April 2023 - We’re nearly half way! ✨ 🍼

[Cuppasoupmonster]

New thread! Hopefully this one will see us through 20 week scans and crossing the halfway point! 💕

As ever if you’re missing from the list give me a shout and I will add you:

Cuppasoupmonster second baby 7th (induction 37w) 💖
Milkandfenty third baby 1st 💛
Searchingtheskies second baby 2nd 💛
Biscuitsplease first baby 2nd 💖
Chocolat first baby 3rd 💛
Bluebubbles12 second baby 4th 💛
Erber third baby 4th 💛
CariadBB first baby 5th 💛
Skylark1990 second baby 7th 💛
Melissa2023 first baby 8th 💙
Tubbytele second baby 14th (CS 39w) 💛
Alwaysseeingstars first baby 9th 💛
Lj2022 first baby 10th 💖
Emeal123 second baby 11th 💙
DBS94 first baby 11th 💙
tattlytote second baby 12th 💛
Bernesemum first baby 12th 💛
Lid88 second baby 13th 💛
Ncbn first baby 14th 💙
Kennadams fourth baby 16th 💛
Margo34 second baby 16th💛
Aliceinslumberland first baby 16th (CS 39w) 💙
Appleandcheese first baby 18th 💛
Xalexandra first baby 20th 💛
Piggybean first baby 20th 💛
Tropicana1 second baby 20th 💛
Puddingbear 27th (CS 39w) 💛
Springblooms08 first baby 21st 💛
Hannah223344 first baby 21st 💙
Gilm0reGirl second baby 21st 💛
Pommy1 first baby 22nd 💖
Deek88 second baby 24th 💛
Marshmallowmountain first baby 25th 💖
LauraA31 first baby 26th 💛
Peachesthecat third baby 26th 💛
Allfurcoatnoknickers second baby 28th 💖
Limoncelloo 29th March second baby 💖
MamaMenna second baby 30th 💖

@Skylark1990 I want that dress too! I would never wear it when not pregnant though. I don't mind shopping for maternity clothes either as I feel less pressure to find things that look flattering

Congrats @Chocolat 💙💙💙

@Skylark1990 My office is chaos right now - loads of stress and staffing changes - and they haven't had a great track record recently with treating people well when they come back from maternity leave. It's just easier to not be pregnant at the moment as far as anyone at the office is concerned.

My manager is great, her managers...less so.

@Longbin it's such a cool dress isnt it! Yes I like that we can wear big baggy stuff and that's just expected 😂 but I do like to have some nice stuff for work.

@allfurcoatnoknickers ah yes that makes sense. that's a shame they don't treat pregnant women so well after leave. hopefully that changes!

Also big congratulations @Chocolat so glad everything went well 💙💙

I mean these two dresses are great imo! ✴️ Would wear with or without bump. I need a winter wedding or fancy Xmas party to go to!

Congratulations to all those who've had the 20 week scan, feels like a massive milestone.

@Skylark1990 and @Longbin that sequinned dress is spectacular

From The Times: Eight lessons on dressing your baby bump

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/04681af4-123d-11ed-a669-519b582f91b7?shareToken=b4c90d4f820e4190a50ce9fe290d4b75

I found this quite helpful

@IvyAurora that is a good article. Wish I could afford £500 maternity dresses 😂 but yes good advice and principles for choosing stuff!

Thank you @Cuppasoupmonster @Hannah223344 @Skylark1990
yes was such a relief considering my DS risk! Feel a lot more relieved.

Also trying not to buy maternity clothes, trying to buy clothes that will fit with and without a bump!

That sequinned dress is bloody gorgeous! Shame I would have absolutely nowhere to wear it this year - no dressy events upcoming 😭 not going to my work do as it’s ages away and can’t afford the ticket plus travel plus hotel.

Chocolat great that your scan is looking nice and healthy xx

@Cuppasoupmonster thanks 🥰

Looking at boys clothes now, why are options so limited 🤔. Even on mama and papas and H&M very few sleep suit options! Anyone have any good places to shop for boys?

@Chocolat mini rodini, organic zoo, lindex, Claude & Co, bobo choses (expensive though)

John Lewis have nice babygrows which wash well, as do GAP. Expensive though!

@Skylark1990 oh now I want that sequin dress too but I have absolutely nowhere I could wear it! it's lovely.

@Chocolat my favourite is little green radicals, they have so many lovely things. It comes up secondhand quite a lot and it's amazing quality.
John Lewis have lots of nice baby stuff, as do Lindex.
But also, I bought my son lots of things from the "girl" section too. He wore some pink because it suited him, he had floral sleepsuits and looked adorable in them.
Clothes are clothes, they don't need to be gendered. Especially for babies who are just little round blobs.

@Chocolat Next has been my go-to so far for most clothes ... have managed to pick up some really nice bits for our 💙

I love John lewis for the quality of the cotton. Lindex is a new one on me but they look good! I also like the supermarket sometimes for affordability. M&S also a staple for us as I like the way they cut. I have recently bought a few nice bits in plain neutral colours from Zara.
Congrats @Chocolat on your boy 💙

Congrats @Chocolat 💙
@Skylark1990 I was eyeing up that sequinned dress too, it's so nice but I got nothing to wear it to either! 🤣

Waiting for my 20 week scan so I can start buying some baby clothes. I know I can start getting some neutral ones now but I'd rather wait until I've had my scan 😅

@chocolat I'm having a boy too and I've bought a few things from Vinted (not sure if you're ok with second hand). Polarn O. Pyret make nice gender neutral sleepsuits and are apparently good quality.

