Due January 2024, Part 7!

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Thought better make a new one!

@HopeAndStrength that sounds good thanks! I'm hoping my M&S has a bit for maternity bras cos there's literally no place to try on any maternity clothes anywhere in town and it's so annoying! I will look out for them! I've just sized up in my usual crop tops right now but I'm huge 😂

@FirstT1meMum and @Mushroo are you local to cheshire oaks or special trip? 10mins from us!

@Luhou I’m south Manchester so it’s about 45 mins.
I tend to go a couple of times a year to treat myself! Jealous you live so close.

@suz2285 I've gone from a 38d to a 36ff. I've just ordered some nursing bras from Ann Summers of all places, they look nice, are supportive & have magnetic clasps, plus they're only £18!
I also bought some wireless Primark bras for day (not nursing) £16 for 3 & they're lovely & comfy & supportive, thought I had nothing to lose buying them, I was expecting to have to take them back so I was very surprised!

Thanks @Matildahoney you're right everything I've ever bought bra wise from primark has been awful 😂 but I shall have a look!

@Luhou Stoke so it's about 50 minutes to an hour so not too bad! Not a lot round us so we have to travel for most things

I forget it's such an attraction being so close to us!

Agree with the chat that maternity leave can be a lovely place, so just wanted to also mention the NCT course for first time mums.

I know it’s not for everyone and majority of the NCT groups I have heard about haven’t been successful long term but it’s honestly been the most amazing thing for us, our group is wonderful. Three years later we still have playdates multiple times a week, mums (and dads) nights out etc.

DH and I both have agreed that we’d pick our NCT group over winning a lottery. It saved me from PND and has given our DD a family to grow up with as they’re like cousins now (otherwise our nearest relative is 2hrs away). Anyway, sales pitch over 😂

As for classes, I did Sing and Sign and loved it, DD was able to use sign language to tell us what she wanted from around 8-9 months, like milk, more, etc. Also met some lovely mums there!

@suz2285 Ann summers nursing bra has arrived, I can confirm it's comfy, supportive, looks nice & a bargain at £18! And the magnetic clasp seems so much easier than the ones I've tried with a hook
My question is how many nursing bras do I need?! DP says one, I'm guessing definitely more if they get milky or sicked on!

@RootsHere so glad your NCT was a positive experience! We are signed up to start classes with them next month and the main deciding factor was the social side - we have very few friends outside of work and it was beginning to worry me how isolated I'd feel! So nice to hear you made some really positive connections!

@Matildahoney however many bras you normally get through before doing a wash. You’ll be wearing them instead of normal bras until at least you start weaning at 6 months.

Wedding was ok, I just really started to feel uncomfortable, sore and tired about 8pm and spent 3 hours feeling sorry for myself watching people drink and dance. DH did offer to leave but he has t seen these friends in ages so I felt guilty. Can’t wait to get back and see our little girl (and animals!)

@Matildahoney I was thinking more like 3-4 for the day and like 3-4 for sleeping! But then I've no idea, never done this before 😂😂 but yes I imagine they'll need washed more than my regular bras get washed 😂

@RootsHere yeah the nct sounds good there is one near us but it's really quite expensive and an intense 2 days at the weekend! My partner prob won't be able to go to both days cos of work either and think he's a bit overwhelmed with baby info already 😂 I'd literally just be paying £300 for new friends which feels like a bit of a waste of money! We have our nhs classes but they're still all online 😩

@suz2285 to be fair I thought the actual content they taught us on the NCT course was 90% useless 😂 It was almost all about the birth and very little on how to actually look after a human when they’re here. We definitely paid for the social aspect, but we had no friends with kids of similar age and we have quickly fallen out of touch with those friends because we just ended up with different interests. So it paid off for us, but if you have friends or will have other ways to make connections like classes or local groups, then agree that £300 is a lot to pay. But I don’t think you’re missing out much on the content, especially if you have NHS online classes available 👌

Ah that's so interesting, NCT course was completely other way around for us. Main focus was on after baby was here and how to communicate as a couple even when sleep deprived.

