November 2015 ladies! Time to feel the glow!

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Are you expecting a babe in November this year? If so, get ready to get glowing. Breaking out in spots, or tears, or both is part of the so called glow. Feeling sick, contemplating births and having the odd good day of eating well is also all glow.

Come on then. Wee in the corner to mark your spot. Have some or or . Then glow.

Re electric breast pumps, you get what you pay for but you can hire the high end ones or even borrow them from the midwives at first. I was advised to top up with expressed milk for the first couple of weeks and when I told midwife I had a hand pump she brought me a medula (sp?) Swing to borrow and it was much easier. I went on to buy a second hand Philips electric but it wasnt as effective as the medula. If I planned on expressing regularly/building a freezer stash then I'd probably invest in a medula but it was just for the occasional bottle.

Alittlebit, I have done nct twice now and made great friends both times. Everyone I know has had a good experience on that score, but I know it's not guaranteed.

I'm finding it hard to dress at the moment. Generally I'm a pretty scruffy size 12 and perfectly happy that way but at the moment I'm scruffy AND self conscious. I just look fat in everything. Not pregnant- fat. My waist has gone and my belly is all wobbly and I just look flabby no matter what I wear. I've put on 9lb and it's all my waist and belly but to be honest, my flat tummy was my good bit to draw attention away from my chubby thighs.
Ugh, moan moan moan. I was planning on gaining less weight this pregnancy that last one but it is really really important to gain a good amount with twins.

Just have to suck it up I guess. Maybe it will be easier to dress a proper bump. I can't remember.

I feel the same about clothes, I'm now down to two pairs of normal size jeans that fit without feeling too restrictive (I have about 49 pairs ), I have just purchased my first pair of maternity jeans online tonight so hoping they'll be comfier. All my clothes feel tight so I'm currently wearing random combinations of anything that is baggy and comfortable which is making for some very interesting and unfashionable outfits. I wish more high street shops had a maternity section, I'd rather try things on that faff about sending things back.

Very early on in pregnancy I pinned a load of good maternity outfits on Pinterest, I had high hopes of being a well groomed, stylish pregnant lady.. Yeah right, where the hell do those women buy clothes?!

Same here Guybrush I just look a bit fat round the middle. A proper bump I found much easier to dress last time, this in between stage is annoying as I'm not big enough for proper maternity gear but too big to look good in my clothes

With twins you will no doubt have a proper bump very soon guy! Are you wearing maternity clothes? I often find they accentuate the 'bump' and make me look more pregnant than non maternity clothes, even if hey still fit.

I'm in maternity stuff but I still just look chubby! My belly isn't bump, it's all wobbly. And my waist is expanding sideways. Big uterus is obviously pushing all my fat outwards. My tummy is now at 17 weeks about the same as it was at around 22 weeks last time so proper bump is probably not far away.

And then of course if I make it to full term with twins, not even maternity clothes will fit and I'll just have to wear an actual tent for a few weeks.

It feels like such a silly thing to be self conscious about! I don't like to think of myself as vain- like I said, I am scruffy and not in the least bit fashion conscious at the best of times. Live and work in jeans and trainers. Hair and face always a mess due to cycling helmet and busy early mornings with toddler. For some reason that never bothers me, but this chubby phase really does.

Moan alert!

So my OH told me my SIL was supposed to be phoning me but she's not yet (OH is working!) so he told me why she was going to be calling....she's pregnant! Yes I'm excited and happy for her and I'm excited my baby will be a big cousin so soon!

But....and I hope I don't come across as too selfish here but I know that her baby compared to mine will get EVERYTHING from her dad (FIL) and other sisters (SIL's) which makes me feel terrible for my OH! It's bad enough that we live 45 mins to an hours drive away from them and they make zero effort as it is but for him to see my SIL baby get everything will break my heart. It breaks my heart when he sees them always doing family stuff and he doesn't get an invite...yes they were all close before I came along and he moved in with me! I always blame myself for taking him away from them! I'm sobbing my heart out just now because I feel awful I'm saying this and because I'm scared of what it's going to be like. I can already imagine what 1 of the sisters is going to be like while she's pregnant!

Sorry for being such a moan and being a terrible person!

Oh crying hopefully it won't be nearly as bad as you fear. And as for comparing them, your baby will be the older of the two no? So it will in all likelihood be sil's baby being compared to yours rather than the other way around.

crying

For fuck's sake. It's my day off. Toddler, who usually wakes around 5, is still asleep. I woke around 5 anyway and couldn't get back to sleep. Balls.

Crying that sounds like a rubbish situation, what does your oh think about it?

Long shot, and hopefuly this won't out anyone (or me) but is anyone under aneurin bevan health board? Just from reading stories in this board the maternity care elsewhere is so much better.

Crying, were in more or less the same situation. We live an hour away from our families, and may as well live in Australia for all the effort they make! DH called his DM last week to announce pregnancy, before he could get a word in she announced his youngest DS is pregnant, so we thought oh great, that'll be us forgotten about again then, but we're used to it, he only called her out of politeness!

crying same boat here, our family is 3 hours away they've seen DS 3 times so far as we have to go there and he hates the car. They're always amazed he's big or sitting or whatever but that's what babies do in the course of 8 months. Anyway we've dine it more or less on our own (had someone baby sit once in nearly 9 months) it's hard, but you can do it

crying that is . Have you had a chance to talk to your OH yet and see how he feels? The unfairness of it can really sting, but perhaps having 2 new babies/cousins/grandchildren around will be the occasion for more family get-togethers. We've definitely done more stuff with my SIL since she had her daughter.

