First pregnancy - I have some questions for those who've been here before! Thanks

[ClearlyMoo]

Hi all

So this is my first pregnancy and I have a few questions, I thought I'd pop them in one post, and see if any of you lovely, more experienced Mum's could help!

Thanks massively in advance!
If anyone else has questions please feel free add them to this thread too!

1. BOOBS! Mine just get bigger and bigger, I'm 15weeks. Yesterday I held a friends 3 day old baby and after wards my boobs seemed even more swollen and red, is that my body reacting to the baby, or just a coincidence?!

1. STRETCH MARKS! I recently lost 5stone, and now my belly is getting bigger again, my stretch marks are silvery, I can't really tell if they are old (from being over weight) or new. Do I need to use stretch mark cream already? I'm 15 weeks.

1. MIDWIFE appt. I have my 16 week check next week. Will I be required to provide a urine sample? I struggle to do this on order so hope to take one with me in advance will this be ok? What else will happen at 16 week check.

1. BELLY BUTTON INDENT I still have a bit of a waist, my friend said it looked weird as my belly is growing above & below belt line, I've stopped wearing "waisted" stuff and am in maternity clothes, when will my waist go? Is it usual to be big above and below?

1. WEIGHT LOSS BEFORE PREGNANCY - as above I lost 5 stone in 2012, I want to keep it off. Petrified to weigh self but reckon I've possibly already gained 1+ stone. Has anyone else lost weight and managed to keep it off before pregnancy and after?!

Thanks in advance for any answers!!

totally with you there on points 1 and 5 - love to see what people say. Im 14+2 and not gained much yet but i hear it all packs right on from now on!

Congratulations on your pregnancy, and on your admirable weight loss!

1. Different women's boobs do different things. Newborns make boobs weird. Fret not.

1. New stretch marks are blue/purple; old ones are silver. You can use moisturiser or stretch mark cream but it doesn't really make a difference. Whatever you prefer.

1. Your midwife always wants your wee Just have a big drink half an hour before you go, to make it easier.

1. Your "fundal height" won't be measured before you're 20w or so, but generally the top of your uterus, as it grows, rises about a centimetre a week from your pelvis bone at 12w to your belly button at about 20w. At 15w I'm afraid anything above your waist is, erm, internal organs or bloating, or maybe pie.

1. A stone in the first trimester isn't loads, and so long as you're eating sensibly you should really try not to think about it. With DC1 I put on over three stone, nearly all of which had completely gone by the time we had our postnatal check at six weeks. I currently have an eight-day-old and have lost nearly a stone and a half compared to ten days ago which again was about three stone heavier than at conception.

Don't ask me about keeping weight off between babies though - I eat too many biscuits!

1. boob growth should slow down a bit the further along you get, until your milk comes in, then it's all go again! I've gone from a DD to a J (currently 38 weeks)

2. I don't think there is much evidence for stretch mark cream working for every woman, certainly keep your tummy moisturised so the skin is supple and healthy. Silvery marks are probably old ones, I have plenty from being a bit of a fatty before pregnancy and only one or two small new red ones

3. always best to take a urine sample with you to every appointment, you can ask for a stash of the little tubes or use an old drinks bottle, keep them in the bathroom and get your first wee of the day. It wont matter if its hours old.

4. everybody's bodies are different and every woman looks different in pregnancy, especially if you've a little (or like me, a lot!) of extra cuddly bits then you might have a bit of a lumpy bump until baby gets quite big. Just try to enjoy our changing body, it's doing an amazing thing.

5. I can't really answer this as I'm not at the post pregnancy stage yet and I've had a bit of an awful pregnancy weight wise due to hyperemesis. Whatever your worries about putting on weight just remember to eat as healthily as possible and keep as active as you were pre pregnancy for as long as you feel able. You could ask to be referred to a dietician if its causing you concern.

Congratulations and best of luck!

Congratulations on your weight loss! Iv not lost that much but I have managed to only put minimal weight on I'm 32+ 3 and only put 11lb on so far, as long as you watch what your eating ie not over doing it with chocolate/ crisps and don't eat for two you should be fine, I don't really exercise as such but I make sure I go out for a long walk every day and so far it's worked.

Yes boobs do react to babies so it is possible that is why that happened
New stretch marks are red/ pink if they're silvery they are old but it's worth using stretch mark cream. straight away to try and avoid old ones growing bigger
Bumps grow all different ways so id imagine it is. normal

You always need a urine sample for every midwife appointmemt

@ or maybe pie!

