April 2011 - back to back sex and other mysteries

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

Here we go ladies, a brand new sparkly thread that should see us all into our 2nd trimester

Many thanks for the warm welcomes

I've felt lots of movements this evening, I was sitting in quite a twisted position which is why I think I felt it so much.

Hey all,
slipped and fell in the snow today whilst holding my 1 yr old. really hurt my knees and have pulled every muscle in my down bleow area where I landed almost doing the splits! Baby been moving lots though so I reckon all is well there.
So I warn you all when it comes to leaving the house in this snowy weather!

Blimey NitNat that does not sound pleasant! I do hope that you have been able to rest up this afternoon. Please take it easy x

nitnat ouch !!! as long as u and your kids are ok....x !! rest up for the next few days..sounds v. painful !

Poor you nitnat hope you're getting lots of TLC.

I had my 24 week GP check yesterday and asked about the flu jab, he sent me straight down the corridor to the practice nurse.
I saw the needle and automatically offered her my veins, I'd forgotton she was injecting in not taking out

liv im laughing you just made my morning. !

Petzl make Spikies they fit over any shoe and have micro spikes on the bottom (crampons for the high street) they cost around £20 from most outdoor equipment providers or online. They are popular this time of year so if you want some take the first pair you see.

I walk over sheet ice to get to meeting points at the bottom of mountains and for my shopping trips to town at the bottom of the hill. They don't clink so unless you draw attention to your feet people won't always notice you have them on.

Better than on your ass or bump! Poor nitnat hope your ok soon although with a one year old also I bet your not getting the rest you need

salted where are you??

Google maps type in Crummock Water, I'm there halfway between Buttermere and Loweswater.

Beautiful, peaceful and bloody hard to get out of when it snows . There are two mountain passes which are unthinkable to drive on in snow, in fact they are the top two steepest gradient roads in the UK and the other is a lifeline to Cockermouth, when that's not gritted (by us locals if we have grit) then it's a case of begging the local farmers to tow us out with their tractors, it's fun really just a bit annoying if your time restricted .

After some reassurance ladies please wrt probable Braxton-Hicks! TMI follows.

So yesterday evening I had what I thought were a few BHs and baby didn't seem to move much after, finally did a little about 11pm so I dropped off to sleep reassured. Work at 3am with more funny contracting feelings, 2 or 3 over the course of sn hour lasting a good 30s, then again this morning accompanied by a weird gust of fluid. Naturally I panicked, thinking that this was waters breaking and preterm labour, so DH and I called the maternity unit who told me to cone in (nice way to spend a wedding anniversary...) and they did tests and scans and monitored me. No more contractions, not amniotic fluid, scans were fine, cervix is fine. I had a slight temp so they took swabs to test for infection (yik) but we left none the wiser really.

Then I was having a bath this evening to relax while DH cooked dinner - after all I was told to take it easy - and had another contraction thing where my tummy went all tingly and hard and pointy-looking. It was really weird to watch. Baby has kicked quite strongly since so I'm slightly reassured.

So my questions to you are:

What might the fluid have been? Their only answer was discharge but it was much more watery than I'd expect. I'm sure it wasn't wee cos it didn't smell like it and it definitely came from my fanjo.

What do BHs feel like?! How do you distinguish them from the real thing?

At what point do I worry if I don't feel definite movements from baby? Should I be monitoring the movements? How often should baby be moving? How long between bouts of movement before I worry?

Finally is it worth getting a handheld Doppler so I don't freak out quite so much?!

Just a quickie as I've only nipped on here. Frakkin - To me BH's are where your belly goes very tight, it's not painful as such but it can be uncomfortable. My belly would stay rock hard for about 5-10 mins at a time, they didn't come and go like contractions (which is what I thought they would do because they are called practice contractions).

A slight temp and BH's makes me think maybe you had a UTI or you were getting one and managed to keep it at bay.

Movements can be quite sporadic at this point - which isn't very helpful. See if you can find a trigger that gets the baby to move. Some people swear by drinking an ice cold coke (not diet, I think the sugar is part of the process!) to get their baby to move. For me it seems to be sitting on the sofa with my legs up to the side, and my torso slightly twisted. He also often moves about 10-25 mins after I've eaten, and I can guarantee he will move if I lay down quietly on my bed for a few minutes - especially if I lay on my left side. Try experimenting, you'll find what works for you.

A doppler isn't for me as it would stress me out even more and I'm not trained to use it, however that's not to say it wouldn't be good for YOU.

