Due Feb 2010 part 2: the second trimester

[CaractacusPotty]

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

Can I join too? I'm one of the lucky ones who is finally feeling better - after 8 weeks of feeling awful whilst chasing a very active toddler (aren't they all?) I really feel sorry for those of you still suffering as I've found it really hard this time. Hope you all feel better soon.

2nd Feb Raindroprhyme DS1 8y, DS2 4y
5th Feb chinook Dd 3.6yo
8th Feb fiziwizzle, 1st
10th Feb Lovelymonster, 1st
14th Feb tryingtobemarypoppins DS 21months currently!
16 Feb Watercress DD1 2y 10m
16 Feb esselle - DD 5.1y, DS 20m
17th Feb Bethylou - DS currently 16 months
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
28 Feb Mawbroon Due DS 3.10yo

bethylou welcome!Yes toddlers! Exhusting!!! Glad your feeling better xx

Sorry name changed for today! I am tryingtobemarypoppins!

Bethyloo - welcome and congratulations. I've added you to a more up to date list as the one you posted was a bit out of date!

Pops - I have been so upset for you reading your posts. Anything that takes the gloss and sheen off an exciting new pregnancy is horrible - but to be honest almost nothing can take the gloss and excitement off it. You seem to have acted very graciously in the face of what seems to be to be unreasonable and even slightly unstable behaviour. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and enjoy it. We're here for you!

27th Jan Devotion DD1 6yrs & DD2 3yrs
2nd Feb Raindroprhyme DS1 8y, DS2 4y
2nd Feb Ktpie DS 13m
3rd Feb flyingcloud 1st
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
10th Feb Lovelymonster, 1st
10th Feb T4tastic 1st
13th Feb mignightsun DS 3y
14th Feb tryingtobemarypoppins DS 21months currently!
14th Feb Pops78, 1st
14th Feb Glynnispig 1st
14th Feb Threeplusone- DD 12.11yrs DS1 5.2yrs DS2 2.1yrs
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)
17th Feb Bethylou - DS currently 16 months
20 Feb Gert ds 22m
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
24 Feb Elebereth
24 Feb TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied DS 15m
24 Feb MidgetGems
27 Feb Westlondongirl
28 Feb Mawbroon Due DS 3.10yo

Pops and elebereth - how awful for you both. Jealousy can make people act in strange ways.

Someone mentioned hypnobirthing, I couldn't afford the courses but got a book and a CD, found in relaxing to listen to and I'm not sure how much it helped during labour but I managed to stay quite relaxed when it was really all pretty stressful.

Other people with toddlers do you find they keep kicking your tummy and jumping up and down on it? It's not out of naughtiness, he doesn't understand, it's just general clambering all over everything, including me! Don't feel like he has done any damage and obviously stop him as much as I can but feeling a lot more battered in this pregnancy!

Pops just wanted to say I cant beleive how selfish your friend is being.. I am glad you are not going to chase her and let her come to you if and when she is ready.. Remember you always have us here to listen to you vent.. good luck and enjoy the rest of the pg.

TBH I have never done a NCT or antenatal class so i cant comment on anything to do with those.
RE birth.. I know it will be in a hospital.. of we get there in time!!! I want to come home asap after the birth. With DS2 I spent 10hrs in hospital only that long as I had to wait for the paper work. That was going in at 1cm dilated.
I would like to stay at home longer when go into labour but both hubby and I like t get to the hospital once the contactions are 4mins apart.. as once I get to 3cm I get to 10cm within minutes and deliver with in 5 to 10 mins after that.. This time may be different but both boys 3cms to baby out was roughly 20mins. DS1 was 3 pushes and DS2 was 2 pushes. DD was a csection., so the boys were both VBACS and back to back.

Been looking at pushchairs and i fancy the Loola package woth thewindaloo carrycot. It is one of the only prams fulfilling everything I want.. Seperate carrycot, parent facing seat..normal handles hate the foam ones really dont like the feel of them. Just trying to see if we can get one over here in germany at the moment all the shops i have been in havent heard of them, got one more big chain to try, then if not will have to see if i can get one delivered out here, but tried mothercare but they wont deliver the pram out here.
What are you all looking at for prams etc.

Get my DD back tommorrow and I cant wait I am so excited so are the boys they have really missed their big sister. Just got to start planning her 13birthday oarty.. she wants a neon themed disco..

