👣 Due Nov/Dec 👣 it's the 20 week scans! 👣

[ChampooPapi]

Half may mark approaching or even completed for some of us 🙌

@ChampooPapi Thank you so much for sharing those muslin links!! A few pages back now I know haha takes no time at all for me to fall behind but I will have a good look.

@EithneBlue ohh I'm sorry that's shit but your last post did make me LOL I don't have puppies but I do have sympathy! it's a hard time for everybody sure but that doesn't mean they can just ignore people. you should never just have to 'accept' poor service. and yeah £238 is £238 doesn't matter who they are!!

Got my private scan tonight!! Can't wait trying to just feel happy and not nervous!!

Honestly I just didn't expect to feel so judged - I really thought I'd get people being supportive :( I asked MN to delete the thread and they did so but said that they thought all the replies were supportive but almost all the replies told me to 'look at it from another perspective' Am I just an awful person for wanting good service for something I paid for? It's not even really about the money - it's just the fact that I want someone to care enough to give me good service and honest communication to show that they care with NCT if they'd emailed and said 'we are really sorry for the delay' that would have been completely fine, but they just didn't even do that :-(
I think maybe my mental health is a bit crappy today (not in a way that needs to make anyone worry - just... bleh) - I'm still working so hard and currently preparing stuff for September -- and kind of feeling a bit terrified at the prospect of being back in school in September at 28 weeks pregnant.

@Hanrora06 ... I'm 100% going to blame the hormones ;)

@MummyShark97 I have also heard nothing but good things about the Sleepyhead, my two friends who have had babies both love them,the one who had the baby first passed it on to the second, and it has been offered to me next which I am so grateful for as I couldn't believe the price, but people who have them do also seem to say they were worth it.

@EithneBlue haha I think that's fair enough. I totally get you. It's not just the actual things that happen (e.g. the delay) but it's the care surrounding it that matters so much- a quick email saying we're still here, we're working on it, sorry- really is not unreasonable at all. We just want to feel like we're heard. Plus yeah I understand how you'd feel about school in September...it's a bit scary and a bit unsettling to just not know what things will be like. It's like living day to day eventually gets a little wearing to say the least. Are your school being good about the baby? Have you told them or not yet (I know we don't have to yet)...I'm wondering as I don't know when to tell employers as I'm nervous of their reaction but also want to give them a chance to put safety measures in place if they're needed.

I don't want to be one of those people (especially as I've never had a baby) but sleepyheads, nests etc are not recommended by the lullaby trust for sleeping as they increase the risk of SIDS. Obviously lots of people use them for various things, but just in case anyone isn't aware.

Love all the scan photos wish they’d given me a picture of her feet.

I always feel like I need to wee too so she must be sat on my bladder as urine tests were clear.. it stopped for a few days but I think she’s gone back to her regular place as it’s back again @nearlyamummyof2boys

@EithneBlue not a puppy but this is my brother's cat looking cute!

Sorry people were so unhelpful. I've got to be honest, I often find on mumsnet that people seem to take a group decision to react in a totally unreasonable way just to make someone feel bad. Also, if the NCT take people's money, then they're bound by the same rules as everyone else who charges for a service. I have noticed quite an attitude of "how dare you expect to be supported or cared for during pregnancy? It's the NHS' job to make sure you and your baby don't die in childbirth, nothing more". It's quite chilling to think that when actually most care provided to all people by the NHS is usually about quality of life rather than preservation of life.

Yeah I'm surprised at how low I think baby still is based on where I feel movements/the urge to go to the loo and not much comes out sometimes! I guess I thought because the uterus is expanding that baby would be floating around in it more, but he/she definitely seems to prefer wedging themselves into my right hip.

@Hanrora06 - Yeah, school have known since about 4 days after I had a positive test at 4 weeks: I've been working from home since March (and actually I'm only 2.5 weeks away from 'having' to tell them formally so need to get myself in gear and do the paperwork). They've been really supportive, and they are putting me on a slightly lighter timetable for September (because I'm quite neatly overlapping with a part-time staff member on mat leave I'm covering her timetable until she comes back and her mat cover is taking my full time timetable and then covering my mat leave).
The issue is not that school aren't following the guidelines or being as supportive as they can they absolutely are doing everything they can it's just that the government guidelines are basically throwing all vulnerable teaching staff to the wolves without protection, and that's kind of scary. My department head and headteacher have got my back, but if the guidelines are limiting them then what can they do?

