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

[Yorky]

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

Hello all...I'm also starting to wonder whether I should have a serious look at the city mini having thought I'd found my 'one' with the M&P Zoom... not sure now...

totsaky I seem to have gone off milk again, was totally off it for several weeks at the start, then managed it again, but now the thought of cereal in the morning makes me feel quite sick. Probably worth a chat with the MW...

Speaking of tums though...has anyone else's bump (albeit mine is still 15+3 mini) been aching? Mine just seems to ache on and off most of the time and I'm wondering whether I should be worried? It can't be stretching pains the whole time can it? Anyone else had this??

Also, today it is a lot more painful and I have just come home from work so that I can get into a more comfortable position - ie sofa rather than desk chair and put soft waistbanded trousers on but still quite painful! Today I'm wondering whether it might be trapped wind as well though as my tum is not very happy in that department so to speak. Tried ringing the docs but they're shut this afternoon, rang the mat unit at the hospital who put me through to triage MW who said 'we don't deal with anyone under 18w' try water and paracetamol and if no better in 3 hours go to a&e wasn't really the advice I was expecting TBH...will just have to see how it goes I guess!

Bluecrane I have been feeling massively uncomfortable for the last few weeks, find it really hard to find a comfortable position between standing and laying down!

My bump started to feel really heavy around 15 weeks too, as if too heavy for my body and my skin felt like it was being stretched like crazy (which it is I guess), as if I would split down the side if I stretched my arms up. It seems to have improved a bit lately, so maybe it is a particularly stretchy phase you are going through - that was when my bump really started to show!

Don't know if that's any help, but sometimes just knowing that someone else is going through it and that it might not last can make you feel a bit better - can't it?

BlueC - it might be a combo of posture and trousers, hope the sofa & stretchy trews is working for you. I can't say the bump aches but the whole stretching thing is given as the answer for a multitude of sins. My Mum swears by drinking hot water (?) - hope the paracetamol are helping.

My scan is a week today and I can't wait, I really want to know if DH & DD are right and I'm having another little girl or whether my inkling of a boy will be right. I was wrong last time so have no trust in my intuition at all and even seem to be getting my old wives tales confused.

I definitely think all the flutterings and pops are most certainly the babies. I dreamt very vividly of the bump last night, it was as though my skin had gone very thin and I could see the outline of hands and toes poking through my belly, Artem from Strictly was my sonographer and helped me identify the various body parts - but by the outline of them poking through! In another part of the dream I lost DD for 3 days but didn't seem majorly alarmed at the fact. I have been feeling guilty about that all day.

Can't say I'm off milk, in fact have developed quite a craving for gingerbread lattes and have started having to have milk at night again to help with the heartburn. SPD sufferers I can recommend bump bands to help ease some of the pain - also be very careful getting out of bed in the morning and no standing on one leg to put socks, knickers etc on. Always sitting and taking things slowly - I've been doing this (most of the time) this pregnancy and touch wood all ok for the mo, also less Paris Hilton getting in and out of cars and more Pippa Middleton.

Finally in my non-name checking rambly response I can agree that a doula would be really helpful. I remember thinking when DH complained of a poorly wrist from rubbing my lower back that a man doesn't really get it and wished in some ways that I'd asked a good friend who'd been through it twice herself to be a birth partner. Practically I could never have done that as DH would have been heartbroken and I would have felt too mean. So in short a doula sounds a great idea - although this time am hoping I'll have coached DH enough that he'll be more prepared.

Yorky - have a fantastic childfree weekend, v.envious

Right off to google Anita bras and look at city minis on ebay. Bon weekend.

On a kind of related note - has anyone tried sitting on a birthing/exercise ball yet? DH has just bought me one as they are meant to be terribly good for preggers, but it doesn't seem all that appealing when you would rather lay on the sofa with a slanket.

Thanks for the responses ladies...knowing others are in a similar position does help IYKWIM as there is always this thought in the back of your head that it's only me and it's all going horribly wrong Think I might stick the hot water on 'boost' so that I can have a 'not too hot but still nice' bath with the m2b Sanctuary bath salts DH bought for me. In the mean while the sofa has helped though am sure I'm not sat right for my back as that is now hurting...ought to get up and wander around a bit methinks!

