Catching up with those from TTC thread 5!

[Tropicana1]

Took me ages to work out my post wouldn't work because the last thread was full!!

@MrsEG @MrsC87 @Fivebyfive2 @Delilah7 @EltzBee @Crossfitgirl @CobaltRose96 @BabySquid @LikeTheFruit @daisiesandpeonies

(Runs back to old thread for more names... bloody baby brain!)

Evening all - sorry for the late reply! We went straight to visit parents after work so I’ve just sat down.

Thank you for the lovely welcomes, @stormtrooperjulian and @MrsR16! It’s great to be here :)

@purplefig - you’re right, absolutely great advice from @MrsEG and you, too! The off/on symptoms are definitely something I would worry about, so that’s great to know!
And as you already know, I’m massively mushy too and we can put it down to hormones 😂

I’m feeling pretty tired (by 3pm I could go to sleep at my desk) and my boobs are incredibly sore.
Weirdly, I haven’t been sick yet but I get waves of fleeting nausea. It lasts minutes, but I’m not sure if this is normal or not?
I’ve not had strong cravings or aversions, but have definitely gotten a taste for tomato sauce and can’t drink even decaf coffee at the moment.
So all in all, I think it’s going pretty well but I don’t know how I’ll hold out to the 12 week scan! 😂

@purplefig - good going on the fruit and veg! Have you had any cravings?

@MrsR16 - congratulations on the scan going well today!

Quick question; why are co2 levels taken?

How’s everyone this evening?

@Delilah7 what a gorgeous little boy Ethan is, smiling too 😭❤️ x

@purplefig I didn't even know a CO2 test existed 😳 would you mind explaining what it is? Well done on the veg!!! Xx

@MrsEG Mm I salivated reading that 🤤🤤 hope they were worth it!! X

@MrsR16 glad your scan went well xx

@ELW85 our EDD will be a week apart! Glad you found the thread okay Xx

I've had bloods again today and my bloods are looking good, I've got a scan next week on Monday to check it's not ectopic. Feeling pretty okay atm though so 🤞🏽 its all okay... sorry if I've missed anyone!! X

@ELW85 @cupcakesandglitter The CO2 test is to make sure any pregnant smokers have actually quit smoking; they told me they test everyone anyway (as on rare occasions it has flagged a CO2 leak at home for example) but it’s mainly for smoking. But they test everyone, I imagine as some women may lie and say they’ve quit when they actually haven’t!

@ELW85 Don’t worry - it’s still early days (I felt fine until between 6-7 weeks) and also, I haven’t been sick once. And I have duo hormones! Everyone experiences pregnancy differently. I do get very bad nausea, usually at night and a lot of foods and flavours trigger it. And I’m beyond exhausted, I could sleep standing up. Other than that though I’ve sailed through! Honestly, enjoy the lack of symptoms now - it could all be about to get a lot worse haha (although I of course hope not!)

@cupcakesandglitter Great news on your bloods - hope everything goes great at the scan next week x

@MrsEG ooh okay thankyou!! I was actually a little annoyed when I went in this morning, there was a woman smoking right by the entrance doors to the maternity ward - meaning everyone (including me) walked straight into the smoke. DH said she was pregnant too - I personally wouldn't smoke as a pregnant woman but if you've made that choice then I think it's unfair to make everyone inhale your secondhand smoke! Was quite annoyed 😩.

@cupcakesandglitter - thank you! And great news on your bloods :)

@MrsEG - thank you for the reassurance :) I should be careful what I wish for, I know!

Hi everyone

I've been pretty absent for a few weeks. Been busy with 2 weddings and work. Nausea really kicked in last week and now vomiting every morning when I get up. Amazing that as soon as I have I'm ready for breakfast!!

Had my booking appointment with midwife on Monday which was exciting and made it all feel more real. Got 12 weeks scan in 4 weeks and excited to see this little one for the first time!!

