August 2016 number 5 - waddling towards the third trimester!

[Mslg]

For the August 2016 ladies and babies!

Long - good luck with the move! We just moved last month and although there's a lot of work to do here, all our boxes are unpacked and it feels like home. I'm excited to finally have enough space, its such a relief!!

I'm also getting these tight BH things - which is really weird because I don't remember having them at all with my other two.

Thanks for the thoughts on the job guys!
Christine at the moment that's how I'm starting to feel. It's all a bit depressing to think of coming back from mat leave to my current job if I didn't get promoted though - it's a very junior post for my level of experience and qualifications so a bit demoralising. Maybe that won't matter to me so much once baby's here though...
Longtime on the interview process they were saying yesterday basically we'll just need to play it by ear, but sounds as if it'd be a case of they will schedule the interviews and if I'm too busy giving birth/recovering/getting to grips with parenthood then I'd just have to decline an interview. What you were saying about it being a two way process totally hit home - I've been feeling like I should just be grateful for the opportunity but it is fair for me to be able to scope out whether the post would suit my needs.

Shanster wow I'm in awe that you managed to keep going up to 41 weeks! That's a lot of change in your management in a short time, I'd be stressed too! Good you're getting a chance to work with her a bit before you start leave at least. This position is definitely something I'd normally be really keen to get my teeth into but at the moment I'm feeling like my focus is elsewhere and this is my first so I've no idea whether my ambitions will change once baby's on the scene!
Owlina in theory the project should be able to wait a year - it'd be driven by the particular agenda of the successful applicant, so not a set project that needs to start and end on particular dates. They aren't entirely clear though on whether there are conditions attached to the funding that would mean it would need to start by a certain time (though most funders make provision for this sort of thing), but the organisation might want to be able to start drawing down the funding on it sooner rather than later. Basically it's all a case of 'oh we'd need to look into that afterwards if we offered you the job'. It'd probably take them half my mat leave to figure out what the implications of offering it to me were. Which makes me think that they wouldn't be in much of a hurry to offer me the job anyway if there's any other suitable candidates.

I think you should definitely apply then crunchy. It sounds possible that they could wait for you to return to start the role. Failing that, even just applying shows you are keen on that type of role and moving your career forward in that direction, and in the future they might consider you for a similar role.

Does anyone know if you can get a bikini wax when pregnant? I've never had one before but now that I can no longer see/barely reach that area I think I need someone else to maintain it for me! Just a shame it's painful as id happily go and lay on a table whilst being shaved!

crunchy - good luck, I'd just apply and see if you get it. In my experience, if you're good at your job and people respect you, you end up doing more than your pay grade anyway. May as well get the pay and recognition for it if you can!

I'm a little stressed but somewhat used to constant management changes. I normally don't have much direction from my managers other than a 30 minute phone convo every 2 weeks, so as long as the new manager follows that pattern it should be ok. There were some raised eyebrows when I announced I was pregnant, I was promoted last September and my former SVP actually said "That couldn't have been planned" and "How many kids are you going to have"....er, 3. I'll have 3 kids, not really terribly unusual? Thankfully he left the company and I have a slew of new mangers who seem to have more HR friendly responses. Really irked me, I don't recall any comments like that when pregnant with the first 2, and I've managed to work F/T with 2 kids for 5 years so I don't know why another one would make a difference. I live in the US, so 12 weeks mat leave is not really that disruptive for them either.

Christine you can absolutely get a bikini wax, I had one at 39 weeks with DC2. Didn't seem to hurt as much as usual actually, and this may be tmi but in the blood bath of the portpartum weeks, you'll be glad that there's not much down there!!

100% what I was thinking about afterwards too! Can't be fun with the stitches or soreness

Ladies, any ideas or tips for me here? I'm full of the cold, just over my urine infection and have a viral rash. So I'm not doing so good! Any ideas how to up my fluids? I'm struggling a bit as I'm obviously quite hot and bothered. and any pregnant lady cold remedies would be nice too.

Hello ladies!

