July 2016 (7) We're halfway to meeting our little bubs

[allthegoodnamesalreadytaken]

Hi all started a new thread as the old one was getting almost to 1000. We're a very chatty bunch! Happy Friday

Jem01 hope you had a lovely holiday!

Cheery1 congrats to your sister inlaw!

YouAndMeAreGoingToFallOut & GoingLoopyQuickly dont feel bad, I have to take the test as well as they stare me up and down and tell me I am fat. Charming of them.

KayTee87 I don't blame you for not wanting to give a name, sounds silly that they are going that into it. Maybe they need a name for their records but it would be terrible if they chase it up with that person.

BelOfTheBall79 NCT was so worth it socially, through the class we didnt really chat much but the last day we exchanged emails and boom the coffee shop with newborns and pregnant mums began. Still now my old NCT mums are the ones I talk to most.

Hows everyone doing shopping wise? I am still only 1/4 done with dusting stuff out the loft. Re-using a lot as I already have a July toddler so all the old clothes will be used again but definitely need to get new 6-12 months. Baby led weaning as not kind to fabrics.

26+3

Hi all - happy Friday afternoon & hope everyone has fun weekend plans.
I hadn't given much thought to the stretching & tearing, which is strange as I am so anxious about the birth. I am going to look into people's suggestions. My hubby is going to wonder what I am doing when I start researching anal beads later!!
I have been suffering from a terrible headache all day. Just finished work and looking forward to putting my swollen feet up. Is anyone else suffering from swollen ankles and feet? Any suggestions very welcome.

Thom, swelling is common, just rest as much as poss. If it's really bad mention it to your midwife as it can be a sign of pre eclampsia.
It's hard not to say 'don't worry' about the birth bit, to be perfectly honest my first birth was awful but I'm doing it again! At the time it was pretty bad, but it was over and then I had a baby and it was so so worth it. I said straight away I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I'm hoping for a much better birth this time, always hope for a good one!! I found that reading everything I could helped with the fear of the Unknown, I'd recommend Ina Mays Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin.

I'm sorry I've completely lost track of this thread!!! I promise to try and do better!! What's the Facebook group called? I might manage that a bit easier.

26 weeks tomorrow. All good, though very achey easily and hip pain. Seeing midwife next week for the first time in 10 weeks. Gtt soon. That's about it.

I've got swollen feet fairly often at the moment too. The only thing that helps is to put them up, but I find that virtually impossible due to having an energetic 3.75 year old and too much stuff to do round the house! But it's nothing majorly to worry about, unless you get swelling in your hands or face as well, I think, or if it seems otherwise unusual.

Hi Thom, I'm in the swollen feet / ankle club too. They haven't been so bad the last few weeks but I've also been off work sick...am sure they will be swelling up again next week!

Fifi - hope you have been ok & it is nothing serious.
I worked from home one day and my ankles were so much better!

Aww thanks Thom. My depression got worse so I was put on antidepressants, took 2 weeks off to get used to side effects (which weren't too bad). Feeling a lot more positive now.

Fifi glad to hear you're feeling better
Thom I've noticed my rings feeling a bit tight sometimes but I think it's because I've been so warm lately. As ppl have said a small amount of swelling is normal I think.

Spent an hour in a very deep bath with a lush bath bomb and a Yankee candle lit, going to go to bed with my kindle and hope I can sleep past 5am which now seems to be my wake up time

Fifi - hope things are getting better & the meds are starting to work.
I have been soaking my feet this evening & the feel so much better.

Morning! It's going to be proper Spring today apparently, so I'm looking forward to feeling that sun on my back while I do some pottering in the garden!

puzzle hope you feel better after your dizzy spell

Bel my friend has an Egg and loves it

Cheery boo to back pain, what's going on with it - PGP or something else? I'm finding my PGP massively frustrating as there's so much I want to do, aside from the fact that it hurts to walk and put pants on!

My ankles are pudgy by the end of the day, too. Last time, my ankles and feet swelled massively about 3 days after the birth - really misshapen. Normal, apparently though. The foof pressure...it comes and goes, I am assuming to do with baby's position?? But sometimes it feels really heavy and it's def swollen and I keep thinking ugh is it those vulval varicose veins - but I'm fairly certain it isn't. I had it last time, and I had the same concerns then so I'm just taking it as another glam preg symptom!

