Discovery Home & Health

hi my wife is 21 wks and had an abdominal suture inserted last year after 3 failed pregnancies. She currently experiencing discomfort around her stitch and slight cramping in her lower abdomin please can you offer any advice
thankyou
Gareth

Hi Gareth,
I really think that your wife should get it checked out, especially because of her history. It maybe mean that she just needs to rest and take it easy, especially if shes been doing too much lately. But to be on the safe side, if it has become worse since you emailed me, then contact your midwife, or if not available then contact labour suite, just to be safe. If its settled, and movements are ok (if she is feeling them yet) then get her to rest for the next couple of days and do absolutely nothing.
I wish you both all the best. Please let me know how you get on.
Kindest regards
Jules

Hi Jules,

Hoping you can help me?
I was helping out at the school a week ago today. The children were making felt out of freshly sheen sheeps wool and without thinking i was picking it up and helping quite alot, it didn't even occur to me untill that evening that i shouldn't be near it.
I rang my midwife and she said to keep an eye out for any flu like symptoms and that they can always to a blood test to check all is ok.
Well today i feel awful, sore throat, cough, blocked up nose, funny tum and headaches.
Do you think this could be related? i'm not sure if i should ring the midwife or maybe i'm just being paranoid?
Any advice would be great.
Thanks,
bubbly
32+6 weeks

Hi Jules

How are you? Hope you are recovering well from your op.

I am 25 weeks pregnant and have been experiencing increasing discomfort from walking since about 12 weeks. I had it particularly bad this weekend after walking around the shops. I have also noticed that it is very painful when I turn over in bed. The discomfort is in my pubic area and feels like I get cramp there after exercise.

From looking it up on the net I suspect it is SPD but am a little worried as at my last scan they identified a low lying placenta. Could the two be linked? Either way is there anything that can be done to ease the discomfort? I love walking and get very restless legs if I am inactive for too long. I could probably bear the discomfort to try and stay active but am just worried that I may be doing more harm than good.

Any advice you could give would be a big help. I am seeing my midwife next Tuesday so will mention it to her then but just thought I would ask in the meantime.

Thanks Jules
Sarah x

Bubbly,
Sorry I haven't got back to you sooner, it may just be a coincindence, it may be hayfever related, I know I've been suffring quite badly over the past few days and feel terrible. But its better to be safe than sorry, I'm the same with my total knee replacement, any sign of hotness or redness, I thnk I may ahave an infection, I still get it checked out, even though so far, luckily, I haven't had an infection.
So to ease your mind have the blood test if you can, or a t least talk to your midwife.
Regards
Jules

Hi Sarah,
It does sound like SPD, though I'm not sure it would have been at 12 weeks gestation.
If you've read up on it you will know why you are having the pain, you can get supports for the pelvic area, its like a big tubigrip that you pull on. As for the walking it may aggrevate it more, I suggest if your midwife confirms its SPD, ask if you could see a physio, who will be able to advise you on the best action for walking etc. This may also help with the labour, as sometimes if it gets too severe, you are limited to how wide you can open your legs for delivery, just something to think about, the physio may be able to advise some exercises to prevent this from happening.
Hope this helps, let me know how you get on.
Regards
Jules

Thanks for the advice Jules. Will definately try and get my midwife to refer me as I hate the thought of not being able to keep active and piling on the weight.

I feel like I am not destined to have a natural birth as I have a fibroid, low lying placenta and now this. Oh well, what will be, will be.

Thanks again
Take care
Sarah x

heya jules...
im 20 weeks and i have about 5-7 red spots/marks on my bump that itch... ive not been bitten anywhere else...whichh is what these marks look like.... is this normal as my bump has been itchy for a week before ...but i resisted itching and put cocoa butter on instead.

thanks

Hi Jules,
I hope you can ease my mind a little.

At my last midwife appt i was measuring 33 weeks (i was 27 weeks at the time). The midwife was a little concerned and sent me to have another scan to check whether my dates were correct or whether i was carrying excess fluid.
I had my scan, and the baby is measuring correct but i am carrying excess amniotic fluid. The diagnoses is Polyhydramnios, i was unsure whether this was just the medical term for excess fluid but was told by the consultant that carrying too much fluid is not normally a problem.
Having googled Polyhydramnios i have now scared myself half to death as there are links to birth defects and pregnancy complications.

I have another appt with my midwife on friday and i hope she can put my mind at ease a little but in the meantime wondered if you could offer any advice.

Thank you
Peardrop
28+5

Faiza,
They sound like they may be heat lumps/spots, we have had some hot weather lately, and they do tend to be itchy. If it gets any worse, consult your midwife or GP, just to be sure its nothing else.
Regards
Jules

Hi Peaardrop,
Thats the problem with finding out too much information, it tends to make us think of the worse case senario.
Yes there can be defects, but this depends on the severity of the polyhydramnios.
Your consultant/midwife will keep a close eye on you, and if needed, your baby will be monitored and examined after delivery to check for anything out of the normal parameters.
I know its hard not to worry, but there is nothing you have done or can do about this, and I'm afraid its just a waiting game at the moment.
But like your midwife says, just because you are carrying access fluid, does not automatically make it that your baby will have a problem.
Try not to worry, although I know its hard.
Best wishes
Jules

Thanks for your reply Jules.
Luckily my midwife is lovely and is taking good care of me so it gives me some reassurance.

Best wishes,
Peardrop

o cool!! thanks for that... i dont bare my bump anyways and am usually feeling hot .... its itchiest at night ... think u might be right as the spots are kinda spreading a lil as well... will see what happens and mite jus see if i can go see doc about them...its just my left side of the bump that itchys!! weird! hehe

Hi Jules, wondering if you can settle my mind.

I'm 32 weeks pregnant and for the last few days on and off my baby has been either head butting or punching me in the cervix, I can actually feel my cervix move. Its not at all painful but very unnerving. I find myself clenching my pelvic floor as I'm terrified he'll break my waters. Can you tell me if this sounds normal for my stage of pregnancy. I had a scan on 14th and he was head down but not engaged. I'm due another scan on 27th but its still 6 days away. I'm paranoid he'll put in an early appearance as he has exomphalos so I really need him to stay in as long as possible. My midwife is on 2 weeks leave and if I call the on-call midwife they'll just tell me to go to the MFAU to be assessed which isn't neccessary if this is just a normal part of late pregnancy. By the way I've experienced this in the past but never felt my cervix moving at the same time.

Any advice would be much appreciated.
Kate

Hi Kate,
Thats a bit of a weird one? At this stage your cervix is usually tucked round the back. But your baby bobbing around should not cause your waters to break. It may be that your baby has a hand over his/her head and thats moving around low in the pelvic area. You must be very sensitive to feel it though. I really don't know what to suggest, although I don't think you have anything to worry about. Unless you start contracting or your waters go, your baby is safely tucked up in there. Six days is not to long to wait, but if it is really concerning you ring your midwife on call, at least she can check you over, which I can't.
Regards
Jules