Welcome fellow big belly, nipple tweaking, (im)patiently waiting mums-to-be..... Time to join the PMA pregnancy thread

[Dollydaydream2829]

Welcome to all the old and new PMA pregnancy ladies as we navigate our way through the amazing and not so amazing parts of pregnancy!
All welcome from all stages to help and support the transition from flat bellies and sleep filled nights to heartburn, hip pain and the growing excitement at meeting our little bundles soon!

@dolly it's exactly how you describe! It's been coming and going but definitely pressure like etc - I'm glad in a way because it sort of confirms that baby is head down! Must be a normal 34 week ish thing.

@amanda you've put me in the mood for an angel slice lol! Good luck for nightshifts 😔 great you are getting lots of movement! 😀

@baking thanks for the snack tips! Hope ds is feeling better and you all got a good night's sleep!

@ohb hopefully not a uti ... It's more uncomfortable and strange and cramp like rather than overly painful.

Hope everyone has a lovely Sunday :)

thanks for all the reassurance and examples of good news stories. can’t lie, been emotional and rather snippy with every1 since the results on friday. i know it can be managed perfectly well and me and baby will be grand (#PMA all the way!), it’s just pissed me right off. not to mention iv felt yucky today, can’t explain it any other way. not poorly or in pain just generally yuck!

congrats on the baby boy @ruthieruthuk welcome aboard our PMA thread. hoping your 6 weeks go by in a flash x

ah @Roseandbee knew someone in our group had had the DNA test. i had never heard of it before. memory only operating at half capacity these days! x

hope you got a better nights sleep last night @bakingmad83 and that DS is on the mend. also positive outcome to viewing too. fingers crossed xx

i wouldn’t worry about having a sweet tooth @AmandaP86x as i don’t at all and i’m
definitely got GD. i don’t crave anything, even when it’s put down in front of me i’m like, oh here goes rather than yum! an angel slice is a goodie right enough lol. xx

oh @Dollydaydream2829 you’re making me so jealous with being “out of breath” less these days. i’m constantly sighing and DH thinks i’m in a grump about something but actually i’m just trying to take a deep breath. how weird that even our lungs change eh? xx

thanks for the flu jab info @Moo31 i’ll get mine at some point this month as my GP surgery is running drop in sessions once a week. what about whooping cough? did you get that too? xx

DH and I are having very regular conversations about names. for every name we both like 1 of us then comes up with a reason to strike it off the table. it’s becoming very frustrating! before we got pregnant we were so sure of names like Finn, Finlay, Alexander and Alfie. I now question every name over and over, say it aloud with our surname to the point where i don’t like it anymore. HELP!!

xxx

@Bella sorry to hear you are feeling yucky :( hope it passes soon - a wee bath might help? Failing that I think a cuppa always helps! Hope u feel better soon :) xo
I had my whopping cough vac a few weeks ago - maybe around 28 weeks. Someone got / is getting theirs at the same time (can't remember who!) - that would be handy if you can!!

Names are stressing me out too! Our boys name is definitely decided but sods law we'll have a girl lol. For girls it was definitely Maisie before we got pg but it's kinda slipped down the list. Names I love but am not allowed (due to oh having relatives with these names - I don't think it's an issue tbh!) - Lucy, Melissa, Alice, Sophie, Emma. I refuse to take them off the list even though I know I can't have them! Everyone I talk to says when the baby is born you will know what their name is but I'm not convinced!! Argh!!

Sorry to hear you've been feeling rubbish Bella. Got my whooping cough jab around 24 weeks I think. When I was pregnant first time round it was recommended around 28 weeks, but now changed advice to have it from 16 weeks I think, but before 32 weeks to maximise immunity.

Bad night again, but never mind. This spd or whatever it is, is getting worse. Going to discuss with midwife at my appointment on Tuesday, as not convinced it is spd - no pain in hips, front of pelvis or lower back, it literally is a pain over my bum on the rhs, sharp pain, feels grindy like bone on bone, not sciatica as had that previously and know what it's like.

@moo31 we are having 3 names each for boy/girl and deciding once it arrives. As believe we may get inspiration and one name will seem to fit once we see their little face?! Haha we can be hopeful at least.
Currently we have Mason/Leo/Max for a boy. And Imogen/Georgia/Freya for a girl. There are others in the mix and top 3 keep changing..so who knows lol! We have 18 weeks to keep changing our mind too!!

