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...

Hi all, happy new year to you all.

Hope Xmas etc went well for everyone, a sober Xmas is unheard of in the Writer household!!!

I'm back to work today and my hips, bum and lady bits are killing me for some reason, cant wait to go home to bed!

Hello! Hoping I can join in - I'm 24 weeks and due end of April.

Am currently feeling slightly overwhelmed by the kit needed, haven't brought anything yet but have inherited a cot and car seat from my sister which is great. Next on the list is a buggy but frankly the choice is over whelming and so are some of the prices!! Don't really want to bankrupt ourselves so more thought needed there. Really like the icandy peach and the bugaboo but not sure if I can justify their costs but being able to off-road a bit is quite important. Also liked the Quinny buzz or maybe moodd which are also compatible with our car seat.

Deciding is not easy - difficult choosing when you've no idea what your doing (our first baby!).

Also, probably being a bit thick but how do I join the April Facebook page?

I'm also worried about weight gain - had severe Hyper whatsitcalled from 6-18 weeks resulting in 2 hospital trips. Since then I've been so thrilled I can eat I've literally eaten everything in sight. Not attempting to weigh myself as not sure I want to know!!

Have enjoyed reading all your thoughts to date so hope to get amongst a bit now!

If you can get mother are to price match the John Lewis offer on the icandy peach it makes its a lot cheaper! It's the stroller and carry cot in jet black for £665 instead of nearly £900! John Lewis won't let you order it off net and believe me the stores are not stocked to give it you in store so I managed to get mothercare to price match it for me

I'm also worried about how much weight I've put on but refuse to step on a scale to fine out.... I'm sure a few less Christmas chocs would of been best but never mind... Jan eating healthy bandwagon I join!

Going back to work today was a real shock to the system! Achy bump and back, all I want to do is nap and I feel so unwieldy and emotional. 26 weeks seems a bit soon to feel this crap! I've put in for maternity leave from 36 weeks, it seems forever away but I guess before then, I can take occasional sick leave if I feel terrible?

Hi Devon, welcome!

I've had both a bugaboo and an icandy and I'd recommend both. They hold their value, so you could sell it on gumtree once you're finished with it. Alternatively, you could buy one second hand. Both companies sell spare parts if you wanted to replace bits.

I also had a Quinny. It was a bit rickety and the tyre often burst.

If you send a private message to me with your Facebook name, I'll look for you on Fb & add you to the group - or try to anyway!

I have that pain too Writer. I think it's SPD? Sleeping on my side with 2 pillows between my knees helps. I got a tubigrip from Amazon to wear round my torso/hips. Cheaper and comfier than a support belt. First day on today. Will report back of it makes a difference!

I'm away for the night with my 2 DC. Got last minute panto tkts and an apartment. Trying to squeeze in as much fun as we can before school goes back!

Hi Devon, I have the off-roader ICandy Peach and I love it. We bought it new for baby number 1 and it's still going strong for number 3. Seriously wish I'd bought second hand though, you'll save yourself hundreds. Start stalking EBay and gumtree now and you've plenty of time to pick one up before your bambino arrives.

Work was a shock to the system on this end too Come and Writer. Not taking the 5 mile round trip so well now I'm bigger
I'm thinking of starting maternity leave in time for DD1's 3rd birthday end of March. I will tack holiday on as much as I can as well to push my official mat leave date back but I'm desperate to be finished now. I even did a calculation to figure out the earliest I could take maternity leave which was the end of this month. Can't say I wasn't tempted. I'll be so happy to just spend quality time with my babies! Hopefully I'll go back to a smaller contract too.

Also welcome Devon! I'm 24 weeks currently too and due on the 22nd.

Arghh I am.venting here ladies sorry.

But on a group I am in, primarily bfeeding related but also pregnancy a lady of 33wks with reduced movements and they are all telling her it's normal as baby gets bigger it has less space yada yada. I have said please get checked out especially as she has other signs of early labour! And posted links to the count the kicks campaign etc and just explained the importance of being aware of changes to babies movements pattern but a couple of posters are saying... My obgyn says it's normal for baby to move less as it gets bigger?!!

They are American maybe the advice is different there? Anyway I have said all I can say and I have been polite and factual etc but some are having a right go saying I shouldn't scare the lady in question and her symptoms are normal and reduced movements are normal... So I just felt I had to say something! And I should be asleep but bump is wriggly as a jumping bean and I can't switch off. School run tomorrow... I shall be knackered!

