August 2014 - The thread fillers are also powering through their scans

[BunnyBaby]

How fast do we get through these threads?

I did do the NCT classes. I was hugely dubious about them - I had a lot of preconceptions (which turned out to be unfounded). But because of his work, there was no DH could have made the times of the local NHS one, and we really wanted to do something. We booked onto one of the intensive ones, which took place over two consecutive weekends.

As everyone has said, it's got to be about what makes sense for you personally. It'll work for some and not others, and it'll also depend on the person leading the class.

I think we were mostly lucky. The woman in charge was not massively pushy of any particular agenda, and although there were a few things that made me cringe, I know plenty of people who were similarly amused/bewildered by the NHS version. The breastfeeding session was not great, but that was only a small part of it. I was familiar with a lot of what was said through background reading, but DH wasn't, so for him it was quite useful.

The main thing, as so many people have said, was the connections I formed with the other people there. Altogether there were six couples, and the women have all stayed very close since then. We set up a thread on FB that was a total lifesaver in the early days after the birth. It was great to have others to talk to and ask advice from - a lot of the most helpful advice I had early on was from us all sharing our combined knowledge. In my particular case, I wouldn't have met people in the same position as me in any other way. I hadn't understood before the birth how helpful it would be to have these links. And we have become really good friends over the last two years.

Before I had DD I could not for the life of me understand why I might want to be friends with people just because we happened to have had sex around the same sort of time, essentially. I just didn't understand, and I have since eaten my words!

This is, of course, only my experience - it does completely depend on what makes sense for each person's situation.

Hungry. ...what you said about the nct attitude is exactly what I found. ...you just described so much clearer than I could.

I had a friend who was very into "that" way of thinking. ..so much so that she more or less blamed the fact that my eldest dd was so poorly during and after birth and in special care for so long on the amount of intervention that I had because it is so much better to do it naturally. ...erm well yes. ...it would have been amazing if that had happened and I hadn't had the worry and upset of such a poorly dd...but with the best will in the world it doesn't always happen that way...needless to say we talked very little about births after that!

Hello all, glad to hear scans went well yesterday. Mine was fab, a little jumpy baby with a heartbeat. Unfortunately I didn't have a very full bladder (oops) so it was a very bad picture and we couldn't get accurate measurements for the nuchal thing so going back in two weeks. She thinks my due date is actually 4th sept but admitted that is likely change when she gets a clearer picture!

UpQuark, that's great news. And on the upside you get to see your baby again! :-)

Who's up today for scans? Good luck!

And have a great time in Oz, Mitchell.

Where are you off to, Perth as it's nearest, just to enter the country or somewhere else? Jealous!

Great news with the scans.
I was just wondering if anyone else is getting anxious as they don't really feel that preganant anymore and yet to really have any bump. I think the realisation that I am not having a scan for another 6 weeks has lead me to think what if... also we have now told everyone... I know I am probably being silly but I just wanted to see if anyone else is feeling like this. : )

I don't feel that pregnant at all, Caz. I have a bump but it's not that reassuring!

It doesn't help that I was feeling DD every day at this point, but I've an anterior placenta this time so don't feel this one much. :-/

All I've really got is exhaustion, so at least that's something!

Hi all, and welcome to Selly! I'm feeling better, still not eaten anything other than toast but definitely not ill any more...it's DD's turn today - she's asleep on me after throwing up all day at nursery yesterday (was surprised they didn't send her home) and all morning today too. Poor little thing...but think she might be past the worst.

I didn't do nct with dd and don't feel that I missed out (also saved all that money!). I have some friends who had babies around the same time as me so met up with them a bit while I was on mat leave, and I also went to the nearest playgroup, which is in our local church hall - I have made some acquaintances and one really good friend from there. Was it Ruggle who was feeling like there wasn't a chance to meet people in north London? Maybe church play groups would be an option, I'm sure there will be some nearby. We should also all try to arrange a meet-up once our babies are here!

Did you get told about your placents Hungry? No one mentioned it to me and I wondered where it was, I wondered if it was at the front with me having a big bump.

I don't feel pregnant but certainly look it. This isn't much reassurance really because my only symptom now really is hunger, so I could just be fat? Ha ha.

I had an awful dream last night that at 16 wk appt MW couldn't find HB, I woke up really upset. My mind is cruel to me.

