We may have been Bitter, but we’re no longer Barren! Get your *PESH* in here! All ready for the BESH clusterdiff of 2015 year of the *CuntCushion* (with added tea tree for those sore fanjo moments)!

[MissHobart]

BESH Graduates having a moan about the lack of Gin whilst actually being over the fucking moon to finally have a reason to not be able to drink it! Anything goes, especially asking the wiser CRESH for their sage advice on the horrors and amazement to come when we get the the biggest WIN in history! Bring your baybees here!

A lunchtime one as well? Wowsers Fizz you are truly progesteroned up! I'd say it was a pain in the arse but I'd be a little south of the mark!!

Symptoms do fluctuate (yes more headfuckery). I think it was only once I got a couple of weeks past the 12 week scan that I started to relax about things. My tummy also started hardening at 12 weeks although it took ages for my bump to finally pop. Thankfully I do now have a bump rather than a lump which is great and although it's not a big bump I do feel rather proud of it - it's been a long time in the making!!

Ps the scan next week will help with your comfort levels too - it's another trick on the list that things are working, another hurdle covered.

Ooh proper little kicks have commenced rather than flutterings! Not at any point when TWH is around of course but it's very cool if a bit alienesque!

Wow fab that's awesome! Can you see it from the outside, or just feel it?

Midwife appt all done. I haz an official folder and everyfing. The best bit was when she asked when I had last used contraception. Errrrm maybe 2010?

Morning all. It's very early. Hello insomnia.

Fab, kicks!! So exciting. Go on the fablet.

Fizz, I hear you on the menkul. It's a nightmare. I have hardly any symptoms at all, and I spend most of every day convinced I'm not pregnant anymore. It's fucking awful. I don't have any nausea really, just sore nipples (they are really sore).

Oh, here's something: on Monday, I went to bed for a nap when I got home from work (unusual for me, I'm not really feeling much tiredness). Anyway, after a couple of hours I got up, and I got this wrenching pain across my stomach and was really dizzy and nauseous. I fainted, then managed to get myself downstairs, where I got the pain again and fainted again in the sitting room. I thought Mr Badb was going to pass out himself. Then I was completely fine. I rang the EPU, and the midwife said that it was probably wind, but to come in anyway. So I did, and all seemed fine. It was fucking scary though. Wind! I'm a nervous fainter though, especially after an unexpected pain, even a minor one - I once fainted after slipping down one stair and landing on my bum. The midwife laughed her head off when I told her, and told me good luck with labour

Work is insane at the moment.

I hadn't posted on here for so long that it disappeared off my list!

Hello CRESH!

It's oh so quiet, it's oh so still

bad I too have little in the way of symptoms. Occasionally feel a bit green around the gills, but if I hadn't had ivf I would never have thought I was pg. But a scan on Friday showed that there is definitely a baybee in there! Good luck for the scan and test tomorrow. I'm sure you will feel much more confident and reassured afterwards. Let us know how you get on.

Ello Fizz and Bad! First of all good luck with scannage today Bad, what time are you up?! I'm sure it will be fine, but that won't make you worry less, the only thing to make you feel better will be seeing a teeny tiny baybee in your tum. And the amazing thing is that it is actually looking like a little baby already at this stage! I didn't really start relaxing until after my 12 week scan. I think if you've had difficulties in the past it really affects your ability to relax in pregnancy, certainly the first trimester.

I feel quite lucky that I'm having weekly monitoring so I get to hear my baby's heartbeat every week which is amazing We had a Fetal cardiac echo last week which was a very detailed scan of the baby's heart and I'm pleased to say all is looking great so far - phew!

Have either of you ventured on to the January baby bus fred yet (you're both due in jan aren't you?)? I'm on the October bus, which is now mostly in Facebook, and I must say it's been really helpful as there are a load of women all in exactly the same situation and, once you get to the point at which you start believing this shit might actually be real, you have a place where you can be silly, positive and scared too if you need to. Being positive about pregnancy is a very new experience but I must say that I'm really enjoying it now, despite some bastard side effects....constipation (omfg) and hip pain are my worst things thus far but massively outweighed by having wiggles in my tum and not having to hold my tummy in anymore . I even got my first 'who ate all the pies' comment yesterday and felt quite proud! Actually I know I'm carrying fairly neatly so it wasn't a real bugger of an insult - think I have a few weeks to go before I get the 'are you sure you're not having twins?' comment that seems par for the course.

