Due in May: the 2nd trimester, more glowing and less throwing

[Yorky]

Before the other thread bursts!
Thanks Miko for the title!

I was fine in the afternoon,now I'm so grumpy that I feel like I could wallop somebody.Grrrrrrr.

cupcake my 16 weeks appointment is next Thursday,mw has a doppler hopefully she'll use it with good result-I'm flat like a pancake,farting like an old gas bag and no moves at all.Grrrr

Enjoy your food,hope there'll be something nice for you to munch.

Does anyone know if corsodyl mouthwash is allowed in pregnancy? A lot of them say "non" for us pregnant ladies. Sorry for my laziness but cannot cope with going through all of them on the shelf to find none are suitable!!

Hi all -
Interestingly, that study was reported over here in NZ, along with previous reports about the proposed changes to the NICE guidelines regarding c-sections for psychological/emotional reasons. That link you provided was a good summary - even if it's all a bit moot for me. I'll be back in hospital for no.2 but doing my best to keep things as normal as possible to help my chances of a VBAC birth. With that in mind, I've been making contact with doulas this week. I've found two relatively local ones who still have May free and will meet them over the next couple of weeks. Really hope I click with one of them!

waves to ballroompink, Tara, ariane and cluelesspro

dreaming yay for hearing the hb at 16 week appointment. I've just been reading through my notes for the last pregnancy and there's so much that I'd completely forgotten! Like the fact that they couldn't find a hb at 16 weeks so I had to go up to the hospital to check for it. As soon as I read that all the emotions flooded back but apparently it's reasonably common to not find it at that stage so for those who are still to come to 16 weeks, please try not to fret! Congrats on the keys!!!!

Miko paracetamol and a saline spray for decongesting noses are good. Also that fore-head stuff is quite calming for headaches.
I'm anticipating a cold myself soon as DS is just coming down with one and we've been sharing a drink bottle most of the day

catsy I always suspected ironing was bad for your health. Now I have a great excuse not to find out for sure myself

yorky I keep telling myself 20 weeks = halfway and then that little irritating voice in my head says, yeah, but you got the first 4 free and you'll have to do every single day of the last 20 . I'm already adding a week on to my due date just so I don't get too fraught if/when i go late (DS was 40+10). Fab news on the spontaneous potty training

Goodname maybe it's no 16 week appt for you because you're a second timer??

BlueCrane I haven't put any weight on - but I didn't expect to really, in my first pregnancy I lost a fairly substantial amount in the first trimester and then gradually made that back..and then added in the 3rd. Just because of food aversions, heartburn, etc I think I just ate less without realising it and then body worked harder to support the pg so my metabolic rate went up. This time around I'm on a gestational diabetes-type diet which is pretty restrictive in terms of carbs/sugar and my portions have to be small too. I think I've lost a bit of weight around my face and my boobs haven't got bigger since about week 6, but my bum definitely has joined in the pregnancy

SES try to think of the conversation as a 'here's a plan for if the worst happens', rather than a prediction. There isn't a guarantee this one will be oblique, but at least this way you can start talking to your family etc about what might need to be put in place if you did have to go in to hosp at 37 weeks.

LittleSarah ermmmmm, wellll, Christmas plans....I bought some candy canes today. Does that count? Don't nothing so far except vaguely think about things I could suggest grandparents could get for DS

It is strange that it can be so hard to tell which up babies are, but I could never work out with DS whether it was his bony bottom or head. Midwifes were often similarly confused and I had a couple where two MW felt and disagreed whether he was head-down or breech in the weeks leading up.

SirCharles I think it's in the category of not known to be unsafe, but use only when clearly needed?

I wonder how our resident midwifewithabump is getting on? Are you doing sneaky doppler/scan sessions???

Hello All and Congratulations to everyone!

I am tentatively marking my spot here if that's okay. Not quite believing ths pregnancy is real yet. In theory due 26 May. Hope you don't mind me lurking...

Hi everyone, just sitting down for some lovely soup and a drink in the new Westfield by the Olympic park. It's a day off work and dd1 is at school, dd2 with my mum and dad, so I'm running round trying to get some Christmas shopping sorted while I've got the chance. Done some online in the last couple of weeks but my diary is so packed up now with events (either for me or the children) that this will be my only day of coming to actual real live shops! Thankfully I seem to have got quite a few people ticked off this morning.
My 16 week appt isn't happening until I'm nearly 18 weeks, and i've also been wondering if everything's still happening inside, now that my sickness feelings have disappeared. I've also had the buttock pain thing coming and going. I had it in last pregnancy but not until about 29 weeks! Also, since yesterday have had a really strange kind of stabby pain every now and then, right next to my tummy button! Anyone else had that? Assuming just ligaments or organs being pushed upwards...
Also, think I must be showing a bit now, at least to people who know me. My friend guessed i was pregnant yesterday before i'd managed to tell her.
Hope you are all having a good day.

