Thread 13. TTC #1 Grads. Some of us still remember that thing called "a full nights sleep" for most, it's a mere memory.

[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! From morning sickness in the first trimester to the third trimester struggle of getting out of bed ( "walrus-ing"in our house), to actual real babies who are growing so fast! Discussion on the merits of sleepyhead and Ewan the dream sheep.

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!

My smug cervix is a teasing arsehole. Thought it had kicked off last night, decided to go for a sleep and. ....nothing. Complete standstill. Getting some mini twinges and fanny gunk but nowt serious again, think I'm in for the long haul!

Marmite glad the scan went well. I had low placenta too and had extra scan but it had moved - I do think it's quite common. An extra scan is nice

Pink re DTD I actually still want to do it but we've only managed a couple of time since A was born - she doesn't go down til about 10.30-11 and by that point I'm knackered and want to sleep myself!

Lillian ha on noisy pump! I don't think A is bothered as long as she's getting fed! I don't find the tube too bad - my station has a lift which helps a lot and the noise seems to lull her to sleep. London baby! I got a great pic of her in the pram with Big Ben in the background today when I went into work.

May just to clarify re grobag / grosnug - baby can't go in grobag until they're 8.8lbs (or something like that). The grosnug is from 5lbs to 12llbs. So if you have a decent sized baby there'd be no real point in getting a grosnug but A was 6lbs when she was born and is now 10lbs 8 at 11 weeks so she's still in the grosnug - the advantage we're finding is that she sleeps much better with her arms popped in.

It felt strange going into the office. I was soooo glad not to be there working! Unfortunately A was pretty grouchy and overtired which was a shame.

lillian it wasn't too bad. i spent most of the labour at home then on the midwife-led unit. vomited a lot and got quite dehydrated which didn't help my contractions. Got to 9cm before transfer to labour ward with decelerations in his heart rate.
syntocinon drip to get to fully dilated then forceps in theatre for OP and more decelerations.
I'm an obstetrician, so it didn't feel too terrifying to me and all the staff were wonderful.

soda A is a real London baby! I hope mine is the same! You're lucky you have a lift at your station - mine isn't step free so maybe a sling is a better option for us if I'm on my own.

first I was induced (first gel then drip). Things were going well in labour ward but when it came time to push she they found she went back to back (sometime between the check at 5cm and full dilation). Same here, her heart rate dipped on every push so they wanted her out asap so off to theatre I went to try forceps - I had a spinal block ready in case they had to do EMCS. Glad you were surrounded with great people and makes sense as an obstetrician you would be a lot calmer about it than I was! TBH none of it fazed me bar the possibility of EMCS. I'm scared of the idea of surgery. Might have to get over that for a second baby though - I've been referred to a specialist for my third degree tear and they'll advise whether a ELCS would be more ideal for the next baby in case another similar tear would mean long term issues. Apparently if I tear the same way again the repair won't be as easy/straight forward.

Marmite I'm glad you're 20 week scan went well and that you're ok after your fall.

I have every intention of refusing to pay for the boiler work but I did try last time and ended up being threatened with debt collection

Miley that photo is adorable!!!

Hope Harrison feels better. Glad Arya isn't the only one who's weight gain has slowed.

Mayo thanks, I'll have a look at the review of the month.

Lovely that you're feeling so connected to LO already.

Nev I hope you're feeling better now.

Lillian Arya now seems to regularly sleep until 7 or 8, then have breakfast, then go back down until 10!!! She's not a morning person, I wonder who she gets that from!

If I have to go back to work I'll be sending Arya to a nanny, both OHs children went the nanny rout.

Audrey I hope things kick off for you soon. Get on the pregnancy ball.

OH woke up in a cheerful mood this morning and was whistling and singing as he got ready for work. I think I want to kill him lol

I've got British gas coming to look at the boiler today, I hate the boiler, I hate British gas and I'm going to write a massive rant about both!

Plans for how I'll make money have changed. I'm now going to give writing a go as I enjoy it and appear to be relatively good at it. I've also got a few other irons in the fire like a craft business and a niche YT channel with advertising. 4 months to make it pay

Anyone else planning to put their Christmas tree up on the first?

lillian lots of people have a vaginal delivery after a 3rd degree tear. they will see you and ask about symptoms and advise you.

i had a spinal too just incase a caesarean was needed. so glad it wasn't!

