TCC#1 Grads Thread

[Runner05]

Well we were TTC but now we've graduated to growing a small human. Good buy peeing on opk's and ic's every day hello monitoring exactly how sick and bloated we feel and ensuring that we're never more than 30ft from a bathroom!

It's the TTC#1 graduates thread! Come and join us on a no holds barred exploration of first time pregnancy (but be really careful about opening any links about cervical fluid unless you have a very strong constitution... Let's face it you're pregnant so you don't)

Pink that was me yesterday you have my sympathy. If it's any consolation it only lasted a day for me, now I'm feeling a little better.

Lana I've signed up for mothercare too but can't read emails at the moment as they make me feel sick.

Maternity jeans turned up today. They're much more comfortable than normal jeans although they feel a bit weird as they're under bump and I'm used to wearing high waste.

I also received the notes from the midwife. Not terribly happy with them. She's put that the pregnancy was spontaneous not planned, put an warning on my mental health because I was stressed about mums illness a few months ago. She's also put a warning that I need to be monitored for pre-eclampsia but she didn't say anything about that in my meeting with her so I had no idea that I was at risk and she's recorded that I'm talking pregnecare vitamins instead of seven seas. All in all any faith I did have in her has just gone out the window as at best she had appalling attention to detail and at worse she's rubbish at her job.
Quite cross.

Runner, that's ridiculous! Surely she should have mentioned each of those things to you? And how can a pregnancy be 'spontaneous'?! Surely it's either planned or unplanned.

I'm worried about my water intake. I've only had one glass today. I'm trying but I am having to force myself.

Hi Runner

That must be horrible to read back on, like you haven't had enough problems with them but for them to record inaccurate information and also worry you about pre-eclampsia when it wasn't mentioned at the meeting is quite concerning.
Oh I prefer high waist trousers too, anything other than that my bum is flashing to the public every time I sit down! Not that I have a big butt I think the problem is I don't have much of one to hold the trousers up 🙈 X

pink have you tried some diluting juice or adding a bit of fresh orange in to help keep it down. I think it makes the difference sometimes when it feels like it just wants to come up again x

Thanks Lana. I've tried fresh orange diluted in water and that was ok for a bit but I'm now sick of it. I'm giving some robinsons cordial a go instead and it definitely helps. I usually drink a lot of water so it's odd for me to just not want any at all.

I've got my consultant appointment tomorrow and they will test my wee then, so we will see what they say.

I drink a lot too and it seems like the more I drink the thirstier I get sometimes. Hopefully everything's OK when you get your tests, hopefully you don't need to go in to get hydrated x

Evening!

Runner that's crazy, I mean one thing wrong you'd say it was a mistake but that's quite a lot, and not to tell you if you're at risk of something!!!

Today I've been to the doc, she wasn't worried at all as it was brown blood and the smallest amount, after I came home I had a load of back pain and I could just tell it was a UTI so went to the walk in centre and got some tablets for that! Apparently that's also not dangerous for baby! Feel like I've been through a difficult 3 days since finding out haha but sure It will have ups and downs!

It's been a day of telling doctors I'm pregnant too, which is weird as I haven't told anyone yet! (Except DP of course)

Hi ladies, how are you all feeling today? Hope those of you feeling rough are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel?!

I'm trying hard to work on reducing my stress levels right now, hence the post. I'm fucking livid.

The latest update:
Rung the surgery to speak to the nurse about the flu jab and whether or not the guidelines have been updated. She was very surprised that I knew about the Green Book and that I could tell her when the last update was! Apparently they have Immunisation update sessions, and the last one was in the summer. At this session they were not advised to not offer the flu jab to pregnant women in the 1st tri; they were told they can 'use their judgement'. Therefore they thought that me having the jab at 5 weeks was too early. So presumably GP's can independently decide what best practice is.

I was told when I asked that I could see the notes from this session, but it would take a while to collate, by which time they will have run out of vaccine! So, caught between a rock and a hard place I decided to book my appointment there and then (which just so happens to be when I turn 12 weeks). Not a happy bunny. I was made to feel like I was wasting her time, I was asked early in the convo 'where is this going?' and then when discussing collating the notes she said that we do have a lot of patients at this practice and our time is precious (i.e. you would be a wasting our time).

