The CBFM Graduates Vol 1

[StormBird]

We have got to know each other pretty well during our TTC journey's so have created this thread on Chocciechips advice (hope she doesn't mind!!) so we can all contintue to support one another through our pregnancies.

Welcome................

Welcome over far I know the feeling, I still can't believe I'm finally pregnant & I'm 28 weeks! Best of luvk for a H&H pregnancy.

CONGRATULATIONS FAR and welcome.

xx

Thanks girls, I really can't quite believe it.

Congratulations farfalla! Wishing you a wonderful 8 months ahead. I also made my DH look at my test, and then obsessed the whole next day about a false postive so much that I had to buy more tests and do them when I got back from work!

Wish you luck at the doctor.

Thank you!
All confirmed at the doc's surgery, phew!

Must say, they did not fill me with confidence, she said initilly it was negative then said, oh no, hang on a minute, its positive. Worst 30 seconds ever!!

The nurse said I was 5 weeks and 2 days which I know is wrong as my last period was on the 24th May. Think they might just be using a standard 28 day cycle to work it out perhaps?

Welcome far and congrats!. The date thing will be confusing. The actual EDD that they finally work with is only set in stone at the 12 week scan (they have me a week earlier than I now is biologically possible) so you may find a fair bit of mind-chagning going on if you have any scans between then and now.

Hi ladies ..... I'm having an 'uncomfortable' time as well. Night time meals seem to turn into full-on acid reflux and indigestion all night, something I've never dealt with before. I'm anaemic, and the iron tablets have me so constipated its unreal and actually quite painful (another new ailment for me). My SPD is getting progressively more painful as the bump grows to the point I can't manage walks at all anymore or I am crippled the next day. And to crown it all, all my moles have doubled in size. I had to get them checked by a dermatologist which resulted in one of them being declared 'too much of a concern' to leave until after the pregnancy, and yesterday I had to get it cut out ... 7 painful stitches in my breast and now a 6 week wait for biopsy results. Do I need this worry?? Honestly, I can't believe my luck.

Having a nightmare with work as well and needing to work weekends Sat and Sun from 7 -7pm to try get stuff done before baby comes. So tired and exhausted, and the anaemia making it so much worse I'm sure.

It's not the way I thought it would be. I always imagined I'd be knitting, preparing a nursery, browsing for clothes and stuff for my baby etc etc. I have yet to buy one single thing - not one - and can't see when I'm ever going to have the time.

Sorry - miserable self-pitying rant over . I've been very careful to not complain in front of DH because he's so worried about me. And every time I do get these 'why me' thoughts in my head I try and force them to the back because this baby is so wanted.

far I'm the same as choccie, they say I'm a week behind what I know to be true - if it was as they said it'd be the immaculate conception! All in all I've had 6 different dates but it's true they take the 12 week scan measurements as gospel!

choccie I know exactly how you feel - I'm so uncomfortable all the time but yet still can't believe I'm actually pregnant after what felt like a lifetime TTC! I'm working full time and full time at home clearing stuff out etc. I hope by the time maternity leave starts I can finally relax as FX everything will be done. Our little babies will be worth it just hard at the moment to think past the indigestion, sickness, constipation, diahorea, SPD pain, back pain, rib pain, restless legs, insomnia, exhaustion, dry skin, greasy skin & hair . . . . .

CHOCCIE Lovely to hear from you hun.

I am so sorry you are suffering so much at the moment it sounds like you could do with a bit of Time Out for yourself!?!?! Is there no way you can take some time off just to re-group and refresh? Bless you.

I can totally sympathise with the acid/reflux heartburn problem. I'm eating Rennies by the packet and have to admit they are doing the job. Tried gaviscon for a while but it is awful and I definately wouldn't recommend it. Also the mole issue sounds a bit painful and your right, it isn't exactly something you should need to deal with when you've got so much going on. I take it this is one of those odd by products of being pregnant and can be quite common?????
Come to think of it, I've always had a little bump on my cheek and recently it has doubled in size and its a funny shape (no change in colour though) - think I'll be going to get that checked over.

