August Due Date Crew (Thread 5)

[AnnieApple123]

We look like we’re heading towards breaking some records with threads here!

Newbies still most welcome to join in as always.

Is anybody else taking iron so far? My iron level should ideally be even higher than normal due to being on thyroxine, which is hard to achieve in later pregnancy. I have a dietician catch-up today to come up with a plan for the second trimester onwards. I’ll likely do an advanced iron test at 13-14 weeks to see exactly where things are.

I’ve started taking spatone sachets @AnnieApple123 alongside my normal pregnacare. I haven’t been told to, but I’m veggie and worried about my iron levels being low at a blood test and them wanting to repeat it as I hate blood tests 😂 so I’m trying to get ahead!

@PumpkinEverything That sounds reasonable as a veggie. I was on two Spatone sachets a day before becoming pregnant but then stopped as my dietician has concerns about overdosing in the first trimester when you’re not having periods and iron requirements are not yet significantly raised. For me personally though, my iron has dropped quite a lot without supplementation in the first trimester of both my pregnancies. I’ll be interested to see what she suggests today and whether she now recommends something stronger than Spatone.

Place marking.

I have been taking iron supplements for quite some time now, so just continuing in pregnancy.

Since telling work, I've been telling people anyway. It would have gotten out anyway soon enough, and if something goes wrong I will just deal with it.

I found out Mondsy that I'm pregnant with an unexpected 3rd after my coil went MIA! They believe I'm approximately 7/8 weeks measuring at 7+2 according to the scan that discovered the baby.

Currently mum to 2. Due around 30/08/23

@unluckyinlife that must have been a shock to the system. How do you feel about it? How old are your other 2?

I'm in complete shock to be honest. It was a little bittersweet, as some recent health issues meant that I was advised ttc would be difficult for us moving forward. So we were hoping to start trying in 2024 but had accepted it might not happen for us.

I think it has only just sank in! My kids are 5 and 4 so have only just become independent. My youngest starts full time school in September.

I'm quite worried as I was told I had to take high dose folic acid if I was ttc or pregnant which I've now only just started taking and drank over Christmas so I hope I haven't caused any damage to the baby.

When they showed me the baby and the heartbeat I felt like everything froze for a few seconds!

However my 2nd was unplanned and she has honestly brought so much joy to the family so I'm sure this has happened for a reason.

My work however will take this terribly, being that I'm the only female on the team, and I had one of my colleagues tell me about a year ago that I would 'really screw them over' if I ever had another.. not looking forward to dealing with that atmosphere at ALL.

Congratulations @unluckyinlife what a shock for you!

That would be a nice age gap, you will have 2 little helpers. Once the surprise dust settles, it will be ok. Congratulations!

If it's any consolation, about 2 weeks before I told work about my current pregnancy, they jokingly told me a similar sentiment (I am going for a promotion with change of contract coinciding with my due date..) . I told them 1 week ago, I am almost 11 weeks, and it went better than expected.

Thank you 😊 xx

Welcome @unluckyinlife . Hope this baby brings you much joy too.

Has anyone read the book ‘Expecting Better’ by Emily Oster? @Recoba I think you said you had? I’m wondering what she says about hair dye. I’m desperate to touch up my roots now which I’ve been trying to avoid in the first trimester. I was thinking of doing it Sunday night when I’ll be 11+6. Although technically the end of the first trimester isn’t until the start of week 13 or 14. I’m wondering how precise I really need to be.

@AnnieApple123 It’s safe to colour your hair when pregnant at any stage. I am a hairdresser x

@unluckyinlife until the placenta attaches (around 12 weeks) the baby is pretty self sufficient, growing from a yolk sac rather than being attached to you, you don't yet share a blood supply so the things you eat/drink aren't really transferred to baby so the likelihood of any damage occurring from drinking over Christmas is very very unlikely! :)

@AnnieApple123 I’m getting highlights done tomorrow, at 11+4. I was nervous about it in my first pregnancy, but the hairdresser told me it was absolutely fine.

@AnnieApple123 i had mine done at 4/5 weeks and my anxiety was terrible about it so I wish I hadn’t really, but everything I read said it was safe, I just told her to be careful of my scalp

@BoodifulGoose that's really reassuring! As much as it was a shock, I am now excited for what's to come ☺️ x

@AnnieApple123 Thank you 😊 in my last pregnancy my midwife said hair dye would not cause any harm. So I was safe to get my hair dyed. She said just to move around if you are sat for a long period of time to avoid discomfort in later stages.

@AnnieApple123 i had my highlights done before Christmas 😊 I also got them done in my last pregnancy too as I had researched and there didn’t seem to be any issue, and my hairdresser knew. I didn’t tell her this time as I felt weird telling her and no one else yet 😂 and I knew it was fine anyway

I’m just super cautious with hair dye and prefer to avoid it in the first trimester. Last time I managed to get to 15 weeks but I think 12 is going to have to be good enough this time.

There’s a summary of the Emily Oster book here. I may buy it as I’ve read her other two and liked them. www.heymilestone.com/blogs/news/pregnancy-restrictions-emily-oster

Hi @AnnieApple123, just did a quick search in the Expecting Better book (highly recommend getting it on Kindle rather than in paper format as it's really at its best when you want to do a search to find something like this). Emily Oster says:
"Human studies have generally not shown any association with an increased risk of birth defects. A couple of small studies have suggested a link with childhood cancer later, although larger studies have not confirmed this. Overall, the rat evidence doesn't seem to translate into a human link.
...
There are a number of detailed reviews of this issue and they all argue pretty compellingly that there is no reason to worry about hair dye use anytime in pregnancy. In fact, even the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists suggests it's fine after the first trimester. To be fair, I think you probably should avoid injecting yourself with hair dye during the first trimester (or, really, at any time). Getting rid of a few grey hairs or touching up your roots is a different story."

I’m really starting to worry about the fact ive stopped feeling sick and really fine completely fine at 8 and a half weeks. I had been feeling really sick and was sick before 7 weeks so it’s now starting to panic me, especially after all of yesterday’s sad news on here. The last time at this point I felt worse and worse and it only just got easier about 11 weeks. I’m eating A LOT and telling myself maybe I’m just not letting myself get hungry enough to be sick but I’m even getting up in the morning and able to go into the bathroom without gagging and running for the toilet like I would of been last time. My next scan isn’t until a week tomorrow but I really hope I have some symptoms back before then. It’s such a rollercoaster of emotions isn’t it 🤦🏼‍♀️

Also got that smear in the two week wait and the nurse said I’d get the result by Christmas if it was normal. I still haven’t had it and that’s also starting to worry me! Just a big bag of worries today.. really don’t think treatment for that would be ideal while pregnant so really hoping it’s just the postal strikes or something holding up the letter

@BCxx my symptoms easing up have set me on edge too. I do still have some just the horrendous sickness has gone mainly, but again is it because im more on it with eating, plus started making sure I drink plenty of water. Anyway I booked a last min private scan today because I can’t cope with feeling this anxious for another 2 weeks!

I’m the same @BCxx I wasn’t really feeling too sick or gagging, just some mild nausea and sore boobs. But basically since 8.5/9 weeks I’ve been completely fine. I even feel like I’m not as bloated anymore either and just don’t feel pregnant at all.
the only reassurance I have is that I have notes from my pregnancy with my daughter and it was exactly the same then too, and she’s here and 15 months old!