First Time Frolickers foray into 2011

[cherrycobbler]

New year, new babies and lots of new BFPS!!

Link to future grads here

ARRIVALS:

Fudgecat - In loving memory of Baby Elliot - Born asleep on Friday 17th September 2010

Fulhamgirl - EDD 30th May - DOB 9th Apr - Girl - Lily Ann - 4lb
Trying4Baby1 - EDD 25th Apr - DOB 6th May - Girl - Emily - 10lb 2.5oz
Pepperonipizza -EDD 24th May - DOB 28th May -Boy
CurlyCasper - EDD 21st July - DOB 24th June - Girl
Spirael - EDD 25th Jul - DOB 7th July - Girl - Miranda Jane - 8lb 3oz
DesperateHousewife21 - EDD 18th July - DOB 9th July - Boy - Dylan James
Sazziej - EDD 1st Sep- DOB 24th Aug - Girl - Evie - 7lb 8oz
Ozziegirly - EDD 24th Aug -DOB 25th Aug - Boy-Thomas - 7lb 1oz
NovemberAli - EDD 2nd Sep - DOB 8th Sept - Girl - Matilda - 8lb 6oz
WhiteRoses - EDD 15th September - DOB 19 September- Boy
Hobnob - EDD 26th Sep - DOB 21 September - Girl - Matilda 6lbs 6oz
Pixiestix - EDD 24th Sep - DOB 26 September - Girl - Tegan - 7lbs 7oz
Addie81 -EDD 7th Oct - DOB 19th October -Girl
Chancewouldbeafinething - EDD 10/10/10 - DOB 21st October - Boy - William James - 9lb 14.5oz
Hermya321 - EDD 24th Oct - DOB 24th October-Boy - Asher - 8lb 3oz
WorrisomeHeart - EDD 12th Oct -DOB 26th Oct Boy - Lochlan - 8lb
YorkshireTeaDrinker - EDD 6th Nov - DOB 5th Nov - Girl - Eleanor
Bunnygirl80 - - EDD 19th Nov- DOB 11th Nov -Boy-WIlliam - 7lb 2oz
Mumnerves - EDD 8th Dec - DOB 16 Dec Boy - Sean 8lb 2.5oz
Luckyseven - EDD 17th Dec - DOB 20th Dec Girl - Beth Elise 8lb 4oz
Oneof8 - BFP 18th May - EDD 17th Jan - DOB tbc - boy

CURRENT GRADUATES:

Capricorn76 - BFP 12th Apr - EDD 1st Jan 2011
Homebound - BFP 30th Apr - EDD 8th Jan
Seablue - BFP? - EDD 10th Jan
Aly323 - BFP? - EDD 31st Jan - Boy
Muser - BFP 22nd June - EDD 27 Feb
Superpenguin - BFP 1st July - EDD 4th March - Boy
Haloflo - BFP 22 July - EDD 20 March
SaorAlba - BFP 7 Aug - EDD 15th April
Kurlyvoice - BFP 1st September - EDD 16th April
MrsWajs - BFP 13 Aug - EDD 24th April - girl
stegasaurus - BFP 27 Aug - EDD 3rd May
Cherrycobbler - BFP 3rd September - EDD 11 May
Crazydays - BFP 4th September - EDD 13 May - twins - boy and girl!
crazybutterflylady - BFP 1st Sep - EDD 14 May
Bellaby -BFP 11th September - EDD 22nd May
Highheelsandequations - BFP 30th Oct - EDD 13th July
Slowshow - BFP 3rd Jan - EDD TBA
Roundtable - BFP 14 Jan - EDD TBA

Wow! It's been busy in here.

Congratulations kurly on the birth of your little boy.

Congratulations to the new BFP's, good news and welcome!

Good luck halo I'm sure everything will run smoothly for you. (I planning on having mine float out through my belly button while I'm sleeping. It was in a dream, it must be true!!

MrsW thinking of you and hope the time goes by before you get measured again and that it was an overcautious measurement.

slowshow hope you are getting on alright, we're not birth twins anymore, my scan dated me as due on the 17th September. Eeeek!!

