Due Feb 2010 part 2: the second trimester

[CaractacusPotty]

Not sure I am any more qualified, frankly, but hey ho!!

Welcome yummylilmummy Finally, someone due on the same day as me! Yaaay!

I too am no longer able to bend! I've finally given in to the fact that I need to wear support tights, but lord it's a nightmare getting into them! After battling with them for half an hour this morning, I was completely exhausted... and my day hadn't even started!!

Oh good, I'm glad other people are struggling with bending (not that I'm glad other people are struggling, but it makes me feel a bit more normal!). I'm finding shoes (and boots) a bit of a trauma - didn't have this problem last time I was pg as it was summer!

Welcome Yummy and any other newbies. I've been logging on and reading everyone's posts but haven't got round to posting anything myself until now. Hello to everyone else too (waves).

We've believed the sonographer who told us this baby is a girl, as she got it right last time. Guess we'll find out for sure (or more sure) when I go back at 32 weeks to check the placenta and kidney function.

In a fit of efficiency (and with an eye to not spending loads of money in one go), I have started my Christmas shopping this weekend. Feeling very proud of myself (had a shock yesterday when I realised it was only two months away, and the rate at which time is flying,I thought I'd better pull my finger out).

Also had the dawning realisation that I only have 10 weeks left at work. And still so much to do...

Does anyone else suffer with getting short of breath and dizzy from the slightest thing or is it just me? I had it last time as well and started off that pregnancy fitter than I've ever been. It went as soon as I'd had the baby last time so I can't wait! I'm finding it puts me off doing anything which is possibly a vicious circle of inactivity.

I'm also avoiding the weighing scales although I am sure my thighs are getting larger than they should be. Again I need to be more active!

Watercress - Christmas in 2 months! We want to do some decorating as well before then.

Hi Mamaloco, Thanks for your advice. They are extraordinarily vague here, they told me that the exact EDD isn't important as the baby can arrive any time from 37 weeks anyway, which I know is true, but it is good to have a specific date to tell people and to get slightly organised around.

Christmas in two months - I think I'd better use this before it's too late

After posting about going dizzy this morning I managed to have a funny turn in a car park this lunch time, this time it was low blood sugar (my fault for wandering round the shops for too long and leaving lunch too late), I was trying to get DS into his car seat and he was wriggling about and giggling and I came over all funny, I was all hot and sweaty and trying not to pass out, lovely. Took me about ten minutes to get to the point where I could go and get a fun size crunchie from the boot which luckily I had got for trick or treaters, ate that and was fine after a few minutes. It's a bit scary though, especially when you are trying to control a toddler and have to somehow get both of you home.
Think passers by thought I was in labour as I was red and panting!

Is it just me that keeps having these episodes, puts me off leaving the house! I remember mentioning it to the midwife last time and she said just to take it easy, easier said than done!

Adding yummylilmummy

27th Jan Devotion DD1 6yrs & DD2 3yrs
2nd Feb Raindroprhyme DS1 8y, DS2 4y
2nd Feb Ktpie DS 13m
3rd Feb sunangel88 1st
4th Feb mothrof2boys
5th Feb chinook Dd 3.6yo
7th Feb grin DS 1 yr 6 m
8th Feb fiziwizzle, 1st
8th Feb gingerkirsty, 1st
8th Feb PinguCarrier, 1st
10th Feb Lovelymonster, 1st
10th Feb T4tastic 1st
11th Feb Woowa 1st
12th Feb Fluffycoo 1st
12th Feb Yummylilmummy 1st
13th Feb mignightsun DS 3y
14th Feb tryingtobemarypoppins DS 21months currently!
14th Feb Clappedout DD 21m
14th Feb Pops78, 1st
14th Feb Glynnispig 1st
14th Feb Threeplusone- DD 12.11yrs DS1 5.2yrs DS2 2.1yrs
14th Feb Stoofadoof, DD 2.11
15 Feb AngelaCarleen 1st
15 Feb flyingcloud 1st
16th Feb GuernseyFrench 1st
16 Feb Watercress DD1 2y 10m
16 Feb esselle - DD 5.1y, DS 20m
16 Feb hannahsaunt - ds1 (8.11), ds2 (6.5), ds3 (23mo)
17 Feb Bethylou - DS currently 16 months
17 Feb Becks130 - DS 3.5 yrs
18 Feb Sunnybump - First
20 Feb Gert ds 22m
20 Feb Cluny 1st
21 Feb Pyjamababe - First
22 Feb Skibelle
22 Feb Scoobydoo
23 Feb 2Happy ds1 4y ds2 2y
23 Feb (twins!!) Insanitybecomesme DS1 9yrs, DS2 7yrs. DD3y 3m, DS3 21m
23 Feb TheOldestCat DD 2.9y
23 Feb Phee96 DD 9m
24 Feb Elebereth
24 Feb TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied DS 15m
24 Feb MidgetGems
27 Feb Westlondongirl
28 Feb Mawbroon Due DS 3.10yo

