Due May 2023 - thread two

[Flowersflowers121]

Hiiii everyone. Thread two as the first one filled up :)

@raffika That's great, I love a bargain! I think bugaboo prams are supposed to be great aren't they?

Re maternity clothes, I have a pair of leggings that I definitely don't need yet but I am finding my normal leggings a bit tight now. I have a couple of maternity T-shirts that are nice and loose but I'm the same as you, every time I look online I think the stuff is very frumpy looking! I bought a dress for my work Christmas do in a size 12 which is a size bigger than I'd usually buy, all the maternity ones had long sleeves which looked more like office wear than for a party. I think I need to get some maternity joggers/loungewear for WFH too.

@raffika forgot to say that my maternity T-shirts and leggings were from New Look, they seem to have some nice jumper dresses in stock now too.

@Flowersflowers121 never mind! To be honest, December is rolling around so quickly. My 20 week scan is on the 28th

I’ve got a couple of pairs of maternity jeans from ASOS because I got to ten weeks and couldn’t fasten my normal ones - I’m really big considering I’m only 15 weeks and definitely outgrowing my normal clothes! Felt early but also thought that way I’ll be comfy and I’ll get
more use out of them 🤷🏽‍♀️

@Awkwardusername you’re right, comfort is absolutely key! Apart from my trusty one-size-up jeggings I’ve been in dresses and leggings, which have been great, but I’m trying to prepare for what comes next or I’ll have nothing to wear 🤣

My boss is the only one at work who knows I’m pregnant and one of us has been WFH for the last fortnight, so I warned him I looked a bit haphazard at the minute…saw him this morning and he immediately messaged me on Teams laughing at my outfit 😂😂😂 lucky I like him!

Re movements- I’m 17+2 with baby no 3 and still nothing which is really annoying and making me worry. I had an anterior placenta with my other two so hopefully it’s just that but I can’t help but worry. Doesn’t help that the midwife would listen to the heartbeat at my 16 wk check so it’s been a while since I’ve seen baby. I’m going to book another private scan for some reassurance.

Not started buying maternity clothes yet as still no bump but my work trousers are starting to get uncomfortable. Outside of work, I’m living in leggings.

Those are some great Black Friday deals you’re getting. I’m not brave enough to buy anything yet.

Everyone here seems to be so much further along than I am - I'm due end of May (27th ) how is everyone feeling?

Did anyone purchase anything from the sales- I couldn't get myself to buy anything , it doesn't feel quite real yet , till I can feel the kicks.

( I have been diagnosed with HG so I feel awful most of the time and since I haven't told anyone about the pregnancy quite lonely )

@Zaalfruit feeling okay! Back to feeling not much at all, which just makes me worried. We have a private scan booked Thursday night.

I didn't buy anything in the sales - have a loss and infertility history so frankly won't be buying until 20+ weeks. Doesn't feel like it's going to happen yet

@IWillBeWaxingAnOwl I don’t know how it feels to have a loss - however I have so many intrusive thoughts and fears , so I can’t even fathom how you must be feeling .

From what I recall last time around 14 weeks till about 23 weeks you kinda feel good . The symptoms disappear- so the fatigue and nausea ( I know it’s easy for me to say please try and stay calm - but I know what you mean it’s hard to)

Here’s to having a positive and uplifting scan for you on Thursday - I will wish for Thursday to come quickly and for the week not to drag .

@CatMad22 my 20 week scan is on the 29th, so the day after yours, it is so exciting!

Everyone buying prams etc. already has made me have a quick look in the sales but we did say we would wait until January to buy anything, although that isn't too far away!

@Awkwardusername just had a quick look at the Nuna Mixx Next, it looks lovely!!

I have purchased a pair of leggings, in the next size up. I did try on a couple of maternity ones but the space for the bump was just too big and I felt uncomfortable. I also tried on a few knitted dresses, I really wanted something cosy and comfy for Christmas day but so I still looked nice. Everything I tried on wasn't maternity, just the next size up but they didn't sit right, so I have ordered a couple of maternity ones from ASOS in the sale to try, so fingers crossed one of those is the winner.

Thanks @Zaalfruit ! Hopefully all well. Also still waiting on trisomy screening results - been 3 weeks!

@AlwaysTryingToHelp I got a couple of tight midi dresses from Primark last week, one of them is a festive green and it’s very flattering on the “is it a bump or is she just fat” scale 😂deffo wearing that one on Christmas Day! Not maternity x

We didn’t buy anything in the Black Friday sales in the end but will try to in the January sales.

I’m similar to @IWillBeWaxingAnOwl in that we’ve had losses and fertility problems so I don’t think I’ll relax much, until after the 20 week scan (which is on the 16th).

I had a really, really rough time with symptoms till about 16 1/2 weeks but have been feeling much better since then.
It’s amazing to feel more human and to be able to do more but also really worrying as to whether everything is ok.

Clothes wise, everything is so tight already!! I only have 1 bra that kind of fits me and the underwire popped out this morning 😭 (probably because it’s being washed everyday!) so I desperately need to buy some new bras and at least some new trousers and leggings!

I work part-time with horses so am outside quite a lot and non of my coats will do up now! Gets a bit chilly!!!

I don’t think I should be this big yet!! People keep asking me if I’m definitely sure I’m not having twins!!

