10/10 babies - pumpkin smugglers form an orderly queue

[NinthWave]

Here we are - pull up a beanbag and help yourselves to mini eggs!

Hi All and Happy Easter!

tinywelsh I'm so sorry to hear about your scan, what a fright and so awful to be left 'alone' with it with no mw to talk to. Really sorry and hope you're doing as well as can be expected. Not too long now until Tuesday when hopefully things will become clearer. x

Also Norfolk if you're checking in, I am so sorry for your loss but relieved to hear DH is doing better. Good luck ttc and congrats on your attitude. Brave girl. x

AbFab I think I'll go for the pre-natal yoga and NCT (thought NCT is really pricey where we live! Good job I'm off the booze really... ) No dosh for a doula but DH used to be a nurse so does that count no, not really, but pretty sanguine about my ability to let the house go to hell while I breastfeed and don't have any other children living with us.

Sorry for the long post, much love to all and hope the poorly people start feeling better soon. I'm doing better, just exhausted.
xxx

Just a quick note as although my morning sickness is infinitely better I'm now full of cold

I signed up for NCT classes at about 4 weeks! Didn't pay for a few weeks more, but had heard they book up early, and friends have said how great they are fir meeting people.

Also, I picked up a free cot and Moses basket from freecycle last week! Saving money on stuff like that helps me pay for 'unnecessary' things like nct and stuff.

Happy Easter everyone

Oh jenimoo it's one thing then another isn't it. I hope you feel better soon.

Abfab If I'm honest I'm thinking about it, I don't really know if I can afford it. I do know someone who is a doula but I'm not sure if she does births though, I need to ask her. For me it would be purely to have someone there to fight my corner and be able to explain stuff to us without us panicing. I didn't really like what happened to some of the women on one born every minute. I like to be control and I don't like the idea of being at someone elses mercy during one of the more out of control times of my life. I love my Dh but I can imagine him being overwhelmed by doctors and the like, I do like the idea of someone being able to buffer that iyswim. Ideally I'd like to go to one of the mlu for this one as I'm not sure I'm quite brave enough for a homebirth just yet. Although time will tell on that one. Gosh if money was no object I'd hire my own independent midwife if only to have someone who I knew had the time to listen to me and have a rational discussion with about my realistic options.

Sorry I've been awol, got sent to hospital on Friday with a suspected blood clot on my lungs. Turns out I had pneumonia (on top of a kidney infection) & I managed to escape hospital today.

Norfolk so sorry for your loss & what your husband has been through too. You are sounding pragmatic & yes at 38 you still have loads of time.

TinyWelsh sorry you have had such a worrying scan & that you didn't get any positivity from your scan lady. I hope the rest of the weekend flies by. Sending you strengthening vibes.

Hermya yep that's your baby you can feel!

MummyWilliams they are bloody amazing odds! My nuchal scan went well, if all is not well with the bloods I'll get a call on Tuesday .

All those considering whether to do NCT classes - just do it! Do both the NCT & NHS ones, all of my close friends now are friends I've met in classes. We moved from London to Surrey & four days later found out I was pregnant with dd. I didn't know a soul where we moved to but thanks to the classes I now have a brilliant network of friends.

Norfolk - so sorry to hear your news. Wishing you both the very best for the future.

MummyLovesSadie GOSH! hope you are feeling much, much better now. You must have felt awful. Yes I think the odds are brilliant.

I've uploaded a picture of recent scan.

Hope everyone is having a lovely, relaxing weekend. I had a four hour nap today

xxx

hermya U! Didn't see dr who (so don't post any spoilers!) will watch on iplayer as soon as we get home sat so we can follow with ep 2. Read dr who mag in the car so know the first few eps but they didn't say much on ep 1.

Re pregnancy/holiday- we walked miles today & was really trying force drinks down but didn't do too well. Couldn't eat the new York cheesecake cos it was too sweet and pretzels are too salty did go in a fab scandenavian place for breakfast so at least I had one meal today! Times square was horrendus but kids got to go on the big wheel in toys r us. Still on the look out for mat clothes & new shoes tomorrow as well as dd2s American girl doll( oh the trauma today at the shop being shut).

Oh and whilst I remember I had a great dream
about David Tennant last night just when I thought the dreams were waning. Off to bed now for another one

Nymph I am seething with jealousy over your DT dream, I want one!! Ah right gotcha, good sense of community there. I'm sorry you couldn't eat new york cheesecake or the pretzels. It's funny you should say that as I've gone off salt big style since I got pregnant. In fact apart from the odd packet of ready salted crisps I haven't touched the stuff. Whats dd2's American girl doll then? Something specific or just the noveltly of buying a doll in a different country?

