TTC 6 mths+ GRADS THREAD

[Biscuitsandtea]

Afternoon.

I thought I'd start a Grads thread for those of us previously on the TTC 6 mths+ thread. I've been lurking on the ttc thread recently to see how everyone is getting on (having only very recently qualified to move off it!) and a few people were saying what a nice idea it would be if there was a grads thread so we don't lose each other.

Anyway, would be lovely to hear from other lovely ladies that were on that thread - or even if you were never on the ttc thread but had a sticky time of it getting your bfp then come and settle down with a decaf cuppa for a chat.

God just realised it's two weeks since I posted and said I'd post later in the day

Congratulations to everyone who's graduated!

I'm 35+3 today and on my second day of maternity leave, so far today I have done sweet FA. Ah well.
The pregancy has been fine and uncomplicated all the way through, still can't believe the IVF worked first time and that there's an actual giant baby in my bump
How far along is everyone else?

The only problems i've had have been a bit of SPD/PGP but no where near as bad as Izzy I'm starting to get a bit uncomfortable and fed up of having a mouthfull of stomach acid everytime I bend over but apart from that all good.

DH and I really need to start thinking about names! I'll add that to my to do list.

Hello ladies!

It?s getting a bit busier here, which is lovely.

Welcome eleth and congratulations! My symptoms came and went exactly as you describe ? in fact at 9 weeks I was so convinced that something had gone wrong due to lack of symptoms that we paid for an additional scan but everything was absolutely fine. It seems it?s quite common for there to be a dip before they come back with a vengeance!

princess ? sunshine and time off sounds perfect. I?ve been a bit of a chicken with holidays abroad so we?ve decided a week in Cornwall will do us just fine for now. Although the weather is supposed to turn wintry this weekend so we?ll just have to make full use of the spa at the hotel on the chillier days!

stacks ? a break from work to get baby things sorted sounds lovely. Enjoy! I?m in denial but I think we?re going to be in the market for a new car soon as, despite my best efforts, no pram is going to fit in the boot of my much loved but highly impractical car.

fatima ? gosh, you?re so close now! Enjoy these few weeks before the baby arrives. Are you all ready? Do you know whether it?s a boy or a girl?

I?m 18 weeks now, edging towards that elusive half way mark and itching to have my 20 week scan.

You dropped off my threads list. Been really tired this week, having regular afternoon naps. I'm not looking forward yo going back to work tomorrow just don't think I'll have the energy.

I should have read back before starting a post, forgot you can't read back on the phone at the same time. Just wanted to say hi quickly really. Will post from work tomorrow

Hi all, well I haven't really posted recently because I've been feeling just too rough. I was really ill this morning, about half a bucket of stomach bile just before my breakfast was on its way. I now have sea sickness bands, which I think are starting to help.

Saw the consultant today and he was really pleased and came marching into the registar's room booming "WELL DONE, WELLDONE" and then looked hubby in the eye and said, "what have you been doing differently!" tempted to say that we discovered you had to put that thing in that hole and why hadn't anyone told us before and then "it's so nice to see pregnant patients" We kinda feel honoured and that we've won the gold and it's starting to feel very real now :) Only 3 wks and 6 days until we reach the 12 week mark, doesn't feel too far now at all.

We were offered a "viability" scan but we decided that we're happy to wait until next month for the 12 week scan. Every time I've had some sort of scan the sonographers have scared the living daylights out of us and I'm coping well, so I didn't want the worry. Controversial but absolutely the right decision for us. Plus the bountiful spewing and nausea are pretty good feelings that it's all on track.

Stacks hope work is ok and you got everything sorted for your nursery.

Fatima have you got used to being on maternity leave? I've been reading about birthing plans, bags and tips and hints for the big event is it ok to be quite scared and horrified It is so exciting to think you will meet your little one so soooon awwwwww :)

Ladygee oh when are you off on hols? We've been thinking Cornwall for a week next summer, when I'll be too big to travel anywhere exciting.

