March 2024 second trimester onwards

[Busylizzie85]

New thread 😊

How is everyone doing? 😊

@Allaboard209 Good idea to wait! I exclusively pumped from two weeks to 14 months. The Medela Swing Maxi Flex was my favourite, I didn't get enough milk from the Momcozy or Fraupow but I do have smaller breasts. I actually hand pumped for 7 months (no idea what I was thinking) with a Philips Avent Manual Comfort Breast Pump which was wonderful. Just time consuming for an exclusively pumping mum 😅

Mainly okay over here @LeopardLover how are you?

I’m feeling really uncomfortable at the moment. I’m 22 weeks and don’t remember feeling this so early on with my dd. I’m aching all over and feel like i’m bursting out of my maternity clothes already. Even painful sleeping. Baby boy feels very low too.

@Hiddenvoice Awww, sorry to hear you're in pain! 😔 I'm also busting out of everything, I've had to buy new maternity clothes 🙈 think I'll be sizing up again soon!

Do you have a good pregnancy pillow? Last time we bought a thick mattress topper too... I might need to get one because I'm getting sore hips in the night! I feel like it kicked in at 26 weeks last time (I'm 24)BUT I'm not getting the awful rib pain I had with #1. Probably because my placenta is really low!

I think I felt worse two weeks ago so hopefully things will improve! X

@LeopardLover from my last pregnancy and this pregnancy, I’ve still not found one good pregnancy pillow. I’m more looking for support under my bump but I’m quite small, well under 5 foot so I always find sleeping with pregnancy pillows quite uncomfortable.

Ive got my second 20 week scan this week so hoping to find out where the placenta is.

Will definitely need to size up on clothing!!

@Hiddenvoice
Sorry to see you're in pain ☹️ If it helps at all, I've struggled with maternity pillows too, as I found them too high. I'm now using an imitation 'down' pillow, which is really easy to squish under and around my bump. Much more comfortable!
I'm also sleeping on a doubled up spare duvet, which is stopping the hip pain.
I'm starting to feel like the girl in the book, the princess and the pea 🤣

I hope you manage to sort something to ease the pain soon 🤞🏼 x

@Hiddenvoice sorry you’re struggling with pain, that’s rubbish 😔 have you looked into any of those support bands you can get for your bump during the day? I’ve not used one but had a quick look online the other day as I’m on my feet a lot at work so thought I might need one eventually. My sickness has come back in the last week which has been hard work, hoping it disappears again soon!

@LeopardLover loving your tips on breast pumps, hoping to pump from pretty early as hubby is really keen to help with feeds as much as he can, but I don’t know where to start with the shopping. I have smaller breasts too so good to hear which worked for you

Is anyone else really hormonal atm? Things that I would normally find mildly frustrating or slightly upsetting for a few moments, have me in floods of tears and feeling emotionally overwhelmed or drained for ages. I’m not normally a cryer, and most of the time I’m happy and in a good mood, but Jesus when Im upset atm I just cant stop crying.

@Caroline88Cici I'm an emotional wreak all the time!

@Caroline88Cici i have been completely wrecked, particularly the last week. My poor husband is being so amazing because I’m just getting so overwhelmed and keep crying and I’m not a cryer.

@Caroline88Cici I haven’t been crying but I’ve been ridiculously short tempered - I can’t deal with the smallest inconvenience 😂

@Caroline88Cici OMG, I'm so glad you asked this today! I feel like I'm losing my mind, I'm an emotional wreck over everything this last week. I can't seem to snap out of it. I'm like you, normally pretty happy and positive... I feel like the world is ending this week 🙈🤣

Thank you @Busylizzie85 @Ellora610 @Aquarius93 and @Puddle13! It’s helpful to know I’m not alone.
I thought I was going mad. I’ve been teaching myself crochet, binge watching old tv shows and window shopping for baby bits to distract myself in the evenings but it’s getting to the point I think I need to start meditation again. Time to sort out my Headspace subscription again I think.
I hope you ladies have a good support network and things that help you feel more grounded and centred. @Puddle13 it sounds like your hubby is an absolute angel.

@Caroline88Cici i taught myself crochet in lockdown and have been making things for the baby. I even made a Moses basket and honestly it really helps when I feel overwhelmed and stressed.

Today was terrible and I couldn’t stop crying, I had to meet in a meeting at my boss’s house until 7pm and my husband drove across London to pick me up and then had made me dinner when I got home. I cried because it was so nice. Honestly pathetic hahaha.