Sorry to hear that some of you have been suffering badly with heartburn. It killed me last time, but seems not to have appeared yet this time, so fingers crossed... Somebody had some really great tips earlier.

Crunchy that sounds like a stressful job scenario, but I agree with Longtime's view, that it's a 2 way process & you're very entitled to suss out whether the position will be a good fit for you. Good luck with your decision making! (And the promotion!)

Alfie, how miserable. For fluids in this heat could you try making iced herbal teas? Or a big jug of water with a few slices of citrus or cucumber or mint in it is really refreshing. You've just prompted me to go get a drink of water - it's so easy to get dehydrated in this weather.

All the tight bumps definitely sound like Braxton Hicks. I had loads in my first pregnancy & in this heat they're starting to kick in again big time. Apparently drinking lots of water can help them ease off, as can changing position. But they're not anything to worry about - just the uterine muscles sort of practising. Apparently they help baby get into position & everyone has them, but not everyone feels/notices them. They can be so uncomfortable though! They always make my bump feel really heavy & like I need to pause & catch my breath. So not needed when trying to chase after a toddler!

I've been having lots of leg cramps & restless legs too. Magnesium helps a lot. Epsom salts in the bath, or magnesium sprays for your legs, that sort of thing. I like to eat a banana & drink tonic water before bed too, but no idea how helpful those really are!

Had a lovely weekend catching up with lots of old friends, but so many people kept commenting on how I don't look like I'll last till August. I bloody hope not - I feel so heavy already at just 31 weeks. I had my son at 38+, but I bet this one decides to be contrary & hang about for another 10+ weeks.

salene so pleased it's getting better and making some diet changes is helping !

alfie sorry to hear you are under the weather :( Do you have a temperature and sore throat or is it more blocked sinuses?? Here are a few home remedies for cold / flu which I hope may be helpful for you....

• Raw apple cider vinegar to alkalise the body, stopping the illness from thriving....mix 2 tablespoons with water or warm herbal tea, 3 times a day. You can also gargle with it to help a sore throat.
• Coconut water for max hydration.
• Saline nasal drops and sprays for loosening nasal mucus and soothing inflamed nasal tissue.
• Breathing warm, humid air to help loosen congestion. Try using a facial steamer, a hot-mist vaporiser or do the bowl and towel trick with some vicks or tiger balm.
• A warming clear soup (veg or chicken broth) helps relieve inflammation and soothe congestion..also good for hydration.
• Drink water, or fluids high in Vit C (lemon is great as also alkalises). Maybe try a natural electrolyte drink if you are finding it hard to keep fluids down?
• Adding honey and lemon to a warm cup of decaffeinated tea to help relieve a sore throat.
• Take a lukewarm bath to bring down your temp.
• Cool flannel on your forehead and then lie under or next to a fan on a low setting.

Are you still taking pre-natal vitamins?? I hope you feel better really soon!!

Hey everyone! Hope you're all well, and looking forward to the inevitable baby-meetings!

I'm kinda posting to calm myself down, and half wondering if anyone else has experienced this?

I've suffered so badly from SPD, I'm on ridiculously high painkillers, that usually do numb things up a bit.

The past 3 days I've had vomiting and diarrhoea (sorry TMI), I thought prayed it was just a bug, as DS had been vomiting a bit earlier in the week.
Anyway, I've not been able to keep anything in me for very long at all, and I was just getting a bit worried, as this was my first sign of labour with DS.

Tonight, I went to bed at 11 and took my lovely strong painkiller, I was just drifting off scrolling through MN when the most horrendous lower back pain hit me. Like, oh my days. I nearly screamed out! It was low down, all through my lower back and radiating into my hips! The pain actually made me vomit. It lasted about 10 minutes, in which I tried everything to get it to go (walking, sitting up, all fours etc) nothing shifted it, it just seemed to lessen by itself eventually.

So now I'm definitely a little concerned. The pain has eased, I haven't had stomach tightening that I'm aware of, baby is still active, and I'm just left wondering what the hell that was?!

