Aug 2021 - half way there!

[HopefulB]

@wimbler - EDD 29 July, surprise 💛
@Champson - EDD 22 August (but really June/July), TBC 💖💖💖
@coffeeandrainbows1- EDD 4 August (but most likely July), Boy 💙
@Jessicapebbles - EDD 5 August (but having C-section at 39 weeks, so really July), Girl 💖
@Smurf123 - EDD 5 August (but likely to be July) 💛
@WhatEvenIsSleep - EDD 2 August, Boy 💙
@Smushty14 - EDD 6 August, TBC 💛
@Rattyclife - EDD 6 August, TBC 💛
@Dia12 - EDD 8 August, Girl 💖
@Biscuitcat - EDD 10 August, surprise 💛
@ElonaWise - EDD 11 August, TBC 💛
@Runnergirl123 - EDD 11 August, TBC 💛
@PurplePansy05 - EDD 12 August, Boy 💙
@Srtdr - EDD 12 August, surprise 💛
@Daffodil21 - EDD 12 August, Boy 💙
@Inmypjsagain - EDD ???, Boy 💙
@BananaHammock23 - EDD 13 August, surprise 💛
@MrsB2019x - EDD 13 August, Girl 💖
@Magik01 - EDD 13 August, Boy 💙
@Carefree1 - EDD 15 August, Girl 💖
@DressyGerbera - EDD 15 August, surprise 💛
@lucyrp - EDD 16 August, undecided 💛
@BertieBotts - EDD 16 August, want to know! 💛
@WolfMother326 - EDD 17 August, surprise 💛
@Caz1226 - EDD 17 August, Boy 💙
@Lille4 - EDD 17 August, TBC 💛
@Redskinsucks - EDD 17 August, TBC 💛
@RockyRockyRoad - EDD 18 August, can't wait to find out 💛
@Smallbean27 - EDD 19 August, surprise 💛
@WatermelonKisses - EDD 20 August, surprise 💛
@Alittlexmasmagic - EDD 22 August, surprise 💛
@Millymay13 - EDD 22 August, TBC 💛
@Whatshouldbemyusername - EDD 22 August, surprise 💛
@LottSE20 - EDD 22 August, TBC 💛
@Notinthestarsigns - EDD 23 August, TBC 💛
@LaceyMermaid - EDD 24 August, TBC 💛
@Fran919 - EDD 25 August, surprise 💛
@northernsquirrel - EDD 26 August, surprise 💛
@LyraShaeLilly - EDD 27 August, can't wait to find out 💛
@ame88 - EDD 28 August, TBC 💛
@diamante11 - EDD 29 August, Girl 💖
@HopefulB - EDD 29 August, TBC 💛
@CountryGirl84 - EDD 29 August, TBC 💛

Also has anyone signed up for the NCT antenatal courses? Are they good? Is there any other company that people are taking these with? X

Rennies! Occasionally peppermint tea. Milk is also supposed to help.

Although these days both heartburn and reflux get me out of the blue. Also never ending burps, urgh! I can't lay down on a sofa without heartburn/reflux in the eve. Gutted.

I am so tired too, not sleeping great as still worried about the reno, too busy thinking about too many things at once. I seem to be in need of impromptu power naps, yesterday I had one in the car on the way to see prams (DH was driving obvs!). 3 pm is my crisis point. Then come 10pm I definitely need another one, so I snooze sat up on the sofa before going to bed 🤣 I'm still tired and hungry most of the time though 🤷🏼‍♀️😴 xx

@Whatshouldbemyusername I think NCT and NHS classes vary a lot depending who the instructor is.
I did both the NHS and NCT for DS. Both in my opinion had their strengths and weaknesses and I'm glad I did both.
NCT were great for social. Also they covered more about after the birth. How to change a nappy, how to BF, how to look after a baby in general.
NHS were much better for knowing your birth options. We got to hold and look at forceps etc. We were informed about drug options and interventions. Everything we needed to know about giving birth.
(This was one thing that annoyed me about NCT, it was briefly covered in a "you won't need to worry about this so we'll briefly glance over it" kinda way).
This is just my personal experience though so can't say it's the same across the board x

@BertieBotts, I’ve got those veggie bodysuits on a list for when I cave!!

