Due March 2010 - do I look pregnant yet or just fat?

[annamama]

... starting a new thread as the old one was running out of space ...

Hi All

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend. we have had a busy one, yesterday we had DD's 2nd birthday NCT reunion which was really lovely. It was great to see how all the babies have developed and changed and all there little personalities developing!. I would definitely recommend the NCT classes to all first timers. Again not for the information you get but for the friends you make, they were my lifeline in the first few weeks after DD was born!.

Then this morning we have woken to find DD has spots!!!. She has the dreaded chicken pox so we are now in isolation until the dry up and go scabby which the doctor thinks will take about 7 days. Role on the next week with DDstuck in the house!. She seems to be fine in herself at the moment but I'll hold verdict until she really starts getting lots of spots. Luckily I have had it so there is no risk to the baby.

Hope your all enjoying the weather.

Evening Ladies,

Still trying to catch up on the old thread. Have missed a few days and it moves so quickly.
Anyhow, hope everyone is starting to feel better especially those with the ms.

Am having real problems with smells and indigstion it is driving me mad. Can't smell anything sweet and the thought of eating something like a fruit pastel orjelly baby - god help me. Having really bad indigestion too - can only eat bland food. Last time was eating spicy food like there was tomorrow.

Off to collapse on the sofa ds has had my running around the park this afternoon with a kite - when does your energy come back

Tired and full - is it really the end of the weekend!!!

Hi all
Just joining the thread!
Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

Can I join too please?

Edd 10.03.2010, same birthday as DS2 , expecting DS4.

Yes, do let the morningalldaysickness end... I never had anything lke it so was probably due it .

Becky7000 15 February #4
Smac 25 February #2
pureeandpearls 26 February #2
Tigresswoods 2 March #1
Donttrythisathome EDD 1 March #1
DrSkid 1 March #3
Potpourri 1 March #4
onlyanauntie 1 March #1
369thegoosedrankwine 1 March #2
MissieMoosMummy 1 March #2
cyphercat EDD 2 March #2
Caitni EDD 2 March #1
Horsiemummy 2 March #2
Oscarsmumm 2 March #2
Pipsonhisway 2 March #1
sarahmikeharryandrosie 3 March #3
BlueyDragon 4 March #2
TakeLovingChances 5 March #1
Dalrymps 5 March #2
Dophus 7 March #3
Twofalls 7 March #2
Carrie2010 7 March #1
BYM 5 March #2
CAFW 9th March #2
ilgb 9 March #2
Sariska 9 March #2
rebeccacad 9 March #1
wilkos 11 March #2
Lemonadegirl 11 March #2
itwascertainlyasurprise 11 March #1
Josie22 12 March #1
Swingsofglory 12 March #2
Iwonka 12 March #1
Scooby26 13 March #1
Vixie123 13 March #1
MrsSnow 13 March #1
Minicooper 14 March #2
slackrunner 14 March #2
Poppyjen 15 March #1
Annamama 15 March #2
Childofthe80s 16 March #1
mmtwgr 16 March #2
Scootergrrrl 17 March (??) #3
Arcadie 17 March #3
SleepWhenImDead 18 March #2
designerbaby 19 March #2
Kay1980 19 March #2
Luckysalem 22 March #2
Veryworriedme 22 March #1
Easydoesit 24 march #2
PixieOnaLeaf 25th March #4 ()
Rindercella 27 March #2
Fleximum 28 March #3

Realised I filled in the list thing wrong, just to clarify, am expecting my 1st on the 2nd of March.

Had a great weekend of telling lots of people, my Dad was so surprised by the news that I think he forgot to show how pleased he was but then we don't come from a gushy emotional family!

My dad's horrible wife did say, "Oh you aren't going to be like my DIL are you?"

"how so, horrible old witch...?"

"Reading every book under the sun!"

Probably, how else am I supposed to learn about all this, instinct?!

Grr. Think I will do whatever I please thankyou very much.

Also big shout out to my 15 year old cousin who prescribed me as needing to have a baby soon before I am too old to be a mum. I am just 29. Hmm.

Still, getting used to the weird reactions to telling people our big news!

Morning ladies,

Have fallen a bit behind again but theought better to post than not at all

Scooby - You said you were from Newcastle, glad to hear there's someone from the north! I'm in Berwick upon Tweed.

Arcadie - Where abouts oop north are you?

