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!)

Just to add my pennyworth on pushchairs. We bought a secondhand Maclaren which cost about £80 and lasted two years of VERY hard work (in town, across fields) and when it got partly squashed by one of the airlines we bought another secondhand Maclaren and made one complete one from the two. Total cost around £120 and still going strong after three years. You don't have to spend hundreds of pounds on these things, and since they get trashed if you walk a lot/travel a lot then it's not worth spending huge amounts in my opinion. Car seat was around £120 and is on its third baby (not all mine!).

It is well worth looking on the 'for sale' section here on Mumsnet - there are loads of pushchairs etc. available second-hand or nearly new. I have bought a few parenting books, a cosytoes and a winter / summer grobag set and all have arrived in great condition and I have saved some pennies too which will all help with the expense of the baby. I feel you can trust another Mumsnetter more than just answering an ad in the paper or going on ebay!

I agree Soundbites. The only things we bought new last time were the pushchair and one of the (four!) car seats. I got everything else - clothes, cot, highchair, toys - from either Ebay or Mumsnet. The other three car seats were hand-me-downs from my sister and friends, as I think it's dodgy to buy those from someone you don't know in case they've been in an accident.

Having said that you can trust MN more than ebay I must say that I bought our cot and moses basket on ebay (and collected them). With the cot, the seller was lovely and when she heard it was my first she threw in lots of bed linen and a couple of those little hooded towels too - and the moses basket sellers were so generous and gave me a Tomy sling, snowsuit and bouncy chair as well as moses basket size bed linen (I was almost embarrassed!). Both said they were glad their baby stuff was going to a good home. I bought the pushchair and car seat new. I think it is really worthwhile as I don't want all the money we have saved up for the lean months of me not working being spent entirely on baby stuff!

Klou and Flowertot - am so relieved (but sorry to hear) you have headaches too. They are REALLY bad when they come - like migraines I would think. I have been really paranoid about it being blood pressure (and therefore imagine I have pre-eclampsia...such a drama queen, I am!). I read this from my usual source

headaches

I also found that my husband massaging that notty bit around the base of my neck helps. I have taken 6 paracetamol in the whole pg so far and am keen to keep it at a minimum. Drinking water apparently helps, but it makes me feel sick and bloated. Nightmare eh?

Flamesparrow - thanks for checking in on us! Bet you remember all these quirky feelings!!

N1Sexy - anything worse happen at your new flat?

Just remembered on the headache front that a colleague of mine swears by those sticks that you rub on your forehead - they're called something helpful like 4head or forhead. I doubt it would do the trick once they get really bad, but maybe trying it as soon as the pain starts might help. Drug free (internally, anyway) so might be worth a go at least.

also worth tracking down some nct sales for 'nearly new' baby equipment. i bought a lovely m&p cotbed for £50 - it was exactly the type i wanted so was very chuffed. nct sales around us often have very good equipment - at the last one there was a jane powertrack and also a beautiful duck egg and charcoal twin maclaren which went for £60 - it truly looked like new.

i'm 15+4 and felt movement for the first time last night. dh felt it too which was really nice as last time he didn't feel movement until 22 wks. i remember now that one of the nicest things about being preg is going to bed early and lying very still with hands on tummy to make contact with lo!!

babydriver, prior to pregnancy I have used that 4head. It is good, just watch you don't apply it to close to your eyes iykwim....It's kind of menthol and your eyes feel as though they are on fire lol..!! Did the trick with me though.

Hope the headaches disappear soon for those of you with them. TBH I think they are just related to a change in blood pressure etc. Apparently atm our blood is now starting to pump much faster around our bodies to compensate for baba. That explains headaches, faintness etc.

