Graduated Elerberries - 30+ and expecting DC1 (thread no 4)

[HazleNutt]

Welcome old and new graduates and everybody else who wants to join us, elderly primigravidas aka Elderberries.

Has anyone else been having shooting/stabbing pains in the cervical area? I have been having them increasingly frequently over the last few weeks and they sometimes make me yelp when I get one, which isn't ideal while i'm still at work. Dr Google suggests it might be the baby pressing down on the cervix and it seems to be called 'Lightning Crotch,' which is a relief because I just worked myself up into a bit of a frenzy in the bath when my overactive brain decided the pains must mean dilation.

Yes cavort! Only just started but feels like a pain in my cervix. Odd. Not awful but definitely makes me jump.

I absolutely loved Rome! In fact I loved the whole of Italy probably because of the massive quantity of red wine, Peroni and rich food I got through. I did give the ridiculous fake gladiators a wide berth though. And in Sorrento we were having dinner in this reet posh cliff top restaurant and Pierce Brosnan came and sat on the next table who was surprisingly tasty for an older man. Unfortunately I wasn't quite pissed enough to fling myself at him in order to get that desirable 'Cavort aka Bond Girl' photograph. I still regret that.

It's reassuring that it's not just me Janey. I shouldn't moan about them being painful - I bed they're nothing compared to labour!

No stabby cervix pains for me but that's probably because my dozy baby appears to be sideways or something - have spent much of the evening trying to figure out what body parts any of the several weird protuberances that are poking out of my stomach are.

Sooo....if, like me, you have also at some point grabbed a bottle of perineal massage oil, because you heard it's good, even though you only had a vague idea what it's for exactly, here's a tip.

After you have read the instructions on the bottle and have also done the " wait, I'm supposed put it where??" - before you try to do that, keep your nails short. At least one nail. Believe me, that's no place for long nails.

hazle, poor you!!
Well done for trying though. Did you manage do reach, so to speak?!

Yes, reaching still fine. Not sure if that oil makes any difference though.
By the way, anybody using Epi-No or similar "training" devices? Now those things look properly scary.

I've read about them. As you say, the idea of them sounds amazing - but they look bloody terrifying. Argh.

I am SICK of heartburn at the moment. Was up all night with it again, thought I was going to be sick again at one point. I love magnesium trisilicate, but last night that didn't really touch it at all even though I had so much that when I woke up I had chalky residue on my lips . Feel bad for moaning, as I know I'm so lucky to be pregnant (as we've all said before) but part of me is beginning to tire of this being knocked up thing...

Scrap that - sounds weird. The idea of them doesn't sound "amazing" at all. It sounds peculiar and not the kind of thing you'd ordinarily want to use. What I meant is that the idea of a device that prevents you tearing or needing a cut sounds amazing...

Ouch janey your heartburn sounds scary. I have heartburn sometimes, mostly quite mild though and in such cases I've found that kefir works better than gaviscon. Tastes better too - well, if you like that kind of thing, DH thinks I'm nuts drinking milk obviously gone off a long time ago.

Last weeks are not that much fun indeed.Every time I need to get up to pee, I feel like a tortoise on its back, trying to get out of bed.

ahhh janey poor you, sounds nasty!
Had my 16 week check this morning and all is good, heard bubs heartbeat. Was 150, which the old wives tale would say is a girl.....bet thats rubbish though.

Don't laugh but I didn't even know what heartburn was before pregnancy (had heard about it but still haven't had it) - it's indigestion isn't it but bile comes up and burns your throat when you (sorry) burp? I think I've had that a bit but it wasn't really bad at all - maybe I haven't had it properly yet?!

Cross post, yay mother! I quite like old wive's tales and people guessing the sex even though I know it's probably all rubbish! Keeps the guessing fun! Lots of people are guessing boy for me including a friend who says she's "never wrong" hmmm

A little aside...
I bought one of these to take to hospital after it was recommended by two friends who have babies that I was out for dinner with last week. Both had (I say had, as they are much smaller now) boobs on the slightly larger than average size (I think one was 36C pre baby, and the other 34DD) and said their boobs changed so significantly day by day after birth that nothing would fit - and that they 'calmed down' pretty soon after too. Anyway, they recommended these because they're so stretchy so should accommodate all the fluctuations in the first few days. Tried on last night, isn't the most supportive thing in the world, but is BLOODY COMFY, so thought I'd share...

