Due August 2021 - over half way!

[Daffodil21]

@wimbler - EDD 29 July, surprise 💛
@Champson - EDD 22 August (but really June/July), TBC 💖💖💖
@coffeeandrainbows1- EDD 4 August (but most likely July), Boy 💙
@Jessicapebbles - EDD 5 August (but having C-section at 39 weeks, so really July), Girl 💖
@Smurf123 - EDD 5 August (but likely to be July) 💛
@WhatEvenIsSleep - EDD 2 August, Boy 💙
@ready2020 - EDD 4 August, Girl 💖
@Xaxnxdxrxexaxandrews87 - EDD 4 August, Boy 💙
@Smushty14 - EDD 6 August, TBC 💛
@Rattyclife - EDD 6 August, TBC 💛
@Dia12 - EDD 8 August, Girl 💖
@Biscuitcat - EDD 10 August, surprise 💛
@ElonaWise - EDD 11 August, TBC 💛
@Runnergirl123 - EDD 11 August, TBC 💛
@PurplePansy05 - EDD 12 August, Boy 💙
@Srtdr - EDD 12 August, surprise 💛
@Daffodil21 - EDD 12 August, Boy 💙
@Inmypjsagain - EDD ???, Boy 💙
@BananaHammock23 - EDD 13 August, surprise 💛
@MrsB2019x - EDD 13 August, Girl 💖
@Magik01 - EDD 13 August, Boy 💙
@Aaaaa1519 - EDD 13 August, Girl 💖
@Carefree1 - EDD 15 August, Girl 💖
@DressyGerbera - EDD 15 August, surprise 💛
@lucyrp - EDD 16 August, undecided 💛
@BertieBotts - EDD 16 August, want to know! 💛
@WolfMother326 - EDD 17 August, surprise 💛
@Caz1226 - EDD 17 August, Boy 💙
@Lille4 - EDD 17 August, Girl 💖
@Redskinsucks - EDD 17 August, TBC 💛
@RockyRockyRoad - EDD 18 August, can't wait to find out 💛
@Smallbean27 - EDD 19 August, surprise 💛
@WatermelonKisses - EDD 20 August, surprise 💛
@Alittlexmasmagic - EDD 22 August, surprise 💛
@Millymay13 - EDD 22 August, TBC 💛
@Whatshouldbemyusername - EDD 22 August, surprise 💛
@LottSE20 - EDD 22 August, TBC 💛
@Notinthestarsigns - EDD 23 August, TBC 💛
@Winecoffeeteamum - EDD 23 August, Girl 💖
@LaceyMermaid - EDD 24 August, TBC 💛
@Fran919 - EDD 25 August, surprise 💛
@ava50x - EDD 25th August, Boy 💙
@Ghhh - EDD 25th August, Boy 💙
@northernsquirrel - EDD 26 August, surprise 💛
@LyraShaeLilly - EDD 27 August, Girl 💖
@ame88 - EDD 28 August, TBC 💛
@diamante11 - EDD 29 August, Girl 💖
@HopefulB - EDD 29 August, TBC 💛
@CountryGirl84 - EDD 29 August, TBC 💛

Glad to hear she's had the support at appointments @Ready2020, and that you have too - so important. It's no wonder it's a mess in your head, it's such a contrast having wonderful and awful news all within the family at once xx

@lucyrp gorgeous pram - though no muddy walks for you! It's so clean and pristine

In some ways when we get a reminder like this that life is short, it makes it even more important to celebrate every little thing. Of course you all need time to come to terms with the news, but I would definitely not feel guilty about wanting to celebrate your baby and I bet your sister wouldn't want you to either.

We lost my beloved cousin very suddenly last year to sepsis and I know I (and she) would have loved to have the chance for her to meet DS2 - had never happened because he was too little for me to travel and then she had a baby and then COVID. We always had that sense of "It's OK... we'll do it later... there's plenty of time"

News of a terminal illness is always heartbreaking, but in a way at least you have the chance to do these things and have these celebrations with her.

