Old bird graduates, gather round....let's talk chicklets!

[Gingerbreadlady1]

For the old bird thread graduates and any other slightly older mums to be, please join us. We're a friendly bunch.

Hello everybody....

Congratulations on your early scan super- there's a much better chance of everything going fine once you've seen a heartbeat.

And congratulations on your results bingo- that's brilliant odds, it must be such a relief.

Re: antenatal courses: I went on an NCT course first time around. I met a nice bunch of people (haven't stayed in touch w/ any of them now, but did for a while), and it was friendly and informative. Contrary to what some people say, we did get told all about hospital birth and caesareans, as well as natural birth. If you're worried about cost, do bear in mind that they offer discounts for people on low incomes.

It's funny- DP has been asking me about my birth plan already! Bless....He wants to be Well Prepared and Well Informed . I wish I could send him off to antenatal classes on his own- I feel that I know it all already now(!)

inshock- argh, the MIL dilemma. I guess it's down to how annoying you find the comments whether to smile and nod, or whether to nip it in the bud with a couple of biting comments....you should start a thread on the subject, though! There's NOTHING Mumsnet loves more than dishing out MIL advice! You'll get enough snarky comeback suggestions to fill a slim volume .

Aw, that's cute, stubborn, bless him!

Re NCT, we aren't really on a low income, I just feel the courses are all overpriced and I don't like paying over the odds. I think I'll find more like-minded mamas on the Yoga course.
I did just buy a lovely wintery fleece from the NCT shop though, will see me through this winter pregnant, and then I can use it for breastfeeding throughout next winter (and maybe following winters too!).
I haven't bought much at all yet - one small item for DD when we were in London (completely overpriced pants! (To go over nappies and look pretty!)), and then two breast-feeding tops for me. That's all. 20+2 now but still anxious. I promised DH I would chill out once we'd had the anomaly scan, which we had last week. Must try harder! I want to enjoy this pregnancy - all being well, it will be my last. I'd love a little splurge on baby clothes, but I may wait til the January sales. What's everyone else doing?

Hi everyone, I seem to have become a bit if a lurker, too tired to post, so much to do & work mad busy. How's everyone feeling?

freedom we've bought cot & mattress in mothercare sale, our 20wk scan is New Year's Eve so may buy pram/car seat if we see a good deal in sales.

Also, have any of the workers given any thought to when they will work till?

Hi checking in. Sorry to hear you're so tired ginger but good news on the cot purchase! I'm waiting until the January sales to buy anything x

Nhs nuchal scan for me tomorrow afternoon then FMC nuchal and results in London Friday.

I can't keep going without my afternoon nap - hats off to all of you that are still working, don't think I could manage it.

What is the difference between NHS nuchal and FMC nuchal? Can you have Harmony instead of nuchal. When I try to read any of this stuff it makes me weak and feel am going to pass out as am so pathetically squeamish :(

FMC is private. Equipment tends to be superior IMO.

Yes the scanning equipment is definitely superior at FMC.

The harmony package including two scans and the Harmony blood test is £400 and done at 10 and 12 weeks. For me is worth the expense for peace of mind.

My scan went well today, consultant advised to not have the bloods done and go by harmony results tomorrow instead.

Any guesses on the sex before we find out tomorrow?

Lovely scan pic tranq, I'm guessing boy.

Did I tell you, I'm team blue! We're having a boy!

I haven't got a clue, did think boy, now not so sure.

Aww how lovely, when did you find out? Congrats ginger. Xx

Ha....you kept us all guessing there for a bit ginger! Hang on, I think I guessed right! (it must be the best odds ever- you have a 50% chance of being right ).

Congratulations!

I'm thinking boy for you too, tranquility- no idea why....you've got one of each already, haven't you? You've got a lovely view of baby's face in that scan .

I suppose I'll stop working about a month before the birth- but it's flexible, being self employed. If there's a mad rush I might carry on a bit more (and it is bang slap in the middle of my busy season ). I'm going to email all my repeat customers after Christmas, gently suggesting that if they were planning on using my services in 2015, they might want to get in quick......I might put something up on my website too, but not sure about that yet.

Conversely, it's really slow at the moment, something I should be upset about, but really, really am not . I'm trying not to feel guilty about spending a portion of each day just dossing around. Just don't know how I'd have coped if I'd had a rush on over the last few weeks....