Re heartburn, I’m not suffering too much if baby eat little and often, and not too late. I did buy Gaviscon liquid at the weekend to have on standby. Gaviscon is generally thought to be better than rennies etc for reflux as the Alginates form a raft, and liquid slightly better than tabs as seem to soothe on way down?!

Peppermint is great for wind, but can make reflux worse as it can relax the valve at the bottom of your food pipe. I would usually recommend fennel- but it’s not recommended in pregnancy as large amounts can have effect on hormones.

Our NCT classes start in the 27th - feels early, but quite excited actually! I also found a buddy at work who’s in another team but only 2 weeks ahead

I’ve suggested that I’d like mat leave from due date and AL for 4 weeks before. Haven’t yet received mat b1 to submit.
Finance are doing my nut - we’re more than 2 weeks into new financial year, but budgets not finally set, so they won’t look at anything that’s a cost pressure (cover for ML for example). Our recruitment process takes at least 4 months so it’s starting to stress me out!!

Just had a text from OH parents to say they’d like to buy us a stroller, budget no problem!!!!

They are sooo cute and the quality is gorgeous. Size looks slightly bigger than the other vests we have in the same size but as it's organic cotton I wonder if that's to allow for shrinking.

@PurplePansy05 it used to go in the basket under neath!

@Ready2020 I've had to lather myself in moisturiser from head to toe since pretty much week 6 as pregnancy has made me have awful dry skin everywhere especially my bump so been using bio oil on it for ages now.

@Fran919 I had to submit a maternity application form a few weeks ago outlining when I'd like my mat leave to start etc. I've also booked 2 weeks of AL right up until my mat leave date

@HopefulB OHs brother offered to buy us a pram which he turned down 😩 I would have said yes !

Regarding tiredness we left the house at 11 yesterday and didn't get home until 7isg and I was surprisingly okay after being on my feet shopping all day! We bought a couple of outfits, a couple of little toys, a blanket and the last piece of furniture for the nursery ☺️

Oh I didn't realise gaviscon was better for reflux. I'll get some of that.

I'm not too bad on the tiredness side of things. Though today I'm struggling a lot as I was naughty and had some diet coke yesterday but before bed. It's the only caffeine I've had in months and I got a terrible sleep. I don't drink tea or coffee anyway and have done well to hit my diet coke habit. I find work a struggle most days though. Just can't concentrate much. Still have 2 and a half months until mat leave so I hope they aren't expecting much from me

I've joined an NCT course as well as a hypnobirthing course. The NCT one is in Edinburgh though so I'm trying to find one closer to Dunbar where I'm moving to. I've no friends that are having babies just now as I'm a bit older and they've all had theirs.

I'm taking mat leave 2 weeks before due date and also using 2 weeks annual leave before that. Can't wait to be off!

I can't have any fizzy drinks at all, or any acidic juices as they make heartburn awful for me. xx

I stupidly decided to work right up until my due date but wishing I had booked off sooner now😩

@lucyrp I think (but I may be wrong, so someone correct me if I am!!) that you might be able to change your dates as long as you still give them 28 notice??

Update from me - legal company got back to me. Said gardening leave doesn't affect SMP and I'll still get it. I've got back to my employer and told him I'm not taking my resignation back, and id like to take him up on his offer of gardening leave. I'm not sure when this will start but hoping it's ASAP! I have a feeling he's going to drag it out though!

Urgh I really feel your pain with the heartburn! I've been taking the chewable gaviscon but it hasn't really helped so I'll try the liquid. I did get prescribed something from the pharmacist, but tbh I'm not 100% she heard me when I asked if it was suitable for pregnancy, and a google of it isn't clear either so I haven't taken any yet.

I did NCT in my first pregnancy and enjoyed it so much. It was also brilliant to have this kind of ready made circle of local mum friends. I haven't stayed in touch with most of them but as far as I can tell most of them are in touch with each other. I was at least 10 years younger than everyone else and lifestyle etc never quite "fit" which didn't really work long term, although it absolutely didn't matter for the first year or two which is exactly when I needed that kind of contact. Not sure how it would work with lockdowns etc, but we used to meet up at Starbucks, then once we needed space for buggies, this migrated to the Sainsbury's café and then once the babies were more mobile and wanting to explore we would rotate and meet at one person's house each week.