Ele how are you getting on? Inching closer and closer to the 12 week mark now. Do you have all of your booking in / scan appointments made?

Monday afternoon waves to you all :)

Hi ladies,

A week away was just what we needed - lots of fresh air, walks, sleep and good food.

I'd highly recommend Cornwall princess, we split our time between Rock and St Ives. All very pretty and lots to do but I can imagine also very busy in Summer. What a lovely response from your consultant and not long to go til your 12 week scan now. Hope you're feeling better?

Just got back home after our 20 week scan and the little one is looking perfect. We resisted the temptation to find out whether the it's a boy or a girl, I nearly crumbled but DH held firm! So it's nursery planning and shopping ahead now - and starting to tell a few more people.

Hope everyone is ok?

Hi all,

Hope everyone is well :)

Glad you had a lovely hols ladygee - sounds great. I think we will defo consider next year - late April / early May. My sister loves Cornwall and usually stays in / near Watergate Bay and rave reviews it all the time. We must go and check it out as it could be a stressfree option for a nervous flyer of a hubbie when we have a little one. Great that your 20 week scan went so well too :) As for me, the sickness has gotten worse (taken as a good sign by family and hubby - who are all thrilled). It's at its worst today I can't hold anything down. Plus my hormones are everywhere so I'm a bit of a wreck. But I'm 9 + 4 and only 3 weeks from my 12 week scan. It does seem to be going quite quickly now. I just hope that we make it over these last few hurdles to the scan. I've got my first midwife appointment next week, which is making it seem oddly real. Hols next week and then scan when we get back - so it should fly (fingers crossed).

So, it's all really exciting even if I do feel weak and pathetic at the moment. We also decided on names the other day, despite having had names for nearly 4 years, we've changed the boy one and I've fallen in love with it even though it was DHs choice. I'm convinced it's a boy at this early stage (no idea why), although I have absolutely no preference. Just healthy baby preferably with small head is fine for me

Fatima you must be edging closer to your due date now?

Ele thinking about you, hoping everything is going really well.

Stacks how are you feeling at the moment?

I think we may have a couple more grads over here soon, there were two other announcements in part 10, but I think they're nervous of what may be, I hope they (and if you are reading Frannie and Heart) make it over here soon!

Well of peppermint tea for you all. Big hugs xxx

God I keep letting this thread drop off my list.
Will update as soon as I finish my latest bout of nesting

Hi ladies

How is everyone?

Big congrats to the new grads!

I'm 35 weeks now, I can't believe it. I'm on maternity leave which is very nice. I have been doing a lot of organising and declutttering of the house, but it is all going quite slowly. Things seem to be taking a long time!

The baby is prodding a lot and I get many alien type movements throughout the day :)

We've been doing Hypnobirthing classes. I highly recommend them if anyone has concerns about birth. Obviously no one can guarantee you a smooth birth but its great for helping you prepare mentally and thinking more positively.

Is anyone else really stiff and achey? I thought all the Relaxin floating around your body was supposed to loosen up all your joints and things but I feel like my whole body is seizing up! I do yoga every week but it seems to make it worse not better

Just a quick "Hi" to get you back on my threads list. Will post more tomorrow.

Hugs to all.

Morning all,
I'm very tentatively joining this thread, if that's ok? I'm 7 weeks and had a scan which showed a heartbeat on Friday. No major symptoms but recently feeling varying degrees of hungover, which gets worse when I'm tired. Absolutely over the moon after 2.5 years of waiting, but still v nervous! I've thought about you all lots since 'graduating' and it's been lovely to read this and see lots of pregnancies going well.

fatima, minipie, stacks and kitty you must be very close now- maternity leave seems like a distant dream! How are you finding it?

princess how's the sickness? How are you feeling generally?
ladygee how are you? Can't believe you were so controlled and still had people to tell after the 20 week scan! I'm struggling to wait til 12 weeks!
What did others do? Did you all have the tests and did you wait til after the results?
ele how are you? Have you had your 12 week scan yet?

