October 2017 #5!

[GimbleInTheWabe]

Hope no one minds me setting up a new thread- we were getting full up on the other one!

Here is the link to the deets sheet, feel free to add or edit your details as you please:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pa8LZMKMLvREYH4kFiNqn1dD7aTb053cT_KHvghwvSM/edit?usp=sharing

Bring on the third trimester aches, midwife appointments and birth plan chat!

@Hang in there doomkittycleo. These are all perfectly normal and rational feelings to have. Your body is undergoing a hell of a change and you know your life is going to undergo a BIG change - that's some scary stuff! I tell myself that even though I feel the same as you - I know nothing - women and humans have been raising babies since FOREVER. We'll figure it out. Just like we figured out the rest of our lives. Just like if you realise you hate being at home and want to go back to work sooner than you thought, you'll also figure that out. In fact, I think it's HEALTHY to acknowledge "Yeah, you know what? I'm clueless" as opposed to those people who think they've got it all sussed and then get a nasty shock when they realise nobody can 100% plan for a baby!

@doomkittycleo I've also been feeling pretty low on self-esteem this week too and ditto everyone saying about being irritable for no reason whatsoever. Have you had a chance to talk to your DP about how things are going to be when the baby is here doom? I was worrying about my relationship changing too but having a frank convo with my DP about how it could and what we'd need to do to keep it together made me feel so much better and it was nice that he actually understood my worries too.

@Gimble, DP just keeps saying that we will deal with any problems because we're good at talking things through. He's being too perfect. Wish he'd do something stupid so I could get mad at him, but he doesn't .

Haha @doomkittycleo bloody DPs being all understanding and lovely when all we want is a good old vent, I feel ya!

Feeling the magnitude of the 'big day' dawning on me now. Can't believe it's nearly only a month until my due date. Got most of my hospital bag packed too. Seriously where has all the time gone?!?!??

What is everyone putting in their hospital bag btw? I'm getting really confused about what I will need vs what other people think I need.

Also those who have been here before, what do you wear in the weeks following childbirth? Will my maternity stuff be too big, will I need some in between sized clothes? I'm pretty short of stuff that fits atm and a few of my normal clothes were a bit snug before getting pregnant.

I plan to nurse btw, if that makes a difference.

I've been told to need mat clothes for a while after, I have a pair of these really loose fitting trousers that I plan on wearing home from the hospital and I'm not expecting to be back in my bigger regular clothes for a couple of weeks at least.

For nursing in hospital, I have a (black) shirt style nightie, that opens at the front. That way I can pop a couple of buttons and feed without having to strip off. I think you can get special nursing nighties but I just got mine from primark. I also have two large regular nighties to labour in. I'll take some thick socks and slippers too.

Other stuff for me:
A few big pairs of black pants and some disposable pants.
A pack of maternity pads and breast pads
Nipple cream
Straws and a little bottle of squash
A bottle of cleanser, i will take some moisturiser and possibly mascara.
Phone charger and snacks
Black towel

Stuff for baby
4 vests and 4 long sleeve baby grows
2 hats
A big outdoor sleep suit
Cotton wool
Water wipes
Mini tub of sudocreme
A pack of nappies
Will get some ready made formula
A couple of muslins

DH will take a change of clothes and phone charger.

I think there's stuff I've missed off, doing this from memory because I can't be bothered to walk upstairs!

I haven't fitted in my pre-pregnancy clothes, except three skirts, since I was twelve weeks with DS (now 23 months old) even though I was back below pre-pregnancy weight five days after his birth! It was my bust that prevented it in the main as I moved from an FF to a J cup, especially as I mostly wear dresses, but my womb took a long time to reduce too.

I didn't care though. I'd made my own maternity dresses with breastfeeding in mind (all empire line, two with a wrap front, three with separate button openings for each side, one with concealed holes) and I loved them so I was really happy wearing them until he was about ten months old, when I dug out my skirts and bought four new dresses (two different styles, a knitted wrap one and a button through one each in two colours) and two ballet style cardigans to wear as breastfeeding friendly outfits when I returned to work. The button through ones have lasted until now due to large pleats in the skirt parts, which I hadn't expected but the wrap ones didn't wrap enough after 20 weeks.

I'm happy to keep wearing both maternity and non- maternity ones after this baby is born until I stop breastfeeding.

My hospital list is on a separate tab of my big What I Need spreadsheet if that's useful to anyone: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12Pc2EWXLjKrApPp3rDoraMX7Hn9m06DRpYkxWtv-20I/edit?usp=drivesdk. There is probably too much there; it was created from every online list I could find plus experience of spending five days with DH in a delivery room on the labour ward unsuccessfully trying to deal with an mmc via medical rather than surgical means.

Omg yay @Cineraria I knew I had saved a mega list somewhere but I couldn't find it and it was yours! The list to end all lists. Thanks for reposting it.

Just woke up from a nap which I decided to take on the floor, bad idea.. very achey now haha.