Got to admit both my arms were a bit sore after my jabs. But only to the point of when I rolled over in bed. An mainly because I had both done at once meaning I didn't have a good side. Not nowhere near as sore now and been 4 days ☺️

thanks @Moo31 currently soaking in the bath listening to the wind and rain hit off our neighbours tin shed. love that noise! i’m sure my mood is the thing that’s most yucky to be honest, i’m even pissing myself off now. however lying here watching baby wriggle about in my tummy, so my debbie downer mood is now blessed betty feeling! 😁 xx

aw @bakingmad83 that’s rotten DS isn’t sleeping. last thing you need on top of your pains. i was going to suggest sciatica but you’ve ruled that out. hope it eases off asap xx

it took me a month to name my cat so god knows what i’m going to be like with the baby! 1 of my work colleagues had a baby this weekend and she’s just text me. it’s a boy and she’s named him Leo. super cute name for the baby, he’s adorable.

love both your name lists @Anna2006 & @Moo31 💗💙 i take my hat off to you for holding out for a surprise. i’m such a nosey person i could never have held out. although we wouldn’t have held out well anyway because the consultant who did our 20wk scan referred to “him/he” about 10 times before saying “oh do you want to know the gender”. we had already found out at 17wks but was nice to have it confirmed again as the baby blue clothes were piling up at that point lol.

ill get flu & whooping cough jabs sorted in the next week or so, thanks ladies xxx

@baking hopefully mw can give you something to ease the pain. Can't be easy running round after ds and having the pain and the sleepless nights aswell. Fx you get some ease soon.

@Anna gorgeous names!! 😊 Max is our reserve boys name lol those girls names are so pretty! Have you been on the baby name threads here?! Some of the name suggestions are very pretentious I think but I have got some inspiration for our girls name list from it! Not that you need anymore choice since I think you're sorted! 😊

@Bella hope u enjoyed your bath! Baby kicks = 😍. Best feeling in the world!! It took me almost a year to decide on paint colour for the living room - in comparison to giving someone a name for life I think I'll need the full 6 weeks lol!!

I have such a sweet tooth at the moment and am really starting to panic about HE. Trying to curb my sugary snacks but really really struggling.

I'm having both the flu jab and the whooping cough vaccine tomorrow. Hate having have but need to just woman up and get it done. There are definitely more painful things to come over the next few months...

Me and DH like quite traditional names, boy is currently Henry, William or Oliver and girl is Isobel or Poppy (but I really like Darcy, DH doesn't).

Such bad acid reflux at the moment and spent £6 on strawberry gaviscon tablets which are revolting. Forcing myself to have them anyway but honestly .

@Bellamoon I haven't found it too bad holding out. I thought I would struggle but think I'm excited for the birth (currently excited - that will clearly all change when I reach this 34 week panic everyone is having lol) to find out what it is that I feel like it will urge me on. Maybe. Quite possibly not 🤣

@Moo31 yes I have had a gander at the name board before when we was discussing names. We keep going through more but seem to come back to the same ones. We have couple of others that keep swapping places with the top 3. But it's nice to have a few floating around that we like. Is anyone else set on names. I.e. You've definitely chosen?

I have no children in family so quite lucky in that respect but fair few friends have children so names have been eliminated that way. Being Theo, Amelia, Grace etc.

Lovely names @Sophsta. Don't think you can go wrong with traditional! I have friends that have used all that names so all off my list - newest baby of the friendship group is an Oliver. Minus Henry - that hasn't been used yet. And I do think that is very cute & had that on my list but DH didn't agree. Hard to meet in the middle! X

Thanks ladies, still hoping it might be spd as that usually disappears by itself after birth or even before rather than an injury that I'm potentially making worse by keeping busy.

Some nice names you have picked out! I've looked at the name threads quite often, but just used name lists for further ideas. Mine and DH are popular names and had multiple in our class at school so hoping to avoid anything too popular. DS ended up with a more popular name though, as a longer version of his name was popular a few years ago and they all seem to get shorted. Shortened list at the mo is Robin, Fern, Tamsin and Merryn, but still a couple of months to change our minds :)

I have a friend who decided both times in advance the specific names were using and more surprisingly told everyone in advance!

Sorry to hear you've bad acid reflux Sophsta, I've only had it once in my life and was awful, so really feel for you if you've got it day after day. Midwife should be able to sort you out with Gaviscon on prescription and think there are other things they can prescribe if that doesn't do the trick.

@Soph - those are lovely names! I am suffering acid reflux / heartburn too - seems to be worse when I let my stomach empty. The gaviscon tablets are disgusting, don't do it to yourself! The m/w told me I could get ranitidine on prescription from the dr but you can get them in home bargains / b&m / poundland etc so I just buy them. Up to 4 a day. I take 1 first thing and it seems to be helping. I am also eating Settlers Antacid chewable tablets by the bucketload - a bit like rennies but a lot cheaper! They come in a box with 3 packs of 10 inside and again I get them from hb/b&m/poundland. The spearmint ones are nicer than peppermint but either are bearable and in comparison to the gaviscon ones I would say they are quite nice actually!!

