Anyone due in April 2004?!

[dot1]

Hello!

I found out last week I was pregnant, and although I've not been to my GP yet, various websites and Miriam Stoppard have told me I'm due on March 31st/April 1st! (poor little april fools baby - let's hope it's late...).

I know it's early days, but wanted to start this thread as I've already got lots of questions - like, is anyone else having quite bad pains? I've been getting bad period-type pains, which have been worrying me, but I understand people do get (this is my first pregnancy by the way!).

Right, that's it - hope I get some company soon..!

Ooh I was getting really terrible calf cramps (sometimes in both legs at the same time)regularly which left my calves feeling bruised for days. I actually posted a thread about it tried: increasing my water intake, eating 3 bananas a day (potassium is supposed to help), stretches...nothing but they have improved a little lately. I have been having a bit of a cereal fetish now that my hunger has shrunk it is a great snack and I'm putting it down to: maybe I was calcium deficient which apparently is another reason for calf cramps according to my gym trainer.
dot1 - have also been experiencing back pain but not sciatica (as often) which is what it sounds like you are describing. I went to the doctor on Friday and got a referral to acupuncture which hopefully will help. Is the pain down the back or the front of the leg. Generally if you have any pressure on the a disc it will shoot pain down the nerve attached and exercises you need to do depend on the position of the pain.
Is there anything you have been finding yourself that helps? Do you have it when you get out of bed? If it is fine in the morning which position do you tend to sleep in?

Hi Udar - it's down the back of my right leg - mainly at the top at the moment, but can go down to my toes - particularly if dp is trying to help by rubbing my back! It's not really bad, i.e. stopping me from doing stuff, but it's there enough for me to notice it most of the time! I'm struggling to find a comfy position to sit/lie in during the evenings. I'm OK at work - trying to sit upright and push my back into my chair. It's when I'm either on the settee or floor at home - I think aswell 'cos I'm more tired in the evenings it doesn't help. Sleeping's OK - better if I actually sleep on the side that hurts - I'm probably squashing it so much it stops!

My friend's suggested I get on all fours to relieve the pressure on my spine, so I'm going to try this tonight when ds has gone to bed - otherwise he'd be jumping all over me!

You may want to try propping yourself up with about 15 pillows on your stomach putting your hips slightly off to one side or the other. You will find that one side will hurt more than the other. Go with whatever hurts less and prop yourself up a little onto your elbows, hopefully the pain will move up your leg towards the centre of the back. Once it is in the centre of the back straighten up so you are all aligned and just prop there for as long as you can.
IF DOING ANY OF THIS HURTS MORE STOP!!! It is a known technique for discal pain and sciatica when not pregnant and has worked for me when I do get it but obviously everybody is different and it is hard to say try this or that without any assessment.

awww - thanks Udar! Very kind of you to help with this - I shall go on a pillow hunt around the house this evening!

You'll find if you lie on the bed you might not need quite so many pillows - ours are just quite flat. I tend to put some under my pelvis and then some at chest height and a couple on either side of my bump so my back doesn't sink in the middle leaving a hole in the middle for the bump. If you have a V pillow it is really good for leaving a bump hole.
It also lets me feel a little less guilty as the bump touches the bed and as the bed is soft I'm not really squashing it.

You could try leaning over a birthing/gym ball - one of those huge bouncy balls, I think they're 9.99 in argos and places like that. and then you can use it in labour if you're not straight in for an epidural.

I have leg cramps too I can hardly walk today, someone told me to eat more salt before going to bed eg lots of crisps but I don't think it helps me.

Cheesecake - my favourite is the chocolate fudge cheesecake from Tescos. lots of calcium and iron in it I expect!

Fennel be careful with the salt as it could make you dehydrated which supposedly caused my 9 hours of contractions at 23wks.

OMG Udar!

Am off to get a glass of water now!

Just wanted to say Happy Christmas to all us April mums2B

definitely - happy Christmas!! Although I'm taking the laptop home with me after work today - couldn't miss Mumsnet for a whole 2 weeks..!

Happy Christmas everybody too!

Probably won't be on mumsnet for next few days as don't get much time to log on when at home and not at work.....

Yes have a fab Christmas & a happy sober New Years.
DH & I are having a quiet one with just the two of us as it will be our last one with just the two of us so we thought we'd try to savour the lack of madness.

Hope everybody had a nice relaxing Christmas with no pregnancy problems.
Rather enjoyed having 4 days off work - wasn't ready to come back.

Hello! I'm still off work but have just answered a work e-mail so am feeling very virtuous!! We had a great Christmas - ds has just turned 2 so is just the right age for ripping open presents - although he was very disappointed when they weren't all trains...!

Bump's growing at a pace - trying not to think about how big I'm going to be at 40 weeks...

Hope everyone had a great time and gold stars to anyone who manages to stay up until midnight tomorrow..!

Hi! I'm new to Mumsnet - I'm due end March/ beg April. I've been feeling okay but have just started to get pains when I sit down just under my breasts - midwive suggested Gaviscon so will try that but not sure it would be heart burn as only happens when sit down? Anyone else had this? Happy New Year!