Does anytime know if you still get invited to NHS classes for subsequent babies?? Also v interested to hear about NCT for second timers, I will check that out and see if there's one near me. I've moved since having DD - not far and to a place I've lived before but like the idea of meeting some new mum friends if I can.

Perineal massage, my NCT teacher said it can't do any harm but probably didn't have massive benefits. I did try it but frankly snaking an oily hand down around your undercarriage when you're 8.5m and slathering it in the right place is no mean feat and trying to factor in a mirror while not spilling said oil all over what you're sitting on - gah! I didn't have the patience. Or the flexibility!!!

I did tear, though - the pain and the being stitched wasn't really a big deal at all but I did find the after effects of it one of the more unpleasant post-birth bits. Just because it's sore to move about and stuff. But considering how much I was dreading it, in the scheme of things it was fine.

The epi-no is hilarious! NCT demoed that for us, too and everyone was Inalso contemplated buying the identical sex-toy version too - and given where I lived it would have been dead easy to get one hehe

Hope everyone has great days and the sun is shining where you are

dats 24+6

Beautician thank you for sharing your birth stories. As you say, it is very reassuring that you are prepared to do it a fourth time!

I've been away visiting friends for a couple of days which has been lovely - for the most part! London tubes were predictable - I stood right next to the priority seats with my bump practically in the occupants' faces, and nobody bothered to move. I doubt it would have made any difference had I been wearing a baby on board badge.

Then the train home - oh my life! No seats anywhere, people expecting me to step aside for them in the aisle even though I clearly couldn't turn sideways as that would make me wider, and I ended up sitting on the floor by the toilet. Waited for a bit, decided I couldn't possibly continue to sit there for two hours as my bump was so uncomfortable, and went searching for a seat.

Found a seat which was occupied by a lady with bags and asked her if anyone was sitting there. She said no, but she didn't look up at me and didn't start moving them, so I said ' It's just that I'm six months pregnant and I have been sitting on the floor by the toilet'. At which point she moved her bags like lightning, everyone around me started exclaiming that they couldn't believe nobody had offered me their seat, someone asked me if they could get me some water, and a man jumped up to put my bag on the overhead racks...

So, there we go. People can be nice. Only slightly ruined by the fact that the woman next to me then proceeded to surreptitiously vape for the whole journey and I was too damn British to ask her to stop!

Sorry, to clarify, there were two seats, one with a lady and one with her bags! I didn't ask the lady to move, just her bags!

Oh and my NCT classes start tomorrow. I have heard nothing about the NHS ones yet - no invite, nothing!

Wish we had lovely spring weather here! It's raining...

Thanks for the person who came back to me re sickness bands. I use them and they're great. Dr was pretty useless in all honesty - said there is something I could take but not sure unless I get really bad (I have 4 flights and once I've got the instructions one nothing I can do re getting a prescription obviously). I asked about ginger supplements and she said she could only comment on actual medicine! Oh well if I'm sick so be it.

Dats thanks for comments on the egg. Think I am swaying that way now. DH likes so few pushchairs but he liked that one!

Off for afternoon tea later

Not sure how 'instructions' ended up in last msg! I meant 'first'!

Horrible rain here too Bel :-( Had hoped for a potter round town but looks like a day on the sofa instead!

Beautician & others - I have found all the birth stories reassuring. I was talking to my hubby last night about it all, and he is beginning to realise what is involved. I was rather graphically talking about tearing! He said to me last week, that he was starting to think that our lives were going to change! It has taken him a while and it is going to be a massive change.
bluebell - people are so rude on the tube in London. I have to commute in London every day and people so often ignore my baby on board badge. They just look at their phone / book and act like they can't see the pregnant woman in front of them!

Think we've made a pram decision and we are going to go for the baby jogger city mini. I'm still slightly wavery about it not parent facing when a pushchair (as opposed to with carrycot) but I went to Mothercare this morning for a play and I don't think there is any arguing with how easy it is to fold.

