was intending to try breast feeding with this little one too. However, after talking last night i have decided I'll take the codeine as and when I need to as I'm in so much pain and hate the kids seeing me in tears. I also feel they are having to do way too much in the house. As a result, I think I have decided I will bottle feed this little one and take the pressure of myself about the painkillers.

 

[fatfighter]

I think you have to base your decision on what the best thing for you both is and at the moment your pain level is restricting your quality of life and impacting on your other kids. Baby will be no worse off for having formula hun ((hugs))

 

[abz]

i agree honey. you have to do what's best for all concerned. and you may be able to breastfeed yet. just take each day as it comes hon. how long can you take the codeine for?

 

[minime]

I had the co-codamol 30/500s and voltarol right up until baby was born last time, no one told me about side effects. I never took them as often as prescribed though. Apparently I can continue them into third tri as long as medically advised.

They did want to hospitalise me last time for pain control reasons - the would have given me morphine based meds, so the codeine was better of 2 evils I guess.

 

[Sunflowers]

Minime - you can take MUCH more than that.. Last pg I was on bupreorphine patches and 2 hourly oramorph and whacking doses at that. I found bf really helped jocelyn through the withdrawel - the drugs are excreted in breastmilk so she was still getting a low dose while I was coming off painkillers (took 6 weeks last time) and she was fine plus the sucking really helps soothe them. Get yourself a wrap sling like a kari-me one and then the baby can be in there and feed entirely on demand! Due to the very high levels of opioids I was on we had quite a few severe sysmptoms of withdrawel but, interestingly, few minor ones - purely because she was in a sling and could bf when ever she wanted to. A mw I worked with on the ward where there tend to be a lot of withdrawing babies said that the country she came from strongly advocated slingwearing during withdrawel as it's warm, secure, reduces stimulation and the baby can hear the mothers heartbeat. Plus it's soothing being rocked automatically as you walk and it gives you handsfree with other children!

Ask your gp for an expediated referral to your hospital's pain management team - they'll get you sorted! Better to be on the right painkillers than go through the pain and distress of severe spd which is poorly managed - like my consultant told me, being stressed through severe pain is probably worse for the baby than a controlled dose of painkillers!

With the Bowen - mine was free because I went to a student.. Might be worth asking a local college whether they could point you in the direction of a student to be used as a case study?

 

[minime]

Hey guys

Finally got my 20 week scan appointment, Fri 12th at 12:00. Kids are off for midterm so need to take them all with me, I'm hoping they will let the 3 kids and OH in the room with me.

Was at docs yesterday, prescribed me cocodamol 30/500 but only wants me to take them once per day. Says if that isn't enough and pain continues I need to go back and he will refer me to the obstetrics/ortho clinic. Mentioned 1 option is that they give me a local anaesthetic and go in and wire pelvis together eurgh, obviously that is a last resort type thing, but otherwise he said they would at least be able to advise on better pain relief.

I'll only take co codamol on the days I need and he recommended I take the paracetemol regularly????? I only take it the days when I can't manage pain without crying. Also said he would not give me dihydrocodeine rather than the cocodamol as its opiod based, whereas the cocodamol is paracetemol and codeine. So I'll need to see how I feel after 1 week or so and reassess.

Otherwise pregnancy is going well, baby kicking and moving but still can't feel it on the outside, kids are all desperate to feel it, hopefully in next couple of weeks they will.