Due in March 2017 - thread #4

[NameChange30]

New thread for the March 2017 club!

We have a stats spreadsheet - please add yourself if you're new or update your info if you have a new EDD or a scan date!

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Hi guys, I think ive added anyone who wanted adding to the facebook group, give me a shout if you'd like to be added. I can only add people by email address unless you're in my friends list, so please send me that rather than your name. Thanks!

Please could I join the facebook group?

Sorry to hear your bad news Worn :-(

Had my first scan yesterday all went well and almost a week ahead of what I thought. Cannot believe how much those scans have improved in the last 6 years! xx

Clarity and Fran Congrats on your scans!

Fran, are you sure you want to share your email address on here?! I would advise getting it removed.

Hi Fran, I agree you might want to get your email address removed, I've reported the post and asked them if they can edit it for you. I've also send you the invite thing for the fb group. If you need anything else send me a pm ☺

Has anyone else looked into Antenatal classes? I've had a look at NCT and its gonna cost £215 which is just so much more then we can afford along with everything else. Trying to find some less expensive options at the moment. What are you guys thinking? And second (3rd/4th/5th) timers, did you do the classes and were they worth it?

Chloe we did both the NCT class and the free one run by the midwives. Free one was one day (and an evening mums only bf class) and was excellent. The midwife running it was great and we wished she was ours.
NCT was over 6 weeks also excellent, not hugely different but a little more detailed.
The friends we made at NCT we still meet with regularly and are still a hugely important part of our support network. We were forever swapping advice, lending an ear or a shoulder and they are still people I turn to if dd is acting out of character.
I'll also say though that the mn due date group was also great in the same way, I got some great advice from the group just via fb.....and sometimes sitting down with a brew is better than online support

Our nhs ones were awful but there was no way we could justify spending all that money. I got a lot of support from the MN antenatal group, we have a Facebook page and people often meet up. I also live in a lovely village and get a lot of support from the local under 1 group. It's been excellent as you can get advice from those who are a few months ahead.

Most people have lovely nct groups and keep meeting up for years but it's a lot on top of everything else you need to buy for your first.

We signed up for our local NCT one a while back, but will also be going to the ones run by the midwifery team at a local clinic. Our main reason for joining both is just to meet other local parents really!

I'm hesitating between NCT classes and hypnobirthing classes at my local birth centre. The hypnobirthing classes cover general ante natal content as well. They are similar in price. I'm leaning towards the hypnobirthing... I don't think there will be as many people doing it as NCT, so fewer potential friends, but I'm also doing pregnancy yoga and hoping to make a few friends that way. I also figure I can join baby groups after the baby is born if I want to meet more people. It is a bit of a dilemma though!

If money was tight I would be tempted just to stick to the NHS classes. Although NCT do offer discounts for people on low incomes, if anyone is likely to qualify?

Our midwifery team said they are now doing hypnobirthing with general antenatal as standard name so hoping we get that far we will try that. Though my odds of a vbac are going down as my risk is high. I may be an elcs this time around.

Butterpuff Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

I started a thread about ante-natal classes and people recommended Lazy Daisy and Wise Hippo classes - there aren't any near me so I didn't look into it, but could be worth considering.

I didn't bother with antenatal classes or nct so don't think I will this time. I would be interested in hypnobirthing more but will probably just go with the flow like I did last time. I'd love to have a more natural birth though (i think haha) and be able to 'breathe' the baby out as some people describe it. Hoping it might just flop out seeing as it's second time round 😂😂
Nct can be brilliant but it all depends on the people u meet and whether they are your cup of tea. I've known some friends make life long friends whereas others haven't. I met all my mummy friends at local bf group.

I've sent email address but not got an invite :(

Anyone else still totally exhausted? I'm 13+3 now so hoped my energy levels would be starting to improve but I feel awful. Starting to get a bit concerned.

I've definitely sent you an invite Gin. It needs to be the email address you use for your facebook account I think and it might be in your spam email. I'm exhausted but only cos I keep waking at 5!

It's definitely the one linked to FB (the one in my second PM) not sure what's wrong...

OK, I'm out at the moment and the stupid app doesn't let me do much admin on groups so I shall take a look when I get near a proper computer ☺

SuperDuper did you get my PM about a Facebook invite too? ( not nagging just checking!)

I'm having a clothes related GRUMP today. I'm a size 16/18 and although have no bump yet, I'm definitely bloated and it's pushing everything up and out. I'm BOILING HOT and the only thing I've got to wear is jeans.

I've been out with the sole intention of purchasing some of those loose, elasticated waist patterned trousers but can literally only find button waisted tailored ones, or ones that are elasticated at the ankle. They just don't suit my shape. It's really starting to frustrate me that clothes shops completely fail at catering for people who aren't 18 and very slim and trendy. I don't even want to look particularly nice I just want to feel comfortable!

I bought a maxi dress which is lovely but I feel like I'm dressed for a fucking wedding, and I did find some trousers in the style I liked from peacocks but they ripped within days because they were such poor quality.

Is anyone else in the same boat, or can point me in the direction of appropriate clothing!? Ill embrace the bump when it's actually a bump but currently I'm just fat!

Rant over, sorry I know it's nothing in the scheme of things but OH is fed up of hearing about it!

I feel your pain MissClarke, I'm curvy and I found clothes shopping a nightmare even before I got pregnant.

My favourite outfit at the moment is a tunic (which is fitted under the boobs and loose around the tummy, hips, and bum) and a pair of very comfy leggings from M&S. They are regular fit rather than maternity. I did order some maternity jeans online, but they didn't fit, so I'm going to keep trying.

How about Asos? They have lots of plus size and maternity options. I've ordered some "oversize" shirts (apparently they're in fashion?) from the regular range... Fingers crossed!

gin the daily exhaustion has gone for me now, but I keep getting the odd day where I feel like I've been hit by a bus! Sickness, headaches and no energy. Just been back to bed for 2 hrs and still feel like shit. I think it's because I had a busy Fri and Saturday and my body is trying to say to slow down....but I could be wrong. Does anyone else get this? Any cause to worry?

Supposed to be going to a comedy gig tonight that's been planned for months but considering cancelling. Maybe I need to accept a slower social life!

HmrTron, I'm very similar to you. I'm 14+6 and although I don't feel relentlessly exhausted like I did before, I do still get very tired sometimes and have to be careful not to overdo things.

Yep, with the exhaustion. We went to a party last night. Today I feel like I've been hit by a bus. And really emotional too.

This is the first week where I've felt back to normal (14+4 today). I think nesting mode might be setting in already as I've come home from a weekend away and I already want to sort out everything in the house!

Does anyone know what the difference is between NCT Essentials and Signature price-wise?

I've been quoted £222 for the NCT Signature course. I guess the Essentials one is shorter and therefore cheaper? I thought the Signature course was for first time parents and the Essentials course was more of a recap for parents who already have one or more. Are first timers allowed to do the Essentials course??

alpha Sorry, I was being dense Just looked it up properly and I can see that the Essentials course is different from the Refresher course. It looks like the Signature course is 20 hours and Essentials is 12 hours, so presumably it's quite a bit cheaper. They don't seem to have an Essentials course near me, sadly, otherwise I think I'd do that.

I felt like I should know this since I picked one over the other but I had to look it up! I think I booked the Signature course because it ran on two consecutive Sundays and one weekday evening in the middle of that, rather than weekly after work for X amount of weeks... anyway I googled it! Aoart from the length etc the Signature course has a seperate breastfeeding session (3h) rather than 30 minutes covering it within one of the regular sessions. They are a charity so it is worth checking out if you can get discounted rates.