Afternoon all...so much for worrying about beany since my sickness had gone...cue breakfast making a return visit this morning and I've been feeling very tired and nauseous all day again which is frustrating as I was enjoying feeling better! Have managed to book my 16w MW appointment though which I'm v pleased about as the docs kept saying the appointments hadn't been released so was beginning to wonder if they ever would be!! I'll be 16+2 when I have it in a couple of weeks...hoping to hear the HB but trying not to expect too much in case they don't bother with that!

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who hasn't put much weight on but does seem to be growing around the middle

So sorry to hear of people's DCs being ill, must say I could barely stand the smell of my nephew's nappies last weekend so no idea how I would be dealing with a pukey DC right now

Re. the Christmas shopping I'm pretty much done...just the Dad's to do and need to finish DH's off and do a lot of baking...am planning on making Christmas Cake Truffles and Pecan shortbread for friends this year and possibly sparkly marshmallow crispy cake for friend's kids but will see how the time goes!! I'm babysitting for a friend tonight and if I can stay awake will be writing my Christmas cards and announcing my 'news' to those I've not seen/had a chance to call yet!

Is it too early to look at prams yet??? I've seen one on offer in M&P that I really like the look of and we're going to see it tomorrow...it's got 30% off at the moment so am tempted to get it if it seems to fill the criteria but I'll only be 15 weeks on Tuesday... What do people think??

Thanks Catsy and Littlesarah for the positive messages re second labour! I had a hypno birthing CD last time but never even unwrapped it, def going to this time. Trying to think about what I can either do differently or say I don;t want or do want etc. Sure it will be fine. The pregnancy has been much better so far (by this point last time I had been in hospital for 3 weeks) hopefully everything about this one will be better. Had appointment with midwife today and heard the heart beat - I always thinks that makes it a bit more real than even the scan!

Cupcake, that's a shame about your 16 week appointment. They did all the usual stuff with me too but did listen to the heart beat which I was glad about. My next appointment is also at 28 weeks which seems ages away - at least 20 week scan in between.

I had my 16 wk appt with the doctor, she's lovely and I thought I could ask for the flu jab at the same time (which I almost forgot to do). I also nearly forgot to ask to hear the heartbeat, they don't routinely do it at 16wks so make sure to ask BlueCrane and any others upthread that I've missed. My dr was nervous and said 'oh the MWs' are much better and was starting to get in a tiz about not finding (which would have been fine through clenched teeth) but fortunately found it. A very long winded post to say 'don't forget to ask'.

Also I can defo recommend hypnobirthing, the relaxation part was really useful for the insomnia & night-time worrying too. I did end up with a mobile epidural in the end though, or gin & tonic for the spine as I like to think of it.

ps. I have bought purple tights today, fingers crossed they'll work their magic.

Thanks oltob I will make a list of things to ask I think as have a feeling that my brain could go totally blank at the crucial moment!! Hope the purple tights work their magic for you tomorrow!!

Not looking forward to the 8 9 week gap between my 20w 19w scan and next MW appointment at 28 weeks!! Am sure it'll feel like an age!! At least Christmas will keep me occupied as I wait for my 19w scan on 3rd Jan!

A friend has brought lots of super yummy cupcakes into work today

Hello everybody:)
Dead tired as I can't sleep-going to bed at 10-11 pm,by 2 am I'm wide awake.Trying very hard to not to have a nap in the afternoon.

My "consultant" visit today was in fact ante-natal appointment,they said I can cancel the mw next week.Had the bloods taken for Downs.Still thinking what to do was hoping to hear the heartbeat anyway,more waiting...
Dr at the clinic wanted to sign me for a "growth scan" at 36 weeks A tad late I think?

So...if I cancel next week visit then I have just anomaly scan at 20 weeks and will see the mw at 28 weeks?Is anybody going to talk to me about the labour and all other stuff and if so then when?I'm shortsighted so any chance for a vaginal birth or deffo cs?