@i83 I did read that unfortunately losses count as previous pregnancies for the body, so for example your uterus stretches faster if you have been pregnant before, even if that did not result in a full term baby. I wonder if that has happened to my boobs 🤔. I need to buy some new bras.

I'm also having a lot of issues this week with back/butt pain. A bit worried it's sciatic!

@IWillBeWaxingAnOwl that’s interesting, I didn’t know that.

Sorry to hear about the back/butt pain, that’s rubbish. Is it on one side and is it worse when you’ve done a bit more?

I’ve had quite a bit of back pain in the last couple of weeks but I’m used to it, as I’ve herniated discs, had surgery on it and now have arthritis in mine.
Sciatica is the worst thing though, I really feel for you. There’s nothing else like it.

Have you spoken to anyone about being referred to physio?

3 weeks is such a long time! Can you call the hospital and chase them up? In a way I suppose it's a good thing, since you usually get a phone call within a week if something bad comes up? Hope you get your answers soon.

@AlwaysTryingToHelp that's exciting! A nice Christmas/New Year present for us. I'm with you on the maternity leggings, having so much extra material does feel very weird without much of a bump!

My symptoms haven't been bad at all compared to some horror stories I've read, I still struggle quite a lot with bloating and painful gas though, sorry, TMI but if I can't say it here, where can I? 🤣

I do have a question I hope you ladies can help me with.. have you told work yet, and if so, how did you do it/plan to do it? I know it's just a case of saying to my manager 'I'm pregnant' but somehow those words feel scary to me! I think because I'm waiting for a pay rise but I don't think it'll happen until January now which would be past the legal limit for telling them.

I work remotely so it would be a video call and I just find it so awkward.. my current boss is a maternity cover for my usual boss who will be back in March and then I'll go so maybe that's why I'm feeling like it's a bit 'inconvenient' for them - sounds silly as obviously only the baby matters to me in reality. Any advice?!

@CatMad22 no advice but also having a flap about telling work! I got an internal promotion and found out I was pregnant 3 days after I started 🙈 we'd been trying for nearly 4 years so it didn't even occur to me to try and skip a month or anything.

So I need to navigate telling a new boss, and a new team, that they need to hold their horses re being relieved that I'm on board because I'm about to actually hop off board!

It doesn't help that I'm ill and off work at the moment with a horrendous chest infection and then in early December I'm on annual leave for a week! You can't make these timings up 😂

I think I'll just be factual on my next 121 when I feel well enough to log back in, the fuzzy head is too much at the moment.

@IWillBeWaxingAnOwl ooh you should call your trust - with the whole Royal Mail strike thing , I was told that everything may take longer but up two weeks max for results. ( I am still waiting on mine )

@TheBeesKnee it must been such a surprise for you !! ( A fantastic surprise )
Telling work is always so hard . I have been on sick leave for the last three weeks - My sick notes says Hg - dehydration. My manager is aware of HG , so she automatically knows I’m pregnant- however we haven’t a conversation about it. I am not going to say anything under I have my MATB1 form from the hospital . My first day of work in Today and I can’t sleep from being stressed out . I hope you feel better .

@CatMad22
I know what you mean - the baby comes first , but you feel like it’s an inconvenience to them . This is how I felt during lock down - I had to tell the manager over Teams and it was weird .

@CatMad22 @TheBeesKnee @Zaalfruit I told work ages ago, as I’m in a role where I deal with both volatile people, so a risk assessment was needed, and where some parts of the job involve taking on tasks which can take a year or more to resolve. I wanted them to limit what came to me fairly early on, so I didn’t take on anything I wouldn’t be able to wrap up.

They’ve been absolutely amazing, really supportive. We’ve talked a bit about when I might go off but they’re happy for me to decide when I’m ready. I asked about flexible working when I come back, and they said I can work whatever days and hours I want to.

Unless you work for absolute ogres, just bite the bullet and tell your managers, and I’m sure they will be happy for you and supportive of you and not treat you like an inconvenience. As for promotions, pay rises etc. you’re protected by law as pregnant women, so you cannot be adversely treated due to your pregnancy or any time you might have off work.

If you don’t want to chat via video, send your boss an email. You can explain that telling via video felt a bit weird so you’re sending an email. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

I will be telling my boss when I see them in person this week on Thursday. Similar to @TheBeesKnee I took on extra responsibilities shortly before testing positive, and have now been introduced to a bunch of new clients, stakeholders etc only be to disappearing off in around 6 months so I do feel awkward. But it would be discrimination for them to hold that against me, plus 6 months is actually a fair bit of time for me to work on these so I don’t feel too bad just feel awkward. I also would prefer to wait until closer to Xmas to tell me boss (not sure why, probably so I can deliver the news then not have to think about it for a week or so!) but I only see my boss in person every 4-6 weeks and I would prefer to tell him in person than over Teams. Good luck anyone delivering the news to work - at least we are protected by law and no one can say anything negative to us even if they think it! :)

How is everyone feeling today? I am nearly 18 weeks but still just can not imagine the baby will arrive safely and I will finally get to hold her. Anyone else struggling to picture this finally happening?

I plan to tell my bosses on Thursday if all goes well. Rest of staff will wait until after xmas