Just to be a massive pedant (it's the doctor in me) it CO (carbon monoxide) that they're testing for and not CO2 (dioxide). It's high in smokers, people who live with smokers, highly polluted areas, dodgy boilers. The problem with his CO level is that it makes your blood cells hold on tightly to the oxygen and less likely to pass over placenta to baby

Also say the chat earlier about fear of birth etc and I totally get it. As part of my job I've been at hundreds of births and have probably seen almost every complication and bad thing that can happen and it hasn't put me off at all! And I would like a midwife led birth in a hospital. Preferably with no epidural (despite having sited hundreds!). So any epidural/anaesthetic related questions I can answer them for you all 😊

Ahh sorry it's an essay!

@cupcakesandglitter thank you!!! look after yourself darling keep us updated x x

@MrsEG I can imagine it's better to know with 2! 😂 definitely don't regret the cravings - there's worse things to crave!

@ELW85 thanks hun! Just a shame we couldn't get clearer photos of it! But hey, I'm just thankful everything's ok

@cupcakesandglitter thanks lovely 😊 it was so awesome to see it in so much detail! Glad your bloods were ok today! Braver lady than I am...

@LikeTheFruit great to see you back! Hope everything's settled down now after what sounds like a crazy time for you!

@Delilah7 how on earth did I miss an Ethan update earlier? He is so adorable 😍 x

@MrsR16 hehehe thank you 🥰 even cuter now he's getting chubbier x x

Thankyou @Delilah7 I will do, just have my birthday weekend to get through and hopefully some progression!! Xx

Ooh thankyou @LikeTheFruit sorry the nausea has kicked in but glad you can eat after xx

@MrsR16 do you not like needles? DH came with me earlier and nearly passed out bless him 😂 x

@LikeTheFruit Oh that sounds horrid - have you tried Seabands? I’ve not actually been sick but my nausea has been awful and seabands are the only thing that’s taken the edge off. Cursing myself for not getting them sooner!
That’s really interesting about the CO test as well - my midwife mentioned the smoking and possible leaks at home but nothing about pollution etc; I suppose it’s definitely good to know! What is it that you do? Hope you enjoyed the weddings - not long now til your scan!

@purplefig Here’s my 10 week twin bump as promised - this is taken first thing after a wee. Lovely Clexane bruises dotted all over it too haha! But yes, no denying it now.

Awww @MrsEG what a cute little bump 😭❤️

@MrsR16 thanks. Things are a bit calmer for the moment BUT we've got a load of house renovations to do soon!

@MrsEG what a lovely wee bump! I'm an anaesthetist so have spent many many hours on labour wards/theatres. Weddings were nice but felt long sans alcohol 😂. Not tried seabands. I'm actually alright for most of the day it's just first thing when I get up that I'm sick then it's just random bouts of extreme hunger and hiccups throughout day. Pregnancy is weird!

Hi all! Well I ended up in work yesterday after all, the gas people are apparently coming tomorrow... Or maybe Mon?! 🙄

On the plus side, we finally got the car! Dh is loving it 😀🚙

Ladies, it's August already! Only another month and the shops will be sneaking Christmas stuff in! 😜🎄

Hope every one is OK today. Almost the weekend! Xxx

Ahh that's a shame @Fivebyfive2 but at least you've got your car!! What did you go for? I can't wait until Christmas but August is definitely my favourite month 😂 I have my birthday and anniversary coming up, honestly the best timing for my BFP!! X

@cupcakesandglitter I am horribly needlephobic haha!

@MrsEG that's a beautiful bump!

@LikeTheFruit as long as you take it easy, house renovations could be quite fun!

@purplefig haha, yes, I think I did project manage very well indeed 😂 Good news on the CO reading too!

@MrsEG Thanks- he needs a new valve, it just seems like it's been a very long wait (10 months so far with all the tests).

@Delilah7 I'm doing ok thanks, enjoying the school holidays and making the most of being able to rest more!

@MrsR16 so pleased your scan went well.

@ELW85 I was very nauseous from about week 8-12, but never sick even though I'd be gagging/heaving. Then randomly one morning at week 16 I felt sick and was actually sick-was a bit of a surprise! My food aversions were also strong until about week 12, I couldn't even go in the fridge!

