December 2013 - blue, pink, what do you think?

[NomDeClavier]

New thread! Pile in!

I'm finding this too Roselau, it just feels like such a waste of money to buy maternity clothes that I wouldn't dream of wearing normally and are twice the price of what I would generally spend. I bought some maternity stuff a few weeks ago, which I've worn a bit but I'm even outgrowing that now.

I had a sort out of my wardrobe at the weekend and pulled out all the things I can still get into (about 6-8 items) and although some of them are the v uncomfortable hair-elastic waistband variety, I actually found some dresses that work fairly well. I had quite a lot of sack-type dresses with belt or ribbon waistbands and I've just moved the belt up to sit over my bump. I might go shopping for some more non-maternity dresses like that and then with a bit of luck I'll be able to wear them when I'm not pregnant too! Good luck!

mumoftwoboysS, I've been shattered too. At least at work I'm mainly sitting down and not running after kiddos/laundry! I'm not sure how much longer I can stand the commute though; I've generally found people to be really considerate with giving up seats but this morning I had to stand for over an hour on the tube and I was exhausted before I even started work.

Get some maternity leggings girls. Even if you just wear them for around the house and at weekends! I got mine from New Look and they were about £14 I think for 2 pair. Have washed really well and are everso comfy. And I have found stretchy t-shirt material dresses worn over them really good as well. Just in a bigger size and will be able to wear them after baby is here.

And the maternity leggings don't look like maternity leggings so planning on wearing them afterwards too!

I'm starting to get tired again mid afternoon. Done really well the last month or so and not needed a mid afternoon kip. And have been getting up late because of school holidays. Have a feeling when DD back in sept I'm going to be having ickle snoozes in the afternoon.

I'll second that, frouby! I've got the exact same 2 pack of New Look maternity leggings (a wash and a wear!) and have been living in them for the past couple of months now, along with a few different tops and thin cardigans.
They're so nice and stretchy and it's great not having to worry about uncomfortable zips and buttons!
Can't wait to start wearing them with boots and baggy jumpers over the winter, too

And I hope you're right, hetsto! I'm in the creative industry so applying for anything media/ photography/ journalism related... Not sure what they tend to be like in terms of employing pregnant women though, so we'll have to wait and see! Thanks very much for the good luck wishes though

Third vote for new look leggings! Very comfy and not too pricey. Have so far only bought maternity stuff in sale or from shops that are quite cheap already (peacocks?) Isn't too bad while I'm off work, but think it might get tricky when I go back.

Thanks for the tip on the new look leggings, i think I'll have to make a trip there tomorrow, as I only have two things that fit currently! (A dress and a thin pair of denim look leggings, both from Asos maternity in the sale) I had bought two pairs of mat jeans, but it's been so hot recently I hadn't worn them for a couple of weeks, and when I went to put the black pair on yesterday (which still had the tags on and were unworn!) i couldn't even get the bloody things over my thighs!

My appetite has gone nuts too, for all of the wrong things. I ate a double mars bar earlier with a cup of tea, and realised every bite. Now I'm desperate for a Big Mac and fries.

Relished every bite, that should say!

I'm definitely going to get some leggings too. I know I bought some in my last pregnancy but can't find them anywhere.
so the physio appointment was quite good today but it looks like I've got spd which sucks. combined with the sciatica I have to say it's getting me down a bit. I'm terrified I'm going to turn into a whale as I can't really walk much at the moment and was in agony whilst trying to chase my 2 year old who decided to run away all the way back from the child minders.
sorry for the moan. I know there's women out there in much worse situations. The good thing is that I know that the baby is ok as he's been kicking away merrily all day.
on the NCT discussion, although it is a lot of money and the information isn't anything you couldn't find out with a decent book and mn threads, it's not the people you meet that make it worthwhile. also you don't have to become a member to do the course. I didn't.
hetsto hope the knitting session went well.
hope everyone else is feeling ok.

Thanks for dentist the advice Taking.. I will need to bite the bullet and go soon

Had 24 week appt today. Bit of a non event but lovely to hear babies heartbeat again anyway..

20wk scan and consultant appointment tomorrow! Wonder which flavour we'll be getting?! Exciting!

Hi ladies!

I had a bit of a day yesterday! I was supposed to be seeing one friend+her beautiful little girl for a play date with DS...

