December 2019-Thread 2

[BostonFern]

Kicking off a new thread since the last one if nearly full!

Awww, he's already a cheeky one! Love your pics, Courgette.

Thank you @fonxey! Did you mention you had an anterior placenta earlier in the thread? I was told mine is yesterday and don't really understand what it means.

@CourgetteAndCrisps Yes i do. It means it is at the front of the uterus. In most people it is at the back (posterior).

This means that it will likely take you longer to feel movement and you may feel less movement because of this. The placenta will act as a cushion basically. So it may also be harder to see the kicks coming through our for your other half to see/feel them too.

I'm disappointed. I was looking forward to that! It might take us up to weeks 20+ until we start feeling movement. Might feel him sooner of course but it is less likely.

I just think. Typical for me. I never get to just have something normal. It has to be the more difficult option!

I haven't felt anything. It's my first so that might be why too. I've been trying to lay on my left and concentrate but... It just feels like my belly only fatter!

@CourgetteAndCrisps and @fonxey I had an anterior placenta with DD, it took until 20/21 weeks to feel proper movements and it wasn't that much until quite late on, DH only got feel 1 kick the whole pregnancy. This time I have a low lying anterior placenta (for extra stress!) but I've felt movements- flutters/gassy popping type of thing - from 16 weeks and now at 18+6 it's definitely getting stronger but still not that often or definite.... I was really hoping for big kicks for DH and DD to feel.

And congrats on your boy courgette! That 4d pic is gorgeous ❤️

Awww @CourgetteAndCrisps a little boy, you must be so excited!!

Maybe a stupid question but is everyone still taking supplements? I've been taking pregnacare since BFP, must google now to see if recommendation changes as you progress

Yes, I have. I think they are most important in first 12 weeks due to folic acid and the spinal cord development. But they do contain a host of other vitamins. It's apparently preventative against other things like cleft lip and other neutral tube irregularities during development. Basically, it won't hurt to continue taking them. They might not have any noticeable effect for your baby is you stop... But i guess they reduce the possibilities. Especially if such defects have happened before. From what i gather from dr google.

I'm also taking (though further) omega 3 which is supposed to be good for eyes and brain development!

Folic acid is good for life apparently not just pregnancy.

@agteacht I was taking them although my midwife said they weren't necessary but had to stop as they started giving me a horribly upset stomach. Dropped them and by just over 24 hours later i felt much better so I think it was them.

@elephantmarch I guess to me this is the last point where someone could say, oh there's something horribly wrong with him and he won't survive outside the womb. I know it's not common but it does happen, I feel I've let myself get so attached that I wouldn't be able to cope.

Thank you @fonxey! After a little google tonight I read that it can move out of the way later in pregnancy... so fingers crossed. 🤞🏼

This is my first too but I've felt some muffled movement lower down in my belly. Especially if I bend forward!

@codenameduchess that's really useful to know - my DBF was gutted when I told him he might not feel anything.

I am feeling some movements from time to time, but not too much. I think at this stage (18+4) I felt a lot more with my previous pregnancy...this time maybe is because the twins are smaller and less strong? Or maybe just depend on every pregnancy...

I am still taking pregnacare and I think due to my type of pregnancy I will have to keep taking them. Also my consultant advised me to take iron supplement from 24w, but this is because in twin pregnancy you loose more blood during birth.

Last year I stopped taking vitamins after the first trimestre and I only had vitamin D3 during the third trimestre because it was winter season...

@IHD83 my midwife and consultant told me to keep taking the multi vitamin right through (and added iron, vitamin D and aspirin) as I'm high risk- which I believe a twin pregnancy is too?

The midwife said that she tells everyone to carry on taking the multivitamin as it won't do any harm and keeps you topped up on things you're likely to run low on.

I'm running and event with work today, no one knows I'm pregnant and I'm sure baby has shifted in the night as I'm so huge none of my trousers will fasten!

@codenameduchess Yes, twin pregnancy is high risk too. Considering that last year I had anemia after birth for two months, it will be good if I take vitamins this time for the whole pregnancy 😜

Hi all, another December baby due here (31st)! I'm fifteen weeks and no clue what I'm doing...

I've quickly looked through the thread and can't find any mention of antenatal classes, though I might be missing something (pretty severe brain fog). Has anyone here looked into or booked classes yet, and are they through the NHS or NCT?

Also, probably a long shot but is anyone here in or near North Wales?? I'm struggling to find anything for new parents near us, though again I might just be searching wrong!

Welcome @aliensprig! I did an NCT course with my first baby and did find it very useful, although I would suggest you do your own reading/research too as it can only cover so much. It was a lovely way to make new friends and we still meet up regularly with our toddlers!