YouAndMe we had a City Mini GT for DD and will be using it again this time round. I was unsure about the forward facing but it was never really an issue and it's such a short period of time before they want to be having a good old look around. The hood is massive and was brill in the summer (April baby) months.

Enjoying catching up with all the chat and birth stories! I'm anxious and excited about giving birth. It was fairly straight forward last time although took 44 hours and quite bad tearing, I still love to re live it in my mind as I am so proud of myself! I did have a slightly amusing experience last time, in hospital thinking I needed a poo, I went to the toilets, did a little push (off my face on drugs at this point) and my water broke and exploded up out of the toilet and hit the door! Lol. Still not really sure how it happened but it makes me chuckle.

First timers, don't worry, relax, it really is a short amount of time and it doesn't feel as long as it is (or isn't for some lucky buggers!).

Perineal massage like Dats said is a faff and I was past the point of caring.

I would recommend the parent craft classes (or whatever you have in your area). Although some of it is boring, there were a few things I didn't think about and I am glad someone explained it to me.

Enjoy your Saturday night ladies. I'm off for a nice soak in the tub!

Ahh busy week and fell off the thread for the first time ever missed you all! exhausted but sitting down to catch up.. And have sent DH to tesco for ice cream ..

goingloopy I haven't heard of 'second time' NCT classes.. These sound great! I want to meet some mums but I think going to a normal one would just frustrate me tams I don't think it particularly makes a difference when you have them!

I haven't done perennial massage but think I will as a friend recommended it. Have torn with both of mine (only 2nd degree mind you) so would like to avoid. Having said that they healed fine with no horror stories and no pain weeing etc

Good luck to those have GTT tests.. Had them in both pregnancies and not fun. Fingers crossed to negative results!

bel I recommend the travel sickness bands (we got some from boots) for DD1 travel sickness and MiL for use in chemo

jem hope you had a lovely time away

fifi glad you're feeling better

I have a bit of ankle swelling for the first time today. Have been playing with DDs at the beach in the sun so sure that's to blame.

Re birth stories- I'm 5ft 2 and pushed out 2 8lb babies. Don't think it has anything to do with size (yours or them) head size is surely an important factor ha. I will be against pethadine once again (didn't enjoy first time) I think I would rather have an epidural truth be told

Evening. Anyone getting a heavy uncomfortable cervix? Not painful just uncomfortable? I'm only 27 weeks but Google was not the place to look.

photographer I'm not sure if you mean what I'm feeling but I've got a lot of heaviness going on and everything feels swollen and sensitive. It comes and goes but it's been awful today. And it feels itchy - not in a (tmi) thrush way just because it's swollen. It's been getting me down today because I just feel like I need to put my feet up but I have stuff I want to do.

Photographer if you're describing what I think then I've had that at several points. It does seem to come and go? Like baby is pressing down in certain positions? I hope it eases quickly for you. From what I remember I felt it more as time went on during last pregnancy. I would rest up

Have dragged myself to the gym this morning but not feeling it and everything feels a struggle. Hoping it's just a one off- im not ready to feel like this just yet. I'm struggling with body image the last few days- I feel like I've really gained extra weight and feeling very fat. Hense being at the gym on a Sunday at opening time. Can someone else tell me they've put on lots of weight and make me feel better? I think I've reached 2 stone already

27 weeks tomorrow

Morning All

I had GD last pregnancy (average BMI and no family history so was pretty surprised and concerned about getting it)..and honestly managed fine based on changes to diet alone. It was a pain pricking my finger for blood 6x a day but there you go..a lot of preg is a pain! Actually learned some good dietary habits and hope that has set me in good stead for the future.

I got the all clear with my first test in February (at 17 weeks) but need to do another one on Thursday..bah, I thought I had escaped!

Had midwife appointment yesterday - Jem (and any others at Lewisham) - Saturday morning appointments are brilliant! There's no one there! I heartily recommend.

All is well, fundal height, doppler, mat 1B form, maternity exemption for dental/prescription charges etc all dealt with by a very efficient mw.

Cheery - met your friend Polly of the Cake Diaries yesterday as picked up her cakes for Teddy's first birthday party with the NCT gang. They were delicious but I will have to tell her she spelt 'birthday' wrong in icing on the cake!

26 weeks today!