July 2014 - Here comes the 3rd trimester, hold on to your knickers! Thread 6

[ZingWatermelon]

hope you like the title!

ickle - I've got the opposite problem (bump is so small that people keep helpfully commenting on it and making me paranoid), so did a bit of googling after midwife measured it on Tuesday and said it was small but fine for my dates. Apparently bump size has little correlation with the actual size of the baby when born - see this old thread...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/a1981639-Does-bump-size-correspond-with-baby-size

drama

will do - as soon as I can disable parental control on PC!
our usual password is not working, and I can't go on the MN site!

Happy Thursday all - DD is going to playgroup for the first time today! whenever I drop off DS5 she gets comfy and never wants to leave so I decided she could go just once a week this term, for fun.
hope she will like it - now that she'll be allowed to stay!

Fingers crossed she will love playgroup.
We are in birthday preparation here for dd. She seems to think she needs to remind me hourly that her birthday is next week!
Still can't get an Elsa doll from Frozen. However, we do have Anna, hidden in the wardrobe!
Also awaiting dd's new bed today. Once it has arrived - operation moving dd out of baby room will begin!
I was absolutely huge with dd far too much water retention. This time very tiny, neat bump. However scans are showing the baby is measuring the same as dd at the same points! Their profiles on the scans are so similar too. Same shaped nose! I wonder if this next will have the same red hair and strong personality! God help me if they are similarly stubborn!

ickle I'm measuring big too but mw said it could be how baby is laying. Not going to worry much for now.

ismarah I'm wearing sainsburys big pants and they are really comfy... not sure how long for though!

mummy hope you're ok.

mrsb baby just needs a blanket and sheet for first few months - as I think zing said if the baby is sick or poos on the bedding its less of a hassle if its just plain stuff.

I like this new thread and it's so busy too!
I'm enjoying the pants talk as it's one of my favourite topics. I have been very comfortable in john lewis full briefs in a size up, but also really comfortable in the maternity pants from jojo, which I only bought because I needed to get my bill higher to get a loyalty stamp had some terrible.ones from tesco though. Cheap but no stretch.
Starting to keep an eye out for those disposable ones for birth. Not sure where's best to get them.
I must admit that my big pants are so comfy I'm going to have a hard job going back to bikini pants hopefully hubby won't mind!!

Hello again all. On monitors, we've been very PFB and bought two, one reliant on wifi (for use at home) and one reliant on phone networks to use when on holiday / at in laws house etc (the iBaby, which frankly makes me feel like I'm not having a child but just downloading an app). We've gone for the night vision camera ones - although if I'm honest it's more because we want to play spies with them before the baby arrives! We've got an old Victorian house though, and you really can't hear anything from one end to the other so I wanted to be sure I could keep an eye on him. Each to their own obviously, but my consultant did speak out quite angrily against the angelcare breathing monitors, saying that there was no documented evidence that they actually worked (if they did, the NHS would use them), much the same as the home dopplers. He said they just worry people.

By the way, I know that all pregnant women are meant to feel huge but does anyone else thing they're going through growth spurts? I grew quite a bit a couple of weeks ago and then seemed to stop and all of a sudden (I swear, it's overnight), I'm MASSIVE. Googling pictures of women at 29 weeks provided some reassurance for a while until DH, when asked if I looked like on ein particular, looked at me sideways and nervously asked if I thought I was bigger or smaller. I have never felt this enormous in my life (not helped by having been a 16 before getting pregnant). And I cannot believe that I'm going to put on an extra 10cm or so before he's born. They're going to have to adjust science to account for the gravitational pull I'm going to start emitting...

Ickle, obviously meant to tag you in my last post!

Also, re knickers, ismarah, one of my friends at work was a couple of weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy and she strongly recommended the M&S lace panel (on the front over the tummy) knickers with no elastic. They stretch beautifully (have been wearing them since I found out and they still fit) and they feel a bit less "Mummy pants" than the alternatives. Something like this (www.marksandspencer.com/5-pack-cotton-rich-high-leg-knickers/p/p22077699). Can't find the ones I bought but they're so comfy - and no elastic in the waistband means they don't dig in (and I feel slightly less like an unsexy walrus).

Ladies starting NCT tonight, please please please report back (on whale music of absence thereof, obviously) on what the rest of us can expect!