Anyway, enough of my gibbering, clearly I need you hags to keep me company on here some more! Good luck again, swordfish of support for today and the next couple of weeks.

Hey, hags. Harmony test went ok - the scan was amazing, she turned up the sound so we could hear the heartbeat. Incredible. And yes, looking much more baby-like than bean-like! We won't get the results for two weeks, but the sonographer said she had a quick look for markers on the scan and didn't think there was anything to worry about. Won't stop me worrying though. Booking in appointment is next Wednesday and there'll be another small scan then, so that's reassuring. We opted to find out the sex...it's mad to be able to know so early! But I hate not knowing things.

I haven't thought about the January thread, fab. My due date is 18th January. I think I'll maybe wait till the 12 week mark. Though that's so arbitrary, really. It's great that you are being monitored to frequently. I'm in terror between appointments.

Still largely symptom-free - but yes, constipation, and JESUS, the bloating. I look normal in the morning but about 6 months by 8pm. It's so weird.

Mr Badb and I are thinking of booking a sun holiday for the first week of September. Sun holidays aren't usually our bag, but I figure a week lazing about reading might be much appreciated. I don't know if I want anywhere that I'll feel obliged to walk around the sights and do cultural things. Hmm.

So pleased the scan went well, bad. Hearing the heartbeat is amazing! I welled up a bit at mine despite being a hard as nails hag, obv. Weekly monitoring sounds good, fab, but presumably not standard NHS fare? Are you being monitored for a particular worry? Sorry if I missed it.

I'm looking forward to the obvious bump stage. I'm currently just looking a bit fat. And saying "oof" whenever I sit down, which is a habit I really must nip in the bud.

I have lurked a little bit on the January Fred but haven't posted there. I was a bit startled about how happy and normal everyone sounded! I need the bitter dark humour of the BESH in my online forays!

Keep posting here then Fizz - I must admit I always know I can swear and bitch here far more than anywhere else where I am quite tame!

Bad excellent news on the initial scan that's a really good start! I managed to have a little bleed at 11 weeks (which totally fucked with my head as you can imagine) and got me an extra scan for my troubles which then made the 2ww for harmony results easier-ish! The 12 week scan is brilliant with the a Harmony - mine was about 30 mins and extremely thorough with lots of measuring which I understand they don't normally do at the NHS 12 week scan which then made me feel much better about the 20 week anomaly scan which does the same measuring shiz.

Yes the buses can be ridiculously positive - I could have been the last on the October bus or first on the November bus with my edd of 31/10. I decided to go with the October bus as they seemed to be a bit more realistic (some had had difficulties - long time getting diffed, miscarriages, still birth) as opposed to the November bus where they were all instadiffers! It's the luck of the draw I think.

On the subject of constipation, Bad you'll be pleased to know it's definitely a symptom!! I went through hell for a couple of week - I am normally a smug pooer, I have a high fruit/veg/fibre diet so normally poo 1-3 times a day so when I didn't poo for 2 days I didn't know what to do with myself....I then I got a fucking pile from all the fucking straining!!! It was so bad TWH was offering me a spoon to help with extraction and I was seriously considering it! And the pile was so crazy inflamed and sore I HAD to show it to TWH just to share the pain!! Thankfully he's a sharer and loves anything medical so was fascinated and far more sympathetic once he saw it. I tried lactulose but my midwife (top tip) suggested not to take too much as your body can get used to it and it's also bad for you baby if you're breastfeeding. So I decided the only thing I'd changed in my diet had been moving from porridge with a nana, a date and some brazils as morning bleurgh made it impossible so I'd been having standard cereals for breaky. I changed back (thankfully not feeling so vommy) and thank the Lord and hallelujah it's mostly back to normal. Not quite at soft poos but definitely not quite the fucking huge irregular bricks of before!! Apple if that's tmi!!!!

My immune ishoos still rear their ugly heads - because I have high anti nuclear antibodies my baby is at risk of having a heart block so I'm being regularly monitored to make sure it's heartbeat doesn't suddenly start dropping. All looking good so far though

We chose not to find out the flavour as we both love a surprise - the harmony clinic thought we were insane!