@RestorationInsanity - That is a cute cat and made me smile :-)

@RestorationInsanity you have to weigh up risk factors. If baby doesn't sleep well, you're exhausted and I know of quite a few people who've had a baby and have dropped them at some point in the middle of the night because of extreme tiredness. A lot of people end up accidentally co sleeping with babies as well when they haven't set themselves up properly and safely to do it. For me my daughter slept better in a sleepyhead next to my bed. I used a breathing monitor as well. I will definitely be buying one for this one.

@EithneBlue you have a right to be angry you should receive adequate care regardless if you paid or not.. If that means complaining to get adequate care then so be it got to think of yourself and the baby.

I feel for you having to put yourself at risk, I hope something can be done where you can maintain a safe distance - I understand this must be difficult as a teacher

@chubbyhotchoc absolutely. I think as a product they're quite ubiquitous and websites don't make it clear they may not be suitable or as safe for sleeping as a more traditional cot etc. and many people aren't aware of the risks, particularly if it's a first baby. As long as people are aware, and they feel that it will still benefit them and their baby, then of course the decision is theirs.

@peachypetite, amazing, my OH is Portuguese too, do you both live In the UK? I absolutely love it here, however if I could choose to come home for the duration of the pregnancy i definitely would, my experience so far with the hospital and doctors has been pretty awful to say the least, and my anxiety is through the roof 😟

@ChampooPapi wow 2!! How wonderful! Do you know what you're having?

Can I ask all the lovely ladies on here if anyone is suffering badly with swelling? My legs and feet resemble balloons, and it's painful to walk at times! Any tips or remedies? I've got an appointment on Friday with doctor to see if I can do anything about it

@EithneBlue

... maybe I'm feeling more hormonal than I thought I was :( If anyone just wants to send a cute picture of a puppy that would be appreciated.

Hello @eithneblue, I hope this is a cute enough puppy to make you smile

@RestorationInsanity no it's definitely not clear on websites. A lot of people don't really care though. Even sensible educated people take short cuts and take risks that are definitely to benefit themselves rather than the baby. Even my dh who is pretty well educated and his previous wife put all of their children in their own bedrooms despite guidelines. He's horrified that I want baby in our bedroom until at least 6 months.

@ethnieblue 1/3 of my little cherubs!! Xx

I had my 20 week anomaly scan today. Measuring ahead by 5 days!

I've been a bit quiet on here as I was a bundle of nerves and tears in the days running up to the appointment as I'd only felt a couple of swishes and kicks and has been silence since then but feeling much more reassured and happy now the scan has gone well☺️

Lovely to hear everyone else's that has gone well this past week too.

How is everyone’s heartburn doing? Mines everyday now, I feel bad to keep having rennies.. Those who have had babies before and suffered with heartburn what did you do just take gaviscon/rennie throughout pregnancy?

@Scotinportugal whereabouts in Portugal are you? Sorry you’ve not had the nest care. To be honest a lot of us have had questionable experiences here, missed appointment notifications, wrong information, wrong addresses etc etc.

@EithneBlue I didn’t see your thread but based on what you have said here I totally don’t think you are being unreasonable! I’ve heard bad things about nct and refunds etc I hope you get your money back. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth and is a really poor impression of what they offer.

Beautiful @Amyyy1 glad to here it all went well 🥰

The health worker came to see my DS1 today and phoned the community midwives straight away when I told her about my care.
They were shocked and said they couldn't believe they hadn't been contacted to speak to me after what happened. I'm back on their books now so fingers crossed things improve.

@EithneBlue awh I am so sorry there always seems to be some right snooty or just plain horrible posts from people! I think people just like arguing honestly! I hope it starts to improve for you

@RestorationInsanity thanks for mentioning - you're not one of those people!!!

Just got back from my scan and everything is looking good but he was being an absolute rascal and not showing the bottom of his spine for a long time so had to go for a walk and wait in the end but we got there! Also had whooping cough vaccine today.