I’m so sorry to hear your news @Ready2020, life can be so cruel 😔

Welcome @georgarina ☺️

@Ready2020 am so sorry to hear this. Thinking of you. Life is very unpredictable. My advice is to make tons of memories at this point. Take loads of pics. Spend time with each other. Love and support her. It's what always counts. X

@Champson so heartbreaking to hear about your loss. Hope your little Holly pulls through and that you're okay ❤️

Officially joining the Gaviscon club (mint flavoured only). Can't actually decide which is worse, reflux or piles 😭 x

@alittlexmasmagic if you have both that’s even worse! I sympathise with you both are not pleasant.

Hi all, can’t believe the bank holiday is over!!!

Baby bouncers irritated me, I was looking at cheap ones and text 5 friends for recommendations and every single one replied with the baby bjorn! I’ve been offered some of the cheapies that are going spare because their babies only use the baby Bjorn. I just don’t get what is so special about it?!

@Ready2020 am really gutted to read that news and I really don’t know what to say- sending love and strength to you all xx

@alittlexmasmagic welcome the to club. At this point I am actually thinking piles are worse cos the gaviscon brings some some relief!

@Inmypjsagain I think its usually because if people have the baby bjorn they will recommend it and people don't usually have more than one bouncer so wouldn't be able to recommend the cheaper versions.

I am one of those annoying people that recommend the baby bjorn bouncer too I'm afraid but I do see them regularly on facebook marketplace for far far cheaper second hand. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a second hand one either as the cover can easily be washed

I’m breathing a sigh of relief today as I got blood test results back

(warning- I am going to talk about almost missing some tests and referrals which might make people anxious incase you don’t want to read ahead)

My midwife was quite confused last week and said my bloods should have been monitored since booking for certain antibodies, but she couldn’t really fill me. I got into a bit of a flap as no one could explain to me what the monitoring was for- anyway a consultant called me back and it was checking titre levels for antibodies, worst case scenario I was producing a lot which would be taking red blood cells and therefore oxygen from the baby. The levels are meant to be monitored so treatment can be figured out (if any was needed)- the consultant told me some of the horrible complications baby could have if my levels were high. I hadn’t been checked for this since 8 weeks and I am now nearly 26. Last week I was called in for emergency bloods because they realised I was never referred to the appropriate team (my readings suggested I should be checked every 2 weeks) and am not due a face to face appointment until 30 weeks.

Anyway the results came back with a low titre, which means baby should be okay. I’m on the antibody list now and will have blood checked every 2 weeks until 28 weeks and weekly thereafter. Spent the whole weekend worrying and it’s really it’s really just luck the levels were low! But phew. Just worries me that all this could have been happening and I wouldn’t have had a clue!

Anyway that’s a happy Tuesday for me!

@wimbler so a few bought the cheaper ones and said their babies prefer the bjorn so I guess it must just be good. MIL says she’d like to buy us some stuff and I don’t anyone to buy us the “big” things so I might ask for this and then we can pass it round the family for the next baby!

@Inmypjsagain that said, this one looks pretty much identical to the baby bjorn one! www.bellababy.co.uk/babylo-gravity-bouncer-grey-melange.html.

@wimbler ohhh that’s a great find, 5% off at the moment too! Thank you!

@Inmypjsagain good news, which antibodies were they? I had Anti-E last time but at non titratable levels. Nothing this time which is weird.

With regards to baby bouncers, my DS hated being put down so we still have a brand new one just sat in a box. Hoping this baby will tolerate it x

@alittlexmasmagic @Inmypjsagain sounds obvious but have you tried anusol for the piles? (Why do they have such a horrible name??!) a bit TMI here but when mine flared up I put some on a piece of loo roll to get it to where it needed to go... it definitely helped and I haven't used any in ages!

