First babies due in April - thread 2!

[ChaosMoon]

We got the limit ladies! Thought I'd start a second thread.

@Springmummy19 @Blgb @unicorn234 @donna474 @ArchbishopOfBanterbury @Anyat212 @Clare4567 @51Sunflowerb @MigMog @Buttons28 @Helga55 @LittleTopic @TooSkoolForKool

I've gone back a few pages but apologies to everyone I've missed! How is everyone doing?

Oh god, I keep forgetting about a monitor! (Adds to To Do list.)

Sorry I missed you off @Blgb. I'm glad you found us. I have up on cutting my toenails a month ago and had a pedicure. Totally worth it. I'm considering booking another in a couple of weeks. I'm impressed by your perseverance!

That's such a shame about the water birth. How lovely to see your bubba again though!

I have just worked my last Thursday and Friday for a year! So happy. I know what you mean about the tiredness. Hoping it'll be a bit easier with the day weeks!

I hope you're all enjoying the sunshine!

Hi Folks, just found you again! Didn't realise there was a limit to posts. Just had a quick look through. You have all been so busy!
I've had a really rubbish time of it. I've been diagnosed with Polymorphic eruption of pregnancy, basically the most horrifically itchy rash over your whole body that doesn't let you sleep. No cure and is here until little man arrives. I've been hospitalised twice! I've had to go on sick leave as barely functioning. It has really taken the shine of what should be such a special time.

hello ladies. I had this week of. decided to have a week to focus on me before I finish work this coming week until 2020 and prepare for bubba.

@51sunflower I'm sorry for what you're going through. hopefully the time flies for you.

I was just wondering- is everyone planning on using baby wipes from the off? a few people people mentioned that wipes are usually quite cold and so it's best to use just hot water and cotton wool sheets for the first few weeks. anyone else doing this too?

not sure if anyone saw my thread about my rant on HR asking for appointments proofs. turns out I'm the only one in the office thays ever been asked to provide proof and I've also sought legal advise and found out they are not allowed to ask me to make up any hospital time or refuse to pay me so I cannot wait wait for my meeting woth HR tomorrow.

@chaosmoon funnily enough DM is Northern!! I think we're going to have to cope with the risk though as she sadly we would have no where else to store a pram - we live too far away from our families!

NCT starts tomorrow, so nervous. It feels like the first day of school! How has everyone (who is doing them) found the classes so far?

Had my 31week appointment with the midwife last week and was told my iron levels were pretty low (which explains the tiredness!) Has anyone else had this? She advised taking iron tablets, just one a day, but then never actually gave me any or told me how to go about getting them... Do you just buy them yourself or do you think I'm meant to make an appointment with a GP for them? No idea if midwifes can actually give prescriptions...!!

@Springmummy19 I hope your HR meeting went well. I'm not a legal expert but from what I've gathered they are absolutely not allowed to not pay you for antenatal appointments or make you make up the time. The NHS website even says you're allowed time off for antenatal classes if your midwife recommends them. It's in law, so I think it's pretty black and white.

@Junebug55 I'm on iron tablets - Ferrous Fumarate, twice a day. I was prescribed them and waited to pick them up from the pharmacy, but then found you can just buy them over the counter for about £4.

We had first NCT class a couple of weeks ago and I did feel like first day at school but I think everyone else did too. All couples very friendly and we met up with one other couple for dinner last week. Some (including us) were quite quiet but it didn't matter. Teacher very enthusiastic and told us a lot not to worry about giving birth!

@Junebug55 That's brilliant. DM is normally very pragmatic - except for specifically Northern superstitions that none else has heard of. 😂

Midwives can only do prescriptions if they've got a specific prescribing qualification, but not all them will have that. Personally I'd just speak to a pharmacist and get what they recommend, but that's because I find getting (and getting to) a GP appointment to a ball ache. I hope you feel better when you start taking them.

That sounds so horrible @51Sunflower. How long have you got to go?

@Springmummy19 Taking some you time is a very good plan. Particularly when work are being so rubbish. Let us know how it goes with HR today.

I heard that flannels and water are best for the first few days because the muconium is so hard to shift. I have water wipes, cotton wool and flannels at the ready, so I guess I'll just see how it goes.

I ran into one of the girls from my Antenatal class yesterday and both recognised her and remembered her name. I'm so proud of myself! (I'm rubbish at both names and faces, and we've only had one class, so this really is an achievement.) Got our second class tomorrow, b so hopefully will start getting to know people a bit better.

@Junebug55 I'm taking the same ones as @Clare4567 but I have to take them once a day. I got a call from my docs saying the midwife has found my iron is low and the prescription for the tablets has been sent to my local boots pharmacy.

@ChaosMoon I dont even know what to make of this meeting, I feel like I left with no clear explanation, I showed her all the screenshots I had taken from CAB as well as all other websites and out HR policy showing that legally they cant not pay me or ask me to make time up.I showed her the paperwork of all my appointments and made it clear that all the GD ones are 2 appointments. She said the maternity managers signature only states the time I was seen and not the time I was there until.

She said 2 hours isn't a figure mentioned anywhere but that is what we go by ( I pointed out that it needs to then be mentioned in our policy) shre then said they can not pay at their discretion.
BUT THE LAW SAYS YOU CANNOT DO THAT!!!

I feel like when she realised I had done my research she just said 'I'll look into it and get back to you but I know this is your last week so I will do it urgently' ..let see now

Are water wipes not too cold? that was the only reason I didn't get them as I found them too cold. Well dont you. I never forget a face but always forget names

forgot to ask @@Clare4567, do you find no. 2 difficult because of this tablet? I find that if I dont take it with orange juice I need to go often and its like baby poo

I mean @Clare4567

stupid typos!