Enjoy the bank holiday x Those who have one tommorrow.xx

Hi threeplusone,

BIL's family have that (the Loola Up I think)and as they're son was born in March we are planning on mixing and combining the bits and bobs - so we'll buy that as well and they'll pass on the bits they no longer need (and I think we'll buy the next thing they need for it)... if that makes any sense. Anyway we're in France and you can get them here, so that might be easier than getting it from England?

If anyone has any comments on it though I'd like to know as they are expensive and DH is following his brother's advice on this rather blindly and BIL ALWAYS KNOWS BEST (in his own opinion).

Morning all we have the Bugaboo Chameleon rather than the Loola but I think they are essentially the same. We really loved the parent facing option and dd still prefers it that way at 3yrs old. Two friends have had the Loola and loved it. Looks funky too! Think it is a French pram so it might be worth a trip there.

Threeplusone - I can't believe you labour so quickly. I am seriously jealous. Took me about 18 hours to get to 10cm, then I got stuck there for 4 hours as dd's chin wasn't tucked under so she was a bit stuck and wouldn't come down. Took syntocinon drip to get her out finally. Only had gas and air though and am going to do it again so it can't have been that bad!

Looks like we could be doing a road trip to france.. Just need to find the shops etc. Calais looking good may even try holland aswell first. Thank you.
It takes me a while to get to 3cm though.. dont know why the last bit goes so fast for me.lol. No pain relief with DS2 as they dint use gas and air in germany... and tI had the meptid 10mins beifre delivery so it kicked in for the placenta!!

I only used a pram for ds for the first couple of weeks until I was strong enough to carry him. I'm glad it was second hand, I would have been annoyed to have spent any amount of money on it for all I used it!!

I don't even think I will get it out of the loft this time tbh, and I'm not bothering getting the cot out either.

I will rake out the couple of packs of left over nappies and a couple of baby gros, and that'll do me! Seriously.

I think the headaches I was complaining about were in the run up to this cold I have got now. It was horrible yesterday, but improved today, so hopefully it will be gone tomorrow.

Hi everyone

Wow alot has gone on in the past week on here.

Sorry that some have had issues with supposed friends, I am very aware that there are numerous comments being made about me already having 4 children and 6 is just wrong, I am just ignoring it all after all we are happy.

I have got niggling pains today which I guess are just stretching pains, at least the morning sickness has now completly gone.

Hello all

Sounds like most are starting to feel a little better - dare I hope to start 'blooming' soon? I also have a toddler (2.6 rather than 1.6 like it says in the list somehow!) and yes, I agree ktpie, I get crawled on etc. He can't get into his usual snuggle-up position with me cos of my bump so he keeps trying to shift back onto it.

At the risk of making myself unpopular, my first labour was 4.5 hours - at least that might give hope to first-timers I spose! I was in the pool and loved it, although I still tore badly - the upshot of a quick birth.

Insanity I take my hat off to you, am glad you are happy and how fantastic to have 6 children as part of your happy family. I think your friends will come around - perhaps it is more that they are daunted by the prospect!

Incidentally, has anyone found any complete bargain maternity clothes websites? Last time round I was lent clothes by two friends so barely bought anything, but 1 has got rid of all hers and the other has lent them elsewhere. I only need a couple of bits and bobs but need it all to be cheap!

Mawbroon hope you're on the mend soon

Hello, may I join you? Am due 20 Feb according to hospital. It is my 2nd pregnancy this year as miscarried in February so have also been worried about jinxing it but feeling on safer ground now.

Finding being pregnant surprisingly physical (and I know that sounds stupid). Can feel ligaments and almost hear my skin stretching. Sickness has passed but still need naps. Still getting up three times in night to pee. Got a noticeable pot belly. Getting hard to disguise in this good weather. Had to go into hospital last week for 24 hours with ruptured ovarian cyst ? scary and painful but wee one oblivious; NHS amazing, reopened ultrasound and brought in scan man at midnight, spending over an hour just to rule out appendicitis.

Am trying to work out whether to do hypnobirthing and NCT or just one or other. Friends swear by hypnobirthing but get mixed reports about NCT. What are you all doing?

Trying to be good and stick to a clothing budget so wondering about what I?ll need. Crazy I know as it is still August but being an organised kind of person am wondering if i'll need a maternity winter coat or will be able to make do.