To anyone else I have missed, sorry and I hope everyone is keeping well.

Has anyone had any nipple issues during second trimester? I have one that is weeping slightly (around the outside). I've been rubbing nipple cream on it but I'm not sure if I should go to the GP or just wait and see if it clears up?

hey everyone :) Took me a while to find you all again !

Hope you are all keeping well. I have my scan on thursday , good old St Paddys day :D 11 years ago i was in hospital having my appendix out on St Paddys day! hopefully this trip to the hospital will be more positive :D

I am terrified of the scan but a teeny tiny bit excited :-)

x

PS I shall make a note of where you guys are now :D

mrsW hope you get better news at your next appointment. If you get a growth scan at least you'll get another peek at your LO before they arrive

roundtable it could be colostrum that you're leaking - you start producing it in the 2nd trimester. I remember lots of people on my antenatal thread had issues with leaking nipples

crazyalien good luck with the scan

Morning ladies, the talk of leaking nipples has got me a little nervy I must say

I was wondering if I could ask a few stupid newbie questions? I assume you have had this before but am hoping you guys will be my knowledge fountain! As I was charting for a while before getting my BFP I had an iphone app synced with FF to record my temps etc but there doesn't seem to be a pregnancy tracker equivalent from FF. Has anyone used a good iphone app for pregnancy that they would recommend? I'm happy to pay for it, but there seem to be hundreds and some of them seem very American so a Frolicker recommendation would be most welcome!

I've booked my GP appointment for next Tuesday. I called the surgery yesterday to ask if I need to go in or if I can just tell them I'm pregnant for their records. The policy is for me to go in and see a GP, so I suppose it will feel more 'official' at least. I am most excited about getting free prescriptions, is that wrong? I'm also hoping I can talk about my asthma and allergies and how I manage these during pregnancy as I know some of the meds I use now are not compatible with being pg.

One more question if I may, well it's kind of a combined question really. Did anyone have an early scan that they organised themselves? Basically we have been talking about whether we tell anyone about being pg yet or not. I have always thought we would wait until we'd had the first scan and tell people at 12 weeks, for me this includes parents, siblings, friends, work, everyone! Mr Truff is erring towards wanting to tell his parents and borhter (plus his bro's wife) when we travel back up for a family wedding next weekend (so I will be 6 weeks then) but without having any kind of formal 'medical' confirmation (other than 4 HPTs!) I'm a little reticent about it. My family situation is slightly less simple as my parents are divorced, my Dad remarried and I'm one of 9 children between the 2 of them so there's no way I want to widen the 'parents & siblings' circle of trust, as I feel like too many people would know about it.

So, I'm rambling, sorry. I'm wondering if I could book a private scan for the morning of 25th March (when I would be 6+1) and then that might quell my nerves enough to feel comfortable telling them and them only. I know they will be absolutely over the moon and my BiL is the only person who knows that we had been struggling to conceive. Do I sound like a mentalist> I can't even blame baby brain yet can I? Sorry, I'll shut up now!

Crazy Alien - sorry i didn't mention you! I'm looking forward to hearing your scan news on Thursday!

truffkin I have got iPregnancy and really like it. You can store everything in there and it has pictures and information for each week of pregnancy. It is American but I didn't find it too difficuolt to relate what they said back to myself, if that makes sense!

Had to have a giggle at your comment Truffkin i was also a lush socialite before falling pregnant which makes it insanely diffcult to keep it under wraps until the 12 weeks! I even went to the extent once of taking a vodka bottle full of water to a friends house for a drink one night and had to pretend I was getting merry! I fooled everybody though! It's so typical though, of all the times you have nothing on socially, you fall pg when your social life is hectic! I had hen weekends and all sorts to go on at about 6 weeks gone and it was torture! In the end I told my 2 closest friends so they helped me disguise it to everyone else! Can't help on the iphone apps though as I have an android phone but the app I have for that is an american one and I find it ok.