Fluid loss - erm, I don't know, sorry. It may be worth asking if you can leak amniotic fluid but it reseals itself at this term in the pregnancy.

Frakk - fluid , maybe tmi, but think there is generally more fluid produced down there when pg so could just be that.

ILTMIMI - i find baby wriggles lots when i sit like that too.

I never had BHs with DS1, think i may have had a few near the end with DS2, but fairly sure i've had a few already with this one, bump goes all hard and tense and makes me want to rub it? not pain as such though.

Hi folks

Can I ask for some advice from the ladies on here who have had pelvic pain or SPD? I did get it quite badly with 1st pregnancy but not until the last few weeks before I gave birth and even then I had done a stupid amount of exercise that day that I know triggered it. I had to walk with a stick for a couple of days and generally take it easy but it righted itself for the most part withing a week.

It's now back with a vengeance but much earlier. Yesterday was a nightmare and it was painful just walking slowly and you can forget stairs.

If I were 8 months preggers I'd just put up with it but I'm really worried that I've got 4 months to go and it could get much worse. I've heard horror stories of women ending up in wheel chairs. Anyway if anyone knows any good on-line resources for dealing with it that would be great. Have googled around for exercises but most of the advice is quite vague with lists of what not to do (walk, bend over, carry anything) which is great advice if you have a servant and no small children to look after, job etc.

I'm going to try and find an obstetric physio who can see me before Xmas but I don't fancy my chances. Getting referred to a NHS physio up here take weeks and I don't want to risk things getting worse than they are already.

Sorry for moaning. Stay safe off the ice everyone. The holidays are coming.

Frakkin, I would say it sounds very much like a UTI. I had one with dd2 and ended up on AB's to clear it. Because your bladder is so close to your uterus any infection can just irritate and cause frequent bh's. I would say that the liquid could be extra discharge or even down to a 'faulty' bladder . Glad that you were able to be checked out and given a little reassurance that bubs is ok.

Jaylar, sorry i've not got any experience with SPD so cant really help

Jaylar - i had relatively but still sore SPD at the end with DS2, hoping i don't get it again.

The absolute main rule to follow is to keep your knees together. Imagine you have a very tight long pencil skirt on if that helps?

You should be able to self-refer to a physio which could be quicker than waiting for them to do it for you.

Jaylar are you under lothian NHS? I know you are quite near me. The way it works here is there is an antenatal physio class that you attaned at 16 weeks(ish). If youhave done this class you can get referred for physio by you GP or MW and you should be seen within 2 weeks. There is a team of specialist maternity physios doing clinics at doctors surgeries throughout the area.

As for managing it,I can vouch for keeping your knees together when moving around. When sitting keep you knees below you hips. Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees. Stand up with both feet flat on the floor and get your balance before moving off. And I also find sitting on my yoga ball quite good when it's particularly painful. I take one paracatamol a couple of times a day if it's bothering me badly. I'm finding it comes and goes and some days are better than others.

A friend of mine who is due to pop any day has had it from about 23 weeks and swears by going to an osssteopath. She's had to pay for it, but said it was invaluable. I'm booked for one later int he week so I'll report back then.

Frakk what you've had sounds similar to what I had a few weeks ago. I' still gettng the BH but they are no worse. The hospital couldn't tell me exactly what it was, but I really think they are BH. They took swabs from me and they have all come back clear. I'm sure everything will be fine, but at least you know the hospital will take you serioulsy if you call them.

Hello girls, haven't posted for ages, but have been keeping up with all your stories, and now it's the school hols so I have the leisure to sit and type! All good here, the twenty week scan was completely clear of any problems so we are feeling relieved and much more happy and excited about everything. Lots of wriggling too, which is slightly freaky but really lovely. Definitely have days where I worry a lot that I haven't felt much and then the next day I'm reeling from the punches!

FRAK - I know that different people have different experiences with them, but I bought an Angel Sounds doppler from Amazon and I have found it invaluably reassuring. So long as you use it with the recommended gel, which you buy separately, I have found it really easy to locate the heartbeat each time (you have to move around a bit to find it and turn it up really loud - mind you ears when you get a kick!!) but on days where I'm worried it's been brilliant just to spend five minutes listening in.

BTW, anyone else got a really sore TOP of the bump? I guess it's just where most of the stretching is happening at the moment, but the skin is really sore to touch there and I can't get comfy in any of my bras....

jaylar,ive had some physio which does help and they also told me to get one of those gym ball things and gave me a few excersises to do on it which helped for a while but its nearly everyday now im in agony

Daisy17 top of my bump is sore too. Especially after I've been walking about a fair bit or exercising.

