Sept 2013 - kicks, prods and finding out the sex...

[LexyMa]

here we all are... hoping for nice clear 20w. scans, not too much inadvertent weeing and getting that 'glow'...

I only had a manual avent pump and that was all I needed, although didn't pump huge quantities. I imagine even if you have an electric one sometimes a quiet manual one is preferable, so recommend looking out for a good offer on one of those.

ready that's a lovely neat bump

Oooh frog I'd be a bit angry and maybe complain? So rude!

I acquired a second hand manual pump at the weekend (eek!)

Baby show sounds terrifying- I went to about 1 wedding fayre when getting married.... and that scared me for life!

Ooh just home from 1st pg yoga. Almost fixed off in relaxation session! Might have been a much much cycling to work and bring on my feet for 6 hours non stop in seminars..,

Re pumps, I invested in the medala swing as ended up bf both DS for 15 mths inc 1 expressed bottle a day for DH to give. But would second the view of only buying once you know you need it, as you might bf and never express or bottle feed and not need to etc.. I could never manage to get much out of a manual pump and had a tommee tippee that broke v quickly and was v noisy, whereas the medela lasted forever and was quick and quiet...

Am loving the bump pics and feeling HUGE in comparison!!!

Fixed?? Dozed... Clearly still spaced hence all the typos?!

kips- take a look at my 17 week bump picture I'm just uploading now.... I'm gonna start knocking things off shelves when I turn around! (NSFW- in my undies!)

I seem to have my energy back :) FINALLY!

I really need to DO stuff again. I work from home so normally go out in the evenings to the gym or mountainbiking with the club or even just a run. I need something to switch my brain off from my work.
I am vaguely considering doing some light jogging again but no idea if that'll be possible.. anybody else on here run/jog?
Biking is so limited in the routes i can do that i'm keeping that to weekends only.
And my yoga's a tuesday morning, i'm on the waiting list for thursday evenings but not sure when i'll get a place.
Might try an aquafit class.. anybody tried aquafit? I need to get used to going to the pool again if i'm going to take the baby to adult&baby swimming.

Scan tomorrow!
20 weeks and work still don't know but if no ones guessed then they are daft as I've shot out this past week.

Ref pumps...I had the manual TT one which was fine but hand would ache after awhile and my supply was good and quick. ..,but was given an avent second hand one which I felt a bit odd about using but gave it a go....I never looked back!!! All the inner teats etc were new as she had unused spares too. It was super quick and much more effective for me.

Whilst ds was an excellent feeder he suddenly refused boob in the day after an expressed bottle during a kit day for me at work...think he realised bottle was easier. I still wanted him to bf so expressed day feeds and luckily he accepted night feeds from me. Eventually he even refused that but I was determined to continue expressing for as ling as possible and made it to 6 months then stopped. I'll definitely be using the elec one again!

I suppose it depends where you go, but my local aqua bump class is definitely not about fitness, more about feeling like you're doing something healthy whilst you actually float about a bit and gossip with other mums to be!
I went to the baby show in October with/for my sister, and took 2 friends along too, the 4 of us came away with a total of 19 dummies, 10 bottles, 18 packs of wipes, 6 mini sudo cremes and a tonne of other useful baby stuff, so worth it if you've got a few friends who will go with you and basically keep going back to every stall for the freebies!
If you know what you want to buy but fancy chancing a bargain, it's worth it too, eg at the Mothercare stall they were doing 10% off all own brand items, and 10-20% discount was the minimum across the board at other stalls too.
Also worth going for a laugh at some of the tripe people try to sell as 'absolutely necessary' when having a baby - a plastic gum thing to bite down on during labour had my midwife sister in stitches!

Frog that is awful! Why would she be looking for such things? I have no idea who you should complain to, but I think you need to complain to someone. Jesus!

Well my day improved. I had my scan and all looks well. They said everything was as it should be. What a relief. I'm not sure if it reassures anyone, but I am 21 weeks tomorrow and have only just felt movements that I can say for certain is the baby. I was getting worries too!

Can I ask those of you who have already had your scans, were you results all roughly in the same percentile, or were they some high, some low and some middle?

Oh, and it looks like I'm having a girl! We were convinced it was a boy, I actually feel a bit shocked! All old wives takes pointed towards boy (until last week when my bum and thighs doubled in size).

