Thread 12 TTC#1 Grads. "You are my favourite thing that ever shit all over my hands"

[AudreyBradshaw]

Behold, the wonder of birth! Members from 6 weeks bfp to post-partum wonder Mamas! No question to grotty or minging.

We've come full circle from obsessing about cervical mucus to now obsessing if it's our vagina baby plug going! What larks!

Lots of talk about poo, ours and now babies too! Baby brain is REAL! This heat can kiss my arse. And who KNEW being so neurotic about which changing mat to buy could be so satisfying and addictive!

Sooo many gorgeous babies now! And equally lovely Mummy's! We are amazing! What a year! Can you believe it's been a year since our first tentative TTC thread!? Look how far we've come!

Roll up, literally, in my case, cause I'm practically rotund! for TTC #1 Grads!

Potato thank you for increasing my nursery rhyme repertoire. I've only had twinkle twinkle and row row your boat up until now. I usually resort to sticking on an album I know all the words to and singing that to him. I swear I'm not going to get over today in a hurry, he wouldn't take the boob straight after so I couldn't calm him down. Thank god for dummies!! I feel quite offended actually ha!

Hey mummies!!

Ni, 26weeks (wahoo!!). Still in the glowing phase...no more nausea, not tired, loving feeling baby kick and wriggle every day excited for work to finish in 10weeks, and glad to have a tidy pregnancy bump rather than just being frumpy and bloated like at the start!! Still viewing houses but accepting we may be in this rental flat with the noisy upstairs neighbours when baby comes. Ah well!

Lovely to hear that more babies have arrived!! And hearing the reality about feeding, baby pooping (or not it seems!), sleeping... Is there an updated list on this thread?

Good to see you Ni. The list was updated on the third by Lillian. It's a way down the thread now.

Can I add Incy Wincy Spider to the nursery rhyme repetoire? One not so incy wincy has just brazenly crawled over my legs.

I'm up with back ache having been up to the toilet 4 times in four hours. Once my bladder is holding more than a thimble it seems to set off period like pain although I can't decide if it's coming from my bladder ory uterus. Will ask the midwife in the morning what she thinks it is when I go for my sweep.

In other news, no more unexpected visits from MIL and I've finally sucucmmed to DH's manflu just in time to give birth

Bunch glad I'm not the only one struggling on the nursery rhyme front

Hey Ni long time no see. Glad to hear pregnancy is treating you well.

Cosmo no to being ill during labour, that sounds like hell and double no to spider crawling over your leg serious arachnophob here, there will be no incy wincy spiders in this house!

I thought I'd do another quick "things I've learnt since having a baby" thing.

• covered this the other day but grobags are your friend. They may be expensive but your baby will sleep so much better in them.
• get a crib instead of a Moses basket, chicco do a highly recommended travel one. Moses baskets are cute but even smaller babies will start to outgrow them by 3 months. Arya at nearly 7 weeks is now finding hers snug.
• if you have a split level house get a crib or Moses basket for your bedroom and another for the room you spend the day in. Carrying everything up and down stairs gets old fast particularly if your baby is being fussy.
• have three changing station sets. One for your bedroom, one for your day room and a travel one to keep in your nappy bag. I used to use the day room set in my changing bag but it's a right pain if you forget to pick it up.
• bouncy chairs are a must, some days it's the only thing that will settle Arya.
• if you're bottle feeding get two full sets of bottles, this will make your life much easier.
• if your bottle feeding get ready made formula for when you're out and about. Again this will save you so much effort and hassle.
• if you haven't tried the method of burping where you sit baby up on your knee do! Sometimes it can dislodge those stubborn burps.
• if your babies breathing is noisy get some salt water drops. Baby will hate them but they will help get rid of the mucus that baby can't sniff/blow out yet.
• covered before but always have a stash of infacol on hand. It will really help with trapped wind.
• get a baby mirror. Arya can be fascinated looking at the other baby for hours
• dummies are your friend, I was so anti dummy before I used one, now we're never without one! It's not for keeping them quiet it's for comfort. I find the easiest way to get Arya to sleep when she's tired but fidgety is to give her a dummy and she drifts right off nine times out of ten.
• always keep more nappies in your changing bang than you think you'll need and at least two changes of clothes. Sod's law dictates that if baby is going to pee all over themselves, they'll do it while they're out and nearly every time I've changed in public I've needed more than one nappy.

That's all I can think of right now hopefully it will be helpful to the mummies in waiting. Other mummies feel free to add your thoughts

potato brilliant list. I'm with you on every single one of them. I also have nursery rhyme brain fart! Were limited to baa baa black sheep, twinkle twinkle and row row row your boat so I also just sing anything to him. Much better in my opinion

co5mo I hope you feel better soon, you have enough to contend with without being poorly.

