r/PregnancyUK

Not sure what this post is but just needed to get it out and talk to someone. I’m 20+4 and hate getting dressed everyday as hardly any of my clothes fit me how they’re supposed to. I imagine I’ll feel better when summer comes and I can wear looser summer dresses but right now I just hate that none of my clothes feel like they should. I have 1 pair of maternity jeans but even they feel unflattering.

I’ve always struggled with body image and previously disordered eating, and I’m really finding body changes hard - my body doesn’t feel like mine - I don’t look super pregnant yet, if anything I just look like I’ve put weight on. Everyone says ‘but you’re growing a baby!’ and yeah, I get it practically of course I’ll look different but that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t feel like me 😞 Any advice would be very appreciated, especially during these next couple months when it’s not warm enough to wear loose dresses etc. Thank you xx

I’m trying to stay off social media as my algorithm keeps giving me very negative / traumatic birth stories and it’s not good for my anxiety. It’s mainly TikTok and I’ve been safe on instagram but now I keep seeing videos from people saying they lost their spark from having a baby, or ‘no one talks about how hard it is going from this to…’ and it’ll be someone who has gained weight after having a baby. Yes they do talk about it because it’s all I see. It’s so negative and demotivating.

Maybe I will feel like that postpartum and sympathise but it seems like a really toxic trend to me?? Then on the other side there are people on my social media who have recently had a baby and keep posting about how they now fit into their pre-pregnancy clothes like it’s this HUGE achievement, how they’re back at the gym etc.

I’m not going to lie, I am scared of what my body with look like postpartum but I pray I’m not this focused on it. I’m already sick of people commenting on my body during pregnancy and the size of my bump then I open my phone and it feels like there’s no escape. I hope there’s another side out there I haven’t found yet where we just celebrate how amazing our bodies are for creating a human being rather than how our clothes fit etc :(

Does anyone have any experience with being told late in pregnancy that they need a C-section or their birth not going the way they imagined?

I have had a very straightforward, low risk pregnancy so far- I am 38+4. I was sent to triage on Friday due to raised BP and we found that baby is actually breech and they would like to book me in for a C-section within the next few days to a week due to increased risk if I go into labour (which I completely understand).

I am struggling to process this information currently, up until this point everything had been going well and I was going to have a water birth when the time eventually came. Now I feel like the experience has been taken away from me, I won't get to experience going into labour, any contractions etc and I feel like I have made it this far and I can't see it through to the end.

I know I probably just need time to process this information and my thoughts and I know all that matters is that baby is safe and healthy which I am so grateful for.

anyone have any similar experiences that you can/want to share?

My little dot made her entrance into the world yesterday, a little earlier than expected but she’s here!! Baby sister to her older brother (16m) and sister (7yrs).

Felt contractions and made way to hospital for 9.50pm and she was delivered by 10.20pm. Literally just in time. Never had a totally unmedicated birth and genuinely don’t think I’d wish that pain on anyone 😅

Main thing we’re both healthy and safe!! Woohoo - now time for 2 under 2, wish me luck xx

Hi all, just looking to see if anyone has been through similar or has advice.

In short, I am 33 weeks pregnant today and applied for a promotion. I found out recently, after chasing up my application numerous times, that I was unsuccessful (not even an interview). One of the reasons I was given was that I will be going on maternity leave soon.

Before I received this feedback, I had applied for a different promotion. The Head reached out to me about my application, said I tick a lot of boxes and is eager to interview me. She does not know I'm pregnant and I am stuck for how to proceed.

I would love a promotion and the Head made the role sound exciting and different but, obviously, I will be going on mat leave soon. And I'm anxious that I may be further discriminated against.

If anyone has advice on how I should proceed - either with the discrimination or the possible interview - I'd really appreciate it. Thank you ❤️

Today I should be 7w3d . I went for a private scan last week and I was measuring 5w2d (should be 6w2d) there was two gestational sacs one with yolk sac and the other was empty, was told the empty one will most likely disappear.

This week I started bleeding dark blood which was kind of heavy for one day but now it’s just little bits of brown dry blood when I wipe . I managed to get a scan at early pregnancy unit yesterday. She didn’t tell me what I was measuring she just said I had two empty gestational sacs and a small haematoma she couldn’t see a yolk sac like the private scan . I have been booked in for 10 days time to confirm if I’m having a MMC or if anything has grown.

I keep seeing these miracle story’s about people in the same position and a couple of weeks later there’s a healthy baby there and I can’t help thinking what if this happens to me and there’s nothing to worry about . Also keep seeing things about having a tilted uterus and not been able to see a fetal pole (I have always believed that I have a tilted uterus)

But I also keep thinking all this is too good to be true and I’m going to MC , and there’s no baby/baby’s there 💔

I am just heartbroken I have been ttc for over two years . December last year I was diagnosed with PCOS and also had a laparoscopy + Hysteroscopy to see what was going on .

I am 23 and this is my first pregnancy . I thought I had finally done it but now it looks like it was just too good to be true 💔.

Does anyone have any empty sac success story’s ? Or do I just have false hope .

I still have all my pregnancy symptoms too

I initially was okay waiting for the 12 week scan, and I’ve had my midwifery appointment this week. But I’m not so worried about not having the scan as of yet , more about the fact I don’t have a date for it that’s bothering me. She said next few days I’ll be provided a date but just feels so taxing, and now kind of wished I booked a private one. But when I went to look at private ones, it was for April 11 and I thought well 12 weeks is 2 and a half weeks after that so is there any point? Sorry just rambling away now !