27th Jan Devotion DD1 6yrs & DD2 3yrs
2nd Feb Raindroprhyme DS1 8y, DS2 4y
2nd Feb Ktpie DS 13m
3rd Feb flyingcloud 1st
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
10th Feb Lovelymonster, 1st
10th Feb T4tastic 1st
13th Feb mignightsun DS 3y
14th Feb tryingtobemarypoppins DS 21months currently!
14th Feb Pops78, 1st
14th Feb Glynnispig 1st
14th Feb Threeplusone- DD 12.11yrs DS1 5.2yrs DS2 2.1yrs
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)
17th Feb Bethylou - DS currently 16 months
20 Feb Gert ds 22m
20 Feb Cluny 1st
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
24 Feb Elebereth
24 Feb TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied DS 15m
24 Feb MidgetGems
27 Feb Westlondongirl
28 Feb Mawbroon Due DS 3.10yo

hi guys
have been at work all weekend. Camping with 10 young people the joy. To be fair to them they were all fab and wouldn't let me lift anyhting and kept bring random cups of hot choclate when i was hanging around while they did loads of team building outdoors pursuits stuff.

a few people asked me about hypno birthing.
I am doing individual sessions not classes. I decided on this as the therapist has been able to tailor the program specifically to mine and DH's needs. So we have a 1 hour session weekly.
It has cost £450 for 23 weeks (plus some extra hours for us to use just before birth if i need them or postnatally), 3 Reiki sessions,4 cds to listen to as homework.

We are both really busy at work and i am at college, and obviously have 2 DC already so it is worth teh money just to have a chance to concentrate on this pregnancy and remeber to enjoy it.

If anyone wants to know exactly what kind of stuff we do please just ask.

Rain xx

grin - I'm on the same cheap maternity clothes hunt, dug mine out of the loft yesterday and had worn most things out last time so there wasn't much there. Ordered some things from the sale at Blooming Marvellous but not heard whether they have sent them yet, when I've ordered from them before things don't arrive and when you ring up they tell you it was out of stock, but they don't bother informing you of that, so not holding my breath.
Ordered some jeans and a couple of tops from Asda yesterday but got an email to say they were out of stock of the jeans, typical as they were reduced to £12 yesterday and are now back in stock on the website at £16, which is still a good price, but somehow it's really annoyed me! So not really having much luck here.
cluny - been wondering about a coat as well, last time I wasn't big until the summer so I didn't need one.

I wished I had forked out for the NCT last time as others seemed to make a lot of friends through it, no way we could afford it this time.

I have been wondering about double buggies, DS can't walk yet so I think he will still need a buggy by feb. Mawbroon I'm impressed that you managed without, I intended to carry DS a lot more than I did but he was so blooming heavy the pram was a relief and I couldn't have done without it.

This morning, I took out some of the maternity clothes that my sister returned to me a couple of months ago. They were beautifully laundered, but had been lying in my cupboard for all that time. The combination of the smell of the washing powder and the slightly foosty smell from being in the bag so long was making me boak all the place. [bleugh]

Anyway, I only tried on one pair and they were too big, so I will try again in a couple of weeks.

I finally read all the bumf that the midwife gave me, and I must say that the likes of the Bounty and Asda magazines made for pretty depressing reading in terms of the myths and untruths they were pedalling about breastfeeding. The one that really gets me is that they all say to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. None of them mention that you can keep going beyond six months, in fact as long as you like. No wonder so many mums think they "have" to stop at 6 months

ktpie - I stopped carrying ds at around a year because he was too heavy in the carrier I had. I hadn't investigated any others and bought a buggy, which I hated.

A few months later, we moved back to Edinburgh and after a couple of times having to fold the buggy on the bus whilst trying to carry a non mobile 20month old ds, I decided to look again at slings.

I got an ergo and still use it occasionally for ds. He is 3.10yo and 37lbs!! We tend to use his bike for transport and after an email exchange with Lothian buses, they have deemed that we are allowed to take it on the bus, as technically it's not a bike as it has no pedals.

If I was doing it again, I would have got an ergo and a kindercoat right from the start.

ktpie - ordered something from here:
affordablematernity.co.uk/
yesterday and got email today saying on its way! Some stuff quite cheap too. Worth a look?

