#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!

Afternoon ladies,

Scan this morning was perfect!! I am so relieved!! Healthy heartbeat beating away, was so lovely to hear it, and measuring 8+6 which is bang on for my dates (I'm 9+1 from lmp but exactly 8+6 from Ov) 

Also called for 12 week scan date this afternoon, which will be on 10th Aug when I'll be 13 weeks, or 12+5 iyswim! Exciting times!

Starmist - hope your last 8 days fly by! How many weeks will you be when you finish?

And glad things are all going well Seahawk & Billy, sounds blissful.

Looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend now, happy Friday all

Hey ladies.

Thanks for the birth stories, really helpful. I'm hoping for a birth center birth in the pool but am trying to be prepared for a different outcome.

Went for our scan the other day, can't remember if I've said or not? I was 36 weeks exactly and baby measured tall and 6lb 9oz so feeling quite happy that if she was born now she'd be a healthy weight.

So pleased the scan went well Scandal, it's amazing to see that little heart beat ❤️ I'm finishing work 4 weeks before my due date. There's so much I still need to finish off though so I hope I can get it all done.

Wanting I'd like a water birth too ideally. They only have 1 pool at the hospital so there needs to not be anyone else in it!

Hi starkey!!! I was like who's this billy person I don't remember them?! 8 months, I can't believe it! Glad to hear you're getting on well though. seahawk too, don't feel bad I am sure every parent slips up like that at least once. Last antenatal class today, felt pretty surreal. We get our birthing kit delivered in the next couple of weeks too, I've decided not to go for a water birth after all but I imagine I'll spend a lot of time in the shower! I am going to visit the labour ward next week in case I do end up being transferred or end up having c-section. Travelling makes me extremely anxious so hopefully will have a smooth homebirth and all will be well.

Best advice I can give re: birth. Keep an open mind. I was adamant I was having a natural, drug free, water birth. L was back to back, 30 hours later, he was stuck, non emergency (because he wasn't in distress, he just wasn't descending/I'd stopped dilating at 6cm) EMCS, and honestly, it was fine. Hypnobirthing is the key to keeping calm in whatever the circumstances. And epidurals, I cannot reccomend them enough! I didn't even know I had a catheter in until about 6 hours after. I had no idea about cesareans whatsoever as it never even occurred to me that I'd have one. Just go with what you feel is right at the time.

Hey guys just thought I'd pop on during this rather long night feed to say hi! I do t think it's going to be restful sleep even if when she releases my boob and we go beck to bed as she didn't have a poo all at yday and is very uncomfortable and windy

Ha I know Skip how is she 11.5 weeks already?! She looks so different now too, not a little curled up newborn anymore!!

Lovely to hear fronyiu Audrey and Soda can't believe your LOs are around the 8mo mark now, must have give so fast! Is weaning a world of fun?!

Congrats on all the positive scan news ladies!

Aw seahaek that sounds upsetting but try not to beat yourself up about it, it can be so hard keeping them entirely out the sun sometimes. I find a muslin to hand can be quite handy to cover up any bits that aren't quite covered by uv shade when out and about with the pram. I also use that to wrap over legs when she's in the sling (which is still a lot of the time as she does not like sleeping put down anywhere in the day...) Soubds like H is doing great with sleep!

Just wondered if anyone fancied a grads grads thread to talk about baby stuff for those whose wee bundles of joy are already here?! Fishy Moose seahawk? Somewhere to discuss night feeds, burping techniques and poo explosions in more detail? Hehe just a thought.

Good mama and mama to be wishes to all xx

Oooh, the non pooing! L once went for 9 days without a poo. I went to the doctor and got him some lactulose in the end because I was getting worried! Although, it's completely normal in EBF babies, they can go easily 7-10 days without sharting. It was like carrying round a ticking time bomb towards the end though, nobody knew when he was going to go off! Marmite

Weaning is awesome! I don't really use Facebook except for talking to the grads but Instagram is my jam! Feel free to add me on IG though for baby pics (that goes for everyone! Pm me!)

Definetly don't beat yourself up sea honestly, there will be soo many times when you go "OMG! I'm the worst mother in the world!" Well, I do, frequently! 😂 it is all fine, he's ok, you're ok. Everything is ok, you're doing an excellent job!