I was enjoying my time, until sisters fiancee came by with his mom and gran (they were in the area and there had been a mix uphe was supposed to meet my sister at a hair salon and they were going to get their hair cut/styled togetherfor the ever important meet the parents visit to texas this week)...he got there late so sister had to do the hair styling alone (and she is super jittery). He didn't know what to do so he came over to mine. His mom and gran are lovely but I wasn't interested in them crashing my afternoon.

As if the table hadn't been crowded enough, sister number 2's prospective boyfriend came over earlier than planned because he wanted to surprise her with flowers...and then it all hit me. This week sister 1 is going home to introduce her bf to our parents so he can ask for her hand...and I won't be going home. I'm here in London missing all the fun. For two weeks, I'll be alone left to deal with my own boredom.

Something interesting needs to happen!

Ooh, it sounds like New Look leggings are the way to go ? thanks for the recommendations all!

I?m afraid I don?t know anything about the creative industry itsliz, and I do speak from the privileged position of working in the public sector, but by law your pregnancy shouldn?t make a difference, and you shouldn?t be afraid to call them up on it if they ask you about it. Fingers crossed!

So sorry to hear that you?re in so much painChilli81, spd much be horrid, particularly when you?re already suffering with sciatica. Will you continue to get physio? Hopefully that will help, and should also ease some of your worries about weight gain as I?d have thought they?ll try to give you manageable exercises to do? Try to rest, there?s no point pushing your body beyond it?s limits right now. Hope you start to feel better soon and glad to hear your little one is doing well anyway! The knitting hasn?t got much further than the research stage yet I?m afraid, but I?m determined to have a go this weekend.

Oh dear QueenofWhispers, that does sound like a very full table! You could plan lots of little treats to keep you occupied over the next couple of weeks whilst they?re away, that way you?ll be so busy indulging yourself, you won?t miss the fun so much?

Best of luck for the scan today MollySJ!

thanks for the leggings recos guys.
the only thing is how are you pulling off wearing leggings at work? i pulled it off on monday by wearing a little dress on top (dress that is too short to wear to work without leggings). but i can't really show up with leggings and a baggy t-shirt?
i actually found this belly band thingy and am wearing it today and it's SO much more comfortable. I'm wearing my regular jeans but i can wear them unbuttoned and with the zipper completely undone, and the band hides the whole thing. I think i still have a few weeks in my regular jeans with this little miracle thingy.

New look leggings must be the thing lol
Few days ago I bought 2 pairs for £12.99 (mothercare where charging that much for one pair) but not maternity ones just a size bigger and they are lovely and comfy and don't fall below the bump.
Only thing is I've started using them for work as its too hot for my regular trousers.

Cant wait for the winter to get some new ones to wear with some long tops/jumpers and my boots (exactly what I wore for ds 1and 2 lol)

queen sorry to hear you're alone for 2 weeks, I'm on a weeks hols at the moment and dp couldn't get any time off although I do have 2 little boys keeping me busy. Like hesto said try and treat yourself a bit these 2 weeks.

hesto I tried knitting a few years back (those knit your own scarf kits) i am so not cut out for knitting lol, ended up giving them away as Xmas presents

frouby I got this nifty little shaving tool from JML I think it was. when hair grows back in it doesn't itch at all like when using a razor works great but I also need to look in the mirror at the minute, until I get dp to take over soon. It's silver with a curved edge and uses a battery a bit like a mini dp razor but with no irritation...... I love it

My uniform is black trousers and black top roselau
The new look leggings come completely over my bump and I have some £3 t shirts from primark ( they are the "my stretchy t shirt" range) lovely and stretchy and come below the bum not baggy at all but if you can't wear all the tight stuff to show off bump when can you? Lol

Hi all, lovely reading about the appointments and scans, also chuckled at the hair-down-there stories. I'm feeling quite relaxed about that at the mo, maybe it'll change as the birth gets closer!

Have developed a bit of a cold which is annoying but luckily it's just sore throat/headache/blocked nose rather than anything more serious.

Hope your SPD and sciatica calm down chilli - must be awful.

Good luck with the scans molly and others!

I'm thinking about signing up for NCT but it is sooooo pricey. We also have the issue that DH works until late so we'd have to do the weekend intensive ones, not sure if they'd be as good as evening ones and they seem to be more expensive.

DH and I decided not to actively seek out and read parenting books as they can be so confusing and contradictory. Thing is, a friend of mine just sent me (as a present) a book called 'the continuum concept' and as its so thin I thought I'd give it a quick read. Finished it this morning. Argghhhhh, now my brain is all full of the stern 'advice' in the book and I kind of wish I hadn't read it!

