March 2012 - buxom and blooming in the second trimester (we wish!)

[FlipFantasia]

Here you go ladies, somewhere for all soon-to-be March mums to share the ups and downs

Santa - the odd 3-some dream sounds hilarious! I haven't had many dreams, but had a funny one about finding a flea on my cat that was the size of a woodlouse! Time for some flea drops maybe?!

Ilovemydragon- I looked at some pricey NCT antenatal classes, but haven't booked yet as they are rather pricey, so I'm taking my time to decide. Since I'm hoping for a home birth and don't really have any family local to me I think the NCT might be a good idea just to meet other mums...seems an awful lot of money to pay to meet new people though! (am I being stingey)?! Also need to book NHS classes and the labour ward tour (just in case), the aqua natal and yoga classes....gosh. Pregnancy is quite a busy time really!
Any thoughts on NCT v NHS?

Nearly 7 days without sickness. This is a new record and hope I haven't just spoke too soon!

babydust hope you feel better soon!

Treks a belated welcome!
Flip Bon appetit!
X

Knitterati Hadn't even thought about anything other than the list me MW gave me of local ones! TBH I haven't even read the piece of paper I assumed they were free?! UGH I really need to organise myself better!

I like the sound of aqua natal tho as I used to go to aqua fit and I am kinda keen to meet some other people.

Evening ladies! Just a flying visit - the big work meeting today didn't bring glad tidings, and we're now in a formal consultation period so

Evening ladies! Just a flying visit - the big work meeting today didn't bring glad tidings, and we're now in a formal consultation period so I'm off to bed with some Ribena (pretending it's Shiraz!) and a tub of Ben & Jerry's to contemplate my next move.

Anyway - has anyone noticed the June thread? Doesn't seem like yesterday we were at the end of the 'list' - I feel like an old timer now!

Hope everyone is well, and hope your pain eases off soon Babydust

16+2 now... Exciting

Baby glad your area manager was understanding - sounds like you'll have a lovely day tomorrow!

Ilovemydragon and knitterati I did NCT classes, as the NHS ones were at really inconvenient times during the day (making it almost impossible for DH to get the time off work). I really rate the NCT - money well spent in my experience, as I made a great group of friends that I still see (in fact off out to dinner with some of them tomorrow night). We had a really good independent midwife run ours (8 evening classes run over a couple of months), and she covered things so well. I also planned a home water birth but ended up with a crash section and I think us having covered sections so well (role playing all the different people in theatre) really helped. Anyway, enough from me about NCT . They book up really early round my way so definitely worth looking in to soon...in the interests of balance, my colleague did NHS ones and really rates them, still sees other couples regularly and his wife (who's from overseas) made great friends (and their daughter is 3 in December, so definitely long term friendships).

I did aqua natal too, but it was run by a complete witch (who was apparently also a doula, can't imagine paying her to be with me during birth!) so only did 3 classes before deciding not to bother and just swim instead! I loved pregnancy yoga though and am planning to start it again soon. I still see some of the yoga mums around (one of them had her son at the same nursery we used) but the friendships weren't the same as everyone was at different stages of pregnancy and you didn't see the same group every week etc...still was fantastic though, nice and relaxing but also a lovely space to just enjoy being pregnant in (that sounds a little dippy, but hard to explain how nice I found just being in a room with other pregnant women while they teacher talked about how amazing it all is ).

Oh just remembered that the NCT does loads of local branch stuff, eg our branch runs these email lists that are super local and give loads of info about what's on for mums to be/parents with little ones including people hosting teas, meet ups in the park etc. Check out their website as it may give you the means to meet new friends without having to fork out for classes.

Thanks for the welcomes, all. Ilovemydragon and knitterati, I have just forked out for local NCT classes, everyone I've spoken to recommends them, although one male friend at work did describe them as a "very expensive networking event"! Having no real experience of children, and not many close friends who have had children, I thought it would be good to do these. But the price is a bit eye-watering... I've had to justify it to myself as now I'm off the booze, nice cheese and most foods I like I can afford it!