Would definitely suggest having a post baby grads thread, like I say, we all still chat on a daily basis and it's invaluable!

Ha I think I remember that Billy/Audrey/Starkey! (Feels weird to just write Billy now!) E is still st the going a few times a day phase, with normally one massive poonami nappy filler in the morning and a few little additions later in the day! She finally went yesterday afternoon and it was a cracker!!
Ahh glad weaning is going well and is fun! Bet little L is loving getting lots of new tastes! Are you doing baby led weaning? I haven't reaLly looked into any of that yet as seems ages away but I know it'll come round scarily fast!!
Would love to add you on IG to see cute little L pics but I don't have an account...I have vaguely been thinking about setting one up though... watch this space!

I think we may be going through s growth spurt/sleep regression. E would nrver normally be up this soon in the night for a feed

Also meant to say I found the shower great in earlier labour Skip spent s lot of time with the shower head in my hand holding it over my tummy/getting DH to aim it am lower back during cx. I even washed my hair inbetween times I think, though that was a bit of stupid waste of energy as it soon got sick in it when I started puking everywhere so maybe don't do that!!

Who is due next?

That would be me and MrsG, marmite - though potentially me first as I know now they won't be letting me go past my due date under any circumstances (6 August). I've been in and out of hospital tracking blood pressure since being diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and they've now put me on blood pressure medication for it; if anything out of the ordinary happens between now and the due date they'll induce me. I'd still love a water birth but not sure they'll let me in the circumstances, and I'll be in the hospital not the midwife led unit but hey-ho. Lovely to hear from you (and Audrey!)

scandal glad you had a good scan experience it's so relieving to see it on the screen!!

billy thanks for the note re hypnobirthing it's something I have been considering due to being a complete anxious wreck about anything to do with health so I'm definitely going to find a class!!! Know I'm going to need to focus and not panic at the birth....

Eeek yep that would be us Kav 3 weeks today can you believe it! Full term already. I'd like to think my little one may come early but these babies will only come when they're ready! Wish we could choose the day 🙈

3 weeks today kav mrs! How exciting.

3 weeks on Wednesday for me. Cannot wait! So ready for this baby now!

I had these ones on my ipod, via earphones loudly throughout all of my early labour, basically the first 18 hours. I just listened to it now and it brought back some happy memories. I liked all of her YouTube ones *missy. The classes near me were £180 for an afternoon and I couldn't justify it so I bought a book called "stand and deliver" which I'll link. And did some yoga poses and breathing, then listened to those YouTube hypnobirthing tracks at night when I was in bed from about 37 weeks.

www.amazon.co.uk/Stand-Deliver-other-Brilliant-Birth/dp/0007153996?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Just popping on to say that I'm a bit later than mrs, kav and wanting and am due 4 weeks tomorrow!

Yesterday we had the final wedding we're going to pre baby! Second in two weekends that I was bridesmaid at and I am knackered! Last week at work this week and then we need to finish the nursery and sought out the things we haven't bought/washed/sorted out for baby. Really looking forward to it

Re hypnobirthing I've managed to find a free 4hr session at our local hospital which we are going along to next Sunday. Not sure how good it will be but didn't think we had anything to lose!

Very happy to hear from other grads - sure I'll be picking your brains soon! If you do decide to start another thread then I will definitely join (probably pre baby too for a bit of a stalk!)

Congratulations to all those with lovely scans!

Thanks for the hypnobirthing tips ladies. Going to give the you tube versions a try.

So I went 35 weeks without any stretch marks whatsoever, using thick cocoa butter twice a day. Since 35 weeks I've got lots :( I know It's silly but I feel really down about it, especially now as I feel bloody enormous and not very attractive at all! Did anyone else suffer from feeling quite low about stretch marks and the like? I've gained weight at a healthy pace and drink loads of water and moistuise constantly but they're still arriving :(

Sorry to hear that wanting. Im a lot further behind you in weeks and anxious about getting stretch marks too. Also using cocoa butter, so will be interested to see the responses you get too. I'd say keep up the cocoa butter and hopefully it will help to reduce some of them in time.