@cupcakesandglitter Great news on the bloods, got my 🤞 for you for the scan x

@LikeTheFruit good to see you back! I didn't realise you were an Anaesthetist! I had a spinal block for hip surgery years ago, and whilst it was wonderful pain relief I think I'd rather avoid it in labour as I understand epidurals tend to result in higher rates of intervention? Is that your thinking behind not wanting one yourself? As an aside-I'm seeing a consultant anaesthetist soon to see how happy they are with a 'normal' labour after I had a spontaneous pneumothorax eight months ago-I have no idea what they will say!

@Fivebyfive2 I can't believe it's August! I'm also excited by the thought of Christmas as we will have a newborn to share it with this year 😍

I've got a busy day of chores ahead of me, I really need to stop procrastinating and get started-had a not so productive day yesterday thanks to what I think was a bad combo of round ligament pain and trapped gas-DP was peddling my legs back and forth last night like you'd do for a baby with trapped gas. I've had to laugh at the 'glamour' of pregnancy 😂 Nobody warns you about the sluggish digestive system, that the fact you lose less hair means the hair on your head looks amazing but makes you feel like a yeti elsewhere, or the random mood swings that can make you cry out of nowhere! Still, I am incredibly grateful to be pregnant, and the feeling of baby moving is absolutely amazing and more than makes up for the less pleasant side of things.

@cupcakesandglitter @MrsR16 Thanks! My jeans don’t do up anymore but luckily I have an order of maternity clothes coming today (New Look have a massive sale on) I’m just hoping that all isn’t too big! Even my normal leggings already feel tight and my midwife told me to make sure I dress comfortable. If nothing works I’ll be out looking for loose dresses this weekend!

@LikeTheFruit Oh wow! I’ve never met an anaesthesiologist I didn’t like :) I’ve been put under three times and they are so calming while it happens! I always say having an amazing bedside manner must be part of the job spec!! I also get the extreme hunger - if I don’t feel full at all times I feel sick. I’m just eating through it haha!

@Fivebyfive2 Great news! What car did you go for in the end? I know! My sisters birthday is early sept and from there the year disappears for me, with Halloween, Bonfire Night and then Christmas!

@BostonFern Hope all goes well with the chores today! Ha yes, there’s really no glamour at all is there; wind, UTIs, hairy bellies - I feel like we see a very airbrushed version of pregnancy on TV! Hope you’re feeling a bit better today - I think it’s so sweet your DH was helping out like that, I’m not sure mine could keep a straight face!

@MrsEG ideally I want a water birth in the midwife unit. I know that might not work out though, so I'm trying to be realistic. What I really don't want is an epidural and ending up stuck on my back on a bed

@MrsR16 glad your scan went well. Nice that you're having a surprise too. I don't think we could have had a surprise even if we'd wanted that, he was very clearly a boy and not shy about showing it 😂

@ELW85 I was never sick, and I only got nauseous if I was hungry so as long as I snacked regularly I was fine

Now it's August I can officially say that I'm due next month... feels a bit surreal!

@BostonFern you poor thing!! That must have been awful for you. What the recommend will depend on a lot of things like size, treatment, likelihood of recurrence etc. All the evidence available says epidural don't have any effect on Caesarean sections rate but increase risk of forceps/ventouse deliveries. My main aim is to avoid be induced. I feel like if I go into spontaneous labour I'd like to just see how it goes etc, try the pool some analgesia. That being said if I'm induced and they want to start an oxytocin drop then I'll be calling a friend for an epidural!

@MrsEG aww that's lovely to hear. We're generally a pretty nice bunch of people. There's very few at work I don't like working with. Yeah I've been eating so much extra but was pleased to see at booking I'd only put in about 0.5kg so it must be going somewhere!

@MrsR16 excellent news - you must feel amazing!

@MrsEG Just glad it's a 1 as before testing she was explaining how it can impact the development :/ LOVE the salt and vinegar discos dedication. Quite right! Just seen your pic too - ahhhh look at you!!!! You look amazing - that's a proper little bump!!!

