May 2013 - we've seen our babies and our trousers are tighter as we enter the second trimester!

[SevenElvesAndAReindeer]

Shiny new thread. Come and grab a and a .

Hi ladies, I'd like to agree with the whole BF supply and demand idea. With my DS1 it definitely seemed that the more he needed/demanded the more I produced - I agree, I wouldn't express to reduce supply.
Also, having a list to buy us helpful, but u don't actually NEED a lot of it. It's tempting because its exciting and if its your first you don't really know. But there are only really a few things you 'need' in the first days, you'll know as you go along. Just my thoughts anyway!

Hi gemlove! Just realised that we hadn't said hello. I can't offer much advice on childcare/buggies as this is my first. We have bought a second hand bugaboo cameleon on ebay, but just because that is what my brother has and it seems good. Don't know much about the other options... Hope your scan goes well on Friday and you feel reassured. My dh just felt the baby move recently and I'm almost 23 wks now - he has to be patient and wait for a while with his hand on my belly to get a good kick!

My kicks are low down as well - getting quite strong now!

Agree with Mwnc that actually you don't need much when they're first born. Part of the point of my email to my friend was that. I think you can easily end up with stuff that doesn't suit your individual needs. One example that springs to mind was my friend stocked up on huggies nappies when they were on offer in pregnancy and found they leaked so gave most of them away. I also have loads of talc that I need to chuck out from when DS was born!

My kicks are all very low too, like knicker line low.

Hello gem sorry haven't said hello yet!

My kicks are low too :)

Agree with the second plus timers about shopping! Lots with a newborn is working it out as you go along I think. And you cannot underestimate how much you will be bought! :) is great fun working it all out tho and getting muslins etc.

10 Sorry to hear this.You are in the right place and im sure everything will be fine.It is quite common to bleed throughout pregnancy with no implications for a lot of women.Im sure it doesn't make it any less scary though.

I will be thinking of you.Take care

Thinking of you 10 x

Oh no - really sorry to hear this 10. How scary for you. Try just to relax and not panic though. As beaut says, you are in the right place.

Thinking of you today 10 , as others have said, it is common but scary for you nonetheless, try to stay calm xx

scooby and Mool the author that must not be named...who we talking about? Surely not Voldemort? I'd be interested in reading it, I can't get enough literature, love reading baby books. However, I think they all need to be read with the understanding that your baby could break the mould, no babies are the same, but I feel reassured having a back-catalogue of theories and ideas to try out, to see what works for us. Just read the book about the American who moved to Paris and her experience of parisian mums, loved it, so interesting. Now reading Hypnobirthing - Marie Mongan. I'm finding it VERY calming and reassuring, not sure I'll be doing it but it's logic is great and like I say I feel very calm about the process, the breathing techniques are also great.

Ps - watched One Born last night, I loved the active birth room, with the rope swing, I'd like that, that yoga lady did so well I thought, despite her DH messing up his one role...to press the bloody button!! Haha that will so be my DH, he panics under pressure.

Thinking of you 10 x

picklep, i thought the same thing re. OBEM. Killing myself laughing when the guy couldn't find the call button and was switching all the lights on and off! although, i'd prefer that to the guy who threw a hissy fit when they said they had to go home again....

thinking of you 10. could they see what was causing it on the scan at all? hopefully just a cyst or something bugging your cervix? I have spotting from brown to red blood almost daily now and it is almost shrugged off by everyone... have had internals, tests for infections and numerous scans and they cannot see what is causing it at all. Is bizarre. they thought it was a low lying placenta but that has moved significantly since 15 weeks! so it wasn't at all.

altho it is completely not the same as what you are going through I hope it comforts you to know that blood can and does happen throughout people's pregnancies and the wean can be utterly oblivious.

I hope you are ok

Hope your ok 10 xx

Haven't caught up properly,

10
Hope they reassure you soon. A good friend of mine was in and out of hospital throughout with bleeding. She even spent a sweet in once. They never found a cause and her son is fine and nearly 3.

Still waiting for my scan next week. I've had lots of negative comments from people about finding out the gender. We did last time too. Some colleagues are real tossers about it to my face! My DH thinks I'm over sensitive, but why do people make comments? It's what making me want to keep it our secret. I don't mind telling family, it's the bastards at work that have got to me!

Blood hell anyone else completely irrational today?!

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Week not sweet

Oh 10 love, sending you lots of positive vibes. To reiterate what everyone else has said, you're in the right place and bleeding is a common part of pregnancy for many women. Try to relax as much as you can and know you're in the best possible hands.

Maybe do you mean people are criticising your decision to find out gender? I'm beginning to know what you mean....we're prob going to find out on Monday at ours, and in a way I've been looking forward to it purely because people (mostly work colleagues) keep asking 'Do you know what you're having?'

But weirdly, when I say we'll find out on Monday it becomes, 'Oh, you're actually going to find out?' I mean, you can't have it both ways guys.....

Hello Gemlove - afraid as it's my first I'm as clueless as you (blissfully so, at the moment).

