Due January Part 4! 🎉

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I can’t see a new part 4 as part 3 is now at 1000 replies!

I'm definitely getting it @RG9895 After witnessing the devastating consequence of my friend not getting it on her baby. Bias I know, because I've witnessed the effects of it on a newborn. And I've also had no issues with it the 3 times I've had it.

Ah congratulations @Vikki7 ! Lovely to heat the heartbeat

Thank you! Isn't it amazing to think you have 2 heartbeats inside you! Congratulations on your 16 week appointment too.

I'm going ahead with the whooping cough vaccine as I have seen babies suffer with it before, it's horrendous.

Saying that, with baby#1, I didn't have it after doing a lot of research on what's inside it but having never seen a baby suffer with whooping cough before.

@RG9895 I’m going to get it for sure!

In 2 minds about the flu vaccine though, I’m not anti vax at ALL but tend not to get what isn’t completely necessary… has everyone else had it already? I’m sure they’ll advise I get it. With it being a winter baby as well!

I had a fairly difficult time breastfeeding with my DD1 and was totally not expecting to have any trouble so it really made me feel bad that I was 'failing' and it was lockdown so no visits etc. Ended up mainly pumping until 5 months then ended on bottles. I didnt want the formula in the house to begin with as it would have been an easy route out on the hard days when I wanted to push through. I would say take note of what is in your local shop/s though and make sure you can get the brand you pick in muntiple places near you its a nightmare if you want to swap brands!

I told my boss this morning!! I was SO So nervous and just sort of blurted it out and she said 'oh my god when are you leaving and are you coming back?!' also made a face when I said I want to take a year so I'm feeling a bit peed off that she wasnt more congratulatory and more certain than I was before that she might be a bit difficult... Im thinking I might need another employer long term anyway and shes making me more sure of that....

I used a prep machine with my first daughter and it’s honestly a life saver. They are not endorsed for professional use (nursery etc), but at home I found them great. I have a friend who’s baby is on prescription milk and they can’t use the prep machine so use the cooking bottle instead and she said that’s also really good. In the early days I used ready made formula for ease, but it’s expensive.

Congratulations on hearing the heartbeat @Vikki7 and @RG9895! I have my 16 week appointment on Wednesday and really hope they listen for the heartbeat. Still don't feel very pregnant apart from a bit of a bump!

@Matildahoney I think I'm going to try and have a surprise, it's so tempting to find out but almost everyone I've spoken to says they didn't and loved it. I can understand both ways and might struggle to stay strong at the 20 week scan, but will hopefully be team yellow with you!

@RG9895 im definitely getting it. The NHS wouldn’t recommend it if it was dangerous.

I’ll be getting my jabs.

Told my boss, was a bit awkward. He said congratulations with a smile. Relieved it's done now though

@Bims2019 I didn't find out with my 1st. It was lovely! My OH convinced me she was a boy and we bought a few blue clothes.

When she popped out, my first words to her were "Hello..... you are not a boy!"

@Vikki7 that's brilliant! And what a lovely way to find out 😊 we both think it's a girl and have mainly thought of girl names, so will almost certainly be a boy 😂

I'm going into it with an open mind but I'm expecting to formula feed again. My other 3 children wouldn't latch and with me being diabetic I make big, hungry babies that I just couldn't express enough for. I remember being an ignorant ftm and not understanding why my baby was crying so much until an angel of midwife suggested he needed a top up of formula. I already have bottles and a perfect prep bought I'm so convinced it won't work again.

My gender scan is in 5 days. I'm so excited 🎉

I'm very pro vaccines (although blamed covid vaccines for me not ovulating for almost a year). Strongly recommend whooping cough and flu vaccines in pregnancy. Babies dont get their vaccines until 8weeks, thats just the first few and now particularly with more people not getting their kids vaccinated illness like whooping cough will be more common and can be fatal in infants. As for flu, I don't get it outside of pregnancy, but definitely during. A few years ago when flu was really bad I saw a few women get it and needed delivered at 27/28weeks to save their lives, it can be really nasty and dangerous in pregnancy.

Lovely hearing baby's heartbeats ladies. It's so lovely.

Thought the pregnancy mood swings would have settled by now, but no - today's emotions involve bursts of irrational anger at everything. Milk on the turn? ANGER. Someone dares to email me with a question? ANGER. It's sunny but the wind is cold so I can't enjoy sitting outside? ANGER. I have work to do? ANGER.

And I know it's perfectly ridiculous. Think I need a nice long walk after work, but then I'll probably be angry at how noisy birds are or something 😆

On the subject of breastfeeding - my sister had supply issues so did combi feeding to top up and it worked really well for her as that also meant she could be away from my nephew and someone else was able to feed him. So I think even if I have good supply I'd probably express so there is that option when I want my parents to help out or want husband to do a late night feed or something while I rest (he's a night owl, I'm an early-ish bird so I like the idea of tag teaming rather than just me being a perpetually exhausted pigeon)

I think we have decided on a name 😅 I absolutely love naming mine early so I can talk to them and visualise them easier 😊 I think we are going with Ronin!

Can I ask your opinion about baby positioning @Mummyme87 ? I feel like I may be going down a rabbit hole with it. But I'm so aware that this is my 4th baby, 2nd was transverse and 3rd was breech. I really don't want a CSection so working on baby positioning already to get into the habitat, but does it really make a difference, am I going crazy?

@Kalodin at this stage it’s pointless, start thinking about it from 28weeks. Optimal fetal positioning

Ah that's a shame as previous babies were born at 28 weeks, hopefully make it further this time and can ensure they're in better positioning to avoid CS.

I suppose I was just more thinking about habit forming now rather than thinking I was making a difference to positioning too. As I know I'm totally guilty of laying flat across the sofa from 8pm to 10pm every day 😂

Have you reached out to ther perinatal mental health team @karisa282 ?

No the medications may cause side effects -
I was on duloxetine for 2 years in past and after a while it stopped working and I’ve been worse since coming off it it causes permanent brain changes

I have binge eating disorder and can’t eat a lot of sugar despite wanting to as excess sugar is linked to autism so I’m feeling annoyed as the only things I enjoy I can’t do

I'd second reaching out to the perinatal mental health team @karisa282

I'm diagnosed autistic and ADHD and even from just sensory perspective pregnancy and the changes/sensations in your body can be hugely overwhelming. Never mind all of the uncertainty and unpredictability of pregnancy and a huge upcoming life change. If you've not spoken to them already the perinatal mental health team would definitely be worth getting intouch with for some support. Take care x

@Gremlin84 same here. I can actually feel my bp rising today!

@Kalodin gorgeous Name! We’ve got a few for a girl, our DD is Florence and our top so
far for girl is Clementine, Isabelle, Margot or Ivy. We’re very old fashioned 😂 we have literally one option for a boy. Fine if we only have one boy but I’d like another after this one! So hopefully we have 2 girls 1 boy 😂

I'd definitely ask your MW to put you in touch with the MH team, it sounds like you're verging on (if not already) in a crisis @karisa282 . I assume they're aware of your MH already from the booking appointment questions?

Thank you @buckingmad ! We are toying with either Rowie or Ronnie as nicknames. We also like old fashioned names, our 3 boys have very old fashioned names (Vincent, Roy and Edmund). We always liked Clara for a girl. I love Clementine! Would be lush with Florence (another lovely name too!)