July 2023 (Thread 2)!

[RandomCatGenerator]

Creating a new thread as we’re about to finish the first - just as we finish our first trimesters!

@BackOfTheMum5net I've been getting stiff hips too, so I usually just roll onto my other side until that goes stiff too and then I roll back 😂 I've currently got an £8 v-pillow from Home Bargains but think I might need a pregnancy pillow soon too. They're much longer than the v-pillow I have, more full body length. Would be interested in hearing people's recommendations also

No advice on pregnancy pillows I'm afraid, I'm a back sleeper so need to stop and I panic every time I wake up and roll over to my side, so maybe need to invest in a pillow too.

I noticed blue stretch marks on my hips this morning when getting ready 😭 I already have bad body confidence due to my clothes getting tighter (I know it's bump, but I feel fat and it's a hard thing to explain, I just can't look at myself in the mirror at the moment 😭)
I am using Palmer's Cocoa Oil to rub on, anyone got anything that will make me not get any more stretch marks/ make these fade and go away or is it a case that now I'm getting them, I'm doomed?!

Palmer's do an excellent stretch mark cream that you rub on every morning and night to try and avoid them but will do nothing for them when they are already there. I have used Bio oil on previous stretch marks and scars. It is expensive and will take a bit of time but it definitely reduces the appearance of stretch marks that have already appeared x

@Leezo thank you. I bought the oil as I knew Palmers was supposed to be quite good and I know I've seen before that oils are supposed to be good too. I will see if I can find the cream when I am out shopping next.
Will also get bio oil maybe for when baby is born so I can try and reduce the ones that I get throughout the rest of the pregnancy x

@AnxiousAnnie94 I got quite a lot of stretch marks in my first pregnancy on my sides, across my belly and the top of my legs weirdly. But I think this was because I am a small build and I grew quite large! I can already see them becoming more obvious as my bump is already growing well 😂 I wish I had avice to help but I'm just embracing them 😂 haha. I do moisturise every couple of days but that's about it. At this point it's too late for me 😂

I had my ‘20-week’ scan yesterday and I’m having a girl!💕

@AnxiousAnnie94 They’ll fade in time, don’t worry xx
I’ve been using bio oil for a few weeks and so far so good, I had quite bad stretch marks from going through puberty quickly and they had faded- Sod’s law they’ve just gone and now I’m pregnant! I don’t know if the bio oil is helping or if the weight gain is just going into the old stretched bits?! 😂

@MamaSJ15 I am going from a flat stomach size 8 so kind of guessed I would get stretch marks, but still not nice to see!
I feel guilty for not loving my body right now as this baby is so wanted and I know my body is doing wonderful things growing a baby, but I'm just finding it hard to love how I look right now. Hopefully as my bump changes to look more bump like rather than just like I've had too much food, I will feel happier.

@BackOfTheMum5net I am definitely going to invest in some bio oil to try and fade them!

@PinkPink1 congratulations! I have my 20 week scan tomorrow! Eeek.

Had my 20 week scan today. All went well albeit the baby is very lazy and would not move position so they couldn't check the spine and neck. I have to go back in 2 weeks to be rescanned for just the spine and the neck. I think that is relatively normal though? trying not to worry about the fact I didn't a full 'ok all is fine' today, and instead concentrate on the fact that everything else looked normal. A big relief as I'd got myself quite anxious about it yesterday. Bloody scanxiety

@pizzawinecake I can imagine the frustration but I’d try to look at it as you’ll get to see bubba again in 2 weeks 🥰

Regarding stretch marks, 6 years on mine had totally gone. I’m starting much fatter now than I was with my first pregnancy but I imagine they’re gonna be much worse this time.

We’ve just found out we’ve had our mortgage offer accepted! Honestly could cry. We should be moved in by the time baby is due and I really didn’t think this would happen!!

@bubble55 yesss!! That’s wonderful news!

@bubble55 I am so happy for you! I really hope our solicitors get a move on, they're being so slow and haven't even sent off for searches yet. I need to be moved by the time baby is here, I can't imagine living with my MIL with a baby!