Bit of drama in our household. I had booked to have my flu jab this morning after all the stories on here the past week or so. Yesterday DH came down with flu (oh the irony) and today his GP diagnosed it as swine flu . Queue panic from me. I don't have any symptoms so far but I feel like I'm just waiting. I had the jab but who knows if I've already contracted the virus. My GP said taking the antivirals as a preventative isn't a good idea as the side effects from Tamiflu could be worse than the flu, if I get it.

Best get back to madly wiping surfaces all over the house!

We've all had colds but DS has been very poorly (on the mend now thank goodness) and it seemed much more flu like. Really glad I opted to have the jab now, I may have a cold but I can deal with a stuffy nose....Mind you the sudden sneezing is not welcome

Thanks for the reassurance/answers everyone. Baby has been pretty active this evening and is currently keeping me awake. Scan in 12 hours is also contributing to that feeling of sleeplessness!

Crikey caramello! Sending anti-germ vibes your way.

Hope you all get better soon, stuffed.

Nice to see you again, Daisy. Hope the pesky stretching pains subside soon. I know what you mean about bras - mine fit but are darned uncomfy!

:( SPD sounds awful. Sending soothing vibes to Beckie and anyone else suffering.

Random aside - anyone got any idea what diameter a birthing ball (aka gym ball from the local sports store!) should be? I'm approx 5ft7 if that makes a difference?

Hello everyone.

Caramello my fingers are crossed that you escape the dreaded pig lurgy and that your DH gets better quickly.

Daisy I keep getting random patches of skin stretching, most recently around my tummy button. It usually seems to coincide with a growth spurt in the bump area!

Beckie & Jaylar SPD is horrid! Mines bad at the moment and is making my hips much worse (I've had problems with my hips for years). The snow doesn't help much either. It seems most hospitals have a special program for antenatal physio and try to see you within two weeks of receipt of referral. My fingers are crossed that you get something though soon. Best thing I got was the pelvic support belt. Ugly, ugly, ugly thing but it really has helped!

Frakk the gym balls (and I assume birthing balls!) come in various sizes so you might want to see if you can try them out somewhere. Last time I used one (was for physio) I was told to find the one that meant I could sit on it keeping my hips and knees in line and feet flat on the floor. Hope that helps!

As for me, went to my 25weeks ish appt today (though I'm 24+5) and bump is exactly the size it should be so was a nice smooth appointment. Got home to frozen pipes (again) got them unfrozen (again) only for the waste water pipe for the washer to be frozen solid. So DH and I have spent and hour and half mopping up the utility room and wringing out wet clothes. and I'd so been looking forward to snow in Oxford, just want it gone now

I'm with you on the Oxford snow, Beetlebaby, it was gorgeous for a day but now I'm fretting that our Christmas travel plans will go askew (right down south then right up north) - and my mum is supposed to be coming up here tomorrow so that we can go and see The Sound of Music at the New Theatre (cheesetastic!) and I so don't want it all to go wrong!! Frozen pipes sounds like a right nightmare - is this in your new house, too?

Yup, in the new place. The utility room is unheated so it's not surprising given how cold it has been.

I hope you get to see The Sound of Music. A group went from work the other week and were raving about it. Personally I'm waiting for the sing-a-long version to come around again If it's gonna be cheesy it may as well be totally cheesy!

Does anyone else get those weekly pregnancy update emails? I got my mothercare one this morning for 23 weeks saying "congratulations, you're now at the end of your second trimester". That's not right, is it? I thought third trimester was about 28 weeks?

Hello,

ecuse yes, I was expecting my third trimester to start at 27 weeks (xmas eve for me!). But I remember my sister getting all excited about starting her 3rd trimester at 24 weeks.

All these figures are a bit wonky, I think. We've now got 3 iPhone apps on the go, and we kind-of take an average from the stats.

I find it weird that one of them tells me I'm 6 1/2 months pregnant. Whilst I feel MASSIVE, I don't think I look 6 1/2 months pregnant. But it does sound impressive when someone asks you how far along you are!

In other news - I slept last night! Woop! This is a big deal, sleep is starting to evade me. Lets hope it's not a one-off!

Trying to find the will to crack on with my huge pile of BTEC marking - I've been putting it off with some revision resource uploading, although I'm pretty sure none of my students will actually be revising over the hols.