God I sooo miss regular meet ups like that :( Here I used to go to an English speakers one which was every other Friday in a café with a huge play area. It hasn't been on in over a year now.

I can't drink coke or anything fizzy at all as I find I'm on the loo for ages just weeing out every last drop of water in my body :o :o Cannot cope with anything like that at the moment!

Fizzy drinks make me burp so much at the moment literally immediately 😂🤣

I did NHS antenatal classes and DS goes to school with 3 of the children from the same class and it's really lovely. We used to meet up and go to bumps group altogether ☺️

I have signed up to NCT, I've heard some of you on here saying the NHS ones focus more on the birth and I'm not interested in that as the whole thing terrifies me and will be asking for an ELCS!!!

I want to go to the classes to learn how to look after baby and for socialising so NCT is for me!!

I have just ordered gaviscon mint and Palmers moisturiser. All while attending a teams meeting at work about risk management

Thanks ladies.

I will try do both - NHS and NCT ones. I've just moved to Wembley Park and literally have no friends here. I'm hoping to meet some mums not too far so as @BertieBotts said, have that social side too. X

I'm also signed up for NCT - only 6 weeks away now which is going scarily fast! My main priority for antenatal classes is socialising, as we only moved to our area fairly recently and don't have lots of local friends, and NCT will hopefully hit the spot for that.

@Daffodil21 glad to hear that news! Hopefully that will take a huge weight off your mind and mean you can relax and enjoy the rest of the pregnancy without work stressing you out.

I've been totally knackered recently! It's come on quite suddenly I've found, I'm sure last week I was basically ok and now I'm struggling to stay awake past 10, which is really early for me, I'm usually not in bed till nearer midnight

lying on the sofa in the evening is the worst for heartburn! Oh I’m terrible with fizzy drinks, I wasn’t really a big drinker of them pre pregnancy but I just can’t seem to drink flat drinks? Water makes me sick or feel sick, so I have orange juice mixed with fizzy water and I’ve got caffeine free Coke. That’s pretty much all I drink. The smell of coffee makes me vomit and decaf tea doesn’t taste right!

I’ve signed up to nct too, I wanted to do bumps and babies as it’s cheaper but was sold out by March! I’m doing it for a social aspect too. Are the nhs ones the prism ones?

@Daffodil21 bet you’ll be counting down til it starts!!

With you all on the tiredness but I get into bed and I just can’t sleep! I get maybe one night a week where I get maybe a solid 6 hours? The rest I’m lucky to stay asleep for 2 hours at a time! Reckon it’s my body preparing me for the baby... which seems a bit mean if I’m honest!

@lucyrp how did you get on with the red spots on your tummy from earlier in the thread? Did they clear?

Caved and booked the NCT course, mainly for social reasons and having local people to meet!
Also, first trip to the shops today and we couldn't help ourselves but buy a few baby bits. Its all so cute!

I wanted to book an NCT course for the social side too. Like many of you, we've not lived here for very long so I don't really know anyone. I've just looked and the closest one is over away, so not sure that's going to help with meeting new people locally!!

Are any of these locations near you @Daffodil21 bumpandbabyclub.com/book-your-place/ I actually think the course content looks better than nct!

@Inmypjsagain thanks for this, but sadly not! The closest is Edinburgh which is about 100 miles south of here! I think I'll probably just end up posting on the local fb page and hopefully someone will let me know of one or maybe some people will respond to set up a little social group. Ha, probably not, but worth a go!

I think NHS ones are different depending on your Trust. When I did them 13 years ago they were pretty useless at ours TBH... Only 2 sessions in a massive hot room with loads of people so you couldn't really have a conversation and it was all lecture style.

Sometimes there are other chains or independent companies offering childbirth preparation or newborn care/breastfeeding classes if you can't find NCT ones close to you.

@Daffodil21 oops! Bit of a trek then 😂 next door is quite a good app for stuff like that but then I don’t know what areas it operates in, I forget being based in London how London centric things often are!

I’m looking into nhs ones, think my trust they’re all online at the moment. I’d really like a course that covered baby first aid but nct do that separately and it’s quite £! (The antenatal cost £320 which I thought seemed quite a lot!)

@Inmypjsagain £320 is so much!! I think it must be location dependent as we were £260, only about 50 miles out of London