@Anna - I love a name that I know is my sisters girls name when she has kids (she made it clear to me when I announced I was pg). Although its first come first served she would never speak to me again lol but yes its annoying when others get there first with a name you would love to use!

@Baking lovely names too! A friend has a Robyn :) I also like Fern / Ferne. Hopefully your pain has eased a bit today?

Loving all the names list ladies! We've got ours chosen - still not 100% on the boys name but I'm just glad we've agreed on one because it seemed like we would never like the same name. Unlike our girls list - we have three on there! Our top pick is VERY popular just now, though we don't know anyone personally who has called their little girl it. But it does put me off a little bit.

Sorry to hear about your worsening SPD baking. My hip pain seems to have eased off slightly but my pubic pain is just so intense - when you suggested it could be that, I googled it (of course) and the symptoms match perfectly.... slightly annoying but I agree with you in the hope that it's that so that it eases off after the baby is here.

I too have bad heartburn sophsta and moo - I try to persevere cos I hate the taste of gaviscon. But it's a real bitch! Especially when trying to sleep at night.

Hope you're feeling a bit better bella? My mood has taken serious dips in this pregnancy over the smallest of things and worries so I can only imagine how you've felt with this! Like you though, I only have to feel little baby move about or remind myself of the journey we've had to getting to this point and it reminds me how lucky we are to carry these babies!

I've ordered my massage oil for perineal massage and also bought my raspberry leaf tea. I remember following a girl on insta during her pregnancy and she'd just started doing these things at 34 weeks - I thought to myself 'shes on the countdown now, she must be so excited/nervous about it all'......and here I am! Still can't get over how fast it's all gone.

Glad I'm seeing the midwife tomo, as every day the pain is getting worse, so really wondering if I have hurt myself without realising it. Can hardly manage a 20 min walk at a time now, was still able to do 45-60 min walks last week when I had the pain. Going to jot down a list of bullet points about the pain, like what makes it worse, so I don't forget to mention anything, as would be nice to know either way whether it's spd or I need to see doc. Sorry, just seems like I've come on here for a moan when it's a PMA thread!

Still to pack my hospital bags, been talking about it a fortnight, so definitely this week!

Evening ladies. Midwife didn't reckon the pain is spd, just that my body can't manage as much exercise as previously, so to stay active but do less. Will see how that goes. Got a bit more eventful after that, as reckoned baby still breech, so needed a scan - round here apparently they scan for breech at 34 weeks rather than 36, as more chance of successfully turning them a bit sooner. Could have gone any day this week for scan, but chose today just to get it done. Get to maternity day unit for midwives and docs to be surprised they're scanning someone at 34 weeks for breech and senior reg reckons it's obvious breech from feeling bump, but if I'm there expecting a scan they'll quickly do it. Only to find that both the midwife and doc are wrong and DD is definitely head down! Apparently she must have a bony bum! That does worry me slightly as only on 10th centile, but as DS was small on charts but fine sizewise when born, me and doc didn't seem bothered, so haven't suggested a growth scan.

How did you get on with consultant appointment yesterday Bella?

aw glad DD is behaving for you with getting ready for her birthday @bakingmad83. not so pleased about your pain situation, so other than “don’t do so much” was there any other suggestion as to why you’re in so much discomfort?

my consultant was adorable and explained everything really well re: the diabetes. essentially, my fruit obsession and lack of a proper balanced meal was causing the issue. i’m ok to continue to eat my fruit but not all at the same time (i was chopping up a load of fruit and covering in natural yoghurt for breakfast almost every morning). i now have to spread my 4-5 portions of fruit throughout the day and ensure i eat carbs with every meal. sounds simple enough and to be honest iv been fine since yesterday with the food intake. however the blood glucose monitoring is still high so i might have to call them before my review a week on thurs as i’m not getting good readings at all. bloods seem to be really high at night and in the morning but then lower during the day. anyway, back on 12th for review of my wee blood diary and hopefully i’m controlling it well by then and it’ll mean no pills or insulin injections (please cross everything for me ladies).

they did give me the heads up about possibility of early induction around 37/38wks but that will be dependent upon baby’s growth and my results next week.

i cannot frigging wait til next thurs now as if i am to be induced early i have to completely change all my annual and mat leave - i will not be losing out on anything, that would break my heart as it was all so carefully planned. so i really want to know asap if i need to jiggle things about.