I'm 30 weeks btw, I did loose my mucus plug at 28 weeks, but I haven't had any other signs of labour, I don't think?

I do have a strange urge to tidy the entire house, but I think it's more paranoia as I know it's a mess, and if I do have to go to hospital, DM will have to come stay with DS

Any thoughts???xx

Erica No idea what it could be, but didn't they tell you to call the hospital if anything at all happened after you lost your plug? Hope you're feeling better and the rest of your night was less eventful, but it might be worth giving the hospital a call just in case. Sending get well hugs anyway

Lower back pain can indicate labour. I'd ring you labour ward for advice.

Fizz I've just woken up with the most horrendous cramp in my lower left leg. I kind of almost get them quite a lot. I wake up and feel the start of one and then can usually get rid of it by sort of wiggling my foot a bit, but this one wouldn't go away for about 15 minutes. Ouch!

Rumisyum I'll look into magnesium, thanks. Sorry to sound dim, but do you take it as a supplement or eat things that naturally contain it? I'm sure I've read bananas for the potassium (OH says salts generally must be good), but unfortunately I can't eat them.

Good news in we finally moved into our new house yesterday and, even though there's so much to do still, it already feels like home Shattered though, so might try and go back to sleep for a bit now the leg cramp has passed..

How are you feeling now erica?

erica I would speak to your midwife this morning to be safe, they might ask you to pop in for a check as lower back pain can be a labour indicator. Hope you are asleep now getting some rest!

long glad to hear you are moved and settling in, time to get nesting!!

Happy Monday everyone, I have the day off today so goodness knows why I am awake at this hour...typical! Got a list of jobs to do today which involve building the cot and clearing out cupboards in the babes room. Looking forward to getting a few bits sorted.

erica I think you should call to check as well given that you lost your plug not that long ago. Hope you are feeling better.

bear and rum thanks for all the advice - such a font of knowledge! Yeah I've sore throat and temp too, I called NHS 24 and they said to just keep taking paracetamol as it's important to keep my temp down. I'll try steaming my head today I think too. I've just called in sick so lying in bed feeling very guilty! I hate being off work.

long I get cramps too and like you if I catch them early can kind of stretch to get them away. I read online to bring your foot towards you instead of pointing it to help ease the cramp. Glad you are all moved in!

Hey everyone, thanks for the replies!

I did manage some sleep eventually, pain has gone completely now, so I'm at a loss as to what it was! I think I'll ring my Midwife when the hour is a bit more reasonable and see what she suggests.
Thank you all

Crunchy I would make my intentions to apply and understand the process well known. Ive had a good experince recently of telling someone I would normally apply for the job in their team and him being really pleased and saying we should look at it when im ready - but it would be the higher grade not the parity one. Kind of person I can trust on this - where as my current boss seems to think im off the radar as of being told im pregnant - but thats another really long story!

Sorry to hear so many people are feeling rubbish- I totally understand now why people go on mat leave early! Had anyone fainted yet or felt like they're going to? I nearly passed out on the bus to work this morning- lady next to me was lovely and opened the window but said I looked really pale. I felt like you sometimes do when you stand up too quick except I was sitting down. My head has been woozy and I've felt so weak all day :-( spoke to midwife and she said it sounds totally normal for this stage. Luckily can work from home all this week except Friday when I'm going to be teaching 45 9 year olds all day! Nature of my job is such that if I can't work we end up disappointing people by cancelling bookings so is really tough :-/ feel like such a whinger at the minute- sorry!

I'm so so tired today. I had a really busy and awful weekend. I ran a charity catering stall on Saturday at a horrible festival. It was full of obnoxious teenagers high on god knows what. I spent most of last week preparing for it having been dumped on by the main organiser. I was up at 5:30 on saturday and onsite from 7:30am until 8pm. When I got home I could hardly move, my bump was rock hard and really sore. Sunday I spent all day referring a huge argument on a facebook group I admin which got really horrible and slipped over into racist comments and just horrible things. Then this morning the daily mail has written about it and it's been picked up by the telegraph. To top it off i'm shattered and feeling a bit sick. I need another holiday. Unfortunately my house looks like a bomb has gone off in it with all the stuff from the stall at the weekend and I really need to sort it out, but I've spent all afternoon asleep. Then collected DS and now we are watching Springwatch episodes...I'm too tired for actual parenting. And to top it all off I've lost my phone in the house, but it's on airplaine mode so I can't find it!.