Poking and proding done by my friend instead of NHS asking "feeling any moves yet?"No,just farts I'm afraid.Sorry to disappoint you.

Regards to everybody,sorry for not naming but running around all day and absolutely knackered.

BlueCrane - thanks for the cupcakes. Don't mind if I do!

LimeFlower - I'm with you on the tiredness. I thought it had been improving but this evening I'm wiped out and will be heading off to bed soon!

tara - I had a hypno birthing CD last time too but although I used it in advance, due to the CS, didn't exactly put it into practice!

oltob - yay for purple tights :)

lucky - hope you managed to make the most of your day and weren't too exhausted from the shopping.

BebeBelge - welcome and feel free to lurk / post :)

LadyMaybe - hope one of your prospective doulas works out.

SirCharles - As a pharmacist, I can reassure you that Corsodyl mouthwash should cause you no problems :)

Hello cupcakefairy, LittleSarah and anyone else I've missed.

All ok here but feeling the cold and the tiredness. Have lit a fire in the living room this evening and that's helping to warm me up but not with the sleepiness!
I'm at work in the morning and then going to the Brighton MN meet up tomorrow afternoon!

grrr.... so cross wih DP... he texted 2.30 hours ago to say he was coming home from his xmas party and he still isnt here... i went completely mad with worry half an hour ago,texting him and calling him hundred times and all i got was a loosy text "stuck at kings cross"...
well i know now he is alive and i wont have todeal with 3 DCs on my own....

had my 16 w appointment today and consultant listened to hb so i was very relieved to hear it, i think im starting to feel a few kicks too....

vbac i had emcs with Ds1 and hired a doula for DS2 as i really wanted a vbac, and that was the greatest thing ever. i can really recommend using a doula. if i was a first timer, id def hire one. i paid mine £400, she had done 14 births before me.

ah i can hear DP....
night, night, everybody :-)

tostaky how did you find a doula? And why was it money well spent? Trying to convince DH we should consider hiring a doula as this our firstborn ....

I went to High St Ken yesterday. Seraphine has a lovely website and I thought it a good place to go grab some basic maternity wear to get me through til Christmas at work and to pack for my 3 month trip away. I also need a dress for a black tie event in January when I will definitely not fit anything currently in my wardrobe.......

Why do they assume only skinny girls get pregnant?!

I am so disappointed. Worst shopping trip of my life. I am usually a size 14-16 but they had NOTHING on their rails except size 8 & 10 with a few 12s hanging about. Really crushed my confidence. No wonder most pregnant people rely on Internet shopping but I am fast running out of time to receive an order and send back whatever does not work.

I did fit on a tankini but you would have to have boobs like fried eggs to wear it. I want support goddamit.

Back to the drawing board.... I might brave Mothercare OXford Street today. Perhaps a less up market store will cater for the bigger bosomed lady?!

FFS I am now an F cup. Depressingly figleaves maternity swimwear does not seem to go that big. How can this be?!

Ladies any tips on buying maternitybswimwear or basic staples would be much appreciated. (unless you are all skinny minies of course in which case you must have loads of choice so I do not want to hear it!)

SirC try jojo maman bebe, I got an ok tanktini there last time. I'm still in normal dresses (just) but will be getting out an Isabella Oliver smart dress bought for a do last time, pricey but they are always doing discounts of some kind. I also got some decent t-shirts etc from gap.
I agree choice for the bigger busted is rubbish, had to resort to M&s when I hit an H cup, staying under wired for as long as poss this time. Just thought Biden might do swimmers, on phone so hard to chk. Good luck - 3 months off, where ?

SirC I went up to an F cup later in my last pregnancy (am usually C!!) and had a lovely tankini from mothercare though did cost about £25. I had intended on giving birth in the pool wearing it (the top anyway ) but didn't get to go in a pool in the end so it was only worn once! Will get more use out of it this time with going to ds' swimming lessons. Can't believe figleaves don't do them big enough
For bras generally I can v v much recommend the Emma-Jane sleep bras, brilliant for comfortable support at night, and for night feeds when baby here. I also had a lovely Elle MacPherson one too...pricey but you need something to make you feel a bit good!!

Tara I also had a hypnobirthing cd...by Margaret somebody I think? I listened to it every day of my maternity leave and fell asleep to it every time I think it did help me though with the early contractions.

tostaky glad your dh is ok I get so cross with mine when he doesn't keep in touch properly and I'm expecting him home too!

