Due January 2024 🎉 PART 3

[Lilothblos]

Continue here all!

So sorry @MsLaidBack Take care x

Hey guys - is anyone else having quite bad cramping like period pain which comes and goes specifically in the uterus. Looking online it seems to be normal but can't help wondering... I've got no bleeding and it's worse when I first wake up. X

Had my 12 week scan! Baba doing well. FYI my appointment took around 4 hours in total. Lots of waiting around after sonogrpapher, then weigh in, then mw, then bloods, then prescription. Not sure if that’s normal but I expected 1 hour so just wanted to flag it.

anyone got any nub theory guesses?

@Lululumpkin I get quite a lot of period type cramping and have done the whole way through really, I think it’s just things expanding / moving around and nothing to worry about if there’s no bleeding and it’s not severe.

@lucya66 congratulations! Great news. But wow 4 hours?! That is a LOT longer than I had anticipated too! I had probably naively thought it would be about 30 mins.

@Lululumpkin yes on and off, worse from weeks 5-8, less so now but still on and off

@lucya66 wow that's ages! I'm having my bloods before, did you get yours taken at the scan? I can't see the nub in the image... but I'm not great at these things 😂 glad all was good though

Thanks everyone for your replies! It's been helpful to know how you all handle this! I think just saying blood tests is a good shout...I'm so new to all this haha. My boss is a bit of a blabbermouth so this is a great excuse and explains any long absence. Now to stop worrying about the scan...😬

@Onedayatatime24 you literally could've been writing about me! From day one I've barely had any symptoms and sometimes don't believe I'm actually pregnant! I feel so guilty wanting to feel sick but the more I feel okay the more I worry about my scan next week!

@Outdamnspot23 I'm so glad it's not just me freaking out about the scan! Have mine next week and my anxiety this week has been terrible, not too sure how I will make it to the 29th!!! Hope all goes well at your scan ❤️

@MsLaidBack So sorry to hear that, take care xx

Hey guys- do you know if you can take your partner to the first midwife appointment and what really happens there?
Mine is in a week, when I’ll be 9 weeks+3.
I’m still feeling sick and tired, the only thing that helps is eating every hour (!!!) Really hoping this stops anytime soon…

So so sorry to hear your news @MsLaidBack xx

@lucya66 I’m going with boy! What a long appointment! Glad all is well!

@Zzzara I took mine with me because it’s our first. He wasn’t needed there at all but was nice for him to feel involved, they asked loads of questions about me but don’t ask much about him!

Sorry to hear @MsLaidBack xx

@Zzzara I took mine with me as it's our first and neither of us had any idea what it would entail and he wants to be involved in it all and I was really nervous so was lovely to have some support but other than support for me he wasn't need. It's a lot of questions about your medical history and family history, height and weight, they'll take your bloods, CO2 levels and a sample. She went through sort of what the next appointments would be but didn't go much beyond 16 weeks. She explained about the screening offered at 12 weeks and all my options, especially after should results show high risk. It was a lengthy appointment (think I was in there about an hour and a quarter). Hope that helps!

Oh @MsLaidBack I am so sorry! I hope you take the time to look after yourself and your OH has shown some more sympathy.

@lucya66 I've no idea about nub theory, hopefully someone will inform me :) but looking at that compared to ds, I'm guessing girl?

@Zzzara I went alone this time, but dh came to EVERY single appointment with ds 🤣 I mean he attended them all, because he wanted to know what was going on... this time he couldn't care less just said tell him scan dates and he'll be there (well 2 of them, I'm taking our parents to a scan each as I'm high risk this time round so they want to do growth scans and it'll be last grandchild potentially on both sides, def of dh)

This is a TMI warning. After having ds my pelvic floor hasn't been great, but I've been ok, able to do stuff, just needed to be careful with jumping and running. Since getting pregnant though, I've got to wear towels every day because I've got a horrid cough and I pee myself a bit when I do 😭 has anyone else had this happen?

Question for ladies who’ve been pregnant before: when did you start showing?

I’ve been a bit bloated for weeks but today my friend and partner both said separately that it looks like I’m growing a bump. I’m 12 weeks tomorrow and thought that was way too early? I reckon it’s the extra food 😂 but it does look quite round! Anyone else or is it defo bloating?

Urgh not great about that bleed and pain @cossie13 hope you're okay now? Hopefully won't get it again?