BTW I'm 19 week and still not felt dc2...slightly worried..Anyone else the same as me..? MW etc have said don't worry, it may not happen till after 20 week scan (next wed) but it's not reasurred me..I thought with the 2nd I would have felt something by now..? DH & I have tried lying still at night and even with hands on my tummy but nothing. DH thinks he felt something last night and is convinced I have no feelings left in my tummy after dd..! Must admit the last 2 weeks I have had a few occasions where I have felt a fluter "down below" iykwim which made me need a wee but not sure if it's baby or not..? Not sure if lay in a bizarre place...?? Anyone reasurre me..? Also due to different movements from dd maybe this lo is a boy............................................

Mmmmmm, I like what you've done with the place - mind if I join you ladies?
I'm due on Valentine's Day, with a baby brought back as an unexpected souvenir from a holiday in New Zealand (duty-free). Despite all the scare stories about not flying in the 1st trimester, my 15 wk scan showed my baby is fine, very photogenic and dancing around, even after spending its first few weeks flying from NZ to Thailand, then Vietnam and back to London.
As a first time mum-to-be with no prior pregnancy knowledge (or interest I confess) I don't understand any of the technical talk so excuse me if I ask what a dd / sil / dh is, I only recently found out what lol meant...
Healthwise I am feeling good, was only sick 3 times in the early days (before the Blue Cross confirmation) and as it wasn't in the morning (only just worked that one out too) simply put it down to motion sickness or a bad chocolate crepe bought at 11pm on Brighton Pier (not recommended). I do however have awful lower back pain which I think may be relieved by acupuncture (on the NHS!) and possibly sleeping on a real bed as opposed to an old mattress on the floor. I'm also spending half my wages on doing pregnancy yoga which friends have said really helps, and the other half on corn on the cobs which I just can't get enough of. Having them at IKEA for 75p each makes the trips there a little less painful.
My boyfriend, though I'd be pushed to describe him as 'Darling' - 'Desperate' perhaps?, is an organic chef and has taken over my entire diet (save for the chips and curry sauce that I scoff when he's back at his own flat) and has banned me from eating tofu and any soya products! My vegetarian staples... He's convinced it's the new food of the devil for mums-to-be, even worse than Pringles, and has a whole stack of literature to back him up. So my trips to the Thai restaurants are a little more dull these days. If any of you are interested I'll ask him to give me an easily digestible lowdown of why it's so bad. I just follow the rules and sneak biscuits in my mouth when he goes to the toilet.
I'm hoping to have as natural a birth as my weak pain threshold will allow and am lucky enough to have a midwife-led birthing unit within my assigned hospital (UCH in London). Even though it's still a bit hospitally for my liking they do have birthing pools and the walls are painted in fetching pastel shades.
Though this may sound odd I'm only showing at night, after I've spent the day filling my face with corn on the cobs. Then I look properly pregnant and can sit holding my 'bump', only for it to deflate in the night. My boobs are huge though, and my hair is crap. I was told pregnant chicks can't bleach their roots so I've not had my hair done since a week before the conception - if there's anyone out there with news to the contrary then please let me know!
So, that's all about me (woah, it's a bit long, but that's 4 months of info for you) and I look forward to getting to know you all in the next few months...
P.S. I saw a woman on the tube the other day with a bag emblazoned with 'Yummy Mummy' and was flooded with a feeling of definitely-not-morning sickness - am I the only one with such an aversion?

welcome dcmy..!
If you need to know the lingo here look at the acronym list at the top...just below topic etc. This will tell you what dh, lo, dd,ds etc is abbreviated for.

Glad all is going well, gosh I couldn't cope with your dp and "diet" restrictions lol..!! TBH although you need to aim to eat healthily it won't do you any harm having some of the things you enjoy like biscuits..without feeling gulity.! Choc is my only vice and hey seen as I'm not allowed alcohol for 9 months I don't see a problems and luckily neither does dh.! In fact he tries to encourage it..say it's gives the baby happy vibes..!! I lived of it with dd and she smiles 24/7 so maybe thats true..!

I think the "bump" things happens with lots of women ( remember my mum teling me she'd go to work in normal clothes and come home to find her tummy trying to escape iykwim..! She also only seemed to show at night..I on the other hand have showed from around 6 weeks and continue to get bigger..not weight gain but more of a "beach ball up the top look" .

