Thread #6 - TTC#1 Grads - Sun roasted pregnant ladies

[PotatosMum]

Summers here and bumps are busy growing. Scans photos are coming thick and fast and team pink and blue are rampining up their numbers.

We have new grads furiously POAS, second trimesters eager for their bumps and veterans about to embark on trimester 3 and contemplating baby size with mild terror apprehension.

The weathers to hot for comfort and our pregnancy aches, pains and symptoms are getting on our tits literally in some cases !!

All are welcome to TTC#1 grads thread #6

Potato EDD is 13th January We will be team vanilla (I'm presuming that means not finding out pre birth!)

In bed as ribs hurt so much after tea, with a lemon mousse and a ginger nut ready for OBEM #preglife

X

Ooh, welcome Ni, I missed you there at first! Congratulations

Congratulations Ni! and welcome!

Congratulations on Team Blue Leonie! 💙

Shelb you're brave watching OBEM!

I have no idea of how long to take off, thinking 9 months ish though. Also not sure whether to go back full time or not too many decisions!!

I think I'll take a year, but not entirely sure just yet.

I get 6 months at full pay, then 3 months at SMP, then nothing. So it's whether I can use savings to keep going, which was always our plan.

Bunch - your clothes look amazing. I can definitely see you being a seamstress or clothes-maker or similar. If your stuff was available online now, I'd buy some!

Had the most hilarious conversation with my dad tonight, he has literally never spoken to me about sex despite doing a lot of single parenting (my mum passed away when I was 13). Stepmother picked up the sex chat when I was about 19. Anyway tonight on the phone

So you and DH won't be planning a family just yet will you?

Me- spluttering I don't know!

Dad-surely you would know! You're involved in it!

Me-yes probably maybe, yes probably

I swear he must know, the man has a sixth sense

The difference in maternity pay is really interesting. I get 9 weeks full pay then 30 SMP, which isn't terrible but isn't brilliant. Definitely going to take 9 months, not sure atm whether I'll extend to a full year. Would like to be able to go back 3 or 4 days a week, but not sure how possible that'll be. Need to be assertive with my manager to lay out the ideal scenario and see if he bites!

Lisa that's very kind of you to say. Thank you. I made a couple of bigger sizes trousers yesterday and they're so much easier, I think I would be happy to sell them as my stitching is very neat. However the tiny ones are just not up to scratch yet.

Feef bless Dads that's so funny.

Bunch Any photos? Is it about time that I joined Instagram?

Now that I've shared the news of my pregnancy more widely I'm going to put on my most pregnant-looking outfit today!

I've missed so much! I'll try and catch up!

I've got the dreaded constipation now. Argh. Nightmare. I'll be upping the fruit and veg. And heartburn! Who knew it hurt so bad?! Gaviscon is my friend too.

I'm hoping to take the full year off, but it's only SMP. DH thinks it will be fine... But I'm not so convinced we'll be able to manage. He's also trying to convince me to leave work 6 weeks before due date because he's worried I'm so tired.

We haven't done the Facebook announcement. I think it's going to be pretty obvious next time a photo of me goes up. I'm massive this week

New I'm thinking of seeing if I can take every Wednesday as leave in August to manage tiredness levels. Is that an option for you?

Leonie it definitely is. I've put all my photos up there. I haven't added pics of the new big sizes as they're the same pattern as the small. I doubt the difference would be visible.

Morning everyone,

So my snoring has been really bad the last few nights (apparently) and poor DH is really struggling. I think I remember some of you a while back having pillows to help you sleep. Are these for feeding baby when it arrives too? I'm hoping this will help me to sleep on my side and stop the snoring! Does anyone have any recommendations?

Morning ladies, how are you all today?

I'm feeling a bit less stressed today, hopefully everything with the house will be plain sailing now and OH is getting over the shock a bit so is slightly less stressed.
I need to pop into town and send off some papers then I'm coming home to create a budget for the next couple of years. I also need to get onto clearing my mums flat as I really should hand in notice and the keys on Monday if I can.
There's always something!!

Pink I've been on an unscheduled tour of my hospital I'm now hoping like hell I don't have to stay there over night!

Shelb it's amazing how close we are to the end of the line now. I've been sneaking into Ovia pregnancy to get different size comparisons... At the moment potato is a puffin her activity is certainly up, she's giving me proper kicks many of which can be seen from the outside, all the time. It's very distracting!

Feefs are you going to go with the home birth option?