Hi @springmummy19 if anything no.2 is looser. It's also very dark green. I try to eat an orange around the time I take them as it said on the packet that can help you absorb the iron, but that's it.

@Clare4567 yeah mine is also dark green, I got so worried when I first saw this but then checked online and saw that it is very normal. The midwife suggested the orange juice, she said basically anything with vitamin C to help settle it

@Springmummy19 @ChaosMoon I'm 31 weeks but not being induced for another 7 weeks! Not sure how I'll cope?!

On another note is anybody going the cloth nappy route? I'd like to but the choice is overwhelming!

You can do this @51Sunflower. It's going to be a bitch, but you can do it and once your baby is here it will be a distant memory. And any time you need a boost from us, just shout. Does anything help relieve it?

I'd like to do cloth nappies but DH is less convinced. Doesn't help that I've found it similarly overwhelming so it's difficult to make a proper case for them. Have you seen the Nappy Lady website? You can get recommendations for what might work for you. It's a starting point, but tbh I still didn't think it was that clear.

@Springmummy19 that's absolutely shocking. I can't believe they're being that difficult, or that they're that bad at HR! I really hope they see sense and drop it now. I suspect I'll end up using the flannels and warm water. In fact that's probably where I'll start. I just wanted all my bases covered, just in case.

@51Sunflower I'm 32+2 and I've been told I'll definitely be induced due to GD so I have about the same time as you! I now want time to slow down

@ChaosMoon I know. I'm just waiting for them to get back to me. I've done the same thing. I bought about 5 packs of the cotton wool sheets but also bought 2 boxes (12/64 pack) of the huggies wipes. Hubby works for Tesco so gets a discount, its not much but since we've been shopping for bubba its massively helped.

btw where is everyone based out of curiosity? I'm in Hertfordshire

@ChaosMoon thanks so much. It's the exhausting feeling of getting less than an hours sleep each night. It's relentless!
Yes I asked the Nappy Lady for a recommendation and am still lost! Lol

@Springmummy19 looks like we are going to be quite close in our deliveries, however they may be! So excited to meet our little peanut

I had my appointment with consultants and stuff today regarding ĢD. Also had a growth scan which baby is doing great 😊 bang on target and weighs roughly 4lb6oz.
I've also been told I will be induced at 39 weeks xx

@51Sunflower I know it still doesn't feel real to me

@Unicorn234 well come to the early induction club lol. how did the GD appointment go? are you just on a controlled diet for now? I have my next Gd appointment tomorrow with my 32 week scan, cant wait to see bubba wriggling on the screen again

I'm in South London @Springmummy19.

That's great news about the growth scan @Unicorn234.

Have either of you got the actual dates for your inductions yet? It must be lovely to have that 5wk full term window narrowed down a bit!

Me too @51Sunflower, I find it baffling. DH got excited about biodegradable nappies the other day but it turns out they're only actually biodegradable in a compost bin, not in a rubbish dump because the conditions are wrong. So they're out.

This is the first of my short weeks so I'm having a ridiculously lazy day today. God it feels good.

@Springmummy19 I'm up in Yorkshire anyone else round these parts?

Had my health visitor first time yesterday she was really nice, thought she was going to be all judgy and want to check out my house but was pleasantly surprised.

I know it sounds bad but I'm jealous of all these people that will be induced early! (Obviously not for the reason, but you have a better date to look forward to!) 🙈

not yet @ChaosMoon but the GD consultant said it is too early to tell yet if baby is over weight. I have my 32 week scan tomorrow as well as a meeting with the diabetes midwife and they will check babys weight again but she did say I wont be given a date until I am at 36 weeks

@Blgb did they come to your house? roughly at what stage do they come? I've not been told anything about a health visitor coming.

In one respect it is nice knowing that by a certain date bubba will be here but at the same time its so daunting that the closer its getting the more you wish you had a bit more time

@Springmummy19 I'm 33+5 and my midwife told me they would come when I saw her at 31 weeks, they just sent me a letter to tell me when I was booked in. Yeah they come to your house and give you your "red book" talk about feeding/sleeping answer any questions or worry's you might have. Takes about an hour.

Welcome to March everyone! Last full month before the baby's come! Exciting 😍

Happy March my dears! I can't believe how quickly time is flying!

It's funny how different things are from area to area isn't it? I haven't heard anything about a HV visit either. Sounds like a useful visit though.

Good luck with your scan today @Springmummy19. Let us know how it goes.

It's anyone else finding that their babies kicks are getting increasingly sore. I know they have so much less room now but there are times when this is getting downright painful.

@Blgb @ChaosMoon hey ladies. Scan went well, baby is measuring okay, heartbeat was healthy and everything seemed as it should be.

I did ask abut a HV coming but I was told it can vary and I may or may not get a visit. I do get the odd kick that will really hurt to the point where I have to almost crouch

Last day in the office today. wohoooooo

@ChaosMoon I don't tend to get many kicks more he likes to wriggle and push his body parts up against my stomach like his bum and elbows which can hurt cos there's not much give in my bump so it's always tight.
When he does a big kick it shocks me more than anything, I thought I'd be used to it by now!

@Springmummy19 awww glad all went well. Here's me thinking maybe they had concerns to send the HV but a couple of my friends have said it's the norm so maybe it does just depend on area

@Springmummy19 hey hun glad everything went well with your scan. I am mostly diet controlled but take 1 metformin tablet with my evening meal as I struggled with fasting numbers. My diabetic nurse told me I'd probably get induced around 38 weeks but then the consultant told me 39 😓 I just want him here now, I'm so done being pregnant lol xx