@ELW85 How many weeks are you again? I didn't get any real nausea / food aversions until 6 weeks, and even then it was as you described - pretty fleeting. It really ramped up week 7/8/9 though. I've also not vomited once. Oh and one more thing - some light cramping is totally normal in the first trimester. I freaked out so much, but the lovely ladies on here explained that it's just everything stretching out. I was determined to hold out until the 12 week scan....but cracked and had one at 8 weeks. I've got to say, for me it made me totally chill out as before it I was paranoid about on/off symptoms etc. I haven't had any weird cravings - but in the first trimester all I wanted was beige carbohydrates e.g. jacket potato, chips, bread.

@ELW85 @cupcakesandglitter so the CO2 test is to make sure you don't have high levels in your system. It's mainly aimed at smokers, but could also flag a home leak / passive smoking / high pollution. It's really simply, you just breathe into this little apparatus that gives you a reading. I think it's supposed to be under 3, and I got a 4 or a 5. Strange as we live in a low pollution area (and she told me the upper limit of acceptable takes into account pollution) and I'm not a smoker. So if you do get a high reading, you'll be called back to recheck. In the meantime we got a carbon monoxide detector for the house.

@LikeTheFruit hi again! Sorry to hear about your morning vomiting, at least it isn't putting you off your food

@Fivebyfive2 urghh that's annoying about the gas people. Will you have to be off tomorrow/mon too? I can't believe it's August already. I am strangely excited for Christmas though. Aghrrrrrrr. How're you doing today?

@BostonFern PM is a very important role, not to be overlooked! Oh you poor thing, the peddling your legs like a baby did make me laugh though!! I'm with you on the mood swings - last night I ended up in floods of tears because we're watching The Crown and I became overwhelmed with sadness for Princess Margaret not getting to be with Peter Townsend and instead marrying that chinless slime-ball photographer.

@stormtrooperjulian That my dream scenario too - a water birth in our midwife led birth centre. The more I've read up on birth, the less I want lots of meds and I really, really would like to avoid as much intervention as possible. Obviously I accept that's not always possible though! How's the reno going? So amazing to think next month you'll have your baby!

How's everyone feeling today? I'm feeling pretty decent - didn't even wake up in the night for a wee, woo hoo! This weekend I'm heading out to get some new clothes because my jeans are so tight. We're also going to the Mothercare Expectant Parent event, so looking forward to swotting up. It all feels so much more real since the 12 week scan.

@LikeTheFruit out of interest, how can you avoid being induced? I like to avoid it too, but was under the impression each hospital has it's cut off date and if you haven't gone into spontaneous labour by then, protocol is to induce.

@stormtrooperjulian @purplefig a water birth used to be my dream scenario but that’s out of the window for me now - I’ll live vicariously through you! Enjoy it. My options now are do I try and do it myself or opt for the section but I’m meeting the consultant at the twin clinic next week to see what it all means! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a lovely relaxing water birth for you :)

@purplefig sounds like a fab weekend! You don’t have to say yes to an induction; friends of mine have delayed it to wait for nature to take its course. They just then encourage things like walking, sex, nipple stimulation etc to try and get things going the natural route. You’re well within your rights to say no - but as you say; they will monitor and have a cut off date (I think it’s 2 weeks over?)
Very jealous of your full nights sleep - I was up twice last night! I stop drinking at 8 so I don’t even know where it’s all coming from!

@MrsEG Back when I used to watch one born every minute (I stopped when I realised they tend to pick the most dramatic, traumatic births) I remember watching two different natural twin births. Both women coped fantastically and managed to deliver both babies, but I really did feel for them when they'd got one out and wanted to cuddle it and the team were like "right no time for that LOL, get pushing again!". It'll be great to talk to the consultant at the twin clinic to find out more about your options, because they're going really know their stuff.

I know you can refuse an induction, but like you say it's only up until a certain point isn't it? And beyond doing all the things you're told to do to get labour going, you're kind of at the mercy of the universe.

Aghrrrr twice in one night?! That is most unreasonable!