If you are with Hommerton hospital could you tell me how you were notified of your combined screening results. I attended my 12 week scan last Tuesday and not heard anything yet.

I feel like the antenatal care at Hommerton is a mess. I attended my booking appointment, wasn't given any maternity notes. Trying to contact someone to get them is a nightmare. I wasn't given a contact number for a midwife. Anytime I try to call a number the extention just goes to voicemail. So frustrating.

34+2 today and the last few days my nipples have become SO sore and really sensitive even against bras which hasn’t been a thing for me since the first trimester. I’ve also started getting serious colostrum leakage which I’m super happy about as never had anything with my first but wondering if this is why?!

Does anyone have any tips for how to help the soreness?

HELP! What is everyone doing or done to ease or help with sickness in the first trimester? im suffering so bad. to the point where I will be ringing my GP on Monday to request some antisickness medicine, that they will hopefully give me.

The being sick part is not the worst part. Its the constant bubbly stomach and the feeling of wanting be sick when anything passes my lips. I'm sipping water even tho i want to down it because im soooo thirsty, im eating really bland tiny meals as often as I can stomach. But the nausea is constant and its becoming impossible to deal with. Especially having a 5 month old and a 4 year old to care for, my poor partner has single parented for the last week.

Has anyone got any tips or advice on what helped them during this time? Just to tide me over till I get some help from the GP, as they are known to take their sweet sweet time with ANYTHING these days.

I’m currently 30 weeks pregnant with my second baby. I had a very quick labour with my first (1.5 hours) due to a reaction to being induced but overall I thoroughly enjoyed labour.

Trying to be realistic that it may not be a similar experience this time and I’m wondering if anyone watched One Born Every Minute for a little perspective on different types of labour and whether it was useful or not for them?

I was induced on Thursday, following medical advice from our midwife.

I had the pescessary, do 24hrs and then now had two rounds of the induction gel. 48 hrs later my cervix is still not even 1cm dilated even though I have had regular contractions that last a few hours and then get less frequent again.

I’ve been in immense pain today, constipation, back pain, contractions and babies head has definitely lowered even more. But still no dilation. Reached one out of 7 on their cervix measuring.

I’m finding the vaginal examinations incredibly painful, I don’t know if I am sure more sensitive or what but I need gas and air and numbing gel to not scream and cry when they do them.

We’ve had a tough week, finding out our baby may have caught an infection that crossed the placenta and that we were at risk of cord prolapse, so felt induction was better as more controlled.

I’m a first time mum, due on 15th April so 39 weeks & 3 days pregnant.

Can someone tell me if they had anything similar and how it ended please

I am googling everything and the internet keeps telling me it is “probably normal” but I’m so stressed (which also isn’t good for baby!). I’m getting weird little cramps all over my tummy - some of which feel like wind but some of them feel just bizarre. The bottom of my tummy feels heavy. I had sex with my husband and after orgasm I had period like pain for about 5 minutes afterwards which really stressed me out!

I keep worrying that I don’t “feel” pregnant - I have had a little bit of nausea but it’s just low level feeling queasy and I think I have a bit of hypernosmia which is funny and I am so so thirsty. But then also some of the day I feel totally normal which I hate because I’m worried the pregnancy has just gone away.

I know worry isn’t good for baby either but I suppose I’m just looking for experiences that this is all normal and nothing to worry about - especially the period like pain after sex!

Hello, wondering if anyone has had a recent experience at Whipps cross maternity unit in 2026? I’ve just been told Homerton are no longer accepting people from Waltham Forest but I’ve heard some negative stuff about Whipps. Any honest reviews of the newly refurbished unit greatly appreciated!

I’m 18 weeks along and finding myself experiencing negative thoughts and anxiety every day. The anxiety increased around 13/14 weeks when the nausea started to subside and hasn’t gone away since.

At least once a day I find my mind wandering to “what if” something has happened to the baby. I just want the baby to be ok and for things to go smoothly and I hate how I can’t control this. I heard the heartbeat on a Doppler with the midwife a week ago and it did help settle my anxiety for a couple of days but now I’m back to these thoughts at least daily.

Has anyone experienced this before? Any tips on how to manage this or who I should speak to about this?

Thank you!

Dad to be here! Asking for advice so i can help support/advice my partner whose struggling a bit

Just hit 29+2 and these last few days the tiredness/exhaustion has ramped up about 10 levels. My partner is really struggling to manage much of the day past lunch time. However she has always been someone who cant sit still and always fills her/our day with things (whether thats shopping, walks etc)

However these last few days she’s been going through a real battle of “im exhausted but im bored” and i can see its stressing her out.

Any advice or suggestions for what other people have done to help this?

I will add she is about to start iron tablets after 28w bloods showed low iron, so hopefully that might help the tiredness a bit!

I’m wondering if it’s normal to not get much at all if harvested at an earlier gestation (33+5)

I saw a post recently of someone saying 100ml was what they needed but I don’t think I can even get 5ml at all which is a bit disheartening as I know baby boy will need it.

Edit: it was advised by my consultant to harvest earlier than 37 weeks so just following medical advice

I feel like I’m the only person to feel this way but since baby has been head down ( im 37 weeks ) the movements have become so extremely uncomfortable for me I constantly feel like my body is about to snap especially my pelvic bones.

It just feels like there’s no room and any second my pelvis is going to snap on both sides. It’s not painful just very uncomfortable and even kinda cringes me out and it makes me tense up so bad. Does anyone else feel this way or is it just me ? I honestly feel like my baby will get stuck during delivery because that’s exactly how it feels now