Right...dashing off for more Christmas prep, time to crack out the christmas playlist i thinK!

SirC Mamas & Papas on Regent Street could be a good bet as well and they have a sale on at the moment. Also Dorothy Perkins, New Look, Next or H&M on Oxford Street could be worth a try...not so upmarket but good for basic pieces which can be mixed and matched with more expensive pieces IYSWIM! As far as I know they all do larger sizes too (I am of the smaller variety but often get annoyed as there's never any short leg length left or normal size 10's...always seems to be 6,8 or 14!!). Another thing to try is the Next online sale...there's quite a bit of mat stuff in there and a lot of it is larger sizes and will be delivered within a couple of days or you can pick it up in store, try it on there and then and take back whatever you don't like before you leave the store! Hope that helps!!

We went to look at prams on Saturday and were very impressed with the service in M&P and that you can put a 25% fully refundable deposit down to secure the sale offer that's on now, but if the price goes down before you pay the balance you get that extra discount and you can choose when you want to pick it up - ie not until April!! We were very impressed as means we've secured the one we really liked but can carry on looking and not feel we've comitted too early! This being DC1 we were both a bit like kids in a toy shop looking around but were trying to keep a firm grip on reality so that we don't end up spending a fortune or buying loads of stuff we don't really need!!

On a different note I also now seem to be suffering with lower back pain so fully sypathise with those who've mentioned that before...sleep now most uncomfortable as rolling over hurts a lot!! Wondering whether this is normal or whether I need to go to the docs?!

oltob how were the purple tights??

Hope everyone else is well...

Hi all

Well got my hypnobirthing CD and says from 32 weeks onwards! Booo. However the pregnancy relaxation track seems ok to listen to anytime and it is very relaxing.

Had a nice weekend, had a couple of friends who also have a young son over. He is a stay at home dad and it was quite funny as you can totally tell as he sounds just like me when he talks about general life. It's just odd as used to hearing that side from the woman. His wife said it was quite difficult at times as her son was such a daddy's boy that he could be quite mean to her sometimes. Sadly, despite my being there all the time I am very much not the favourite with ds right now so I know how she feels!

SES - Made the cake on Thursday but lovely ds put cooker up to max half way through and it was burnt to a cinder! Did it again yesterday and turned out very well though.

SirCharles - Your Seraphine experience sounds horrific! I don't know why some shops are so bloomin' narrow minded (and snobbish) about size. I went to a G with my daughter but just an F with my son, so far I am already an E! I got a couple of lovely bras last time but of course I can't remember where now! A friend got the two exact same, without us ever discussing it, just got a good look due to breastfeeding!

oltob - Glad you heard the heartbeat and thanks for the reminder to ask, not sure what the routine is here but seeing midwife this week so fingers crossed! Oh, and my MIL is soooo tactless all the time I have just learned to ignore it. Last time I was pregnant she said 'oh Sarah I thought you were looking a bit fat and then I remembered you were pregnant'.

Funnily enough my cousin, who I would consider far more tactful, said pretty much the same thing the other week. Although she has just found out so my 'fatness' made more sense to her!

tostaky - I also feel your pain. My dh is rather forgetful/disorganised and I often find myself tapping my foot with no explanation for lateness despite the miracle of mobile phones! Once he turned up an hour late (after doing so the day before and my firmly asking him to please just let me know) with his mother and sister in tow for dinner! I was furious, sitting very casually dressed, not feeling up to much (so hoovering needed done), but with a special meal just for two keeping warm in the oven....

Hello and welcome to bebebelge!

Sarah our ds did the exact same thing with the oven! Turned it right up when the mincemeat was baking at lowest temperature! haha...we didn't notice for about 20 mins but thankfully didn't ruin the mincemeat :) little tinkers.

bluecrane fab about the pram! Which one do you like?? I can def recommend going to John Lewis and Mothercare etc and trying them all out, get the demos etc it's the only way to know. We're getting a double and think it will be the City Mini Double...a friend has one an it looks fab. Dh even suggested yest that I might be allowed to get a brand new one EEEEP!! (Sorry, big excitement..almost everything was secondhand with ds )
Re back pain, unless it's really bad and you thnk you could benefit from physio referral, there's not much the doc can do...mine just told me to take paracetamol (does help a bit esp at night) and get a support pillow. Mine started around 20 weeks last time so waiting to see I really do sympathise though; I was in tears trying to get out of bed every morning.