Can I also ask what you all did about various jabs- flu, whooping cough etc? I also am going to SE Asia for Xmas and really should have some boosters, according to my medical notes. I'm really not keen on having such a combination of different immunisations. Any advice would be gratefully received!
Hope you all have lovely Sundays!

Morning all,

Wow, it's so quiet on here!

Official welcome to Frannie woooooooooo! So pleased that your scan showed a little heart beat! When do you have your booking in appointment? Have you spoken to your doctor about traveling at Xmas? We only went to the Canaries, so no need for jabs, I had my flu jab at 4 + 5. I found travelling ok, but nearly passed out in the queue on to the plane, then vommed and then spent the first 30 minutes being sick once we got to our seats, I then had a sleep and a sandwich and was fine. I just told the staff when I got on board in case I needed help and kept a bottle of water with me at all times. We ate almost exclusively in the hotel, because I was tired by 8pm most nights and it meant that we didn't have to dress up for dinner. I also trusted the food and wasn't worried about food poisoning. Room service was simple stuff and I just couldn't stomach anything fancy. However, you don't sound like you are suffering with the sickness so I'm sure you'll be fine. If anything, the holiday did us the world of good and we had a lovely time completely chilling out. Sad to be home in the rain

I'm 12 + 1, seems like a huge milestone to have reached and we have the scan on Thursday...excited and terrified at the same time. FX it's all ok and then we can officially start telling people

I had my booking in before we went away on holiday and I dislike my community midwife VERY much. I guess I'll just have to get used to her. She is very old and said some very strange things to us given our circumstances. Plus she is a very large lady and had huge hands, that kinda scared me for further down the line She didn't upset me because I'm impervious to twatty medical professionals after the last 3.5 years but DH was really miffed at her attitude. Especially when she told us she'd seen so many girls who had had problems, gone on holiday, got drunk, relaxed and then fallen pregnant... She assumed that this had been the case for us. It wasn't! She also said that she wouldn't be giving us any of the official documents / bounty packs until later on because of my history of miscarriage and "you never know dear"!! Oh and then we asked her about travelling and she said, well air travel in the first trimester isn't great (directly contradicting the NHS website). We'll see how it goes next time. Anyway, we're considering maybe a doula or independant midwife despite hospital birth if things don't get better with the midwife. I need to trust this women and I'm getting bad vibes at the moment.

So, the sickness was at it's worst for the first few days of the hols, including the flight out which was really unpleasant. Then disappeared for a week and seems to be back on the agenda as of last night and this morning sigh I will keep reminding myself that it will be gone soon. Just a few more weeks.

I'm also into maternity jeans, despite only having gained 4lbs DH said that by the end of the holiday you could see the tiny bump when I was lying down on the sun lounger. Thing is, I just feel podgy and would really like the bump to emerge so I don't look like I've eaten too many pies!

Right, back to le grand catch up at work. Hope everyone has a lovely day :)

Thanks princess. Not got any time to post tonight but glad you had a good hol and good luck for the scan tomorrow- how exciting! Will catch up with you tomorrow.
Where is everyone? Xx

So I've had my scan today, we're officially 12 + 3 and due date is 10th June. Everything is in the right place and developing as it should be. We saw the bran, heart, tummy, fingers and toes - really incredible. It was a bit of a shock to see a baby in there and I just sobbed the whole way through. The sonographer said, "well even if you're not relaxed this baby is very chilled" gave my tummy a prod with the probe and there was a flurry of kicking and arm waving - we couldn't believe it! Thrilled doesn't even touch the sides. I can't stop looking at the pictures - it's so surreal after such a long time of trying. And one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I think I can relax a little bit now and hope the sickness goes in a few days time. It's easing, but it's not gone yet. Oh I just can't wait to meet the little 'un now. It's so real!