I have my booking in tomorrow and if the midwife isn't a complete fucking tool then I will see about changing GP's and hopefully keeping the same midwife.

Sorry for the rant, but I'm really pissed at the inaccuracies and how I've been made to feel like a nuisance!

Mor that's rubbish. I don't blame you wanting to change. I can't wait to move and change to a different GP.

Lauren I had a UTI pretty much straight away too. They're fairly common with pregnancy.

Pink I struggle with fluids some days. It awful. I usually drink so much but sometimes at the moment I just can't stomach it.

I think I'm going to ask not to see Tiffany the midwife again. I'll see the other woman instead.
At least as I'm going to be going to the birthing centre it's unlikely that she will actually be delivering my baby.

Had my bloods today. I knew it wasn't going to go well when I saw it was a male nurse doing it. He is the only nurse I've ever met who couldn't find a vein on me and he managed to cut my arm when removing the needle and then couldn't understand why it wouldn't stop bleeding.
I know everyone loves the NHS but you wouldn't get this shit at a private practice and there is no reason the NHS shouldn't offer the same service except that the unions prevent any attempts to modernise. (Rant, rant)

Runner and Morwenna I've got my booking in on Monday - I was looking forward to it in the hope that is feel 'officially pregnant' but by the sound of it in just going to end up cross! It's ridiculous how inconsistent the care is! Our local hospital has a pretty grim reputation for maternity but a friend who's given birth there twice in the last 3 years says they were great, couldn't have looked after her better (and she had a pretty traumatic experience both times) - so fingers crossed.
The same friend also advised me to get myself in consideration for the work nursery ASAP as they are so busy, I can't officially put the baby on the waiting list until it's born but they can get everything in the system and HR can decide where we sit in their priorities. It was hilarious, as the nursery is on site DH and I had to sneak in the middle of the afternoon when we were least likely to run into parents who might know us and refuse to sign the logging in book in case were spotted. I guess this means in a roundabout way we've informed HR - I hope this doesn't find its way back to my line manager until I officially tell him in a month or so. It's a new role and the line manager is in a different location so tomorrow will be the first time I actually meet him - definitely don't want him to know yet!

We are planning that I'll take the paid bit of parental leave (6 months) first both to recover and hopefully feed and because I earn more then DH will take 3 or 4 months after that unpaid parental leave. Unfortunately that will be basically his busiest time of year, hopefully that means they'll be keen to get a nursery place to get him back!

In other exciting news we found a house on Sunday that we both really like so working on deciding what we can afford to offer - daft Scottish system!

Hi to everyone and welcome to the newbies - sorry I haven't replied to everyone, it's really hard from a phone to see others posts.

Evening all! I am being so inconsistent at keeping up with the thread... Barely doing anything after 9/10 hour days at school!

Seems we are all well underway with midwives. Mine advised flu after 12 weeks and am really sorry that its causing such an uproar on here but I am a bit like its just a flu jab have never had it before winters nearly over and have never had flu so why get in such a stress over it? Chances are you will be fine even if you get flu anyway...is the stress of going militant on rules worth it for your stress levels and health mor? At the end of the day they should let you choose whether to have it

Pink have you tried ice lollies for the dehydrated feeling? I get the worst sicky feeling in evenings combined with insatiable thirst... Only thing that helps is the really cheap mild tasting ice lollies.

Runner agree try to change midwife I think inconsistency is something we will have to get used to- the one who did my appointment is different to the named one on my notes and I have a different one hand written on too. And no contact number apart from the mat unit which because we are so rural is only open for appointments and births! Highly organised!

Runner Sorry you've had a bad experience with your midwife. Fingers crossed for mine tomorrow. I rang a different surgery today and a midwife happened to be there who said you shouldn't have the jab before 20 weeks...clear as mud.

Dr Good luck with the house! Sounds exciting . Hope your booking in goes ok too. I'm sure not everywhere is as disorganised as this area.