Marmite glad the scan went well! Extra scan will be nice to see baby again at least. I've got an additional one this week to check on a cyst. I used to get a fair few uti's before pregnancy but this is a whole new level!

Potato glad the blog seems to be working out well, I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Audrey maybe it's a double bluff and you're actually about to have your baby?

Hope everyone is doing alright!

Potato neither DH or I are morning people so hopefully it is hereditary! I'm only on 4.5 weeks so time will tell! A fake Christmas tree is on the cards this year - it was a nightmare to clean the tree fallout from the carpet last year! Hope your boiler gets sorted today!

Lovely I hope the cyst is nothing to worry about

first that's good to hear - I'll see what the specialist says. The consultant says to keep my options open in case the next baby is OP again or is bigger - I managed to tear with a 6lb baby so I don't know what would have happened if she was any bigger!!!

People say the recovery from ELCS can be quicker than a third degree tear but I just don't like the idea of surgery it will be a couple of years away at least so we shall see how we go!

Hi ladies,

My child seems to have gone back to being an angel after the 6 week bastard leap/ growth spurt! She slept 10-6 today!! I woke up at 5am panicking that I hadn't heard her and she was starving but she was just wriggling and fast asleep. My boobs were like boulders though.
Her colic has settled down since using infacol every day so I'm a happy mummy today.

Potato I think your plan sounds great, glad you're enjoying your writing! We're going to put up our tree on the Sunday as Autumn has her jabs on the 1st and DH is away the Friday and Saturday with work. Also I really hope Autumn can sleep like Arya in a few weeks!! That's the dream

Lillian I understand why people are scared of surgery but my recovery after ELCS was so quick and I'm so glad I went down that route. Everyone is different though so see how you feel when you are ready for baby no.2.

Audrey i hope that baby gets moving soon, I'm so excited for you!

I hope Harrison is feeling better today miley and you got some sleep. He's just so adorable!

Glad the scan went well marmite

Will catch up later, off for my post partum check up in a bit. I'm going to have to sit there and pretend I haven't been driving since day 9 or having sex since day 17 for 6 weeks hopefully she says all is well with my scar and I can get back to the gym asap!

indi hope your check goes well! I'm sure you'll be fit as a fiddle. Where the hell do you get the time/energy to go to the gym? I can't be arsed to get ready some days I'm in awe.

potato ours is going up on the 1st. I absolutely can't wait!

marmite glad scan went well! Such an amazing experience seeing your little bean thriving

Hope everyone is doing well! Just a warning that this is going to be a bit of a me me me post...

Feeling a bit shit today - Harrison was up all night again and I think it was because of trapped wind despite him having infacol. He looked in pain and I just broke down because he seems to suffer everything and I feel like I'm getting it all wrong. Very envious of those of you lovelies who have babies that sleep - Harrison will only sleep on me or if he's in his pram or in his car seat and moving. He is still making a lot of grunting noises on a night time and I haven't slept longer than 2 hours at a time in almost 11 weeks. I wish I knew why he makes so much noise and why he's getting so gassy - he's winded and kept upright after every feed.

OH tried to feed Harrison an expressed bottle last night for his first feed so I could sleep but he didn't persevere long enough which meant Harrison only had an oz and a half so obviously wouldn't go back to sleep. Yes he's slow with the bottle but he does take it I reckon he just wanted to get back to bed. Anyway, it meant I had to get up and finish the feed so it was a complete waste of time. I also had to prompt him to change his nappy and not have the lights on to help Harrison go back down. I shouldn't have to still be holding his hand surely I honestly feel like I'm pretty much doing this all on my own apart from the occasional cuddle OH will give him but I still have to ask him to get off his phone and pay attention to the baby when he's looking at him

Just checking in to say I'm still bloody pregnant. Will have a proper read up later. This kid's got its father's time keeping skills!

First,Lillian Atticus was forceps born too and I was put on syntocin as wasn't dilating evenly. Never went to theatre though as they needed him out NOW due to heart decels. Pushing stage went down as 5mins.