Oh I do hope you can start to enjoy your pregnancy soon and do all the stuff you thought you would be doing now!
XX

Far glad all went well (in the end) at the docs. I can't imagine how you must have felt when she said it looked negative. Bloody hell, i think I might have hit her!!! - As for the Dates thingy, I agree with choccie it is confusing but everyone will go by the scan dates in the end.

Hope you are all well

XXX

Boba crossed posts - Hi hun - WRESTLESS LEGS.....mine have a mind of their own......it is soooooo annoying!

Thank you that is reassuring (taps fingers impatientely and wishes it was August and the scan was imminent!)

So sorry to hear about all the aches and pains, poor you!

My friend had terrible problems with the constipation caused by iron tablets but swtiched to Spatone and that made all the difference? Worth a try perhaps?

Farfalla, what a emotionally rollercoaster confirming your pregnancy! So glad the positive came through! When I went last time, the doctor didn't even confirm, he just said congrats and handed me some leaflets!

I much look forward to the glories of acid reflux and constipation! I am currently experiencing quite a lot of nausea but I'm not actually being sick, just feel like crap pretty much all day. I hope the symptoms get better for you ladies!

*emotional rollercoaster

far I was on iron tablets recommended by my nutritionist and they were very gentle, but GP insisted I take the NHS feris sulphate instead and stopped the others. RDA is 30 mg a day and she has me on 600mg!!!!! Says its necessary to get iron in me fast. But I moaned to nutritionist who in turn said I needed to do what GP said, and then explained ferris sulphate is so badly absorbed by the body that most of it ends up in your bowel which is why they prescribe such huge doses. The side effects are horrendous: I get so blocked up I could cry with pain and my stomach gets as hard as a rock - I had no idea constipation could be like this! So inevitably, I stop taking them for a while and cut back, so really not sure if anameia is getting any better at all. But I am writing to GP tonight and insisting she changes me to something else - cant go on like this.

storm I crave some me time, but I am self-employed and really have to get a tonne of work done before baby comes if I am to even have a tiny bit of time with my child. No maternity leave for me. It's a bit desperate actually. Has made me realise that as pc and 'equal' as the UK is, it is very difficult to start a business as a woman and also have a child - unless you earn enough to pay someone to cover for you .... which I don't. I wonder how many women end up going out of business as a result of a baby? DH only gets two weeks paternity so he can't even help me out by taking leave himself later.

boba How are you managing maternity leave?

Thanks Waterkelpie, I did suddenly think the worst I must admit! I was staggered at how little info I was given, am hoping the first midwife appointment is a bit more detailed.

I also asked how the appointment would be communicated to me - letter or phone call and was just told 'No idea dear'

hmmmmm

Sounds absolutely horrendous Chocciechip!

My friend had the same and her iron levels improved dramatically with that stuff as I think its more easily absorbed. I hope you manage to find a solution!

I have asked my DH to stop at Boots to buy Spatone after googling it and reading all about it, and am going to stop the blasted ferris sulphate immediately. Thanks for the suggestion. I'm going to ask for another blood test on the 27th at my next obs appointment and hopefully if things have improved can go onto an 'iron maintenance regime'. Fingers crossed.

...oh and far, don't have too many expectations of loads of info from midwife appointments etc. I get misleading and sometimes conflicting and sometimes downright stupid advice. (My current fave was the midwife advising I look into the 'eat right for your blood type' diet to address my anaemia - hard core medical advice there!). So my experience hasn't been great with NHS advice and most of it is online in the NICE guidelines anyway. But do come and ask the silliest questions here - undoubtably one of us will have encountered it and banged heads against the NHS wall and have a tip or two for you - and if not, lots of support. These early weeks you're about to go through are a real roller coaster.

Oh so sorry things are so tough for you right now Choccie. Why not book a time with dh to do some shopping, even if it is on-line to save you walking to cheer you up? Sending you a hug xx

Choccie isn't there a new government initiative which enables the father to take more than the 2 weeks Pat Leave - I'm probably very wrong but I was sure I read somewhere that the father is now able to take much longer off work (payed leave) if the mother is returning to work early - might be worth a look but then again it also depends on whether your DP would be willing to and how they view your situation as a self employed person. (Starting to think I dreamt this now!!!)