Cross post mother. It really is the most amazing sound in the world, isn't it

alex I had never, ever had it before, and it's definitely a third trimester thing. Isn't when you burp, for me is ALL THE SODDING TIME, just an awful burning pain in my throat and chest. Lovely.

Yes it has got to that stage where I feel a bit like I'm playing pregnancy crappy symptom bingo and I'm getting close to a full house:
PGP, OC, Breech baby, heartburn, calf cramp, back ache, rib ache, nose bleeds, needing to pee every 5 minutes, cankles,...I'm sure there's more! I do have days where I wonder what other parts of me can possibly break down...then I remember I haven't got piles and as yet I haven't peed myself then I count myself lucky

I think you're very brave even attempting the perineal massage, I know I ought to but I can't bring myself to think about it, although I've already had to chop all my nails off so I don't cause permanent damage when I get the itches. That's still not going to encourage me to stick them anywhere other than in my ears while I go lalalala on the issue though.

purple all you need is high BP, protein in your urine or glucose in your urine and I really do think you have a full house

Feel bad for moaning about heartburn now!

Oh, and has everyone seen the news today? Apparently we're all terrible mothers to be if we haven't had enough iodine in our diets Probably too late for us third trimester girls, but the following is pretty useful. Am glad I've had a hot chocolate for breakfast most days since getting pregnant, who knew that was healthy?!

mumsnet advice here

Thanks janey I saw that and was very pleased my cheese cravings have paid off!

It's funny how different pregnancies are and some people seem to get lumped with more symptoms/scary problems while others sail through. Makes me wonder about the "it's not a disability" school of thought as for some people it affects how much they can carry on as normal more than others!

That's true Janey, I shall count myself even luckier that I've got good BP. There's always some way it could be worse isn't there! (although I did forget the random drooling all over your pillow symptom on my list, seriously, what's that all about?)

The really good news of the day is that even though I'm at a very public facing desk this morning I've been pulling some REALLY funny faces and that's because the mini monster seems to be trying to turn around. The big head shape sticking out of my side has definitely moved down a bit in the last couple of hours. Yay!

As for the iodine, who knew? They're always finding another stick to hit us pregnant ladies with aren't they! Good to know my cheese habit is making my baby clever though

True, Alex. I've been showing some of the complaints threads in Pregnancy topic to DH - as I've been mostly problem-free, he now thinks all the books lie and pregnancy is no big deal. It certainly can be a very miserable time for many women.

Afternoon all! Perineal massage. When are you supposed to start that? I will give it a try as I have scar tissue in the vicinity already from that op and I daresay a little stretching wouldn't go amiss.

I will NOT though be using any magic devices. I will also, not be sharing my intention to attempt such massage on Facebook, as did an acquaintance of mine recently. I don't want to look like HullDad and his special yoni services...

Yay for heartbeat Mother I couldn't believe it the first time I heard it... was awesome even though it took ages for mw to find it (stupid placenta in the way) - at my last appointment it was so solid I just started grinning

Oh and heartburn sucks. For me it ranges from feeling a bit sicky somewhere in my oesaphagus (sp?) to actually feeling like I'm breathing fire. I'm finding an evening Horlicks is helpful - especially as I'm not out of gaviscon again

I'm finding that all of my symptoms are very come-and-go though, same with my hips and with the heartburn.

I also get lightning crotch from time to time. I see it as an encouraging foray into a vertical position by Baby Bear, who otherwise likes to think laterally... Last night while walking home I had the weirdest feeling though - I felt like my pelvic floor was about to fall out with every step! Plus there was a vague pressure on my rectum.

Didn't feel like I had a bowling ball wedged, so think it must have been a bum or feet pushing down, but was incredibly uncomfortable. Have been upping my kegels today as a result. Possibly connected to this, I had my first foray into needing to wee every half an hour, oooo such fun!

Yay for diving BabyPurple!

That iodine stuff is ridiculous. Basically - if you don't exclusively eat dairy all day everyday, your baby will be stupid. But don't do anything about it cos then you'll break another food rule or other. Ridiculous.

I've been consuming shedloads of dairy throughout but still probably not enough to meet those requirements. Rahhhhh.

She posted on Facebook about her perineal massage!?! Ha!

When does lighting crotch start happening? Bit scared of that one, better tell my baby to be careful and go easy down there!

bear what's your scarring from, what op did you have?