#TTC1 - Second Wave grads thread the Second!

[kavanaughkj]

Hello all! Welcome to the second thread for the 'new wave' of grads from #TTC1 - the first wave ladies seem to have decamped en masse to Facebook now (I heard weaning mentioned last time I ventured onto it) so this is now officially the place to be!

We're pretty spread out over the pregnancy journey so far with some newbies and some about to pop I'll try to maintain a list so if anybody wants to leave details of due dates and whether you're Team Blue, Pink or Vanilla (I think we're pretty heavily skewed towards Pink at the moment) then leave your details and I'll amalgamate them!

As Moose mentioned in our last thread, please do feel free to join in if this is your first time walking this weird and wonderful path - there is no such thing as TMI and we're all learning off each other!

I'll kick off the round-up.

Kav
BFP was on cycle 11
Am currently 21+4
EDD: 6 August
Team Vanilla (secretly convinced it's a boy)

Thanks for the thread due date buddy!

MrsG
BFP cycle 2
EDD: 6th August, also 21+4
Team pink!

Fishy
BFP cycle 14
32+6
EDD 19th May
Team Pink

Thanks for the new thread Kav

Starmist
BFP on cycle 11
Currently 18+3
EDD 28th August
Will find out (but try not to tell anyone!) at scan on 18th April

Music I'm good thanks, bump seems to be getting very noticeable now. Still haven't bought anything for baby so need to crack on. Ahhh such a cute nose!!

Kav excellent news about the job, well done MrKav

Eek Marmite how exciting you've finished work, I can't wait for that! Batch cooking is a really good idea. Yes definitely put your feet up & get some much deserved rest.

Sorry you're feeling sore Lovely hope you're managing to take it easy.

Loving Asda's maternity range by the way. Such good prices & really good quality (I don't work for them honest!)

I've got loads of my clothes from Asda too! Don't have one nearby so have had to order on-line. Very reasonably priced. (I don't work for them either!)

Yay, new thread! Thanks kav!

Bfp on cycle 7
20+3 today
EDD 14 August
Team pink although we aren't telling people IRL yet!

Following on from chat on last thread...

Thank you for your lovely comments about the nose! Feeling a bit better about it now, haha.

kav it does seem like a long journey from the start of that thread to where we are now. What stage do you think we'll be at the end of this one?! Huge congrats to your DH on his job offer! That must be a huge relief.

fishy sorry to hear about your hip pain. Not too long now to ride it out!!

marmite hooray to finishing work! Sounds like you have lots of lovely things planned to get you through the last few weeks. If it takes that long! How was your 38wk appointment?

mrsg you are so organised! I expect we'll be the people finishing up the nursery and getting things delivered a few weeks before due date!! We are decorating another room in our house at the moment. Hope it doesn't take too long... Also, I keep meaning to pm you about joining the August fb group. I just need to reset my MN password and log on.

moose snuzpod is exciting! I think we'll get that or the next 2 me or the one they sell in mothercare. I haven't compared them too much yet to decide.

I have a couple of questions to throw out there for your experiences:

Have any of you been putting cream on your bumps to prevent stretch marks? Would you recommend doing it and if so what do you use?

Are any of you suffering from bad vpl? I have started to want to wear my tighter dresses but think I need to get myself some new knickers. Any recommendations? I dread to think how bad it will be come the hot summer!

I went into babygap today and almost bought our first baby garment. But then chickened out! Also, I started to tell people at work that I was pregnant and had some great reactions and some interesting ones. One was - 'if it's a girl, whatever you do don't call it Victoria or Emily - those are horrible names'! I mean seriously?? Why would you even say that!! (Also, I happen to disagree.)

Victoria and Emily are great names, what a truly weird thing to say!!

I've avoided buying super expensive special maternity pants and just bought cheap black basics in a low cut the next size up, working well so far!

Why do people feel the need to tell you their opinions on names. Saw MIL at the weekend & she said "oh really important before I forget, here are a list of the names I don't like...". Erm it's our decision thanks!

I've been thinking I'll have to get some new pants at some point but was planning on getting some in a bigger size from Primark or something.

I've been rubbing cream in for stretch marks from quite early on. My boobs shot up by 2 cup sizes very quickly & I had a couple of pale stretch marks appear so since then I've been applying stuff to my belly & boobs in a morning, & belly on the night. I used BioOil at first, it's fairly reasonably priced if you get it from Savers but I hated the smell & was worried I'd ruin my clothes with it. I then moved onto Sanctuary Mum to Be cream which is lovely. Just yesterday I bought some RemeScar but only because it was reduced to £4 in Tesco. Not sure if rubbing all these products in actually does anything though!

Does anyone have a bump band? What are they for? I thought they were just so you could wear your regular trousers for longer but I read somewhere you can use them for support for the bump. Has anyone used one for support & found it helpful?