At the moment my insomnia is really affecting me. I am absolutely exhausted this morning. Dh got Ds up and changed his nappy and gave him breakfast before he went to work today whilst I sat feeling sorry for myself. I was so greatful of his help.

It's so annoying, I fall asleep when I go to bed after a bit of tossing and turning then I wak a whilse later and feel like I spend the rest of the night trying to get back to sleep and occasonally dropping off only to sleep lightly and have a weird dream then wake up again. By the time the alarm goes off I'm exhausted but also can't be bothered to stay in bed anymore as I can't sleep properly anyway! I end up having a nap when ds has his morning nap but it's never long enough and i'm yawning by tea time again. I hope this passes soon...

Welcome to all the new people

Sorry for the me me me post. Will try to post properly when my brain is working a bit better!

Welcome Pacific!

Tigress - of course you're going to read every book under the sun... Ignore the witch.

Dalrymps - could it be that you're hungry during the night? Sometimes when I wake up and can't go back to sleep I realise that I'm hungry and have to go make a sandwich... Hope it gets better soon.

I went to the beach yesterday, felt a bit self-conscious in my bikini, like the white whale... Most of the time was hiding in DD's beach tent anyway, can't take the sun.

Retromum - Sounds great that you're still friends with your NCT class! (I'm just friends with one person, whose baby was born on the same night as mine in the same hospital.)

Lemonade - I can't stand smells too. I've forbidden DH to use aftershave. And I'm also wondering when energy levels will come back to anywhere near normal... (yawn).

Welcome Pacific feel free to add yourself to the list - or get one of us to do it... I make it that you're the 3rd person on here to be expecting your 4th - congratulations. How lovely to have a tribe! DH is one of 4 and LOVED growing up with a ready made holiday club!

Dalrymps I'm in York. Glorious Glorious York. Famed for Minsters, Vikings, urm... Pubs.... We went to Berwick for a day on holiday and LOVED it although the ramparts scared the crap out of us as DD and DS belted towards 20 foot sheer drops You have some lovely views and some very friendly people....

Tigress at your Dad's wife. How rude! Perhaps ( in her defense) she was wanting to let you know that you'll do a great job with or without Baby Whispering Ginaerisms... or that she felt bad for her DIL that she didn't trust her own instincts and didn't enjoy it as much.. maybe she's just a witch. Read tons, I had to as I had not the slightest inkling of what to do with a baby before DS and not a scrap of maternal instinct either.

Hi everyone.

I've finally finally received confirmation of my first scan date - only another (long) two week wait to go now (I'll be 13+3)!!! I have my first midwife's appointment this Thursday though - do you think there is any chance she will listen for the heartbeat? It's driving me crazy having to wait so long.

Still tired like everyone else - Dalrymps, I feel your pain re the insomnia. I go to the loo it seems every hour and every time I go back to bed I have some bizarre, surreal dream. Skin is terrible too especially on my back & I'm not quite sure what to use on it!

Tigresswoods, have to laugh at your 15 year old cousin. I'm 28 & none of my friends are even thinking of having babies - I feel very young!

Morning ladies

Great new thread and a big welcome to the new ladies joining us . Hope everyone's keeping well . It's lovely to hear about happy scans and being able to spread the happy news.

Tigress your dad's wife sounds...er...RUDE! I'd say ignore her . Have also had some odd reactions when telling people - the strangest being "so, was it planned?" which I just think is so no one's business, and "so, were you trying for a while?"...since we were and had to resort to IVF this one is a bit close to the bone. But I'm just telling myself they're trying (badly) to make conversation. Most people have just been genuinely chuffed.

Retro sorry to hear about the chickenpox - hope you don't all go stir crazy under quarantine!

Dalrymps sorry to hear about the insomnia - it's bloody horrible and very debilitating. I've also been suffering quite a lot of restless nights - an inability to fall asleep for ages, waking up 6 or 7 times a ngiht and struggling to fall back asleep, and vivid dreams that have bordered on the nightmarish at times. And of course whenever I've mentioned it to anyone they've just said "oh it'll be even worse once the baby arrives" and I feel a bit bad for moaning (just didn't expect pregnancy insomnia!). I'd second the tips about eating (which has worked for me sometimes) and also going and reading (I just go to the couch, even if it means I wake up there in the morning). I've also been keeping a glass of Robinsons summer fruit or OJ next to the bed as sometimes a drink helps too. Hey ho, am hoping it clears off soon!