You've done well with the weight loss OP. I was in the process of losing when I fell pregnant...the scales starting to creep the wrong way was what prompted me to do a test. You'll be fine providing you keep your new healthy eating principles at the forefront of your eating habits where possible. Don't be afraid to eat...a lot of your current gain is blood volume, placenta and boob.

As for the midwife thing, take a sample with you. My midwife actually gets quite shitty with people who make her wait while they wee Not a great advert for her admittedly.

Just wanted to respond to a few of your points! I always take urine sample as struggle to wee on demand. I have old stretch marks too (silvery) and from around 30 weeks they started extending (red) so yes definitely start using cream now. The belly button indent...again, had that! It eventually disappeared but not until around 28 weeks. It's a pain, but trust me it will go! Weight...I too lost a lot of weight last year (3.5 stone) and have put on a fair bit during this pregnancy (37+4 now). However, I don't look like I used to before weight loss so I think a lot of it is baby. And to be honest I'm not too worried about getting it back off again. If I need to I will go back on Weight Watchers. What plan did you use?

Everything HoratiaDrelincourt said is the truth and exactly what I was going to say :)

You can buy urine sample containers on Amazon or at a pharmacy.

Think your questions have been answered already! Just one point I found odd: do none of you get urine sample pots from your MW? Those little ones with the red lids? I always ask for a new one at the end of an appt; then I can 'provide' the sample in my own bathroom and bring it to the next appt.
and about the weight loss; while you automatically lose lots at birth and immediately after, I've always had the problem that I put weight back on due to breastfeeding - I'm just starving all the time! So I don't plan on losing any until I've stopped breastfeeding this time. It's hard to see the weight pile back on when you've worked hard to lose it; but for me pregnancy and breastfeeding aren't times to think about dieting or watching your weight too closely.

I think you've had everything answered, but yes, ask for an extra pot at your next appoint (mine don't have red lids though. Always been white). Then you can do your sample at home and bring it in (oh the glamour). They test your wee every time they see. There are a lot of pee tests in a pregnancy!

Stretch mark cream cannot possibly work to prevent stretch marks as it can't act on a deep enough level of tissue. It can stop itching from all that stretching though.

I can answer no5, I am pregnant with dc3 I usually put on about 5 stone per pregnancy. I have lost the weight each time before getting pregnant again, unlike some lucky sods I do have to put effort into losing the weight and it takes about a year each time. My theory is I have done it before I can do it again!

I've put on a stone and i'm only 9 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!

Your midwife will be keeping track of your weight anyhow.
As to whether tyou can keep it off- that's up to you i'm afraid! try and stay active and not give into the horrible take-aways and junk.. you know yourself.

First timer here also so am enjoying reading the answers... best of luck :)

My midwife said they like urine samples done within an hour of the appointment. I always get a new sample bottle before I leave my appointment. I had leukocytes in my last sample and she was keen to find out how fresh the sample was before it went to the lab.

I found breastfeeding marvelous for losing weight, and I could do it from the comfort of my sofa! if you try to eat sensibly with a few treats here and there then you shouldn't put on too much. Try not to worry about it for now and just take each day as it comes.

The midwife will want some pee off you just about every time she sees you, they're weird like that I think it's just to check blood sugar levels etc.

If you think your boobs are big now, wait till your milk comes in!! I went from a AA to FF Try to moisturize or bio oil your body every other day if you can. It wont stop stretch marks but it can help reduce them.

Don't forget to moisturise your boobs too! I went from D to G first pregnancy, lost 3st and half a cup size and now filling my bra up again I was fine til milk came in and then ended up with a lions mane of red stretch marks radiating out from each nipple!

Well done on the weightloss OP that's brilliant, and preg should be easier as a result. I put a st and a half on first pg, lost most of it in the first week after birth, put a stone on in the next year (mostly down to body retaining fat whilst I was still bfing and me eating as if I was still bfing a newborn, doh!)

I would be careful about taking a urine sample - unless you've done it in a sterile container just before the appt. as it can be contaminated - and that can cause extra stress as the results can be misleading. I made this mistake!

I don't get given a new pot at each appointment! Have had to use the same pot for the last 22 weeks! Midwife just told me to wash it out each time

I've never been given a pot. And I cba to wash it out every time, so I just buy more.

Oh - maybe that's just me then! I had a whole palaver because a sample was contaminated and they thought I had an infection which turned out to be nothing.

I get given a new pot each appointment and have never been told to worry about it being sterile. Maybe it is- the lid is always on when they give it to me. I've been told as long as it's a sample from earlier that day it's fine (and what sort of oddball would have a pee pot hanging around longer than that anyway )