Udar, I wasn't ready to come back to work either...but I use the word 'work' in the loosest possible way...does sitting in the office internet surfing count?!?

Glad you had a good Christmas Dot....was interested to hear that your ds is really interested in trains...since I have a dd at the moment and I am now expecting a ds. Are gender differences re what they prefer to play with apparent even at this age? - I know my 17 month old dd is not too bothered with trains or cars...

Hi Vict17 and welcome. Can't help you with the heartburn problem unfortunately as happily it is something I haven't suffered from - but I understand its very common.

Hello all! HMC - yes, I really think gender differences show up at this tender age - really from when they're born..! I can never get over how different our ds and other boys we know are to our friend's little girl, who's v. happy to sit and read books and do 'quiet' things, whereas they're all charging around playing with trains/cars/anything that has wheels and moves fast! Dp has just read this and said she doesn't agree though, so there you go..!

Vict 17 - I haven't had this pain you're describing, but am having really bad heartburn at the moment - started at about 16 weeks and feels like it's getting worse - although Boots indigestion tablets do work almost immediately - the only problem is they used to do me for a few hours and now it's only 1 - 2 before it comes back again...

Roll on the next 3 months for everyone!

Hi Dot1. Thanks for the advice - I told the midwife and she's given me a prescription for Gaviscon so hopefully that will help!

Luckily I too haven't had any heartburn - baby is sitting quite low - haven't felt any problems with my breathing yet either - touch wood.
vict17 I hope the gaviscon works.

Have had some quite funny things happen over the Christmas period though - starting to be able to predict the baby starting to move around - anything sugary that goes in my mouth=huge amounts of baby movement (even oranges). Over the past couple of days I've actually had visible limbs too for the first time.

Happy New Year all. Went to the outlaws in Devon and had a very nice time at Christmas. Getting heartburn a lot now - Gaviscon is instant but I hate it!

Handlemecarefully - sorry as been away didn't see your reply about names. As we think we're having a girl this time she'll be a Lily. If it's a boy we have no idea! My son, who is now 14 months, is called Luke.

Anyway, 'Lily' is massively active these days. Very low down which feels a bit weird!

ooh - limbs - very exciting!! I haven't spent a lot of time looking at tummy - mainly because we're staying with my Mum at the moment so I can't really strip off too much!! But good news - we should be moving into our new house by the end of January - hurrah!!! Can't wait to 'nest' - paint the nursery and get stuff out of storage and all the baby stuff unpacked - really want to start getting things organised now...

Baby's kicking away all the time - mainly still quite high up - kicks well above my belly button (which has flattened out and makes dp feel queasy to look at!!)

Yes the whole belly button thing turning inside out's a bit weird!

I'm feeling quite achey round the ribs at the mo and the heartburn is rampaging.

Hoping to go on leave soon as have load of holiday owing from when I was away having ds and so hope to be able to take it instead of maternity leave so that should extend the money a bit! Hurrah!

Udar,
Unfortunately whilst I have definite movements, the chances of me spotting a limb under the thick veneer of flab that covers my bump are remote. It must be fun identifying an elbow / knee etc!

Bluecow,
I think the name Lily is lovely (I have always favoured 'flower' names) and it goes very well with Luke

Dot,
Whats the new house like?

fantastic! I'm still planning to work up until 37 weeks, but even now am fantasising about being able to officially finish next week, at 29 weeks (no chance!)... Definitely on the big countdown now, which doesn't do my work motivation much good..!

Have bought some Gaviscon liquid as I'm sooooo sick of chewing indigestion tablets, and I'm pleasantly surprised at how OK it tastes, and it works! So will probably switch to this from now on. Heartburn's got so much worse over the last week or so - a real constant and horrible at night.

Moan, moan, moan...!

PS Lily is a lovely name, Bluecow - would have been on our list, but baby's surname (a combination of ours) also begins with an 'L', so it's not v. practical - also rules out Ella which was another favourite!

Ooh, I'm glad you like Lily. We have a short surname which starts with 's' so first names that end in 's' (like James, Lewis etc) would be out cos it would be hard to know where one name ends and the next begins! We chose both Luke and Lily in 2002 when I was expecting Luke (before we knew we were having a boy) and had/have no back up names - I know some people like to see what their baby looks like first! It's such a responsibility isn't it? Still, once they're named you can't imagine they ever could have been anything else!

I always thought if I had lots of daughters I'd go for all flower names - Lily, Poppy, Daisy etc.

Dot1 - don't forget to get your Gaviscon free on prescription. I've been getting the aniseed flavour stuff and suddenly got a bottle of the peppermint Gavison from the docs last week. Yuk yuk yuk. I'm such a wuss but it tasted so vile and at least I can just about manage the aniseed one.

Udar - LOL at you comment about the flab. I think my tummy rivals yours! In fact, being pregnant hides the great lumpy tum I usually have (which is even more scary since having my son). Lots of weight to lose - and not in the least bit interested in doing it, mind... Thinking of getting a running machine as I did used to like running at the gym and can't see me getting the time when baby is born!

PS - Dot 1 - is your name a combo or double barrelled? Some folks I know called Wells and Smith combined theirs to Wellsmith when they married which I thought was rather nice.