MLS I thought so myself, nice to have it confirmed although I really didn't think I would feel anything this early on. Maybe I've got my dates all to pot?

Dilly I think if DH used to be a nurse, you're probably one up on the rest of us.

Norfolk I could have done with your nap today at work. If I'm honest, it was a very boring day and I probably could have gotten away with hiding and falling asleep. No one would have been any the wiser.

Hi all, sorry for your news norfolk and fingers crossed for you tinywelsh

just throught i'd pop in and second mummylovessadie's message re NCT. The friends you will make will be invaluable support when you are on maternity leave and beyond... I did learn a bit (although i am a voracious reader and had learnt a lot in advance, it gave me a chance to ask questions). I remember the first class thinking what an odd bunch of people they were and i would never make friends with them, but our babies are all 18 months now and we still get together.

hermya it's a specific 'brand' www.americangirl.com/stores/location_ny.php we brought back the catalogue last with as we were a bit WTF over this huge 5 story store selling dolls . But dd2 got obsessed& 2 years later she will be getting one!

Nymph Ah they look quite cool actually, when I was a little girl I probably would have bugged my Mum for one as well. I hope you're having a great time.

Tomorrow is my last chance of getting a phone call from the scan people to offer me a scan in time for the nuchal test, feeling very let down

Hoping everyone is having a good easter and those with worries are coping well

Hi All,

Hope you get your scan ok Tyson.

How are you doing Tinywelsh? Nearly Tuesday now.

Nymph ok..see..we could be in trouble now cos not only did I have a dream about DT while ago in his Dr Who incarnation, but in fact dreamed he was the father of my LO! too funny! Your holiday sounds great but serious disappointment about the cheesecake, bah! I really hate that,when you're sure you want to eat this one thing and then it turns out to be bleugh.

Ksal and mummyloves thanks for the encouragement about NCT, hope my local classes aren't full now! It helps to hear from those who have done it. Also, glad to hear you're feeling better mummyloves - scary stuff!

xxx

Still thinking about you, tiny. And Tyson, hope you get your scan tomorrow. What a pain.
MLS, pneumonia on top of a kidney infection - ouch! Hope you are all clear now. Take it easy!!!

Thanks for the feedback about the NCT classes. I am still about the price - when I think we can do the free ones the midwife is offering, will I not make friends there? Yet as a couple of you are saying, other friends of mine also rave about their NCT group and still see them many months/years after baby is born.

Still considering a doula, I know they are not cheap, but I've heard good things, and am tempted. If you find a trainee doula, Hermya, you could get the services for a very good price.
Dilly, I think you have a lovely bonus of your DH being a former nurse - bound to come in handy. Can't hurt!

And I am still thinking I'll learn about hypno-birthing, but maybe just do it from a CD/book as opposed to classes.

And do the pre-natal Yoga.

Bought my first pair of maternity jeans today - finally felt my pre-pregnancy ones weren't comfortable enough. Loving them, woo hoo!
And I am 14 weeks along today. The weeks are flying by.

Hey, talking of Ab Fab's jeans, I am getting increasingly uncomfy (bought maternity tights the other day - hoping for good things from them) but I'm only relatively little to start with - are maternity jeans just stretchier or what? I'm such a wuss, I really hate clothes shopping so never actually get into shops to look at them properly. Also, maternity bras... I don't know exactly how to go about it all, I used to go bra-less around the house but I can't now, it's too uncomfy do I just need to bite the bullet and get measured up in M&S? I went to mothercare and it was just chaos... Also, is there a magic jeans waist expanding thing or have I misunderstood - I saw a bump band, is that it?

You would despair of me, I just cannot get clothes organised, I would rather live in my pjs! I must become a famous novelist immediately!

xx

Are maternity tights meant to offer extra support?

I am not a big fan of shopping either - I try to do what I need to do online, but I thought it was important to try maternity jeans on. The ones I bought do feel stretchier in general, but my ones also have a couple of elasticated bits at the waist, and you can also adjust the waist with this stretch and button thing inside.
I did see others that had a stretchy band all around the waist, but for me at this early stage, the ones I went for felt right for me, and they looked really lovely too.

And yes, you can buy a bump band, and that should keep your belly covered, and if you can fit into your pre-pregnancy clothes, great. I believe some are also able to offer extra support as opposed to just coverage. I haven't really looked into it yet.

I haven't needed to get a new bra yet - always been quite, er, ample, but don't think I've actually grown in the bust area yet, so still doing ok in my usual bras. One of my pregnant friends recommended Bravado bras - www.fromheretomaternity.co.uk/cat--Bravado-Bras-Bravado-Nursing-Bras-Bravado-Maternity-Bras-@-FHTM-O nline--bravado.html?gclid=CIXZ5tSF8KACFU6Z2AodCii10w.