Re. prams...now wondering whether a city mini might also be worth a look at just to compare with the M&P Zoom I have slightly fallen for...looks like I have something else to research after my wander!!

Hope everyone is well and has relaxing weekends planned!!

PS miko not tried a ball yet, been thinking of getting one but this is most definitely the time of year to be snuggled on the sofa rather than balanced on a ball, but if your back/pelvis etc are painful then ball it needs to be I'm afraid as the sofa will make it worse unfortunately speaks to herself as well as back currently sore...d'oh!

PPS...been looking at cots this afternoon and wondering why so few cots and cot-beds seem to come with a drop-side now...anyone know why? I'm only 5'2'' so a bit worried about reaching all the way down to the lowest level with a heavier baby, hence thinking dropside would be a good idea!

the birthing ball definitely helps bad backs. I wasn't off mine towards the end of my last pregnancy, watched all my telly while bouncing away quietly and did most of my labouring that way too (although no telly )

Blue - I think there are fewer drop down cots for safety reasons. You can still get them but I think they tend to be the co-sleeper types so you can strap them to your bed. For the larger cot-bed types I think it's rarer and typically you start with the mattress at a higher setting and drop the mattress once they can pull themselves up. It does get harder as they get bigger but then I suppose you make the change to cotbed. We're just considering doing this for DD and she's 2 and a bit.

although I know folk who made the switch much earlier - we are just adverse to change

here's a link to help you

www.which.co.uk/baby-and-child/nursery-and-feeding/guides/choosing-a-cot/how-to-buy-a-cot/

can you tell I've been having a quiet afternoon at work?

Thanks olittle I was wondering whether that might be the case...was the only reason I could think of!! Plus I'm thinking (possibly naively) that it won't be too often that I'm lifting a heavy lump sleeping baby into the lowest level of the cot anyway...hopefully by that point they'll be going to sleep in the cot, or am I just being optomistic?!?!

just chatted to my Mum who thinks I'm almost certainly suffering with constipation and side effects!! Said she had terrible trouble with it when we was expecting me and my brother and that apparently my bowels have always had that tendency too...thanks Mum!!! So I have now been instructed to get off the sofa and wander around a bit to try and get things...errr...moving...so to speak!! Lovely, just what I wanted on a Friday evening!!

BlueCrane I have also been having some very intense tummy pain but usually only lasts about 5 mins then stops after a loo trip. tmi sorry but I have actually been having the opposite problem of constipation...v loose! I put it down to baby just playing havoc with my insides; it really does affect your bowels but if it continues def see a doc. I would also say wearing maternity trousers/soft waisted stuff helps enormously with discomfort. Hope moving around does help you even if it's not what one wants to be doing on a Friday night!!
You're not deluding yourself re baby going to sleep in the cot...they easily can do from a few months old if you want them to but oh all that sleep training fun is to come

People talking about prams (I love pram talk ) it all comes down to what you will be using it for. If you're in a city, with busy small pavements and will be getting public transport a lot, something like city mini would be good but you need to decide if you want a travel system (they can have carseat/carrycot/seat attachments)... with my first I found this invaluable, esp being able to just clip the carseat in and go if ds had fallen asleep in car for example. You can get some really compact ones like Quinny Buzz, Bugaboo Gecko, some iCandys.
I would seriously recommend if you can going to John Lewis, M&P & Mothercare (that should cover most big brands of buggy) and trying out a few/asking for demos; it's the only way to really know.

Enough of that prattle...
miko yes birthing balls v good for backs and posture, but not as nice as sitting on a sofa

Btw also wanted to say...I remember on my first an thread I didn't post for weeks on end around this time of preg cos I was just terrified about being pregnant and having a baby, and everyone was just talking about prams and cots and things so I felt v out of place... I'm aware that there might be ladies lurking here feeling the same and now I'm the one talking prams just aware that many names from our list haven't been around for a while & wanted to say please feel free to say whatever you're feeling there's bound to be someone feeling the same.

