Babies Due April 2023 thread 5

[KennAdams]

Thought I'd make a new thread seen as last one is full already! 😊

Spent the afternoon on tbe sofa catching up on drag race and MAFS, I’d have hated this pre pregnancy as I love being busy but all I’ve managed today is a dog walk and the food shop and I DRAGGED myself round. I drove 6 hours yesterday so wonder if that’s caught up on me too. DH is currently making a lovely omelette for tea but I’m constantly too tired to feel hungry at the minute. I’ll eat it though as I know it’s good for me haha.

@Chocolat - for what it's worth, my risk of downs was something like 1/850 in my first pregnancy (age 35) and 1/3000 in my second (age 38). It is not the case that the odds always rise as you get older, just the 'old age multiplier' they apply to your various readings increases.

All that said, this second time I have high enough risk of Edwards & Patau's that I was referred for further testing and am waiting for my test on Tuesday. I chose invasive testing over NIPT as the false negative rate of NIPT for E&P was higher than I was comfortable with, at 8%. It is much more accurate for Downs (99%+)

I really feel you on these risks - they are tough emotionally. If you end up thinking about invasive testing (I sincerely hope not) I'm happy to share my experience.

@Chocolat , see above

@AliceinSlumberland they check at your booking appointment with the bloods they take usually.

How is everyone ? Praying that now being in the second trimester my energy will return a bit. I have my first NHS scan on Monday at 13 weeks so I'm looking forward to that. Hope you're all keeping well

@EMcG3 thank you that’s reassuring to know that this doesn’t mean my risk will always be 1 in 300 or higher!
No it would be silly to carry out invasive testing especially because those risks are higher than my ds risk, but never planned to regardless. Thanks though
Hope your testing goes ok and you get the best outcome!

currently feeling very lucky that my hospital offer the NIPT free of charge if the results come back high. at the booking appointment the midwife focused on these tests so much but funnily enough they haven’t worried me yet, probably because i know i have another week before i have the scan!

How is everybody feeling today? I’m shattered, didn’t sleep well last night. Boyfriend was so annoying, ive told him he will be off in the spare room in a single bed if he carries on moving or even daring to breathe throughout the night 😂
everything on a night irritates me, i stay awake and look at him and think idiot, should i wake him up because he looks annoying ha! Poor guy can’t win with me at the moment! Luckily he knows he is safe and id never harm him, just banish him into another room ha!

My boobs are starting to tingle and itch again, every night without fail they itch. Also my hair is so damaged, i use brilliant shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair and use oils etc, ive always had the healthiest hair but right now it’s snapping and super dry.. I’ve not had it coloured since finding out i was pregnant and it looks worse for wear- what are the rules on hair dying?
Anyway im going to stop the moaning, for once ha!

Hey everyone, sorry to hear about the test result anxiety @Chocolat . Still very good odds and I'd they've classed if as "low risk" I think you can be confident 🙂 I think with my DD the risk was about 1 in 2000, it's so weird how they figure it all out isn't it... And I'm not sure what that was for, downs, E or P. It's made me wonder about what the results will be this time. I was 31 when pregnant with DD and I'm 34 now. But hoping all will be ok!

I thought the nipt was basically sureproof? That's interesting there is still a margin of error...

Unrelated, does anyone have sore hips / pelvic region yet? I've always had a bit of pain in my sacrum since having dd (before that it was sciatica so think I'm just kinda prone to slight issues in that area) and it's absolutely killing me ATM. My glutes are so tight and now my left inner leg is super sore I can't walk long distances ATM 😔 I'm worried it's the start of Pgp! I didn't have this with DD but it would be just my luck this time wouldn't it... Esp as seems to be a bit out of joint anyway. I kept so fit and well with DDs pregnancy (aside from the sickness in first tri of course) and I already feel like I'm falling apart with this one. I also feel I've put on loads of weight and just feel so frumpy and gross. I'm hoping once the nausea properly goes I can eat better again, plus think I should see physio and get serious about yoga again. I did it every day when pregnant with DD during second and third tri and it was great, defo helped the aches and pains. I'm just annoyed I'm already having aches and pains!! At not even 13 weeks. 🙈

Ok sorry that was a bit of a moan 😅

@LauraA31 it is safe to dye your hair although I guess it's personal choice really as to what risk people will accept. I've had mine bleached when pregnant before.

@KennAdams try spatone iron water or floridix, works super well and won't hurt your stomach. I was anaemic in my last pregnancy and these worked for me x

@Skylark1990 I'm sure I was told it's 0.1% chance of a false positive before I had it done

Thanks @KennAdams hopefully it would be picked up then if it’s low. I had all the bloods done at 8 weeks.

Quick question for people who’ve done this before - I have to have an extra glucose tolerance test at 16 weeks as I have pcos (I know, so lucky). The letter that’s come with the appointment tells me literally nothing about what to expect - do I fast before hand? Or just eat as normal? And then I drink some stuff don’t I, how long can I expect the appointment to take? Thanks hive mind 💕

@AliceinSlumberland you fast from the evening before. You have a blood test then they make you drink a syrupy drink, you wait around for about 2 hours to have your blood tested again and that's it. I would allow quite a lot of time as I felt really funny after it and couldn't drive, but most other people were fine

Any fellow non-sleepers… will we ever sleep a full night again?! I wake up about 3.30/4am
every day and don’t fall back to sleep at all then wonder why I’m so tired in the afternoons! X

Maybe in 5 years @Emeal123!