ktpie are you drinking enough? I find carrying a bottle of water with me everywhere I go is helping with this. Also, eat porridge for breakfast as it lasts longer feeding us! I was dizzy in the first 14ish weeks but it seems to have passed now.

Now it's just chunky thighs and sagging breasts (as kind sweet DH said this morning!) A bit like a malformed battery chicken!!!

Christmas shopping...eek! Suppose I had better stop buying baby things and spend the money on other people instead for a while!!

Hi everyone, hope you all had good weekends!

I get short of breath at the least exertion, and have had two dizzy spells so far, also linked to low blood sugar like you ktpie. I am finding it practically impossible to lace up my walking boots (I told DP this weekend that he's have to do it from now on - bending hurts!) and also involutarily grunt when I forget that I can't bend and try to pick something up. Bend from the knees, not from the back...

I haven't thrown away / hidden my scales but I probably should as I weigh myself obsessively and last week managed to put on 3 pounds. In a week. Goodness knows how. I am telling myself that it's fluid... [reaches for another biscuit]

I seriously can't see how my bump can continue to grow at this rate for another 15 weeks! Does anyone else's seem to expand daily?

i can't see it expanding, and i'm not weighing myself, but what I do notice it just how much it stops me bending - otherwise i'd swear I haven't grown for about a month! I was only saying to my sister the other day that i'd always wondered what it was like to grow a bump in terms of it getting in the way. I smugly said, "you must just get used to it because it doesn't seem to be affecting me at all." ONe week later and it is most definitely affecting the way i walk, breathe, bend, stretch, sleep, sit and lie. Oh the joy of another 3 1/2 months of it growing!!

Hi All and welcome all newbies.

I don't think I have any low blood sugar moments to worry about, I am still craving mars bars, I wake up wanting one!

With regards to finding out the sex I was told it's a girl which I thought but 2 other sonographers who had to help check heart measurments confirmed that ALSO I was rescaned the following week and she said she stills says it's a girl. I've got a 4d scan next Friday so I will double check then.

I have also started christmas shopping and have actually got almost everything for DS! I am very proud of myself as we are usually rushing around the shops on christmas eve!

When should you start to do your birth plan? I know what I want but don't really know when to start putting pen to paper.

Last thing, what does everyone think of the swine flu jab? I am VERY confussed weather I should get it.

swine flu jab yes or no?? i just no im going to get a letter soon think i have decided im not going to have it!!
But then again what if i get swine flu?
Think i will just stay locked indoors till Feb lol away from all those who think nothing of just coughing and sneezing on you!
Thanks for adding me to the list

Hello all, and welcome newbies, I've not been on for a while and we've got a few more pages!

Things I am currently thinking about:

1. I am enjoying being pregnant very much - I think (so far, crossing fingers) that I am one of the lucky ones - just a bit of backache in the morning, a tiny bit of heartburn (hurrah for Gaviscon) and a small neat bump!

2. Low lying placenta - yep me too, we are just hoping for the best - next scan is meant to be around 34 wks. We want a home birth so keeping fingers extra crossed since a caesarian is the polar opposite of what we hoped for!