The same thing happened to me madthings. With my first DD I thought something wasn't right, but kept it to myself. When I eventually confided in a few people they all said they were sure everything was fine. Luckily at my next midwife appt she had her own concerns and I was monitored closely, then sent into hospital at 32 weeks for an emcs. I can't stress enough, if there's a lull in frequency/strength of movement, call your midwife!

This time round I was given a leaflet on counting the kicks. It wasn't mentioned 8 years ago when I was first pg.

Mazzle how did you get on with the turbogrip? I may have to invest I was done by 6 o'clock last night!!

Mad things - I'm in the us. Kick counts are monitored via an app or submission online each day. Reduced movements are taken seriously and you go straight to hospital.

I find women on MN can give the most awful advice when it comes to things like kick counts and testing for certain issues and diseases. I fully understand you venting as I get that way too when I see it happen. It also pisses me off when I get 'oh but your in America. Everything they do is wrong' attitude. It isn't wrong it is different and they are not as CS friendly as British people like to think. I went through 22 hours of labor before they did a CS with DD! I'm on my third and the doctors have said they want to try a VBAC if possible with this pregnancy. It's not a straight forward election to have a CS even though I've had 2!

Welcome Devon! I've also been feeling a bit overwhelmed about the stuff we need to get before the baby arrives. This group is a great source of advice about things though.

I'm another one who's found being back at work difficult. My back is so sore after sitting in an office chair all day and I just feel exhausted by early afternoon. My commute isn't too bad so I don't even have that excuse for my tiredness! Only 27 weeks now so I still have about eight weeks left at work.

Hope you and the DC enjoyed the pants Mazzle. I love pantos and I'm already looking forward when the baby is old enough for things like that.

madthings, that sounds really frustrating for people to say you're trying to scare someone when you're only giving reasonable advice. I've always been told that once the baby has a regular pattern of movements you should get any changes checked out, no matter when they happen.

I ended up at my GP's this afternoon as they think I have a UTI so have prescribed me antibiotics. I'm really nervous about taking them even though the GP said they are safe in pregnancy. GP also said I should have a few days off work until I'm feeling better but I feel really guilty about taking the time off. I'm so used to thinking if I can physically make it into the office then I should do that I'm finding it hard to think of taking time off even when I've been advised to by a doctor. What would you do?

knits Are you kidding!?! Take the time off please. You might feel fine but a UTI when you are pregnant can quickly turn nasty and if it does it's hard to treat without affecting the baby. I have people work for me and while none have been pregnant, they have been sick. One has diabetes and recovery takes longer. I'm fine with them taking whatever time they need as long as they are upfront about it and don't complain about others they cover when others get sick.

Take care, rest up and get better!

Oh and I'm planning on working through to 39 weeks unless my doctor signs me off earlier like they did with Dd. I have to get my client filed at the end of Feb! After that the time is gravy.

If you have been told to take the time off then do it! Urine infections can be nasty in preg so do take the antibiotics and have a few days to recover like Dr suggests. :)

Re the other forum/group an admin came and reiterated the lady should get checked out. I figured the advice in the USA would be to get reduced movements checked but so many were saying their obgyn had told them fewer movements is normal as baby gets bigger! I guess it's like the varied advice e Dr's give you here and the USA is s big place as well so more scope for variation.

Want 2 are you happy to try for a vbac this time if your Dr thinks it's Ok or would you rather have elcs? Will your insurance cover it if you just prefer a c section? I am pleased the rules here say women can choose c section if they want, though some hospitals make you jump through hoops. I would much rather a normal vaginally.birth but realise not everyone wants thst. Women need to be able to make informed choices and be supported by their health care provider. There are pros and cons to both systems ie UK V USA.

I have stroppy children, well stroppy dd (5) I have just failed in parenting... Shouting at her to stop her from shouting at her brothers... She is s stroppy thing.

The insurance will pay for either as the cost isn't that much higher for the CS. The hospital and obn group I am under don't like to do a CS unless it is necessary as it increases their insurance premiums when they perform over a certain %. With DD and DS it was necessary but as this pregnancy progresses they are saying it doesn't look to be necessary. However they are saying that if I do the VBAC route they want me seen by the alternative medicine group from 36 weeks onwards with me going in for a CS if I go over by more than a week.

