April 2016 babies - 20-week scans, growing bumps and little kicks!

[suffolkblonde29]

Hi all,

I've started a new thread to take us up to the third trimester.

Hope you are all feeling well. I feel like my bump is a little small and I'm not feeling lots of movement (but this may be due to an anterior placenta). Got my 20-week scan tomorrow so not long to wait to see if everything's ok - it's actually nearly 22 weeks though as baby really wasn't playing ball when we went last week and was hiding with its back to the scanner.

Getting excited that I'm halfway there though...

I'm here oops and knits! Got a stinking cold for the first time in years and a weird muscular pain running from one side of my lower back to my butt . I thought I was having it too easy. Now 24 + 3 with DC1 and starting to look decidedly round!

Hello everyone :) I'm here. I've enjoying a quiet Christmas and I did have a lot more energy, but I've been sleeping badly and it's disappeared again. Missing being able to have proper beer and wine and port etc but not as much as I thought because I'm still having pregnancy sickness, so the taste isn't appealing anyway. Hit 25 weeks now - feel enormous! I've been looking at the sales, but mostly the stuff I want isn't reduced by very much so wondering whether to hang on and see if it goes down a bit.

I've been debating whether to get a bednest or a Snuzpod and I think I'm going with the Snuzpod - the bednest looks kind of flimsy in the videos and I've not been able to see one before buying. I've seen the snuzpod and it's cute and solid.

Ah Come there was a 26% off code direct from the green sheep(?) company on boxing day and I snapped mine up then but forgot to mention it on this thread but hopefully they may do another for the new year. I know toysrus have £40 off at the mo too if you buy mattress and snuzpod at same time. I haven't seen it in person but it seemed my favourite out of the next2me and bednest.

Also any nursery wallpaper recommendations? Can't find anywhere that I don't hate/is under £50 a roll I'm happy to pay 20-30 but it seems anything nice is extortionate!

I agree that this thread is super quiet, I've tried a good few times to start new topics ect, I even posted a pic of my bump and asked others for there's but I only had one other bump pic added.
I feel like I've 'rounded' over Christmas... Food obviously hasn't helped but hey ho... It's Christmas!
I took my tree and decorations down today as I just couldn't stand the feeling of my house being a mess anymore. I want to be able to start nesting and organising things for baby to come. I've given my OH a list of things that will need to be finished off for baby to come and he has a deadline of the end of Feb. Needs must!!
Even though April sounds far away it's going to come round so quick.
ITS SO EXCITING!!!

I meant to post a bump pic poppy and by the time I'd taken a photo I'd forgotten, sorry! I'll post one tomorrow when I'll be 26 weeks exactly. April sounded far away to me too, until I realised it's January in only a few days. I have so much stuff to get ready, it's exciting but also a little overwhelming as I feel like there's a lot to do.

brooke, I've come down with a stinking cold too so I can really sympathise. I'm so achy and shivery with it. DP has been making me lovely hot honey and lemon drinks that are really helping my sore throat. I've also got a 4Head stick (menthol thing that you rub on your head) which helps a bit with headache.

I'm planning to get a Snuzpod too so thanks for the ToysRUs tip, crumbly.

We saw lots of family who we haven't seen in a few months over Christmas. Everyone was so excited about the baby, made it all feel very real!

Thanks :) I signed up, maybe will wait - it seems to be on sale everywhere of £179.95 with the mattress, but I'm greedy for more discounts.

I'm starting to get really big kicks now. I saw my first kick (my stomach rippled!) in the bath, and lots of the kicks are so hard they are sort of uncomfortable. Means my husband's getting to feel a lot more kicks now and he even saw one too.

We don't have a nursery, but my main priority is trying to clear out a bit of space and get various jobs done so there is a bit more room for baby storage stuff at least. I want a changing station that will fit in our bathroom to save my back, but they are all massive things designed for people with big nurseries I guess. We have a box room that will be the baby's eventually, but hopefully we don't need to do that up until the baby is ready to move into her own room. At the moment it's being used as a study.

I've got a GTT test coming up - the midwife made the appointment over the phone, and I thought they'd send me a letter with the details of where to go and what to do but they haven't. So I guess I will need to ring up, because I want to know what to expect.

Yes do hold out Come as I got mine for £140 with mattress and today they sent me 10% off bedding too we've got plenty of time still to hold out for a bargain anyway.
Good luck with your GTT test too!

It is a bit quiet! I often pop on here for a quick look, but don't post anything. I'm on the private Facebook page that was set up for April babies. It's a bit busier, probably because it's handier. Everyone's welcome - it's easy to add any newcomers.

Are there any mums on this thread who've breastfed successfully?

