Thread #8 - TTC#1 Grads - stripy bump photos ahoy!

[PotatosMum]

Welcome to yet another instalment of TTC#1 grads. Warning! This thread moves fast so blink and you may miss a page or three!

All are welcomed with open arms and TMI whether you come from our sister thread TTC#1 or just want a safe and friendly place to share your journey.

we have ladies from all stages of pregnancy from T1ers, trying to go cold turkey on their POAS addiction, to T2ers wondering where the heck their pregnancy glow got to, to T3ers wondering if that funny feeling is the start of labour or just a fart building.

So jump on the boat, join the pink or blue baby battle and enjoy TTC#1 Grads thread #8!

Team P - 8
Team B - 8
Team V - 6

August
11 Mor (Team Vanilla)
13 Bunch (Team Blue)
16 New (Team Vanilla)
27 Potato (Team Pink)
30 Pink (Team Pink)

September
1 Shelb (Team Pink)
2 Taz (Team Blue)
4 Nev (Team Blue)
8 DrWhy
12 Danni (Team Blue)
14 Soda (Team Vanilla)
28 Leonie (Team Blue)
29 Laurenrl (Team Pink)

October
3 Lisa (Team Vanilla)
6 Irregular (Team Pink)
8 Miley (Team Vanilla)
12 Indi (Team Pink)
13 Co5mo (Team Blue)
15 Planet (Team Pink)
23 Lillian (Team Pink)
26 Lara (Team Blue)
30 First

November
19 Canters (Team Blue)
20 Jam
25 Stark!!!!!
29 Elle

December
12 Feef

January 17
4 May
13 Ni (Team Vanilla)

February 17
15 Evergreen

Morning all! soda sorry you're suffering, I really feel for you - it is utterly horrendous.

Yes to the panicking about having an actual baby. It terrifies me that nothing will ever be the way it is again and also hope I can cope. I worry about not being a good mum and that I won't be a natural. I also worry about how, if at all, it will affect mine and OHs relationship...

I only have 9 and a bit weeks left at work now and have a lot to pack in inbetween (2 hen parties, 2 weddings, a christening, the birth of my friends baby...) OH has been offered a new job which, if he decides to take, will mean he won't be off longer than a week as he won't be entitled to full 2 weeks paternity pay as he is now, and isn't willing to sacrifice 2 weeks worth of pay (even though we have plenty bloody savings).

Hope everything is okay potato and baby potato stays put and bakes for a good few more weeks! I don't want any babies to be born before 36 weeks mind so keep all your legs crossed!

Pink no indication of how early baby could arrive, it really could be any time. I might deliver really early because of the fibroid or I might deliver in a normal time scale. At the moment, based on her position and how much practicing my body seems to be doing, I'd lay money on early.

I'm not terribly worried about coping once baby's here. After all, I'm already up 3 or 4 times in the night and I think as long as you are organised there's no reason you can't do a lot of the stuff you did before... Ok going to nice restaurants and pubs might be out for a while but it's not forever.

The weight thing is bothering me though. I've struggled with weight my who life and OHs exW never lost the weight after her two. That being said, we saw her sister in law yesterday, she had her baby 4 weeks ago, she was just a normal size before getting pregnant not skinny and she's already pinged back and looks great!

Bunch lol relax. It will be fine, you will be fine. And there's not much you can do about it now you'll make a fantastic mum I'm certain

I'm not sure I am having labour symptoms... I may just need a really good poo that's the problem it's hard to tell but it does always come on in late afternoon. Mornings I'm usually fine so I think it may just be my body practicing.

Cleaned the flat top to bottom this morning exciting life I lead by the time I'd finished I was sweating like I'd just ran 5k and starving! Going to sit and sew for a bit now. Just so tired all the time.

Enjoying my day off so far. On top of my washing and drying, and going to make a start cleaning soon. Looking forward to sprucing the place up a bit and sorting through some drawers.

Thanks guys, I think I'll try some coconut milk slapped on before I get in the water. Potato is the beautiful ends just a normal conditioner? I will look out for it for my swimming bag.

Congratulations on the new house Canters!

Soda the constipation sounds rubbish. Are you drinking enough? I'm trying to drink 2 litres of water a day which has helped massively.

Potato I feel the same way about the weight gain. I've put on loads already thanks to 1st trimester nibbling and general increased appetite. I look like a blob I'm trying to stay active (swimming, walking etc) but it doesn't seem to have made much difference. I'm just going to worry about it post baby tbh as it doesn't seem in my control at all! Hope your class goes ok tomorrow.