That's great news @bubble55 ! Congratulations!

Just wondering : is anyone else at the phase where they look a bit fat rather than pregnant, but trousers are starting to feel a bit uncomfortably tight? My work gear is "smart"ish and it's ok at the start of the day but by the end of the day I'm a bit bloated and I'm worried that I'm starting to stretch my clothes. But I'm not sure what to start wearing : I'm definitely not ready for pregnancy trousers, should I just buy some clothes that are up a size? It feels a bit wasteful because it's hopefully only temporary, but I'm not sure what else to do!

Yes. So for jeans and other trousers with a button and hole, you get belly bands that have buttons and holes that you can use to keep your trousers up. JoJo Maman Bebe sells them:

www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/multi-use-belly-band-a9117.html

I’ve been relying on them for trousers recently as my legs haven’t changed size but my stomach and hips very much have.

@99pctpractice I'm a bit stuck on what to buy myself. Personally I don't like leggings. I bought over the bump maternity jeans which were super comfy at first and then I found they were feeling too restrictive. At the moment I just leave the button and zip open on my regular jeans instead.

We had our scan this morning.
Everything seemed 'normal' and we are having a little boy 💙💙 he definitely wasn't shy in showing us either 🤣
I feel so silly for feeling so anxious now, but I am so pleased everything is okay. I knew it was going to a little boy, because my sister in law has a 5 month old little girl and said we could have all of her stuff that she had grown out of 🤣 so to be awkward he is a boy haha. Very happy though.

Wow I have lots to catch up on! 😂

Great news about the house @bubble55 and glad the scan went well @AnxiousAnnie94, happy news for both of you!

Definitely at the awkward stage @99pctpractice. I feel like I’m showing more than last time but I think only those who know me really well will know it’s baby bump rather than too many cakes 😂 (I’m not slim to start with so that doesn’t help!)

Anyone else had severe body aches? I feel like I’ve been to the gym and done way too much - incredibly sore arms, shoulders, upper back, even the front of my thighs?! But barely any pain in any of the places I’d expect or had last time like lower back and hips. Have gone from standard diet to vegan between pregnancy one and two (little girl is allergic to dairy so that kind of pushed us to making the change!) so wondering if it’s a deficiency. Apparently lack of vitamin d is linked to joint and muscle pain and is found commonly in lots of foods we don’t eat! I’ve got my 16 week midwife appointment this afternoon so going to mention it and see if she has any suggestions.

Enjoying people’s gender reveals - our 20 week scan isn’t until the middle of March and feels so long away!

@Porcupette I am vegan and haven't had any body aches. Good to get checked for any deficiencies though, although obviously deficiencies can happen regardless of diet. Are you taking any pregnancy vitamins? There are loads of complete vegan pregnancy vitamins out there :)

Oh absolutely, I was anaemic during pregnancy 1 even though I was on a fairly average diet, it’s definitely not a vegan specific thing! Just wondering if my not-as-healthy-as-it-should-be diet while BFing little girl and now being pregnant has meant I’m not balancing things well enough! I’m just taking the pregnacare vegan gummies.

@Porcupette I must admit since being pregnant my healthy vegan diet has turned into a lot more vegan junk 🙄🤣
Hopefully your midwife gets to the bottom of it and you aren't in too much pain x

Because we made the switch when we had a newborn and were kind of just in survival mode mine has always been too junk food heavy 😂 🤦🏼‍♀️

Thanks, it’s not unbearable or anything but enough to mess with sleep and have me on a pretty strict 4 hourly paracetamol routine the last couple of days so figure it’s worth mentioning in case it’s something nice and simple 🤞🏻

@99pctpractice I am definitely past the 'is she pregnant or just putting on weight' stage 🙈 it's very obvious that it's a baby bump for me now. Although I'm a slim size 8 so I guess it does tend to be more obvious. I wasn't a leggings kind of girl before pregnancy no 1 and they then became the best thing ever! Managed in Primark leggings for a while and then bought some maternity ones and some long tops/jumpers. Even my tights were too tight this week, had to gather them under the bump, god knows how big I'll be at full term 🙈