I got them at about the same time frame wanting was equally gutted. They're pretty much gone now though. Can barely see them at all. It's all genetic basic because the tearing which causes the mark happens so deep down in the dermis that the topical things we apply don't make a blind bit of difference. Keeping moisturised and hydrated is a definite plus though as I do think it's made mine fade quicker.

I'm covered in them, Wanting, badly. They're even above my belly button! DH calls them my tiger stripes and I'm hoping they fade - I had a lot going through my teenage years on my boobs and legs and they faded, like Audrey says. :)

Supremely uncomfortable tonight. Heartburn has worsened to the point where I can't now sleep lying down even with Gaviscon and have retreated to my computer chair to snooze. The oedema affecting my legs in particular is hideous - I look squat and the skin feels so tight you could shove a spigot in either kneecap and siphon off several litres of water!!

Did I mention this baby has been measured now and is apparently huge? As of Friday last week it was already 7 pounds 14 ounces and will gain half a pound each week until it's born. Thankfully it is still pretty active all the time so that's one thing I'm not worrying about so much!

Ah well. If I can make it, I have a pamper day sorted out today which I've been looking forward to for months - hairdresser in the morning, and a 3.5 hour pregnancy spa session with massage, facial and foot treatment. Bliss. If I can avoid throwing up stomach acid or falling asleep and snoring loudly, so much the better.

Hope you enjoyed your pamper day kav, and have managed to sleep a bit better.

Re stretch marks - is cocoa butter better than bio oil? Only reason I ask is that I have bio oil for my ectopic surgery scars, using twice a day, and I was just planning on carrying on with that everywhere from second tri?

Another question too ladies if you don't mind, when did you all start to show? Everything I've read online says like 15-16 weeks is most usual for your first, and I'm fairly sure I'm mostly paranoid & no one would actually come out & ask me if I'm pregnant at this point, but I am definitely showing a little something. Have asked DH multiple times if he thinks it's food, but we're fairly sure it's not as my appetite is the lowest I can ever remember it & am probably consuming about 60% of what I usually would, and I was only a size 10-12 pre-pregnancy. Work trousers this morning are so tight

Scandalicity I'm 19 weeks now and have a bump shape but until about roughly 17/18 weeks I looked a lot more like id eaten too much haha. It's very different for everyone though I think. People keep telling me how big I am!! I'm only usually a size 12 max.

Sounds like a brilliant day kav, hope you made it? Sorry to hear you're suffering. Honestly pregnancy is tough! I think I'm having a big baby too - was measured at 6lb 9oz at 36 weeks, so if she puts on 0.5lb a week she'll be 8lb 9oz come 40 weeks, or 9lb 9oz come 42 weeks...something to consider when contemplating induction!

scandalicity I alternated between bio oil and cocoa butter (bottle o butter from amazon) for a while, and found the cocoa butter seeps into my skin more, whereas bio oil sort of sat on too. I'll use it for after birth to hopefully fade the stretch marks.

As for showing, I was really bloated and so felt I showed quite early, by 12 weeks I was keen to tell work so I didn't have to wear long scarves to hide it! Fortunately it was january so i got away with it. A proper bump didn't appear for a few weeks after that though.

Hi all, just a quick drop in. H is 2 weeks old today and all going well. NCT friends have been a godsend, make a big effort to have catch ups if you've done NCT.

kav hope you had a lovely pamper day! Sounds like you're having a tough time. Everyone I know who was told their baby was huge had a normal size baby so don't panic! My sisters planned c section was bought forward 2 weeks due to giant baby that turned out to be 8lb 5.

Ps def up for a post baby grads thread!

Hi scandal my trousers are also mega tight today I've had to undo them it's that bad. I wouldn't say I'm showing to the outside world but o definitely have a tummy now rather than a flat stomach as before that's for sure.

I've had cramps on and off since lunch time today. I had had on off cramping throughout but for some reason feel worried about it today. Don't know why. I'm 13 weeks today. I think seeing baby on the scan made it more real for me and I feel more emotionally connected to it now so more scared about loss. 😕

I am using the trusty safety pin method on work trousers for the time being, although I can feel a shopping trip coming on this weekend! I was 100% sore I'd be one of those people who would be desperate for a bump, now I'm just like where has this come from?!