August 2013 Part 3 - Adventures in the second trimester!

[FoofFighter]

Last fred here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1654660-August-2013-Part-2-Looking-forward-to-scans-and-the-beginning-of-bumps

Stats fred here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1655004-Due-August-2013-Stats-Thread

Welcome one and all to the wondrous second trimester where we shall bloom and glow

Hi all been lurking about but not much to say recently. Been having some monster headaches that last a few days and the paracetamol just doesn't touch. Thankfully the last couple of days have been feeling much better, fatigue lifted and have even managed to brush hair and put on makeup for work.
I am starting to look distinctly rotund although objectively not sure if I look preggers or just plump. The elastic waists are in and I can't suck the stomach in in any case!! Also found the best thing ever in M&s vest tops with foam bra cups in, so comfy especially as I am a front sleeper, no more waking up with severe nip pain!
Hope you feel better soon waves
16+3

foof - I'd love to join the Facebook group but I'm not sure how I go about it (sorry, i was out of the loop for a few weeks). And I don't know how to private message on mumsnet!

I'll message you Oxford.

Dexi I've been getting headaches too it's rubbish when you can't get rid of them.

Thanks for sharing your BF experiences MrsP and i can't scroll back to see who the other person is...sorry!

We had a terrible time, DD was never checked for a TT but it's the only thing i could think that was causing the problem, that and the fact that i have ridiculously short nipples (sorry tmi) they were constantly cracked and bleeding and i was turning into a wreck everytime she needed fed. It might have improved as she got a bit bigger but i just couldn't persevere long enough to find out. I didn't get great support either basically just told to get on with it! When i started expressing my supply just gave up the ghost and i was finding it quite distressing pumping for hours each day only to have about 2ozs of milk to show for it, so eventually switched onto straight formula and that was that. Sadly i beat myself up over it for months and ended up in a right pickle.

The plan is not to do that this time! I'll try my very best but if i can't do it, i can't do it - no major guilt trip!

Ooh it was rugbugs & muddybloodypuddles - thanks guys!

Hi All

Have been AWOL for a couple of days - DD spilt apple juice on the computer (my fault for leaving it on the dining room table!) and none of the keys on the bottom half of the keyboard worked! Cue new keyboard and I'm back!

waves glad you are having a night at home. There really is nothing like your own bed! Although the daily trips to hospital must be awful, if you can come home and see you DC in the evening, it must make it a little bit better? Hope you get some relief once you get to the 20 week mark.

oxford the antenatal yoga sounds lovely. I did both yoga and aquanatal with DS but nothing with DD - I really must try and get out to some special "baby" things with this one, as it's very definitely my last chance!

We haven't bought anything for this baby yet - our "tradition" (if you can call something a tradition when you've only done it twice before!) is to stop in at Mamas and Papas and buy the "coming home" outfit after the 20 week scan. Then I think we'll get everything down from the loft and sort it out and see what we need.

BF v FF I was desperate to feed DS but he got a hospital acquired infection when he was born, so didn't feed properly and ended up on IV antibiotics when he was 2 days old. I tried to feed him until he was 6 weeks, then very reluctantly introduced bottle and mixfed until he was about 3 months. I remember crying when feeding him a bottle, convinced that I was poisoning him and condemning him to a life of asthma, eczema, education underachievement, and everything else. Needless to say he is a wonderful healthy 5 year old now with not a health problem in sight and top of his class. Don't believe everything the NCT tell you! Having said that, with DD I was determined to BF, and did so for a year, and because she was well and I knew what to expect this time round, it really was straightforward. I'm hoping to BF this one as well, just because it was so easy - no mixing of feeds, transporting of sterilised water or ready mixed boxes of formula etc - but it really is such an individual choice.

There's so much pressure to birth naturally and BF. Of course it's great if its possible and better for Mum and baby but how can we get to a place where we don't feel 50 shades of guilt if for whatever reason these things don't happen?
I really want a drug free water birth and I really want to BF but I also want to not beat myself up / get depressed if that can't happen...

I am going to aim for drug free as possible too.

I had pethidine last time along with g&a and I was so very sick and was passing out.
I did make it to 7cm on nothing but that was because they didn't believe I was in labour (was in ante-natal ward awaiting induction) and then it took them another 2hrs to get me anything!

It is a tricky subject I think Remembering of course the midwives need to advise you of what is best for you & baby but sometimes I think they can be too forceful with it all and they should explain to mums that it is 100% their choice what they do, I think that might reduce the pressure a bit if some of these things don't work out as we planned.
I felt like a total failure when I couldn't BF and it wasn't until I saw a BF nurse (just before I gave up) and she basically said "would it be better to BF to 6 months and be miserable because you've hated every second of it or stop now and be happy and enjoy the first 6 months of your baby's life?" that was the first time I felt I could stop without the guilt because I basically had 'permission' from a professional - totally ridiculous I know!!