I know what you mean about t-shirts /leggings at work! I've got a couple of little dresses and also some longer tunics or fitted long sleeve t-shirts. As long as it goes past my bum and I've got vaguely smart shoes on I reckon people will understand the need for leggings. I did get some proper trousers from m&p in sale which I think will get a lot of use once I go back!
Done calculation- only 10 working weeks between going back and leaving date for mat leave! :) This cheers me up! Anyone else counting the weeks!

Sorry, missed the '?' :)

Morning all

I have a shirt dress which I wore the other week with my leggings for a business meeting if that helps anyone! And if you just go a couple of sizes up you could wear it afterwards with a belt on to cinch it in a bit, and with a chunky cardigan over the top and boots instead of sandals it would work well over winter too.

Pissed off.com at the min sigh. Have a very bestest, very special friend. We have been friends for 15 years, through good times and bad and we refert to each other as sisters we are so close.

The last month she has been having a carcrash drama in her life. Again. Seems to me over the last few years it's been one thing after another after another. Always something that isn't her fault exactly but would be avoided if she made better choices in life.

Anyhows, had her on the phone last night with the latest installment and she was complaining that no one would help her. I was so fecking angry I'm afraid I bit her head off and listed all the things that I and other friends have done for her, not only in this drama but in others as well and asked her just what exactly did she think I could do extra for her, bearing in mind I have a family at home, 2 business's and am 5 months pregnant!

The most annoying thing about it all is that if she had listened to me a month ago instead of someone else who had ulterior motives in it all she wouldn't be in this situation right now.

Now as well as feeling angry I feel guilty. Sigh. She is so, so fortunate in some area's of her life but instead dwells on things that maybe arent going well, and blows every little event skyhigh. Mainly for the attention it generates I think.

I love her dearly. I really do but I just don't know how much more of her drama I can take without loosing the plot lol. Me and DP had some major drama's ourselves the last few years and now I am pg I just want to enjoy it and not worry about anyone else. It sounds incredibly selfish I know but this baby took 3 years to make and we didn't think it would happen and now he's here I want to relish every moment of it all.

Sigh. Sorry for the epic post but feel much better now lol. I will hopefully be seeing her later so I think I need to tell her how I feel really otherwise things are going to simmer and fester. I really, really want to tell her to get a fecking grip which is what she needs to do in all honesty (and have tried in a nice way but I think bluntness is called for here!).

Molly good luck on the scan and let us know what colour you are! Have we any scans left now or are we all done yet?

Queen, come to me for a fortnigh lol. Then I can entertain you whilst friend deals with her dramas and I have a valid excuse of 'entertaining a guest' to avoid being sucked into it all.

music just been counting down the weeks this morning, with holiday taken off i have 9 weeks left to work
Leaving at 36 weeks pregnant, I left at 36 weeks with ds1 and had him a week later at 37 weeks and I worked until 39 weeks with ds2 and had him a week later at 40 weeks lol.

I just want 4 weeks off to relax, is that too much to ask? Lmao
Saying that, with 2 kids which will be 3 and 1 and a half by then......relax, really???
frouby your not being selfish at all, you enjoy your pregnancy Hun, due to tons of ex/his new gf/my ex best friend drama I hated every minute of being pregnant the first time and just wanted it over and that's something I'm never gonna get back, so now I let nothing major get to me or get in the way of me enjoying every second of this. Xx

Hi everyone!

Love catching up on all the posts on here! Welcome to the new mums to be and great news with all the recent scan results!! Especially the ones with big suprises Seems the pinks are catching up with the blues now! (I'm in team white )

Music I'm definately counting down to finishing work now. Have a 12 hour shift tomoro and then have 19 days off woohoo! When I go back I'll only have 6 weeks of work left, I'm enjoying saying that On the other hand though I just don't want this pregnancy to race on and be over too soon, I'm so enjoying growing my baby, feeling it wriggling, and all the excitement of things to come!!

Frouby there are some people out there who just thrive on drama in their lives, don't let it infringe on your long awaited enjoyment of being pregnant.

Has everyone started baby shopping seriously yet? I'm 24 weeks and haven't bought a single baby item yet!!!! I was a little superstitious of buying before the 24 week point, and I'm moving house in a couple of weeks so it seemed sensible to wait a bit!

Happy humpday everyone

Dasie I've had quite a lot given to me but haven't bought anything yet. Looking forward to it and want to have a spree so waiting until I have some cash saved up.