Potato I would but I'm in Plymouth with the inlaws until the 4th. It's going up the moment I get back

Sorry to hear that Miley. If it helps A isn't a great sleeper either, I just get an initial 3 hours before every 1.5/1hour wake ups. Have you noticed a link to what you eat? Apparently broccoli, onions and garlic all cause wind in babies through breast milk. It might be worth keeping a food diary? Also have you raised up his head end of his bed.l? I have had to due to a snuffly nose A just can't shift. He sleeps so much better with his head elevated a bit. You're doing amazing, look how happy your beautiful boy is and how amazing he's growing. Be kind to yourself and remember you're a wonderful mama. Sod OH, you get all the delicious snuggles to yourself (yes not always fun when had no sleep), they won't last and as mad as it sounds we will miss the days the only needed us.

My stepmum and dad are coming on the 13th so waiting till then for Christmas decorations, she's amazing at interior design type stuff and DH is
Particularly excited for her to do the house (she wants to to!!) I do like decorating too but happy to be told what to do it this scenario as she's much better than us!

Your plan sounds fab potato.

Hope all went well at the check indi.

Sounds like you're having a rough time miley no experience yet to give any helpful advice about baby but hopefully this will just be a stage you will get through. In any partnership there are strengths and weaknesses, OH may well come into his own for the terrible twos, or starting school or even teenage years but maybe there needs to be some compromises agreed in the meantime. I get upset when DH is constantly on his phone too even though he's just ignoring me(!) so we have no screen time agreed periods!! We cook together or go for walks (well did that before the crutches). We also have regular "meetings" to discuss things that are upsetting us or we are stressed about (this came from counselling I did previously- it was me who was worse with communicating). Sounds a bit strange when I write it all down like this but anything good is worth fighting for.

I had a fun day at maternity assessment again yesterday! High blood pressure at midwife it eventually went down to normal after monitoring but needed an ecg and bloods too as was having palpitations. No need for medication as yet. Babies head engaged so anytime now, midwife seemed to think she might not see me next week bump still measuring exactly what it should (cms measurements) but she said as were both tall it'll definitely be over the 7/8lbs mark! Then when we were at the hospital the midwife there said "oh it's a good size" during the palpitations! Get a bit nervous now it's going to be a whopper!!!

Wrote a long post yesterday and promptly lost the bastard!!

Audrey, I am really hoping something is happening now, can't imagine how fed up you must be. I did laugh a lot at teasing arsehole of a cervix though.

Lillian another here who had an ELCS and loved it. At 12 days post op I am completely pain free and fully mobile and definitely able to drive. Will have all future children by ELCS without a shadow of a doubt.

I was going to ask the breastfeeders yesterday when their babies stopped cluster feeding- R was feeding from 8-1.30am but getting v distressed and on and off the breast. Anyway last night he was a dream, went down at 10.30 after a normal breast feed before waking at 1.30, 3, 5.30 and 7.30. I feel human today!! I am absolutely desperate to shag DH so hoping this pattern lasts and we can get back on the horse next week.

Miley so sorry OH is still being a bit shit. Not sure how to advise really...I like bunch's advice of just enjoying the cuddles though!

feef I had similar at 35 weeks. Are they keeping a closer eye on your bp now?

I'm going for a pigging jog, me! This kid ain't shifting! 3 days overdue and counting!

feef hope all is well, they said that to me at 35 weeks 'I'll be surprised if you're still here by next week!" They jinx you, the bastards!

Just to go once a week now every Friday, canters, 38 weeks on Monday so they said maybe they'll just induce me if it goes high again, to be honest I'm a bit suspicious that they might not have had a big enough cuff on me as arms are not small! It was 160/100 at midwife in the morning, then 136/74 after awhile at the hospital (my "normal" seems to be around 130/80 which is obviously a bit on the high side but had been static throughout.

Ugh Audrey I hope they haven't jinxed me!!! I wouldn't mind another 2 weeks but don't think I could manage another 4!

