The Elderberry Helicopter #3, in which we continue to fret and play 'guess the sex'

[Boomgoestheweasel]

Open to all elderberry grads and anyone who fits the berry criteria: over 30, pregnant with #1 after trying for a loooong time, and nervous as hell. Come on in for handholding and nub theory!

foody tmi coming but kinda know how you feel to an extent
. Since conception although I've been probably uneccesarily worried about my cervix as well, I've also been super up for it! Must be the hormones and the whole 'not having to do it' anymore! Anyway, like you I'm also worried about my cervix and have panicked with actual sex. We've just been sticking to...the erm other stuff and its bloody great

Tee hee kitty not a bad idea

Cor lucky you guys. My fella is not easy to cajole into bed at the best of times which is particularly frustrating with all this rampant horniness over here although third trimester is definitely dampening desire in that area!

Ha, thanks for the nomination - I'm a bit of a scatterbrain but will try and see how often I actually remind you! If it's more than you'd remember yourselves then I'm happy to help the copter achieve well toned burgers.

I had a horrid baby dream last night where I was making a flower arrangement out of pieces of baby-body that's what you get for watching The Bridge before bed.

Ouch sorry to hear about the braxtons boom - nothing like that here, but my joints have been really sore and stiff so I just constantly walk around at 85 year old speed. I found if I do more, the baby seems to be more chilled so maybe they were chillaxing after the braxtons and walking. I've also noticed that she kicks around the same time each day… will that be when she's awake I wonder? Probably more to do with when I'm sitting on my ass.

New house is fab thanks, we had lived in an ex-council flat in a not particularly pretty part of Brighton which was fine, very large and had great neighbours but it was a high rise so rather drafty and the landlord didn't give a flying about the condition so it was badly finished. The new place is a largish back-to-back style house which has at least been done up since 1974 so is a bit more presentable, has a decent shower and a front yard - and is way cheaper than our old place, the north/south divide is ridiculous. There have been a few teething problems, including slugs in the basement kitchen (solved I think by bunging up a hole with scouring pads), but everything is getting sorted, assembled and tweaked bit by bit.

and… CLENCH!

My DH is a bit rampant at the moment, but I haven't been up for it. I'm not so well trimmed down there at the moment and always knackered!

Yes to a mattress topper, I would love one: after the move it just doesn't feel right.

Morning ladies, just popping over from the berry thread to say hello and ask a question if that's okay? I'm 5 weeks today, feeling ridiculously anxious! My test lines are getting reassuringly darker, and as unreliable as the clear blue digi is, it's been notching up the weeks at the right pace. I've had no spotting, except very very light spotting last week. No pain except for what feel like normal ligament stretching. Anyway, I've developed shoulder pain over the last few days. More of an ache. I'm now terrified it's ectopic. Am I losing the plot?? Just wondered if you lovely ladies had any advice or experience of this. Thank you!!

Hi wino, welcome and big congratulations!!

I haven't had experience of this but did read a lot during my anxious first few seven months weeks. I think it is sharp shoulder pain (poss accompanied by bleeding) which you need to worry about) but I would say give your local epu a ring and speak to someone. It's likely to be the best way to reassure yourself I reckon.

Hey Win. I remember worrying about absolutely everything at your stage too. I am certain you will be fine, I think the pain needs to be sharp and accompany bleeding as per what Thunder said. But if you need to put your mind at rest find the number for your local EPU and call them x

Well, that was an interesting 10 mins. Called nhs direct in the end because I've not even called midwives to book in yet so no idea where my epu is. After answering questions for about 5 mins the admin guy said, so i think we need to call you an ambulance. What??? I asked to be put through to a clinican who asked more questions and said it didn't sound ectopic and to take paracetamol. Bloody hell! It should be sharp pain, on the tip of the shoulder, and not helped by massaging the area, often worse when lying down. May investigate where my local epu is now!! Can I call even if I've not booked in?

Thanks guys!!

Win hopefully that has put your mind at rest a bit
Local EPU will be attached to local maternity ward. Yes you can use it even if not yet booked in (I was at mine pre booking app). Some are self referral and let you call them direct, some need a GP referral. Welcome to the copter and the world of worry that goes hand in hand with your pregnancy

Ha!! The shoulder ache has gone now! I'm going crazy with this pregnancy!!

Oh win welcome to the copter and congrats: I used the new online symptom checker as I was worried when I first started getting bloody bogies (weird pregnancy thing apparently) and they told me to go to A&E which is ridiculous!

Welcome to the world of crazy win! Anyone would have thought that after a bfp things get easier....

The epu is early pregnancy so should be for people pre booking in. With my first pg I went to the docs (didn't bother second time round) and she gave me the number of the epu to use in circumstances exactly like this.

brod that's hilarious! I've had blood in my nose all the way through this pregnancy- sometimes like mini nosebleeds. Weird innit?!

Oh and CLENCH everyone

Thanks guys. I've just looked and my local epu is by gp referral. Think I might go and see my gp, see if I can get some phone numbers or something.

I'm going back to lurking now!! (not quite ready to think this is real yet!!) - until the next panic anyway!!

Win lurk away.
First day I have done any kegels and have done them twice thanks to reminders on here. There might be hope for me yet! Although have noticed the pressure on my bladder has gone up dramatically recently, baby's head is clearly squishing it

I think my baby might have its head firmly lodged in my ribs now
Definitely have squashed lungs and stomach, particularly in the afternoons at the moment. Or maybe it's it's bum....

Is there any way to know which way up baby is? I seem to get kicks and prods and all sorts of crazy movement all over the place so not much in the way of clues there.

Thunder I can locate a bum (round, squishy ish and too big to be a head) its generally round my bellybutton. When she is head down I have feet under my ribs which I can feel. Occasionally I have something hard in place if a bum but I can't work out if that is shoulders or her spine.

When the baby is anterior, the back feels hard and smooth and rounded on one side of your tummy, and you will normally feel kicks under your ribs. Your belly button (umbilicus) will normally poke out, and the area around it will feel firm. When the baby is posterior, your tummy may look flatter and feel more squashy, and you may feel arms and legs towards the front, and kicks on the front towards the middle of your tummy. The area around your belly button may dip in to a concave, saucer-like shape.

If you feel the baby move, try work out what body part was moving. Remember that heads feel hard and round, while bottoms feel soft and round! It may take a lot of concentration and trying to work things out at first, but you soon get the hang of it. You may find it easier to feel your baby's position if you lie on your back with your legs stretched flat out.

spinningbabies.com/baby-positions/belly-mapping

Around your belly button? Hmm that's interesting- I assumed there would be head at one end and bum at the other with legs curled up- that was the only way I could figure out how a 40cmish long baby would fit in there but I'm probably looking in totally the wrong place! Sometimes different bits feel lumpy but I think I'm just too fat to feel distinctive lump shapes. Damnit!

The belly mapping article is interesting

What belly mapping article? Am all intrigued (in between 'working' and fighting with bloody conveyancers grrrrr)

The link I posted at 16:00. It helps you figure out and visualise where baby may be. I do not envy you with the conveyancers after my experience last week