Was also going to say to roundtable that you could be leaking colostrum but bunny has beat me to it! I haven't had that joy yet at 34 weeks but I have heard of people that have had it as early as you so hopefully nothing to worry about :)

Thanks to the rest of you for thinking of me! I've calmed down about it all a bit now lol, got blood results back yesterday and Hb is still 11.4 which it was at 28 weeks so they're not worried about that, and I have to drink more to prevent the palpitations! Booked in for another appt a week today to be re-measured and have urine checked and going to be doing birth plan at the same tme so will just keep myself busy until then.

Curtains came for the nursery yesterday and I put them up but now have to go and take them down again as they are all creased and horrible looking, I predict an afternoon of trying to iron the bloody things into a decent appearance!!

Truffkin Welcome to the grads thread!

I had an NHS scan at 7 weeks due to spotting. I was sure of my dates too and they saw a heartbeat which was really reassuring. If my maths is right you would only be 6 weeks next weekend so it might be too early to see the heartbeat. Do you think that would panic you? My local private scan place would only scan from 7 weeks onwards because of this although I don't live in a big city so you might find some places do (or you could just lie!) I guess you would then need to decide if you can afford to go back twice?

I had a family wedding at 6 weeks and had the same bottle of beer for hours and later on switched to sofa water and lime. I got my own drinks (or got DP to get them) so noone else knew what I had ordered. Noone noticed or said anything so I assume I hid it well!

I used to have an iphone and used the what to expect ap. It is american and went on about healthy food too much but I liked how every week it compared the size of the baby to a fruit/vegetable.

I have my NHS notes and haven't got much to do at the moment (joys of ML!) so if you want me to write out the official food guidelines I have then just shout.

toria I hope you enjoyed your day off.

crazyalien Hello! I "spoke" to you on the pregnancy forum. ~Will be thinking of you tomorrow, best of luck.

lucky Thank you. It was me asking about the boucers. I am drawn to the baby bjorn one especially after reading the amazon and MN reviews but it seems pricey. I wonder if they go for less on ebay?

roundtable Congrats on the scan! With your nipples i've found sexy wet patches on the inside of my bras since 20 weeks though so it could be that. No idea how early it can start though. Defiantly something I didn't know about pregnancy until I became pregnant!

mrsw I haven't done a birth plan mostly because I want to see how I feel at the time. Could I ask what your major points are in case there is anything I do feel strongly about. Glad your bloods are ok - I hope you are drinking/eating lots whilst ironing!

Halo i haven't written my plan as such yet, just have vague ideas of things i do and don't want.
Got a bit freaked out at the antenatal class when DP asked the midwife who would decide whether or not various types of pain relief would be used and she said it would be him as my advocate!! Was a bit at that, so need to make sure he knows exactly what i do and don't want!

The basic jist of it is this - i would like a tens machine for at home and the early part of labour. When i get to hosptal i want to get in the pool and using gas and air. i don't particularly want to have pethidine but i don't want it to be ruled out completely either incase i decde i do want it later on. Do not want an epidural under any circmustances unless there is something life threateningly wrong with the baby and i have to have one, they don't do them at the hospital i'm going to anyway so if i needed one i'd be transferred to a bigger hospital which would be the best place for me if anything was wrong.

They've also told us to think about other things such as whether o want the cord cut straight away or after it stops pulsating, if you want dad to do it etc. Whether you want immediate skin to skin contact (apparently some people don't like the mess) and also if you want to deliver placenta naturally or have the injection. And finally whether you want baby to have vitamin k injection.

Kinda didn't realise there was actually as much as that to consider!! I'm undecided about how to deliver the placenta and whether I want baby to have vit k so will just be guided by them on that front, but definitely want immediate skin to skin and would like DP to cut cord after it has stopped pulsatng! Phew!

Obviously i'm also aware that none of that might go to plan!! But i can hope!

Hi all,

It's been so busy on here! I've now finished work and am on mat leave ! So I should do better at keeping up now.