So I had my booking in appointment with the midwife yesterday - the hospital was eerily quiet to the point where I thought there'd be no one there but the midwife found me wandering the corridor and it was fine. Lovely to be "in the system" so to speak, makes it feel more official. She didn't listen to the heartbeat (I didn't ask) but since my scan is tomorrow I'm not too bothered! 13 weeks tomorrow (am still so counting each day).

I also bought my first maternity clothes on Friday and am loving them. It's great to escape out of baggy clothes and I think I look pregnant now, not just fat . Highly recommend the bump bands to other first-timers who may not have heard of them (I hadn't until a friend mentioned them when I told her I was pregnant). I only bought one in Top Shop but am planning to pick another couple as I'm already living in it (it's allowing me to extend my non-maternity tops a bit further!).

I'm also really happy to see a "Due in May" thread - makes it more real that time is passing for us all!

Retro - I forgot to comment on the chickenpox! Oh I hope your DD won't be too itchy... Anyone remembers having it? I do and I remember it was itching a lot, parents telling me not to scratch but doing it anyway.

I'm off to look for maternity shorts on ebay...

Morning All

Thank you, DD is not itchng too much yet although we didn't have a great night as she woke with a temperature and we ended up giving her calpol night which did the trick!.

Annamama at being in a bikini after having a baby!. I think it's bloody marvellous that you can wear one at all. I would clear the beach if I put one on with all my stretch marks!.

I'm with you Dairyimps with the insomnia and it is laso driving me crazy. We live in a listed cottage and the bathroom is downstairs with no option to move it up so by the time I treck downstairs to go to the loo in the night I'm wide awake and can't sleep.

Well I just had my midwife booking in appointment and it was awful. I couldn't have imagined it going worse. When I told the midwife about my previous birth she didn't believe it was as bad as I said it was and told me that it would be in my doctors notes if it was. I told her to look at the hospital notes that were in front of her which she did and then went on to tell me that it must of been awful for the midwife as it's always awful when you think you are going to lose a patient what about my husband, daughter and family!.

I then said that I wanted to make sure that this time I didn't sign consent that if it all went wrong again the consultant could give me a hysterectomy as we wanted four children.

She told me that I couldn't have 4 children via C-section even though the consultant 8 weeks after DD's birth had told me that although this is standard practice i would be able to as we want to space it over 10 years. She told me this was ridiculous and no one would tell me that and also if it all went wrong again I may well end up with a hysterectomy. Cue me crying. She then took bloods told me I had to be seen by the consultant every 4 weeks and sent me on my way!.

Awful, awful woman who I hope never to see again!.

Sorry for rant had to vent to someone!.

Retromum am totally and utterly horrified by your booking in appointment . How horrible for you. Try and forget everything she's said and I hope you don't ever see her again. She sounds so selfish and inconsiderate. Yes, it must be awful for a midwife (and the other HPs involved) in a situation like that but to say that to the very woman involved is SELFISH beyond belief - as you say, what about your feelings and the feelings of your loved ones? Anyway, glad that last night wasn't too bad with your daughter - good old calpol

Thank you Caitini, I just went food shopping and completely comfort brought to cheer myself up. I came away with smoked salmon, chocolate milk and kit kats but nothing we actually needed . I also brought DD lots of treats to keep her happy.

My mum said I should write a letter of complaint to the head of midwifery but I'm slightly concerned that if I do that this early I will be remebered by all midwives as the one who complained!.

Sorry to hear about your morning sickness Pixie, try chocolate milk I think that this the answer to all our problems

Retromum - so sorry to hear your awful experience, I would recommend calling your GP's surgery and ask to speak to practice manager, when you talk to them ask to if you can talk to them in confidence, outline how the midwife made you feel, you don't have to go in to details as to why, they should offer to deal with it without revealing your identity

Good luck xxx

Hey MN girls, thanks for the words of supportabout my dad's horrid wife. Maybe
annamama arcadie walnut8 you are all right, she was just trying to make conversation or whatever. This coming from the woman who has a heaving stack of "self help" books in her dining room!

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for the words, it is great to come on here and vent, share experiences and know that others feel the same.

My latest update is that I certainly have a little belly but nothing that warrants rushing out to the shops just yet.

I think I am going to hold out as long as possible as I (all of us!!!) will be carrying throughout the winter so may as well get proper Autumn/winter stuff rather than the lovely floaty summer tops that are out now.

