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 .

Can't believe I've already reached the big scan point (done at 17/18 weeks here). Have it on Monday so will find out the sex. Very excited.

Baby is being naughty and tormenting mother already. All this week I've felt loads of movement, particularly in the evenings. Yesterday nothing. Could I sleep? I was awake all night worried sick, desperate for any little flicker. Nothing. Had to get up for a 10.30 appointment (about an hour after I finally dozed off). As soon as I get out of bed exhausted, KICK! 5 more months of those kind of shenanigans will not go down well.

16+4

How exciting panda have to wait until 20wks here. Oh well, only 7 weeks to go.

beaver if I can remember clearly from last time you do go into a period of not much happening ... I did NCT classes but don't think they started until about week 30 ... So yes think it's midwife or consultant visit week 16 the scan around week 20 then a couple more midwife appointments ... Fingers crossed with first trimester symptoms slowly going, bumps growing and the elusive glow about to hit us (please)... I think we can all sit back and enjoy things at last ( hmm fingers crossed!)

Just catching up it's been a long few days MS, acid vomitting and long commutes so glad I have a few days off!

RT DH isn't frilled to only have bloods done (which I haven't yet arranged...) but accepts that's the only choice now our 2nd scan was done at 13+6 so we had run out of time. That said he's much more relaxed. NOw we've seen a healthy baby, twice.

10 hope your Dr can prescribe something to help. If my Drs surgery is being difficult over appointments I wait till out of hours and call NHS24 to get an emergency appointment.

panda I'm a bit jealous of all the movements your feeling!

Has anyone felt any flutters yet?

Oh never mind, I've just read pandas post :o so exciting! I'm 14 wks just now and can't wait to feel the baby move.

Glad they have sorted you out 10, hope it helps you to feel better very soon.

I've had mw appointment today, heard hb - yay!! I've been feeling flutters for a couple of weeks, it's lovely! Can't wait for regular proper movements!!

Still got this rubbish cold, it's doing my head in now, but at least my temp has come down, so that's a worry off.

Hope your scan goes well flaming!

Welcome to the joiners!!

16+3

That's really nice about the flutters elly, I've thought I've felt flutters but wasn't sure if it was possible at 14 weeks, it's definitely not wind though, what do you think? This is my 3rd pregnancy; dc2.

That's really crap that some here are still feeling sick, I hope you all feel better soon. I had terrible sickness in 1st trimester but it's now gone and has been replaced with anemia and pelvic girdle pain - you win some, you lose some

Yay! 10, that must be such a relief. Do the meds kick in straight away?

Welcome to the two ladies from the June thread.

Wild-that's what I'm worried about. I have a responsibility (TLR) and I think at the very least they'll make me give it up. Thing is, I think in another few years I'd want to go back full time and go for HOD. It's what I've been working towards and got shortisted only last term-but so glad I didn't by it now! I really can't see them saying yes-our department is in a bit of a mess and is also a huge core subject. I'm not sure what to do. Did your friend not to back at all? Part time jobs are so hard to come by. I'd love to be able to find something completely different for a few years that meant more time at home and less work at home. Just can't think of anything.

Had results from Downs screening this morning. Looks good-so another milestone to tick off.
I noticed that the baby has moved! Sounds daft, but I ways know where to find him/her with the Doppler. But today I found the hb right over the other side! And I'm sure it's slowly getting higher. I reckon at 20 weeks last time I was pretty obviously pregnant. Pretty big bump. Quite exciting to think that in a few weeks at Xmas we'll all be like that. Still need to book that private scan...all talk of the next scan has reminded me.

Lost 2kg in about a week! That's a bit strange isn't it? I won't worry yet after putting on half a stone (and the rest) already.

14+4

With my daughter I didn't feel anything until 20 weeks. Then a few flutters made me look at my bump and I jumped out of my skin on seeing a massive kick. After that she only really moved if prodded. Pretty much how it went for the next 19 years.

This time I started feeling lots of movement from around 13+5. The occasional flutter but mostly rolls, like a grapefruit is being rolled around inside my bump. I wasn't entirely sure it was the baby but it got stronger and stronger over the next couple of weeks. This week I'm certain it really is the baby. I can feel it now even if I'm distracted (although it's still strongest if I'm still and quiet with my hands on my tummy).