I thought I was going mad so I spent some time looking at high-street brands online to see if they did mat knickers. Obviously I looked only at ones a) online and b) that do mat wear in general.
Next: no.
New Look: no
TopShop: yes. Three whole pairs, with matching tiny little bras
M&S: no
Debenhams: no
Figleaves: yes. Quite pricey, for knickers.
Asos: yes. One pair, for the bargain price of £27, reduced from £39. Sign me up for one of them babies! Not.

And if you want a good snicker, have a look at the names of knickers HotMilk do. Which, at least they do. But snicker.

Think I might just not wear any. I'm really going off things on my bottom as I get so hot so if you see a preggo woman wandering about in a maxi dress with everything hanging, that just might be me. But with a fabulous bra of course, I haven't loss all sense!

I don't know what I'm doing wrong (or right?) but have felt absolutely zero need for maternity tights or pants so far

Although having said that I'm pretty sure my bum is getting bigger by the day!

Can I be added to the list please Zing? I'm due a boy on 18 July....

Had 28 week midwife appointment today, bloods taken, heartbeat etc. She said my blood pressure was pretty low, which might explain the tiredness and that I might feel faint if I stand up for too long!

DH home from work today and managed to get us booked into all the NHS classes (the phone line is only open for a few hours a day at awkward times!). Started NCT on Tuesday, it was a bit more touchy-feely than DH was expecting (had to talk about our feeeeelings) but no sign of whale song or talk of nests... the group seems nice!

I can't decide if I will do antenatal classes this time. I don't really need the info - It is still pretty fresh in my mind but i could meet yet more people to have cake with, whilst on mat leave!

Next used to do mat knickers as I have some from last time and I thought I'd seen then in H+M but maybe wrong. Tbh I only have 3 pairs of the Next ones and just have my normal knickers in next size up for rest of the time.

Re paper disposable knickers everyone advised me against these saying they're v uncomfortable and just to go to primark matalan or similar and get huge granny style knickers in a few sizes bigger which is what I did and with mat pads in they were sooo soft and comfy around my bruised nether regions after birth! I also managed to fit two mat pads side by side and then an Always night time pad on top with them which was a) good for padding and b) great at preventing leaks :)

I've been quite happy with my smaller, more petite and different way of carrying bump this time until I googled 'transverse lie' and started to panic slightly that I might not be able to have my homebirth and could end up with a section (my worst nightmare) after all if the little one decides not to move. Guess I've just got to wait and see!

Right-naptime, still trying to kick this cold!!

I have not updated myself on the list for ages...

New date is 21st July, and it's (probably) another boy.

Have just had a slightly worried call from DH who has obviously been talking to some colleagues who have been through the NCT experience - he's just cottoned on to the fact that there will be talk about feeeeeelings!

Chuckling at the NCT chat, when I asked my mum if she'd done it she said 'oh no, it was seen as very alternative in those days'. Whilst I am very practical and will accept medical intervention if needed I would at least like to try to do things in a nore natural way first. My mum definitely thinks epidurals are the only way through! Our first nct session is next friday but we're going to a nearly new sale on Saturday to look for some bits and bobs, perhaps that will help me scope out how touchy feely it is in general!

Speaking of mothers/in laws how is everyone coping with managing grandparent expectations?

No wonder I've been feeling so wasted-just had a letter from the hospital to say 28wk bloods say I'm anaemic and I need to get iron tablets prescribed-sooo looks as though I've got to go back to the doctors yet again-i already have to go on Monday for whooping cough vaccine but chances of getting an appointment at the same time are zero! Grrr

Plateofcrumbs Yes, my DH was pretty aghast. A friend told us she'd had to talk to her DH about their feelings in front of the group (shudder) and then to she had to VALIDATE HIS FEELINGS BY THANKING HIM FOR BEING OPEN AND GIVING HIM A JELLY BEAN. He then did the same to her. One wonders what would have happened if she'd disagreed with his point - would she get to keep both beans? On the positive side, obviously this means that there are free jelly beans but oh dear God, you can't imagine the face my DH pulled. He is enormously affectionate but also a very private man and to be honest I can't think of anything more uncomfortable and boring that watching almost-strangers talk to each other about their intimate feelings. And I certainly don't feel the need to talk to have witnesses when I'm talking to my DH about how much I appreciate him. Gah. I am so excited about making some local mum friends through NCT but given that I'm having an elective section, that I believe in Gina Ford and given that I anticipate that DH is going to boycott the bean-trading group therapy, I suspect we're going to be that couple that nobody wants to play with. Bit sad really.