Does anyone have feelings like they've pulled a muscle or similar in their lower stomach/pelvis area? Is this like the ligament thing you were discussing earlier? I'm seeing the midwife tomorrow anyway so will check with her.

16

Hi Treks sounds like ligaments to me. I get feelings like stiches in my lower tummy and pulling in my back, just take it easy.

Blimey its quiet in here!!!

I need some advice...I keep gettin a dead hip at night - spoke to mw and she said to put a pillow under it. Ive tried with a normal pillow but didnt like it. Anyone know of anything that might help? Ive looked at a couple of the pillows online they sell for pregnancy but they don't seem to do anything for hips just backs and bumps!!

Hope everyone is doing ok and not feeling too bleurgh!!

17+3

Maybe a memory foam mattress topper? John Lewis do them www.johnlewis.com/6122/Product.aspx. Not cheap and reviews do say they move but all seem to think they are super comfy

Evening ladies

Dragon I also suffer from dead hips/hip pain in pregnancy (well before the bump is really big) and I love my dream genii pillow. I find that balancing my knees, by having a pillow between them, helps with the sore hips. Hard to explain but seems to work. Regular pillows are too bulky, so don't work well for me. I also like the bit of extra support once the bump does get bigger (plus I used it for BFing support when DS was a newborn as well).

MakkaPakkasWilly if you're lurking, I thought of you tonight when ITNG was on...I never thought of Makka Pakka's tail thing as a willy til I saw your user name!

Waves to everyone else. It's very quiet - hope it's because everyone's enjoying this freaky heatwave!

Been stuck at home with DS as worried he had chicken pox...but it turns out he just has another virus so he'll still be off the childminder again tomorrow (so no work for me...which is a little stressful as have heaps on at the moment...). Hoping he gets better soon!

PS Meant to add that I'm starting to feel a bit of movement now . Very exciting - can't wait til I'm getting proper kicks all day (and night) long!

15+3

Hey all,
Yes, it has been quiet here...

I'm also using the dreamgenii, helps me sleep on my side (I'm a front sleeper)

Having drama at work . I oversaw (by accident) an email on my bosses computer from HR talking about me, maternity leave and redundancy... this is after weeks of uncertainty about my role in a new team structure. A structure decided by a guy who I've had a small run-in with in the past. Gah. Crappy. Not sure whether to talk to my boss or wait. Sorry, probs should have put that on an employment thread. Just needed to vent and DH is away tonight

Oh god knitterati thats awful!! Hope it gets sorted soon! I wold wait till it gets brought up rather than mentionin it you don't want to give them any reason to hold anyting against you! Not easy tho i am sure.

Ive been looking at the dreamgenii online but wasn't sure if it would do the job! Knew someone would be able to help tho :D am off shopping tomorrow so hoping to look at one in the flesh as it were!

Is anyone else findin this bit well, a bit boring?! Ive hit a bit of a slump - everyone knows blah blah nothing to do really yet shopping wise and altho got bits to do just seems a bit crappy! Hopin to feel some movement soon might perk me up a bit!!

Yes, soooooo boring. I'm trying to focus on exercise at the moment to get me through this bit. Have my 20 week scan next week (at 19 weeks ) so that is a highlight and I'm hoping to find out the sex. I was feeling movement but haven't recently, either that or I'm just not concentrating on it anymore. Tried to get a dream genii pillow on Ebay but missed the end time due to Downton watching. They seem awfully expensive new. Still no results on the downs/spina bifida screening - seems to take ages. Might go into town tomorrow and test drive some prams to get me back in the mood! I think it will help when I look obviously pregnant, that way people can ask me about it and I'll feel the baby moving etc. Its all a bit remote. No heatwave for us in Scotland - torrential rain, high winds and 14 degrees since last Thursday. Its grim up North .

ps. Knitterati - I would wait until your boss/HR speak to you. And if you want to arm yourself with more information on redundancy in mat leave or when pregnant then check out the ACAS website - it has loads of good, free info. Best to know your rights before they talk to you. Fingers crossed for you.