Good evening ladies, lovely to see your scans and hear all your news re blue/pink etc. You are all a lot further along than my 6weeks!

I work full time, office based local authority. I Will have to go back full time after 9months I think. Would prefer part time but not sure we would manage financially, although mortgage cost may have dropped significantly by then.
I would hope to work as close to EDD as i can.
Bit of advice - has anyone else had REALLY painful hips as early as 5 - 6 weeks? I have noticed it first thing in the morning but today it was agony to get up and it has been painful all day.

Thanks, I found out on fri tranq, funnily enough I've thought boy since beginning but a 50% chance of being right anyway! No boys in our family so it'll be strange. Weird to think I've a tiny penis growing inside me lol!

I can't wait to finish up, was gonna work right up but now thinking about a month before. stubborn I'm so intrigued about what you make! I'm counting days till my 2 weeks off at Xmas, first time in years.

notta my tail bones been sore last couple of weeks, sciatica? How you feeling?

Hi ginger

I feel ok, headache has gone (def caffeine withdrawal - am on one tea and one coffee a day now! Impressed with myself!)

I am fairly robust with pain so have been soldering on (I have 3 horses to see to morning and night either side of work) but finding this odd as I don't know what the issue is or even if exercise helps or not? Hips still ache now, but not too bad. Will see what the morning brings!

DH said tonight that he hopes the whole pregnancy isn't like this,.I wasn't sure what he was getting at (have been a bit grumpy!) But he said he hoped I wasn't going to suffer the whole time. Bless.

I Know hip pain is common as everything loosens up as preg progresses but think this is normally later. What did u decide re horse riding?

Apparently, our bodies start producing relaxin from about 7-10 weeks. It's that hormone that makes sure our pelvises (pelvii?) are able to open and stretch nicely for the birth- it relaxes joints and ligaments. Except......why start so bally early on? And why should it affect ALL our joints, when it's only pelvises we want relaxed? I refuse to believe that the human body is well designed for birth!

So yes, that could be the cause of all sorts of aches and pains. In a way, it looks like the whole "no heavy lifting in pregnancy" thing could be bang on- for our sakes, rather than the babies'.

I had a backache for weeks after carrying a load of heavy signs up and down an unparkable street to a shop at about 10 weeks....luckily it's cleared up now.

That's what I do, by the way- I'm a traditional signwriter- as in hand painted. I don't know why I bother being coy about it- I've been trying to out myself on MN for years, with no success!

I'm not going to ride. They e happy

oops. They are happy enough doing other stuff so Will be avoiding riding for now. Had just started making progress with the main riding horse but can't be helped! Just looking after them on a daily basis keeps me nice and active.

Hi stubborn I do quite a bit of heavy ish lifting, what with the horses! Can't avoid much of it, but it Will be less in the summer when I am further along, and DH is happy to help out. Your job sounds great!

I love your job stubborn, that's a proper job making things! Have you been on mn for years, I'm a relative newbie joining in jan when I started the old birds thread.

As hexy proposed, I'd be up for a private fb page/group.

notta maybe call your midwife about it. A woman I worked with had a hip brace on in early preg due to hip pain but not sure how early it was.

The benefits of you all being further along is that I can ask you to impart your wisdom!

I have been freezing cold! Our house is old and difficult to heat upstairs but normally i am ok once in bed. I have been wearing leggings, ski socks

Dam phone! and pj top AND zip up fleece jacket! Sexy!

Is cold normal at this stage? And are hottish baths ok?

ginger I don't have a midwife yet so not sure who I would call!

Ghostbusters! Sorry not helpful I know. Your normal doctor? Re cold, I get cold when tired however must admit, delightfully I have the opposite. I have raynauds & rather than being cold all the time, I'm generally warmer.

I've felt colder too, when I thought I'd be warmer....Maybe the hormones just make you more sensitive to temperature fluctuations?

Very hot baths are not good, especially in the first trimester apparently- can interfere with the development of the neural tubes, I read.....Basically, it's not good to raise your core temperature too much. However, I think they have to be really hot to make a difference (I did spend half an hour in the jacuzzi (not bubbling, I was on my own, so didn't switch it on) at the swimming pool today myself....I kept bits of me out of the water, apparently that helps ).

ginger Ha, I must have been on MN for 5 years now....I came looking for help when I was pregnant and single.....I started a thread called "Pregnant and doing it on our own". Now DS is nearly 5, and I've pretty much come full circle...albeit with a DP this time! .