I expressed milk for a month with my first and bf my second for around two months. It was a real struggle and I'm keen to get off to a good start this time. I found an online article, but rather than reassure me it scared me shitless! Any tips, especially for the first few days, would be gratefully received.

My DH was away for Christmas and won't be home until the end of Jan . I was dreading having to entertain my 2 DC on my own for a fortnight, but thankfully my they have been little angels. We went for a 4D scan before my DH went away. It was amazing to see our baby! Managed to resist the temptation to ask the sex!

Wow Mazzle that is the best 4D scan I've seen I think! How amazing.

I only bf for a few weeks but am hoping to EBF to six months this time so any advice would also be appreciated here

Sorry. I try to be a bit more communicative but it's been hell for the past 3 weeks with work and the last 3 days of school. Here in the U.S. our town broke up for Christmas break on the 23rd. I was absolutely running around like a mad woman.

I daren't scare anyone with pictures! I'm so fat rather than huge this time. DH is being a star and keeps telling me I look great. I was 30 when I had #1 and I'm 35 having #3.

We are not buying anything much for our third. There is an amazing charity shop attached to our local hospital and I should be able to kit is out for less than $50.

Will post later once the kids have stopped whining.

I've never had a 4D scan before. It never appealed, but I thought my 2 DC would like it and it would be a lovely thing to do in the run up to Christmas, right before my DH went away. I was 24 weeks when I went for the scan, the earliest they recommend you go. At this stage there's plenty of room, which I think helped the pics.

I was in hospital for quite a long time after DD1 was born and used one of the hospital's super duper double electric pumps (Ameda). It was amazing. I think you can hire them, but I couldn't get a hold of one. Ended up buying a smaller, cheaper Ameda one for home use. It was still an electric double one. Sold it on eBay for a decent price afterwards. I collected milk using breast shells too. I stored the milk in sterilised breast milk bags, available from boots and froze my milk. Drink plenty of water and remember to pump during the night - can't remember why, but I remember being told this was really important. I think your milk supply relies on skin to skin contact and it's difficult to solely express milk for a prolonged time, though I may be wrong!

crumbly never bothered with wallpaper when I saw the price. I got the traditional pastel Winnie the pooh wall decals from buybuybaby here in the US and DH stuck them up on the wall. When we moved we put up Minnie mouse decals. When we get the bunk beds another set of decals will go up, this time something both DS and DD like.

comelucky I have really missed the wine. My kids are driving me crazy! I had a play date at my home today and it was great. I bought gingerbread houses from ikea last year for $1 each and got some bits to decorate them. Americans decorate them with jelly beans etc while I had marshmallows, chocolate chips for baking and icing in pink and green! I found some mini candy canes from about a decade ago and some sparkles.

Oh and as to BF, I've never been successful. Hoping I will be third time lucky! If it's your first and you want to BF line yourself up with a lacatation consultant who comes to your home 1-2 times a day until you are set up. I had an awful time with the positioning and latch. It also didn't help that with DD I had been given a bunch of medicine because I had preclampsia which had a side effect of preventing your milk coming in. With DS he was 10lb6oz and I stopped BF because he was losing so much weight. His blood sugar levels were not right and he was lethargic. Putting him on formula turned that around.

Thanks Crumbly! I was beginning to think this was the biggest discount I'd see, so I will hold out for now :)

That scan is amazing - can't believe how much our babies look like babies now.

Waves to all.

I haven't been posting much as have been busy with all the madthings at home, plus ds3's bday and we have been away visiting family for Xmas.

Good luck with gtt comelucky

And that is a great scan pic mazzle we had one with dd but she refused to show her face the entire time! Won't be having one this time as I am getting extra scans at 28, 32 and 34 wks anyway. Am 26 wks now and have a bit of a cold again, I do feel like I am permanently ill/tired this pregnancy and a bit fed up. Tbf it's going smoothly no issues though still feeling nauseous but snacking on celery, carrots etc and drinking lemonade helps with that. I am just very aware of being preg if that makes sense and the strain it puts on your body? I had got very used to my body being my own again and running etc and just getting to be more me again as the madthings all get bigger and now am going backwards.... I am loving feeling baby move, you can see it wriggling about and am excited to meet new baby but also thinking wtf so much to do and I don't have the energy or motivation necessary to do it. All will be fine though am sure.

Re bfeeding I am planning on bfeeding madthing6 but as with my others will see how it goes. All the madthings bfed fir at least three/four months and three bfed through til toddler hood. I have actually spent a bit over ten years of my life bfeeding! So happy to answer questions if I can. With that said I am not evangelical about it, it is great when it works and I am really hoping it does this time but it's not worth beating yourself up about if it doesn't, happy mum, equals happy baby and baby just needs to be fed end of. Bfeeding is a dynamic that needs to work for the whole family ime but most importantly for mum.

