Due in Jan 07 part 5: Ladygarden reaching your knees? Welcome to the 3rd trimester!

[2MwahHaHaHappy]

If you could actually see it, that is!

Top tips for big tits: (during your pregnancy)

1. Its a myth that you cant wear underwire during your pregnancy

• I have worn them throughout, you just have to be certain its the right size. The wire mark on the side of your body should always be behind your breast, not on your breast. As soon as the wire mark is on your breast, you need the next cup size up.

1. Midwives I have spoken to say that support is the most important thing to maintain. Everyone has a ligament called "coopers ligament" which runs vertically down your breast, if you do not support your boobs, no matter how big you get, you are at risk of stretching this ligament - hence - coopers droop, and this is irriversible (apart from augmentation!) and causes droopy boobs.
2. Dont bother to buy a maternity (nursing bra) until 2 weeks (or as late as possible) before your due date. As it is common to get bigger towards the end.
3. In a soft cup bra, buy a back size larger than you need (normally always make sure your bra fits snugly on the loosest notch and you take it in as the elastic goes) However, during your 3rd trimester, your rib cage extends to accommodate the baby, so you should buy your bras a back size larger than you need and extend the notches as your rib cage extends.
4. In a nursing bra, get one which is a cup size to big on you. (if you are shopping before the baby comes) as your boobs get engorged they will fill the cup, and before this happens you should be able to get your whole hand down the side of your boob, inside the cup. Never buy a nursing bra which fits bang on in the cup, unless you havent fed the baby for 4 hours and you are at your largest. You may also need to stuff cabbage leaves & pads down there so they should be a little bigger than usual.
5. There are not alot of sexy soft cups around. However, sexy nursing bras are easier to find...if you have smaller boobs. My research (!) has found Agenct Provocateur do one for £65 in some fab colours but they only do up to a G cup. (which is smaller than you think!) I am going to be dying and embellishing my huge big granny like nursing bras to make them look more appealing.
6. NCT online or catalogue have the best range of nursing bras, and their website has lots of tips for fitting too.
7. M&S have a range of soft cups and nursing bras (only up to a G) but for heavens sake dont bother with a fitting. I had a girl in recently who was 35 weeks gone, M&S had fitted her as a 40 DD or maybe a 42 DD, I sorted her out as a 36 K. Miles more comfortable. The support should come from your lower back, not your shoulders.

Hope this helps somewhat, if anyone has anyfurther questions dont hesitate to ask! x

ps - thanks for heartburn support - good to know its not just me who is struck down with this. I read that jelly helps somewhat, so I made a batch last night (has anyone else noticed if you have a binge on ice cream your baby goes nuts?! - always good if you havent felt him move for a while!)

ps - I really recommend getting a decent fitting, dont just guess it yourself. Always ask the shop assistant for their opinion. Since getting pregnant, I have gone up 2 back sizes and 4 cup sizes!!!
9 out of 10 women are wearing the wrong size bra. Get fitted! x

Thanks for the advice Lizzz. My boobs have gone down a cup size :-( Is this normal in pregnancy? I was expecting to get big bazookas! DP is rather disappointed! LOL!

Great advice Lizz. Agree that M&S are utterly rubbish at 'fitting' bras.

ps. hope the jelly helps!

Thanks for the advice on the bra theme Lizz, I was just wondering about whether I should still be wearing my underwire. I know that some of you ladies out there are suffering with larger boobs, but all I can say is thank god for pregnancy, mine have gone from an AA (and I am not skinny to start with) to a C - finally I have norks I can be proud of . Just hope they don't disappear too quickly!

does anyone else feel like right now with the not sleeping, sore bits here and there, feeling like an old granny in the getting oput of puff way and the general uncomfortableness that they would rather have the newborn stage of no sleep instead of the late stage of pregnany cuse at least then you have a sweet little bundle to cuddle and coo at

Absolutely trinity, you've just described exactly how I feel - permanently uncomfortable, aches and pains back and front and fed up with not being able to go up two flights of stairs without ending up like an asthmatic granny!

Thanks for the bra advice Lizzz, at least I don't feel guilty about stil wearing underwire but maybe I should stop guessing at what size to wear! I work for M&S by the way (Head Office, not bra fitting) , so apologies for the rubbish staff but I feel obliged to buy all my underwear there (and staff discount helps!).