Hello everyone - I recognise names from the TTC thread last year

Dixie
BFP cycle #4
17+5 today
EDD 3rd September
Team vanilla

Going on holiday on Sunday, so excited to have an excuse to just relax for a week! Raided primark last night of all stretchy dresses!
Eagerly awaiting first proper kick as I've felt lots of flutters which I'm not sure are wind or tummy grumbling. Pre pregnancy I've always been a noisy stomach rumbler anyway haha

Hi everyone, I sort of fell off the last thread as MIL sadly passed away and then I was on holiday. We still have FIL staying with us and he is doing my head in - hasn't lifted a finger in the week he's been here, just sits at the table waiting for some breakfast/lunch/dinner. I've taken to ignoring him and making myself food but it's stressing me out. I've made a few comments, but he just doesn't get it. It's been a strange time for sure, hoping once he leaves (in another week 😩) things will settle down and we can get on with the bathroom/kitchen renovations we need to do. I've bought a few maternity clothes but really have no interest in talking about it irl. I'm 18+2 today, due 30th Aug.

Sorry to hear about your NIL FXSkip its hard to think of a solution for dealing with FIL when he is probably so used to someone doing everything for him. Maybe your DH needs to have a quick word about learning to do things for himself now otherwise he'll never cope on his own.

Hope you can get excited about baby soon, do you plan on finding out the sex?

Oh and about bump cream/butter Music, I've been using Palmer's cocoa butter which smells divine. It was on offer in Superdrug for £4 the other week, not sure if it still is. I put it on after a shower and before bed, a little goes quite a long way. Not noticed any stretch marks yet at almost 22 weeks but I used to be quite a lot bigger weight wise so I imagine my skin is already a bit stretched. After 30 weeks will be the decider for that one I think!

Sorry to hear about your MIL FXSkip. Hopefully your FIL can snap out of it soon, maybe focusing on newest arrival might help him! Hope you managed to have a nice relaxing holiday anyway.

I noticed a few stretch marks around 31 weeks, just on one side and in my hip bizarrely! I have been very infrequently using regular moisturiser but trying to stay hydrated as my main anti-stretch-mark strategy.

Enjoy your holiday Dixie!

Great new thread kav

Moose
37
BFP cycle 10 or 11
EDD June 3rd so 30+6
Team Vanilla

DP has gone out to the pub tonight so I'm laid on the sofa with a book and a tub of Ben and Jerry's! Am piling on the weight but have just decided not to care for the next ten weeks!

Evening ladies. :)

I've been using Palmer's cocoa butter too, ever since I noticed first stretch marks pop up earlier this week on one side of my belly. MrsG is right, it smells lush - I end up smelling like an easter egg!

Skip, that's rough with your FIL. So hard because you don't want to be rude but equally you're not his skivvy either. Has your OH said anything to him at all?

Have fun on holiday Dixie!

Sounds like my idea of a perfect evening Moose I could so go for some chocolate fudge brownie Ben & Jerry's right now!!

OK, have pulled together list thus far of folks. Not a single Team Blue yet!!

19 May
LovelyFishy - Team Pink

3 June
Mooseville - Team Vanilla

6 August
Kav - Team Vanilla
MrsG - Team Pink

14 August
Musicgrrl - Team Pink

28 August
Starmist - currently Team Vanilla but intending to find out

30 August
FXSkip - Team Vanilla

3 September
Dixiechick - Team Vanilla

Is Marmite the closest to popping of all of us? I think she is but am not sure of her due date ...

I currently have a tub of Phish Food in the freezer which I may have to rediscover after all this ice cream talk! Marmite is first, due in about 2 weeks ish I believe?

How is marmite due in two weeks already?! Omg I can't believe it!! FIL has not been spoken to, he had been separated from MIL for a few years now so it's not like he's not used to fending for himself, he just genuinely believes that women are supposed to look after men in their house he keeps talking to me about how I'm going to have to give up yoga, getting my nails done, the gym etc when the baby comes, he just cannot comprehend that DH will be doing 50% of the work. He is just unbelievably stuck in the 50s. Anyway scan is a week on Monday, we're leaning towards finding out the sex now!

FXSkip I'm really sorry to hear about your MIL. It sounds tough with FIL, hope the next week flies by. Exciting that your scan isn't too far away now.

Moose I've got a tub of Ben & Jerry's in the freezer, can't wait to tuck into it!

I used Palmer's cocoa butter but the smell made me feel really sick. That was in the earlier days when I was experiencing morning sickness so maybe if I used it now it would be better.

Hope everyone has nice weekends planned. I'm going for afternoon tea tomorrow at a place I'm thinking is likely to be my baby shower venue so I'm excited to test it out.

