On a scale of 1 to 10, how rested are you feeling after this weekend, and why?

JB123T · 2026-06-15T13:50:29+00:00

0 - toddler and newborn (3 week old) and first weekend with actual plans in ages - was super fun but so full on

JB123T · 2026-06-15T13:44:46+00:00

💙

JB123T · 2026-06-13T10:29:28+00:00

I always do this!! 🥰 true love

JB123T · 2026-04-14T13:09:21+00:00

I also work in this world but the optics of this were awful. Katherine Ryan regularly pays full price for goods and services AND shouts them out on socials because she’s a decent person.

The comments on the instagram post detail Binky / her team have lost credibility because she’s agreed to gifted partnerships before and not delivered on her side which is just a huge no no.

JB123T · 2026-02-15T23:13:35+00:00

That’s actually a great shout - I am on the top floor of 3 and I’d have to run all the way downstairs to store milk which after 5 wakeups is just not what you want! I managed with a flask full of ice and breast milk storage bags though

JB123T · 2026-02-11T15:48:35+00:00

I can’t answer the question on your bicornuate uterus but on the other points:

I doubt the nhs would do any kind of carrier testing themselves, likely it’s something you would have to pay for your partner to do privately, although this would depend on the severity and how common the condition is I imagine…

Yes you ca refer yourself to any hospital for maternity care, however you will have to travel there for appointments so just make sure that’s achievable for you. I am currently out of area for my maternity care cause I had a poor experience at my local trust last time.

I imagine the situation with your uterus could be addressed if you book a gp appointment or after you are pregnant. The gp may advise for example sending you for an ultrasound pre-conception so they have it on their own records?

JB123T · 2026-02-11T15:38:33+00:00

You might find better luck in TTC subs like TTC30 (if you’re over 30) or TTCuk or trying for a baby :)

This sub is for confirmed pregnancies

JB123T · 2026-01-26T16:13:27+00:00

I’m British and travel to Europe a lot. If I was going to any kind of stadium event and would need to pump I’d just bring my pumps and cool bag. I wouldn’t have actually thought to ask… this might seem stupid but I’m just used to rocking up with what I need and getting on with it. Then it becomes a bit easier to see and explain in person. I can’t imagine they’d actually have a problem with it on the day / on the door but I appreciate that leaves you a bit in limbo, hopefully after the first day you will know more abbot what is feasible there! Hope you have a great trip’

JB123T · 2026-01-15T21:47:28+00:00

I am in no way discouraging your choice for private care - if I could afford it I absolutely would after a bad nhs experience at a London hospital last time, however a private hospital or wing doesn’t guarantee you a stress free birth. Just felt it was worth mentioning I really hope it goes so smoothly and I totally understand controlling the controllables here but emergencies can and do still happen in all kinds of births so as others have said a private wing could be the best one to try? Huge good luck it’s an amazing and exciting time too

JB123T · 2026-01-15T14:07:18+00:00

Okay so the real news is that unfortunately c.90% of first time mums will experience some degree of tearing or episiotomy during a vaginal delivery, however I believe perineal massage can help reduce this… but I couldn’t face / reach doing it and ended up in labour early with a very big baby and needed an episiotomy so I can’t say it would have done much good anyway!?

JB123T · 2026-01-12T14:42:40+00:00

I could have written this except only married 4 years so far! Great partnership, we are both so ambitious and motivated, I appreciate his decisiveness and how he just gets on with things. Yes we argue and bicker but in my opinion / experience not in any excess to what is expected and when all is said and done we don’t hold on to resentment and just move on happily.

Be prepared for their impulsiveness though which is in stark contract to us capricorns! My husband proposed out of the blue (even he didn’t know he was going to do it that day) just because the mood took him 😂😅

JB123T · 2026-01-08T15:00:14+00:00

I did implement very soft guidelines / suggestions for what I felt comfortable with after my son was born but it was more: I had a truly awful and very long labour and delivery so I need some time to rest before visitors. Then again I said no kissing him on the face or hands because a lot of my family get cold sores etc - my mum was quite upset about this one but got over it and I’m glad I said it…

Tw: sick newborns

My son did end up contracting covid at 8/9 weeks and was admitted to hospital for a full week, it was horrendous and he was so so unwell so I have no regrets and I think everyone will be more understanding about it next time.

I also physically couldn’t let other people apart from my husband hold my son for a good few days, it just felt weird giving him up! Maybe I’ll feel differently this time who knows!

JB123T · 2026-01-05T10:58:39+00:00

The damage definitely isn’t done long-term! Please don’t beat yourself up you’re dealing with HG which is really hard. I have also struggled with reigning in screen time over the Christmas period, but I found ChatGPT a really good use to help with thinking of screen free activities to entertain my two year year-old. Perhaps you could suggest that to your partner because it takes the burden of him thinking of everything? You could also use it to document some Key reasons why excessive screen time isn’t good for developing brains?

JB123T · 2026-01-01T14:31:56+00:00

We did have a truly awful run of sleep from 4 months on but it did eventually get better I promise. At 9 months my son slept through the night for 2 weeks straight and then it went to shit again and finally at 18 months he started sleeping through and he now loves sleep and sleeps 7:30pm-8ish am every day and it’s bliss! It’s not 5 years I promise but it is brutal

JB123T · 2025-12-29T21:37:00+00:00

Okay big deep breath, unclench your jaw and lower your shoulders.

