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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

What you wish you knew before becoming pregnant

34 replies

LauraRoberts1992 · 20/09/2019 22:27

Heya me and my husband are trying for a baby (just had my implant removed a few days ago)

So I was just wondering if there was anything you which you did or knew about before getting pregnant ? And anything concerning the early stages, eg. How often to take pregnancy tests lol

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
lonelyonee · 20/09/2019 23:03

I wish I had been prepared for how difficult the first trimester is. Obviously not everyone is affected the same way, but for me I've felt absolutely horrific, bad nausea and exhaustion, completely gone off any kind of food so lost a lot of weight and still managed to drag myself to work every day and present a customer service face.
Don't underestimate how much your body is going to go through. I'd prep by booking a little time off in those first few weeks as you're going to need the extra rest more than likely. But maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones and fly through!
Best of luck in any case ☘️ x

sep30 · 20/09/2019 23:10

Start taking pre pregnancy vitamins if you're not already and completely agree, the first trimester is exhausting so be prepared! If you can wait to do tests until the day after your period is due then it will save you money than doing them whenever, as they do add up🙊good luck!

KellyHall · 20/09/2019 23:11

Use as many pregnancy tests as you like until you feel having a negative one ruin your day.

Sometimes eating more (not less) cures morning sickness. Peppermint tea also helps.

Yoga is a great way to ease 'restless legs' before bed. And it helps strengthen your core/back for pregnancy and parenthood.

Buy full briefs a few sizes too big and wear them backwards instead of spending 5 times as much on maternity ones. Actually a lot of non-maternity trousers, pjs and leggings work when pregnant if worn backwards because the bum bit becomes the bump bit.

Sometimes you'll cry because you're just hormonal but sometimes you'll cry because something is actually shit, sometimes you won't be able to tell which it is so seek 3rd party perspective to avoid unreasonable behaviour.

If you get carpal tunnel syndrome, you can but splints on Amazon much cheaper than specialist shops.

Enjoy!

Allotmentgarden · 20/09/2019 23:15

I would buy a bundle of internet cheapy tests as you might go through a few. I also wasn’t prepared for how long it first took to conceive. Hopefully you won’t have any fertility issues but I think it’s more common than is generally spoken about. Oh and finally read taking charge of your fertility- it gives you a really good idea of your cycle so you can time things well. Best of luck and enjoy x

Jhmmc5 · 20/09/2019 23:16

A few people recommended the 'Seven Seas - Trying for a baby' when we were TTC last year, we had a positive test a little over a month after I started taking them! We welcomed our LO in to the world earlier this Summer. Good luck ☺️

Horehound · 20/09/2019 23:22

You might get piles
You'll eat rennies like they are sweets
Pregnancy insomnia is a thing
You might not get morning sickness ( I didnt) which btw if you do may not only be in the morning.
You have to watch what pain relief you take whilst breastfeeding
Don't drink in 1st trimester or whilst you try to conceive however in 2nd and 3rd it's ok to have a drink every now and then.

zoomies1 · 20/09/2019 23:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HopefulHun · 21/09/2019 07:05

I would buy lots of cheap pregnancy tests off amazon as someone said above as you'll probably be excited and want to do them early and often! I ended up spending quite a lot on tests unnecessarily.

Try your hardest to not over think and stress about when you're having sex/checking online for early symptoms as you will send yourself insane and you're more likely to conceive when you're taking it easy and relaxed (I think anyway, no professional opinion here!).
Enjoy it, it's an exciting time and best of luck to you! Smile

BillywilliamV · 21/09/2019 07:07

That a 15 yr old can be a complete arse..

Nameusernameuser · 21/09/2019 07:10

Never lay down in bed without the packet of rennies, I got through about 15 a night.
Just how hard the first trimester is, I sat on the bathroom floor, vomiting for the a millionth time, crying, and said I wanted an abortion it was that bad. I didn't and I love my son but my god the sickness was hard.

user1493413286 · 21/09/2019 07:21

I found it helpful to reduce caffeine while I was ttc then it wasn’t such a shock when I had to stop/minimise caffeine especially as during the first trimester you’re very tired anyway.

FearnRJ · 21/09/2019 07:21

I'm currently in the first trimester another 4 weeks to go and I wish I had known just how hard it can be. I haven't had sickness but felt sick on and off throughout the day. Sometimes this is worse than being sick. Extreme tiredness/ bloating and constipated and very very emotional. I can only sum it up as being like a constant hangover but without the alcohol. This is how my midwife described it too. She told me in pregnancy you have to listen to your body, if your body is saying go to bed then go to bed.

Yes and the vitamins too I started taking them a few months before we started trying.

Good luck and enjoy trying it is a very exciting time not sure if the vitamins helped we expected it to take a long time to conceive but it didn't take very long at all.

Good luck ❤️

misspiggy19 · 21/09/2019 07:28

@zoomies1 so sorry for your loss

hardyloveit · 21/09/2019 08:39

Restless legs at night! And cramping in my legs! From around 4months pregnant I didn't sleep through because of this! A lot of nights I'd wake up crying where it hurt so much and my dh would have to slowly move the leg to ease the cramp!
Also the first trimester knocked me for six in both pregnancies! Sick all through the day!

afternoontwee · 21/09/2019 10:16

That you’ll expect any sickness to go after the first trimester but you could be one of the unlucky ones like me that get it all the way through. If you do though, you’ll learn how to cope with it.

That whatever your body is telling you to do, do. Eat the food you’re craving, rest when you need to, take care of yourself through exercise or just by relaxing and doing some self-care.

