Christmas and new years babies thread!

[CuppaSarah]

Just got my bfp positive today and am thinking we need a thread for all the babies that will be born around new years and Christmas. I'm due new years eve and just know I'll be sick of the comments real quick! So we can vent and plan low stress xmases together.

I know we have the December thread and will have the January one, but why the hell not there's room for everyone!

After all this finance chat, my lovely ladies at work told me about child benefit today... I had no idea! I'm so naive to all this it's unreal. It will actually make a big difference to us...

Had my 2nd midwife appointment today and got to hear our little baby's heartbeat! It's made me so excited for the next scan

Hez I'm glad your scan went well, hopefully in a few weeks baby will let you get a good look at their bits!

Tango and NoArmarni it becomes a nightmare to organise once you're the high earner doesn't it? Last time dp was and it was so much more simple. I didn't even apprichiate it last time as in was naive and we were broke for the first time ever. Always the way isn't it?

Sherbet the heartbeat is amazing! Did you are how many beats per minute it was? If it's consistently around certain amounts it implies what sex you're having. Not fool proof but was right with my dd. Child benefit does make a big difference! Also you take 100 pounds a week out of your maternity pay when calculating earnings. So if you only get saturtory maternity pay, you only count the 33ish pounds over 100 in working out your income. It's not a lot, but could be the difference in qualifying for child tax credits and housing benefit or not. Every bit helps in that first year.

Had a gender scan today....its definitely an Olaf!

Amazing news OhHoly! Congratulations! He shall forever be Olaf to us

Excellent news ohholy. Were our nub guesses correct?

YAY!!! Congratulations OhHoly, I was wondering when the scan was. You know what needs to be done, when registering his birth, he will always be Olaf.

You certainly got in there early today! Was it 4d or anything to?

Great news Hez..baby's doing great. After all that effort to find out soon and baby wouldn't keep still ????.

How did your appointment go sherbert

Congrats Ohholyfuck how far gone are you? Must make it feel so much more reaL. You must be so excited x

Sorry to hear babies a wiggler are you still going to find out? Can't believe everyones finding out already how exciting :-o x

Weighed myself today and I've not gained any weight whatsoever. Does anyone think I should mention it to the midwives?

I don't think they worry too much about weight these days cuppa , as everyone is so different. 3 weeks ago I'd lost 10lbs since pre-preg (and I've not had sickness). I weighed myself this morning and I'm still 4lbs down. Which means both that I've lost weight and that I've gained 6lbs in a fortnight! I'm ever so slightly overweight normally.

I think weight fluctuates so much with water retention etc that unless you're malnourished they don't really worry. (But if you are worried, you should mention it, obvs)

PS missed a load.

Good to hear about all the scans already! I'm so glad little Olaf is in the cards ohholy.

Fab news on baby Olaf!!

I'm gutted to say I've put on 10lbs already I feel so fat and a friend who's the same number of weeks as me still looks the same as pre-preg. I'd mention it if you're worried Cuppa but I think weight def fluctuates and depends if you've been eating or not eating through the nausea. I need to get strict with myself now I think - no more cake for the next 25 or so weeks!!!

Queasy i think the answer is not to weigh yourself:

The scales may say I've lost weight.

The big bump, knickers that don't fit, extra chin and uncomfortable bras (not to mention the bump) beg to differ.

No more scales for me until Easter!

It went really well thanks rain! All my bloods came back great which is a relief. Pre pregnancy I discovered I wasn't immune to rubella, so had to have the MMR again. Also DH has close relatives who are carriers of Thalassemia, he might be too because of his background but doesn't know. So it's a relief that came back neg for me.
I also have a wriggly baby over hear, midwife kept trying the listen in to bubba's HR but you could hear them wriggly away! Lol!

Cuppa I've put no weight on either, I fact I lost weight and haven't put any on since... I'm putting it down to previous morning sickness and being off my evening meals at the moment. Belly's getting bigger, and sounds ok so I'm not stressing too much.

Tango getting rid of the scales doesn't sound like a bad idea to be honest!