Happy weekend all x

Well said cupcake I definitely still have my 'nervous' moments about how beany is doing in there and how I will cope etc etc and were it not for bored evenings whilst DH is working late and my research of prams and nursery things I certainly wouldn't have got to thinking about all of that yet at all!! would also be better for my bank balance as have been tempted by a few things today

Wrote the post last night only to be kicked out of internet,grrrr.No electricity yesterday-it was gone about 1 pm and not back until today afternoon.Bloody winds,it was absolutely wild outside.
Got the appointment yesterday with very nice trainee mw and the horrible one who stayed away-so nice of her.Heard the heartbeat -rate between 130/140,was told that it's good and some more noises identified by mw as kicks.Nice :)
Felt a couple of "ticklings" from the inside-mw was laughing when I said that I wasn't sure whether it was a baby or a fart lingering somewhere.Everything is bang on dates and the way it should be,so no skipping days but not behid either.
Back today for a flu jab-so far no sore arm and hopefully no side effects later on.
Decided with DP that we are going for a surprise-not asking sonographer about gender-if I see any obvious danglies on the screen then let it be.

cupcake thanks for a kind word.Yes,I'm jealous and resent my DP that he couldn't make up his mind about kids a bit earlier-if everything goes fine I'll be first time mum at ripe old age of 36.I know I shouldn't complain as there are older women out there,I just felt like whacking him over the head for his ignorance regarding fertility issues-maternal age,unexpected mc that floored me so badly.
I don't know why men are such knobs when it comes to procreation-some of them seem to think that all women get pregnant straight away after 1 shag regardless to age and baby is granted after 9 months.Sorry buddy,it doesn't work this way you plonker
Anyway,went shopping today,got some stuff for a wee lassie and DP went to give it.I didn't want them to invite me to see the baby(was invited on the phone anyway)-mother needs some space now not the visitors and I didn't want to invade their privacy,not to mention getting all soapy.

Yorky have a nice time with your OH

Lady there must be something wrong with my eyes-I mingled "tankini" and "maternity" and thought "she must be mad,drinking martini and then going for a swim,hmmm".Lucky you,last time I swam in the sea was 9 years ago in Baltic Sea-since then I swapped it for either North Sea or Atlantic and don't fancy a dip in any of them.
I don't want my DP at delivery-I'm thinking that I might be calling him all the names under the sun in all languages when the crucial moment comes :o
tostaky,I've got the other way round with milk-actually started drinking it which is very unusual-my tea is always black and I don't drink coffee at all.

I'm not going to join the conversation about prams as I know nothing about them but will watch it witch lots of interest.

Flat as a pancake in the morning,bulging in the evening-bloated or what?

LittleSarah - I'm in Aberdeen (although have seen every major city in Scotland in the last couple of days!) where are you?

Last night DH and I along with a bunch of friends went to a gig at the SECC (Mötley Crüe/Def Leopard anyone?) must have looked a bit odd as an obviously pregnant women in platform boots! But I digress... so many people, most of them pretty tipsy, kept coming up to touch my bump. Is it just me or does this really annoy people?

About the milk debate - bizarrely enough I can't go anywhere near it now. Used to really enjoy creamy hot chocolates when out and about (never really liked coffee) but in the past month or so if I have something like that on my empty stomach it just comes straight back up! It happened a few times before I put it all together. Have decided to try to avoid dairy for the next little while, as it's never fun being ill in public. Has anyone else had such a horrible aversion to a type of food?

bonbonpixie - We are in the borders, used to be Edinburgh. My dh is originally from Aberdeenshire and he slips right back into the accent whenever we visit!

I never got much of the random bump stroking but I know at lot of people find it annoying. When I had dd I had this amazing big coat and no one could ever tell.

I hope you feel better soon bluecrane, don't worry about talk of bowels, pregnancy brings it all out (no pun intended)!

I haven't much to report, feel a bit rubbish as I have had a headache for two days, also my nose is very stuffy and I just want to feel normal.... boooooo.

hello all!

after having felt for sure baby moving and dancing on friday i was expecting a few momvements every day....
but nope, nothing... so now i am slightly worried as i spend friday in bed all day with fever that maybe baby s not well orsomething. i have not felt it mve since despite drinking ice cold water and gently poking my belly...
so this morning iwent to get the ladder and went up in the loft to try to find my doppler but i just cant remember in which bag it is.... i guess i'll have to wait for january or for the next movement to be reassured...