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Oh 10, I hope you and the baby are ok and that they are able to give you some answers and help.

I'm guessing that the author who should not be named is Gina Ford - the Content Baby book. Is that right? I haven't read it but I believe that she promotes very strict routines from very early on. I'm sure it works for some people, at least some of the guidelines and ideas rather than sticking to it to the letter.

Lots of movement & kicking last night, but not so much today. Hoping baby has just moved into a different position - scan tomorrow though so that will reassure me. Placenta is low lying and anterior, so only feel movements a bit higher up, but below belly button.

We aren't buying anything until the baby is here - we have car seat and newborn stuff already though, so DH can sort out other stuff before I come out of hospital after CS. Think I will buy some little baby/tiny baby vests and babygrows though before, as the baby will be coming early so is likely to be too small for 0-3 months stuff which was what I was intending to use last time.

22+2

Just trying to catch up after my Xmas hols. Thinking of you 10. I hope they manage to find out what's causing the bleeding.

Don't know if this has been said before but John Lewis do free nursery advisory sessions (this was my job when I was at uni). They'll talk you through all the things that you might need. It takes about 2 hours of your time. The weekend slots get booked up early though.

We're not buying anything now, just need mattresses and girly clothes. Want to double check the sex on Tuesday's anomaly scan and go through DS's old things before going mad in the shops!

10 thinking of you hope you recover well and find out what it is. Like others are saying, you are in the right place and it seems to be so much more common than we hear about. Sending hugs your way xx

pickle that One Born was hilarious yesterday, crikey that moody guy was a bit scary. The active birth was so inspiring, never seen a rope thing before. Watched it with DP and we were both laughing about the guy switching the lights on and off, it actually seemed like the kind of thing I can imagine my man doing (!) but DP says he's taking notes for when the time comes! even found myself thinking 'ooh, nice nightgown' about the yoga lady at one point. The birth centre near is pretty great actually so now I just need to get cracking on that yoga DVD (as I sit here with tea and choc bikkie!).

maybe I know what you mean about people being critical of finding out gender. It was kind of a spur of the moment decision for us, we hadn't really thought about it, so have been surprised whenever people are judgemental about it. Each to their own I say. Never thought I would want to know gender, then found myself saying 'yes please' so it's all just individual really.

Re prams: at the moment we are aiming to get hold of a bugaboo bee (on eBay prob and a friend has carrycot for it to give us), purely because it seems like the easiest for getting on/off bus, fitting in cafes (seriously its like pram city in some cafes around here and don't want to end up being one of those mums that takes up the whole aisle with a massive pram), and we keep getting it recommended to us by mums. Theres a baby expo on at the ExCel centre in feb (in London) so am going to go with my mum to get discounted tommeetippee stuff and car seat etc.

Who is this author we will not speak of? Intrigued :) have also just read French Children Dnt Throw Food (DP is reading it now and loves it), and read Jo Frost Confident Baby Care which was interesting too. Love geeking out reading then of course we will just have to roll with it when the time comes, but at least we will know more than we did before!

Eek 10 scary times for you. You're in the right place & getting excellent care if last time is anything to go by. Hope they very quickly give you the reassurance you need

Loved the active birth on OBEM last night. Need to check out the MW led birth unit here (or move back to Leeds!)
I was in Debenhams last week & looking for a maternity swimming costume. No joy there but I did see a multiway dress/skirt/sarong that I thought would be handy for giving birth in.

Not buying anything or getting things from our very generous friends who have children until after our scan on Monday. Keeping everything crossed for that

Fingers crossed for you 10. I know it's horrid being in hospital but you are in the best place.

Wirra, the author of whom we do not speak is Gina Fo*d! I think she read some , um, critical views of her method on MN and sued for libel.

BBC article

The books I found most helpful with DS were one by Mirian Stoppard and one called So That's What They're For which is an excellent and comprehensive guide to breast feeding.

Gosh I've only been offline for a few days and have missed loads!

Welcome sisi and gemlove!

twinkling thanks for your advice about the back stuff - I actually hadn't thought to mention it but it would be a good idea.

Congrats to everyone on their scans and respective boys & girls! Funny how there are twice as many boys??!

10 I'm so sorry to hear you're stuck in hospital, what a nightmare for you. I hope you're managing to get some sleep, they can be very noisy places! I know it's been said already, but try not to worry too much - I was in & out of hospital with a lot of bleeding with DS, they never did find out what caused it (but interesting that I had the placenta tear with this pregnancy....).

One thing I will mention though, although NOT to worry you unduly - DS was born prematurely when my waters broke at 31 weeks. I've heard from docs over here in the USA since that apparently having bleeding can release a hormone which can damage the bag holding your waters, so you are more prone to them breaking earlier than they might have. Nobody in the UK mentioned that even after he was born, so I'm not sure if it's different medical knowledge or what.

I'm not saying you'll have a prem baby, but if I'd had a bag packed and felt a bit more 'prepared' to have him early, I think my experience of labour would have been much better than it was. He was/is absolutely fine and just turned 4 :)

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