As for the birth stuff at NCT, barely covered anything. We spent a lesson making a birth plan but not really taught about various scenarios or how to cope with change etc.

@RootsHere @Kalodin thanks both that's really helpful, I've been doing free online classes too, so I've just done baby care this weekend which was 2 hours of baths, cord care, nails, skin, sleep...

Then I've signed up to a breastfeeding course, hypnobirth as well, so im thinking nct prob a waste of money then 😂 I'll just go to the baby groups to make pals!

I made friends from baby groups with my ds, it was in lockdown too so we had to socially distance too. I also met another mum on the peanut app! We are still friends now and she was vital in that first year. I’m now 250 miles from them friends and don’t have many who are on the same path as me now so I’ll be going to as many baby groups as possible again. I found going to baby sensory/hartbeeps etc you find more people as some baby groups are a bit clicky.

Looked on Ann Summers and no bras in my size. I haven’t got massive boobs so they don’t cater for the small boob woman 🤣🤣. I’m still wearing the primark maternity bras off my ds who’s 3 in a week 😳🤣. Definitely need some new ones but I like slightly padded as it’s winter and my nipples are like antennae’s when they cold 🤣🤣🤦‍♀️

On the bra front, I've just bought some wire free from Matalan and they seem so comfy so far!

My boobs are out of control 😂 gone from a 30ff to a 34gg. They’re like their own entity now.

I think for nursing bras I’m going to get a couple of ‘nice’ ones for out and about, and stock up on cheaper, wire free comfy ones for just lazing around the house. The Ann summers ones looks good!

I keep seeing the ‘hot milk’ ones but they’re like £40 a pop!

Yes I am anxious about not having any current mum friends. I do have my BF who has a newborn baby but she’s 1hr40 from me so not easy to meet with. Hoping lots of baby groups I’ll meet people

@Mushroo right? Mine are basically under my armpits and into my back now 😂 and £40 per bra is ridiculous as well!

@Mummyme87 shame we're all not nearby! My family are all 3 hours drive away which makes it hard! My best friend has 2 boys but they're older and I only see her a few times a year due to scheduling between her work her husbands work and the boys hobbies 😂 she's about an hour away as well!

I found it the most lonely after having ds.
I was the last of my friendship group to have children and for some reason it isolated me as we were all at different stages, I was in the thick of newborn and they were all in the primary stage. I still talk to them but we're nowhere near as close as we were 10/15 years ago, they meet up and do stuff with the children but I don't get invited and when I try to plan stuff they're busy.

My cousins and a couple of colleagues I've got a good friendship with have started having children over the past couple of years so hopefully it won't be so lonely this time round...

I found baby groups quite cliquey and uninviting when I went to them.

I’m in the same position that my friends with babies live far from me. One is in north London whereas I’m in south so I will try to see her but it’ll always be tricky. I’ve met 2 nice girls on Peanut and am meeting up with them for the first time today, so hopefully that goes well! As wasn’t planning to do NCT or anything particularly social like that. Love the idea of the music classes etc down the line though.

I must be the only pregnant woman whos boobs haven’t grown much 😫 I’m still in a couple of my old wired bras whereas others feel too tight under the boobs. Have started wearing maternity bras now (cheapies from Shein) but have only really gone from a D to DD! I wanted those massive pregnancy knockers hahah

@suz2285 I'm so jealous of your boob growth! I've gone from a C to a bigger C...very disappointed in my boob growth!

@sashastuck @FirstT1meMum oh do not be jealous, they are ridiculous and really not that comfortable having them so big! I've heard they grow a fair bit when the milk comes in so maybe you've got the big boobs still to come 😂 I've managed with my current bras plus extenders until now but they're starting to spill out the top and sides... 🙈😂

I've got my 28 week midwife appointment on Wednesday and then we booked our 4d scan for next Saturday, is anyone else having one?