Re nursery furniture etc afraid I am not much help, ours have been in with us when little and this one will be as well. The decals youcan remove easily are a good idea as they change so much. Otherwise I guess a theme that will grow with baby. I love the nature and woodland type stuff but something simple and not fussy would be mt choice. No idea what a snoozpod is will go Google. We have always Co slept but I do like the bedside cots etc.. I think amazon particularly German amazon is good for stuff like that at reasonable prices or ikea of course.

Right I need to get moving si much tidying to do and sorting out of Xmas presents etc. It's crazy here kids just eating chocolate coins and the ginger bread houses we made, way too much sugar but they have had a blast. Need to start getting a bit sorted and back to normality though.

Hope everyone is keeping well.

Hi all, just found out about this thread so I'm joining.
Had a little read through, really exciting to hear from other mums due around the same time
I'm due towards the end of April.

madthings we did gingerbread houses yesterday. What do you do with yours? They take up quite a bit of space which I would like to reclaim.

For the first 2 months baby sleeps in our room. I'm going to get the rock something from Fischer price. They are as low as $40 on Amazon but I'm looking for 2nd hand. After that it's to the crib in the other bedroom. I'm going to look at bunk beds later today for my elder 2.

Oh and stupid me! Welcome macdat!

Hola ladies! The thread was obviously quiet as you were all off doing properly exciting things for Christmas and not hunched over your phone hiding from the toddlers like I was I am a bit more active on the fb group too as I find it easier to use than here.

I've decided that we probably need more vag and bum talk or 'disgusting things my kids have done' to get this thread moving.

I'll start. DD was a bit poorly last week and one night ended up in our bed at 4am. Now this in itself is not much fun, as whilst the notion of snuggling up with your 3.5yo seems very Hallmark card, they actually make for very squirmy, starfish, irritating bedfellows. Anyway, after an hour or so, DD had fallen asleep (on my side of the bed, starfished as standard, leaving me a tiny sliver of bed on the outside natch), I had FINALLY managed to drop off, and the little monkey did a full on sleep-sneeze over my face and into my fucking mouth. Delightful. I couldn't even turn over to escape a follow up as she'd pinned me by the arm.

I swear I heard a smug sleep-cackle.

Better than a throw up! I'm terrible with vomit. DH laughs when he sees me turning green and darting for the toilet.

I had my glucose test this morning. It always makes me so tired and the taste is horrible.

Oopsnumber3 madthing5 regularly ends up in our bed, she was doing really well at staying in her bed but has glue ear and repeated ear infections and colds have led to not much sleep. Sneezing is Ok, I am another one that can't cope with puke. A word of warning want2be bunk beds though fab are not good with puking kids, when they wake in the night and puke in the top bunk,maybe leaning over the side... It drips down and is a pita to change. Thankfully as mine have got older they are pretty good at getting puke in toilet or a bowl eyc and I lay towels on bed,on floor in preparation if they are ill.

Re gingerbread houses ours were decorated with chocolate buttons, smarties, skittles, haribo etc the madthings have picked the sweets off and eaten them and the gingerbread was starting to go soft so I put them in the bin. We did take photos of the making and finished houses first.

Anyone else feeling hormonal.and stressy? I actually feel either bitchy or on the verge of tears... So much to do to sort out around the house and I just feel overwhelmed. Thankfully dh is a star and is getting on with stuff as I don't know where to begin... I am going to have a bath and make a list. A list always helps and once madthings are at school it will be easier, sort of.

I was feeling that way 5madthings, but it's gotten better this last couple of weeks. It's horrible feeling anxious and panicky. It must be down to hormones as before I got pregnant I was so ready for this baby and totally chilled out about having a third. I often look after my niece, so I'm used to an extra kid and I'm confident with babies. BUT none of this has stopped the irrational worrying! I worry about people visiting especially the ones I don't like, about my DM and MIL taking over and about juggling three kids when my DH is away.

I was laughing at 'vag and bum' talk Oopsnumber3 . My vag is so swollen with varicose veins it is actually turning itself inside out! I have to wear pads every day because of heavy discharge and I've got molloscum blisters all over my bottom! At least I know these annoying symptoms won't last and I'll be back to normal in that department soon!

Sat down with my old Baby Whisperer book today. It's very reassuring. I used to watch her series on TV years ago, long before I had kids and bought the book in desparation after the birth of my first DD. She was a tricky baby and is now a tricky 7 year old! Feel a lot better after reading the book again. I feel a lot better even after a quick flick through.

Kids are away for a sleepover tonight. I had planned to tackle the huge laundry pile, but I've gotten nowhere with it!

oops - desperation