Hope you enjoy the chats with us.

Hello DCMY!!! Enjoyed reading your 4 months worth, look forward to chatting!

Love the 4head idea, those that have suggested it! Will purchase asap.

Am sooo tired. Been given extra responsbility at work which is really harsh. When I complained, my boss quipped that I was "hormonal"....needless to say, I didn't take it well. If I'm spreading myself too thinly over what is essentially three roles, I don't want people to assume it's because I'm pregnant, when actually it's a huge ask of ANYONE.....feeling a bit low and a bit stressed. :{

Thanks for letting me join everyone.

i still haven't got a bump, might be something to do with the amount of exess fat i still haven't lost from ds.

i found my travel system was absolutely useless, a waste of money. Now have a maclaren pushchair for ds, it's fantastic. Am getting the double version soon. They are so lush to push and light weight, and (v.handy hint) you can put it up and get it down with one hand!

DCMY - i never died my hair when pg last time, but did read in my pregnancy book that there is no proven harm to baby. I just couldn't stand the smell of peroxide!!

Hi all
I've had a few headaches too. I have found drinking helps but have had to take Paracetamols too.
I don't think I'm really showing but people at work say I am. I just think it's the trousers I squeezed into today. I've also not felt any movements yet.
welcome new ladies. we really are getting to be a big group aren't we?

Hi Ladies,

At last - have managed a relatively quick catch up! Well, I'm 16 weeks tomorrow, DS was 9 months old on Sunday, now in at everything and latest trick is standing at anything he can push himself up on - there is simply no 'ME' time until reinforcements arrive.

MuminKent - Am with you on useless travel systems. Inlaws spent almost 400quid on ours and it was such a waste of money. What Mclaren have you got? I have a second hand one for the moment but will need to get another soon.

Maazaa - at boss's comment - how insensitive! Surely that can't be right!! It shouldn't be allowed...grrr!

Nice to hear of baby movements - I can't feel any for definite yet but brings back all the lovley memories of last pregnancy. Loved lying back in the bath watching it move around. Still being sick here for most of the day and night but trying not to complain, DS takes up so much of my time and energy just sort of have to get on...thankfully though.. am Going on holiday in 10 days time and really looking fwd to the break. Any tips/suggestions for flying (will be 17 + weeks)? Ta.

Peachygirl - Have you returned to work? my last day was term 3 last year - sometimes miss it but still have lots of contact with old colleagues and students. Kids were all very caring when PG and gave me some gorgeous hand made gifts for baby when I left...

Right, have waffled on way too much now. Talk soon. Oh, and Hi to everyone i missed out..only managed a skim! x

Cha Cha I was thinking when I posted earlier that we hadn't heard from you for a while - spooky
I flew not long ago, the advice I had was to wear the compression flight socks (very attractive)and drink plenty of water, which is hard due to the restrictions on liquids on flights. On our longer flights e drank lots before we got on the plane and hey bought round water regularly, ask for ice as this adds more 'liquid' to your cup.
I found I went to the loo lots.
Are you going long haul?

Hi all. Welcome to all the new folk since I last posted...which was ages ago! Taken ages to read and catch up with all the chat.

I'm 17wks and starting to feel squirms and flutters from within. Forgotten how nice these early movements are ie before they get to the bouncing about on your bladder making you need a wee or digging into your ribs stage...aaahhh the joys yet to come!!

Ds is being so sweet gave me a cuddle the other day then gave me a second and said "that's for the baby". At the M/wife appoint he was sooo excited to hear the baby's heart, now keeps pushing his ear to my tummy and saying "can't hear him he must be sleeping mummy"!!

Anyone got any strange cravings yet...i've suddenly taken to sherbet (please tell me what possible goodness baby could need from that!). Yesterday I worked my way through six (yes six ) packets.