Enjoy every single lie-in and nap going, when you’re knee-deep in the newborn stage you’ll look back on every opportunity you had to sleep and kick yourself for not taking more!

A few good maternity staples will do - you don’t need to buy a whole new wardrobe. Leggings, jeans, a smarter pair of trousers, a couple of stretchy tops that will grow with you. Then remove everything that doesn’t fit your bump from your wardrobe so you don’t have to go through it every day to find something that fits.

Everyone has an opinion. Practice your smile, nod and ‘thanks, we’ll beat that in mind!’ You know you and your baby, don’t listen to the opinions of others.

Keep up communication with your partner, don’t ever expect them to be a mind reader. For most blokes pregnancy is a mystery and first time dads need a bit of help to understand it especially before the bump and kicks start. Tell him how you’re feeling both physically and mentally so he has a clue how to help. If you need something, ask. Same goes with friends without kids!

Casander · 21/09/2019 10:38

Pregnancy insomnia is real

So is "baby brain"

Rennies are your best friend

Your boobs will possibly grow bigger than your head

You will spend weeks waiting for magical kicks, and then spend further weeks trying to dislodge a tiny baby foot from being jammed into your rib cage

Being head butted in your cervix is an experience

Things that you didn't even know could get fat, will possibly get fat

Morning sickness is actually any time of day sickness

If you want to carry on shaving, by 25 weeks you will have to train your DP to do it because you won't be able to see your toes let alone your foof

If you're passed approximately 25 weeks and drop something on the floor, move on, it's dead to you now

GrinGrin

duebaby2 · 21/09/2019 10:45

I'm just entering my third trimester with my second baby and I am 100% done! I can't wait for maternity leave to start in less than two months time. I had a relatively easy pregnancy with my first baby and only got painful in the last ten or so weeks. Baby two I've had pain for 4 long months. My pelvis/spine just can't take it, I wish someone had told me earlier that how much strain a baby puts on your body.

Going into this pregnancy I'd forgotten how long it is between finding out and actually seeing a midwife and going to the first scan. Baby 1 I found out at 6 weeks, midwife at 10 weeks and scan at 13 weeks. It didn't feel too long but still long enough.
Baby 2 I found out at 4 weeks, midwife at 8 weeks and scan at 12+5 weeks. It felt like forever! You don't actually know if everything is ok with baby for almost two months. Then you've got another two month wait to see baby again, unless you get a private scan done in between (which I highly recommend).

I've never taken more than two pregnancy tests in either pregnancy. One regular clear blue to start with as soon as I think I'm pregnant then if that comes back positive I take a digital clear blue to confirm. I do understand that clear blue and blue dye tests don't work for everyone though.

First baby was a surprise with no symptoms hence only finding out after my period should have been. Second baby gave me symptoms early on but we joked about me being pregnant for a few days and took a test as a precaution a few days before my period was due expecting it probably to be negative, it was very much positive so my sore boobs, a bit nauseous and bloating weren't a joke at all. Both boys too so it's crazy how different the two pregnancies are

Womble999 · 21/09/2019 16:30
  • Just how hard it can be to get pregnant. Hopefully you’ll be lucky, but be prepared just in case so that you don’t go crazy.
  • To keep a record of your periods so that you know the dates, cycle length etc
  • Take folic acid / pre-pregnancy tablets 3 months before you conceive ideally
  • Get fit and healthy, give up caffeine and alcohol. They make it easier when you do get pregnant and some think it improves chances of conceiving
  • First trimester is punishing. You can be totally exhausted, have nausea/sickness all day, become repulsed by smells or foods... and you don’t want to tell anyone yet!
DirtyWindow · 21/09/2019 16:35

Get your thyroid checked.

Take folic acid but don't overdo it by taking multiple multivitamins with the same things in them (unless you've had blood tests and know that you need extra, obvs).

Track your periods and ovulation (OPKs)

C0untDucku1a · 21/09/2019 16:37

That my husband would be an arse Grin.

NotGreenNotKeen · 21/09/2019 16:44

It's a 20% chance of getting pregnant on the first go.... Read into this to prepare yourself for when it may likely happen for you xx

MissPepper8 · 21/09/2019 16:58

That I was going to suffer with bloody nausea and sickness again..

That I'd be repulsed by every food and drink

How hard first trimester is with a 2 year old, Fx 2nd tri is better now.

All seriousness, the first time for us took 18 months and gave us a rainbow baby and the second time took a 2nd go. Don't get disheartened, you can burn out quite quickly. My advice is don't make it a choir, keep it fun. I didn't use opks this time and hey presto 2nd go.

I didn't use anything special just period tracker deluxe app, it gave me a pretty accurate result every month (been using it for 4 years) as to when I was ovulating and when i was due. You can also track when you dtd and switch to pregnancy mode.

crazymuseummumtobe · 21/09/2019 23:44

That tiredness won't necessarily improve in your second tri. Be kind - rest when you need to. You're growing a human.

Not only will none of your clothes fit, but your shoes will all become too small too!

People will be unbelievably kind, and it will make you cry.

JuniperNarni · 21/09/2019 23:56

That feet can swell to an enormous size and not burst even though they feel like water balloons.

HippyChickMama · 22/09/2019 00:00

Don't have anything in your house that you will miss when the smell makes you heave because it may still make you heave afterwards. I had to stop wearing a perfume I loved when pregnant with ds as it turned my stomach, he's just turned 12 and if someone walks past wearing said perfume it still makes me do a little gag.

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