And I don't despair of you at all, Dilly - I love being in my PJs/loungewear - love it! Oh if only I were a rich novelist too!

Maternity tights are supposed to fit better round your bump and make you feel less like you're being chopped in half

Right, I've started looking online for bras, just measured myself and both cupsize and band size have gone up - seems to have happened all of a sudden - I only measured them a couple of days ago!

The jeans sound great AbFab where did you get them?

Get well soon mummy loves!

And thanks to you and ksal for the NCT thoughts. I'm hoping that it will be a chance for dh to meet some other fathers to be too as we don't really know anyone locally.

dilly know exactly what you mean about the jeans - and I was a size 16 pre-preg so I don't think it matters about start size! At the mo living in leggings and a pair of "boyfriend" jeans that were oceans too big when boughts 6 months ago, but fit just quite snug now! I think that maternity jeans have some kind of comfy traksuit band on the top but that gets hidden under your top, and then the rest of it's normal jean (?)
Any thoughts girls on where to get some not too expensive but good ones, ladies? And do we get the size we were before we got into this state?!!!

Totally hear it about the pjs!

mummyloves how come you get your nuchal results so quickly? I was told that it would be at least 3 weeks for ours?

Vmum I was told if my nuchal bloods are normal I'll get a letter 10 days from my test date which was last Friday to say it is all ok. If they are abnormal I'll get a phone call tomorrow. The mw did however give me the direct line number of the lady who gets the results in & said if I feel I can't wait, to give her a call & she'll tell me over the phone. Yes you guessed it, I'm one of those who just CAN'T WAIT!

Re maternity jeans, my absolute favorite comfy pair are a pair of 70's flares from Gap with a wide elastic band all the way round. I also have another comfy skinny-type pair but they are still a bit big for me & they are from New Look. I'd say try Gap, H&M & New Look. Yes, buy your pre-pregnancy size.

Those tights sound good, Dilly.
I'm just looking online at bras and support vests - the link above also sells the bump bands, so I am considering one of those while I'm there!

I haven't measured myself recently, but I still fit really comfortably into my pre-pregnancy bras so I think I have remained much the same. The site I'm on now doesn't require an exact size - they go s - m - l - xl and a few options, so a little room for give and take.

I got my jeans from Mamas & Papas, and I went for the low-rise wide-leg boyfriend-cut (not sure what my husband would say about that!!!). They currently have 30% off ALL jeans, so these cost me £26.60 as opposed to £38, which I thought was really good. I did have a look in H&M first, but no joy. And yes - pre-pregnancy size - but I do think it's wise to try these things on if you can. I tried another pair on and they didn't sit as well on me.

I have bump bands from New Look think they were £10 fir 3 & cover the top of jeans when they font fit & tops that rise up!

Someone stood up for me on the subway this am so I think I must look pg now v hot here today (could just be me though & am in a vest top so it may just be the tightness!

hermya we have doll & outfits & dd2 outfits & are $170 poorer good job dd2 saved up!

Let this be a warning to the first timers- make your child save pocket money or holidays cost a fortune!!!

Hi there, well, I've ordered bras and a belt extenderthingybob so that I can wear my existing jeans (we hope) so let's see how that goes. Those jeans sound great, especially on offer .

Ooh, that's nice, Nymph. I just sent off for my free Mind The Bump badge from TfL - I don't think I look so much pregnant as just slightly chunky around the belly area. Luckily I hardly ever use the Tube, but it will be nice for if/when I do.

Dilly, did you just order from From Here To Maternity - because I just did - ordered a bra, a support vest and the support belt. What a successful day's shopping.

Hi everyone! I've had a knackered day after all my entertaining yesterday- poor ds is suffering benign neglect!

Re nct classes- yes, go! My group are still v close 2 years ish later, and the bumps and Babies group were also a life saver. Those days on maternity leave are long and lonely when everyone else is at work.

I've bought my first maternity jeans- such relief to not walk round with my flies undone
places to go- red herring at debenhams (sale on at moment my jeans 15£) h and m, but I wore tunics/empire line dresses over maternity leggings or jeans until I was huge, then I lived in jogging bottoms and tshirts and hid for the last 2 weeks!*nymph hope NYC is as fun as it sounds

hope everyone had a fab weekend.

Abfab I'm going to have a problem with maternity clothing as I happen to be longer in the leg, I already have problems finding clothing generally anyway. I suppose I will be wearing a pregtent after all.

Nymph Very good job she saved up, but I'll bet she'll remember that doll and her trip for a very long time.

Although my trousers are getting slightly tighter, I'm still no closer to going into maternity clothes. Oh well, I'm sure given a few weeks that'll change.