Hope you are all well. Stacks have you had your baby yet? And Fatima?

Loads of love xxx :)

Hi ladies,

Sorry I've been so quiet... I'm ridiculously busy with work and the usual pre-Christmas social life demands have kicked in so have had no time at all to check MN, or do much else to be honest.

Hello frannie - amazing to see you here! Yay for the early scan. Hope you're feeling ok? You can't be that far off your 12 week scan now?

Princess - wahoo for your 12 week scan, brilliant news. I've had tears in my eyes at every scan - the magic doesn't go away! So pleased you had a lovely holiday too, it sounds perfect. Now you can start to relax a bit more and look forward to Christmas. Are you still with the inlaws?

Well, I'm 23 weeks now and have entered the weird and wonderful stage of being able to not just feel massive kicks but see my belly moving from the outside. I'd resigned myself to not feeling much at all because I have an anterior placenta but it doesn't seem to be stopping the little one getting through! DH and I have spent way too long just sitting and staring at my stomach, waiting for it to move and then bursting into giggles when it does. A new form of entertainment - amazing. There is no mistaking there's a real little baby in there now!

I've also got more energy than I've had for months but unfortunately work is taking up all my time so rather than me being able to shop and plan the nursery I'm travelling across the country for silly meetings and doing 12hr days. Maternity leave is still a while away but I cannot wait!

I'm sure we must be due some babies on here soon...

Hello Heart lovely to see you over here. Can't believe your nearly at the 12 mark! And not long til your dating scan either - how exciting. I totally get the nerves, I was a wreck yesterday morning. But I'm still awestruck by yesterday and keep looking at the little pics. There is only the one community midwife for my village as far as I'm aware but they've moved them out of the GP surgery to the hospital, so if we have another bad appointment in a few weeks time we may try and change if we can.

I totally get you on the babydusters. I'm trying to persist with the June antenatal thread but I'm not getting on that well. I think I may just hide the thread and stay here! Plus I should really be working rather than hanging around MN all the time too!

Ladygee I can't wait to feel and see kicks, is sounds fab. I still can't believe how far along you are now! It seems like we wait to get pregnant for an age and then when it does happen it happens so quickly! And yes, DH told me I had visibly relaxed in my face yesterday when we went for dinner last night. Yesterday was such a relief. When have you decided to go on maternity leave?

Big hugs and waves to all of the others. Is there any news on the baby front yet? Tell all!

Friday waves to everyone :)

Hello again. Sorry for radio silence, starting maternity leave was good, but I spent the first week tidying up to have friends round, then the weekend recovering. I've now come down with man flu a cold and am struggling. Had it all week, and just really hope it starts to clear up over the weekend.

I'm 38+5 today, and still no baby. Everything is still looking good at my midwife appointments, and mini stacks is wriggling away in there almost constantly. I'm really hoping he comes around his due date, as I'd like time to settle with him before Christmas.

This cold has filled my head with pain and snot, so struggling with names. Sorry.

I'm glad someone's 12w scan went well, I loved the experience of mine. Baby just seemed so baby-like in his movements. Seeing him kick and stretch when woken up by sonographer, then turn over and go back to sleep

Hope other scan goes well too. It's soo long waiting for that 12w scan, but so lovely when you get there.

Hoping morning sickness and things get better soon. It's nice when the tiredness passes too. It's back with a vengeance now for me in the 3rd tri, but the bit in the middle is good even if I never glowed.

So glad you're getting all those kicks. I still sit and watch my bump move as mini stacks throws himself around in there. It's amazing (and kind of scary) how much your bump can move as they get bigger and stronger. Much less room now for mini me though, so it's just ripples and the occasional lurch now.

Really sorry I've not name checked properly. A big welcome to the not so new graduates though. The due date threads run so fast that its nice to have a retreat to go to.

