Babies Due April 2023 thread 5

[KennAdams]

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

@AliceinSlumberland I won't be doing a Facebook announcement just because it's not really my thing, not a huge social media sharer (just a stalker haha). We didn't with our daughter and my cousin was shocked when my mum told her I was pregnant "it's not been on Facebook?!" And then proceeded to make a status about how weird she thought it was when people didn't want to share their lives on social media 😂🤦🏼‍♀️ not sure why it bothered her so much - to each their own in my opinion!

@Wisher88 I'm in maternity jeans already, have been for a few weeks (I'm now 11+4) bought a pair on eBay.

I'm bloated big time too - I'm living in leggings or shorts and if I go out I just wear baggy swing dresses! Jeans are sooo uncomfy atm x

Morning ladies.

Im also very bloated! 7+2 today so assuming the bloating will go down but it’s so obvious now, and i know it’s not baby ha!
Got my second EPU scan tomorrow morning, nervous but excited at the same time…

@Missgemini eee how exciting a boy! 😅

Does anybody else have a gut feeling of what they are having? It sounds daft but ive got a gut feeling im having a boy, boyfriend thinks girl and my mum has a gut feeling boy too! Dad said he thinks the same as me and mum…
One of us will be right 😂 it’s strange how since the day we had our positive i had an overwhelming feeling of a boy!
I cannot wait to find out, got a long way to go yet haha!

@LauraA31 funny you say this, I was thinking about this yesterday! I've always had in my head that I would have a boy but I can't shake this feeling that I'm pregnant with a girl and my husband said the same! Something in my gut tells me it's a girl! I'm bonkers as I'm 10 weeks so still too early for any old wives tails or tricks but just have a feeling x

@DBS94 haha it’s crazy isn’t it! At least we are bonkers together 😂
I have no preference, it’s our first so either would be amazing but i cannot shake the boy feeling! X

@LauraA31 I think gut feelings are often right! I’ve got a gut feeling this is another girl, just because I feel the same as I did with DD but much worse whereas all my family members who have one of each, felt awful when carrying girls but amazing when carrying boys. I have no preference however, either is fine by me

@LauraA31 I feel certain I'm having a boy too. If I'm not I will be so shocked!! My husband thinks girl but in my head I feel like I know it's not. 50 percent chance I'm not going mad 😂

Aw congrats @Missgemini 💙 will you have an early sex scan or will you wait til 20 weeks?

I've felt differently so far this pregnancy. I'm much more tired, I've not had cravings but if I were to reach for a snack it would be crisps rather than sweets so I'm leaning towards thinking I'm having a boy this time. However, when I picture my life, I picture it with two girls so it will be interesting to find out!

My boobs are huge and I'm also pretty bloated most of the day and worse into the evening. I've been losing a lot of weight over the last year and all the beautiful holiday dresses and skirts I bought to wear on our holiday next week either don't fit or don't look nice when on. Im actually really really sad about that, I now have to try and find summer clothes that fit and look nice and spend more money which I hadn't budgeted. It's all worth it to be pregnant but I do feel very uncomfortable at the moment so I feel so you ladies x

@Gilm0reGirl I'm feeling your pain... also off on holiday next week and the lovely dresses I'd bought after losing weight just look awful now as I'm so bloated! Never even got the chance to wear them as I was saving them for the holiday. Like you say, it's completely worth it to be pregnant I just feel I could accept it better when at a stage of actually showing rather than just bloat 😂

Ncjjcjvkh

Hi friends, quick question that's been bothering me since getting pregnant. Apologies if it's already been discussed here. I see loads online about 'safe' skincare and make up for pregnancy, with implications that pregnant women need to review and change the products they use.

Some lists are pretty extensive and claim that certain (pretty standard brands like Body Shop, L'Oreal etc) products can be harmful and even cause birth defects. It seems a bit OTT to me... I haven't made any changes so far, really. Surely, if sold widely in the UK, all make up and skincare is safe in pregnancy? I've seen a few times that products with retinol and Vit A aren't considered safe, but am not using those anyway.

Did you make any changes to the products you use?

@SavedByGraceAlone I'm a bit over the top about avoiding things so I've only been using cleanser and moisturiser. I can't be bothered to check through each product to work out what's safe

I only use natural skincare and I check all the ingredients, things like neem oil aren't really safe, or things like clary sage. If you ask the companies they will say their products are safe because the ingredients are in such small amounts which is probably true for most people. But after struggling to conceive and then a miscarriage I wasn't going to take any risks that were easily avoided, however tiny the risk.