Apols not apple!!

Oh and I forgot to say Bad that tou'll get your social group once you're in later stages of pregnancy through anti-natal classes etc

Fizz I 'oof' all the time as my bloody hips ache like a bastard. Just waiting to speak to the GP about it and have ordered an Argos value yoga ball. I'm well classy.

Thanks, fab. A few people have said that the antenatal clubs are great for meeting people, but I have the "first day at school and everyone is already in their groups and doesn't need any new friends" fear about it.

Your harmony scan was much longer than mine, which was maybe 15 minutes? If even. Weirdly, Mr Badb knew the sonographer, so they had a great catching up session over my naked stomach. I think she was probably a bit more thorough than normal as a result - in our booking letter, it said the scan was a quick 'viability' one before taking the blood test. But here we don't get any kind of testing as standard, even the nuchal fold test is an extra. Most of my friends passed on any sort of early testing, which obviously is totally fine and up to them. The 20 week anomaly scan is not even standard in some hospitals, actually, and friends who have opted for it have sometimes got a bit of a cats bum reaction, and have to travel to a different hospital to get it.

On the constipation: I've been using lactulose, but didn't find it great and have laid off it now based on your midwife's comments. Porridge gives me the heaves, but maybe I'll try it again when the weather cools a bit. I'm going to try just drinking shitloads more water and eat more fruit. I bought a bag of plums today - will try a few and a glass of orange juice later after dinner. Or for dinner, even. I've lost my appetite a bit - probably because I am full to the brim with food thanks to my sluggish digestive system. I feel like that lady in the senokot ad with the handbag.

fizz, I'm not quite ready for the month club threads either - I've looked at the January one, and it looks grand and all, but maybe not sweary enough! Maybe after 12 weeks. How are you feeling?

Don't worry, you should have another scan booked for 12 weeks which you have alongside the results of the blood test that you had at 10 weeks. The viability scan is a nice to have one and just proves they're testing for an actual baby. The next one will be the longer one. I can't believe they don't do scans as standard though in you're area - where are you? That sounds like madness!! The scans keep you going! Plus they are mentioned in the standard NHS notes that you get given - even worse to get a cats arse reaction to a request - are they in the dark ages??

Good luck with the fruit - try tinned prunes, they're supposed to work and you can make yourself a smoothie with prunes, some prune juice, orange juice,some natural yoghurt or Greek yoghurt and some cinnamon. It's quite nice and is good for you too!

Mmmm, that smoothie sounds good! A happy side effect of wanting to eat lots of fruit and veg (can't really call it a craving) is that I am now a smug pooer myself. In fact sometimes too far the other way... I think I have had pregnancy shits rather than morning sickness. Other than that I'm still pretty free of symptoms. Boobs have stopped being so sore and the main thing is being shattered. Having said that, yesterday was so hot that I sent myself home from work as I felt properly sick and dizzy. And all of the things I had to do have quite important legal and financial consequences, so I figures it was in everyone's best interest to come home and sleep for hours in front of Wimbledon Oh, and the other thing is extreme narkiness with GFBW. That's not that unusual though!

I'm so jealous of your smug pooing!!

Fizz, I also am jealous of your smug pooing. I was totally off fruit and vegetables till about two weeks ago, I really had to force myself. That smoothie does sound nice. Yesterday, I had three plums and a small carton of natural yoghurt, a glass of OJ, and this morning I'm having a hot cup of tea to help things along.

fab, I'm not in the UK, but not far away. Lots of women here get only one scan as standard, maybe two. I'm going private, so I get scanned at every appointment, but it costs a lot. Plus extra for nuchal/harmony if you want it. If you are outside the two Big Cities, maternity care here is poor, despite what our politicians say. There's been a number of high profile cases recently about infant and maternal death in some of the regional hospitals. I'm very lucky being with a good consultant in Big City.

And yes, the Dark ages. The cats bum reaction - and the lack of anomaly/chromosomal testing, in my opinion - is based on trying to prevent women from travelling to access services not available here, in the event of serious problems being discovered.

No scary post birth poo for you then Bugs??

Sounds like bliss. Now if I can have a birth like that too.....

Did it get any better Bugs? Hopefully she, and you, managed some sleep at some point. Hugs