@Emeal123 hopefully you will be different to me, I haven't slept through the night since my 1st trimester with dd, so 2 1/2 years now. If my dd would go through, maybe I would too, but often I find I wake up even if she doesn't. I really hope it's not permanent, I miss sleep and never had any issues before.

@Emeal123 I've been the same the last week wasn't to bad at first was sleeping really well but the past week I'm up between 4-5 and that's it then I'm awake I've been up some 4.20 this morning work is gunna be killer today 🙈

@Emeal123 maybe, maybe not! You do get used to it though. I used to need 8 hours sleep but once we got through the first couple of months with DD, if she slept a 4 hour stretch I felt completely fine. It was waking every hour for months at a time after that that killed me. I was unlucky and got a terrible sleeper, some people are more lucky! She's slept through on her own approximately once, and she's 3.5.
But last night she slept next to me peacefully from midnight to 6.30, I woke up at 5.30 and lay there cuddling her and listening to her sleeping and it was bliss 😊

@LauraA31 I dye my hair using the natural ones with no ammonia. Think there's one in Holland and Barrett and Nice and Easy do one as well. That's the one I use. Think they're only semi permanent but feels safer to use these if you wanna dye your hair.

Thanks @Skylark1990 yes I think NIPT is very accurate for DS but not as much for E+P.

I haven’t experienced such pelvic pain yet but I’ve noticed my hips are a bit sore when I lie on my side all night, think it’s almost time to invest in a pregnancy pillow.
Anyone have any recommendations? The BBhugme one looks good but is it worth the price point?

@ancienthouse it's so nice when they're sleeping peacefully next to us isn't it 🥰🥰🥰

@KennAdams forgot to say - re iron tabs, the absorption rate of the ones they prescribe is quite low I think about 10% hence why it's a hefty dose (200mg from memory). But with spatone or floridix, it's a more easily absorbable iron so you absorb much more and need to take less. With spatone it's two sachets a day if pregnant and take with orange juice and away from coffee/tea or dairy products as these all affect absorption. With floridix I think I took two times 30 MLS a day when I was anaemic. It sorted me out. I think I still took one of the prescribed tabs but not 3 a day as they'd suggested and this was much easier to tolerate. Basically, if they're hurting your stomach there is another way 🙂

@Chocolat yes I think it's pregnancy pillow time for me too. I have the dream genii which is pretty good if you want to use your own pillow for your head. I also got the theraline but didn't find it as good although useful for breastfeeding. I always hear rave reviews about bbhugme but it's just too expensive!! X

I forgot my omega 3 capsules when we came away on holiday, hoping baby will be ok for a week without the good fish oil vibes 😅😅

I'm finding it hard to believe I'm pregnant in some ways ATM. Anyone else? I have this little bump, and feel sick, and achey... But I just can't believe it. I suppose it's because of the losses I've had this year. This year has been so hard, I do very much hope with the second tri there is more reassurance as movements start! I remember with DD having some glow time in second tri so... 🤞🤞 Happens again haha.

As an aside, for those with older kids who have potty trained / thinking about doing it now,keen for your thoughts!

We have been trying to potty train / learn with DD, and it's not been going v well. She gets upset about needing to poo and runs around like a headless chicken, often crying when it finally comes out and goes in potty. And she's just weeing everywhere 😅 she's just turned 2. We were trying the encouragement and reward approach (with stickers when she goes in the potty) but then I listened to a Janet Lansbury podcast about potty learning where you basically just take their lead and don't push at all. I'm now confused about what the best approach is. I'm wondering if she's not ready yet.

@Skylark1990 we potty trained at just over 18 months but we used a potty from 6 months just before bed and then at nappy changes so she was used to it. We also used cloth nappies so that helps as they feel wetter so are more aware of it.
The oh crap potty training book worked well for us. She cracked it in a week or so, a few accidents at nursery after that when distracted, but dry at home.

It's really sad but I'm so excited about using all my lovely cloth nappies again!!

Hi all,I'm just over 12 weeks,scan next Wednesday which I'm feeling a bit anxious about,it's my second but I'm 37 so worried about being higher risk etc I've just had a message from the gp offering free flu vaccine,has anyone else had one? Can't remember if I did last time

Hi @Badassbreastfeeder85 I'm almost 37 and having my second too! I feel more anxious this time than last time too, hoping the second trimester and first scan bring reassurance.

My dd is almost 2, I read the oh crap book and tried to train in the summer because I thought she was ready, but I stopped because while it went well the first week, she then began to refuse and deliberately wee everywhere but the potty, so I decided she wasn't ready emotionally. Since then she's stopped hiding to poop, stopped telling me when she's going and doesn't want anything to do with the potty, it's been a big backwards step. I've decided as she is still quite young I'm not worried about trying to force it at this stage and I'll keep my eyes open for signs of readiness. If we get past 2 1/2 I'll get more twitchy about it.