For my obn group, if I said I wanted a CS they would give it to me. I'm not opposed to a VBAC. Im almost 27 weeks and quite small compared to my other pregnancies. If this is going to be a girl weighing less than 8lbs I am open to a VBAC, especially if I can have the alternative medicine group involved. It bloody works doing the induction massage and acupuncture. Once in labour the massage was wonderful at keeping things going and the pain under control.

Thank you everyone!

**Crumble - I'm due on the 23rd

**Knits - definitely take the time off. I know it feels horrible but you have to put yourself first and if your trying to work whilst sick it will just take longer to get better or you'll get worse. I did find it easier to just do it a week at a time in the end when I was unwell as I found deciding on a day to day basis was actually quite stressful and made it harder for the business to manage. When I eventually just took a week at a time we all knew where we were and I could focus on trying to get well.

Re weight - I don't think we need that worry so I vote we hide the scales for at least 6 months! Not really in much of a position to take any evasive action anyway! Talking of which I probably need a chocolate bar about now!

Writer the tubigrio has definitely made a difference. Still sore, but I've definitely been more mobile. It's a regular torso tubigrip. Amazon are selling 3 sizes.

I'm back to work tomorrow. Went in today to get organised and it was a struggle walking around. The building is v large and everything is spread around. Had planned on telling my jobshare partner I'd like to start my maternity leave earlier than discussed and telling my boss I'm not coming back. I want to be upfront about it, rather than tell her a year from now. However, I chickened out! Tomorrow it will have to be.

Oh mazzle I don't blame you for not telling them you don't intend to return. I would be so wary of saying anything. However I'm very lucky that my employer are very supportive.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to listen to your very sensible advice and let work know I'll be taking some time off as advised by my GP. It's silly but I feel really bad about taking time off, even though I'm rarely off sick and I know I have good reason to be off at the moment. Hopefully the rest will help me get better quickly and I won't need to take too much time off.

Devon, I definitely agree with hiding the scales for a few months! I'm just going to focus on eating as healthily as I can and then I'll assume that however much weight I put on must be okay. Staying away from all the chocolate left over from Christmas is proving a bit of a challenge though...

Good luck talking to work Mazzle. It took me about three days after I'd planned to tell work I was pregnant before I finally got up the courage to make an appointment with HR. My company is generally pretty okay so I didn't even have a good reason to worry!

oh goodness mazzle rather you than me! Good luck telling them.

I am actually sitting at my desk trying to work out the most sensible time to take my maternity, I have 15 days holiday left and they all have to be used by the end of Feb! My boss has agreed to me carrying 7, but not sure if I want to go off that early with a crazed toddle at home and building works!

mazzle thank you for the heads up on the turbo

5madthings I don't know how you do it with 5 let alone 6. I am on holiday with our 2 DC and I have shouted at them numerous times. DS has a hearing problem and DH forgot to take his hearing aid off when he went in the pool. Now it doesn't work! I have had it on rice hoping it will dry it out. I have been yelling at him since and he is squealing all the time as he can't hear himself. The squealing goes right through me.

DD is feeling left out because we are having to touch DS to get his attention before giving direction. She now is ignoring DH and I most of the time. She listens to my Dad though thank the lord. DH has taken to swearing at the kids and DS said 'shit' yesterday when he launched himself into the car seat and missed, landing in the middle. His poor language is sore area for me and he is upset because each time he swears he has to pay $10 into the swear cup.

Wow, a $10 fine for swearing, want2b? I remember having to put 10p in a swear box when I was a child. That's quite some inflation! (Although I seem to remember my parents also paid the 'fine' and it actually used to cost them more money than it cost me!)

I hope your DS' hearing aid is fixable. It must be so frustrating for both you and him if he can't hear you, especially when you're trying to enjoy a family holiday. Fingers crossed the rice helps dry it out.

Had my 24 week midwife appointment today and had a lovely listen to baby's heartbeat but they are gently encouraging me to leave work earlier than planned and thinks consultant will second them on the 18th when I go in for my growth scan. Apparently walking five miles a day is too much when you're heavily pregnant and high risk. Fundal height is small too so will be interesting to see what happens at my growth scan on the 18th.