Kurly - massive congratulations and I hope you've got over the shock.

We've been told that the twins will be born by the 29th April - Please no jokes about the royal wedding and calling them Will & Kate!

Congrats to all the new BFPs and a big wave to everyone else!

luckyseven I'm so sorry, I've only just seen your post! If I'd seen it earlier I could have given you some tips - I had 3 winners and 2 seconds at Cheltenham today!

Off the top of my head, two bets for Friday (haven't looked at the racecard for tomorrow yet): Zarkandar and Via Galilei. Via Galilei is not guaranteed to run at the mo but Zarkandar will.

Halo Thanks for the good luck wishes :) As you know I have been worried sick :( Will update when I am back, x

Of course it helps if I give you the times:

1.30pm Zarkandar
2.05pm Via Galilei

Another one possibly worth an each way bet is Restless Harry in the 3.20 tomorrow. He's 40/1 at the moment so I'll probably only have a few £ on him.

Good luck with the scan CrazyAlien

[waves to everyone else]

Keep your fingers crossed for me tomorrow ladies, I'm off to see a gynaecologist in the morning to see if they can figure out why I'm not working!

fingers crosses CaveMum x

Hi folks

Still about but still working so pretty busy still. Thought I'd share my birth plan since you're talking about them.

          Birth Plan

Updated 15.03.2011

The most important thing is that the baby is healthy and given the best opportunity to thrive.

• I would like MrJackrum to be with me during the labour and birth.
• I would like to be able to move around if I want to.

Pain Relief

• I do not want any pain relief that will affect the baby
• I do not want morphine derivatives as they can cross the placenta and cause drowsiness in the baby
• Nor do I want a remifentanil PCA
• I will only have an epidural (or spinal block) if a caesarean section is necessary
• I would like to use water during labour (preferably a pool, but a bath if this is unavailable)
• I would like to use gas and air if I want it
• I would also like to move around to find the best position for me at the time

Other medical procedures

• I would like the baby?s heartbeat to be monitored at intervals only, but understand that continuous monitoring may be advised if there are worries and I will agree to this
• I am happy for vaginal exams to take place as necessary
• I would prefer not to have artificial oxytocin to stimulate contracts and would like other options to be exhausted before going down this route
• I would like to give birth to my baby in whatever position I find most comfortable, but probably not in the pool (although I might change my mind on this!)

After the second stage

• I would like a medical professional to tell us the baby?s sex and also to cut the cord
• I would like an injection to help with the third stage of labour
• I would like to cuddle my baby as soon as possible after the birth
• If, for any reason, I cannot do so, I would like MrJackrum to cuddle the baby
• I would like to put the baby to the breast soon after birth
• I would like my baby to have vitamin K by injection

If there are problems

• I would prefer not to have a forceps or ventouse delivery and would like other options to be exhausted before going down this route, however I would agree to this if we have tried other birthing positions and anything else that may assist birth first
• Alongside this, I will agree to an episiotomy if it is necessary
• I understand that if the baby is in distress that a c-section might be necessary and would be willing to have one to ensure the health of my baby
• If this is necessary, if at all possible, I would like MrJackrum to be present during this and to have skin to skin contact with the baby if I cannot

We'll see how it all goes though. Only a month left!

halo and mrsw not sure if you're interested but thought I'd share my birth plan (my obs did say it was the best she'd seen in a long time [teachers pet])

I kept it short as realistically they have to discuss any intervention with you before they do it, so it was really more for DH in case I wasn't with it enough to make decisions. Ignore the bits about hep B vaccination as that's an Aussie thing. We have to have the injection for the placenta so there's no mention of that in my plan either. Also, as I went down the private healthcare route, the person who delivered Will had seen me for the whole pg so knew alot about what I wanted without it being written down - if I hadn't known who was going to do the delivery I might have put a bit more detail. I concentrated more on what I wanted to happen after the delivery re skin to skin etc. as that was important to me, whereas the method of Will's arrival was more down to chance than planning

My obs did say that sods law dictates that the more detailed the birth plan the more complicated the labour