Bunch can't believe you're almost 9 months! I think when baby's here you'll be so happy that they're finally in your arms that you won't miss them inside you? It will be amazing finally getting to meet Pip

20 week scan today-eek! I'm quite nervous.

Hello everyone! Hope you’ve had lovely weekends!

Cosmo - so sorry to hear about your Granny. Sending you lots of hugs xx

Miley - lovely photo – you look gorgeous! Also – thanks for sharing the hospital bag list, it’s brillant.

Canters - congrats on the new place! When do you get to actually move in?

Agree with others who say bending over isn’t that easy anymore. I keep forgetting though, so I’ll bend over at the waist and then make my belly really sore. So daft of me….

And yes yes yes yes to panicking about actually having a baby and having to look after it. Sleepless nights, never being alone with DH (or my own thoughts!) again, etc. Slightly scary…..! I do sometimes think ‘what have we done, was this the right thing to do?’, but I guess it’s too late now….

Potato - how is your fibroid doing? Has the pain and discomfort being less recently?

Elle - good luck for the scan today! Hope everyone goes well x

Has anyone else with cats (Leonie?) found that they’re trying to get into the pram? The frame of ours is folded up, but they LOVE sleeping on top of the carrycot. Such bad ones….

I had SUCH a productive weekend. Very DIY and organisation-full – painted the window ledges outside, so the house now looks a lot smarter. Put a few bits of trellis up against the house and tried to convince the clematis to climb the right way and cover it up. Sort out the loft (full of junk from the previous owner) so we can now use it as storage. And moved loads of stuff out of the nursery into the spare room, so we can actually sort the nursery now.

I've stopped panicking now. Did some hypno breathing and ate one of the cookies I made yesterday. Aaaaand relax. I blame the hormones. Going to see if we can claw a weekend back by asking the ILs who are coming the 25th to the 31st (mon-sun) if they can maybe go home Friday or Saturday. Otherwise that's two weeks of not a day to ourselves as my mum is coming back the week after that to do the last bits of deep cleaning for me. We're very lucky to have them wanting to help but I may cry if I don't get a day just me and DH before I pop.

Body practising sounds about right potato. I know my BH have ramped up and baby hasn't dropped for me yet. We haven't had a bump photo from you in a while. Feel like sharing?

I have days where the weight bothers me then I decide I want to eat chocolate and crumble and cookies so fuck it. 20.6kg (3 stone 3lb) put on now. I'm quite intrigued to weigh myself the day after I give birth. I am concerned how I'm going to curb my sugar cravings. I've got to be well and truly sugar dependant now.

Good luck today Elle.

Good luck, Elle

Lisa Cats have been in the carrycot and car seat. We stuffed the carry cot with blankets and stuck another on top. Cats decided it was a perfect spot to sleep on. I've got a box on one of our bouncers and a soft toy sitting in the other so they can't jump in...

Our pram is being repaired by Mamas and Papas after they recalled them for a quality check but they've not managed to go in that as we keep it folded. I don't mind them going near things or touching hard surfaces but I want them off all the soft furnishings. Doing my best to discourage them but they are curious! I'm sorting things out today to make space for car seat and carrycot in our understair cupboard.

I've set the cotbed up today so it looks pretty (baby not sleeping there for ages yet) and am going to have to chuck some blankets over it later so they can't sleep on it.

Bunch Just dared to weigh myself... I'm nearly 29 weeks and have put on around 2 stone. I'm fully expecting to be another couple of stones heavier by the end of this. I think I weigh the same amount as (6'4") DH now... 😯 I can't get enough sugar. It's all I want.

Leonie - it's so hard to keep them out, isn't it? They're so bloody curious and while you can try and control things when you're in the house, you just don't know what they're up to when you leave...!

Part of me (the bad part) also wants to indulge them, given they're not going to enjoy it much when the baby is here. And if they've got their smell on lots of the baby's things, I wonder if they might accept him/her more easily (I can dream!).

Yes, I want to encourage mine to rub their faces on the pram chassis and legs of the cot so they are familiar with everything but I don't want them in anything! My cousin brought her three month old to visit recently and they weren't sure what to make of her. One ignored her entirely and the other wanted to tentatively sniff her but was very nervous. We have had our cats for two years (they are from Cats Protection) and apparently they have lived with children before so I'm hoping they are going to be OK.

Elle yep, beautiful ends is a normal conditioner.