On the subject of "was it planned?" we were asked this a lot this weekend and my response was always "Oh yes!" and I can see why people would ask as they just didn't see us as the sort of people who would have kids. We have been together over 9 years and have always enjoyed going out, socialising and playing sports/riding motorbikes so I guess they just figured it wasn't very "us".

We are telling a few people about our problems TTC but not publisicing it to the whole world. I found myself explaining PCOS to my dad as he tucked into his crab cakes this Saturday. Possibly a bit OTT?

Oh well, long rambling post......

Hi all,

back from a week's camping in Dorset. Lovely weather so it was great week for my first full weeks of camping. With 3 children foreign holidays will be a thing of the past!

Fortunately my MS has pretty much disappeared now so starting to feel human again. Still get very tired though but not as bad as before. I can even enjoy tea again.

I have been looking 5 months pg since I was 6 wks - not got any bigger though.

Looking forward to my scan on Friday!

Tigress - I used to ride a motorbike too! But when pregnant with DD I sold it, as I suddenly felt it was too risky and could not bear the thought of leaving my child motherless...

"Was it planned?" Haha, I guess you can't blame people for being curious... I guess the person who asks is hoping for replies such as "oh yes" or "no but it is a wonderful surprise". Anything else might make them wish they never asked...

Retro - you must be so angry and upset after that appointment... Not sure if I would complain or not. Did you tell her at the time that you thought she was out of order? I never think of what to say until it's too late...

Caitni - I'm glad you look pregnant, not just fat! Me, I always had a little bit of a belly but before I could suck it in if I wanted to, can't do that anymore.

Meant to add re journals...

I started keeping one whilst pg with DS1 - 5 years later I still write a full diary. It is a time committment but I enjoy reading back on iot. It is interesting how much you forget - e.g. I hae the perception that DS2 is harder, sleeps less etc, than DS1 did at the same age. However on reading my diary DS1 was just as bad - I have just forgotten!

Dophus - you're brave! Glad you had a good time and feeling better.

hello everyone,

off to work in a little bit after having 9 dys off!!!!i am so not looking forward to it and i am exhausted xxxx

hope everyone is well, xxx

welcome to al new members and well done on the setting up of new thread xxx

Hi ladies,

I'm putting myself on this thread as well..

I've been keeping very low but been lurking every now and then. Besides, I wanted to get to 12 weeks, finally relax and get a bit more vocal then..

Tigress - where else are you going to get all the immediate information from? ...by the sound of things this lady obviously hasn't got ENOUGH of self help books yet despite that 'bookshelf-ful'.. Good luck with her anyway!

Retromum and others - I wanted to ask about NCT courses. What makes them worthwhile? ...I checked the content of these courses and the information seems basic to me.. This is my first baby in case you didn't guess.

Oh, and do you have to see this midwife again? Is it not possible to try and get someone else? Surely, there is a way if you feel you're not getting enough support from this awful & horrid woman?! Surely, you would not be the only woman complaining about her!

...agree on choc milk by the way!

Dalrymps - good luck getting some sleep, just try and steal a couple of zzzs when ever you can!

Caitni - when do you recommend start using bump bands?

I've got my 12-week scan tomorrow and before that my midwife will pop over to 'go over things'. Not gonna worry as I know the baby's still there cos I heard the heartbeat this morning!

Goodness, what a long note... Wish you all happy times!!

hi all
quick one to answer carrie2010's q about NCT - yes the information is basic and IMO utterly rubbish BUT the benefits of sitting there laughing at the instructor include:
-catching someone's eye across the room and realising she's loves a good bitch as much as you do

• realising after the birth that the 20 minutes of breathing instructions she did with you were pointless

-eating some cake before the birth...and creating PLENTY of opportunities after.. -Watching your DH shift nervously in his seat at the mention of a Proper Latch

But most of all, and in all seriousness...no-one else in the world will be willing to listen, or will understand EXACTLY how you feel about the most ridiculous of things, like - should my 3 week old be making that face; has anyone else had more than 3 hours sleep in the last 4 months, where did you get that breastfeeding top from, ooh yes let's go to Cafe XXX they do the BEST carrot cake, god where on earth do i start with weaning, oh look DD and your DS are kissing! etc etc

As is probably apparent - i didn't much enjoy my NCT lessons but it comes into its own after the birth, I'm still catching up with my girls over 18 months later, and we have seen each other through the best of times and the worst of times.

Caveat: have heard similar stories from people who did NHS classes too but depends on the mix you get there. But worth a try too?

Anyway. Am looking forward to dinner far too much. Hope all ok with everyone else