I'm so relieved everyones weight is all over the place. I gained lots at this point on my first pregnancy, but I do loose weight over the summer anyway.

I agree no scales till Easter!

Updated spread sheet attached ladies:

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OSdzg17qg9VY0CYhoGvKuTrF-GLnHCTFqc7NPUfAYVc/pub?output=xlsx

No scales until Easter sounds a good way to go! I can't help but be envious of you ladies who aren't ballooning like whales. I need to quit the cake with the scales!

Really positive news Sherbert - that's great news.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend.

Are those of you who've already got dc planning on refresher antenatal or postnatal courses? I hadn't looked into it but a friend said she'd found it really helpful.

Xx

p.s. Cuppa, you should still mention any weight concerns to your HV if ita playing on your mind - I hide mine as they'll be cross at the rubbish I've been eating, but it's always worth running things by them.

queazy I'm in a brand new area so I thought I might. Even though lots of my mates have babies due just before me, they're all quite far away (and it's harder to just jump in the car for 40 mins with a toddler and a baby). I didn't do anything the first time round, but I wouldn't mind meeting some local parents now, so it might be my chance to do NCT refresher or something. I need to look into what's available.

I love your spreadsheet gilster

Thank you Gillster! Brilliant t spreadsheet

I think I will mention it Queazy, I've been eating crap too and loads of food so I should be a hippo.

I'm thinking of starting pregnancy yoga if the woman gets back to me and the cost isn't stupid. I suffer quite badly with anxiety so think it'll help with that, keep all calm and Zen you know?

None of my friends have babies yet so it would be nice to make some pregnant friends. I did have a circle of mum friends, but after going back to work I sort of lost touch as they weren't proper, proper friends. Hopefully we'll get some nice local mum friends Tango

Good work on the spreadsheet Gillster!

Cuppa I'm looking to do some yoga too. I did it before I fell pregnant, but then felt too rubbish to carry on during the early weeks. Have you done it before? It does make you feel completely zen

Do you know how much NCT courses cost Queazy? Midwife has given me info do some free ones in my area, but is NCT worth the price tag?
Also, as can you take time off work to do them? Do work have to allow you the time?

Hello there,
I live in SW London and think the NCT course was nearly £300 round here. I think it's cheaper where venues and so on aren't so expensive to hire etc. The refresher course is a lot cheaper but I think I'm going to go with a local company instead. I did my course on a Saturday rather than in the evenings, but did have a Wed morning off work for one breastfeeding session. I'm not sure organisations have to give you time off for 'voluntary' antenatal appointments, which is probably why they tend to be evening or weekend. I've heard good stuff about the workshops run in the local hospital too. I think NCT is worth the money for first dc, as was great to meet new people but the content wasn't hugely informative, or at least not enough to warrant a few days being there. I did the postnatal NCT course too, which I wouldn't recommend. I met a couple of lovely people but the content was so flaky that I found it frustrating. My local children's centre does one for only £40ish donation I think, so will hopefully sign up for that if I can get a place.

I'm planning on pregnancy yoga too, but not whether to go evening or Saturday morning! I don't want to water money if I'm going to need to miss some. It does leave you zen tho - I agree!

I've signed up to a website called matchupmums too, which has a special offer on at the moment. It matches you to similar mums in your area. Online dating for mums I'm going to give it a whirl.

Hope you've all had a good Monday and morning sickness is improving if not easing off.

I had epidural, was induced etc last time and would love a water birth and less panic this time. It's been really interesting reading about others experiences. Have any of you read or seen any books or websites about it you would recommend? I feel I need to swot up a bit as probably pretty clueless on giving birth at home (which I'd like to do too in an ideal world)

I'm not giving a whole lot of thought to the birth just yet - need to prioritise my worrying!

Does anyone else feel in limbo at the moment. We're all between scans and apart from a slight bump there's not much to suggest that there's anything there. Keep thinking that it's just going to stop growing.

On a more positive note, I had a "productive" time at work on Friday ordering my first batch of maternity clothes by making the most of the sales. Also sorted my wardrobe out do that it only contains clothes that fit me.