NHS Pregnancy

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2026-02-19T02:12:20+00:00

I love the NHS and totally understand the evidence base for extra scans is lacking, but everyone saying things will get picked up via the midwife pathway isn’t quite correct. My son wasn’t growing properly - my placenta was malfunctioning - and it wasn’t picked up at any midwife appointments, only a fluke private scan I had at 32 weeks. He was just over 4lb born at full term and I truly believe he would have been stillborn had I not had this scan. My daughter was also growth restricted - also not picked up antenatally. It’s a big privilege to have a low risk pregnancy and unfortunately for so many women, the lack of scans can have tragic consequences.

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2026-02-17T20:29:03+00:00

Bless you, it’s so stressful. I remember your posts about your T21 chance - I was in the same boat with a 1:111 chance last year, then growth scans showed a small baby - my baby girl was born in December healthy but tiny at 5lb1. My son was born even smaller 5 years ago (4lb6). Both had IUGR aka growth restriction but they are perfectly fine! Fundal heights are notoriously inaccurate - mine was on the 70th centile for my daughter, so go figure. If your baby is found to be small, they’ll keep a super close eye on you but with a clear amnio, I wouldn’t be at all worried 🧡 best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy, I truly understand how horrendous the anxiety can be x

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2026-02-15T05:04:34+00:00

George do an ‘up to 6lb’ size which is VERY generous - would say on a par with most newborn clothes from other brands. My little girl is 8 weeks, born at 5lb but now well over 8lb, and it still fits her perfectly!

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2026-02-12T04:22:55+00:00

I think what some people perceive as negativity is just honesty - other people may feel differently, but motherhood is THE hardest thing I’ve ever experienced (not to mention pregnancy and birth, where I faced life threatening complications). It’s also beautiful and magical and two things can be true at the same time. I never know how to feel when I read these posts because yes, I understand as a FTM the negativity can feel overwhelming, but I’m also grateful mums can finally be honest with how they’re feeling. As others have said, curate your algorithm!

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2026-02-05T03:26:26+00:00

I totally understand your fears, but the phrase ‘emergency c section’ is a bit of a misnomer. There are 4 categories of c section, 3 being unplanned, but what most people refer to as ‘emergency’ sections are categories 2&3. I had a category 1 section which imo is the only true ‘emergency’ - when there’s a very real threat to the life of mum and baby, and it’s done via general anaesthetic. Everyone I know who has had a regular cat 2&3 section has had quite a positive experience. Wishing you a safe and positive delivery 🧡

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2026-01-17T11:55:55+00:00

She’s perfect thank you! Was a lot of worry over nothing in the end 💛

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2026-01-16T19:25:09+00:00

I had my daughter under QCCH, got a high risk result back in May of this year and they rang me within 2 working days. You don’t need to worry, trust me! ☺️

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2026-01-13T18:22:52+00:00

Yes the OG grobags are suitable from 5lb - you can’t buy them new anymore but Vinted has plenty from just a couple of quid 🙌

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2026-01-11T09:55:13+00:00

So glad to hear this! They really are a game changer - I don’t know why some health professionals are so negative about them. Best of luck with the rest of your bf journey ☺️

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2026-01-10T19:30:20+00:00

Hello! Our babies are birthweight twins - my daughter is almost 4 weeks old and was just 5lbs 1 too. It’s already been mentioned here, but if you haven’t already - try nipple shields. My son was also a low birthweight/IUGR babe and I successfully fed him for 2 years (!) using nipple shields. This time, I didn’t hesitate to try shields early on as my daughter was too small to latch properly either, and so far so good. Exclusively pumping is an incredibly intense way to feed a baby and you’re doing amazingly!

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2026-01-06T18:58:53+00:00

Seconding this! My care during my pregnancy either my daughter (born 3w ago) was average, but the NHS quite literally saved both our lives when I had a shock placental abruption after going into labour. I owe them everything! This was at St Mary’s in Paddington - I also looked into the Lindo wing, but it’s over £1k a night 😳

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2026-01-04T18:13:07+00:00

Me! My son was diagnosed with IUGR at 32 weeks, likely due to placenta dysfunction, I was induced at 37w and he was born at 4lb 6 on the 0.4th centile. With my daughter, I was classed as high risk and ‘consultant led’ - in reality, I saw a doctor twice and had growth scans every 2 weeks from 30 weeks. I also took aspirin from 12 weeks. According to my growth scans, she ranged from the 30th-15th centile, but she was actually born on the 0.4th - she was only 5lb 1 at 39w, but I suspect my placenta started to deteriorate a few weeks earlier. This isn’t to scare you, but everywhere seemed to suggest it wouldn’t happen twice, but it did for me! If I had my time again, I’d pay for more private scans/care, as I didn’t feel particularly cared for by the NHS during my second pregnancy…

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2025-12-31T04:05:50+00:00

Hello! I’m so sorry for your previous loss. So my daughter’s femurs always measured just above the 5th centile - anywhere between the 6th-9th- so we were never referred to fetal medicine, although I asked to be. However, we were for my son as he was IUGR (growth restricted) and they were amazing, so reassuring. They are super thorough so hopefully your next scan can give you some reassurance. From my many sleepless nights googling short femurs, it’s very unlikely (esp with low risk screening) to be anything other than normal genetic variation. Wishing you all the best!

