Pregnancy #53

[penpitstop]

Yes so I *think* (I could be wrong) that dates are scientifically proven to help soften the cervix. So while it won’t put you into labour it may help to shorten one of the stages of labour and can make labour shorten apparently.

At this point I’m willing to try anything as it’s all natural remedies

There’s the whole evening primrose oil thing for labour as well but that’s one I’ll be skipping on I think

You are right-after a 37 hour labour with my first I was willing to try anything for this baby so I started the dates at 16 weeks (just 3 a day). Labour this time was 2hrs with active labour being 3 minutes so who knows if it worked lol

 

[LavaFlake]

I couldn’t agree more as someone who had a scan in the EPAU at 6 weeks which didn’t pick up a heartbeat. The wait absolutely killed me. If you can wait until 7 weeks I definitely would. I totally understand wanting to get reassurance though.

 

[Jellycat369]

Feeling very emotional today. Found out yesterday we're going to have to pull out of purchasing our dream home and feel really disappointed in myself for not being able to secure a better paid job (was offered one and they retracted it, current job said I'm not worth the same money as others doing the same job) and I feel like it's all my fault for letting down my boys. Had one of the Baby Academy classes this morning and was having a nightmare with toddler potty training so was only half listening but ended up feeling very overwhelmed and having a panic attack. Tried to hide in the loo to calm down and my toddler just followed me. OH has zero patience with him especially with the potty training struggles and then had a go at me because I didn't want to take a free twin pram when we don't need one. On top of that I'm not sleeping because I've had chronic rib pain for months. Don't know what to do

 

[eppingforestbambi]

I bled regularly during my first 12 weeks. I was a ball of nerves. Everytime I went to the loo for the first 3-4 months I braced myself to see blood. It’s very common with frozen cycle IVF pregnancies apparently (although I only found that out later). I had some huge panic attacks and went for several private scans. I had a MC the year before, so I was extra sensitive.

Light bleeds and spotting are very normal and nothing to worry about. I’m now 33 weeks and my hospital bag is packed. Baby is dancing on my bladder as we speak.

Scans helped reassure me a lot when I was going through it!

 

[Lucyxxxx]

Scan booked for Saturday afternoon. Can't take the doubts creeping in no more.

 

[Lucyxxxx]

I hope you’re okay Lucy, it’s so easy to send yourself into a spiral, especially when you’ve been googling. If another scan is what makes you feel better, go for it xxx

Thank you I generally am just any little thing worries me. My first ever pregnancy was a loss/MMC so it's always in the back of my head with every baby til I've had 12 week scan and obviously my recent loss doesn't help. Might even book it for this week as once you hit 8 weeks and see a heartbeat it's very likely the pregnancy will continue to progress. Hope your well too

 

[Lucyxxxx]

Can't get a scan at the 2 places my city has. No spaces available this month apparently?? Oh ffs don't wanna have to mission anywhere. Sent my fella shop for ONE SPECIFIC thing. Wrote it down and specifically said please check before you buy. His got me the wrong thing. Always does shite like this or you'll ask him for something very specific to eat and he'll do something vile instead as a "surprise".

 

[Jellycat369]

I need to have a little moan. I've been having severe rib pain since September and it's been seriously effecting my sleep and ultimately my mental health. My midwife doesn't want to know, says it's normal, the hospital physio is self referral and I've rung a number of times and they've never called me back to discuss or arrange an appointment. The other day the lift wasn't working in my office so I had to take the stairs. I work on the third floor and have been avoiding the stairs due to pelvic girdle pain and severe breathlessness. Any way, did my normal day at work but was in a lot of pain by the time I got home. Literally took all my strength to get upstairs to bed. I was absolutely exhausted but couldn't get comfortable long enough to drift off. Was tossing and turning for hours and my OH gets up and says that I'm keeping him awake so he's going to go sleep on the sofa. No sympathy at all. In the morning he complained about being exhausted because he'd only had three hours sleep. I'd had none and was still in a lot of pain. Fast forward a couple of days and our toddler has the snot virus of doom that he's kindly shared with us. I'm still struggling to sleep and now I'm also struggling to breathe. OH is now snoring up a storm but still complaining he's getting no sleep. I'm so exhausted and fed up. Feeling very sorry for myself, still got another seven weeks to go