Nevlet you are completely right about the stress; it is totally not worth it! You are completely wrong about it being 'just a flu jab'. If you contract flu when you're pregnant you're more likely to be admitted to intensive care (you can contract pneumonia). Also there's a higher risk of miscarriage, low birth weight and premature birth. So I don't really fancy my chances if I contract "flu anyway"!! I also work in a customer facing role.

I have been given the option to have the jab throughout, however I have been strongly advised not to have it. Getting to the bottom of whether this is personal recommendation or official guidelines is not being militant, it's trying to get enough information to make an informed decision about what I should do. Sorry for ranting about it, but I think it's important to share any information that I've found out with the rest of you so at least you all know the score and are aware of what's happening. And likewise, I like coming on the forums to get advice from you all!!

In other news, my maternity bits from Dorothy Perkins arrived and I think I got the right size! They are only slightly loose! Got some underbump stretchy jeans and leggings and a blouse that says it's a size 12 but is like a tent!

Only meant it should be your choice whether to have it or not mor, no question over getting advice the nhs should have a definitive answer and policy! Therefore removing the stress it's put you under from their inconsistency!

Nev, I've just eaten an ice lolly and it was amazing! Definitely s good way to get some liquids in.

Mor I get the flu nearly every year, I also managed to catch both bird flu and swine flu lucky me so I definitely see the jab thing as important. I've decided to go for it and get it done just because I think it would be less dangerous than me getting flu. I'll be 10+4 on the day so pretty close to the end of the first trimester so I'm sure it will be fine.
By the sound of it your surgery has had someone giving a talk who had miss informed them, otherwise surely there would be more surgeries and pharmacies giving out the same advice?

Good luck to everyone heading to your first midwife appointment. I'm sure they will be fine they can't all be incompetent!

Today sucked, I'm going to bed in the hope that tomorrow sucks less!

Pink dont tell anyone but I sit with a glass of room temperature fizzy water and dip the ice lolly in it too

The impression I get Runner is that in this update session the nurses attended this summer, it was explained to them that they can use their judgement when it comes to administering the jabs. So they decided that 5 weeks was too early (based on what I couldn't get to the bottom of, presumably personal experience of issues with pregnant women?!)

Who knows.

Nev They most definitely need to get their ducks in a row! So confusing. Hopefully tomorrow will help.

Mor there's someone on the September ante-natal thread who works for the NHS who is very clear that everyone should have the jab - it all makes no sense! I had mine at 5 weeks so if that was too early then I just have to hope that it hasn't caused any harm.

Morning ladies how are you doing today?

I'm not feeling too bad this morning but that may be due to the fact that I've literally done nothing but lay still and rest!

Just popped onto the ttc thread, they've moved to thread 8 now!!! I just can't keep up so I've asked someone else over there to take over directing grads to us. Plus, inspecting CM and musing on what is a symptom has lost a lot of its appeal now I'm nearly into the second trimester so I was pretty much only going on there to see people's tests.

Speaking of tests, did you know that as well as a pee stick gallery, countdown to pregnancy has a bump gallery?!

We're getting pretty close to finishing this thread now. Everyone happy for me to set up a new one in the next day or two?

Hi Runner, what is countdown to pregnancy? I've started taking photos every Sunday to see the changes in my body (although none yet) I think it will be nice to look back on.
I try to look on the TTC thread too but it moves far too fast, loads of people are on it and I just can't keep up!

Yayyyyy! I found you all... finally got that BFP confirmed ladies victory dance

Booking appointment tomorrow and then just a scan to work out whether I was pregnant from the first positive (27th December) or if I've caught since then!

Chocaholic that's great news! Woo Hoo! After all the too-ing and fro-ing and uncertainty, very many congratulations!
Runner I'm glad you are feeling slightly better and please do start off the next thread :-)

Thanks drwhy Look look look! Haha

I phoned the midwife and she said seeee I told you so!

I think I've probably just caught since then (like I had that SUPER positive OPK 11 days ago) but it still doesn't explain the original positives without a bleed but hey ho I'm not complaining lol xx

Congratulations Choc!! Did you ever get more blood tests? My first positive OPK was 27th December too so we could be due the same time!!