Tillypup - I'm exhasted just reading what you're doing! I'm at anyone who has a 'neat bump'. How do you manage spinning classes at 30 weeks??! I gave up that in July and gave up my gym membership because of lack of use last month

Forgot to say - top thread title 2happy

I'm ok LTH, taking it a day at a time, as due date gets nearer and i stop 'doing' i find it hard. Feels like i am on a stop until i get past 31st dec!

I can't wait to get back into proper bras again. I never bought that nonsense about underwires affecting your milk - like Lizz says if your bra fits properly the wires shouldn't be touching your boobs anyway. But it was killing my back. The osteopath told me to ditch the underwires and it worked. Hopefully the sports bras are doing the job, but it was an agonising choice between back and boobs. Really not looking forward to NCT monstrosities but dying them is a good tip.

Hattie,

After the first 12 weeks of feeling constantly sick and so tired getting to work was about all I could manage I seem to have been fine since!

Don't want to make anyone jealous though

I have noticed that I've slowed down on several things, at spinning I no longer do the bent over sprinty bits, but as long as I can still sing along to the music I generally feel fine!

I feel pretty fabulous on the whole, although I do keep expecting to wake up one morning and all that has changed! I sound positively sick making don't I?!

Message withdrawn

here i am!! sorry, i haven't abandoned you all...loving the new thread title and welcome to the newbies.

is anyone else getting sick of being bounced in? i'm doing a john hurt in alien at the moment, keep expecting to see this thing burst out of my stomach and attach itself to my face! i was round a friend's house on tuesday night and my whole belly just shifted sideways. very odd sensation. my friend was fascinated, spent the rest of the time talking to the baby! i mean, don't get me wrong, i love feeling movement, and if it stopped i'd be the first to panic (closely followed by dh!) but the rolling and somersaults are making me feel quite sick!

i was puking with heartburn a few weeks ago, though it's difficult to say whether it was the heartburn or the gaviscon that made me puke! i'm still sticking with semi-skimmed milk as my remedy, touch wood it seems to be working...

lizzz - thanks for the bra advice...i've been wearing "hidden support" tops, do they not give enough support then? i must admit that my pre-pregnancy one is getting very tight, but i've bought a new one in a size 16 (i'm usually a 12-14) and that's really comfy.

anyone else written birth plans? i wrote mine today, but it sounds kinda stupid, so not sure if i'll put it in my notes or not.

anyway, hope the backache/pelvis ache/worm sufferers are all ok....catchya later! xxx

Hi urban - good to have you back Thanks for the advice Lizzz. I'm still kind of hoping I can get away with stretchy sports/crop top type stuff like I've been doing all pregnancy, given I started at AA and have possibly reached the dizzy heights of B ... I look like a whale. Every bit of swelling I hoped would land on my chest has landed on my bum. I have huge red stretch marks all round the underneath of the bump, and purple swollen veins all over my legs. And spots all over my chin and neck. The next person who says I'm glowing gets punched. (spot the hormonal woman!)

Just a quickie - I've put some photos of my 4d scan and the nursery (almost completed!) online if anyone wants a peek....

babylewis.photosite.com/

Will catch up with you all later - got to dash

Loubie xx

thanks for the bra advie lizz I am having huge trouble in that dept as I was a 32FF before getting pregnant (atually did ask dr about redution and she said after this baby if I am def not having anymore she'll refer me to go on waiting list good inentive to lose weight as they give you a traget weight to reach!)

I'll update the list with newbies over the weekend

Loubie loe your scan photos and nursery looks lovely too (def a boy from that 2d scan picture)

Can't remember who else has posted today (its been busy) but glad to hear apart from the odd ache/pain we are all okay. Been to my nans today (she lives about 1.5hours away) and DD been spoilt with new toys (cause she really needs more!) and my nan has bought babyDD some outfits for next summer in the sale and knitted me some tiny pink cardis, hat and mittens and she is half way through a gorgeous white and pink
blanket!!

Let me get this right Lizz, I neednt have been wearing hideous lacy non underwired bras for the last few months!!

In between DS and getting preg, I had about a month or so of wearing underwired bras before boobs got too big and had to get (or thought I had to get) non underwired ones. So in the last about 22 months I have spent about a month or two in underwired bras, which are soo much more comfy and attractive!

By the way, any advice on bras for taller women? Even when the bra fits perfectly around my chest and boobs, I still get it riding up the back because the straps are just not long enough even on their longest setting. I used to get round this by buying multi way bras as the straps are much longer but they dont seem to do nursing bras like that.