I specifically asked about my placenta, Piña. Coz I'm nosey! :-)

It's not something they're concerned about unless it's low lying, so I wouldn't have been told otherwise.

I'm hungry too. I'm trying to be careful, but yesterday's free hot drink and cake at John Lewis didn't help!

I'm glad you're feeling better DuPain. I hope your DD feels better very soon too.

That's a crappy dream, Piña. I'm worrying about that too. Even though it's normal to maybe not find it so early as they're still teeny weeny.

My MW with DD asked if I wanted to try, and said that if I would panic if she couldn't find it, then I was best not having her try. But she did and we found it. It's ace. :-)

It's useful to know they won't nessecarily find it, I'll be 16+5 so hope she can! It's just such a limbo stage I feel, because I've seen it at 12 and know it was ok, but it's such a long wait to 20 and not really getting much movement as reassurance and any thing I feel I don't know if it's just my gut anyway haha.

Wishing you both a speedy recovery DuPain

We are in the same boat, Piña. It's all weird for me after last time, but in suppose my last pregnancy was unusual and this is normal!

Is your appt next week? Mine is the week after, once I've made it! Might ring actually, get it booked. :-)

Was your last pregnancy complicated then Hungry?

Mines next Wednedsday at 3pm, can't wait!

No, not complicated overly, but unusual in that I felt DD from 11 weeks, had my first kick at 14 weeks and DH felt a kick at 16 weeks.

She's still got waggly feet and bloody strong legs (and me the destroyed abs!). :-)

I've made my appt for 24th now. Yay!

I've got my 16 week appointment on monday, Pina, excited but also desperately worried. Luckily have a busy weekend to try to take my mind off it. Lord knows what I'll be like before my 20 week....!
Is anyone else getting twinges in their legs? I'm worried about my veins and valves, they sometimes feel really achey...

Hello Ladies,

Sorry I've been away, we've had DH's big 40th birthday weekend celebrations, together with PTA pamper eve Friday night, Michelin restaurant Saturday night, setting up spare room Sunday night and then the big day yesterday. As such I am exhausted, but very happy to catch up on everyone's good news.

Sleepy - Ace news on scan, at long last my brown spot discharge has finally ceased following large bowel movements, and what you were describing sounded similar to me, and I am sure mine is an irritation unbaby related, and yours may be the same, did they say anything?

Anterior Placenta - Had this with DS2, so can really sympathise, you will feel something eventually, but not until 16-18 weeks for me. However with this one at 12 weeks I'm feeling flutters which is nice especially with previous spotting, perhaps I'm also feeling more as uterus really stretching with this being PG4 so almost at belly button.

Sex - I am happy as long as baby is healthy, however having had 3 boys already, I learnt that although the probability of either is 50/50 the probability of 4 boys in a row is 6%, so perhaps I may be lucky enought to have some girl power to balance things at home. Unfortunately despite not finding out with the others, I really want to know this time, but DH doesn't.

Falling - I fell out of shower over the side of the bath at 7 months pregnant with DS1 and tore towel rail off the wall as desparately trying to break fall, and all was ok :-)

Scans - Mine is this time tomorrow - whoop whoop!

And onto the list (I love lists)...

Missing most - Cups of tea - which I love, but despise at the moment
Best side effect - Early movements
Struggled most with - Evening nausea and motion nausea
Best / strangest reaction to announcement to news - N/A
Most looking forward to - having 3
Most worried about (aside from medical worries) - how to chase after three when there are only 2 of us - outnumbered?!
Tummy status - 1 - proper little bump, 2 - no bump, 3 - fat and bloated pretend bump - 3
Most tears over - Any cruelty to children in the news
Shopaholic status - Not bad, just hammered the next sale!

Hungry Thats amazing! To think DH could feel the baby as soon as Friday, wow! I feel things but still just convincing myself it's in my head, I just have no clue. When i'm sat on an evening is usually when i'm concious of tiny flutters.

Flymo How exciting! I'm going to have to keep myself busy or i'll go mad. I must admit time is going quickly at the moment.

Hi Bunny good luck for tomorrow, look forward to the news. Good call on missing tea, I miss a decent cup of coffee sooooo much!