Re: pain relief in labour, I didn't want to have pain relief but soon changed my mind once I was there! G&A is wonderful stuff (IMO) and I ended up having some morphine after about 18 hours because I was knackered and needed a rest and was still nowhere near delivering. I wasn't keen when it was offered but glad I had it in the end and it didn't affect DD at all as she arrived 5 hours later with perfect APGAR scores. I think you just have to do what suits you regardless of what's advised or is socially acceptable.

Hi All

I am a long time lurker and finally feel brave enough to come on here. Am 18 weeks. C/S booked already for 31 July, though due date 7 August. This will be DC2.

Am very nervous about this pregrancy as I have a bi-cornuate uterus (2 parts) and I know that I have greater risk of prem baby/small baby, though DC1 was ok.

I probably won't relax until this DC is born. Haven't had a great time so far - had worrying stats with NT bloods, though Harmony test contradicted the results and all ok -and now low risk, still got flipping morning sickness, and really blotchy face due to all the throwing up (tmi - sorry). Had to have kidney scan yesterday as consultant throught I had a renal problem, which was thankfully negative. But got to see the DC though scanning woman said she wasn't trained in obstretics to make any comments! I think I can feel slight movements, esp in afternoon and at night.

It is weird to think I know the exact date of delivery - unless DC has other decisions. I will try and Bf but to be honest I won't get stressed if can't as last time DD1 had severe jaundice after a week of being born as I couldn't feed her properley, and this time I can't be ars*ed to get stressed over it - if I can't, I can't.

Hope you are all well and feeling better those of you who are still sicky!

Hi everyone, haven't been on for around a week and the thread has gained about 10 pages, hope everyone is ok, I'll go back and read through when I've got time.

Had my 16 week appointment and heard the heartbeat, It was lovely. Also had my consultant appointment due to my high bmi which was very positive, thought it would negative and kind of telling me off but the dr was lovely and isn't too concerned, I'm not to gain any weight during the pregnancy so when I deliver I weigh less than when I had my booking in, she doesn't want to see me again until 38 weeks and said I don't require the extra scans they would normally offer, I was a bit dissappointed about not having the extra scans, would love to get to see teabag more often.

Is there anyone else who hasn't told there families yet?

stiggly Sorry your having a rough time.

Tbh I think the only person putting pressure on me to BF was me. Pre-DC I felt very strongly that I wanted to bf, but now knowing how hard it can be, I'm much more flexible about it. I hope to bf this DC, but if it can't / doesn't happen for whatever reason, I won't be feeling guilty over it. That said, knowing that we did get over the obstacles we had last time might mean I battle on again this time. At least this time around, one of us will have done it before. That's got to help, right? :)

I'm undecided about drug-free birth this time around. Last time I had pethidine, but because DD was born so quickly, she got hit with the full force of it, and was very sleepy for the first 24 hours, meaning she struggled to latch, and got a bit jaundiced. I was pretty spaced out too, to be fair, so that probably didn't give us the best start to bf. I suppose I'd rather avoid pethidine this time, but who knows what will happen? If it's true that 2nd labours are faster, I'd be better off camping in the hospital car park. I really don't want to give birth in DP's filthy landrover, amongst the lawnmowers and chainsaws etc!

Sorry, that last bit didn't make sense. If 2nd labours are faster, there may well be no time for drugs. Was just over 2.5 hrs from waters breaking to having her in my arms.

Hello Stiggly, welcome aboard :) Hope the sickness improves very soon for you. Poor waves will be a good person to talk with as she is still suffering massively.

Re birth, was thinking about my birth plan when I was at work this am, bit premature maybe!?
DC1 I had pethidine and gas and air, didn't liek feeling drowsy but it did let me rest a bit. I think it slowed things down though, was 24hrs labour.
DC2 was induced with gel, and was 3.5hrs ish from when waters went/contractions started to delivery, just had gas and air, even though I was completely off my tits on it and floating on the ceiling looking down at myself (!!) I managed pain wise with just that.
DC3 - am not sure if the labour will be another faster one, I keep hearing storied that third labours can be a pain in the arse which are scaring me slightly!! I want to have just gas and air again, plan to be active and get gravity helping as not sure how it'll be pushing with a slipped disc they may want to just section me I guess, in which case it'll be GA or nothing, nobody is going near my already buggered back with needles!
I am hoping to breastfeed but if it's not to be then so be it. I have very large breasts and found it tricky with DC1 also had NO support (22 years ago now) gave up after about 3 weeks. I didn't even try with DC2.