@Inmypjsagain that's such good news!! Sorry the messed you around and caused you to worry so much though! But glad it's all turned out ok

@Daffodil21 yes, I always check the label & make sure I've got the good stuff with lidocaine in it! Fortunately my current unwanted guest isn't painful, just present. Like a little note to say "don't forget, we'll be back bigger than ever shortly" 😂 x

@alittlexmasmagic and @Daffodil21 actually the thing about taking red blood cells is for any antibody I think? I refused to google because I knew I’d get stressed so maybe it’s safe to now. Midwife said I had anti e and anti k cells- not sure if that’s right, consultant only spoke on anti k. Which seem quite common and not scary but it was my titre levels which caused a concern from the bloods.
My husband should also have had his bloods taken after my first results and had to get this done on Friday. It’s annoying because I saw an anomaly in my booking bloods and the midwife said it was fine, but then she said that another team would deal with me. I never heard anything from another team and chased her and she denied that she ever said another team would call me and my bloods were fine. I asked for another midwife at that point because I didn’t trust her at all- she had told me I’d be referred on, that’s why I had that information so the denial made me lose trust, she made out like I was some nutty pregnant lady. I asked the new midwife to look over my notes and she said it was all fine, but then she reviewed my notes in anticipation of our call last Thursday and realised a referral hadn’t been made and then it all kicked off. I realise I sound really difficult here, asking for a new midwife etc but I think antibodies and titre levels aren’t something they usually deal with and there was so much confusion, especially as my first bloods came back high. I also have to have my anti d injection and at that point I have no idea if that’s antibody related. Can you have so many antibodies?!!

And yes, DH said I should get a subscription to anusol I get through so much of the damn stuff. Hope yours disappears soon @alittleXmasmagic! Also hope new baby likes the bouncer!

Also odd how you can have antibodies one time and not the other? @alittlexmasmagic they asked me if I had a blood transfusion. I might actually research now because I’m less scared about what I’ll read!

@Inmypjsagain it is worth a google, although most of the literature I found was related to medical journals so not the most user friendly. From what I understood Anti-E would only be an issue in extremely high concentrations in a newborn and could cause jaundice, which is completely treatable.
My levels weren't even consistent through pregnancy. They were found initially and then weren't found during a full blood screen prior to surgery. Not overly surprised they've not been found now because of that.
Personally the only one that would concern me is Anti-D and it sounds like it's being well controlled x

@Inmypjsagain hope this helps with the Anti-D www.nhs.uk/conditions/rhesus-disease/diagnosis/

We had a whole convo about the baby bjorn one before but the upshot is that it's flatter and the foot plate is longer so it's much easier for the baby to bounce themselves.

There is a BabyLo one which is a very similar design which is most likely just as good.

@alittlexmasmagic yes I’d read about the jaundice, I think the same goes for anti k too. I was told about anti k causing severe anemia and if not treated properly could cause lung and heart problems for life- appreciate the consultant probably had to tell me worst case scenario and base them on initial readings. Just don’t get how I could have a high reading and that get missed twice! Hopefully ok
Now and all being monitored. Thank you for the link, I’ll make I give it all a good read. I’m having more contact with people now so hopefully I can ask questions too.

@BertieBotts yes I remember and Purplepansy did a separate thread on it but I really thought my research might throw up something different 😂 alas not.

I’ve just been inspecting my bump, was my stomach always this veiny?!?

@Inmypjsagain I'm afraid I know very little about the anibodies tests. I didn't look into it at all before I got my results as I didn't want to worry 🙈 glad you're being monitored properly now!

I've noticed the same about veins! There's this one really obvious one 🙈

@Daffodil21 I don’t blame you! Tbh the midwifes seemed so genuinely confused as well that I don’t think anyone knows much! Glad to hear I’m not alone with the veiny bump, but I guess I never really inspected my stomach before! It’s definitely a bump now, I’m struggling to put shoes on and I am wondering when I’ll stop being able to sort my feet out!

@Inmypjsagain I've just been wearing trainers I can easily put on and off. Last week I wore wellies for a walk and when I got back I almost couldn't get one of them off! I thought I was going to have to go around the house wearing one welly until DH got back at one point 😂

For those who already have a child/ren, when were you able to drive until?