Just had a serious conversation with friend and told her to get a grip basically. The situation is complicated and I won't bore you with it all but involves her brother behaving very badly towards her but her reaction has been disproportionate to the situation in my opinion. I suffered some DV when I was pg with DD and when shewas tiny. It was a terrible time for me but I got through it and actually improved my situation in the long term.

She knows all this and how terrified I was at the time especially when I had DD. I also grew up with DV at home.

She's just told me I don't know what it is like be frightened of someone and frightened to go home. Afraid I was furious with her and her self centred attitude and told her as much.

Went down like a shit sandwich lol. Then followed it up by telling her I expected het at my house in 5 minutes to pick up the directions for a job interview she has this afternoon. She was planning on not going but I've got her the interview and even if she doesn't get it I expect her to show up for it.

Glad I'm not the only one who'st tired then! (not that I want you to be tired, just nice to know I'm not the only one )

had another blood test today to see where my platelet count is at (hopefully at least the same or higher than last time) and it's a full blood count so I can at least rule out any iron deficiency if it all looks good. I have been trying to eat red meat, spinach etc to keep it up (and somewhere I read that that can help platelet levels too) though the cup of tea and pain au chocolate (it is a mini one!) probably aren't helping my energy levels right now (but yum!)

I bought another pair of leggings the other day too- from H&M, very comfy and cheap. They do long and mid-calf but the mid-calf are great for my short legs! I live in leggings a lot- agree with others, they're just so comfy and I also can't wait for cooler weather- so much easier to dress comfily (is that a word??) I have my eye on a fab wrap round cardigan from JoJoMaman Bebe but it's ridiculously expensive the good thing about it is it an be wrapped 4 different ways and can be worn during nursing and after birth so I'm guessing I'd get a lot of wear out of it. Now to save up a bit...

struggling with pants too- anyone actually bought any maternity pants or just bigger normal ones? Think I may just get a pack from Tesco! Last 2 pregnancies I did that and just wore them till they looked like rags but they're cheap so it doesn't matter! I reckon my backside may have gone up 2 sizes already tho DH hasn't been complaining -he seems to be more keen on me than ever! He said last night maybe it was my bigger boobs- I said oh thanks, so the fried eggs I had before being pregnant didn't really do much for you then? lol! He then tried to re-phrase his words! I wish I could keep these boobs too!

frouby your friend sounds like a bit of a handful and like you say, a bit of a drama queen maybe? I admire your forthright attitude- I wish I could be more honest with friends but I have a fear of upsetting people -silly really as the truth is always more useful to hear even if it's harder to hear!

chilli sorry to hear you're suffering. Something went in my pelvis a week ago and it meant I couldn't walk without lots of pain- amazingly a massage of my lower back by DH loosened it up and it's fine now. but I sympathise as having constant pain whilst moving is horrid. Hope the physio can ease it a bit?

oops our threads crossed frouby You sound like a really good friend to her- hopefully she'll listen to you!

Hi all,

It's definitely comforting to read of others' knackeredness - I was expecting to be full of energy in the second trimester and so far it hasn't really appeared! I work from home two days a week (am in London on the other two), and the other day I did sneak off for a nap and woke up 1.5hrs later!

I definitely don't remember being this knackered with DD, but then again, I didn't have a 3.5yr old to run around after when I was pregnant with her!

I am filling lots of online shopping baskets at the moment, with more maternity clothes, but I know we're supposed to be being frugal so I haven't splashed out just yet. I have a friend's 40th to go to next month and I would like something new for that at least...

Frouby it sounds like you were very much justified with your outburst to your friend; I hope she sees sense and eats some humble pie.

Mumoftwo I am despairing over underwear at the moment - I spent £90 in Bravissimo about 2 months ago as my boobs had grown so much, but am sure I have outgrown those 2 new bras and now need some stronger reinforcement! I cannot believe how much I have grown in that department - dread to think what I will look like when the milk comes in; I was stunned and terrified of the size of them last time!

Hope everyone's doing OK - it's very exciting to hear so much news of scans, and even though we are still in 'team yellow' it's exciting to read about everyone else knowing whether they have boys or girls on the way! I think things will start to speed up now we're past the halfway mark - bit scared about how quickly it's all going to arrive!

Oh, forgot to say in my last post that I have now added 'team yellow' to my details on the stats thread

I thought it might be worth adding a link to that thread again so any recent joiners can add themselves, and everyone else can start adding blue / pink / yellow to their existing details if they want!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1803742-December-2013-Stats