@IvyAurora Polarn o pyret sleepsuits and pyjamas last forever. DS is super tall and outgrows things really fast (he's 3 and in 5-6 and some 6-7!), but his PoP sleepsuits/pyjamas do him 2 whole years! They have fold up cuffs. They are lovely quality too and the patterns are great. You can get matchy adult ones too if that's your thing 😊

Glad everyone likes the dress 👗😂 it is so nice. I thought about it for my work Xmas do but think I'd be overdressed!

So last night when I woke at one point I piled up an extra pillow plus my v pillow, and propped myself up so I could lie on my back but not be flat. It worked well! I still spent most of the night on my sides but I definitely appreciated a stint if back sleep! Miss it so much.

@Chocolat did they mention anything about DS like did they check for soft markers and reassure you etc? I know they do check but wondered if they actually said anything or if you said you'd been worried. Glad everything is good! At one point got a bundle of second hand sleep suits from FB market place and it was loads of ones from next, m&s and John Lewis. They were boys ones but such cool patterns we didn't care and DD looked so cute! Loads of bright colours and cool patterns, dinosaurs, sea creatures, camouflage, etc. M&s also has nice thick sleep suits. For summer I prefer h&m sleep suits as a bit thinner and footless.

Also it's good for baby to have feet and legs out as much as poss (obviously if warm enough) as its good for development, they have loads of nerve endings in their feet!

Hi all

Still here trying to shift this horrendous cough - GP prescribed me amoxicillin on Monday but I'm yet to take it because lots of studies show antib's in pregnancy increase the risk of allergys in the baby and I need no more risks than the one I already have which is high because my DD is still severely allergic to dairy and soya now at 2.5 years, which makes this baby high chance of having an allergy too - gah! so I'm just trying to get along without taking them with the weekend as my deadline.

Totally agree with all the mat wear convos - I normally shop at Zara, Mango, Cos etc and I'm struggling so much with what to wear. I didn't buy any mat clothes with my DD as it was lockdown so I just lived like a hobo haha. This time so far I'm managing with H&M Mama tights and non maternity jumper dresses but I'm really struggling for work. I hate ALL of the maternity brands out there, so mumsy and frumpy and just not me. I did order a dress from Boohoo maternity the other day for a christmas party I'm going to, it's a very fitted dark green velvet number and it's arrived and I love it! wouldn't normally buy from fast fashion companies but I got desperate and it's great, would recommend a browse for party wear.

For those asking for baby clothes, they vary SO much in size. George always runs big, the best I found was Next, and I bought the same vests in every size she moved up in because the quality was far above any other vests I tried, including more expensive ones. They still sell them here - highly recommend for fit and quality, I will be re-using them for this baby: www.next.co.uk/style/st024243/u10726#u10726**

Hope you're all well! We have our 20 week scan on the 28th and I'm so desperate to know the sex now! still convinced boy so we shall see :)

@Lid88 oh no, I hope you manage to fight it off. I'm also reluctant to take antibiotics for the same reason - DS has soya and dairy allergies and I'm trying to do whatever I can to reduce the risk for this baby. I think it might be inevitable though.
DS was on amoxicillin last week for a chest infection and I have a cough now but luckily it seems to be going away. The doctor told us to avoid all dairy and soya while he recovered from the antibiotics. He's on the ladder for both so can tolerate some, but we've had to stop that for now! At 2.5 he was still very allergic to soya so there's hope your DD will outgrow it at some point 😊

@lid88 I was prescribed amoxicillin Monday for my chest infection, i fought it for four weeks but it seemed to be getting worse last week and i was struggling to walk without having a massive coughing fit so ive given in and taken the antibiotics, but now slightly regretting it… my cough does seem to have slowed a lot though even after three days!

@Lid88 oooh green velvet sounds lovely will check it out! I hope you can shift your cough. I had the same worry re antibiotics when I had an ear infection at 5/6 weeks but decided the risk of an infection affecting the pregnancy was worse than the antibiotics. I'm really hoping I don't get any other infections tho as I really don't want to have to take them again! But I think taking once or twice is most likely fine, sometimes we just need to take the meds! I am also on omeprazole ATM due to my gastritis flaring up, so taking for 4 weeks. Hoping that's it! But similarly to antibiotics have read it can increase chance of allergies in baby but in the studies that showed a possible link, majority still didn't have allergies so I'm holding onto that. DD had to have a week of antibiotics when she was born and she's got no allergies at all so I'm just trying to be positive about it. Also I'd recommend taking probiotics through pregnancy anyway, (if ok for you) as this can help the developing fetus too, but esp if you do need to take antibiotics!

@LauraA31 don't feel worried lovely, you needed the antibiotics it sounds like and even though there is a possible link we need to look after ourselves and sometimes that means taking antibiotics or medication. I am usually someone who avoids antibiotics when I can, and I'm quite natural remedies inclined but at the end of the day, if we need them we need them! Take some probiotics and eat natural yoghurt and you'll build the good bacteria back up. 💚

@Skylark1990 I think it's more likely that antibiotics etc can cause allergies in babies that already have some other risk factors. Those are a family history of allergies, or other linked things like eczema and asthma. A previous sibling having allergies also increases the risk - it's something like 50% chance!
Most babies don't have allergies.