 

[opintionatedperson]

The scaniexty is starting, thank god my appointment is early so I don't have long to wait. 37 weeks and at my last scan two weeks ago they were a little concerned about the size of bubs they were only 5 lbs and in 17th percentile... Let's hope it did some growing

 

[wishiniwasskinny]

Enjoy! what are you doing for it? My friends have started pestering me about having one but I don’t have a clue what to do for it

Thank you. It was a lovely afternoon. I didn’t know what we were doing but had said I didn’t want a baby shower “shower” if you know what I mean. just a lunch with close family / friends. They booked a private dining room at a restaurant I like and we all had a meal and played some of the typical games like how well do you know me and advice for the mum etc. It was really nice.
and now today is my first day of not getting up and going to work time to start getting baby organised !!

 

[littlepup]

Re bottles, Mam self sterilising are great for cleaning, albeit fiddly, but can't be stood in water to warm as they suck the water up.

Spoiler: Merail re adjusting expectations

I did everything by the book 1st time, took all the advice on board and was really strict with it. Scoffed at the prep machine, baby nests, blankets, forward facing etc but gradually realised you have to have some flexibility.
Breast fed Baby took both Mam and Tommee Tippee (was never told they were bad) until I stopped offering them for a while then wouldn't take ANY bottle (or cup) at all and I tell you I tried EVERYTHING! I'd have stuck them directly on a cow if I could've, but then they wouldn't drink cow's milk anyway! We also had to forward face earlier than I'd have liked when it came to a head with a 2 hour stand off in a car park which ended in both of us crying. And my child REFUSED to drink plain water when we stared weaning.

The thing with TT bottles is that they are everywhere, if you lose one while out you can always find one and they are comparatively cheap. I'd always start with your ideal but be prepared to make your own decisions because you'll find yourself so strictly adhering to advice only for that advice to be recinded later. If someone can't afford Mam baby isn't going to suffer and I think it's unfair to put that pressure on Mums when there is soooooooo much to take in.
Obviously there are non negotiables like a safe sleep space etc but what I mean is don't feel like you're not doing your best for baby by giving them what's probably one of the best selling bottles, because the pressure can be immense. I know this and I'm still looking at Nanobaby and wondering if I'd be 'doing the right thing'.

 

[littlepup]

At what point did everybody stop testing? I purposely used up my last load of tests this morning (lol) to try stop myself from obsessing over lines and whatnot but now I’m kinda regretting it and worried I’ll be even more anxious not being able to test 🫠 every day is dragging

Spoiler: MC

I suffered a MC in 2022, it was incomplete. They couldn’t tell me for sure it was definitely over for 2 weeks+ between scans so I kept testing, got line progression, the digital went up in “weeks pregnant” but the whole time it was never going to be. I had to have surgery and the line gradually faded in the weeks after. This time I tested with strips, a plastics cheapie, got my digital “pregnant” then called it a day. Unless you had a complete MC which you’d know about, they could still show a positive. You’ve just got to have blind faith and scans to know for sure. Even with scans I panic that I could walk out of there and it all goes wrong and you can’t have one every day. It’s agonising waiting until the movement stage but statistically if you see a heart beat at 8 and 12 weeks your chances of a loss, particularly a missed loss are really, really low

 

[jolly_parsley]

Eurgh just need a vent. I’m 27 weeks today and just in pain. I have pelvic girdle pain which I’m seeing a physio for which helps but then this evening just had horrible pain across my ribs and then my upper back and just couldn’t find a comfortable position.

It’s made me so tired and grumpy all evening, had a bath to try and relax but it just made me feel worse and I couldn’t concentrate on my book so just been doing nothing on social media all evening.