3. We are probably having a girl - I am completely happy either way and think it would be hilarious if it actually turned out to be a boy after months of calling it 'she'!

4. DH is under risk of redundancy at work, should find out on 11th Nov but again we are not stressing too much, if he keeps his job fab, if not the redundancy payment will tide us over for a while and worst case scenario I will then go back to work FT and he will look after bambino!

5. swine flu jab - aaaargh still don't know what to do! I think I am low risk, don't use public transport or mix with big crowds much, but you never know.... is the vaccine riskier than the chance of actually getting it?!

6. Chuffed to have discovered that you are still entitled to all your paid holidays whilst off on maternity - so that has basically given me an extra month of leave! Brilliant! Also stupidly only just twigged that we can also claim tax credits while I'm off too which will help since I 'only' get SMP.

7. finally on the subject of coats since this seems a popular one, I have just bought this in a gorgeous blue colour which does not seem to show on the website - I think £35 is a bargain esp since I was loathe to spend a lot for something I would only wear for a short time. I am normally a 12 but needed a 14 due to enormous boobage!

Wishing everyone a happy Halloween!

Ktpie, have you tried glucose tablets. Definitely worth having in your bag for the dizzy spells, if I try to keep a choccy bar in my bag I always eat it

I saw that coat too Gingerkirsty but ended up going for this one here,www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/detailfash.php?type=FASH&code=A9662&proddesc=Fleece+Lined+Parka&supercategor y=BRN00001&branch=&wcategory=CAT00017&catdesc=&super=0010BRN00001~0020BRN00003~0080CAT00017&treecode =TRE00009. I need it now too with all this wind, rain and cold.

Does anyone else get a bit down when the clocks go back? It's just so dark and I need some sunshine! Keep cosy and dry everyone

Sunnybump - good idea about the glucose tablets, I have half a packet somewhere so will shove them in my bag. I still have a few squashed cereal bars in my bag in case of morning sickness but annoyingly had put my bag in the back this morning and couldn't get to it.
Glad some other people get dizzy from the slightest exertion, I hate it as my heart starts to race as well, makes me feel incredibly unfit and it is a horrible feeling. Feeling pathetic and sorry for myself at the moment but the thought of fainting while out somewhere while my toddler runs amuck or worse falling and hurting me, DS and bump, is a bit scary.

Some great coats about, glad to see lots of bargain hunters as well! Do you all use cashback sites too? I am forever preaching to friends and family about them but have had at least £300 back in the past year. In case I forget to mention it later on you can open a child trust fund through cashback sites and get £50 back in cash then you are free to move it to another provider.

Haven't thought about writing my birth plan yet, my last one was a lengthy thing but my main points this time will be that I WILL NOT be sent home because I am having irregular contractions and the midwife does not think I look like I am in enough pain to be in labour. My contractions stayed irregular throughout last time, and my reaction to the pain didn't change either. Luckily I was stubborn and refused to leave hospital until they had at least examined me. I was chatting to a lady last week who had just had a baby in the last week, she had been sent home without being examined for the same reasons, irregular contractions and not enough pain and no sooner had she got home than she was fully dilated and they had to call an ambulance, she gave birth in the ambulance.

OMG

I

am

HUGE

I still have 17 (or possibly 19) weeks to go and I am vast

Swine flu - I was pretty sure I wasn't going to get the vaccine but randomly not so sure today - for absolutely no rational reason whatsoever! I've spoken to my bil who is a consultant in A&E/ITU and been treating people with swine flu and my 2pworth is:

For the vaccine:

• It is produced in the same manner as seasonal flu vaccine so unlikely to cause any harm as the seasonal flu vaccine has been used in pregnancy with no problems
• it's not going to cause birth defects anyway as by now the baby is pretty much fully developed, all it does from here is grow, so there's no chance of some thallidomide-esque horror
• we ARE high risk - you're 4 times more likely to catch swine flu and 4-5 times more likely to experience complications of swine flu if you are pregnant
• some of us get jabs in pregnancy anyway - seasonal flu, anti-D, if you're lucky travel vaccines!!!! do we worry about them half as much as swine flu jab, it's just that there's a media furore about swine flu that scares us
• someone on the other swine flu jab thread pointed out that having a high temperature in pg (though of course frequently unavoidable) isn't great if it can be avoided
• if I got the flu and felt poorly (esp if I got complications) I would end up taking drugs of some sort, so trying to avoid drugs by not taking the jab is maybe a bit arse about tit!