Ugh being ill and having a baby is just awful. I don't know if it's food poisoning or stomach flu or something but I've been up the last 2 hours with D&V. Atticus last fed then too so any minute he will need a feed. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I'm at the inlaws so have no pump and no expressed milk with me.
I think the poor boy may have to eat whilst I'm on the loo. That will only ensure he catches whatever I've gotten. I'm going to leave it until he starts kicking off but this is beyond awful.
Sorry for the me me me post. Hope everyone else is well.

bunch I'm exactly the same! I have a stomach bug and a cold. Poor little man was running a temp of 38.2 last night and understandably was really unsettled. He wasn't feeding properly either as he was too exhausted so I've had to express this morning. Filled a 6oz bottle and there was still more. I've given him calpol at 5am because he was really burning up. Cant believe he's poorly again poor little man. I sympathise - in laws are rough at the best of times hope Atticus manages to avoid.

audrey still pregnant mate?

Oh miley sorry to hear you're both ill too. I haven't stopped for the last 7 hours. I reciting I'm dying (clearly an exaggeration). Every time I throw up I think of you and your HG, how on earth you managed I'll never know. Huge respect for the HG Mamas.

Ah bunch I won't lie, it ruined my pregnancy for me! Tis but a distant memory now, but I feel for you lovely I've stopped throwing up now but got a heavy cold so I'm feeding Harrison in a steamy bathroom to clear both of our chests! He seems to be recovering a lot quicker than me though luckily! Hope you feel better soon it's incredibly difficult being ill with a baby!

Glad to hear you've stopped vomming (phone autocorrected that to coming , ahem). Steamy rooms are amazing for them with a cold. (I totally ruined my bathroom with it though oops). I've not vommed for almost 4 hours wahey. Had a few good feeds so I can stop being worried about that and I got out of bed for a bit. I promptly returned to bed when FIL started making chicken soup for me as the smell is a no go. I feel so much better though just have lots of muscle and joint aching. They're all happy watching the F1 sending me in drinks every now and then ha.

Is the silence from Stardrey a good sign I wonder?

Oh no poor bunch and miley sounds miserable!!! Hope u both feel better very soon.

Oh Bunch and Miley sorry to hear you're both poorly, what a nightmare. At the in-laws too Bunch, not what you need! Sounds like you're getting some peace and quiet though at least! Hope you're both feeling lots better soon.

No word from Audrey since her pigging jog post on Saturday?! (haha) Hope this means things are happening now for you!!

We've had a bit of a crazy few days - operation new kitchen has been in full swing since Thursday night, mum and dad have been down helping which has been great. We've had a few set backs and are behind where we hoped we'd be up to which is a bit disheartening/frustrating. My back is also starting to get quite sore so having to take it easier today. Not sure how much longer I can function with a kettle, toaster and microwave as the 'kitchen' shoved on dining room table and having to do the dishes in the bathroom sink I'm sure it'll all be worth it in the end though...!!

Hope your scan this week to check on your cyst goes ok Lovely

Marmite I'm sure your new kitchen will be lovely.

Bunch, Miley sorry you've been so poorly, I hope you're in the mend now.

Feef I hope the blood pressure sorts itself out and everything else looks normal.

Miley how frustrating about OH. Mine was a bit similar to begin with then we worked out a time for him to have Arya every day dining something they both enjoy. For them it's watching music videos on YouTube. It only works if I'm tidying or cleaning Arya's bottles so I don't get a break as such but it has made OH a lot more connected with Arya.

Indi yay to baba being an angel again (there's an awful lot of baba, dada, mama's going on in our house at the moment... but none are from the baby.

I'm sure autumn will be sleeping like a log soon. Tonight for the first time since Arya was born I turned off the kitchen light when I came to bed. I usually leave it on so I don't trip over in my sleep addled state but she's slept through so many times now I think we're going to be ok. It was so exciting.

So, we went to FILs to get the Christmas tree today. It was only after I had sifted though an entire room full of boxes of our stuff that I remembered that the base had broken so I threw it away last year we had to go off to Homebase to get a new one and then Arya and I could no longer fit in the car so we ended up walking home (only 15 minutes down the road) but we now have a shiny new,massive, 7.5 foot prelit tree

We also finished the cabin today, to Arya's discuss. She cries every time I take her in it lol. And I posted a new article, first time I've written anything that wasn't a rant or a review