16+4

10 no meds yet I've got an appointment for Monday morning.
The MS althought still awful and frequent isn't too bad as I seem to get a major bout but then recover quickly so within the hour I can start keeping down water.

The Acid reflux and vomitting is far worse but I know the only solution is to put me onto stronger Zantac and Rantidine and possibily other presciption Ulcer meds which I want to avoid at all costs because I know how hard it is to wean your ulcer off them allowing your body to self regulate.
I took my first over the counter Zantac last night since then No reflux!
I know it will greatly improve once MS goes and I can eat properly again.

Mentally it's not so bad I expected this to happen, my mum had server Hypermisser all through her pregnancy with me and my sister had it for the first 5 months with her first.
I have lost a stone but I have a fair amount of padding so I can afford to loose some.

For those that have had 4D/3D scans how easy is it to spot the sex without being told? DH is now quite keen to have one but we don't want to know the sex.

Wow, so many posts to catch up on!
10 glad they've given you something, poor you! Hope you're enjoying some quality ice cube and telly time.

beaver we signed up to NCT after um-ing and ah-ind for a while about it. The classes don't start until about late March I think. There was a different lot of classes in our area too run by local midwives which looked great but they were all on days that we usually work. A shame as am feeling a bit apprehensive about our local NCT. In the cafes around here we see so many nightmare high maintenance mums that I get a bit freaked out by the whole thing. I've been in the local cafe and overheard the NCT tea morning all moaning about their partners and it just seemed like really not my (and my very involved boyfriend's) sort of scene. In the end though we decided to go for it and are just hoping that there might be a few people there we can relate to. Sorry, realise that I sound horribly judgemental. Its just what other colleagues in my Field who live locally have also said that they experienced with various mothers groups in the area. Haven't really conveyed it right... Please nobody be offended!

The whole maternity leave thing is a real concern for us as we are both self-employed and in the absence of anything other than the small state maternity allowance I'm definitely going to have to start doing some work again from about 6 weeks afterwards unless my man gets some fab lucrative work in. Such a shame as I really want 3 months off at least and then ease back into it gradually, but we just can't afford it. Got a call from our mortgage guy yesterday basically saying we need a bigger deposit or some actual
PAYE work. Partner is going to start looking today, but it does mean we might be in our little 1 bed place longer than we hoped. Am worried about trying to get a mortgage once I have a significantly lower income next year :( feeling a bit down about it all. Usually am the optimistic one but am starting to feel like I just want to nest and look after the baby and don't want to have to start working (in a very tiring field of work) so soon after they are born. Ah well. Cup of tea solves everything. Think it's the hormones amping up the emotions...

Have been getting into the baby books. Just read a really interesting one called 'French Children Don't Throw Food'. Funny!

Haha wirra - my friends didn't go for the NCT classes for exactly the same reasons!! It's not my cup of tea, I will probably go to the mw run ones locally, although because of having an ELCS they probably would only be any good for meeting other people.

I hope you manage to work things out wirra, at least you can still claim MA and earn self employed income (I think), so could you maybe do alternate days with DP so that at least one of you will be looking after the baby?

I think all NCT experiences are different ... I was hoping for a lovely network of ladies ... However only bonded with one ... Then again 3 years on we are still close friends ... And to me one very good friend is better than a lot that you arent very bothered about

As for parenting/ birth skills the only thing I took away is to be flexible and accep whatever happens ... Which given my experience was sage advise!!

wirra me and my nct friends are a right load of happily married drunks :) So maybe it just depends who you meet; I hope you meet some nice friends whichever group you go to :)

maternity leave is such a fecker. I never really had to get into it as i am a FT student but I do feel for working mumz, our society doesn't look out for us.

wirra there is a silver lining... so many of my friends who had bought had to move house when their babies turned one! so maybe good to hang on to where you are and move when you realise what kind of house you really need when you have toddler. Sorry you are worried about having to work so early after the birth tho, I hope you can work something out.

speaking of which, maybe, no my friend didn't go back to teaching - there weren't any jobs! Mardy news I know, but if you are HoD material you'll likely have better luck; she was only just out of her NQT year when she got pg I think... Does seem tricky though and she was shafted for sure :(. My other teacher friends managed to have mat leave until a couple of weeks before the summer, then had the summer hols paid and went back FT after - could you do something like that?

glad you have meds 10 and hope you feel better soon little

panda if you think you have had flutters why not go with it? you know your body! :) I think I have but nothing definite and few and far between. can't wait for regular feelings!