Against the vaccine

• we may be higher risk, but the VAST majority of people just get a flu-like illness with no complications and recover normally
• the pg women who get complications normally don't have life-threatening complications
• the 3 pg women who have died in the UK ALL had other risk factors, none of them was otherwise fit and well, one was an IV drug abuser, one was a paraplegic who was also obese (figures from Australia show that obesity is a separate risk factor for swine flu), and the third was from where I come from and the local press is saying she did have risk factors despite the national press saying not. My CM daughter was at college with her and it seems it's the local press who are right
• I feel pressured into having it by the government screaming at us to do so, and frankly, the more someone tries to force me to do something, the less I'm going to do it!
• there is still a small and irrational part of me that worries about having a jab while pg no matter how much they say it's safe!

it's not easy. I know in my health centre the vaccine is expected this week, so I've really got to decide in the next few days. Oh, and then once I've decided about me there'll be the small matter of deciding about whether or not to get the boys done once they extend vaccination to children...

Having done extensive research and liaising with medical colleagues, I've finally decided to have the vaccine (I work at a University, 3 boys at school/nursery and dh works in a hospital - not sure if we could come into contact with more people if we tried) and have agreed with my GP practice that it will be Cevlapan (made by Baxters) which is the non-adjuvanated vax (as opposed to Pandremix which is made by GSK). Worth checking out the enormous thread under the pregnancy topic for links to articles esp those referenced by Midnightsun.

2Happy, thank you so much for such balanced and interesting views on the vaccine! I am undecided as yet but your post was really helpful.

Hello all and welcome newies! I too am getting out of breath just walking up stairs - and my heart races. I'm usually a fairly fit bod so it feels horrid! We don't own scales but I am def growing and have started doing attractive huffing and puffing when I try to get off the sofa.

Am impressed with those so prepared for Christmas already!

Oh I just don't know what to do about the vaccine.

I have a slight temp today and haven't really recovered from this ear infection. I don't know if this temp is related to the ear infection, or if something else is brewing. If I was to get swine flu on top of feeling pish already then it would not be ideal....

I also have thrush after having had two courses of antibiotics back to back, and I have a feeling it is in my breasts because I get deep stabbing pains sometimes when ds feeds. Down below can be treated with canesten, but I don't know if I can take any of the anti fungals when pg. Last thing I want is a dose of breast thrush when the wee one arrives. i am on the friendly bacteria capsules, but whether they will do any good remains to be seen.

I feel like I am expanding rapidly. I have had to let my maternity breeks out a bit, but strangely haven't put on any weight since getting weighed at booking in. I am only half a stone over pre pg weight.

The baby has been going crazy today. He has been kicking me right behind the belly button, and it's giving me the same heeby geebies that I get if I stick my finger in my belly button. I have been prodding him to get him to move, but he's not taking the hint. The joys....

mawbroon i think the behind the belly button kick is the VERY worst! fortunately not had any of those the last week or so, but i had a couple of days a few weeks ago where they seemed almost constant! ergh... really glad it's not just me!!

Has anyone else had a slightly childish moment where they have thought it's not fair that we have to make the SF jab decision, it's come along at just the wrong time for us. There are enough blooming things to worry about in pregnancy as it is. I feel like we are damned if we do and damned if we don't.
I probably will go for it but don't really want to. Has anyone heard from their GPs yet?

Mawbroon - Sounds like you are having a rough time at the moment, I got some strange cherry flavoured stuff to put on my nipples when I had thrush with DS, no idea whether it would be OK in pregancy though.