Sounds like your dad or someone he's been talking to has rumbled you and he was digging. Good luck keeping it a secret

Stark seamstressing sounds exciting. Have you worked in that profession before?
I used to make steel boned corsets when I was much younger but I gave it up after having a couple of nightmare clients. I haven't seen anything for years now though

As soon as we've moved I need to get back to my web programming training. Ideally I'd like to be able to run my own business from home after maternity so that we don't have to fork out for child care but if that's not possible then I want to go back to work part time and work for myself the rest of the time.
I think I have the ability and the skill I'm just lacking the confidence. I'm sure I'll be fine once I have a couple of commissions under my belt but until then I feel a little like I don't know what I'm doing I also want to start selling my artwork again. I've tried half heartedly before but I know I can do a better job of it if I treat it as something I need to do rather than a hobby.

Is anyone else seriously excited about the sewing bee starting Monday?

Potato glad you're feeling less stressed. It sucks that someone else's decisions have impacted on you like that, after a few years you will have some equity and should be able to change onto a better deal too. Working from home sounds great

Oooh sounds like we all have very exciting plans for the future. Because babies weren't enough ha!

Soda I don't think my pillow is any good for feeding as its 9ft long. My SIL has a feeding pillow and soon to finish breastfeeding.
As I've inherited everything else I'm holding out buying one just incase. And u fortunately my snoring is awful on my side apparently.

Just catching up on last nights Greys Anatomy then I'm headed in the shower. I have the battle of getting myself pool ready, ahem . I'm off to stay with SIL for a week tomorrow and we're off baby swimming. I have to make sure I don't scare off the other people in the pool. I imagine this is the last time I do my own grooming.

Thanks bunch. I've seen this pillow on John Lewis and it seems to be a long sleeping pillow but also recommended for feeding - m.johnlewis.com/mt/www.johnlewis.com/widgey-plus-silver-star-pregnancy-sleep-pillow/p1749191?un_jtt_v_pdp=yes&un_jtt_v_from_product=un_product_1#page_loaded

Have people found the sleeping pillows good? Don't want to waste money unnecessarily but I'm also aware we've got a few more months to go and DH has a job interview in a couple of weeks and needs some sleep!!

Good luck with grooming bunch! After my waxing experience last time I think I'm going au naturelle for as long as possible!

Glad you're feeling more positive today potato

Not sure how I'm going to cope in a couple of months if it stays hot - the tube was horrible this morning and I feel exhausted and got whole day ahead of me!

Morning ladies

Soda - I don't know how you are doing the tube, well done. I had to stand for 40 mins on a packed train this morning and nearly I was ready to commit a murder.

Well I am now big time blocked!!!! If this doesn't get things moving I give up!!

X

Shelb, have you tried fybogel? It's a laxative available in boots etc and works well for me.

Bunch your career sounds fascinating! What was your degree in, if you don't mind me asking? I'm sure you're used to working silly hours but think very carefully how you would feel about working lots of weekends and nights before you embark on midwifery. Aged 18 I thought it would be fine (am doctor rather then midwife though) but the reality is I detest it, it has certainly limited my career options.

Canters - I've got some gp prescribed laxatives at home. I was going to take one today but I've not taken one before - and was terrified of any explosions in an open plan office! Think will try one at weekend - in the privacy of my own home!

X

Soda - another echoing how on earth you were able to cope with the tube this morning.

I'm very lucky in that my commute only involves overground trains, and I then do a 15-minute walk from the main station to my office. So I hardly ever get the tube.

I had to get it last night for a work thing, and oh my god. It was just suffocating. Thankfully it was only about four stops, because bloody hell, it was torturous. And yesterday wasn't anywhere near as hot as today.

Sending lots of sympathy your way. I definitely echo what someone said upthread about carrying a bottle of cold/frozen water with you.

20 weeks today officially half way :)

Glad you're feeling better potato

I love my pillow soda. It's About 5 ft and will double as a feeding pillow, I got it from Amazon and it wasn't very expensive (£15-20). I'm missing it whilst I'm away hahaha

Sorry you're all having rubbish journeys to work at the moment, it's lovely to have the sun but rubbish for feeling sweaty, gross and tired. I mostly drive to work nowadays which is the only luxury of working on the outskirts of London not the centre.

Morning ladies!

Shelb, hat drink looks disgusting! I've been force feeding myself prune juice. It's vile but it works.

Re pregnancy pillows, I bought the mamas and papas own brand one. It's meant to be for sleeping and also can be used for feeding afterwards. I love it as it helps to stop me rolling over in my sleep. I think it was £28.99 and was well worth it.

Woo hoo on half way Lauren!

Canters that's a very valid point. When offshore I'd have to work for 12 hours, 28 days a week but it wasn't my entire working pattern. It's something I will definitely have to seriously consider. I have a BSc in Geology and an MSc in Geoscience- focussed on Micropalaeontology

Congrats on halfway Lauren.

I love my pillow Soda. It's currently on my backseat as I can't do the next week without it .

Just sat waiting for Physio. Fx she sorts something out for this bump pain. It's getting pretty bad- to the point I'm forgetting my hips even hurt.