During labour

? I would like to remain as upright and active as possible during all stages of labour
? I would prefer not to be lying on my back for the second stage unless it is absolutely necessary
? Pain relief
o Ideally I?d like to use as little pain relief as possible
o Initially I?d like to use breathing techniques, water (bath or shower), keeping mobile, gas and air
o If the above is not enough, I would prefer not to have pethidine, but would consider an epidural

After delivery

? We are happy for baby to have Vit K by injection and the Hep B vaccination
? I am intending to breastfeed and would like support in achieving this goal
o I would like skin to skin contact as soon as practical after delivery, if for any reason I am unable, then I would like DH to be encouraged to do this instead
o If I am unable to feed the baby myself after delivery, and he needs feeding my another means, I would prefer if this was by a method that will help support later attempts at breastfeeding (e.g. cup or syringe instead of bottle)

Hey Truffkin - don?t know if anyone?s said this before (too lazy to check) but Fertility Friend has a pregnancy tracker ? it?s preg.fertilityfriend.com/

I considered an early ?reassurance? scan as well, but didn?t in the end. Six weeks might be a bit early to see anything at all, though? For me in the end, the crippling fear I had in the early weeks subsided to the point where I was happy to wait for the 12 week scan. That, and DH is a tightarse and wasn?t keen on the idea of shelling out for a private scan As for telling people at six weeks, personally I wouldn?t be comfortable with it. I told my parents at six weeks and that was it ? figuring that if something went wrong, I would want their support. Morbid I am.

I?m doing ok roundtable, thanks for asking. 14 weeks today! Did your scan change your due date? The sonographer said mine was spot on, what an obedient child. Haven?t had any nipple issues at all. Isn?t it a bit early for leakage? I would keep an eye on it, and mention it to the GP if it doesn?t clear up.

Hope the scan goes well CrazyAlien!

Two letters from the hospital arrived yesterday ? one was the results of the combined test, and the other was ?hello, you are Rhesus negative, please come to the hospital at 28 and 34 weeks so we can jab you with needles?. I know I?m Rhesus negative so no surprises there. The results of the combined test were really reassuring. Risk for Downs with my age alone is 1 in 860something, whereas the actual risk for me is 1 in 5775. Edwards and Patau was something like 1 in 250000 and 1 in 480000.

Belly is getting bigger, although not quite a defined bump yet ? just fat looking I was navel gazing last night, and realised that my navel (which is usually small and deep and ?closed?) looks distinctly stretched ? I can see inside! Clearly, that?s only going to get worse. I?ve bought some maternity jeans, which are a bit too big but wearable, and I?ve discovered to my annoyance that hardly any of my tops and t shirts are long enough to cover the stretchy jersey waistband. I was counting on being able to wear my usual tops for a good while yet! Can anyone recommend a shop for cheap long line tops?

truffkin just wanted to say I have the babycentre pregnancy app - can't remember if it was free or not but do quite like it. We went for an early scan at the London Ultrasound Centre due to extreme impatience and nerves. I loved it. The screen is huge (goes onto a big flat screen TV as well as the monitor) which is great when baby was only a few cm small and a bit of a blob! I was about 9 weeks though, and they told me that it was best to go from about 8 weeks as 6 may be too early to see anything, which just causes much more worry. Ended up having another private scan at the Fetal Medical Centre too (had to re-do my nuchal privately after a bit of an NHS panic) and they were lovely too. So I would recommend, but maybe not as early as you were thinking?

slowshow yay for reassuring combined stats results. I bought some H&M Mama plain tshirts fairly early on - they are stretchy so don't look too odd when you're at the mini-bump stage but nice and long. Also, I think you may have already discovered these but I loved my bump bands. I wore them to cover undone trousers or to hide the top of maternity jeans etc - just looks like you're wearing an extra black or white top underneath your normal top.

good luck with the scan today crazyalien

all this talk of birth plans is scaring me ! I was a v early baby so my mum keeps saying that baby could be here in 3 weeks. Gah!

