Halfway there chat thread🤰🏽

[Ladyinpink1]

Hello! I'm halfway through pregnancy now, and hoped to make a thread for anyone at a similar stage who wants to chat through these next months 🙂

@Ladyinpink1we had a brief 4d at the gender and it looked really creepy haha! But yeah at that gestation it should be good!
Rescan isn’t until the 13th unfortunately but I’m sure when I’m back at work tomorrow that will make it all go a bit quicker.

I don’t think I’ve got any big bits of leave left before maternity now, although I guess that might change. Feels quite exciting, but also ages away still!!

Hi, I’m going to be 20 weeks on Wednesday, and have my scan that same day. Crossing fingers all is well as I have a private one booked for next Sunday for my children to come to. They’re 11 and 16.

Is anyone else miserable? For the last two weeks I’ve had near constant headaches (BP is normal and a bit low), and this last week it’s been constant bowel movements and so much nausea. I must be getting up to go to the bathroom almost 20 times a day and night. Only sleeping in 4-5 hour bursts cos of how I feel.

First trimester wasn’t too bad. Nausea now and then but fixed by eating something. I definitely feel much worse now. Can’t wait for it to be over 😞

@EmilyMay89 Anoying that you have to wait until next week, but as you said hopefully time will fly in being back at work.
Yes it is kind of freaky seeing an actual baby in there in 4d lol.
My leave renews on 1st April, so I have no leave between now and the end of March either so thinking about the next 3 months it feels a bit meh 😩.
I have booked most of April off though, so that I still have the 4 weeks before birth to get things organised and rest a bit then starting my mat leave at due date.
When do your holidays renew? x

Hi @EmPeEf congratulations! Sorry you have been feeling rough lately, waking up is the worst. I have found this pregnancy seems to come in stages of being ok and feeling normal then a stage of some unpleasant symptoms ... hoping you are just in a stage and things improve and change again soon.
That's so nice they can be a part of things, will you find out the gender at your scan? x

@Ladyinpink1 no, even after two boys my partner has managed to convince me to stay team yellow 😄 I didn’t find out with the other two either, and thought I’d need to know if it was a final boy or a girl this time. But I’m going to go with the flow. There’s nothing like the surprise of only meeting them right at the birth. Need to try and avoid seeing at the scan on Wednesday!

Oh, and apparently I have this crazy version of flu going around, but the fact I had a flu vaccine has actually kept the worst of it away. So I highly recommend to anyone that hasn’t had it yet. I couldn’t imagine a full blown version of this.

Aw that's lovely to wait, I have always found out, but for my first I really wanted to keep it a surprise, but my dh said he would be finding out so I ended up finding out too. Lol.

How did your scan go today? x

Everything looks perfect! I can’t believe it. All measurements bang on average and saw some amazing pictures and movements; way more than with my last two. I don’t remember them spending so much time looking at the face before.

It has the cutest looking face and I’m so in love 🥹 and managed to stay team yellow! 💛 it’s funny to think the sonographer might have seen the sex today but kept it secret for us lol. We looked away when it was time to look at the bladder.

@EmPeEf aww congratulations, lovely news, and a lovely side profile.
Well done having such good will power. I also have 2 boys at home, keeps you on your toes, doesn't it 😆 x

anyone else driving themselves mad over movements? I’m 24w with an anterior placenta and this is my first pregnancy so I don’t really know what’s going on 😅 I used to feel what I thought was movement in the evenings and when I went to bed but now I’m feeling it in the morning. It feels like weird twinges and pulses - today’s pulses were so strong I could feel them externally. Is this baby or something else? I’ve already been to triage loads of times about movement so would like to avoid going again if i can. Wish I could just relax and enjoy the pregnancy!

anyone else driving themselves mad over movements? I’m 24w with an anterior placenta and this is my first pregnancy so I don’t really know what’s going on 😅 I used to feel what I thought was movement in the evenings and when I went to bed but now I’m feeling it in the morning. It feels like weird twinges and pulses - today’s pulses were so strong I could feel them externally. Is this baby or something else? I’ve already been to triage loads of times about movement so would like to avoid going again if i can. Wish I could just relax and enjoy the pregnancy!

Mine are 11 and 16, so on my toes in a slightly different way these days 😄

@firsttimepregnanthelpsounds like it is baby, not sure what else it would be if you’ve not felt them before?! It is hard to relax into pregnancy, and you always think that the next bit will feel easier, then something else happens! Triage is there when we have worries. Our trust don’t expect regular movements until 28 weeks if that helps? I have some days where she is really active and others where I don’t feel her much at 22 weeks with anterior. I had anterior last time too and I’ve felt so many more this time, I think it’s easier when you know what it is you’re feeling. Did you end up going to triage?