I hope everyone else is OK. Had another shopping trip with little man yesterday. He had his first nandos experience and I braved primark with a pram! I needed cheap clothes until I'm back to my previous pregnancy size, I'm refusing to spend a fortune on things I hopefully won't be in long. Baby clinic to be weighed and coffee with my friends today. I love maternity leave

Poor you and atticus bunch! Sounds miserable!!

Thanks potato I know you're right we'll be in and then it'll all be sorted but this bit is grim isn't it? Have taken a screen shot of your advice!

Glad you're enjoying the glowing phase Ni I think I only got like a week of it!!

Oh no co5mo the flu is the last thing you need!! Hope it clears up quickly.

Potato I also completely agree with everything you say. I don't think there's anything I could add.
Miley I've also stocked up on Primark clothes in the interim. I'm loving their dungarees!

Forgot to say Atticus' weight gain is not as expected He's not gained as much as he should and isn't quite following his curve anymore. He's now 12lb 9.5oz but should be in the 13lbs. We have to have another weigh in in two weeks. I think it's because he has silent reflux. A lot of the time when hungry he'll fuss at the boob and won't take it, will get himself in a state and then will only calm down when he takes a dummy. Therefore he then doesn't eat as soon as he needs to. We've been given infant gaviscon so we're trying that tonight.
Last night wasn't the best sleep but to be expected after jabs. Calpol really is amazing.
He's back to his smiley gorgeous self now so I no longer feel on the verge of tears.

Pink hope you enjoyed wedding dress shopping yesterday! Did you see anything you liked and did you try on a meringue?!

What a nightmare Feefs in my experience mortgages and house moves always seem to get so much more complicated than they need to be usually by people dragging their feet or being incompetent! Frustrating. Hope you get sorted soon.

Awh Bunch that sounds horrible hope you're ok.

Good news that no more visits from MIL cosmo but not good news in the man flu! Rest up and hope you shake it quickly. Get on the berroca!

That's a great list thanks potato!

Audrey I remember you posting a pic of your 12 week scan not long from after I joined the ttc group, where has that time gone?!

I was wondering what anyone used to rub on their tummy, hips etc in the hope of avoiding minimising stretch marks? I've kind of randomly been rubbing whatever moisturiser is to hand when I remember but know I really should be getting in a daily routine with something! Any recommendations?

marmite I used bio oil religiously every evening and don't have any stretchmarks. I was 100% sure I would as my mum has them terribly so either it works or I've been very lucky.

bunch poor Atticus, he had a rough day yesterday I'm sure he'll be back on track soon. Harrison also does the whole angry pants thing when he's hungry. It's ridiculous because he won't latch properly til he's calmed down but won't calm down cause he's hungry. Babies are silly!

All very true points potato, particularly the ones about packing multiple changes of clothes!!

indi, lots of luck for today, it's so exciting you will get to meet your baby soon!

feeds, fingers crossed the house surf is sorted soon.

Marmite, I did try on a meringue It was as hideous as I expected!! I've found two dresses I do like though, and am going to try on a few more later in the week before I make any decisions.

bunch, the jabs sound awful (for you and for Atticus). I'm not looking forward to Evelyn having hers at all.

For breastfeeding mummies, are you buying nursing tops? I got a few but I haven't seen any which are particularly nice. I was contemplating just buying nursing vest tops and layering them under normal tops.

marmite it does a to have flown a bit since the 20 week scan. It felt like an eternity to get to 12 weeks, and then 12 to 20! I've been using coconut oil/bio oil/cocoa butter (whatever comes to hand) and I've got a few on one hip and the front of one thigh. I can see some popping up on my other side, I reckon it will probably be in the next few weeks I get them on my tummy. I knew I would get stretch marks because im so prone to them. Moisturising has probably made my skin feel nicer and less dry/itchy, but it was never going to stop me going stretch marky.

potato I know! All our history together over a year and we've never met! Does seem so bizarre! Excellent list!

pink if you have any near you then I fully suggest having a look at wedding dress warehouses. We went to a few snazzy shops and then a warehouse and I found it soo much easier to find a style I liked because there was much more choice, then once you've narrowed it down to style you're laughing. Saying that, I found my wedding dress a week after id been badly let down by my original dress shop in a charity shop for £150 and it didn't need any alterations so I'm utterly convinced my grandma put it there from heaven!

bunch poor you, jabs sounds traumatic! When I went for my jabs the other day the nurse was saying it's a job for Grandma (she knows dh is horrendous with needles and "it's tough for mums" ) hope he's back to himself in a heartbeat.

pink I'm taking bunch's advice and wearing a vest under a normal top, pulling up the normal top and pulling down the vest. It works a treat.

