Due February 2007 - 2nd Trimester

[CurrantBun]

For those of us due February 2007 and moving from the first to the second trimester ...

We've made it this far - only another 6 months to go! (Gulp!)

I think at my local hospital I have the option of paying for a private room, so I guess that's a possibility too. Of course, I may well change my mind several times as the pregnancy progresses - which I'm perfectly entitled to do!

Sorkycake, LOL at the idea of being forced to eat like a hunger-striker! At the end of the day they surely have to realise that smaller ladies are likely to have smaller babies, although I bet I'll get all the 'small for dates' crap later on - like there's anything I can do about it! A 5'1", 7-stone woman is going to be highly unlikely to have an 8lb bouncing baby (at least, I hope not!!)

DH is convinced I'm starting to get a bump (I'm 14+3) but TBH it only seems to protrude a little bit in the evening, so it may just be my big dinner rather than the baby! I did notice that my trousers this morning were harder to do up - they have just been washed, which always makes them a bit tighter for the first wear - but now I've been wearing them for a few hours they feel OK again. If I can get to 4-5 months before having to buy maternity clothes I'll be quite happy.

When have most people had to buy new bras? I'm still wearing my pre-pregnancy ones which are still fine for now (I did get lectured by the midwife as they are underwired, but I'm ignoring that as they still feel comfortable, no wires digging in, and wiring is flat against my ribcage, which I've read is fine). Am hoping to get away without having to buy loads of new bras until much later but not sure what the 'norm' is?

Currantbun - the hospital where I had DS had single person rooms (if available) for £40 a night. I was only in one night but wished I had one of those as DS and I kept everyone else awake! Was nice to chat to the other girls in the room though.

With DS I needed new bras from 6 wks... then again at 12wks, about 27wks and then onto nursing ones. I went from a fairly large 36E/F to a 36J when breastfeeding. They still haven't come down again . Anyway, underwires are fine if they really do fit perfectly. But any slight poor fir and they can stop the development of the milk ducts happening properly. So as soon as they get a bit tight I would go for non-wired. Doesn't have to be 'maternity' as such, just non wired, well fitted and comfy. You could buy nursing bras straight off in the hope that your boobs won't change much (that's if you're planning to breastfeed of course). But I bought a 36H nursing bra at 38wks pg which had a bit of room in the cup... and 2 wks after having DS I needed the J cup. So I'm glad I had only bought one!

Thanks Suzi2.

On the subject of breasts (!) I'm beginning to think mine aren't normal. The areolas haven't got darker or larger since I became pregnant, and I'm now 14+3. I'd assumed they'd start to darken by now (this is my first baby). My areolas have always been very, very pale - almost translucent - and I suppose they are a tiny bit darker than that now. Should I be worried?

I was a 32B before and I'm now a 32C, so haven't grown much at all. Boobs do feel much rounder and firmer than they did before - a bit like implants!

CB you might be in for a shock. I'm only 7st 7lbs usually and my last one was 24 inches long and 8lb 8oz.
My SIL, though young, was 6st11lb when she fell pg and had her first at 9lb 8oz!

Hi , I'm popping in to post this
cheesy photo
I've got new bra's. I got 3 from john lewis at £7 each- I didn't want to spend lots on money. I needed them fairly early on but was probably not wearing the correct size to begin with

Great photo peachygirl. Sounds (and looks!) like you had a fab time.

I think I've got the same bra as you - didn't feel like splashing the cash for such a short time and they're all so horrible anyway.

FWIW my boobs grew pretty quickly this time much to DH's delight but haven't changed since. I expect they'll have another burst later on at which point I'll go for my previous maternity/bf bras and see how they go.

cb, don't worry about darkening etc. Sometimes it doesn't happen, esp if you're very fair skinned. I never had a linea negra with my last pg, for eg.

Peachy - looks like you had a good time. We're off on holiday on Saturday for a week. Not as exciting as yours though... we're off to ballater for a week in a holiday cottage.

CB, I'm very fair and mine are still pale too. It doesn't matter at all. I can't say that I noticed a huge difference when I had DS either. never had a linea negra thingy either. The only problem it caused me is that when I was bf DS I got thrush in my boobs and one of the symptoms is often that the areola looses all colour. For me it was quite hard to tell!

Sorkycake, OMG!!!! [CB passes out cold on the floor]. 6st11 and had a 9lb 8oz baby??? Was it a natural birth? Did SIL ever recover???

Am seriously hoping I'm not going to give birth to a bowling ball. Hubby and I both come from quite small families - especially mine. I was 5lb 6oz at birth; my brother was 7lb 4oz I think. Hopefully genetics will play some small part!

Thanks for that, Babydriver - I am quite fair-skinned so maybe my nipples will never go dark!

Thanks Suzi2, glad to know I'm not abnormal!

We're doing the holiday cottage thing too - have a week booked off work from 18th September - only problem is we haven't yet got around to booking a cottage! Not too fussed where we go (hopefully the Lake District or maybe Devon/Cornwall) so fingers crossed there are still a few things left.