Hey congrats and welcome @goldlion123 As others have said, you are entitled to taking paid leave for appointments BUT just because the law is meant to protect you against pregnancy discrimination, doesn't always happen. I'm keeping mine secret for as long as possible to ensure I still get the scheduled pay rise and I'm going in for a promotion too. So I'm just currently telling work a mixture of, booking random half days to use up AL to do DIY and other stuff like dentist, optician and a medication review.

I'm totally torn about wanting a girl or boy! I do kind of get that feeling like you @suz2285 - unlikely to be pregnant again so this will be our last chance for a girl.

A girl would balance out the cousins better, very boy heavy in our family (I have got 3 which stacks it up!)

I am so so sorry MrLaidBack, I won't tag you as I recall how hard it was reading the notifications of a thread I once was in after a loss but just in case you do read this (as I tortured myself by following the due date threads for mine long after the loss), I am so so sorry and I really hope you can have a gentle experience as possible. It's so shit sometimes

Yes awful awful cramping that I'm taking pain relief for @Lululumpkin . MW and EPU reassured me saying as long as I'm not getting bleeding too then it's likely just uterus expanding. MW explained its often worse for subsequent pregnancies.

Ah congrats @lucya66 a66 lovely scan pic! That is a long 12 week scan! I'm expecting mine to be about 2 hours as I'll be seeing Consultant afterwards and booking in for my cerlage but 4 hours is so long!

I think that it's worth seeking a referral to a women's physio @Hummusanddipdip They worked wonders for me after DS3.

@sashastuck I'm 8 weeks and my uterus is hard and definitely protruding. I remember with DS2 I barely showed until about 18 weeks but with DS3 it was obviously a small perfect bump at around 12 weeks.

Thanks @Kalodin I'll give the gp a call tomorrow and see what I can do.

@sashastuck with ds I didn't show until about 26 weeks, then somewhere between weeks 26 and 28 I suddenly just exploded, this time however I'm only 10 weeks, and I've got a very obvious bump.

Anecdotal, but one of my colleagues was showing by about 12 weeks with her first, although even until the day before he arrived she still didn't look it from behind. One of my cousins just looked a bit bloated until about 20 weeks with her first and her sister showed almost instantly. I think it has something to do with where your uterus sits to start with?

Thanks for all the responses about the period pain!

@sashastuck I'm 10+4 and I am convinced I am showing as of this week. It's bloating, but it's very circular bump-shaped bloating! And it's only my first pregnancy 😬

Hi all hope everyone is ok

@lucya66 wow 4 hours!! I have mine tomorrow and I’ll bring snacks incase haha! Do you have to have the bloods again even if you had them at my midwife appointment ? - glad all went ok ❤️

@sashastuck i am 12 +3 and I am starting to get an obvious hard bump even from the morning now it’s only small but definitely feels different

My scan today was about 1.5 hours. It essentially went:

• wait 15 mins past appointment time
• have scan and wait for scan report to be printed (about 20 - 25 mins, I had to move around a bit!)
• back to reception to book 20 week scan
• wait for blood appointment (5 mins?)
• blood appointment, weigh in

It went fairly quickly!

@lucya66 4 hours is crazy! Mine felt like 20 minutes, never had to wait at all.

@Dancingqueen91 I believe the bloods at the scan are for screening for Down syndrome etc whereas the bloods at the midwife appointment were for more general health type checks.

@sashastuck I think I was 20+ weeks before showing with my first although it was during covid so I never had as many opportunities to be around people and be wondering about it.

@Hummusanddipdip i have urge incontinence rather than stress since traumatic forceps delivery in theatre with my first, but it’s def worse since preggo. Nearly haven’t made the loo in time a couple of times. Do you have the Squeezy app? I have an amazing women’s physio and I’m under urogynae. I’m bad at remembering to do my PFE but tbh I never found they helped that much. You’re not alone tho! Being a woman is tough… ❤️

@sashastuck im 9 weeks tomorrow, fairly slim, and already struggling to do up my shorts! Given up on jeans (it’s too hot anyway). Wearing dresses and dungarees. I have been eating a lot tho since I got over Covid (could barely eat a thing for a week) and am currently eating a massive bag of Doritos to fend off nausea so that’s probs part of it!

@lucya66 Im going to guess girl but I’m terrible at these.

Any guesses?

@sashastuck I didn't start showing until around 19 weeks and even then if I wasn't in gym gear you wouldn't know. At work people didn't realise I was pregnant until I was about 28 weeks pregnant. Though I was very fit with abs so that probably contributed.

This time around I'm 11 weeks and I've popped