Good luck with tomorrows scans. Looking forward to hearing about them.

Frog thats a major breach of patient confidentiality! I'd complain for sure!

Kimjayne - yep really really looking forward to Kiddicare!
Jennimoo - see you in the queue

We thought we might get the Kiddicare 3 in 1 travel system Willz - seems good value for money at £379 (currently down to £299 but original rrp of £699) and seemed good for tallie parents too (I'm 5ft 10" and DH 6ft 3"). It's got the Pram, car seat and buggy bits, with foot muff and rain cover i think. Anybody have any experience with Kiddicare own brand stuff?

Good luck for scan this week, lovely to hear the news so far. Mine is next Monday - anyone else?

Mean mrs mustard - my measurements were apparently fine but my baby boy has longer than average legs and smaller than average waist. I wasn't surprised as DD is very tall and thin. Not my genes though, unfortunately!

I skived off pilates last night but DH is out two nights this week so I'll look for videos to follow on you tube. Bump is definitely kicking me now (21 weeks today like MeanMrs!) and the only other thing is my ridiculous bladder capacity. I go to the loo thinking I'm bursting for a wee, then get a tiny trickle. Anyone else getting this?

lexy I am definitely getting that - it's like someone's turned the water pressure down or something! So frustrating, especially at 4am!

Also finally getting some energy back here too which is lovely - nice not to feel dead on my feet by 5pm

Lovely reading everyone's scan news - till two weeks to wait for mine, but we've just booked a lat minute holiday for next week so hopefully it will be be the 30th before I know it!

frog that's awful, definitely complain to the hospital, who knows what else she's looking at while she's at it! I am on your behalf.

Ooh also, does anyone have any recommendations for good yoga/Pilates videos on YouTube or DVD? I have given up trying to find classes locally to join, my long commute just makes it impossible to get home in time

Oooh oooh oooh and one other thing - despite everyone I know saying how small my bump is, I got offered a seat on the train the other day and I didn't even have my baby on board badge on! So HA to you friends, I must look a little bit preggers!

Sorry I'll stop posting now!

Kim and Jenni, I would be interested in good deal links, thank you. And thank you for the mattress website, will check it out.

Thank you all for the breastpump tips.

Just wondering... Has anyone been snoring?

Great bump news all round it seems this morning. Congratulations on your scan meanmrs and good luck for today's ladies. Mine is next Friday and I can't wait.

i cannot believe we are all getting towards or already over half way! It doesn't seem like 2 minutes since I was rushing downstairs to show dp our positive test!

I went to Boots and used all my vouchers on Sunday. Well worth it - ncluding the free changing bag we got £60 of stuff for £22. Definitely worth a visit if you have the vouchers to use (join the parenting club to get them). We also ordered our isofix base yesterday so we are nearly done on the big things, I think. It's good to know we will at least be allowed to bring our baby home and won't need to keep it in a drawer for the first few weeks.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but the baby's little welcome to the world hospital bag is already packed

Frog, I would speak to your midwife at the hospital, you can't have weird neighbours nosing through your records - what an invasion of privacy!!

I'm going to hospital for my scan straight from work at 2pm today so I packed my wee pot in my bag (empty I might add) and headed to work. Just went into my bag to get money out for my bus fare ... And of course my wee pot falls out of my bag and rolls around in front of 11 or more random strangers at the bus stop. Oh the shame.

Argh, that's the major downside of having a late-month due date...all you lovely ladies are getting your scans and mine still seems like ages away! (8th may)

I still haven't bought much either as we've been holding out for the baby show at Bluewater on Saturday...very jealous right now...

Oh and frog I was outraged when I read your post....not sure what i'd do if I was you! Probably nothing as very little is worth falling out with your neighbours over, but still it's very annoying.

I'm still struggling with the pg yoga dilemma. I'd like to do it but it's £10 per session & u have to pay for 6 consecutive up front....chances of me making every single one are very slim! I already pay £50 p/mth for the gym so it's really difficult to justify...

Lexy I get that too- I read that this apparently happens when the baby is pressing its head against your bladder!

Frog I'm gobsmacked by your neighbour, but don't know what I'd do about it in your place.

Triple I'm too embarassed to ask DH if I've started snoring yet, but I did in both my previous pregnancies, so if not, it's only a matter of time!