If NCT isnt available near you, your midwife should be able to tell you about any NHS courses in the area. Hypnobirthing is a great one to do on your own too, there are lots of online resources, if it floats your boat lol. The only other thing I would add is to put some time into learning about what to do after the birth. Many antenatal courses focus solely on birth and neglect to tell you anything about how to look after a baby!

Welcome @aliensprig and congratulations 😀
I did the nhs antenatal classes with my first.... it was a bit pointless for us to be honest, they just talked about birth and it had all been covered by my midwife anyway- I was more interested in what to do with a tiny human. In hindsight I wish we'd done nct for the social aspect but with no one to have dd it's not an option this time.

Look into classes around you and facebook groups can be great for getting recommendations, there is usually a mummies group for an area and it can help you find classes/groups or other new mums. There's a bf support group around me that also runs a bumps and babies group you can pop along to before baby comes until they are mobile which is lovely.

Just checking in, we've had our twenty week scan and all is looking good with baby! I have placenta previa, so that'll be monitored when I go for the growth scans and 🤞 it moves! I'll put a photo up, he was a little awkwardly positioned though and was enjoying tipping his face into the placenta!
Feeling movement more often now too, and I even saw one little kick/punch last night week!

Hello everyone, 15+6 first pregnancy here. quick question but has anyone had a really stuffy nose, sore throat, headache, painful ears combo and found any solutions that worked for them? I've read a few things about pregnancy rhinitis/sinus infections but keen to know if anyone has managed to reduce the symptoms as I am desperate for ideas!

I have a snuffly nose. More ticklish than anything but in the mornings i have to bow out a lot.

Hi @Toss! Yes, I've had quite a bit of that, just getting over tonsillitis now actually and had two nasty colds earlier on in the first trimester. Unfortunately I've not managed to find much to help other than the saline nasal sprays, Paracetamol when necessary and lots of fluids and rest. Propping myself up with plenty of pillows has helped relieve pressure and coughing at night too.

I'm not keen on our nhs antenatal classes. They are for a day, 6 hours in one day. Too much. NCT is too expensive ans I'm not sure I'll fit in with all those middle class mummy types all trying to keep in with the Jones'.

I looked into bumps and babies such seemed mildly better, still £200. And held in a pub. Not my scene really... Sounds a bit too hipster for me.

Then i logged at this daisy thing. The easiest one for me to get to is mother's only. Well it took two of us two make this baby I'm not going on my own.

So i might just get private ones which is a bit sad but i can't find anything else local and it is much easier this way due to my work pattern. I work long days shift pattern so a pain to attend regular classes and i have already asked to do a yoga thing which will at least get me meeting other mums.

And then what annoys me is that a lot of postnatal classes (nct for one) said "mother's only" because yeah, the father will obviously have NO part in the babies life. And what about gay men who adopt, or whatever?

It feels to be treat the father is occasionally welcome, mostly tolerated but rarely expected. I'm kinda upset by this and i don't want it to be entirely me-focused. Yes i am pregnant, yes I'm going to be squeezing a baby out but he'll be there with me and he'll be there after and he'll be looking after the baby as well. He has to put up with all my pregnant crap. He had been there for me. Worrying, fussing, making sure we are both all right.

Whew... hadda get that off my chest!

Thanks @BostonFern, although sorry to hear about the tonsillitis, that doesn't sound fun! Good tips (although devastating that there isn't a magic cure I could borrow 😂.) I've been going very big on the fluids, but will get a saline nasal spray and an early night and hope it doesn't linger too much longer.

I wish I had done nct to meet other mums as lots of friends I have now are still close to their nct crowd 6 years later. My local children’s centre did a great course for first time mums from 6 weeks though that was free, so worth looking into

@fonxey that’s not my experience at all. Seen lots of things for mums and dads, but found that dad can do the evening things for the most part and women can do Day time groups (stay at home dads are welcome but still quite a rare sight) I think they will change though. My husbands shared parental leave policy is really generous, so It’s becoming more encouraged

@fonxey there was a thread on mn recently by a poster who didn't think men should be allowed at baby groups because it made her uncomfortable. I don't think that's how most people think (and many, many replies to that thread agreed she was unreasonable) but sadly, a lot is geared towards mums with the expectation mums are primary carer when baby arrives. I believe this is because shared leave is still fairly new and, at least in my experience, not used that often.

There are nhs and nct antenatal classes around us for mums and dads, all evening and seem to be 6-8pm give or take a little so rule us out for childcare (and I don't want to pay hundreds for nct) but at least they are an option.

The nct postnatal classes here for me said women (mother's) only. The ante-natal ones were ok. It makes me sad though. But I'm not paying £200 for them. Well if i did the pn classes nearly £300. And if be more interested in those tbh.