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 💖

@PuddingBear thats reassuring to hear, I did expect to feel movements later but feel like it’s getting too late, think I’m just impatient 😅

@BeingHappy were in the same boat then!

@Skylark1990 @ancienthouse thanks, you are both right and I thought I was embracing bump but I had a dress on which showed it a bit yesterday and felt a bit self conscious as still don’t know if people look at me like I’m pregnant or just fat 😅. And re sex you’re right these things are seasonal, I bet DH just feels a bit weird about it as bump is getting bigger and he can tell there’s a baby in the way but my insecurities are telling me he doesn’t find me attractive anymore 😂.

and @ancienthouse good luck for your scan

@Cuppasoupmonster glad you’re feeling better mentally! Aww I bet DH is excited to have a boy, I think all men are secretly

@Cuppasoupmonster my DS hated going to football because it was too loud, so now I take him to ballet classes and it's much more his thing!!
Congrats on a baby boy, they're so lovely.

Re movements, I'm in the same boat ⛵ as some of the below posts! Definitely felt lots of movements two weeks ago, a couple of days in a row. Then again quite a bit last Thursday and Friday evenings. But nothing in between really and pretty sure nothing this week! Trying not to worry... Am only 19+3 and I know there's no regular pattern yet, but can't help but think why is it so sporadic?!

On movements - I'm still not actually convinced I've felt any, 20w now with baby number 2. Even DH had felt bump kicks by this time with DC1 so I'm panicking. When I saw MW at 16w she said "oh yes you'll absolutely know you've felt baby because you've done it all before and you feel second babies sooner". So un-reassuring! 😭 Scan next week can't come soon enough!!

@Cuppasoupmonster glad your repeat scan went well and was conclusive for you, fingers crossed they find some clerical human error with the original NIPT you had done!

Also on the DTD topic - we're another couple that haven't done it since pregnancy. Early bleeding and generally feeling like my body isn't my own has totally put me off and it did last time too with DC1. I was about 9m PP last time before we resumed DTD so what's that, like 18m without!! I didn't notice I missed it until we resumed either 😂

@Skylark1990 @ancienthouse @Margo34 me four with the DTD.. maybe once since I found out I was pregnant very early on but then I became super nauseous and hated being touched and my boobs became unbelievably sensitive and now I'm getting quite big DH is too weirded out that the baby will know/hear 😂

I had a cry a couple of weeks ago when I saw my first stretchmarks (DH on the other hand was so excited for the stretchmarks) but part of me is feeling a bit self conscious now too.

About movements, mine are mainly at night. I'm a night owl and so can feel the movements a lot more at night and hardly in the day unless after I eat something

My scan didn't go how I expected! I got to see the baby which was lovely. But my cervix is borderline short, so I have to take progesterone and go back for more scans to keep an eye on it. It increases the risk of premature labour which seems mad to me since DS came at almost 42 weeks. But apparently having a c section while fully dilated has done something to my cervix.

I know there are a few of you who had progesterone pessaries earlier on in pregnancy - any tips for me so it's not so messy?! I've never had them before.

@ancienthouse thats quite a change from your first pregnancy, are you okay? It’s always upsetting to not have a scan go 100% smoothly no matter what the issue that is flagged up. As I mentioned before part of my placenta is covering the cervix at the moment, they’re confident it will move away as the uterus expands but it’s just one thing after another for me at the moment.

@ancienthouse I hope you're feeling ok about the findings, that's not ideal but hopefully they were reassuring that it should be ok? Yes I took progesterone pessaries. Have you been given 400mg twice a day?

My tips: I found doing them rectally a lot easier and less messy (no mess!) in the morning if I had to be up and about quickly as you don't need to lie down after (although make sure any bowel movements have been already or are at least an hour after you insert).

At night I often did vaginally just before bed. You need to lie down for around 30 mins after you insert vaginally so it absorbs.

Make sure your hands are clean esp when doing vaginally, as have heard it can increase chances of a UTI if not. If you don't like mess in your undies keep a spare pair with you! I did this rather than using panty liners, which I don't like.

@Cuppasoupmonster thanks, I'm feeling OK I think, just a little thrown as I assumed it would be fine and I'm a bit worried that it'll get even shorter and I'll need a stitch or be put on bed rest. Hopefully not!
I've been told no lifting heavy weights, no standing for too long, no sex, and to rest as much as I can. Which is fine if it helps but just frustrating.

@Skylark1990 Thank you for the tips, it's just one a day so I'll do them in the evening then and it should be easier.
They seemed to think it could go either way, but hopefully the progesterone will keep my cervix at the same length now and it won't get shorter. I doubt I'll get to 41 weeks now which is what I was kind of planning on so I might need to rethink mat leave! Maybe after my next scan and see how it's going.