a few things that were happening to me that now make sense regarding the GD, that i thought i’d share just incase anyone else is dismissing things are:-

1. constantly feeling like you’re walking against water - consultant said that was a good way to explain why every single thing was talking way more energy than it should have (even with increased weight/size change).
2. not being hungry at all but all of a sudden being ravenous, like you could steal food out of a strangers hand and scoff it immediately.
3. getting a good 7+hrs sleep but yawning most of the day - this is common in non GD ladies in first trimester but it should ease off.
4. overly sensitive or moody - well more than seems reasonable.

obviously these things can be common preggo issues but if you’re feeling them all and feel “off” then maybe best to see your midwife. as a first time pregnancy, i just dismissed all of the above as being pregnancy related. consultant was supportive as i got upset saying i felt like i hadn’t listened to my body. but how would any1 that’s not done it before know? hence why i thought i’d share it.

so who’s finishing up work soon? i’m sooo jealous x

I have my GD test next week. Ive had symptoms 1 and 3, maybe 4. I told my midwife i don't have much appetite and mostly just eat fruit, she seemed to think that was good. Ive read that there can be no symptoms with GD too, so I wonder why they don't test everyone.
Im liking everyones names, I feel a bit boring having already chosen the name before I was even pregnant. I still have a middle name to think of. First name is Rose, im toying with Everly as middle as its a combo of the two grandma to be names, but i'm not actually hugely keen on the name, then i like Marie too (which is a variation of my name).

Ive also struggled with the PMA, its really hard to deal with some of the negative symptoms. Ive found the nausea and tiredness debilitating, i think touch wood its finally lifting, as i've felt so much more like myself this week, i've managed to do some housework and drive my car, plus walk about without feeling sick and exhausted after 30 minutes, ive also met up with people as i've hardly seen anyone except my husband during my pregnancy as I couldn't commit to any plans. Im really scared something will throw me back again.

Glad your appointment went well Bella and the changes seem manageable. Hopefully your blood glucose levels will settle soon and you can avoid early induction.

Hope your GD test goes ok Roseandbee. I think in some areas they do test all pregnant women for GD, but imagine because they test everyone's urine for glucose at every appointment, that's enough to pick up likely candidates for it, though not all women with low levels of glucose in urine turn out to have GD when tested.

Mw couldn't say for sure what is causing pain, other than the hormone relaxin likely making pelvic bits looser and more prone to injury. Didn't make any other suggestions to manage it, but I find she doesn't like to commit to advice - when I asked her what I could do to help get a breech baby into position, she just said the docs can try to turn if necessary, which was what I was trying to avoid by taking action myself!

Hi ladies

Just having a read back sorry been mia was my bday yesterday! Didn’t do much being preg mostly ate!! 😂😂

Really interesting the stuff about GD. I really don’t think my diet has changed much I’m not overly hungry & I still eat the kinda same. If I fancy something I’ll have it kind of thing. Been making my dinners most evenings all fresh slimming world stuff usually. I’m a bit scared now haha! I might test my urine in work today !!! Wonder if it needs to be FMU?

Iv hardly slept a wink last night and I am
Now on a run of three days! I don’t know if I’ll make it to 36 weeks at work with this shitty off duty!!!! Only came off nights Monday morning!!

Loving the list of names!!! I love Cooper Luca Blake or Carter. I think Luca is my fav though.

I’m 24 weeks this week baby moving like mad but can be very quiet at times bloody going to send me into meltdown 🙈

Ordered pram etc but still haven’t made one start on the nursery as it has a bathroom suite in it - waiting to get new bathroom first! I feel like times dragging but on the flip side I’m running out of time!!!!

you’re midwife will dip your urine at your routine appt @AmandaP86x so i’d say leave it to her as you’ll maybe just worry yourself if you do try to check. sounds like you’re making progress with pram etc. did you go for the Stokke? i’m still waiting on nursery furniture but now not caring as much as it will all fall into place whether i’m stressing about it or not. fab names there too for wee baby 💙

and love Rose for a girl @Roseandbee it’s such a pretty name. i had Alexander for a boy my whole life and yet now i’m a withering on it as it’s actually happening. good luck for the GD test. the symptoms i listed are definitely all common in pregnancy at some stage so please don’t assume you’ve got GD just yet. it was just that my consultant asked me to list how i was feeling and said that at 28 weeks, a lot of those issues all pointed towards high/low blood glucose levels. hoping you’ll be fine though chic. sounds like you’ve had a rough time but are starting to come out the other side now that you are managing a few things that you weren’t before. hope that continues for you!

