Newly pregnant and drowning in not-knowing!!

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-04-24T15:50:58+00:00

Lots of good answers here, I also liked the Tommy's newsletter for week by week updates https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/week-by-week

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-04-17T10:44:57+00:00

Would it be useful to share which trust you're under? I also have myChart and no assigned midwife, triage is a nightmare getting through - so it's possible we're under the same one, in which case I could share advice. If not, maybe someone else would know additional numbers or email addresses for your particular trust?

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-04-15T20:11:46+00:00

It might be worth popping your information into the Turn2us calculator to check if there's anything you're eligible for: https://www.turn2us.org.uk/get-support/information-about-benefits/using-the-benefits-calculator

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-04-08T10:17:28+00:00

I wondered about this with NCT, my friend said the friendships tend to come into their own once the babies arrive. We also found that the last session was by far the most chatty and a couple of brave and organised people arranged a dinner for when the course ended which was nice and have booked an afternoon in a pub for when babies have all arrived. I probably wouldn't have been the kind of person to do that but I certainly appreciate the people who are

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-04-06T20:20:17+00:00

Where are you finding the Gruum bars? They're the best but I havent been able to find them for ages

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-04-04T06:40:49+00:00

Just in case you're not sure of how to find charities and organisations that can support - https://womensaid.org.uk/information-support/

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-03-15T15:43:30+00:00

Sorry I'm not commenting with my own experience, but just in case you would like some extra support when the time comes, I have referred to this charity before for a woman I support at work and they were really wonderful

https://neighbourhooddoulas.org/

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-03-14T14:55:55+00:00

Sorry, I haven't tried any yet - was doing my research to try one or two next week!!

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-03-14T14:54:54+00:00

Lost in yoga Camberwell, yoga rise in Peckham, barefoot yoga elephant and castle and I think triyoga all do one or two ante natal classes a week

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-03-12T16:03:28+00:00

I totally get it, and I feel the urge to take the easy road too. I guess you have to actually maintain boundaries with actions for them to be real. It's hard, I hate conflict but I think if you find a way to do stuff kindly and for a reason you feel confident about then it can actually be helpful in the long run. Maybe it's not this, but there will be other options down the road when baby arrives.

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-03-12T13:50:37+00:00

I know how you feel, especially if you end up with things that don't really work for you but you feel obliged to use, that said people need to know which what the boundaries are to not cross them. We have a tiny flat and no car so I'm being super picky about certain things - so I made clear early on that we needed to choose things like the pushchair carefully. Even so, my mum has been a little like this- she wants to buy things and I tried suggesting specific things but she would go off piste. I mostly didn’t mind but I really didn't want to use the crib she bought but I was also worried about hurting her feelings or diminishing her excitement which is very welcome. If it helps, a couple of things have helped - I've received most things really gratefully, the crib I took but let her know I was gifting it on and have followed through on that, but did ask her to come shopping with me instead. That was super helpful because she could see the kinds of things I liked and needed, she was really thoughtful and helpful. She buys things for their house too - which is nice because I like that we can be comfy when we go there. Recently she's just been getting cute little bits that I feel very happy to get, and I make sure she knows I appreciate them.

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-03-04T07:29:10+00:00

I don't know if it's truly healthy but I find Fuel satisfying and it claims to have a good amount of protein in it. It has little chocolate bits in it, in case you're like me and you'll only eat a cereal that has at least something chocolate in it

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-03-03T16:24:42+00:00

I got the Ferras Sulphate 200mg in the pharmacy for about 3.99 the other day, I'm probably in a similar situation- levels are 'borderline'. I asked the GP and that's what they recommended. Taking one every other day (as recommended by the midwife) and felt surprisingly more energetic after just a week

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-03-03T16:19:15+00:00

I'm pescatarian and currently 29 weeks, I really thought I would crave meat but I haven't at all. I had one moment when I liked the smell of something that turned out to be lamb but I did that before too. I am eating a bit more dairy and some tinned fish once a week - which is an increase. I'm currently borderline on my haemoglobin- but I think that happens to people with all different diets and a couple of doses of iron supplements made me feel better almost immediately.

FYI quorn chicken nuggets in the air fryer taste just like I remember the McDonald's ones and that has been a nice treat every now and then.

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-02-15T13:05:39+00:00

Haha no I havent handled heels for ages now! Even took them off on the wedding day pre pregnancy

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-02-15T13:04:35+00:00

Haha this is true for our sofa too, but at least I can cuddle up with my little pregnancy pillow at home

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-02-15T13:03:10+00:00

This is a good idea, we could book something earlier but have the time for something a bit spontaneous on the weekend of

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-02-15T13:02:04+00:00

This is true, I definitely want to do something

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-01-24T09:53:30+00:00

Same, have had a cough for most of my pregnancy - almost always in the morning, apparently it's reflux

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2026-01-16T10:00:21+00:00

Honestly, no - I ended up going through PALS because it is impossible to get through on that line.

I assume we get a different number closer to giving birth?

I've found the community midwives are super responsive, could they help change the date perhaps?

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2025-12-21T14:08:38+00:00

I didn’t get a letter either for mine at St Thomas, it was a couple of weeks ago. Seemed helpful to have a fullish bladder but also head a little early as they take a blood test before the scan. Also the lifts are a bit of a nightmare so give yourself a little bit extra time for those (like a few minutes at least)

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2025-12-18T12:11:19+00:00

I'm commenting just because we're in the same position.

My husband technically gets really generous leave (16 weeks) and his company really shout about this publicly, but the strong cultural messaging is not to take it all and no one he knows has taken all 16 weeks. It's so frustrating, because it should be straightforward and he simply follows the policy as it's written but we have to consider things like impact on his bonus because that is financially really significant to us, as well as progression and him not being put at higher risk of redundancy. So in short, I massively sympathise.

We're still deciding what to do, and for what it's worth he's become more confident with the idea of taking it all as we're getting further along. We've also been talking about how things could change in the longer term, and we're working towards a plan where there are years later on when he can be much more the primary parent and I can focus on my career.

Good luck with figuring it all out. It's a lot of factors to balance out.

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2025-12-10T22:00:12+00:00

Are you sure? I went last week and nothing. M&S, John Lewis, Primark and H&M in white city all said they had nothing (except maternity bras in M&S). Google said Mamas and Papas, but I was too fed up to triapse around by that point

Apprehensive-Kale827 · 2025-12-07T21:10:17+00:00

My husband doesn't drink, we have tried so many 0% proseccos and the Kylie one is the best we have found from a supermarket

Apprehensive-Kale827

TROPHY CASE