February 2014 - Part 5 - The one in which nobody has ANY vomiting, heartburn, or random leg injuries...

[marzipanned]

Well, here's hoping!

Shropshire that is hilarious about your pee pot!

The pregnancy yoga I went to last night had some focus on breathing during and between contractions and ways to keep calm etc and the lady was so lovely giving everyone advice on staying calm in labour and poses which would help. I'm definitely gonna go again and get practicing!

jazzcat - that was the only downside of the epidural. Yes, I wasn't in pain but no, literally could not feel the contraction and therefore could not push v well. I did try! But I knew as sure as day that I had no idea if I was actually pushing when I was trying to push. They endedup having to do an episiotomy and suck the baby out of me with a ventouse (similar thing to pulling with forceps). As a result I has stitches but who is to say I wouldn't have needed them anyway due to a tear? I had a small tear with second labour and that was done with no interventions etc.

So the only thing I'd say about an epidural with your first labour is that you may well end up with forceps or a ventouse due to inability to push.

That said, in heat of moment, all of your plans about oain relief go out of the window when you're actually doing it so just read up about stuff and understand the pros and cons. You'll know when you're there what the right decision for you is!

Ok finally managed to join the FB group put scan pic up. Will do a bump one later. Wow some of you have big bumps already and really looking pregnant.

champagne, I don't know how ypu commute to work but most train companies do a special ticket/badge for pregnant women to ensure you get a seat at all times if you are a season ticket holder. My friend had one and it was worth its weight in gold. I don't think they are well advertised though.

champagne have you tried asking for a seat? I usually find a young man sitting in a priority seat and ask directly. It takes a bit of confidence but works. I'll be doing this on my mega journey tomorrow (as well as wearing my badge).

I've just had a long snooze. Feeling a bit better, but also v guilty as I missed dialling into a work meeting. I'm supposed to be having a diving lesson in two hours. hoping my tummy stays settled... whoever said ms stops at 12 weeks!

jazzcat I had an epidural with both of my births. The first time was not really my choice I was kind of pressured into it as because of my condition they said I was most likely going to end up with a c section so it would be better if I was ready with the epidural.

I asked them not to put too much as I wanted to feel it. I still felt a lot of the pain, but the pushing bit was a bit more tricky. Luckily I pushed like mad and got my baby out before they whisked me away for c section.

Second time around I was induced again due to the same condition and I opted for the epidural this time. All went well again and delivered baby naturally.

I am not planning what I will do as I just do not know how I will cope on the day. But if I feel the need for another epidural I will have one. One thing I did love the epidural for is that I didn't feel that pain in my private parts, that extreme stinging and burning pain so that was a huge bonus.

That's sounds like an awful commute champagne, I can see why you don't want to turf someone out

Been for my 16wk mw appt too today. All good except for a low iron count so I have to have tablets. Boo. But maybe I'll stop feeling so bloody tired fat chance. Also got to hear the heartbeat which is fab. The mw said that NICE recommendations are to not listen for hb till 32 weeks but she basically said 'screw that, mother's want to hear it' which was surprising but lovely.

Very exciting seeing everyones bumps and scans on FB. Will try to post mine later when I'm near a scanner. Thinking my bump is mostly podge though looking at all your lovely neat bumps. Have been getting kicks though. Could see my bump moving the other night so very exciting stuff. Much earlier this time round to last time which was about 20 wk mark. Been feeling movement since about wk13 this time.

I think she was lucky as they usually had the same ticket guy who used to turf people off them, or tell her to sit in first class. She was also having twins, so was huge early!

choco, my bump the first time didnt become properly shaped until I was 20+ weeks, I just looked more podgy than normal.
similar is happening so far this time although I don't look quite so podgy, probably down to all that throwing up!

mmmmm nutella...

Awww loving all the bump pics. Milkandtwo (hope I've got the right person) is it wrong to say I want your bump & boobs?
I look pre-pubescent in comparison!

jazcat yep it's me with the dissertation! Well I handed in 7,000 words and asked for an extension - my lovely, lovely supervisor has agreed to give me a 'suspension' whereby when I feel better I let her know and we give me two months from then.
I think this means I won't be graduating with my pals but tbh that's the absolute least of my worries.
How are things going with yours at the mo?

As a compromise I'll keep my bump and you can have the boobs. Always hated them, would adore a nice B cup, maximum. The peak of my boob hating came when they flew out of a leotard in front of a sizeable audience during a vigorous upside down swing and I lacked a free hand to tuck 'em back in for several bars of music (without falling on my head). They were not made for either leotard wearing nor shaking upside down. Ah well, I think those days are done now anyway!

Ok I've sent you a pm misskat so hopefully i'll be joining the fb group soon.

Had my "16 week" appointment today (I'm 18+4 i think). Was a bit meh really. To sum up:

• Got to listen to baby's hb which was nice
• I also got complemented on my blood group. Felt strangely proud.
• Mw said "I don't know why they booked you this appointment really", didn't know how to respond to that one.
• told mw about annoying shooting pain in right bum cheek and at top of legs. She cleverly deduced it was 'because i'm pregnant'. No shit sherlock
• booked next appt for 28 weeks which feels aaaages away.
• told me to book blood sugar test when i go for my scan (cos DD was such a big fat baby)

In other news, chinese gender chart is 6 for 6 correct out of friends i've told about it. Spooky.

DD was v wriggly on scans and (obviously) she's a girl so not convinced about the wriggly vs chilled baby scan predictor. We'll see the week after next I guess.

LOL!

Dawn. I'm with you on the shooting pain. Ouch!

Dawn. I'm with you on the shooting pain. Ouch!

So much it was worth posting twice

I was hoping for some tips/advice as to what to do about it really. Some days i'm fine, other days very ouch! ouch! especially if i've done a lot of walking (which i do as i don't have a car).

Thought about paracetamol as I know you can take that but i don't want to take it too much iykwim?

marzipanned I'm up to 3000 words so far (so 1/5th of the way there) and am planning on working on it solidly for the rest of this week, the weekend and the following weekend. I'm hoping I manage to produce something in the 6 days remaining that is worthy of the pass mark but not holding out much hope. Have just 'wasted' 90 mins having a snooze to soothe a headache. Congrats on your deadline though - sounds like your supervisor is amazing! Mine has ignored me since June

Dawn - in the daytime I have the sharp pain in buttock (shooting down thigh) and at night it turns into all over leg cramp/pain from hell. I had it with DS from 20 weeks. Nothing helped.

Advice is to avoid sitting with your legs crossed or wide open. If it gets really bad you'll find walking up stairs sidewards is easier (with me I got so I couldn't lift my left leg without excruciating pain).

Also sleeping with ever more complex pillow arrangements.

Aquarobics (sp?) is also meant to be good.

dawn and vix could be it be pregnancy-related sciatica? I did something grim to my L5S1 vetebra last year, and it knocked against my sciatic nerve which then made my right bum cheek and hamstring incredibly painful. I managed with with a chiropractor/physio type chap and stretches - his wife was a specially trained antenatal chiropractor/osteopath, so maybe see if there is one in your area? Otherwise stretch out your periformis muscle (in your bum). More info here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_syndrome

Hope that helps!