Also did well in New Look's sale (in store rather than online) but is hit and miss size wise.

Mawbroon - did you manage to breastfeed using either of these slings? I am keen to find one which allows you to feed and deal with a toddler at the same time! I fed dd for a year until I went back to work (totally unpredictable working pattern makes it impossible for me to do both), and I am really keen to do the same this time, but am worried about the practicalities of it. Especially as dd was the slowest feeder ever.

Grin - thanks for that, will have a look.

Mawbroon - Will look up the ergo, I had a variety of slings/carriers and either he was too heavy or there was no way of putting him down if he fell asleep. Also when he was tiny he didn't really like them. Got a secondhand Macpac backpack style carrier recently and he loves that. I can't carry it at the moment as the strap goes right round your tummy.
I agree about all the stupid bounty stuff, I signed up to it all last time and didn't really have any use for most of the rubbish we got in the bag, it's all still in a drawer somewhere. Normally I love free stuff.
There are some funny ideas about breastfeeding. My MIL was happy that I was breastfeeding until DS got to 3 months, which is when she stopped with both of her kids, from then on she was really funny about it. We kept going until he was 1 year which is when he dropped it of his own accord.

Nope, I never really managed to breastfeed on the move. I had a baby bjorn type of carrier to begin with, and although it claimed you could feed in it, all it involved was opening one side so that you could kind of tip the baby round and feed without removing it completely. The next carrier I got was a framed backpack which we used from 4 months until around a year, then the ergo which I only ever used on my back - so no breastfeeding there LOL!!

I have a couple of wrap slings which I actually won on MN yonks ago, so I will try with those this time round. DS was pretty big by the time I got them, and I never really tried them tbh. My sister has an ergo and she used the baby insert from newborn, but she found it quite tricky. She is finding it much better now that her dd is old enough to go in it without the insert.

If this baby is a never unlatching type like ds was, then I will definitely need to be able to go hands free!

Hello all,

I wondered if I could join your group? I am due on 14th February and have a 21mth DD. Not sure how this works, whether I have to copy the list and add my name, will leave it to the more experienced MNs if that's ok?!

I too am wondering when the energy returns. I'm 16 weeks now and still having days when I can barely stand up, finding the weekends with DS really tough too. Is anyone else struggling with weekends?

Clappedout, I have added you to the list - nothing complicated, just a cut and paste job!

27th Jan Devotion DD1 6yrs & DD2 3yrs
2nd Feb Raindroprhyme DS1 8y, DS2 4y
2nd Feb Ktpie DS 13m
3rd Feb flyingcloud 1st
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
10th Feb Lovelymonster, 1st
10th Feb T4tastic 1st
13th Feb mignightsun DS 3y
14th Feb tryingtobemarypoppins DS 21months currently!
14 Feb Clappedout DD 21m
14th Feb Pops78, 1st
14th Feb Glynnispig 1st
14th Feb Threeplusone- DD 12.11yrs DS1 5.2yrs DS2 2.1yrs
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)
17th Feb Bethylou - DS currently 16 months
20 Feb Gert ds 22m
20 Feb Cluny 1st
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
24 Feb Elebereth
24 Feb TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied DS 15m
24 Feb MidgetGems
27 Feb Westlondongirl
28 Feb Mawbroon Due DS 3.10yo

How is everyone doing? Are the headaches subsiding?

Someone asked if sodium cromoglicate and xylometazoline nose sprays are different - yes they are. The former is good for hayfever and can be used regularly on an ongoing basis. The second is a decongestant spray, for short-term use only. Both are fine when pg.

Following on from the double buggy/sling conversation, does anyone have any experience with buggy boards? My DD will be three when this LO comes along, and I hardly ever use a pushchair with her (and haven't for a year or so since before she was two) as she is a good walker, but still have the odd trip where it's necessary. I'm hoping to use my Baby Bjorn again, so I can use the pushchair for her if needed, but wondered about alternatives.

Oh, and maternity clothes. I've been in maternity jeans for weeks now, and my normal tops are coming to an end too. I have lots of stuff from last time, but it's all a bit summery, so I've bought some cheap long-sleeved maternity tops from Peacocks and will layer.

For anyone looking for super-cheap clothes, surely Ebay is the way forward? There often seem to be bundles of mat clothes going, and they seem to go quite cheaply.