HI all, and welcome to DCMY - loved your post; really made me laugh! As I'm far too vain to let me hair colour grow out (I was always a boring mousy brown but have highlighted my hair since I was 17 so no real idea whta colour it is these days!) I've carried on getting my roots done. I have foil highlights so none of the colour touches my scalp - I've been told this is fine. I had two shades of blonde put in last time; it's a bit darker than it was, but the regrowth should show less and hopefully mean I can get away with having it done every 12 instead of every 8 weeks, which will probably be all I can afford once I'm on maternity leave and the paid part ends!

Totally agree about the bump thing: mine is definitely more obvious in the evening. I'm still trying to restrain my boobs in my 32C bras as am determined I'm not going up a cup size just yet. Boobs may have other ideas though ...

Haven't had any cravings at all yet, and haven't particularly gone off anything either, except for a couple of things that made me really nauseous in the early stages - red/yellow/green peppers and apples. Still can't eat those.

Will be 16 weeks on Monday - anyone else finding that time is going a lot quicker since we entered the second trimester? It seemed to really drag up to the first scan, but has gone by a lot quicker since (for me at least).

Aargh - should be "my" hair colour and no real idea "what" colour it is - serves me right for not bothering to preview my messages!

dcmy, forgot to add about hair colouring..I'm mousey brown but had blond highlights until 3 weeks ago. I wanted to go dark but worred about colouring iykwim. My hairdresser said as long as it's not a full head of bleach things will be fine. I wanted foils but she assured me that I could have a full head of colour without any risk to baby..as long as it was dark as no bleach involved. I had a full colour along with foils of reds/auburn colours etc.

Also the colour was a permadye which fades over time and does not grow out like otehrs so is much safer. Speak to your hairdresser about options available and also organic colours as they are meant to b good.Another point is that the risky bit is during the 1st 12 weeks when baby is forming..after this trimester baby is formed but just needs to grow iykwim. HTH..

CB, I agree, the 1st 12 weeks dragged but now it's flying by. It doesn't help with dd as I have no time to sit and think about how baby is growing or how big he/she is atm..! LOL. I'm to much on my feet..!

I've dyed my hair, I used a home brand that I trusted. Garnier nutresse and I was thinking of doing it again. I've used the herbal essences one too but not when PG. I had thought of going for the henna from lush but and a bit frightened of it!

hairycaterpiller - sherbert

i don't even know where i'd buy that - haven't seen it in years!!! do you mean the dab stuff with the liquorice stick?

OOOOOoooohhhhh, liquorise fountains - I'm going to have to go shopping tomorrow and get some - my coop sells them in multi-packs. My big thing (this nice hot, sunny week) is homemade soup. I made dh do a roast at the weekend just so I could make stock and some soup from it - it's so yummy that I'm having several bowls a day.

I had an ante-natal appt this morning - all seems fine. She found the heart beat straight away this time - the baby must have been asleep a it kicked the doppler away every time last time! Oh good, another willful child! Had my bloods taken - the usuals and the quad test. Has anyone else had that? How long did you wait for the results?

Ok homemade soup is very healthy please someone tell me they are craving something as unhealthy as sherbet. It's sooo bad, bought more today, I'm sure woman in tesco thought i was a very bad mother . Fact is I'm hiding it from ds and dd in my underwear drawer as if it's drugs or something!

I love sherbert foutains tooo and a dib dab if I can get one but it's not a particular craving.. but now you have really made me fancy one.

PeachyGirl - I used to work at Lush and we advised people to cheese-grate the block of henna into a bowl for easier application. My Titan-haired colleague also swore by wrapping your head in clingfilm and a towel afterwards and sleeping with the henna in for maximum hennatasticness. Then again, she only did this on the nights her husband was working away...
Today I learned a(nother) new thing nobody had thought to mention to me pre-pregnancy - the milk doesn't come out of your nipple like a stream, it shoots out of loads of little holes like a watering can gone mad. Eeeesh, is there anything else they're saving for us?