July 2013 - thread 5 - baby kicks and scan pics, we're halfway there!

[dinkystinky]

New thread to natter on. Will go find the due date thread to link on in a tick...

Hello, just catching up after a busy weekend, mostly spent celebrating nephew's 7th birthday. On the way back from his party (20 very lively 6 and 7 year olds!) DH said he was now starting to worry about how we would cope with that kind of thing, and where you would even start organising a kids' party. I actually quite enjoyed it, plus I pointed out we could always ask SiL's advice when it comes to our turn, as she seemed to have done an excellent job. It's where do you even start with looking after a newborn that terrifies me far more!!!

On movement/anxiety, I've been pretty sure about feeling movements for about the past 2 weeks, but as my scan approaches, paranoia is starting to set in and I'm wondering whether I've just been imagining things. I go through all sorts of scenarios in my mind, from being told something is seriously wrong with the baby to finding out there is actually no baby in there at all (this last bit is totally ludicrous when I have photos to prove there was a very healthy looking baby in there at 12 weeks!). I think the miniature bump, which doesn't seem to have grown much for about the past 3 weeks and constant comments of "you really can't tell" are not helping matters.

Someone was asking about NCT sales - we are going to one on 16th March as we are booked onto a First Aid course through NCT on the same day at the same venue. We are members anyway, but the First Aid lady said we get to go in "with the members at 1pm" so I assume that means an earlier start time before it opens up to anyone, as someone else mentioned.

Agree with everyone who says pg is un-glam! What with the various "emissions", hairy tummy, falling asleep on the sofa at 8pm.....The only things that could be remotely associated with the word glamour are my oversized boobs, and I'm not sure that's a good thing !!

19+1

Gosh, you've all been busy! Turn my back for a second, and the conversation goes crazy!

marmitemad I can't quite believe everything is going OK...keep pinching myself...

This is not my first pregnancy...but have had problems before....

I just can't wait til the scan next week...it seems to be taking forever!

TotallyEggFlipped I don't think having worked in public service/medical/education sectors helps at all...you know all the things that can go wrong!

photographerlady Difficut in first pg, as you really don't know what you are supposed to be feeling!

MrsMillions I've also got an antrerior placenta, but get kicked at bedtime! Sounds like you had a good weekend! Wish I had lots of friends with little babies!

Cheese I had Braxton-Hicks really early with DD and have had a few this time....

MightbeMad Unless there's 14 years between 1 and 2....now it's all hurting again!

photgrapher I am slowly taking the bed over with pillows and becoming a mistress of duvet-stealing!

Dinky Oh dear for gym ladies.... I was told I looked enormous by Dh's sister yesterday...hmmmmmm!

Second all the comments about lack of glamour.... and ages to go yet!

19+1

ama your nephew's party sounded fun. I think it is normal to be paranoid... I keep thinking that maybe when the midwife checked the heartbeat at 16 weeks she got my pulse and not the baby...

mightbe thanks for letting me know when you are planning on going on maternity- I still have some work to do on DH I think...

Cheese - you are the one growing and carrying this baby, you should decide when you go on mat leave, not DH! I think for your first child its nice to have some time to look forward to nesting before they arrive - enjoy the lie ins, the freedom to do what you want when you want - before the baby turns your life upside down (in a good way). You wont get that opportunity again with subsequent pregnancies (well not without mummy guilt). I worked till 38 weeks with ds1 and was shattered and super stressed by the end of work - with ds2 I worked till 37 weeks and that was more manageable (and he came a week later anyway). Will prob work till 37 weeks this time too.

Hello all. Feeling nervous - got consultant tomorrow who made us promise dp would have vasectomy last time and now ....

Am actually dreading telling her.
Also getting a bit panicky as ds had some ( very rare) cord issues last time and some googling last time indicated familial. ... Gah.

Anyway - feeling v fat but noo bump at all although only 18 weeks so earlier than all of you!! NEED one now to stop me just looking bulky!
Need scan too - no date as yet nor darn exemption form ... Sorry for moan moan moan post!

Also SPD has pounced with avengence the last too days 'stinging' and ouch!!

iclaudius I've got the consultant tomorrow too, hope it goes well and isn't as scary as you think. There have been a few HCP's who have told me not to have any more but I haven't had to see any of them so far.

21+3

Cheese I'm using some annual leave to go part-time for a month from 30 weeks then using the rest of my leave to finish at 34/35 weeks. I've got quite a hefty commute which I really don't fancy when I'm getting huge and the weather is warmer. I also like the idea of a bit of nesting/me time like dinky says. Why is your DH so keen on you pushing on? I think mine would be quite happy if I finished now, bless him.

So a colleague told me today she is due 24th July with her 2nd and her belly hasn't 'popped' yet.
I'm on my first & due 3days later & although 5lb lighter than when I started I have a very defined belly.
I would say we are similar sizes so it just goes to show! She is only really telling people now, whereas I wouldn't have been able to conceal it!

Oops movements - when I changed gear in the car I thought I can feel something a couple of times??

Hi all,
Great news on more good scans.

Cheese, I worked til 37 weeks with DD then used two weeks of annual leave to take me up to 39 weeks, figured I'd have more time with babe before going back to work; I was 2 wks late so it did get a bit dull sitting around waiting towards the end. But I think it depends on how you are feeling generally - this time round I'm finding it all rather uncomfortable and tiring already ( this bump is much bigger than DD, I think I'm incubating a monster!) but I'm gonna try to hang on till 37 wks again.