Guybrush my middle is expanding in exactly the same way. I'm the least pregnant-looking person at work, and other women who are due in the same week have proper bumps (though at least one is having her second). Trying not to compare myself too much with anyone else, and I'm not normally bothered about fashion beyond trying to look semi-presentable at the office, but I'm struggling to find things that are both comfortable and I don't just look fat in.

Yes mine will be 3 months older but I know exactly what it'll be like. SIL is the golden child to everyone so her baby will be amazing! I am really excited for her but just feel a bit at the same time.

I've not spoken to my OH about it as I feel it's a difficult situation....long back story!

I know every time we see any of that family it'll be oh SIL this, SIL that...oh well. Gotta live with it now! I'm really lucky where my DF and DBro will see my baby nearly every day. I really feel for OH tho!

After speaking to RL best mates last night I've calmed down and they've helped! OH is chuffed but says it feels weird as its his little sis! Lol.

Thanks for reading ladies

I really don't like being pregnant at the same time as people I know well. I'm happy for them but it's the constant comparisons I hated last time (pregnant same time as DHs cousin) and this time I'm pregnant the same time as SIL.
Sounds stupid / selfish but I just hate the 'AbbeyRoads bump is tiny and other person is big' or 'why couldn't you breastfeed when other person could'. Even worse is I was due much later but had my baby first, and this might happen again. People don't get it that this doesnt mean DS should be 'ahead' even though I've explained about corrected age so many times (basically you calculate their age from due date, so things like smiling and rolling are so many weeks after due date, not so many weeks after birth) but no one listens. Drives. Me. Nuts.

I feel better for that, sorry for the rant. We're telling DH's siblings today or tomorrow I think so it's on my mind

crying I completely understand. I don't want to say too much on here as I'm worried you'll all judge but im in a very similar position and it really hurts. I'm trying to be the bigger person and not let it bother me but it's hard.

I'm so bloated today so I look about 6 months gone! ridiculous! Also nearly got trampled on by people pushing me trying to get the last seat on the tube this morning which hasn't helped my mood. I had to stand pretty much the whole way in the end.

crying, that does sound tough. Maybe they'll be more inclusive when you have a baby? Here's hoping!

Guybrush, I am EXACTLY the same with bump/flubber at the moment. I am (was) a size 12 and carry weight around my middle. As it's warmer today I had no idea what to wear. I'm too big for my normal jeans but the one pair of maternity jeans I have just make me look fat, not pregnant, and I hate my outfit today. I've put on too much weight and I'm hating on myself today. I have vowed to cut back on the treats/bread etc so that I have a NEAT bump (yeah right!!).

I had my 16 week app today and got to hear the heartbeat :) I could hear him/her kicking away too, too cute!
I'm sorry to hear people's worry, here's hoping they just see a lovely baby and melt their cold, cold hearts!!

I'm having a rubbish day full of tears - won't bore you with details to do with looooongstanding complex relationships with my parents. Have had a cup of milk and some pot noodles for breakfast with green beans. Lovely. Salt coming out in tears, and salt going in via MSG in noodles. All okay then.

crying we aren't crying for the same reasons but yep! crying all right :(

I've put on 5 kgs now, in about 5 months. A bit worried about how much more will come on.

I've not cried today however I can feel it! I feel like such an awful horrible person for thinking the way I do about SIL! I just don't want to be compared! It might not be as bad as I'm expecting - here's hoping anyways

Super fed up today! Feel like crap, don't want to be anywhere other than curled up in a ball in my bed! Why do I feel so shit! Want to hide in my office and crib

Oh no!! Sorry everyone is feeling miserable today, I think you're all a few weeks further along than me so I'm sure I will have this all to come.. it will pass, it's just the hormones, deep breath only a few hours left of work to go before home to curl up in bed

crying we've got a situation a bit like yours, my elder brother's first is due three weeks before ours (also our first). I was a bit when I found out, partly because I had a bit of a spotting incident just when they told us so was full of dark thoughts about impending miscarriage and the wheels of fate.....

We're lucky that family are quite sensible, and my older brother lives abroad so he probably gets the worse deal anyhow.

But I'm a bit resolute that whilst we'll swap tips, etc, I'll not put up with comparisons from anyone. It's our chance to screw up parenthood, just like anyone else! Whilst extended family are really important, the relationship I really care about will the one between the three of us.

Oh poor you Crying I hate days like that. Hope you can get home and have a nice chilled out evening tonight.

I am absolutely exhausted today, feel like I've been hit by a truck, just have zero energy. Even just walking to the other side of the office to go to the loo requires me to really gear myself up in preparation. I thought the tiredness was supposed to be over ages ago?! 19 weeks on Saturday, and I think I am more tired now than I was at the start.

Sorry to everyone with family issues, that must be so hard. We are very lucky as all our families are relatively close by and will be quite involved, but I have friends who have no family support and I know they find it a struggle - more from sadness that their DC are missing out than actually struggling with the practicalities if that makes sense. Neither of our families are on our doorstep but they are both within 45 mins away so can be there if we need them, although I don't want to rely on this!

If it helps in anyway, when I was growing up we had absolutely no family close by, they were all either abroad, a UK flight/boat away or about a 5 hour drive. Obviously I don't know any different, but I don't feel like I missed out at all by not having anyone round the corner. I saw each set of grandparents max 4 times a year, but they were still a very important part of my childhood. One set had my cousins up the road from them so they were obviously very close, did childcare etc - I probably did have a different relationship with my GPs to my cousins, but it didnt matter in the grand scheme of things.

Obviously none of the above is helpful if family aren't particularly intrested/make things into a competition, but essentially I never felt like I was missing anything by just having my nuclear family with me and extended family only appearing sporadically.