I do have belly bands cherry - in fact, I'm wearing one today. Works a treat to hide the "pre-pregnancy jeans held together with a rubber band" look

brill - am also hoping to get second use out of them to "hide horrible post birth tummy" look!

truff one thing I meant to say and forgot is don't stop taking your asthma medication until you see the doc! I am on a couple of different inhalers and decreased my dose of the strongest one (kept up the ventolin though) before I saw the GP as was convinced it couldn't be good for the baby, but was roundly told off. Apparently most asthma gets better in pregnancy - mine has got a bit worse but think the breathless feeling might be more about everything being compressed as time goes on. The nut thing is v confusing - some say cut out completely, some say eat a little so baby is used to it, some say whatever you do won't have an effect unless you gorge! I don't have food allergies but there is asthma, hayfever and eczema in both families. After lots of umming and ahhing I'm eating a small amount of peanut butter/ snickers peanuts every few weeks. Proper minefield though and not sure at all that I'm doing the right thing! I think I will be one of those mothers that gives their baby their first taste of peanuts whilst conveniently in a hospital car park, just in case...

WRT nuts, I asked mum who said she doesn't advise women stop eating them unless there are allergies in the immediate family. I don't eat huge amounts anyway but it means I can eat my Crunchy Nut Cornflakes guilt free

Glad your test results were all good Slow I too am looking at investing in belly bands, as despite being only just past eight weeks my work trousers are getting tight!

Crazyd Please, please call them Will and Kate

Halo I am relishing my days off ATM thanks It's amazing how much better I feel after eleven hours sleep...

Truff I felt the same about telling siblings, especially as BIL is incapable of keeping his mouth shut, so in the end we told the PIL and asked them not to say anything. Luckily they saw it from our POV and we'll tell him and his OH once the scan's been done. I think you'll find you quite soon want to tell your parents though

Had my booking in appt today, the midwife was lovely, very positive and friendly. I did get a disproving look when she worked out my BMI but then I got the pleasure of seeing her double take when my BP came out at 100/60. Apparently my BMI puts me at high risk before I even bother doing anything but as the only thing that seems to affect is whether I can have a home birth and my tolernace for anaesthetics I'm not fussed, and as my BP will have to be monitored anyway due to my fainting and dizzy spells I'm not too bothered, will just keep on with my relatively healthy fruit munching routine for now!

I've to go back next week for my bloods and to sort out my notes and scan date! Getting a bit real now...

And another one... Daiso is our newest grad!

Toria - my bp at the booking appointment was something stupid like 130/89. Was a touch of white coat hypertension I think (I hope!).

Another grad! Brilliant!

Thanks Cherry I am still taking my inhalers until I see my GP on Tuesday. I've needed my ventolin a lot in the last few days, especially as having a cold makes my wheezing worse. I'm very excited about free prescriptions and hope I can stock up on inhalers while I can

Toria I'm kind of ok about not telling my parents as my Mom will definitely not keep quiet and although I am close to my Dad, I don't see him that often in person so will be able to avoid it until we've ben scanned! DH is different with his parents and talks to them on the phone at least once a week, plus his brother most days - it's just the 2 of them and they are very close. I know he'd be delighted but his wife is pg with their third child and I (selfishly, I know) want to keep it special for a little while longer. They've told us as soon as they've found out (like at 4 weeks) with all of theirs and on one hand I think they might not get why we've not told them and on the other hand, her pregnancies have felt like they've lasted a hundred years as we've known so early

I'm going to ask my GP about the nut thing as well as I've read lots of conflicting advice (as with all pregnancy advice it seems!) but the most consistent thing seems to be that if the mother has asthma / eczema / allergies then eating nuts during pg is more likely to create a nut allergy in the child. I have all 3 and I can take or leave nuts so am happy to go with it for now until I've chatted with the doctor.

Does anyone have any advice on useful questions to talk to the GP about? I have a few specifics (re: asthma and nuts of course!) but would be good to know if there are any specific things I should use the time to talk about. Thanks!