I have just cancelled my flu jab appointment...got cold feet but think I will re-book it after talking it through with a friend...hate all these decisions!

I have my Christmas playlist on and ds has been asleep for almost 3 hours, ah bliss!

cupcake it's the M&P Zoom with 30% off at the moment I like that it comes with a carry cot bit as well as the normal seat unit, can face both ways and is compatible with M&P or maxicosi car seat too. Back still twingeing and now underside of mini bump v sore too def TMI but was soooo painful trying to go to the loo earlier, constipation and back pain are not a good combo!! All fun! Think I'm going to see how I get on tonight and will try some paracetamol but if still bad then I think DH will insist I at least try going to the docs and see what they say...I'll also mention it to the MW next week when I have my 16w app.

Haven't got around to booking my flu jab and not sure I'm going to both TBH...hoping that isn't desperately irresponsible but I tend to think there's so many different strains and if I'm going to get it then I probably will still anyway!

Right...back to work...a meeting calls!

Another (differing) 16 week appointment/heartbeat tale - I asked about it at my appointment on Friday as it didn't look like the midwife was going to do it. She said that locally they don't do it at 16 weeks any more because they were finding it was too worrying for some women when midwives weren't able to find a heartbeat. So it's a wait until my 20 week scan on December 29th now!

Sympathies re: your back bluecrane, my sleepless nights as I try in vain to get comfortable with achy back and hips seem to have started. Also having quite a bit of neck pain and pain in the back of my head. I'm sure posture changes are to blame ...

Wow - chatty bunch!

Bluecrane - just as a suggestion, could the constipation be adding to the backache? something a chiropractor suggested a while ago. I presume you've tried sleeping with a pillow between your knees? (I found it a complete nuisance when I tried to turn over in the night but it may be nore comfortable?)

Its not all bad though, when I was big and achey with DS2 but DD still woke in the night DH learnt to go to her as he could get out of bed faster than I could, then when DS2 was born I was tuned out of DD and wasn't disturbed by her unless I was already awake with baby!

Also, as for car seat, can I persuade you away from the M&P seat? I found them the heaviest brand by a noticeable amount (none of them are light, especially when baby is getting bigger) and I also think the seat angle is quite upright for a tiny (my opinion, feel free to ignore)

For what its worth with buggies we got a graco travel system before DS1 and have used the car seat on it so little I'm not sure the compatible car seat should have been as big a deal as it was in my head at the time

Cupcake - jealous of your city mini double, have so many buggies its ridiculous but LOVE our single city mini, DH will NOT be amused if I start looking at more on ebay, although he'll be over the moon if I sell some of my stash

Sarah - another mini saboteur in our kitchen too, I am so completely getting a built in oven when we redo the kitchen so the buttons are out of reach of kids! (who by then will be old enough to reach them - doh! but hopefully old enough not to fiddle with them and cremate things)

Sat here waiting to hear from DH who is London for a meeting today and getting the train back, haven't heard from him since I dropped him off at the station around 1030!

Does anyone love/hate their mobile? Mine is due for upgrade now and clueless about what to get, trying not to be swayed simply by carphone warehouse free gifts cos I always assume they give them away to try and get you to buy older phones [cynic]!

Sorry to anyone I've forgotten, and for the mad length of my post

yorky I've also been wondering whether the constipation could be making it worse, will keep up the prunes and other such 'helpful' foods to try and get things moving and see whether it helps! On the car seat front the new M&P one is actually lighter than the maxicosi one but the sunhood bit is v v flimsy looking and since we're all due at the start of the 'summer' (should we actually get one next year!?) then technically it will be needed!

Re. oven controls our kitchen is accessed through an arch from the living room so am going to get a stair gate to effectively close it off to small people I think!!

blue nice buggy choice :) it's quite similar to what I had with ds, iCandy Cherry which I looooved. The carrycot is fab as a travel cot too in the early days. We had a maxi-cosi carseat (as does pretty much every mum I ever see ) and were v happy with it.
Your pain does sound worse than what I had (which was just plain old sciatica) so might be worth a trip to docs. Pears are good for bowels too!

yorky glad you love the city mini; I think it's the best option for us. Quite like the look of the nipper 360 too but put off by pneumatic tyres...puncture when out with 2 kids = not my idea of fun!!

ballroom that makes sense I suppose about the hb thing...last time round I had a mw friend do it instead and it did take her ages to find it even though she had many years of experience!!