When TTC I read a book on fertility called "it starts with the egg" and there is some evidence from scientific studies that some skincare ingredients can cause fertility problems. I already have hormonal imbalances so I avoid anything that can affect hormones like known endocrine disruptors. Obviously most people don't have problems though so I wouldn't worry.

Thank you all for the kind words ❤️
@Tropicana1 sorry you're feeling the same. Are you able to work or have you been having time off? I feel awkward as one of the people in my team worked all through having HG so it makes me feel like they'd think less of me if I took time off. It's shit tbh, even if we don't have HG pregnancy sickness is horrible.

@SavedByGraceAlone I avoid chemical/ synthetic products anyway as better for our health in general eg to avoid certain things like parabens, SLES etc. Which brands do you currently use? I'm sure it's probably fine as most people wouldn't even think about it, but if you wanted to go a bit more natural while pregnant I'm sure it would t hurt. Although the products your using might already be fine. It basically depends on the ingredients, and it can be hard to know which are nasty but parabens defo are so I steer clear of them! X

Thanks @ancienthouse and @Longbin!

I'm also - I think! - on all natural skincare and don't really use much apart from cleanser and daily SPF.

But now gone down the rabbit hole on the internet reading about 'safe' make up, like mascara and eyeliner! Did you make changes to your make up too?

I’ve hardly worn make up for weeks because the HG means I don’t really leave the house… but before that I just wore my usual make up (mainly Clarins and Rimmel). I really doubt make up alone causes birth defects. Sadly there’s chemicals and toxins in virtually everything - cleaning products, traffic pollutants in the air, virtually all foods unless you grow your own veg and slaughter your own meat. Living in London means you smoke the equivalent of 150 cigarettes a year in air pollution. All we can really do is not drink/smoke, take a vitamin and eat healthily if the nausea allows!

Thanks @Skylark1990, I use a CeraVe for cleanser (which appears safe from googling!) and a daily SPF from Body Shop (which apparently is not safe according to google...).

Do you review your make up too?
Xxx

@Matildahoney oh interesting I always thought it had to be 🤷🏼‍♀️ I guess both times before I've gone around 8/9 weeks so was surprised that they haven't even processed it yet

@SavedByGraceAlone nope no changes, but I haven't worn any recently. If I did I would just use my usual stuff. I'm still using normal shampoo, body wash etc, I just do it to avoid vitamin a and retinol in things like face masks really. I didn't cut out a lot of chemicals when I was TTC either as I thought if I started I would get worse and worse and it would start to take over my life, even more than TTC already had!

@alwaysseeingstars exactly! If I looked pregnant I wouldn't mind as much, but right now I look like I've just started regaining weight 😂 our friends are meeting us for one of the weeks too and there will be photos, so I can't even hide away. We will both have a fab time when we get there, but for now I'm bargain hunting for a few holidays bits 🤞🏻 x

@Gilm0reGirl haha same, on the hunt on Vinted currently to see if there are any good finds! 😊x

@SavedByGraceAlone I only use natural organic makeup anyway, I have done for years, and it's all fine. I hardly ever wear it though.

I always stop wearing nail polish when TTC and pregnant, even the "eco" ones have some nasty stuff in them.

I also only use natural cleaning products around the house - vinegar, bicarb, citric acid etc. and don't burn scented candles or use perfumed things.

The less pollutants in my home the better, I think. But most people use conventional stuff and they don't have any issues with birth defects. My DD did have food allergies from birth so I'm careful about things like that. I don't bleach or antibac to try and help with normal germs and the immune system.

The chances of these things causing birth defects is very very small. But all of them added up can have a big impact on fertility, there is lots of new research into environmental pollutants and declining fertility. So it seems sensible to me to avoid them anyway.

I agree with @ancienthouse about cleaning products. I use them quite sparingly and try to just use soap and water if I can. I always wear rubber gloves and make sure the window is open. I also use roll on deodorant as I don’t like inhaling all the fumes from the sprays, but that’s more because it smells so strongly - don’t think I’ve used a spray in about 5 years. I don’t know if you have a dog but they’re actually fantastic for kids immune systems as well.