PS Blue sorry to hear about your condition although at least they caught it! Patchwork I'm lucky that I have very kind ILs - MIL is already knitting up a storm and they're very excited. Slight note of tension based around fact that I don't want to give them an exact time to visit in hospital before that day (want to show off baby ASAP but don't want them to see me with catheter in etc) as they're the type to plan a road trip three months in advance so they know how much time to allow for stops etc, but other than that, they've been fine! I'm very lucky.

Our NCT didn't include any jelly bean swapping or too much touchy feel (my DH would've walked out if there was) but we have a knitted boob to look at in the breastfeeding session :)

VALIDATE HIS FEELINGS BY THANKING HIM FOR BEING OPEN AND GIVING HIM A JELLY BEAN

OMFG

Please, please, please let there be no jelly beans and sharing circles.

God Home that NCT course sounds like my idea of hell

Have been trying to book the NHS course but have just changed hospital from Reading to Basingstoke and now they have no places on the Basingstoke courses. Can't even get through to Reading/Newbury to book a class, so looks like we will be doing NCT. I was trying to avoid NCT as it sounds ghastly. All competitative yummy mummies and gossip in my area apparently .

I just want to find out how to give birth and I have a right to choose breast or bottle feeding without being surrounded by pursed lips if I have to bottle feed and don't want to feed on demand.

Have been vomiting more this last week, including today in Homebase which was embarrassing. At least I didn't wet my superlarge sainsburys pants!

Haven't thought about monitors although someone here posted a good £30-40 one a month ago which I have tagged. DH is coming on a last big shop soon to get the changing bag, monitor and anything else we need.

A lady who lives close to DHs farm and is quite well-orf left a gift for us in the back of his pick up this week. Was dreading some tacky ornament or plaster handprint gift set so was very suprised to find a box of pampers nappies and a box of johnsons baby wipes . I like practical presents!

Blue Knitted boob? Good grief, the mind boggles at what google would bring up if you looked for a pattern...! ;)

Plate I know, OMFG is exactly how I reacted too. And how DH will react if it happens (praying for a different teacher!). I have warned him in advance and advised him to concentrate on the free sweeties rather than the humiliation but I suspect that a desire for some privacy will win out over a free bean. I would rather buy my own jelly beans and not have to share the feelings. Perhaps I can just graciously decline the beans when they are passed around.

liquid Agreed re bottles. I'm going to have a bash at breastfeeding but if it doesn't work, I'm not going to beat myself up about it. The baby staying healthy is the important things. One of my friends couldn't get the latch to work, baby lost serious amounts of weight and became dehydrated, doctor forcibly told her she was hurting the child by persisting when it wasn't working (this is about three weeks in) so she used to express and feed the breastmilk in a bottle. She said the looks she'd sometimes get would have her in tears and feeling the need to tell everyone around her not to worry as it was breastmilk! Ludicrous.

I won't be feeding on demand either. Add that to the list of reasons why I suspect nobody in our group will really be dying to have us make up the table at their next dinner party. A lot of the local mums here (going by the behaviour in local pubs etc) seem to be extremely "woo". I think the best we can hope for is some other local cynics that we can cling to...

By the sounds of things I happened on a very down to earth bunch of like minded people on our NCT! We all laugh at the knitted boob memory-the looks on the DHs faces was priceless when the lady produced it to demo on :) I did a short course over 2 Saturday's and one weekday morning-maybe that's why we avoided the jelly bean feeling sharing 'fun'!

DH has managed to get the day off tomorrow after doing silly amounts of overtime this week so will take DS out in the morning to give me a break-and a chance to go to docs and get my iron. zing or someone on previous thread did you suggest a liquid iron supplement better than tablets for constipation? Wondering if I should push for that to try and avoid being ever further bunged up (sorry TMI)?

No knitted boob at my nhs class yesterday but they did compare the size of the fully dilated cervix to a box of dairylea... I don't think anyone liked that!