@firsttimepregnanthelp Having an anterior placenta is rubbish isn't it... It definitely sounds like baby... with me some days I feel movement very lightly and even come yo the end of the day and try to remembrr have I noticed movement, and other times, my dc and dh can feel baby from the outside because the movements are so strong... sometimes I wonder does it depend on what we eat or the baby's position, maybe when it's feet kicking it's stronger x

@EmilyMay89@Ladyinpink1thanks both, I didn’t go to triage because I’ve been there so much and I am feeling things, im just unclear whether they are baby movements but as you say if I haven’t felt them before they must be! I have a very busy job and I’m often running around during the day and sometimes the evenings which means I don’t get time to sit and concentrate on whether or not I am feeling movement. There’s always something to worry about! My trust makes a big deal about changes in movement, even from when I was 18w and with an anterior placenta, which doesn’t help my anxiety! am looking forward to baby being bigger and movements being more obvious

@firsttimepregnanthelpits so hard to know when to go. I think at this point when it’s the odd flutter and pop you don’t necessarily notice it especially when you’re busy. I’ve noticed my movements starting to go into the sensation of her moving around which is far more noticeable or a hard jab. I was doing some training the other day and it actually made me stop. that stage is always more reassuring!

@EmilyMay89cant wait for this! I’m going to try to trust that what I’m feeling is movement and not overthink it otherwise I’ll drive myself mad

Had an amazing private scan today with Ultrasound Direct. I was expecting to be able to buy a couple of pictures, but I got sent a link with a bunch of photos and videos!

We said we’re not finding out the sex but she went over the saddle area a few times and I couldn’t help but wonder. This is too big to be a penis, right?? I’m 20 weeks.

@EmPeEfim no expert but it looks like it to me - congratulations!

You think? Oh that’s such a shame. I’m so cross and disappointed they’ve ruined that for me 😞

It was supposed to be such an amazing experience with my children, and now I regret going at all.
Because after lots of soul searching I agreed to stay team yellow for my partner even though I was worried if it was a third boy, I’d struggle with gender disappointment at the birth and I wanted to be more prepared. But somehow deciding to keep it a surprise had helped me come to terms with that. And now it’s ruined.

@EmPeEf I'm sorry Ultrasound Direct have spoiled it....It's completely crazy that they did a "potty shot" and sent it to you it when you told them clearly you didn't want to know, and when you looked away at the scan etc, that's so unprofessional. I would be complaining and writing reviews on their site!

I cant say 100% about the potty shot because as you said, it looks really big for being that, also I am not good at telling, but I still have the potty shot from my ds I can send you to compare if that helps.
Or, if you want to try to ignore the picture they took, and decide you really can't be sure either way and stay team 💛 then I completely understand that. x

@EmPeEfI’m so sorry they’ve ruined it for you, I don’t know why if you had told them you were yellow they would send you a video with a potty shot. I know it won’t change anything but I would definitely complain. I never know what I’m looking at on scans, but it does look quite big, could it be cord?

Yes, I was going to post on that thread yesterday but changed my mind. Don't know why its so quiet. Last time I was pregnant in 2022/2023, the.thread i was on then was superb, everyone talking about rhe different stages they were in, their everyday life and so on. It was nice. Sadly, that thread is very slow.

Very excited as im 23 weeks plus 2. With 4th little girl woohoo. We still cant decide on a name but theres still time.
Due 9th may but baby will probably come earlier as its baby number 5 out of 7 have all been early.
Cant wait to meet her. Think this is going to be the last and final baby.

@Judgejudysno1fan I agree 100%, I was on an excellent thread with my last dc where we all chatted all the time, it was nice to see others going through the same things, and get reasurrance and get tips/ideas on things. I don't know anyone who is pregnant in my real life this time.
You will be a real expert by this stage i'm sure. Have you found it hard being pregnant with still having to look after 6 other children? x

I am 24 weeks today, i'm happy to reach this "milestone" as I know there is a better chance if something were to happen. I feel good just now, some acid at times and have a bigger bump again this week. Speaking of which, I cannot get over how expensive gaviscone is! Does anyone have any recommendations of a cheaper one that doesnt taste too horrible?

How is everyone else doing? How many weeks are you now? x

@Ladyinpink1 @EmilyMay89 my partner is going to complain because he’s really crossbow much it’s upset me, and he’s also disappointed himself.

And I was thinking of getting scan to confirm so I wasn’t in this weird 80% sure it’s a boy. But actually I think now maybe just leaving it is the best option. Expecting a boy, but if somehow it was wrong and it’s a girl, we still get the surprise at birth which is what my partner really wanted. And I feel saddest for him now as this will be his only baby.

Thank you for the support. I wasn’t sure what people would say because gender disappointment is so difficult. I know all the positive thinking and gratefulness stuff, but you definitely some time to grieve to get some natural closure on it. I’d rather face all the hard parts and be sad so I can move on properly and get to the point where I’m just thankful for everything.

@EmPeEfgender disappointment is really hard. I struggled with my first, I had always thought I would be a girl mum, found out it was a boy and I was so sad. Then weirdly with this one we found out it was a girl and then I felt really thrown off. There is 100% a nature closure and it’s something you need to process, doesn’t mean you aren’t grateful etc. you just need to feel your feelings if that makes sense.

in the complaint I would be tempted to caveat again that you still don’t want to know, just in case they come back and say “oh that’s cord”