@bakingmad83 hope wee boney bum stays in her position and there will be no manual turning required now she’s head down. i agree that midwives, in my experience anyway, are very helpful and supportive but not willing to commit to much. iv asked a few questions over the months now that have results in “but it’s up to you”. do they not know we are neurotic emotionally unstable and borderline maniacs who can’t make up our minds haha?

29 weeks today for me. according to ovia my wee boy is now the size of a hawaiian pineapple. is that the same as the pineapples they sell in glasgow tesco’s? lol. bending down is an issue now as i have to go sideways otherwise i can’t breath and i might need to find toe nail clippers with a long handle but my PMA is back on track. my mood dips terrible whilst waiting for results or preparing mentally for an appt. so now that i have identified that, i don’t feel so bad for my mood swings as it’s clearly just anxiety taking over. hoping to meditate at night to counteract that.

happy hump day ladies - i have officially less than 2 months to work, and that’s fecking exciting xxxx

Happy belated birthday Amanda! Please don't worry about what you've been eating, as you can't really bring on GD through your diet, but it's a key way to control it.

DH has an app that is American and I've been a bit sceptical about some of the fruits/veg they've used to compare size of baby to - think they must have much bigger versions over there! Glad to here your PMA is back on track Bella :)

Hope you had a lovely birthday amanda - like bella said, they'll test tour urine at every appt. I used to prick my finger just about every day at work to check my sugars before my appt, convinced I would have it. It just ended up driving me mental and have a sore finger constantly lol.
If I have one bit of advice for You, I would say to think about coming off a bit earlier than 36 weeks. I'm now really struggling at work with tiredness. Like you, my shifts are a bloody nightmare and we're so short staffed. I don't come off for another two weeks which I'll be 36 and a half weeks and I'm on a stretch of 7 just now and another lot of 6 to go. I'm knackered.

Sounds like an eventful day baking - glad the baby is behaving and is head down after all that! And great you got a wee sneak peek again! Hope you can take it a bit easier so you're not as sore all the time although I can imagine with a toddler, that's near on impossible. Although if you're anything like me, I find the pain worse when I'm sitting/Lying down.

I think it's only natural for all our PMAs to take dips now and again rose - pregnancy has defo been a bit tougher than I ever imagined and I'm sure because you had a long journey to get here, that it must be hard not to worry constantly. But you've made it to this stage and you just have to try and focus on the positives as much as you can right now.

Glad that you're feeling better now bella

Thanks Dolly, pain at worst when sitting and esp bad when I have to get up from the floor. Find standing and keeping moving helpful, but cut back to 2-3 miles a day walkwise. Tbh all I got to see was top of head and bum yesterday on scan, literally a quick position check and I wouldn't have known what I was looking at if mw present hadn't pointed it out! Hope the next 2 weeks pass quickly for you, imagine shift work is awful towards the end of pregnancy, but sounds like you're doing well keeping going :)

aw sorry @AmandaP86x i forgot to wish you a happy birthday. hope you had a fab day!

alternating between days and night shifts must be horrible. i feel queezy just thinking about that. hats off to you both @AmandaP86x & @Dollydaydream2829. well done for reaching 34 weeks Dolly. you’re a champ! the nurses on our wards at work come off the ward before 20wks preggo and revert to office hours due to risk as our patients can be assaultative. they all hate working mom-fri 9-5 as they are so used to having an off duty but their bodies thank them for it!

@bakingmad83 ditto Dolly in that it must be difficult with a toddler. iv said to DH just this evening that he better get his head around this baby being an only child as i don’t feel like i could do this again lol.

i had to call the diabetes team today as my blood results were no where near on target. so the midwife took my readings and called me back to say i had to collect a prescription tonight from GP and start taking the pills straight away. such a rollercoaster few days! but PMA still there, somewhere lol! feel better now that iv jiggled annual leave and mat leave around to suit finishing work at 36wks - was just wishful thinking leaving it all til the very last min.

heard from my work colleague today who had a baby on sunday. she said she only pushed for a total of 20 mins and thanks raspberry leaf tea for it. she also did perineal massage but admits not enough. she has a very slight tear and baby was almost 8lbs. does anyone know if capsules or teabags are best for RLT? ok to start around 32 weeks? x

At least I've probs got it easier as DS is nearer 3 than 2 - hats off to anyone who manages with less than a 2yr age gap! You may change your mind after having DS Bella, though think I'd have cried if I'd accidentally got pregnant before DS was about a year, as really wasn't sure I wanted another till then.

I think some people prefer tablets, as they don't manage to drink enough of the tea as don't like taste. You're fine to take it from 32 weeks. I tried it then, but going to start properly this week - just keep forgetting really!