Lisa my fibroid has been behaving itself the past few days. It just gets in the way and is uncomfortable sometimes.

Bunch glad you're feeling a bit better. I'll try to sort out a bump photo soon. I've been avoiding it to be honest... Photos and looking in mirrors are not my favourite things right now

Sounds like loads of you are getting really organised now. I'm so jealous of everyone putting up cots and decorating nurseries. Can't wait to sort mine!

Does everyone here sleep on there left side all the time?

Been told a horrible story at work and now I'm paro

Danni I usually sleep on my right (pre-pregnancy) but have been making an effort to sleep on my left. I often turn in the night though.

This will reassure you: www.nhs.uk/news/2011/06June/Pages/mothers-sleeping-position-and-risk-of-stillbirth.aspx

Danni I start on my left but I turn over 4 or 5 times in the night because my fibroid is on my left and it gets really uncomfortable.

danni I made a conscious effort to sleep on my left but ended up with joint pain. I found I sleep better being able to toss and turn

Thanks for that Leonie

I also try to sleep on my left, but sometimes do toss over to my right- I've also been suffering with some hip pain so have had to keep switching.

But this woman at work was adamant that I should be sleeping on my left

Danni I start on my left, get up for a wee and switch. Rinse and repeat. I think I spend more time on my left as I start and end on my left but it really does depend how much I get up to pee. You can't control what you do in your sleep and I would like a fully functioning shoulder and somewhat functioning hips throughout the day- neither of which would be possible if I stayed on my left all night. I'm now actually sleeping sat up on my side if that makes sense. The joys of acid reflux!!

Won't be long Potato , any word on completion dates yet?

I'm moving on Saturday lisa. So excited!

Has anyone found anything to help hormonal tit pain? My nipples feel like they did in early first trimester....absolutely on fire! Also has anyone had bump pain when exercising? I walk to and from walk, it's a mile and a half each way but getting a stitch like pain all across bump now. Dont really want to stop as I feel it heralds the inevitable slide into obesity! Pregnancy sucks!

Danii, I start out on my left but like everyone else I toss and turn in the night and often end up on my right. I know left is meant to be better but you can't help what you do in your sleep!

Canters, I had that when I was still running. I stopped at 23 weeks which was when bump was starting to grow, so I put it down to growing baby not liking the jiggling! Could you slow your pace down a bit maybe?

Canters, I sometimes get that too. I walk a central London station to my office, and I sometimes get that pain if I walk quite fast (my usual speed, as I have long legs and not much patience!).

I've found it eases if I slow the pace up. And I try not to walk so fast in the first place.

Canters I exercise a lot and have found i'm getting stitches most days. I just keep pushing through it tbh becuase baby is fine it's just more uncomfortable for me. It is annoying though and can be painful. I had it today actually in spin class! Maybe slow down the pace or really focus on breathing deeply in and out, sometimes I find if I get some deep breaths in it goes away. Also I have really painful nipples when I'm going the gym and I use breast pads in my sports bra, bit of extra padding

Danni tbh I start on my left/back and toss and turn a lot through the night. I often wake up on my back but I can't really stress about what I'm doing in my sleep, we have no control of it.

Really sick of everything feeling tight! Even my trackies or pyjama bottoms are feeling 'snug' around my waist/hips. I'm used to having a smallish waist and I now feel like a barrel I feel like just walking around in my knickers all day every day wouldn't be a pretty sight though

Thanks for the kind wishes earlier everyone. Unfortunately, they couldn't see the heart and face as baby had arms crossed across his/her face despite me moving, jumping etc.

I know this sounds pathetic but I am so disappointed . I've been really anxious about the scan and have been putting off telling people hoping that everything will be ok-they said I have to have another scan in a few weeks time so now I feel I just need to go through all the worry again. I am grateful they didn't pick up anything wrong on what they could see. I've just come back and had a big cry about it all. DH is hovering nervously!

Oh no elle try not to worry. At least from what they could see everything is fine. On the plus side you get to see bub again! Most people don't get another peep after 20w. Could they get you an appointment sooner than a few weeks time?

Thanks Lilian, that is true! It will be nice to see them again. I think she suggested 3 weeks as it will be easier when the baby is bigger?

Oh Elle, that's frustrating for you, but the pig positive is everything they could see was fine!

When we had our 20 week scan baby was not behaving either and they were talking about sending us away and getting us back 2 weeks later, but she co-operated in the end. At least its another opportunity for you to see baby though! Are you going to be Team Vanilla?