If anyone would like to come over to the "No Brooking" thread, it's a lovely place too. We always welcome new people, and it's nice to have many stages of pregnant people around for advice. Quite a few people there were also trying for a while, so understand the anxieties.

You're all back on my thread list now, so I should post more. [hugs]

Oh, meant to say princess there should be a 'supervisor of midwives' in your area that you can make a complaint to about your midwife, she'll be best to tell you about your options for changing too. I got all those details when I booked in (though it sounds like she may have refused to give you them with her unhelpful pessimism!).

They need to get complaints to improve their service, and I'm sure you won't be the only person to have trouble with her (she sounds awful). You need to be comfortable with your care provider, and there has to be someone else you can see, or shed be on call 24/7 which just isn't possible. However, if she is the only 'community' midwife you are unlikely to have here on the ward/suite for labour.

Thanks Stacks I'll keep all of that in mind. She gets one more chance and then we'll have to contact the supervisor of midwives if we're not happy. I guess we're just resigned to this sort of behaviour and have accepted it - the fertility doctors we saw were hardly compassionate, sympathetic or kindly types. And I had to change GP at one point too (I'm sure it's not me and I'm just unlucky - I hope so anyway!) Also we're new to this particular game so don't know what to expect or how things will are supposed to work or how we're supposed to be treated - but I just assumed she would do antenatal care and deliver our baby - but thinking about it, that's not very practical and I expect it will be someone else on the labour ward. But you are totally right, if we're finding her hard work for the antenatal care then other people must be too and something should be said.

Not long at all until your LO makes their appearance. How lovely! I hope you're taking good care of yourself and resting up. xx

Morning all,
princess that is fantastic news. So pleased for you that all is happy and healthy- it must have been amazing to see. My scan is in 2 and a half weeks but Iw won't quite be 12 weeks, as that falls when we're away. Hope that the sickness has totally stopped since your last post and that you're able to start enjoying your pregnancy now.

heart hello! . Good luck with the 12 week scan- hope all goes well. Totally with you and the baby dusting (and some people are so aggressive on some threads!- it's such a shock from the lovely 10 plussers!)

ladygee and stacks it must be so exciting to see them move. I think that's when I might stop feeling totally paranoid every waking moment. Hope you're enjoying your maternity stacks. Was it you that was off work with a bad back? Can't remember, but hope it hasn't affected the pregnancy if it was.

All ok here but symptoms are weak which makes me endlessly worried. The knicker checking and boob prodding makes me feel like this is the longest 2 ww ever! Trying to be positive though! The GP has decided not to inoculate me for Asian travel over Xmas as where I'm going is fairly low risk but I have a list of a million things I can't eat and shall be bathing in anti-bac gel and mozzie repellant (anyone know of any preggo friendly brands?). I did book the hol thinking 'so come on then finger.....give me the most inconvenient and ironic BFP that you can!!' And it did! So, I shall stick to the rules but still enjoy what I'm hoping will be the last hol with just the 2 of us!

How's everyone's Christmas shopping going?

hello!

So sorry for not posting for weeks (or rather months!) but I got really bad morning sickness (not as bad as with my son, but for some reason, coped less well this time). Anyway, I'm 15 weeks on Tuesday, currently signed off work due to the MS (feel a bit better now - for weeks couldn't go on laptop as within a minute or two I'd feel nauseas). So feel up to getting back in touch.

Things are going well (apart from the nausea etc :-) Scan was good, and we opted for the screening tests (due to my age, as I'm 40) and was pretty sure we'd need an amnio as age alone puts me at highrisk, but we got a low risk results, so we've decided to skip the amnio and we're just looking forward to delivery day (quite frankly, I can't wait, life is pretty miserable just now, and I fear this time (like last time) there will be no 'second semester' joy for me, and it will be same old same old. Still, things are going well and that is the main thing (that's what I keep telling myself anyway)

Great to see so many familiar names from the TTC 10 months board, lovely to know we've made it, and fingers crossed it all goes well.