It's not great is it being self employed - my DP is self employed and although there is Statutory Maternity Pay there is no such thing for the father - which is a shame really!!

Choccie sorry things are hard atm. I take it you've tried a laxative recommended in pregnancy? I think it's one of the soluble ones?

I took over my family business so I've actually been pretty lucky in that I've someone to step in for me for a couple of months after baby is born however I will have to come for few hours a week after a couple of weeks off to keep on top of stuff.

Have you contacted HMRC (useless as they are) to see what you are entitled to? I hear what you're saying though they do make things so difficult for us don't they? Is your business of the type that you could work from home some days?

I hope you manage to relax a wee bit hon x

boba You're so lucky, I envy you. I do work from home but it can occassionally be very demanding time consuming work. I've been warning people for months now that I will NOT be available to manage massive issues, but I'm not sure how much they're registering because I'm already having to drop one project because someone failed to deliver their bit and now there's no time to do it before sept even if they suddenly delivered. They are not happy.

storm DH looked into that. It seems that he can take paternity leave but only after the baby is 5 months old. He was told by HR that the gov wants women to stay at home for the first five months so do this to dissuade fathers from substituting the mother's role. But this logic means he can't take over my time caring for the baby to cover my work time to keep contract obligations fulfilled, so not much help. And he only gets the standard gov maternity pay of just over 100 a week for a short time.

I could go for the gov maternity pay myself, but its such a huge cut for us. Our problem is we can't really sacrifice either of us losing so much income, and if I don't work I don't earn.

We're looking into him possibly compressing his hours (so going in early four days a week and getting one day off) or something like that. Just hoping his work will be kind about it. And my mum will hopefully be here for at least the first two weeks, so he's planning to try do his two weeks leave after she leaves, but I'm not sure how he'll feel about going straight back to work when the baby is brand new. But the biggest thing we can do is try and get a huge amount of work done NOW so I have less to do then, but so hard, and not many people around me cooperating and helping me achieve this. Hence the stress and relentless hours.

Oh well......... will have to see how it goes.

Choccie I really feel for you hun, it's not easy when you don't have much support around. I hope you manage to get lots done in the next 11 weeks so you can have a well deserved rest.

Well ladies I'm off to see TT tonight! Very excited but not so much looking forward to all the standing in the rain without a to keep me going but I'm sure it'll be worth it.

Hey girls

Glad to see a couple more faces on here. well done!

had 29 week growth scan today. hes looking ace, delightfully average in dimensions, placenta functioning well, fluids normal, estimated weight spot on 3 pounds. love him, hes awesome.

re the midwife stuff: they do often just quote 'NICE' guidelines. best way forward is to be well informed oneself to be honest.

Hi Ilovekitty - lovely to hear your little man is doing well hun xxx

To the new ladies on the thread - We have Stats too so if you would like to add yourself (when you feel comfortable enough with your PG to do so) feel free. Here they are:

=== Graduates having Boys ===
StormBird DC#1, age 28, BFP 10/11/10 - EDD 14/7/11
AnytimeNow DC#3 age 39 BFP 20/11/10 - EDD 27/07/11-elective c-section

=== Graduates having Girls ===
MissLolita DC#1, age 32 BFP 30/10/10 - EDD 7/7/11

=== Graduates having a Surprise ( for now ) ===
Ilovekittyelise DC#1 (kind of) age 34 BFP 30/12/10 - EDD 11/09/11
Boba82 DC#1, age 28, BFP 07/01/11 - EDD 13/09/11
Chocciechip DC#1, age 39, BFP 1/01/11 - EDD 15/09/11
Missyraines DC#1, age 34 BFP 19/3/11 - EDD ??/11/11
fr00tbat DC#1, age 32 BFP 8/5/11 - EDD 14/1/12

=== Graduates who've Graduated ===
Harry2007 Gave birth to baby boy called Taliesin on 24/3/11 weighing 6lb 14oz

kitty that's lovely to hear. Glad all is well.