@ancienthouse oh that’s a bit stressful, I guess at leas they know and can be proactive now. When will your next scan be?

@Cuppasoupmonster glad things feel a bit better today 💕

Today, in the same day, I had one person say to me, ‘Gosh aren’t you showing a lot for 20 weeks’ and another say, ‘gosh aren’t you neat for 20 weeks’ so I’m not sure how to feel?!

@ancienthouse sorry to hear you have a worry over your cervix, fingers crossed for you.

@AliceinSlumberland 😂 I guess everyone compares to their own experiences. I had none of that last time because of isolation and not seeing anyone, which was great.

@ancienthouse take them rectally! So much less faff. I couldn't stand the feeling or the mess of taking them vaginally, regardless of whether it was morning or before bed 😂

I wear a baby on board badge on public transport and I feel like so many people deliberately push in front of me when I've got it on! Do other people find this, or is it just that I'm more aware of people barging in now?

thanks everyone! @AliceinSlumberland my next scan is in 2 weeks and then if it's any shorter I think I'll be scanned every 2 weeks until 34 weeks.

It was funny having a transvaginal scan this far along, I could see part of the baby's head and ear wriggling away above my cervix!

@Longbin I found (some) people were more helpful when I wore a baby on board badge last time, and others just ignored it. I don't think they were more bargy than normal but I was just hyper aware of it and protective of my bump which is tricky when you're commuting across London and packed in like sardines! I changed my working hours so I didn't have to travel at rush hour.

@ancienthouse, sorry to hear it didn't go as you expected lovely - never what we want to hear! Glad the baby seems to be okay :)
On progesterone, definitely rectally is SO much easier! I don't know why I bothered vaginally for the first few weeks. Back end is so quick and easy and you're sure that it all absorbs! Just make sure you don't need to go after if that makes sense - otherwise, it'll all come out! 😆

Morning ladies, getting my Pram tomorrow hopefully, think I’ve settled on getting an infant car seat for now and then get a 360 when baby is older as I want to be able to attach to my pram for short trips. Do I want an isofix base? Sounds more convenient, is it safer?

@Longbin I've had mixed success with my badge - we are at the end of the line so going into town I can get a seat, but coming home again is a different story, so interesting the number of people who see the badge and don't give up their seat vs the people I wouldn't expect to move who then do!

@Longbin I tend to have people offering me a seat when they see my badge, so far! But I know what you mean I always think on the platform if people see it they might want to push in front of me to get to the seats first haha. Not sure this has actually happened, but I imagine it could!

@AliceinSlumberland We got an infant carrier that could attach to our pram casis but honestly very rarely used it. However, I'm sure others do and find them helpful... but in hindsight I think I would have just got a better seat that grows with baby from the get go! You shouldn't keep baby in the carseat for too long due to back development etc (as it sounds like you know) so it really limits what kinds of quick trips you'd keep baby in for as after say 20 mins drive you'd probably want to be taking baby out for a break at around the 30 min mark anyway, especially when v little. On Isofix, yes, defo get it - it's reassuring to know everything is well connected and not having to faff with straps to attach the seat.

@Skylark1990 @Hannah223344 I've only ever had woman barging infront of me to take the seats and refusing to offer! Teenagers have offered me seats though and a few older men. When I'm on the train I sit in first class now and the ticket inspector never minds, which is an amazing perk haha

Hi everyone, hope you're all looking forward to a nice weekend :)

I commented a couple of days ago about having mild pulsing/cramping feelings that were really quick but happening quite a lot over the course of a morning, that I was a bit worried about. I spoke to my midwife about it when on a call for prescription changes and she said they are very likely to be baby hiccups - so if anyone else feels it, that's probably it! They aren't easy to describe but it's a sort of pulsing/mild muscle spasm feeling 😊

I haven't had people pushing past me @Longbin but I did once have a man say "ooh watch out, watch out, she's got a baby on board". He was stood on the tube train with his back to the platform blocking the doorway. He was doing it in a mocking way to his friend next to him. I already feel a little shy asking for a seat but that day (maybe it was an extra hormonal day) I felt so miserable after that.

I've been too timid to ask for a seat when nobody has offered it so far. But I would say 50% of the time I do get offered a seat.

@alwaysseeingstars baby hiccups! That actually sounds adorable! I read on my Flo app that that might start happening around now!

Gosh I read that back and feel like none of it makes sense.

50% of the time people will offer me a seat. The other half of the time I've had people either genuinely not notice or just pretend they haven't seen or just plain stare at me and not bother offering.

And the guy blocking the door, I asked him nicely to move so I could get on to the carriage which is what prompted him to say that.