Due March 2025 thread 2

[Zuzu2020]

Hi guys just making a new thread as the old one is nearly full :)

This is my first baby so I'm 90% sure I'll look back at pictures from this time and laugh at what I was calling a "bump", but I was really expecting to not have anything until like 16-20 weeks, but my stomach has definitely started rounding out, top of my tummy evening out with my little pouch at the bottom. I haven't been able to do up a pair of trousers for weeks! It's really thrown me off having to figure out how to start dressing a body I wasn't expecting to have just yet!

My managers know … had a couple colleagues be pregnant lately and they haven’t been the most sensitive to the fact other people might have fertility issues so partly I want to get the all clear on my scan but also need to figure out how to tell people sensitively…

I’ve tried the leggings and baggy jumper combo … I need some longer jumpers
I look like tweedle Dee 😂

Got my screening results back and all low risk thankfully. Just a bit cross because the midwife who had to go into the screening department for me today (she was a lifesaver) said they’ve been sitting there since 17th September and they should have been uploaded to the app! She wasn’t impressed either.

Anyway, that’s by the by. The results are low risk and I’m so grateful after such a long TTC journey with many miscarriages along the way.

I thought at 16 weeks I'd start to feel a bit more human, I was wrong 😂 when I was pregnant with my first it was a breeze now I feel like a bloated, tired mess x

Has anyone decided what they’re doing with their working hours when they go back to work? I’m really not sure between 3/4 days at the moment.

I'm hoping to go back 3 days, if they'll agree it. I think for my own workload it'd be fine, but we're only a team of 3 and annoyingly one of my colleagues is considering going PT also, so depending what days we both wanted it might not work out to then leave the other on their own on certain days. So I think it'll depend what's all panned out by the time I come to discuss it a year or so's time, which I don't love - I'd really rather know before I go off but I don't think it'll be possible to agree that far in advance

I'd ideally like to go part time, but it'll be what we can afford, I'd really rather not come back full time but will need to properly review costs. I'm very faintly mulling over taking the full year, as this will be my first and probably only, however I'm not sure we will be able to afford it

Is anyone else suffering horrendous bloat and indigestion? The anti sickness tablets (or gaviscon) helped this morning but I've just eaten lunch and now sat with stabbing pain from a fresh round, I'm in the office, so limited what I can do, I'm on my own so have tried the hands and knees rocking back but it's so uncomfortable. Have to go to an external meeting tomorrow so can hardly start rolling around on the floor!

I went back 4 days after my little girl. But 3 days in the office and 4th "day" is flexible hours I can do wherever and whenever.
I took a year with her and expect I'll do the same again.
I'm toying with just reducing to 3 when I go back a second time as think it'll be trickier squeezing the extra hours in between 2 of them. Xx

I really want to go back four days a week not five, I am in quite a senior role so it might have to be compressed hours rather than part time, as work will unlikely accept a drop in my hours. I am hoping the Labour government strengthen the flexible working laws soon as my manager is based in the US where there's no flexibility at all so I want to have as much chance as I can for four days!

I went back two days- solo parent and the cost of child care basically wiped out my wages if I went back anymore so it just wasn’t worth it. Got a tenant in the separate annex to my house so that made up a lot of the short fall. Very grateful I did but would have been a different decision if childcare hadn’t been so hideous

Is anyone else taking progesterone pessaries still or has done with this pregnancy? If so has it been affecting your skin? My skin has gone awful, really bad especially on my face, sore like blisters but probably just little spots. It hurts and is making me so self conscious plus it's really itchy in the evening. I'm wondering if it's the pessaries or maybe the old wives tale about baby being a girl 😂

When I went back after my 1st I was hoping for 4 days but ideally wanted 3 - but wasn't sure they'd go for it.

Anyway, I went back 3 days and I'm so glad I did - it's been perfect. I did extend my hours a little so the 3 days are long, but it's worth it for my 2 days off!

I went back on full time hours last time (4 longer days and 3 hours on a Friday). DH works shorter Fridays too so we only needed 4 days childcare. I'm the only person who does my job and it's a 'real time' role so it would be tricky to ask for 3 days but I would prefer to do 3 this time around

Me and babys dad both are self employed. I'm running my business from home and plan to have 1 month off with baby then do 6 hours of work a week in the evening and dad will have baby boy. I can't afford to risk losing my clients by taking a whole year! But usually work 50 hours weeks so it's still going to be a dramatic fall for me. I'm saving for mat pay but dad typically earns more than me and we are mortgage free so I'm not really worried too much. He's agreed to sort bills while I'm off with baby. I'm not sure if I'm entitled to any help being self employed? It's something I'll look into I guess!

@Ellsx6 you will qualify for maternity allowance.

I was planning to go 3 days however we’re now looking at me and my husband both reducing to 4 days instead. He earns significantly more but due to tax brackets it wouldn’t make as big a difference as we expected. It would be nice for him to get a day a week with baby if it works!

@hopefullyTTC2x I took my last progesterone pessary on Monday... My skin has been awful, particularly along my jawline which was always where my pre-period spots popped up too. I'm hoping now that I've finished then and edged into the second trimester my skin will start to improve 🤞🤞

I'm not sure what we'll do about going back to work. I work fully remote, but I am Head of Legal at a small law firm, so dropping days will probably only be suitable if we can recruit someone to job share with me. We've considered condensing my week into 4 long days, and OH dropping down to 4 standard days to minimise childcare to 3 days but we'll see! First challenge will actually be getting off on maternity leave I think, as at the moment, I'm working right up to 39 weeks 😬 (Only 105.5 working days to go though 😂😂)

Has anyone come back with increased risk on the combined screening? :( my results came back with 1 in 73 chance of down syndrome and I had the NIPT test yesterday. I'm so worried and stressed about it. NT was 3.2mm, papp-a 2 MoM, hcg was 3 MoM. I'm 38 but was 34 when the embryo was created and it's an IVF pregnancy

I'm stuck in a rabbit hole of doom on Google and hoping to hear anyone's experience

@wildhay I haven't but my cousin is in her early 20s and has 2 children. Both of hers came back high risk of downs but she decided to keep both and both were born with no Down syndrome. She opted out of closer testing and lucky all was good!

Anyone else suffer with random really bad boob pain? I’m starting to think it’s triggered by the cold but the pain can be awful! Only thing that works is a warm bath or waiting for it to pass ☹️

Yes!! Same 😭 I’d put it down to them expanding, quite rapidly 🤦🏼‍♀️, but it’s so bloody painful!!

Yes! It feels like burning! Right into the nipple!! And the go so hot!

I’m feeling so much more anxious about birth this time round and can’t decide what route I want to take! Last time I was induced but ended up in hospital for 4 days being induced/waiting because they were too busy but I can’t be doing that this time when I have a toddler at home!
I also have been considering asking for a c section this time around but I’m not sure if I’ll get lots of push back. Has anyone else opted or planning to opt for a c section who hasn’t had one before?

@MOLWI I'll be having a planned section- on the advice of my previous consultant though so no push back at all. I've already seen this consultant once and back at 32 weeks to fix a date.
You're absolutely allowed to choose one for any reason though so don't let them push you away from it if that's your decision.

My natural birth had awful complications so there's really no guarantee of a straight forward option. Obviously listen to any medical advice but then just go with your own instinct. Xx

I’ve not done too good with pain this week. I’ve been having hip pain and today a sharp pain which starts back of hip/ very low back and shoots into my upper leg sometimes. Does anyone know if this is pelvic girdle pain? Making bending quite sore!