The Ben and Jerry's went down a treat but I did eat the whole tub over the course of the evening! This poor babies diet is getting worse, I must sort myself out and start eating healthier!!

I've been using some cowshed maternity oil I got for Xmas, along with Palmers too. Sadly I've noticed a couple of vertical stretch marks popping up, but luckily very silver, not red and hugely visible like you see on some? But I think they maybe come at the end.... I read somewhere that moisurising will make little difference, either your skin is prone to them or not....

31 weeks today, really starting the countdown now. I really thought I'd love being pregnant, and in a way I do when youre lying there feeling it move and waiting to meet the baby, but the reality of breathlessness, constipation and just generally being so ungainly and clumsy and stupid - I'm going to be very glad once the baby is here!!! I sometimes just completely forget I'm pregnant and try to do something simple (like pick something up off the floor!) and get a rude awakening when bump gets in the way! LOL

Thanks for the new thread Kav Don't worry I'm still here, haven't popped yet

Stats for new thread:

Marmite
BFP Cycle 3 (of crazy 36+ day cycles!)
EDD 14th April (Wait, that's this month??!!
Team Vanilla
38+1 today

That is a very heavy team pink thread so far!!

Music and anyone else that's interested re bump cream and stretch marks, I've been using a combination of Bio Oil and Burt's Bees Mama Bee Tummy Butter (plus some expensive Mamma Mio stuff for a while around Christmas which 'bump' bought me for Christmas!) I started off once a day from about ?16 weeks? and have been lathering it on twice a day fairly religiously since start of 3rd trimester. 38+1 and no stretch marks so far.... not to tempt fate! However, a couple of the girls in my NCT group only got stretch marks at 39-40 weeks... so you never quite know. I've found the Mama Bee stuff really soothing the last few weeks when my skin has got really stretched and started to feel quite sensitive and itchy. I tried the Palmers stuff but it wasn't for me as I found it too thick and sticky. I think I am susceptible to stretch marks too as I have them on my hips and thighs from puberty.

Re VPL I got reasonably priced maternity knickers from H&M online which I've found pretty good so far!

Star when you get bigger you might want a bump support band which is supposed to help with PGP and low back pain as it supports some of the weight of the bump. They are different to the bands which allow you to wear your normal jeans for longer.

Sorry to hear you've been having such a difficult time Skip that's not what you need at all your FIL sounds rather difficult and frustrating. I wonder whether your OH could try speaking to him? And I know, how the hell am I due in 2 weeks!? I am not ready for this!! I said to DH this morning, even if I go overdue, we will have a baby by the end of the month aaahhhh!!!!

Most people seem to be ready to stop being pregnant by this point and just want the baby out but I've on the whole really enjoyed being pregnant (well, since the puking and nausea stopped at 14/15 weeks!) I have been pretty lucky though, I know some people suffer a lot more. Just seems so bizarre that wriggly little baby will soon be on the outside and not inside just with me. Sounds weird but I quite like that baby is safe inside and we have a special bond just the two of us for now!

Hello, do you mind if I join? I got my BFP a few weeks ago whilst on the TTC#1 board and I recognise a few names. I've been a bit of a lurker on the pregnancy boards as I didn't want to jinx anything by jumping in too soon. We had a reassurance scan this morning and everything is looking good (we even saw the heartbeat) so it's put my mind at ease, at least for a little while anyway.

My stats are:
Tonks
Age 29
BFP cycle 5
EDD 9 November so 8+2 today.

Welcome Tonks and congratulations!

Moose I'm with you on the pregnancy feelings. Super excited to be having a baby of course but don't know if I could honestly say I've enjoyed being pregnant... Everything's just so uncomfortable!!

2 of the ladies from my NCT class have had their babies, feeling very excited!

Marmite thanks for the info on bump bands. I know what you mean about baby being safe now. I have so much to read up on before baby arrives, I feel quite clueless about how to look after one!

Welcome Tonks. How lovely you got to see the heartbeat How are you feeling?

Congratulations Tonks! Lovely to have you on here. We also had a reassurance scan at 8 weeks as we couldn't wait for the 12 week scan! Glad it went well.

Thanks, everyone, for your comments on stretch marks and vpl! marmite well done on being so religious with it! I also have stretch marks from puberty do expect I will be in line for some.

I did a bit of research on how much treatments can help and it looks like you can't really stop them happening as they happen deep down in the tissue but if your skin is nice and moisturised then it might lessen the severity of them. Not particularly conclusive reading but I can see how they help reduce itching and soreness too so I'm going to give it a go!

moose Ben and Jerry's sounds like a great call. I have some in the freezer crying out to be eaten on a lovely day like today My diet isn't great atm either. We had a takeaway last night. I do feel like I should try and improve my diet, especially during the week, and get some more calcium in.

I wonder if #seahawk will find us on this new thread?

Will post more later!