I've missed way too much to do a catch up email in this message, but will try and keep track of things from now on.

best wishes to all!

Just quickly swinging by...

Yay Eleth so glad that you are still here. I was wondering about you. Sorry you have been so ill. That sucks. Time really has flown tho. Hope you feel much better soon.

Heart I would consider yourself very very very very lucky with weak symptoms. I'm sure everything is absolutely perfect. I understand the trepidation about your 12 week scan, I keep welling up about ours last week. That little picture is so special.

We have very much enjoyed telling EVERYONE (we're not discreet people) and because EVERYONE already new about our TTC woes, they are all really thrilled. I think I made most of our female friends cry last week with my text. It's nice to feel loved and that people are really, genuinely pleased for us.

I have been spewing for England (although I hear it's tres fashionable these days and exhausted and normal life has been difficult to get on with and I'm a very suck it up and get on with it person usually. This little monkey seems to have floored me! I'm hoping that next week, the 14th will see in the 'blooming' phase of the 2nd trimester. I thought things had been easing but this week has been a bloody nightmare with the puke.

Another weird thing happened last night, my tummy was rigid, really really hard and not in a windy way and then this morning seems to have popped out (I'm 13 + 2). I now have a bump! I could kinda hold it in before or it was only noticeable that my belly wasn't flat when I was lying down. But now it's really out there! Anyone else have this? I feel it's a little on the early side?!!?!?!

Also, really looking forward to a pregnant Xmas. I've had 3 barren and sad years. And now I get a happy one! It's nice to go into Xmas feeling positive and to reach another birthday milestone feeling like life is back on track. Ok, sounds a bit melodramatic but I'm so happy right now even if I am missing winter pimms and mulled cider this year!!

Love to you all. Can't wait to hear the news from the 10 plussers ready to pop! xxx

Hi heart my estimated due date is 28 May 2012, keep trying to telly myself not long now :-)

I'm signed off to the end of this week so am planning on trying going back to work on Monday to see how it goes (with freezer bags in my handbag, just in case..)

I'd try not to worry (easier said than done) about not having many strong symptoms, most of my friends have sailed through the first trimester with no symptoms at all and all was absolutely fine - it's so hard not to to worry (i remember not feeling nauseaus one morning about week 8 and becoming convinced that it had all went wrong, only to find the nausea returning with a veangance from then on in - I tried to control my irrational fears from then on in). I hope your scan goes/went well!

princess much sympathy for the morning sickness, I share your hope that one day it will go and I'll start blooming - but 15 weeks now and no 'bloom' in sight (still you never know). I know what you mean about the joy of the scan though, it is just so reassuring to see the little bean looking like a baby and moving about. I wasn't sure how I'd cope with the scan, since the last one I had was after a miscarriage and it was all black, so I was a bit nervous, but as soon as we both saw it, it was amazing we just felt so happy - I have my 20 week scan on 9 January and cannot wait!

Well, back to bargain hunt for me! Lots of love and best wishes to everyone (looking forward to birth announcments!)

Afternoon everyone. Still no baby here, but due date isn't until Sunday. He's showed no signs of wanting to come out, so I'm expecting to go overdue. Quite calm about it all really

I had very mild symptoms in first tri - just nausea most days, was never sick or even felt close to it. Tiredness was my main problem, I'd be falling asleep on the sofa by 7pm! I found it a little worrying, but I think it helped that there were no sudden changes in symptoms.

Been out doing Christmas shopping this afternoon. Spent 5 hours walking around, and only managed to buy myself some pjs. Oops. Internet shopping this weekend I think!

Might see about putting the tree up too, still a bit early, but with a baby coming maybe best to be done soon.

Glad to hear you're all doing well. I really should make more of an effort to keep up to date, just really struggling with tiredness now. [hugs] for all.