Hi - a wave to new people, and to those who've been AWOL for a few days and missing all the gossip

I've completed my first day of day patient care, which was pretty good. Feeling grotty now as the IV anti emetic has worn off, but just need to keep going to 9am ish tomorrow when I am back on the ward.

Birth plan wise, I was hoping for a home birth, but given the situation with STBXH I think that genuinely for security reasons I am best off in hospital. Last thing I want to happen is for him to turn up at my house with me mid contraction and refuse to leave. Better if I am in hospital as then he can just be refused entry.

Whatever though, I am aiming for pain relief free as possible. Gas and air makes me sick, and I've had QUITE enough of that now, and I don't like the idea of epidurals. With DS I had a bit of pethidine which helped give me a rest, but made me too spaced out. So, provided I actually get over the HG and have some energy, I want as active a birth as possible. I BF DS for a year, and DD for 9 months and after the first few weeks of ouchiness, I really enjoyed it, so hoping for the same experience again.

19 + 2

Welcome Stiggly! Hope you find time to relax a bit before this one arrives. x

I would love a homebirth, but just hoping to avoid being strapped to a monitor the entire time.
DS was an early induction, which took three & half days and I was on the monitor the entire time with all the drugs in the universe so I have no recollection of him being born.

Lexi, good to hear your appointment went well, have told family but not facebook/people we don't see week in week out.

waves, glad today went well, hope you have a restful evening.

DS is really grouchy this afternoon, no nap in the morning & still teething. Counting down til bedtime!
17+5

Evening all, welcome to all newbies x

I tried bf with ds but it didn't go well. Couldnt get him latched on properly by myself, ended up with sore cracked nipples, I felt like a total failure. Started using nipple shields but midwife advised not to as baby would get nipple confusion?!? I gave up after about a week. Dont think I'll bother this time, the stress last time was too much. I was actually embarrassed to admit to some mums I was bottle feeding!

Re drugs - last time had 19 hour labour, gas &air and pethidene. Ended up with epesiotomy (sp) and forceps delivery with no epidural :-( no way I want that again. If baby back to back like last time I'll be asking for epidural x

Forgot 15+3

Hello everyone, I've not posted in a while. I'm currently 17+2. Scan just under three weeks away now, and I can't wait. Bump is out for all to see, it's baby number two for me which apparently shows much sooner.

I don't think I have felt movements yet, desparate to feel something though and know that he/she is well.

I had a tear with my first and consultant this week told me that everything was fine and I could proceed with a normal delivery. Good news.

This baby will be bottlefed, as was my first.

Welcome back snuffle :)

yvonney ds2 was also back to back, they didn't realise till his head come out even though I knew something wasnt quite right cause ds1 labour was only 4hrs long and 5 min pushing. Ds2 was 5 days and then he got stuck and the pain was a lot worse then ds1's induced labour, I was begging for an epidural but mother kept saying no you don't it won't be long now, cause I'd told her whatever she did don't let me have an epidural Haha so she stuck to it haha xx

Morning everyone :)
Well i went to bed at 10:30 last night and got up at 7:30 with dd. feeling really refreshed and full of energy. First time in ages.

This pregnancy seems to be going quick dunno if its because i have dd to keep me busy. But then i also dont feel preg at all :/

Mothers/nanny day shopping for me and dd, cant wait to spend the day shopping with my friend, her dd and my lovely dd :)

Have a lovely day :)
18+4 xx

That's good to hear re tear snuffle. I had a first degree tear and one stitch but tbh the grazing took a lot longer to heal and was very ouchy for a good few weeks.

I agreed to have DDs cousin to play today, she's 4 and a wee bit unruly to say the least and DD is easily led astray! I anticipate lots of screaming and my time spent refereeing over toys/picking up books!

I had a 3rd degree tear and have got to wait and see. I had 20 + stitches and them ripped open again, doing too much. I now have a prolaspe because of it. So i got to see a special consultant at 24 weeks.

If your a first time mummy here i recommend doing pelvic flood exercises and do it as much as you can. I regret not doing it as much as i should of but my spd made it so painful to do so.

Xx

I am still waiting for an appt to come through from obstetrician as I had to have stitches with ds (2nd degree tear) and then surgery a couple of months later due to the stitches being done too tight and causing cysts - lovely - designer vagina"!? Lol don't think so... So all this thinking about birth and I might not even be able to give birth naturally. Mw was surprised I hadn't had an appt by my 16wk check so said if I still hadn't got it through by my 24wk appt she would ring them.
my bump has def popped out in last couple of days, doesn't feel like such a jelly belly!

Waves - hope you start to feel better soon, but at least you're nearly half way now!

18+4