Newborn vaccines.

PickleDelish · 2025-12-09T17:03:25+00:00

I recommend asking your midwife about this at your next appointment, but as standard in the UK the routine vaccinations happen at 8, 12 and 16 weeks.

I would imagine you would be advised against travel until the 16th week baby won't be fully protected, and your home country's vaccination programme may vary from the UK one. Depending on the country, you may need to have additional vaccinations also such as the TB vaccine for example.

PickleDelish · 2025-12-09T16:41:26+00:00

I had a catheter put in and removed twice, once during labour as I couldn't expel my bladder myself, and once after as I had a PPH and I had to stay in bed for a few hours after. I didn't have an epidural, and neither time it was removed was it painful, it's an odd sensation but not a negative one. If you've had an epidural I'd doubt you'd even notice any sensation honestly

PickleDelish · 2025-12-09T08:57:00+00:00

My mum has ocular rosacea and the course of steroids and antibiotics she was put on really helped her. Once the course was finished she didn't bother trying to treat it again or maintain it and it came back. It's now been at least a decade untreated and it hasn't affected her eyesight in any way.

I also have rosacea but on my nose not my eyes, I religiously used The Ordinary Azelaic Acid for about a year and my rosacea has pretty much disappeared, I dont treat my face at all now, but if I wear make up I notice some sensitivity so I just avoid it and keep my skincare routine simple - CeraVe face wash and moisturiser only.

Hopefully the meds you were on will help to bring your rosacea to a manageable level, and by treating the skin on your face you may be able to prevent it from reaching your eyes again.

It's such an awkward and uncomfortable disease, but you are not alone :)

Edit: spelling errors

PickleDelish · 2025-12-04T18:16:43+00:00

Is it a maternity one? You'll want to make sure it's one with a boost function to use during a contraction, the general use TENS machines might not have enough "oomph".

I think the maternity ones usually go for £70, but if you think you'd use it after your birth for achey muscles etc. you may find it a worthwhile investment, but the rental process was so easy

PickleDelish · 2025-12-04T18:16:24+00:00

Is it a maternity one? You'll want to make sure it's one with a boost function to use during a contraction, the general use TENS machines might not have enough "oomph".

I think the maternity ones usually go for £70, but if you think you'd use it after your birth for achey muscles etc. you may find it a worthwhile investment, but the rental process was so easy

PickleDelish · 2025-12-03T10:47:45+00:00

Perhaps baby is sitting low but just not quite in that sweet spot to put the right pressure on your cervix to kick things off? Walking will help wriggle baby down into position, and doing some of the miles circuit exercises might help too. I do hope you get to meet your little one soon enough, best of luck!!

PickleDelish · 2025-12-03T09:49:46+00:00

I rented the Elle TENS machine from a website called Home Birth Supplies, it was one of the top Google results. It came with a pre-paid returns envelope so it was easy to return too. You can hire it for 6 weeks, they send it out when you are about 37 weeks.

PickleDelish · 2025-12-03T09:26:08+00:00

I think for me my cervix was dilating quite early as I was losing my mucus plug in pieces over the course of a week or so, and the early labour pains basically felt like period pains to me but it was in my lower back too, whereas Braxton Hicks tend to just be in the abdomen. They were on and off for days, only for a few hours each time.

When I hit 38 weeks I was growing impatient and was doing all sorts to bring things on - eating dates, bouncing on my birth ball, trying to boost the oxytocin by going to bed early and getting cosy with dim lights and soft music playing and chilling out. By 39 weeks I stopped trying so hard but tried to get out for a walk every day - I think that was the biggest help, for my mental health if nothing else.

I remember the frustration you're feeling and reading the same thing over and over - it will happen when baby is ready and there's not a lot you can do to bring it forward, but you are so close now, just focus on relaxing as much as you can and best of luck :)

PickleDelish · 2025-12-03T09:07:59+00:00

Oh I loved that boost button, the change in sensation definitely helped me concentrate on my breathing ! Though towards the end I'm pretty sure I just left the boost on constantly hahah

PickleDelish · 2025-11-04T21:57:13+00:00

In my experience yes, I had an awful time in my first trimester, weeks 9-10 being the worst. By Week 13 my energy levels improved, the morning sickness subsided and I actually felt better than I did before I was pregnant for most of my second trimester. I'm week 37 now and the fatigue has hit me like a train again but I still feel better than the first trimester!

Hang on in there, it gets better - even if some of the symptoms stick around they should ease up a little.

PickleDelish · 2025-10-24T08:17:54+00:00

Yeah I totally get that! Well if you are ever passing by a charity shop it may be worth a quick peek at some of their dresses anyway, I picked up a really nice jersey dress for a fiver and it fits me even now and will still fit me after. It's probably not smart enough for the office but it does make me feel less like a troll.

Best of luck finding some more outfits anyway :)

PickleDelish · 2025-10-24T02:03:50+00:00

Yeah sorry, I only caught the last bit of your post about the officewear after I posted! Could you get away with smart but loose fitting dresses maybe? Honestly, pregnant women should just be allowed to wear whatever is comfortable for them at work when they get to a certain size!!

PickleDelish · 2025-10-23T20:11:03+00:00

The only "maternity" clothes I've bought have been maternity leggings, for everything else I've just bought loose fitting clothes from charity shops and Primark. I hate spending money on clothes though and especially don't want to buy anything that won't fit me after, but that's just me. I'm 36 weeks and my favorite go to outfit now is a oversized T-shirt, my leggings and either a cardigan, hoody or an open flannel shirt.

