12-24 weeks pregnant (part 3)

Lemon_Tree

I've got more spots now than I've had my entire life, probably due to having 'proper' hormone levels, having been told since my 20's that my hormone levels weren't right therefore it was highly unlikely I would ever have a baby without assistance the only up side was the lack of spots.


we know this is likely to be our only baby, to get another one in before I am really too old would mean getting preggers again within a year of this one arriving which I have no intention of doing. we're more than happy with one. It's one more than I ever expected/planned for and it's the one that hubby has always wanted.

Peonie

Well I'm 35 and feel old to be a first time mum. (Tea, M. called me ageist - ha ha). Not that this age was through choice. It's strange buying baby items from younger women who have their families. I do wonder if they think: she's old to be having her first.

I work in Lpool and I'm happy to see the slug eye brow look seems to have passed. Tanning is too much hassle, I embrace my white skin, and if I look younger than my years when I'm an OAP because of it I'll be very happy. If I wear mascara and blusher I've made an effort for work. I've always had oily skin so this is a nice break from having to wash my hair so often. I ran out of my skin care products; hopefully now they've been replenished my skin should look better. Can anyone recommend anything different to bio oil? My skin itches like crazy and I want to know if it's the oil or a pregnancy side affect.

I have drank a couple of bottles of shloers (sp) since getting pregnant.

I don't know if I felt something last night. I was half asleep so could have imagined it.

Peonie

Lemon_Tree wrote: »

we know this is likely to be our only baby, to get another one in before I am really too old would mean getting preggers again within a year of this one arriving which I have no intention of doing. we're more than happy with one. It's one more than I ever expected/planned for and it's the one that hubby has always wanted.

Mr P's mum was in her 40s when she had him and his brother and there's 4 years between them. She always said we had a long time to have a family but I always knew I would not have it easy and just because she could get pregnant naturally at 44 does not mean I could.

Seeing so many ladies recently get a BFN after their IVF treatment reminded me how incredibly 3 of us were to get a positive and at the same time. I wish they could get theirs too.

daisiegg

Lemon Tree, on the note of getting preggers again very soon, my husband said something recently that utterly horrified me...he said 'well you might be pregnant again this time next year'! I had to tell him in NO uncertain terms that I really,really won't. He is conscious that although I am a spring chicken (lol) he is 41 and doesn't want to be a really,really old dad. Still, another year or something won't make a huge difference I don't think. I am adamant I do not want two in nappies at the same time!

Lixi_2

Hey ladies

I'm 35 and one of my friends had been told that she was automatically high risk when she was pregnant as she was over 35. I asked my midwife if that was right and she pretty much laughed at me saying that I was young by current trends (sure she is stretching the stats there, but her point was that a lot of first time mums are "older" these days).

I will be breastfeeding this time. I did with my first and carried on until he was 17 months old. I have rose tinted glasses about it now, but it wasn't easy in the early days. Once I got into the swing of it and surrendered to on demand feeding things were a lot easier! I had ideas about having time to myself and the odd night out too and I started a yoga class 4 weeks after the birth when I had got into a routine of expressing and baby on one bottle on the evening. It was lovely seeing the other half feed. Anyway I got home after the second class to find them both looking shell shocked. Baby had been crying and other half had from what I could make out pretty much forced my expressed milk down him. He meant well, but try as we might that was the end of bottle feeding and anything else I expressed after that eventually went down the sink. I know that my friends struggled with expressing and there were other refusals from babies around the 6 to 8 week mark so it might not have been the other half entirely (!). I really tried to re-establish it again but just ended up stressing me and boy out. I'm not going to bother this time if there are any issues like that again. I will express as early days I really needed to because of engorgement. I had a Philips manual pump which was great and never used the electric one I bought. I had a microwave and electric steriliser and preferred the former but I then discovered microwave bags for sterilisation (reusable and portable and you keep the bottles in the bag sterile until you need them). They were the bees knees. You can also freeze milk and buy breastmilk freezer bags which allow you to line the pump so you express straight into the sterile bag, seal and write the date on them before freezing. They have a volume index on them so that you can see how much is in the bag at a glance. Probably a bit of a gimmick but I found them useful.

I don't want to be all doom and gloom about expressing! It just didn't work for me and I found work arounds and adjustment of expectations easier! Friends managed to get nights away even after the early days but I think there was always a few cartons of ready made formula on hand.

I was perfectly happy to do combination feeding after 4 months of exclusive but never had that option!

On the drinking front I have hardly had any this pregnancy. Maybe 4 small glasses? Nhs guidelines are all about the guilt trip I.e. none at all but if you HAVE to drink then one or two glasses a week. I have got nowhere near that. I don't miss it as it just makes me feel tired anyway! I didn't drink at all last time until about 4 or 5 months after the birth and then only when the little man had gone down after a feed for a long sleep. I read around it extensively and was satisfied that moderate intake every now and then was okay. I won't be having a boozy Christmas or new year this time either way as think I will be knackered still!

Lx

Lixi_2

daisiegg wrote: »

Lemon Tree, on the note of getting preggers again very soon, my husband said something recently that utterly horrified me...he said 'well you might be pregnant again this time next year'! I had to tell him in NO uncertain terms that I really,really won't.

Totally. Mine said that wanted 15 months max between kids as that was the gap between him and his sibling - think he thinks that is why they are close. I soon set him straight although when the baby arrived that gave him a dose of reality anyway! Honestly. Like it has anything to do with them anyway!

credit_crunch

I am 27, and have been with my oh for 8 years, married for 2 years soon. We began ttc as soon as we were married & bump is due 15 days after our second anniversary

It's strange when you mention age because I feel young - to the point where I am often reluctant to go to yoga or pregnancy classes for fear of people thinking I'm too young to be having a baby lol!

My oh is the opposite to some of yours - he thinks we will only have one child! Ideally I would love 2 children, maybe with a 4-6 year age gap between the 2. My oh is turning 31 not long after baby is due so I think he has concerns about being an older dad do if we are able to have a second baby.

With oils - I find bio oil too greasy & takes forever to soak in. I would really recommend the johnsons baby oil with camomile. It's in a squeeze tube & is about £3. I'm only on my 2nd tube & I will be 25 weeks 2moro. I use it at least once a day. If my bump is dry & itchy I use aveeno moisturiser which my doc prescribed for ezceema.

daisiegg

Lixi thanks for sharing your breastfeeding/expressing experiences, it is really interesting to read I think the main message I get is...don't have too many (or any !) expectations and be prepared to take things as they come?

daisiegg

C_c we are almost the same age my local hospital is in Essex (though I do not live in Essex!) and when I go there for scans/appointments I feel ancient at 26! Everyone else looks like a teenager and has a mum with them rather than a partner.

daisiegg

Oils/moisturiser - I have been using a Cussons mum and me bump body moisturiser all over my body after a shower. I like it because it sinks in nicely. Then at night my hubby does my bump and boobs and puts on Champneys blissful bump stretchmark oil followed by Champneys blissful bump body butter. Not that is it doing a thing for my stretch marks, but that is to be expected as they are genetic!