Hello everyone :)

Welcome Treks and congratulations!

I got the dead hip/leg during last pregnancy and ended up buying a mattress pad plus sleeping with pillow between knees and ankles. Still had to change sides during the night and stretch when bladder woke me up.

Knitterati second what SantaLucia said about waiting and arming yourself with information on your rights, see here.

Lots of kicks and movement here, despite having an anterior placenta (just feel them at sides and low down not at front). Off to have anomaly scan today so hopefully will find out the sex if baby is behaving :)

19+1

Wow - incredibly quiet in here at the moment. Must eb the lovely weather and everyone being outside and not stuck on their computers!!!

Think I may have felt some nudges/kicks over the weekend. Was lying in bed on Saturday morning and was trying to work out if it was miniSPR or my intestines digesting Friday night's BBQ!!! Am still none the wiser!

Hit Toshop for a wardrobe update yesterday and was actually successful in finding things that still make me look like me and not an overweight, older, frumpier version of myself! RESULT!!!

Knitterati I 2nd/3rd/4th what the other have said. Really shitty to have to deal with that but definitely ensure you know your rights before going into any kind of meeting.

Zhen - I can't believe the the 20 week scans are coming around already! That has happened so fast! Am very envious of you finding out the sex, especially after seeing so many gorgeous gender specific clothes in town yesterday!!!

ZhenXiang how did the scan go?

Thanks all for the messages of support.

I asked my boss today about defining my job role (my boss was meant to have worked on my job description since the re-structure), but haven't seen anything yet, so I asked about that - NOT the screen incident. He has apparently done it dubious face and wants to go through it tomorrow. So I have a meeting with them tomorrow and HR haven't been invited, so I'm hoping we can come to some arrangement. All I really want is to get to my mat leave, take it, and get the right recompense from the company. After all this crap, whether or not I want to go back there or not is another matter!

But do you know what? I feel quite serene about it. Sod what happens at work, cus it really doesn't matter when you think about what's growing inside us right now! A-mazing! Gah! I sound like a right hippie now!

On another positive note, I bought myself my first pair of maternity jeans the other day. I fear I may never go back to a normal waistband after the double comfort luxury of the maternity elasticated waistband!! What have I been missing all these years?!?

Went for scan today, very clear view of everything except I had to go to the loo for sonographer to see spine and sex. All is well.

As I thought we are having another girl, DH is chuffed as he wanted a girl :) Looks just like her older sister did at 20 weeks!

Knitterati hope the meeting goes well tomorrow, you are right, there is no point getting stressed as long as you know your rights they can try to mess you around, but you will take them to task if they do!

Hi ladies

Knitterati how horrible for you - your manager sounds like a piece of work so hope the meeting today goes OK. Definitely worth knowing your rights though, forewarned is forearmed and all that. Though I was at your newfound love of the elasticated waistband!

Zhen congrats on a good scan! Another little girl - how lovely! Interesting that you guessed a girl and were right...

Am back in the office after 3 days off with a poorly DS...honestly, being at work is a breeze compared to a sick 18 month old! Am positively relishing all the adult interaction (though am a bit in denial about how much work I have to catch up on!).

Hi everyone

Knitterati I've just been told we are now in a formal consultation process with a view to my job being made redundant. My Director stupidly mentioned the cost of covering my maternity leave at the meeting, so I'm potentially looking at an unfair dismissal claim. I've looked into all of y rights, and taken legal advice, so feel free to PM me if you need to rant/moan/ask for advice.

I have my 16 week MW appointment today (at 17+1!) so looking forward to hearing the little heartbeat :)

NFC how awful about your job though your director making such a comment gives you good ground to press for unfair dismissal. Still though, what a thing to be dealing with - makes me so that pregnant women are so often treated so unfairly...hope the midwife app was good though! I have my 16 week app tomorrow and am looking forward to hearing the heartbeat!