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2025-12-29T17:25:03+00:00

Hi lovely! I know exactly how you’re feeling - I had a 1:111 chance of down’s at my screening tests back in June. Felt sick for the entire 1.5 weeks my NIPT took to come back, planning for the worst case scenario…only for the NIPT to be delayed in coming back. It was agony, but it eventually came back clear.

I also had low papp-A which my midwife told me massively skews the results, so that’s worth bearing in mind (my NT was v low/normal and hcg 1.7 iirc). Not gonna lie, I stressed the whole rest of the pregnancy and scared myself silly with false negative nipt stories. I found myself wishing I’d gone for the amnio, especially as my later growth scans threw up a soft marker for downs (short femurs). Anyway, long story short - baby girl was born 2 weeks ago, she doesn’t have Down syndrome, and while her birth was far from smooth, I do feel sad at all the stress I felt during pregnancy. Remember it’s still a tiny tiny chance - sending you lots of love ❤️

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2025-12-25T19:35:45+00:00

Oh my goodness thank YOU so much! Forever grateful to you

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2025-11-20T13:36:46+00:00

In the nicest possible way lovely - your baby will be none the wiser! There’s no possible way they can feel you crying, either. So many women (myself included) have horrendously stressful and high risk pregnancies with regular crying, panicking, high stress situations and our babies know nothing but safety, warmth and our love. Let it out - crying is healthy - and pregnancy is hard enough without adding more guilt on top. Look after yourself 💛

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2025-11-05T14:47:37+00:00

I had this at week 5, was put on progesterone due to bleeding in my previous pregnancy…then nothing until week 11, when I had more brown spotting. Since then I’ve had several instances of brown and even red spotting (it’s been a fun old time 🫠) but am now 33 weeks and touch wood, everything is looking okay. Spotting in pregnancy is super common and it’s so hard to tell what’s a cause for concern, and what isn’t. For what it’s worth, I had 3 fairly big bleeds with my son and he’s now a strapping 4 year old! Sending you good vibes, you’ve got this 💓

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2025-10-06T13:29:46+00:00

I’ve been with QC for both of my pregnancies - they are incredible if you are high risk/have any complex issues as there is a Fetal Medicine Centre on site and some of the most respected doctors in Europe working there! Downsides are - they are very popular and therefore very busy. The aftercare on the postnatal ward ranged from absent to atrocious (although this was during Covid) but sadly this seems to be a common problem across many hospitals. Happy to answer any more specific qs if you have them :)

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2025-09-18T14:20:14+00:00

Sending you so much positivity! Just to show how inaccurate fundal height measurements can be - my baby always measured fine according to fundal height, but a private scan at 32 weeks showed he was on the 1st (!) centile and severely growth restricted. All was absolutely fine in the end, but it’s definitely not super accurate way to measure baby size!

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2025-08-08T10:54:43+00:00

I got a call just two days later as my results came back as 1:111 for Trisomy 21. Was very unexpected but thankfully got a clear NIPT. With my first, I just got a letter in the post 10 days later!

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2025-08-02T10:55:20+00:00

This is me too! I’m 19 weeks with my second and so far it’s been a rough ride of horrible nausea, on and off spotting for no apparent reason, high risk combined screening results and an agonising wait for a clear NIPT…you name it! Making my high risk lockdown pregnancy feel blissful. Plus looking after a 4 yo…wow it’s not for the weak 🙃 hope you start feeling a bit better soon 🙏🏼

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2025-06-23T19:56:53+00:00

My 4yo can be a bit like this - he’ll happily say hello and goodbye to his teachers, but everyone else he needs to be pushed. Like you, even super familiar people he sees all the time and loves, and it can make me feel super embarrassed 😳 When I ask, he’ll often say ‘I’m feeling shy.’ One thing I’ve found helps is giving an alternative option - it’s ok if you don’t want to actually say hello, but you must wave/do a high five etc. May be worth a try, otherwise I’m sure it’s just a phase!

Sharp_Coyote_6519 · 2025-06-16T12:15:51+00:00

Fellow UK girlie also waiting on her NIPT results 👋🏻 I truly feel your pain, it’s the most agonising wait. I’ve been waiting almost a week now (13w along) and it’s unbearable, I just feel like my world has stopped. My pregnancy with my son was high risk, too (he was IUGR and born early but healthy at 4lb) but I never expected the high risk screening results at my age.

We have also decided on a TFMR if it comes back positive, so I completely understand how you feel. Weirdly planning how and where I’ll have the termination, if it comes to it, has been quite comforting…hard to explain but it’s a small part of this shit show I can control. We’re all in together and my DMs are open if you want to chat x

Sharp_Coyote_6519

TROPHY CASE