15+3

OOh the old NCT "should we/shouldn't we?" debate.

We did do NCT antenatal classes before DC1. We did them specifically because I wanted to know some local women who would be on maternity leave at the same time as me. Our local NCT does some courses where every class is for Mums and Dads and some where it is mostly Mums only. We chose the Mums and Dads classes as DH wanted to be involved and I wanted to know women with DHs who were involved. The group I was with were not my soul mates but I did meet up with them regularly throughout maternity leave and it was great to have people going through exactly what I was who would want a local coffee after another sleepless night. I am only friends with one of them now.

For me I found my real motherhood friends in an NCT drop-in baby group. It happened to be populated by a group of women who I clicked with. Six years later and four of those women are some of my closest friends: we regularly holiday together, go out together, hang out with the kids after school. This weekend our DHs have gone away together!

I guess it is all luck of the draw.

Good evening all :)

I haven't updated in weeks (forgot my MN password!!), have changed my due date back a week (from 2nd to 8th may). Had 2 scans, cos what we though was 12 weeks was dated as 10+1, then the revised 12 week scan ended up being 13+0. Had a little cry at 13 week scan

All is well anyway, DS results were fine, but not felt any movement yet :( soooooo looking forward to that!! Bought some mat jeans from next online, which are very very comfy for days when I'm feeling a bit fat larger. Mostly still in normal clothes tho.

Anyway, is lovey to catch up with how everyone is faring, am logged in now, so will try to stay up to date :)

wirra I had similar fears about the whole NCT thing for much the same reason (again, no offence to anyone who's had a great experience, but reviews have def been mixed where I am). Will dig further...

Also, on mortgages and money. Deep sigh. I'm in a similar position as I earn considerably more than DH, and my mat leave allowance is just shite. Like, it's statutory, I think - 90 per cent of my salary for 6 weeks and then SMP.

We're in London, haven't been able to buy, but have to now because once I'm on SMP we won't be able to afford our rent. So will be lying about my pregnancy to try to get a mortgage, we'll need a 95 per cent one as we don't have money for a big deposit, and will have to downsize massively to be able to afford a roof.

It's horrible. And yet we're two hard-working professionals in our early 30s who've always worked, have good solid jobs with decent pay and prospects....and here we are. Irony is if we were living anywhere else we'd get a house and mortgage no bother.

But if we moved from London we wouldn't have our jobs....

Ach, sod it. I'm done with having a real life anyway. Gonna sit me at home with my baby and lentil-munch.

pink welcome back.

NCT I was keen to join the NCT but there seems to be no local groups or much activity in my area possibily because we are close to Glasgow so most go through the Glasgow group but I really can't be bothered to do that. As a nanny I'm pretty used to rocking up to baby groups and making friends.

I don't really feel the need to do a prenatal class, I'm not particularly keen to do them NHS either as I feel fairly well informed. I am looking into Hypnobirthing but no sure if to go with a CD course or actual classes.

beaver London house prices are shocking, hence why in the 6 years I lived there I was always a live in nanny as there was no way I was paying sky high rent for a bedsit with a shared bathroom.
A lot of my mum bosses had to go back early purely due to financial reasons, if they left London they would either have to give up work or commute very long distances.

We could have stayed in London DH had very lucrative job offers but I knew that even on a great salary it can still be very hard living in London. I do regret it sometimes London can be a fantastic place for kids, loads of fantastic parks amd free museums.

beaver our house situations sound so similar! We are in almost exactly the same position. Grr to London prices. Am going to see if we can sort it without needing to mention pregnancy but it's not looking good. We are 2 working professionals in our early 30's, and again if we moved out of London it'd probably be fine, but both of us need to be in London for our work. Ah well, it'll all work out for us all in the end. Let's think of it as one of those stories we get to tell when our kids are grown up :)

wilde hopefully my NCT class will be more like yours :)