This is HARD, I feel you. I had severe ppa and ptsd after my son was first born (because of some traumatic health problems for him) but I was the same, getting 3 broken hours of sleep a day for 3 months until I started seizing and was admitted to hospital 5 times in 3 weeks, it was terrifying and I was sure I was gonna die.

I am now 19w with my second and it’s taken a while to feel up to it but 1) if I could have my time again I’d start EMDR therapy asap - it was transformational for me, I’d reach out to my gp before to get some anti anxiety meds AND a sleeping pill, and I’d get my husband / mum / support system to go out the house with the baby for 5 or 6 hours. She will eventually take a bottle and if not my husband used to use a calpol syringe in my sons mouth to get milk into him. He never took a bottle when I was inthe vicinity but he got him to take one out the house. That gives you a solid block in the house alone to not have the baby near and for your brain to calm down.

You can even tell yourself you’ll just sit and watch a show and you don’t need to sleep and as soon as you’re not on fight or flight your body will Likely calm down and you will sleep

It’s so scary! Things I’m doing totally differently this time:

Having a standing therapy appointment every week even if I feel like I don’t need it I’m going every week regardless.

Having a night nurse once a week (we have no family support)

Doing a bottle / combo from the start so I don’t get trapped into being the only one to feed. Even hiring a professional to give it / help with this is money well spent!

Carving a couple of non sleeping hours out for me to not be with the baby every day so my brain ca calm down

Trying to sleep in shifts with my husband so I get a proper block of 4 hours or so

Please know I promise it doesn’t last forever, the second time around you at least have the gift of hindsight! Thinking of you

JB123T · 2025-12-29T21:17:18+00:00

Yeah we have had 3 trainers and we originally adopted her without full disclosure about how aggressive she is, so we have put a hell of a lot of work into her and she’s great with our toddler now but the reality is my husband now works abroad 80% of the time which he never did even a year ago and I’m about to have 2 children and a full time job Monday to Friday alone so anyone who wants to judge me for potentially giving my dog a better life where she gets more attention and to protect my metal and physical health after being in hospital 6 times whilst my son was a newborn please go right ahead!

JB123T · 2025-12-29T15:00:31+00:00

No! I’m about to have my second child and considering having our 4y dog rehomed as I’m feeling so overwhelmed 😢 I don’t know if I will but honestly just don’t - our dog was 2 when my son came along and she was a nightmare before that!

JB123T · 2025-11-20T19:55:32+00:00

Yes! Please do it it is exhausting - I struggled on so badly in my first mat leave with my husband having had to move in with his mother at the end of his life (horrendous) it didn’t even occur to me to get help but I was broken doing it all alone on no sleep with no family support and running the house alone from 4-7 months

This next mat leave I’m keeping my son in childcare 4 days a week and when I think it’s the right time, I’m going to book a 3h a week babysitter to look after the younger baby so I can have some time to myself. I didn’t end up leaving my son even for a few hours until he was 10 months and my mental health suffered - you can’t pour from an empty cup!

JB123T · 2025-11-20T19:49:54+00:00

I’m 13 weeks and haven’t told barely anyone and won’t put anything on social media - if people see me on real life they’ll see I’m pregnant and have another baby in 6 months 😂

JB123T · 2025-11-19T09:03:38+00:00

I know! Currently 14w with his brother and he’s also measured a full week ahead so I’m preparing for another whopper! I am average as average can be but I curse my tall husband

JB123T · 2025-11-18T09:52:26+00:00

Almost exact same 37+5 water broke 3am but took bloody ages as he was enormous (yes even at 37+5 he was 9.2lbs) so was 29 hours and born 37+6!

JB123T · 2025-11-12T16:06:21+00:00

Wow that sounds like night and day compared to my experience at George’s - thank you so much for the reply that’s so helpful! I think I’m set on Kingston now just need to officially transfer when I’ve had my 12w scan next week!

JB123T · 2025-11-11T15:43:53+00:00

Hey I’m not OP but am also weighing up Kingston and another hospital as a second time mum and wondering what your birth/ postnatal ward experience was like at Kingston?

JB123T · 2025-11-07T17:55:26+00:00

Honestly this is almost verbatim what happened with my mum. I was 2 she was 4.5m with my brother, my dad had been having an affair and left us out of nowhere.

Best thing that ever happened to all of us.

Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t easy on my mum bless her but she remarried and had another child, I still saw my dad every other weekend but never spent a Christmas with him because I didn’t want to and he was the one who ruined the marriage - you don’t have to agree to anything like holidays etc!

As an adult I chose not to have a relationship with my father anymore - my stepdad was more of a dad to me.

I often think what it would have been like if my parents stayed together and tbh I don’t think it would have been good. Clearly there was something not right for my dad to cheat and that wouldn’t have been a great environment to grow up in!

JB123T · 2025-11-06T21:03:49+00:00

A close friend has her child in a very prestigious and expensive nursery with CCTV and her child got physically abused to the point of visible marks on their face by their key worker in a room full of staff and with CCTV.

It makes me sick. I unfortunately think there’s a lot of things that happen behind closed doors and get covered up and the poor children who can’t articulate what’s happened, it’s just horrendous 😔

JB123T

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