I hope that you have support too. Also I’ve been trying to meditate to help as well. It doesn’t help that I have constant rib discomfort so I’m finding it hard to be zen! Hahaha.

Aww @Puddle13 I’d love to see some of the bits you’ve crocheted for baby. I hope today’s been a better day for you than yesterday. It’s not pathetic at all. 🫂
Yeah I have a really supportive team and boss as work which is helpful as I work in a high risk environment. My family aren’t emotionally very supportive and my mother in law brings a LOT of stress when she’s in the country. But my partner is good to me. He does all the laundry, carries everything for me, is really attentive and affectionate and has been an absolute rock so far.

Has anyone gone in with reduced movements? I'm 24 weeks and a couple of days ago hadn't felt baby moving at all for several hours which is unusual so looked up what to do and Tommy's advise calling triage and my own maternity notes said to call if after 24 weeks, so I did and they a bit reluctantly saw me and just made me feel really silly and like I was overly anxious.

Also the triage room was several beds crammed tightly together, curtains not drawn, everyone listening to me talking to the midwife. Just felt so awkward! I'm at a different hospital than with my first and it just seems so different!

Not with this pregnancy but I did with my last and I was never made to feel silly. Everyone was so lovely, they gave me some steps to follow at home and then when I went in they reassured me straight away. Seems strange your notes said after 24 weeks.
I’m 23 weeks and been told that whenever I feel refused movements I can phone whenever!

@Hiddenvoice that's good they were so lovely. I think I expected that too. The midwife wasn't horrible or anything but she was quite dismissive and I did feel a bit like I was wasting their time. I think their attitude could easily make someone feel like next time they would be less likely to call. Seems like it varies across different trusts.

@gentlemum I agree you should never be made to feel silly or that your over reacting! Anything that is out of norm for baby it's the right thing to get checked xx

I went in a couple of times for reduced movements with my daughter - luckily everything was okay each time but it was always important for me to get the reassurance. The midwives were supportive in my experience but I know people who have had different experiences. Can’t comment on the bed set up as I was in when they still had Covid measures in place.

Please don’t let anyone make you feel silly for just trying to make sure your baby is safe and well!

@gentlemum I’m pregnant with my first baby and started feeling the baby move from 17 weeks and then have regularly felt them move since then. At our 20 week scan they discovered an issue with my baby’s left kidney. A few days later I saw the consultant who confirmed the issue, this obviously caused me some anxiety. Then the 2 days after that I hardly felt the baby move much. I called the midwives and they told me that the baby was still small and had probably just moved in to a position that I couldn’t feel them as easily but to come in a check.

honestly they were so nice and understanding and it helped calm my anxiety. I also had my own room where I spoke to the midwife and she checked the baby.

I’m so sorry to hear you didn’t have a great experience with that.

@gentlemum I'm sorry you were made to feel like that. 😔 I wonder if it was just bad luck with the Midwife you saw?

I had reduced movements a few times in my last pregnancy and they were sooo lovely and told me to come back any time. Also during COVID so curtains were drawn. Seems pretty unprofessional if they weren't 🤔 I wonder if there's a way to give feedback? You did the right thing! X

@gentlemum sorry they treated you like that, if their guidance is 24 weeks they should take everyone seriously. I read that babies don't establish movement patterns until 28 weeks, so it may be the reason they were a bit dismissive, but they should still treat you properly!

What checks did they do to reassure you?

I’d be reporting them!! They should have been supportive and not dismissive.

im also in the hormonal camp. Last week I was irrationally angry at my dad, unbelievably angry because he didn’t like a birthday present he’d been given. My mum had to remind me that he hadn’t killed anyone, he just didn’t like something she’d given him - I couldn’t be in the house with him! The next day I cried because I cut my sandwich in half when I wanted it as a toastie before I cut it.

Weve since had a pretty awful weekend with something life changing affecting us (not in a good way), and in less angry about that than I was at my dad 😂. Definitely the wrong way around!

Thanks everyone for the reassurance, I've got a midwife appointment tomorrow so I'm going to mention it to her. Sounds like most trusts have really lovely and reassuring midwives.

@Allaboard209 she did my obs which were all fine and then listened to baby's heartbeat on the Doppler for about one minute then sent me on my way. Not sure if that was sufficient checks, but he started kicking whilst she was listening and she was a bit patronising in saying 'can you feel that..' movements are all fine and back to normal now though I should add!

@gentlemum glad all turned out fine and movements normal :)