Oh that sounds horrible Pickle :-( I couldn't manage a day that long. You definitely deserve some sleep and who cares about the state of the house for now? Re: phone, have you looked down the side/back of beds and sofas, and in all the bags you used at weekend? Take care of yourself x

Erica, hope you got in touch with your midwife & are feeling better by now.

Sophia, the feeling faint thing is awful. Keep hydrated! The baby/amniotic sac needs so much as well that it's so easy to get dehydrated. Working from home sounds ideal.

Pickle, hope you can have a nice early night after a day like that!

Longtime, I tend to use magnesium topically, so baths with Epsom salts (any excuse for a bath), or there are sprays that you can get at I think Boots or Holland & Barrett's. I think it actually gets absorbed topically, so that's a useful way to take it. I'm not that into supplements, hardly remember my antenatal vits, but I think eating foods that generally boost your electrolytes are helpful. (Hence bananas, though those are out for you.) I try to stretch my legs before bed as well - again not sure if that helps, but I generally find I'm more prone to cramps if things are all tense, & it's a nice thing to do anyway when I get a chance! Hope you find a way of easing them, they are pretty awful.

So much work stress happening at the moment. Just, argh. Bureaucracy will be the death of me. Seriously counting down the days to finishing now.

And really relishing my days off when I'm one-on-one with my son. He's such a delicious age at the moment, & goodness knows how often we'll get time like this when my attention is divided between two... Bittersweet times.

Owl, Shanster, rum, bex thanks for your advice on the job dilemma - definitely helping me to sort things out in my head. I think I will just apply for it and play it by ear. As you say Owl it shows the right attitude at least, even if in the end I'm still not up for ditching a permanent contract for a fixed term one.
Shanster those responses are so rude! Would they have said that to a bloke announcing his third child? I don't think so!

Bex that sounds very positive. It'll be nice to come back from mat leave to some potential for looking into moving up, and the other manager sounds a bit more supportive than your current one! I'm lucky, the most senior people in our department are all women with kids so it doesn't feel as if there are any assumptions made because of starting a family.
Rum how old is your son? Do you have much longer to go at work?

Congratulations longtime on the new pad!

Erica what a scare! Have you been feeling ok today?

Sympathies to those feeling ill and/or knackered just now! Alfie I've been mixing soda water, tesco lime diluting juice, mint leaves and ice as a fauxjito sorta thing and I can't get enough - might be an option if you like that sort of thing? Sophia was your blood pressure lower than normal at your last check up? Good luck for Friday, hopefully you'll feel less woozy by then! Pickle hope you've got your feet up!

Quitecrunchy I've always had low blood pressure and used to pass out all the time when I was younger. My midwife was a bit concerned by it in second trimester, but it seemed to have been ok lately. I've got an appointment with her on Thursday, so will see how it is then. She's just recommended drinking lots of water and not overheating - travelling by bus is not good for that as they seem to constantly have the heaters on! Glad to hear you've decided to go for the job :-) You can always turn it down if it's offered, but you might regret not applying. Re: the permanent vs fixed term thing, even permanent jobs these days aren't that secure so if a fixed term one helps you progress it can be worth going for. Good luck!

After an insanely restless night, with terrible dreams, I'm just after a little handholding to prepare me for tomorrow. It's finally here, the scan in London where I'll find out if babes arteries have gone around her windpipe or not, and if that means she has to have surgery or not.
Today, other than working to keep me busy, I'm writing out a list of questions to ask the specialist cardiologist so I don't forget anything. I'm just terrified.