Can't remember who mentioned trying to work out the weight from scan measurements but I'd be interested on the formula. My DD was a neat 7 lb 8oz with a tiny head, but I really struggled to get her out. This boy is touching the top percentiles on most measurements which I'm finding a bit alarming .

Just had our bathroom fitted so the house is in turmoil and the new shower unit is leaking finding it difficult to stay calm with these raging pregnancy hormones!

Good luck for those with consultants meetings tomorrow and any of you having scans

22 + 5 ( ish)

For mat leave i'm hoping to hold on at work for as long as possible, so that i can spend more time with the baby when it arrives, but that's because i'm anxious about childcare and delaying it as much as possible. However, i might change my mind if i end up driving 45 miles round the m25 with my waters breaking! But i bet there are plenty of advantages in stopping earlier too - you will be better rested, probably less anxious and have time to get ready. It's got to be your decision.

Ama the NCT sale near me is the 16th too - are you in Manchester by any chance?

sunday was it the estimated birth weight they calculated or the current weight? My scan notes from today gave the formula for estimating the weight it is now which was the hadlock (BPD-HC-AC-FL) or at least that's what it says on the chart. They estimate sprog at about 313g on that. but not sure about predicting future weight.

Ama i empathize with the bazooker situation. I have gone from a c cup to an e. I thought if they can't find my baby in my stomach when i have the scan, i'd request that they checked further up! I thought a little extra goodness would be a good thing but at this rate i'm going to look like heidi montag only without the abs- so anne widdicombe perhaps!

Good luck tomorrow Ellie hope it sets your mind at ease x

Scan day has arrivied :) hopefully finding out the gender today :)

Good luck for scans and consultant appointments today those having them. Iclaudius - the consultant probably sees lots of people so may well have forgotten forbidding you to procreate further... make sure you mention the spd though to get physio referral. Ellie - hope the consultant appointment goes well and they can advise you further re the cleft palate treatment.

Cheek - that was my thinking first time round (have as much time as possible with baby) but as I was on a deal which signed 3 days before I went on mat leave - and was working till 3 in th emorning regularly for that - I really wished I'd thought it through more as was shattered and super stressed. I rather suspect your job may not be such insane hours/clients though. I still ended up being off till baby was 7 months old as took a month unpaid parental leave at the end (which did with DS2 too). I have a 5 week paid sabbatical accrued to take this time round - am umming and ahhing whether to tag it on to mat leave or take it over the next summer holidays so I can have all of summer 2014 off with my 3 kids...

Sunday -such a shame about the leak under the shower! Will all be worth it when you get to use your lovely new bathroom without issues though. And dont worry about the baby - they grow in fits and starts so while he may be up on all the percentiles now, that's not to say he'll be right up there at birth.

Ps Plus side of looking like I'm about to drop at this stage is I have nice people offering me seats on the tube all the time - so at least there is a silver lining to being a human weeble...

Hi all.
Had my doc appointment yesterday at 18+1 (was later having 16 week one cause of consultant appointments).
I've been feeling movements for 2 or 3 weeks now but none for the last few days so doc tried to find the heart beat but after 20 mins trying wasnt having any luck actually hearing it although the machine was digitally showing it. She asked me to come back in the afternoon to try again but the same problem so am waiting for the hospital to call me today to go up and see if they can pick it up on their machines so fingers crossed!

Huffpot - am keeping everything crossed for you and the baby. Its a good sign that you are feeling movements and the machine is finding the heartbeat - even if its not showing it out loud. It may be something as simple as a fault with the machine or a pesky baby playing hide and seek. Hope the hospital call you soon and can put your mind at rest soon.

Off to get scanned today. Despite this being my 6th scan, and having a ream of pics showing a healthy wriggly small person with the standard number of appendages I still have a little niggle of worry. That "what if something didn't show up before" or "what if I broke it" feeling.

Have converted my mountain bike to a hybrid with road tyres and flat pedals, so will be braving the frosty temperatures to cycle there. Must try to exercise somehow, as I have failed with swimming due to all standard pools here feeling a similar temperature to the North Sea.

Dinky do you work in a law firm/city. 3am sounds hideous. No my work is not as stressful at all, nor do I have children which is why I'm hoping to cling on in the workplace for as long as poss before I pop. But j might be naive. Were currently living centrally but looking to move outside the m25 which will mean lots of driving whilst pregnant. It might not be the best plan. I'm hoping in laws can help me out in the first few months.

Good on you abz you can be the Mrs motivator of the thread. I did some hill walking this weekend and felt so unfit. I'm totally impressed with the number of people still going to the gym, cycling etc. If I walk up the left side of the escalator rather than standing I feel heroic

Let us know how the scan goes

Huffpot that has happened to me twice, the first time the midwife was getting really stressed after 45 mins of trying so sent me to hospital who also couldn't find it so scanned me and it was laid on its tummy low down.

Then on fri I went in because of bleeding and they couldn't find it again but could hear fetal movements so scanned me again.

Got 20 week scan and midwife tomorrow so if they can't hear it again at least I will have just had a scan!

Cheese I have a lot of annual leave to take before ML (4 weeks!) so DH and I are currently thinking that I'll take a chunk of 3 weeks before ML starts, with the rest spread over the weeks before to 'wind down'. So effectively going on ML around 36/37 weeks. That way I have the maximum time off post-birth, hopefully. Though with my family history I completely anticipate the little one arriving early and scuppering all plans!