Also a little recommendation from me is that lots of people said to get fancy shower stuff for your first shower so I bought this set from Aesop called the 'Jet Set' as it has shampoo, conditioner, body wash and cream in minis and when it arrived it came with loads of samples of face cleanser, moisturiser etc so its saved me having to get all that too. I mean it was still expensive don't get me wrong but I was chuffed with all the freebies it came with!

Had my first 'but your bump is tiiiny!!' yesterday

@GimbleInTheWabe everyone has said my bump tiny too. It's so annoying I'm usually tall & thin & straight up & down lol. So actually quite big for me & I'm measuring average to big on the graph at midwife visits. I finished work on fri for mat leave but have 3 weeks hol to use first. All getting a bit real now lol bump pic attached . xx

Lovely pic - you look fab! If anyone else tells me my bump is tiny I think I might punch them! It's all I've been hearing for weeks , personal favourite moments from the last week included

"Are you sure they haven't got the dates wrong?" (from a colleague, being deadly serious)

And from the cleaner at work:

Them: "How many weeks are you?"
Me: "32"
Them: raises eyebrows and actually snorts!!!!

@butterfly your bump looks perfect, and those gifts are lovely! You must have some wonderful colleagues.

I've been having the "but your bump is tiny comments for ages. Even though I feel huge. It's sooooo annoying.

Yeh I'm exactly 34 weeks today, my bump has definitely grown over the last few weeks. I think maybe it will get bigger during September & even though it's quite neat I feel huge & very out of breath at he moment so I'm pleased I've finished work. I was quite overwhelmed by the gifts they got me things I'd never even thought of like a mirror for back seat of the car so you can see the baby & toys to hang on the pram etc. We also had a massive buffet which everyone contributed to so it was a lovely last day. (I didn't get much work done 🙊 )
I'll still be going in for training days now & again I'm starting to worry about how we'll manage financially but we'll adjust it's such an exciting time, I won't relax until baby is in my arms though. We'll have to set up another thread on here for when the babies are born & we can message & help each other out during night feeds etc lol xx

Wow amazing gifts from your colleagues @ButterflyGem and you look great too, love your dress!

We need to think of a good retort for the tiny bump comments, or just a good old 'feck off' might do it ha.

I've def over stretched myself today I've got my parents and sister coming tomorrow and I stupidly decided to pre-prepare a lasagne today.. on the hottest day after a lot of walking and tidying too. By the time they get here tomorrow I'm going to be a shell of a person.

Here's my bumpdate - 35 weeks today seriously where has all the time gone?!

Ha ha ha nobody ever tells me my bump is tiny. They all ask when I am due and look a bit shocked when I tell them I'm only 33 weeks. Was doing a big load of washing up last night and ended up with backache as I now have to stand a good five inches away from the sink and lean over, just to accommodate the belly!

my bump def isnt feeling small anymore! still 4 weeks left at work - which at the moment feels like a lifetime

Hope everyone enjoyed their sunny bank holiday, even if most of us probably stayed in the shade with a fan

We had our first NCT class on Saturday which was really good, people seemed nice (phew!) also taken up the free hospital ones - I am an information girl! so its information overload this week

Where can I get baby stuff that's not mothercare but still affordable? We got a lot of stuff from mothercare and mamas and papas but had such issues with mothercare delivery that I don't want to order anything from there again.

Has anyone had any white yellow gloopy discharge? Could this be part of my plug? If so I just wondered if it's normal or anything to worry about? I'm only 33+2?? Thanks cx

@gracey1 today I've had kind of gloopy white discharge. I've noticed it's been slightly more than usual not sure what it means tho I'm 34 +1 xx

@ButterflyGem I'm sure it's nothing to worry about google tells you all sorts tho... must stop searching!

Hi @Bobbiepin I think the supermarkets do pretty good cheap baby stuff. DP and I got a load of stuff on baby gap as they had a 30% off everything deal which might still be going on. Not the cheapest there but def affordable and much cheaper with the discount.

@gracey1 I think the plug is usually more bloody but don't quote me on that.. do you feel any different in yourself?

34+1 and starting to get hospital bag all ready! Quite exciting!!
Wasn't planning on finishing up for maternity until 38 weeks, but now seriously considering finishing earlier as Ive noticed past week I'm starting to ache more and back is very sore if I do too much! When is everyone else finishing up?
Also @butterfly and @gracey I've noticed a yellow/while discharge over last few days, but apparently that's normal in third trimester?

I feel fine no pain or anything, bump still out partying and dancing away so all good. I'm so excited I could burst but I know he needs to cook for a bit longer. My other problem is the fundal measurements, does anyone know much about this? My midwife tried to get me seen at the hospital for a growth scan but they won't consider it until 36 weeks but he measuring off the chart! She even mentioned section...

Thanks @gimble I didn't think of that, the bigger ones are probably better than my local asda!

@gracey, don't panic yet, sometimes they have growth spurts and go off track for a while. My last one was big but she'd dropped a bit since then. My MW said until its closer to the end its not anything to worry about, and your bump size doesn't necessarily mean big baby, you could be tiny baby and loads of fluid. A growth scan is a little more accurate but fundal size really isn't.

As Bobbiepin says @gracey1 don't worry! If you scroll upthread a little way you can see I posted my growth chart when fundal measurement placed my baby at