It’s the most down I’ve felt all pregnancy. I was feeling super excited earlier today - finally confirmed my last day at work before going on mat leave and a couple of baby things arrived today - but this pain has just made me feel so blue. I tried browsing Vinted for baby related stuff (or nice clothes for me) to cheer myself up and make myself excited again but that’s not worked and I just want to rot in bed for a week and not come out from under my duvet. Hopefully tomorrow morning I’ll wake up feeling better but just needed to vent and get it out my head!

 

[Lucyxxxx]

Did anyone use ultrasound direct?

Yes that's who I used last week. The scan pics are abit more grainy then other early scan places I've used but non the less can see what's needed. Don't be alarmed if your womb looks empty at first she couldn't see baby for ages looked like there was just an empty sac and at last minute she found baby tucked in the corner. Me and my fella was singing 'that's me in the corner that's me in the spotlight' bet they was thinking ffs hope these riff raffs don't come back.

 

[Lucyxxxx]

I kept testing until I had my scan. Did a digital test on Friday said 2-3 weeks then a week later and it said 3+. Those few minutes were agonising. Also my fella is raging since we found out all he hears from me is 'I'm in a delicate condition' he's like ffs your 2 minutes pregnant chill out . He's more excited then me keeps eyeballing stuff in the shops for newborns and I'm like now Sir not til we are 12 weeks. We did buy a pack of newborn nappied as couldnt help ourselves though.

 

[Brewtime87]

Please help I've had a sudden bleed and I'm home alone. I've had no spotting or bleeding of any sort and suddenly now I just felt something and my underwear is soaked in blood. Not absolutely loads but it's only just happened. I'm terrified

 

[Keelind]

Nearly 6 months and i have nothing bought....its all kicking in now

This is my first, could you please let me know what i need for a new born?

As in pram, moses basket etc, i ask my friends but i just get a million messages back of things they have and they can give me which of course is so helpful but what i really just need is a bullet point list so i myself can start checking things off! could you girls let me know what things are on your lists?

Thank you!!

 

[aggytha]

I don’t know if anyone’s got any words of advice for me. I found out I was pregnant Oct/Nov (ended up miscarrying end of Nov). The second I found out I was the picture of health, gave up all fizzy drinks - I drink a lot normally. Didn’t even have to - I just wanted to. Basically ate spinach and eggs daily, only healthy meals. Wouldn’t even touch a Mcdonald’s chip. And I miscarried.

Now I’m 6 weeks pregnant again (Yes, I’m just as shocked as you that I’m pregnant lol) but I have no motivation to do what I did last time. Maybe in my sub conscious I’m sadly thinking “Well I did all that last time and it still happened” - even though I know that bares absolutely no reason on why I did miscarry. But all I want this time is bad food. Chips, burgers, sweets, choc. A lot of stuff makes me feel nauseous this time which didn’t happen last time. I’m still making sure I’m drinking juices and eating fruit, but I definitely don’t have the same passion as the first time for it. Hoping I’m just gonna get over it as I hit the 12 week point etc?

Congratulations and wishing you a healthy and happy pregnancy. So sorry to hear of your previous loss, I know it’s hard but please try to remind yourself that you didn’t do anything to cause this.

I honestly think that as long as you are making the effort to try and take your vitamins daily (folic acid and vitamin d) and avoid foods considered dangerous, then there really is nothing else you can do. I would listen to your body and eat whatever your body is craving.

I have had severe morning sickness since 5 weeks (potentially due to the fact I’m carrying twins, but didn’t realise back then!) and was barely unable to keep water down, let alone eat meals. I basically lived off biscuits and crap for months. I am now 17 weeks and have only just started eating “better” and my body has started craving fruit and salads!

At one point I really was so terrified as I could barely eat anything, let alone nutritional food. Only you can make a decision, but ultimately I think it’s normal to feel this way and it’s okay to listen to what your body is telling you to do x

 

[Seeemm]

I can’t believe I’m posting this. I tested positive for Covid last Saturday. I felt a bit weird today and did a test and a big fat double line showed up straight away. 3 positive tests. I think I’m about 5 weeks, but I’m not sure as my cycle before my last period was 79 days

 

[LavaFlake]

I am so glad I’m not pregnant with a summer baby because I’d clearly be boiling in a heatwave as I’m perfectly toasty at the moment