Oh goodness I totally let it slip my mind! Good luck today indi I will be thinking of you!!

Oh yeah and good luck indi Beanie is on her way!

Think we're going to start painting the baby's room today. I feel bad for not having a cute nickname for it, but it really is just "it" or "the baby"

Pink as Miley said one up one down is the way to go. Nursing vests can help with pulling the under one down but I find I keep accidentally clipping my bra to the vest strap and vice versa. Normal cheapo vests from Primark are working a treat.

Marmite I used Superdrug's own bio oil and got to labour with no stretch marks. I've since got an ass full, top of both thighs , one patch on my tummy and underside of my boobs. Feck!

Ooh how exciting Indi.

Thanks everyone re jabs. I hope everyone else's go a bit more smoothly.

Morning ladies,
Thanks for the good luck wishes! I'm all checked in to the hospital and waiting on my ward. Should be going down to theatre this afternoon

Haven't been able to catch up but hope everyone is well.
Beanie will be here today!! Xx

Pink as Miley said one up one down is the way to go. Nursing vests can help with pulling the under one down but I find I keep accidentally clipping my bra to the vest strap and vice versa. Normal cheapo vests from Primark are working a treat.

Marmite I used Superdrug's own bio oil and got to labour with no stretch marks. I've since got an ass full, top of both thighs , one patch on my tummy and underside of my boobs. Feck!

Ooh how exciting Indi.

Thanks everyone re jabs. I hope everyone else's go a bit more smoothly.

Oh yes I also forgot to say good luck today Indi how exciting!! Thinking of you!

Thanks Miley and Audrey I fully expect to get some stretch marks but thinking I may as well try what I can to minimise them!! My mum mentioned bio oil actually so will pick some up and maybe some of the Palmers stuff too as its a bit cheaper!

Awh Pink how exciting sounds fun! It's the one thing I regret not having done when I shopped for my wedding dress - wished I'd tried a meringue on!! I got my dress in a sample sale, it was my dream designer but there was no way I would pay full price for it. Managed to get it for £1000 cheaper as a few brides had tried it on and it needed a few buttons replacing! Audrey that sounds amazing about your wedding dress, definitely some sort of karmic intervention!

Right, Primark it is, thanks ladies.

audrey, thanks for the warehouse tip.

marmite, I used Bio Oil twice a day throughout pregnancy and still using it now. I didn't get any stretch marks, although unfortunately I already had some old ones from previous weight gain and loss.

marmite, if you get bio oil you can order it in multi packs on Amazon which makes it cheaper.

Cool thanks for the bio oil tips! I will check out superdrug/Amazon!

Morning all, been a while since I've been about so thought I'd pop in and say hi.

I hope everyone's doing ok with bumps and babies. I will have to have a proper catch up with everything when I get a chance...

I ended up at the doctors last week, thinking I was coming down with flu - I was a bit snuffly, had the full body aches and was getting breathless and dizzy just getting up for a wee or a drink. Turns out I'm just pregnant, though , so I was sent home to rest.

While I'm feeling better this week, I'm still getting out of breath and feeling pretty wanky.

We caved and went for a private scan last week - I've been feeling quite unwell and have either missed work or had to work from home a lot lately, but I didn't want to tell them until we'd had a scan to make sure things were progressing as planned and my NHS one isn't until later this month. Aside from nearly wetting myself as I'd drunk all my water like a good girl and they were running late, it was ace. So incredibly exciting to see our little prawn and its flishy little heartbeat!

congrats on the happy scan damson! that first scan is amazing isn't it??

marmite I've been switching between the Mama Mio one and an Elemis one I had from before I was pregnant and no stretch marks yet - planning to continue to use it after giving birth as they say you get some as the belly is shrinking back.

bunch glad Atticus has recovered from his jabs. I think I will ask DH to come with us for my LO's first jabs I would probably be in tears too!

Oh my gosh indi I am so so excited for you!! You will meet little beanie soon (and so will we!)!!

cosmo any change on the waters? Or has it stopped completely now?

So LO decided to wake me at 5am with kicks and wiggles and wouldn't stop until I sat upright. So of course I couldn't get back to sleep - just when I was enjoying not having an alarm on since being on ML! Let's hope it doesn't turn into a daily thing.

My TENS machine arrived yesterday - anyone used it for labour and have any tips? Planning to use it for when I'm labouring at home before making my way to the hospital.

Highly recommend the Can I Breastfeed In It? Facebook group for breastfeeding fashion ideas

I'm mostly doing OUOD, wearing some nursing wrap style maternity dresses from Asos that I wore in pregnancy, and longing for more things from Jo Jo Maman Bebe.

Here's the link www.facebook.com/groups/canibreastfeedinit/