Podmog - trouble sleeping here too. I put a double duvet folded in half and a single one on top (both 13.5tog) under my sheet. I am significantly higher than my DH now when we sleep but I am def more comfy. Also presume you have the old pillow between the legs, I have stuffed two pilows into one cover so it doesnt flatten. Also started having hot milk before I go to bed, which could be why I havent had as bad indegestion this time as I mostly used to get it in the night.

Sleeping a bit better but still waking reg and have to turn onto my other side. Or wake up with my heart racing because I am on my back!

Good to hear from you MOM, thinking of you. xxx

Lizzz - great advice, thank you. Sadly, judging by my mother, her mother, etc, my boobs're going to end up by my knees anyway (oh well, they'll hide my ladygarden )
UD - nice to 'see' you again! I'm not bothering with a plan. Last time, the ony things I wanted were to use the pool, and didn't mind what pain relief I had so long as I didn't have an epidural. Ended up not being allowed the first, and having to have the second. This time the only thing I want is for the baby to be coming the right blooming way!!
Podmog - are you me??! I am so sick of the insomnia, it is just driving me bananas. In fact, it's driving me so bananas I've been feeling just what Trinity described - surely the lack of sleep can only be better witht he baby (has enough time really passed since ds that I can think that without laughing?!). The mw suggested I call the hospital because they do reflexology. I just have to try and sort out childcare to be able to give it a go, plus it's an hour and a half round journey for me. But I really would do anything for a full night's sleep.
Tillypup - yeah I felt like that 1st time round (though without the exercising, far too lazy!). All I can say is, don't expect 2nd time to be the same!!!
MoM - and

Looshkin - any joy with opening the pram yet or has dh braved going back to the shop again?!

Message withdrawn

I just had to pop in and congratulate you on your thread title. vair vair amusing!

Charlee - (Due Nov thread)

morning!
Dragonhart - doesnt matter how tall you are, you should never have the back of the bra riding up your back, that means its too big. Whether its soft cup, nursing or underwired, they should always sit horizontal back to front snugly, and not ride up. I have never found a problem ftting taller women. How tall are you? The tallest girl I've fitted was the otherside of 6ft, and yes, not all bras are suitable, but there are plenty out there. Multiway is a good call though, as obviously the straps go the whole way round. Or plenty of girls have to get their bras altered to fit properly, backs taken in or straps sortend etc. A decent seamstress should be able to help you.
Elliepmummy - 32ff is not that big hun! Embrace them, thats a fab size to be. I started at a 30 ff and am now a 34 HH !!!!! A pair of 32ff in the right bra, dont look as big as people think they are at all. Goodluck! There are a couple of places out there which have plenty to choose from in that size.
Hattie2 - pass it on the bra buyer M&S could be making so much more money if their staff were trained properly! I go on maternity leave mid december and baby not due till the 7th of Jan - so easily available at very reasonable rates!
Urban - it depends on what size you are as to wether inbuilt support tops offer any support. The only thing I would say (without sounding like a dictator!) is that bras arent always meant to be dead comfy as at the end of the day they are a support garment, and have a job to do. Obviously dont wear something uncomfortable and as soon as Eastenders is on, and I've had my dinner the over the sholder bolder holder gets changed for a granny soft cup, but its still a supportive one.

Finally, I think I've had a breakthrough on the heartburn. After scoffing a plateful of jelly, nice but didnt cure it as much as I was hoping. I have found a product called FRUTIN. Its available from Holland and Barrett at £7.95 and its flipping saved my life! I had NO ACID INDIGESTION at all last night. Please excuse the shouting, but I cant get over it! It totally works. It doesnt neutralise your whole stomach acid like other remedies, apparently it puts a cap on the top of your stomach (or something) and protects the oesophagus. I may even venture a dinner which has an element of taste to it this weekend, to test out its full power!

btw - Trinity, I so totally agree. Coping the actual baby can no way be as uncomforable as coping with pregnancy. I really cant see myself doing this again by choice! If one more person says "oh you'll feel different once your lying in bed with a tiny little person...you'll be planning on doing it again within 2 years!" I'll scream! I want my life back! And at least when I am pushing my buggy round the shops I'll be able to walk faster than I currently am! I'm fed up of waddling round looking like I've wet myself!

last night was the second night in a row I've woken up at about 3:30am with a nose bleed.

woken up with one....what all that about then??

Thank you - someone else with nose bleeds! Thought it was just me. On a diff note (sorry if tmi), have thrush starting - anyone know if it's ok to use the Lactacyd wash stuff from Boots? I figure it's something you only use outside to relieve itching, so should be ok - shouldn't it?