Hi All, I'm back and shattered - had a lovely lazy weekend but kids at 5am was a return to reality with a bump!
I love our city mini but not convinced I'd have chosen it from new - trying to remember what the babyjogger that you can fasten a carrycot onto is called? We have a big old silver cross with a toddler seat on top which will be brill for tiny, but wouldn't mind a little pram - I love little ones being able to lie down properly and don't like using car seat to make a buggy rear facing

Birthing balls can be comfy for backache but not as relaxing as the settee - which is bad for your back :(

Not gone off milk here, but sympathise with the constipation sufferers. Anyone else finding they can't eat very much at a sitting? I normally have a very good appetite but was struggling to finish restaurant portions this weekend - and no chance if we'd gone for a starter too, not even to share

I'm also getting achey bump - specially the underside of it, coughing hasn't helped :( I've got achey muscles I didn't know I had, but sometimes I get aching inside, different from muscle ache, reluctant to call it tightenings but I suppose it could be braxton hicks?

Tostaky i feel lots of movement some days & others none at all, try not to worry, placenta could be masking it or baby just resting, it's really about 20wks u start to feel it properly.

lime sorry to hear about your slight bitterness towards dp, but as u say, 36 really isnt 'old' to be having a baby, 2 of my nct grp were 36 & 38 with first babies & are fabulous mums..it will be just the right time for you.

I need to book a dentist app before xmas, keep getting toothache & got sneaky suspicion Im going to need a filling :( can they even do them during pregnancy?

cupcake a lump of one of my fillings fell off when I was about 8wks, I went to the dentist but they don't advise doing anything with fillings whilst you're pregnant as disturbing them can release mercury which could be harmful for baby. Thankfully my tooth is more filling than tooth so apart from the irritating hole I'm not in any pain. They won't advise doing an xray either.

In so much pain again today and was awake half the night with it too been to docs this morning who has given me laxatives in case it's constipation related (but daren't try it this afternoon as am at work and don't know how quickly it will work ) made me do a pee sample to check for UTI and otherwise suggested it might be a pulled muscle. If the constipation eases but the pain still remains then i shall be chatting to my MW about it at my 16w check on Thursday as it could be SPD (hopefully not) but I need to so something as this pain is ridiculous and paracetamol making no difference at all!!

yorky I know the feeling of bits aching that you didn't know could ache and under/around bump too!! And struggling to eat much in one go too!!

tostaky I thought I felt something last week,now nothing but had a mw appointment in the meantime so I know the bub is still there after hearing a heartbeat.Look at this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/1361843-Any-suggestions-to-encourage-some-kicks

cupcake I had some health problems after my mc including thyroid going mental and AF disappearing so was mentalling that I missed my boat.I think it will go away once I had my baby but some of the fear is still deep inside me.

BlueCrane I can feel your pain,I should have had my check-up appointment a couple of months ago,couldn't imagine anybody sticking anything into my mouth when the ms was in the full season.Now it's Christmas but I promised myself to go after a New Year.

No achey bump here but sitting in my loose denims with button undone.Oh well,no longer cheating myself that I'm so horribly bloated...

Limeflower - if it makes you feel any better I am 38 and will be 39 by the time the baby is born!

Tostaky - I was worried about the lack of flutters last week, but when the doctor listened to the heartbeat it was there fine, she did say that they can move around a lot and get into positions where you can't feel as much.

In the TMI department I think it may be time for another bra fitting! I had one when I was only about 7 weeks as boobs had already gone up a band size to 38C, I think I will be lucky to make it until after Christmas without having to buy some larger bras. I am using an extender at the moment, which makes them a bit more comfy (I have 3 very boring non-underwire M&S bras in rotation). The boobs look HUGE and veiny and generally pendulous!

And in the seriously TMI deaprtment, has anyone had a look...downstairs recently? Don't would be my advice! Serious swelling going on there too!

Still - 20 weeks tomorrow - wahey! Half-way mark. I have my scan booked in for midday, so by this time tomorrow will hopefully know what flavour the baby is! I have a feeling it's a girl, but for no real reason as it's my first and I have no basis for comparison. Suspect I might not sleep tonight am so excited.

Oh - also this week (less excitingly) is 'Fanjo-cam Episode 2', I am dreading it a lot less now that I know what it involves and - undiginified though it is - it isn't painful and you don't have to drink a ton of water beforehand! So keeping fingers crossed that they'll decide that my cervix is not 'incompetent'.