Piña, it was a one off that took a few weeks to be repeated. DH had his hand on my belly and got booted. The one at 14 weeks was DD taking offence to my Levi's...it prompted me into maternity trousers! (Which she also hated and booted when I wore them!)

I've felt a bit of whooshing round, and the occasional bump low down (I think my placenta is also high) but nothing like last time. :-(

Bunny, that's one hell of a dive you took. Ouchy. Shows they're well-protected though.

Good luck tomorrow. :-)

Actually, it was his head. He got kicked in the head. :-)

He didn't learn his lesson and it happened at least twice more in the pregnancy!

Scan went well. I found it incredibly freaky that there is such a jumpy baby in there but you cannot feel a thing. Was entirely expecting them to say I'd dreamt it all! In fact it was so active, the trainee sonographer found it tricky getting measurements. But all looks good, Down's risk was over 1 in 9000. Moved my due date to 27th Aug which I expected as don't have a 28 day cycle. Better for me as I'll get most of my Summer holiday pay before maternity pay kicks in! So all in all a successful day. Gods luck to everyone else with scans!

Good luck rather!

Great news Abi! I had a wriggler too and it's the strangest feeling isn't it!

Hungry thats so sweet :) I can't wait for DH to feel, more than for myself, I hope it will feel a bit more real for him then.

Good news on the scan Abi and anyone I missed last night

Mine is tmrw morning....starting to get nervous now just glad its early on. Is anyone else tmrw? I saw Bunny you are too what time is yours?

DS3 is poorly again, got ab's for tonsilitus poor baby had such a high temp last night hoping this finally kicks those bugs away!!

Hi all. I've been awol a while but following the thread on my phone so great to hear all the good news about the scans. I think we're all almost done with 12 week scans so now the 20 week ones to stress about :)

The NCT thing sounds nice but very expensive! I didn't have either of my dds in the UK, I think it's a very British thing. But I'm not into this whole 'birthzilla' business. Main thing is healthy baby, healthy mum however the baby comes out (that said, slightly freaked by the sky high c-section rates over here in the US - the hospital I'm going to has a 40% c-section rate!). I think breastfeeding is fabulous but it's a personal choice and no one should be made to feel bad. Support and iformation is one thing (and there should be lots of it) but not pressure. The benefits of breastfeeding really are marginal compared with everything else that goes into bringing up a healthy and happy child in my opinion (and I say that as someone who did exclusively breastfeed - but I found it easier than bottle feeding, not sure if I would have if it had been difficult).

With dd2 I did a post-natal exercise course for a while which was a great way to meet some new mums and I'm still in contact with some of them. And what was really nice with dd2 (who's now 7) is that I joined a babycentre forum (hadn't discovered mumsnet then :) ) and we're all still in contact and we've all stuck together for 8+ years. One of the ladies lives a couple of hours away from us in the US - our 7 year olds aren't such great friends (partly because she has a boy and I have a girl) but she also has a 10 year old girl born the same month as dd1 and they get on like a house on fire so we've had sleepovers and get togethers etc. It's really nice! There's definitely other options apart from NCT.

Has anyone else had really bad headaches/migraines? On Sunday, I woke up feeling headachy. In the afternoon, I was in the kitchen baking with the dds when my headache got worse and my vision went all blurry with floaters in front of my eyes. It was scary! It's too early for pre-eclampsia so I didn't want to start calling dr. I took a paracetomol and lay down for an hour which helped a lot and my vision went back to normal although i still had a headache (and it carried on yesterday as well). But bloody hell it was awful. I've never had migraines before but it sounded like this might be one.

As for the list:

Missing most - Coke Zero. It helped in the beginning with nausea but now it's forever associated with that nausea and I feel sick thinking about it!
Best side effect - not sure...thinking about having a baby :)
Struggled most with - nausea on the subway on the way home from work
Best / strangest reaction to announcement to news - MIL telling DH that a woman in the first three months is as fragile as glass and he needs to wrap me in cotton wool and not let me do anything
Most looking forward to - having a whole new person to love in our family
Most worried about (aside from medical worries) - going back into the baby years, what have we done?!?!
Tummy status - 1 - proper little bump, 2 - no bump, 3 - fat and bloated pretend bump - 3 Some kind of cross between 1 and 3.
Most tears over - None really, just self pity occasionally
Shopaholic status - Nothing, have been very restrained until now.

Congratulations on the great scan and results, Abi!