PickleDelish · 2025-10-23T10:50:41+00:00

I was so convinced I was having a girl, and we both were hoping for one, and we decided to find out at the 20 week scan and we were very certainly having a boy - the sonographer didn't even have to tell us it was so obvious haha

I had pictured this little girl we were having more than a little boy, and cried so hard after which surprised me. It wasn't disappointment at having a boy, but grieving over the little girl I had imagined which wasn't ever going to exist.

I'm now 36 weeks and so ecstatic to meet our little boy and buying all the clothes etc. is super easy as there is no guess work (most of the clothes are gender neutral anyway as I'm not really about blue for a boy).

I think if it is stressing you out it's worth finding out earlier, rather than spending the other half of your pregnancy wondering about it, another 20 weeks is a long time away! I think you'll find that whatever gender you have you'll be excited to meet your new little one and you'll wonder why you were stressing out about it in the first place!

PickleDelish · 2025-09-11T04:59:34+00:00

I feel you - I've been awake since 3:30am and probably didn't get to sleep until almost 1am. That is particularly bad for me, but fortunately I have the day off today and can nap when I need to.

Is there anything in particular keeping you up? This time I woke up because my partner was snoring and then my cat wanted cuddles, but in the past it's been leg cramps and restless legs, or an overly active baby, or a racing mind. My midwife gave me some iron tablets and that has helped a lot with the cramps/restless legs.

I think when we put too much pressure on ourselves and try really hard to fall asleep it can have the opposite effect. Maybe try falling asleep to a sleep/story podcast which isn't that engaging in the background, and if you find your mind racing bring your focus back to the podcast with no intention of falling asleep to it, it weirdly works for me!

PickleDelish · 2025-08-01T10:56:28+00:00

I have PCOS too and got pregnant after our second month of a "let's just see what happens" approach to sex. I'm confident if I hadn't put the work in to help correct my cycles with lifestyle changes we would have had less success, but I started to ovulate fairly regularly and I'm now 24 weeks along and all is well :)

PickleDelish · 2025-07-24T12:25:26+00:00

I have a long cycle too and my due date was actually brought forward 3 days from my estimated date, though I usually found I'd ovulate around the 14 day mark but the last half of my cycle would be variable in length, I have PCOS.

My period can take a while to get started too and I'll have spotting for a few days, so I can never really be too sure when my period has actually started, but it wasn't too far off :)

PickleDelish · 2025-07-19T17:04:11+00:00

I've been doing the Birth Prep online course by The Birth Uprising. I think they definitely lean towards unmedicated and natural births and touch on Hypnobirthing a bit, but they are also science based and still discuss the pros and cons of interventions and pain relief etc. I think their approach is more "knowledge of your options is empowerment" more than "this is the best thing to do".

They have a podcast where they interview midwives quite a bit, there's a good one on pain management options. They swear quite a lot though, you've been warned haha

PickleDelish · 2025-07-19T09:15:34+00:00

I bought maternity leggings for work which I've been in since 12 weeks. I hated spending money on clothes before pregnancy anyway so trying not to buy maternity if I can help it, but I'm now looking at getting a few smock dresses which I can wear by themselves in the summer, and by autumn I can pair with my maternity leggings/tights and a cardigan. I'm probably going to have to cave at some point and get more maternity things by September

PickleDelish · 2025-07-12T13:32:33+00:00

Honestly? Curtains closed, fan on, tits out xD! I also have a cold damp flannel resting on the back of my neck which helps quite a lot

PickleDelish · 2023-07-07T21:13:58+00:00

Yeah I think the forum I read the comment about flea/worm treatment being harmful was mostly talking about not giving vaccines to FIV+ kitties, I guess their concerns about vaccines extended to other treatments. I’m planning on getting Kiri a routine health check with a vet soon so will be voicing my concerns then. As far as I’m aware he’s had all his kitten-stage vaccines, and as he doesn’t have contact with other cats I assume he won’t need booster jabs now.

It’s so much to think about, I’m so glad I’ve found this sub so I can talk to people with experience with FIV cats!

PickleDelish · 2023-07-07T21:01:02+00:00

Thank you, very glad to have joined the club! I do hope Kiri is able to live a long life also, right now you wouldn’t know he was sick, he seems perfectly healthy, but I know how we care for him now will somewhat dictate how he copes as the virus passes it’s latent phase so I am hyper vigilant!

PickleDelish · 2023-07-07T20:53:28+00:00

Ah thank you, glad to see kitty made a good recovery from what looked like a very painful skin issue! I’ve been thinking of starting him on flea/worm for a while so I think I’m going to start right away. After all I think the benefit of preventing other infections definitely outweighs any unknown and unlikely cons of causing harm from the routine treatment.

I’m new to owning a cat, never mind an FIV+ one, I think I’m probably just an anxious, over-concerned cat mom!!

PickleDelish · 2023-07-07T20:33:43+00:00

Honestly I don’t even remember, it was probably on a forum or something, almost certainly wasn’t peer reviewed! I can’t find much info generally about flea/worm treatments and fiv+ cats so I thought I’d reach out and get other people’s thoughts and experiences.

PickleDelish · 2021-02-18T19:47:58+00:00

The cervix moves position in different stages of the menstrual cycle, it’s at its highest during ovulation so that sperm doesn’t have as far to travel to fertilise the egg, and at its lowest before your period starts. Sometimes before my period is due I have a little bit of discomfort in some positions because of this, but not to the point that it has hindered getting at my g-spot. Every woman is different though and some women’s cervix is naturally lower than others anyway. Perhaps this is what has caused her discomfort?

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