Hear me out on this one....

[DoubleCarrick]

Ok, so I think I have a crazy idea.

I'm currently 26 weeks pregnant and so far have hated pregnancy. I had a MMC last year which was traumatic and for the first trimester of this pregnancy was tense and nervous. I suffered awfully from sickness and nausea (although not bad enough for anyone to actually be worried), aces and pains, migraines and fatigue.

The nausea and sickness has carried on and started to subside at about 24 weeks. Lack of food has meant that I've lost weight and have generally looked like shit (face looking gaunt, dark circles around my eyes).

I suffered with some pelvic pain from about 10 weeks and by 14 weeks could hardly walk around the supermarket (my chiro has massively helped with this).

So all of these things seem to be resolving and now a couple of my ribs are almost permanently painful. I'm getting agitated and irritable and it's just making me want to cry. It's waking me up in the night and I'm just so tired and frustrated.

Ok, so I think mostly that's everything. On to my thoughts...

I've been doing some reading on hypnobirthing and the book I'm reading talks about the power of positive thinking. I spoke to DH about it last night and he said that he feels I have been focusing on the negative parts. He agreed that I've not been having a great time so I know it's not all completely in my head.

This is my plan...

Does anyone want to join me on a true positive thread? Things are shit, uncomfortable and worrying, yes. However, the idea is that the more you think of the positive things, the easier things feel and potentially the better things might go (obviously this is putting medical complications aside).

I'm going to fake it until I make it. I'm going to stop the whinging about all of the hard things and if anyone asks me how I'm feeling, I'll tell them something good. I'm going to ignore the breathlessness (tested and shown to be normal) and I'm going to go for a swim/a walk to try to strengthen my lungs. I'm going to ignore any worries and anxiety and just talk about how I'm looking forward to my baby coming and think about the preparations.

This thread is going to be my little positivity haven with not a single complaint in sight.

Maybe I'm mad? It can't hurt to try.

Would anyone like to join me with some relentless positivity?

Morning all,

How's the flooring looking whatser? Do you have a pic of the nursery mac?

Had our first antenatal class yesterday, everyone seems really lovely. I realised I've actually done a fair bit of reading around childbirth and am now worried that I'm going to be a know-all! Also realised how scared I am of any interventions - might need to work on that a little.

Dh did a massive clean of the house yesterday so it's all looking really good and I'm full steam ahead with the washing of baby bits. Who knew that some reusable nappies need washing five times before first use!! bought second hand but new

The floor is almost finished! Just got to fit the edging and buy a couple of rugs - one for the living room area and one for the conservatory. I'm sat in my conservatory and I just love it. Plus there is enough flooring left over to do the bathroom so that's a bonus! It's taken two years but I finally feel like I've got the house I want with plenty of space for our growing family.

It looks amazing!! Especially the dining room table same one as me!

We're still about 2 years away from our place being finished so it's going to be a long old slog to get there. DH is still hoping to get the staircase sorted before baby comes but I think he's a little too optimistic since he's working up until 17th Dec (I hit 37 weeks 19th Dec)

such great updates seems to be lots of organising happening. I'm only 23 weeks

oops cat jumped on me and I posted too early haha.

such great updates seems to be lots of organising happening. I'm only 23 weeks but we have made a start on our nursery because it makes me feel better when I'm grumpy haha. my bump is definitely changing, we take a Polaroid every 2 weeks and this week it looked like a beach ball haha. I also started yoga last week which was lovely.

charly I love the nursery! It's beautiful - looks so calm and relaxing.

Awesome idea about taking a picture of your bump every two weeks. I've taken a few pictures and really wish that I kept a note of when each picture was taken.

I don't think I should take a picture of my nursery yet as we have stuff everywhere! Sounds like DH is going to have wednesday off though so he's going to do a few bits in there then.

I'm feeling really tired lately because the quality of sleep I'm getting is rubbish. Am really tempted to start cutting back on work but am going to try to power through for another month. Seems weird that ML is coming up so quickly! I'm looking forward to it because I'm trying to get everything sorted and prepped before hand so I can chill a little more when I'm on ML. I'm just going to sit back and watch DH create loads of mess and then let him clear it all up again

I had to send my Mat1b off to the maternity allowance people and the job centre only gave me the wrong address so have been wrangling with the doctor and midwife to try and get another one. Hopefully I'll be able to do all of the paperwork tomorrow and send it off with duplicate evidence. Annoyingly though it does mean that my maternity allowance will be paid late so we'll have a few weeks without any money!

I could do with a kick up the bum, I'm in!

I'm 2 and half stone lighter than I was when I fell pregnant with DC1, and I'm bloody proud of myself for reducing my risk of pre-eclampsia this time round.

I have been feeling this baby kicking over the past few weeks which has made it all feel real, and it's lovely

Hey onion

Well done for the weight loss! Very impressive. How far along are you?

I'm now at the point where baby shoves his bum into my ribs which is pretty uncomfortable. I pat his bum and push it and he does eventually move it!

The antenatal classes I've started have been pretty good so far. Found the breastfeeding one absolutely fascinating.