Grin - The shortness of breath and racing heart is such a horrible feeling. It was such a relief a couple of days after DS was born to be able to push his pram up a hill and break into a sweat without nearly passing out. Got to say it is one of the things that is making me wish away this pregnancy and get to the baby part!

ktpie - I think the topical stuff would be fine in pregnancy, but this appears to be deeper in the breast rather than the nipples. I haven't had any pain for a couple of days, so maybe it's on it's way out.

Poor DS is having a rough time too. He woke at 2am and threw up all over the bed. DH was moaning about us all being in our bed, but ffs, where was the child supposed to sleep?!! PILs were staying, otherwise I would have kicked dh out to the sofa bed.

Hi everyone, long time since I've been on!

DH got home on time (thank goodness) last week, he even made it on to the local evening news !

Our Bean was very uncooperative with the kicking when he first got back, but over the last few days he's been kicked quite a few times, including in the head last night!

I convinced myself I had swine flu on sunday, I had all the symptoms, including a temp over 38.5 and went to the on-call gp (I phoned NHS 24 for advice, but I don't think they do just advice for pregnant people). He offered me relenza if I wanted it, but then said that he wasn't sure if he'd want his pregnant wife to have it . I had already told him that I'm a nurse in the hospital so maybe thats why he said it, but still, it doesn't fill you with confidence. Anyway I didn't take it, and woke up yesterday morning feeling absolutely fine and dandy, must have been a 24 hour bug. I feel a bit of a numpty actually . If I was pregnant I wouldn't have bothered, but theres more to think about than just me now.

Thats enough rambling on from me, hope everyone's okay

xx

Hello all glad everyone is still doing well. We have been visiting my parents for the weekend. It was very difficult not to let it slip that this bump is a boy, but I think we managed it.

I haven't had this belly button kicking, mine is mainly low down. Really low down, right in my sensitive parts. Sometimes I half expect to see a hand or foot poking out of my nether regions! Have been worrying that it is because my pelvic floor isn't as strong as it should be so I spent lots of the 5 hour drive to my parents house doing my clenches.

angelacarleen you must be so pleased to have dh back. How long is he home for?

Am almost sure I am going to have the swine flu jab, but I want to wait for the Celvapan one too. I am a bit cross that we are not being offered that one anyway as it seems safer for preg women. I have had a chesty cough for about 7 weeks now and just can't seem to shift it. I am putting this down to pregnancy as I have never suffered with my chest before. I think swine flu attacks the same area so this has helped me make my decision.

Blimey, what a huffing, puffing, creaky and grunting bunch we are now! If anyone else says "well, it's only going to get worse you know" I reckon I'm just going to poke them in the eye.

Hope all you poorly peeps feel better soon xx

I'm confused about the swine flu jab - although 2happy's excellent post has helped a lot. No idea when my local surgery will be dishing out the vaccines, but I'm wondering if there's any benefit in waiting till 28 weeks...?

ktpie thanks for the tip re using a cashback site for child trust fund - my DH is absolutely obsessed with cashback sites and was overjoyed with that nugget of info!

I love cashback sites too - we have a work one, which is marvellous.

ktpie, as you seem to be a bit of an expert, do you know of a good site for online grocery vouchers (specifically Tesco)? I find googling a bit hit and miss, but I know there's one that's good that has a black background, but I always get so excited when I find it that I forget to bookmark it. All suggestions welcome!

A bit of a digression there. Sorry people are feeling a bit battered at the moment. 2happy, your swine flu post was really good. I'm waiting to see if and when my GP writes to me - it's a huge practice so I reckon I'm pretty far down the list.

I'm also feeling enormous, not helped by people telling me I look huge. If only they said I looked huge and lovely, I wouldn't mind as much

Have also just found out that my last two weekends of childfreeness before this LO comes along are likely to be cancelled, due to circumstances utterly out of my control (but mainly lack of babysitting) so I am very sad about that too. DH was made redundant earlier this year so we haven't been on holiday for ages, and I did extra work to make up the shortage of money during my first trimester. DH has only just gone back to work so I was really looking forward to a few days off

Never mind.