u/akashull

Our little one (2 months old) was miserable during the last heatwave, so we decided to book a nearby hotel for 2 nights. Hopefully this is the last heatwave 🤞 Anyone else taking shelter in a hotel with their little one? 😂

I’m a guy, and this happened this morning in my apartment/residential building gym.

I was in the middle of my bench press workout. There were multiple empty benches in the gym. I got up briefly between sets, and a woman walked in carrying a tripod, camera/phone and other equipment. Instead of using one of the empty benches, she put all of her stuff on the bench I was actively using.

I said, “I’m using that bench.”

She replied, quite rudely, “I’m just using this bench to set up my stuff, OKAY?” The way she said “okay” came across as if I’d done something wrong by pointing out I was using it.

She then set the tripod up immediately next to my bench and started recording herself. It was so close that I genuinely had to be careful during my next bench press set because the dumbbell could have hit the tripod. Rather than risk damaging her equipment or having an awkward confrontation, I gave up and moved to another empty bench.

What frustrated me wasn’t just the tripod—it was the attitude and the assumption that I’d simply accommodate her. I also felt a bit stuck because I’m a man. If this had been another guy, I probably would have just said, “Mate, can you move that? It’s in the way,” and had a normal conversation. But with a woman, I was worried that if the interaction escalated, it could easily be perceived differently, so I just walked away.

Am I overthinking this, or would this annoy you too?

What would you have done in my situation?

was initially looking for a used ROG Ally Z1 Extreme, but then I saw last night that the ROG Xbox Ally was retailing for £350 on Amazon, so I pulled the trigger and ordered it.

I’m going to see how it performs over the next few weeks. I’m particularly keen to play Call of Duty on it—any tips or tricks to get the best experience?

Just wanted to share our experience in the hope that it helps someone else.

At 37+1, I was diagnosed with ICP (Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy) with high bile acid levels. At the time, my CTG was reassuring and baby girl's movements were normal, so I was sent home with monitoring.

By 37+3, something just felt off. Her movements had changed and were noticeably reduced. Even though I wasn't sure if I was overreacting, I decided to go to triage to get checked.

I'm so glad I did.

We failed two CTGs, and given the reduced movements alongside my ICP diagnosis, the team advised immediate delivery. I had a C-section (elective) and our beautiful baby girl was born at 1am today.

After delivery, we found out that she had passed meconium (poo) in the womb. Had we waited longer, there was a risk she could have inhaled it, which could have led to serious complications.

I don't share this to scare anyone, but to encourage you to trust your instincts. If your baby's movements feel different, reduced, or "just not right," please get checked. Don't worry about bothering anyone or being told it's nothing. The midwives and doctors would much rather see you and reassure you than have you stay at home worrying.

Reduced movements can be the only sign that something isn't right.

Please pay attention to your baby's movements, and whenever you're in doubt, go to triage.

Today we're cuddling our healthy baby girl, and I'm so grateful I listened to that little voice telling me to get checked.

37 weeks pregnant (ftm, elective c sec) and was admitted overnight due to severe itching (mainly stomach, thighs and back).

Blood tests showed:

* Bile acids: 49 µmol/L

* ALT: 143 U/L

The obstetric team diagnosed moderate ICP (cholestasis). Baby’s movements are normal, CTG was reassuring, and blood pressure was normal. We’ve otherwise had a very healthy and uncomplicated pregnancy.

The doctors have advised repeat blood tests and to monitor movements closely. They said they would try to bring the C-section forward if the blood results worsen, but at the moment the earliest available elective C-section slot is 39+1. They also said that if clinically necessary, they could perform an emergency C-section earlier.

My concern is whether the timing is being driven partly by availability rather than what’s medically ideal.

For those who had ICP:

* What were your bile acid levels?

* When did you deliver?

* Were you advised to deliver before 39 weeks?

* If you already had an elective C-section planned, was it brought forward because of ICP?

* If you were in our position (37 weeks, bile acids 49, otherwise healthy pregnancy), would you be comfortable monitoring and waiting for 39+1, or would you be pushing harder for an earlier elective C-section?

We’re following our medical team’s advice, but I’d be interested to hear how others navigated similar situations.

Just came out of my 34-week midwife appointment and honestly feeling so frustrated and upset.

At my 31-week appointment, I was told I still had around 3 weeks to decide between a vaginal delivery and an elective C-section. Today, the midwife suddenly told me it’s now “too late” to decide, which completely contradicted what I was told before.

The whole conversation felt very one-sided. She kept strongly encouraging a normal delivery and repeatedly talked about the risks of a C-section (including saying things like “you could bleed to death”), but never really discussed the risks associated with vaginal birth. I completely understand all birth options have risks, but I expected balanced information rather than feeling pushed in one direction.

I also raised concerns about seeing a different midwife almost every appointment, and she basically said they are short staffed and admitted the previous midwife may not have given me the right advice.

She said she has written to the hospital team for an appointment to discuss an elective C-section, but there’s “no guarantee” I’ll even get an appointment now.

For those who chose an elective C-section:

- When did you make and communicate your decision?

- When did you get your consultant/doctor appointment?

- Did anyone else get told it was “too late” around 34 weeks?

I’m under Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (St Mary’s Hospital) and attend appointments at a local medical centre, in case anyone has had a similar experience with this trust/hospital specifically.

Would really appreciate hearing others’ experiences because I’m feeling quite overwhelmed right now.