Currently researching into reflexology to see if I can get my sore rib fixed. Everything I've been told about my posture to position the baby is wrong because I can't sit how I need to due to this painful rib. DH is in his problem solving mode so I'm going to get him to rub my feet all in the name of reflexology .

The wind down to Christmas feels so real now and I can't believe it's only 4 and a half weeks until I start maternity leave!

Hey everyone...

Good job on all the renovations / house organisation. Not so much to report on that front here. I do have a positive from yesterday though. I woke up considering what a great sleep I'd had (comparatively speaking of course) and had a drink, then breakfast. After a while it dawned on me that I hadn't felt any movements at all. I tried all the things you're supposed to try and then started panicking slightly, as it was fast approaching an hour before the scheduled start of my first class. It's not the kind of job where you can go in and then decide you have to leave. My partner was already at work, where its difficult to contact him for a fast response. In the end I decided to call the maternity triage, perhaps prematurely but knowing that at this stage (38 weeks tomorrow) she could just as easily be out here as in there and how I would never forgive myself if I prioritised a class over her wellbeing and something did turn out to be wrong.

They told me to come in for monitoring and everyone was so so nice. I am not a person who takes well to being patronised and it makes me quite uncomfortable when people try to do it, but the various HCPs who saw me were not like that at all. The baby's heart rate was a little higher than they would have liked but all other signs were positive and after a few hours of monitoring, and opinions from a couple of different doctors as well as the MW, I was allowed to go home. It really brought home to me how lucky we are to have the NHS and how well set up to look after us they are. From me making a call to being hooked up to the monitors and reassured about the baby's heartbeat was probably under 40 minutes, including travelling time. No-one made me feel like I was being a time waster, in fact they went out of their way to show the opposite, and I would really encourage anyone else in a similar situation to do likewise.

Anyway, the day's events have spurred us on to get the bag packed. I think I had mentally checked that off but it turns out collecting a few things in a box under the crib and actually being ready to leave in an emergency are not the same thing. For example, beyond one pair of PJs and a robe there were no clothes in there at all for me or the baby until last night. So I guess the second positive is that we are now much closer to ready

Ah Mike a worrying but positive time, I guess. It's so good that everyone was so helpful and understanding. I'm glad all is ok. Maybe baby is prepping to come!!!

You've motivated me to get the rest of my bag packed. I'm 33 weeks on Saturday and am well into the washing of all the baby bits. Although my washing machine is beginning to sound a bit weird so that might need fixing now!!

I'm pretty sure my dog is beginning to sense something. I just came home from work and he was all sleepy and relaxed. Within ten minutes he's a bundle of stress and guarding the front door. It seems to happen every time I come home. Weird.

I've got my midwife appointment this afternoon so will update as to how it goes

I need to go for a growth scan as my belly hasn't grown enough. They've booked me in for 10.20 tomorrow which is pretty bloody quick!

Good luck with the scan! Lovely to see your baby again. My friend had a small bump and regular growth scans. There was nothing wrong, baby was just diddy. She was born at term weight 5 lb 13. She's now a healthy and happy 18 month old.

I'm trying to stay calm but have finished packing my hospital bag anyway slight over reaction but it kept me focused last night. I think it's more coupled with the fact that the dog hasn't been happy around me this past couple of weeks. Last time he was like that I had a MC.

Anyway, positivity - hospital bags packed. That's a major thing off my list. All grows and vests washed and dried. And I just found out yesterday that the lady running my NCT class is the same lady as the one running a local home birth group. I'm going to drop in on their meet up early December so that'll be nice. It'll be especially refreshing to not be told "ooooh your brave"

I hope everything went ok for your scan double

Hey mac

All ok thanks. He's now been moved to the 10th pecentile but looks nice and healthy!

He's just going to be a little bubs. My brother was exactly the same at 6lb. He's now 6ft2!

Good glad everything is ok

Men crack me up. DH has his best mate over tonight and I can hear them chatting in the kitchen (they're cooking tonight) - they are discussing the ins and outs of making decent breadcrumbs and childbirth

Just typed an update but the Internet ate it! How is everyone? 31+3 today. Got a scan to see if my placenta has moved on Wednesday. I'm so nervous but will be glad to see the baby again. Feeling huge too - bump pic attached!

I put on 2st with my first, the picture on the left is me at 40 weeks. I feel like my bump is bigger this time, but looking at these pictures it clearly isnt and I should stop worrying because last time I was back in my jeans within a month and my bump was really quite huge!

Ah, your bump is gorgeous, i love it!

I took a bump.pic yesterday, 33 weeks!

Things are getting exciting now! It's the downhill slope to Christmas! Dh is gonna love me when it gets to Dec 1st and I send him into the loft to get the Christmas decorations out - he seems to think that we are exempt from putting a tree up this year. Not a hope in hell are we not having a tree

39+6 today! One more class to teach on Friday and then I'm done at work. I think I'm feeling as ready as I'll ever be. Not naive enough to imagine anything much is actually going to happen tomorrow (hence the scheduled teaching hours on Friday) but think some good thoughts for me ladies. I'm grateful to have made it this far with no serious problems, grateful that (despite the naysayers) I've been able to work this long and grateful for all the support from MN and IRL. Thank you . I hope for continued smooth sailing for all of us.

Wow not long to go now mike exciting!