Ballater is lovely - went there once when I was a student.

whatever the size you'll feel like you've just birthed a bowling ball
SIL had a vaginal delivery with forceps. Couldn't have been too bad as she had another 4 years later. She was induced with both tho' so maybe going over dates has something to do with it

Evening Everyone - we're home from a week in Dorset. Got the end of school holiday blues, though!

How is everyone? have tried to catch up a bit with the thread. Am 15 weeks today and have a bump big enough to look pg now! Hurrah! Am still craving tinned tuna mixed with vinegar but am now also desperate for plums - the English ones. Am loving them and thinking of them when not eating them!

Can't comment on much of the recent convo, but I had to buy a new bras about two months ago as they were so much bigger and sorer - was getting double boobage. Got measured in mothercare and bought a pack of two for £20, then a couple more normal non-wired ones from somewhere else. They're still fitting. Can't say I have noticed whether they are darker. They are a bit..... TMI>TMI>TMI> crusty/flakey occasionally...milk? Anyone else getting this gross nipple effect?

Also haven't got a linea negra. Anyone else?

my nips have been a bit flakey and the areolas are bigger and mine are quite veiny too. I thought I saw a few dark hairs on my tum while on holiday but I am dark haired so they might have been there all along

LOVED your pic of Central Perk - how cool! Would love to go there! I assume you managed the flights ok without any worries?

yeah the flights were ok. I would have liked to have had my own water but they did come round with cups of it at very regular intervals. My DH is a terrible flyer though which was a bit of a nightmare . I sat there thinking how am I going to manage with him and a child in the future/. I told him he will have to sit on his own!!
Are you ready for school? I'm not. I've moved to a new room and it is a complete tip, but I can't do lots of the furniature moving. I've so far done no planning yet either!
I'm going in tomorrow to boss the caretaker round and then will crack on at the weekend.

Am DREADING school. It feels worse because I was signed off at the end of the term and didn't go back before the hols started. Have literally just popped in so am forcing myself in for a few hours tomorrow, then all day Monday before training on Tuesday. Feeling totally unprepared and without any sense of drive! I'm used to running on raw energy and adrenalin, particularly with the role that I have. I'm really worried that I will burst into tears at the first sign of any hassle. On the other hand, I have been over conscientious in the past, so maybe I'll have a "I've got more important things to think about" attitude so that I let the nasty stuff wash over me. Only time will tell!!

I can't imagine how you have the energy to sort out a new room? Why did you get moved? What a hassle!

all very complicated to do with class organisation. I'm pleased though it's a better room thn my old one. My nursery nurse is also PG, we were in on tues so neither of us could do much and we chatted alot and looked at scan photos!
It will all come back to us once we've been there a couple of days!!

Yeah...I'm sure I always feel a bit like this at the end of the long holiday...Just need to get back into the swing.

It will be nice to know your nursery nurse fully understands the situation!!!

ooh 2 other teachers...
i teach in scotland and so have been back 2 weeks. am up to my eyes in planning so have limited myself to 7:30pm deadline on MN which means 1 min left!

chat soon

I seem to have lost the heavy feeling in my boobs today. Should I go to the midwife and check the heartbeat is still there, or shall I just wait til next week and see how I feel? If something has happened there is nothing I can do anyway....Boobs have been very heavy and sore for weeks now so it is odd

I think your boobs do stop being so tender in the second trimester mine certainly don't feel a sore as they did.
One of the more experienced ladies will be along soon. Don't worry.

flowertot - boobs do tend to feel better in the 2nd trimester. But boob pain is the worst indicator of anything IMO as it comes and goes and varies so much in pregnancy. Please try not to worry - it's all normal.

My boob tenderness seemed to get a lot better over the past couple of weeks, then yesterday and today they have been very tender again. I think it's just hormonal fluctuations - no need to worry if the tenderness varies from day to day.

I'm 15 weeks on Monday and still 'bumpless'! I suppose my tummy is very slightly rounded compared with how it was (I was lucky and had a very flat, almost concave stomach - guess I'll be lucky if it ever looks like that again!) but I don't look pregnant yet. Oddly, it seems to 'show' more in the evening than in the day, but that's probably because when I get home from work I change into loose jogging bottoms and let it all hang out! I'm still fitting into my normal clothes quite easily, so it will be a while longer before I need maternity wear.

I never thought of teachers as well as pupils having 'end of holiday blues'! LOL! I guess when you have a standard 9-5 job you forget all about that - now I get Sunday night depression instead!!

hi everyone, im expecting my second baby in early feb, wanted to say hi and hope everyone is doin ok

bubs xx

good to hear from you flowertot. Don't worry about the boobs. As others have said, they do seem to get less tender in 2nd trimester - mine certainly have. Hormones I expect plus I think they have got over their first 'growth spurt'.

I think lots of things settle down in the 2nd T as your body gets used to the idea of growing a bubba and you get used to the hormones swilling around. For most, its a nice stage where you can worry a bit less and get some energy back, before the final slog when some of the niggles can kick in big time and you get sick of carting a watermelon or two round on your front.

Hello Bubblebell1, nice to hear from you, hope you are doing well so far!