Ohhhh sooooo broody!

a) I have no advice for this. I've always had surprise pregnancies - 2 of them on different types of pill!!

b) Every woman experiences pregnancy differently so ignore EVERYTHING that everyone tells you (and they will) about how they did this, that and the other. I felt horribly ill throughout most of my 3 pregnancies and what made it 100 times worse was all the "oh but I felt WONDERFUL blah blah blah" comments from others. I don't care how they felt. I felt like sh1te!

c) It hurts a lot. Relaxing REALLY helps. My middle birth was really serene - birth pool, twangly music, dimmed lights etc. I was so relaxed, I didn't care that it hurt and got through to the last half hour without wanting pain relief. The whole labour was 2 hours long and marvelous. The other 2, however, I was stressed and scared and the pain was soooooo much worse because of it*. I ended up screaming for an epidural and wanting to throttle the madwife with my 3rd!

d) You will be bombarded with advice on "the best" way to do everything with your baby. Smile, nod graciously and thank whoever for imparting their nugget of wisdom... then ignore everything and go with your instinct. If you try and take on board everybody's advice, you'll go mad and feel miserable.

*If you want, I could go into lengthy medical explanations about hormone production and how adrenaline inhibits your body's natural endorphin levels during labour, thus increasing the pain, blah blah.

That's really interesting, thank you, sammy! Fingers crossed you get to go for number 4!

I think I would have hit her with my shoe...

Agree with Trickers, that's crap! I wear heels quite a lot and having a baby has made no difference to my ability to walk in them! The only difference it made (and this does not happen to all women so do not be put off) was my feet swelling during pregnancy. They never really returned to their normal state! My feet went up half a size which causes some shoe purchasing issues! But my youngest sister was over the moon with her ability to help herself to most of my pre-pregnancy shoes!

Can't help on conception as was also taking the pill (micvrogynon so have switched to yasmin) However, if I dated it correctly, I concieved E on halloween whilst dressed as a cat- will never tell her that story though ?

I had a good pregnancy after the initial 14 weeks of puking. I puked on the tube on the way to work one morning! Very relieved that I had gone in super early and there were only 2 people there to see me do it! I told them I was upduffed and not some drunk so they quickly made sure I was ok, one even rubbed my back and said 'Awww poor you love' It got harder to waddle by the time I got to 36 weeks. I had planned to work until 38 weeks but caved in a week ear;y as it was a hottish summer and my feet expanded so much I had to wear flip flops (not really appropriate office footwear!) Not being able to see ones feet when standing up is strange and worse was not seeing my foof at all for 3 months!

I won't go into much detail of childbirth but will say do not expect things to go to plan. I intended to have E in a birthing pool with just a MW, H and my mum. There were 9 people in the room when I delivered and I was hooked up to a sintocin drip to encourage contractions after having to be induced! I also discovered I hate gas and air, it made me vomit on my H (34 hours of labour is boring too)

The best thing about our life is our little girl now. It's tough at times. There were many sleepless nights. I was temporarily a single mummy for 9 weeks whilst H set up our new home abroad, and it was hard. But she is so worth it. I love watching her learning new things and discovering the world. She is a very happy baby, life is so exciting to her and it makes it more so for you too.

I hated those women who told you how to 'be' pregnant! Women at work constantly told me I was sitting the wrong way, I shouldn't eat or drink certain things, blah blah blah. E is healthy so I guess I did something right! Was the 3rd really your worst experience? I honestly can't remember half of my labour as I just curled up into a ball and went into a wold of my own! I prefer not knowing what to expect!

These are so nice to read about!

Rachel - how are you adapting to life abroad with E? And how was being a 'single mum' for those weeks? A trifle worrying to hear about microgynon...

Tricks, 2 hours?! Crazy! Book me in for one of those please!

I did things in my own special order...

1) split with mentally abusive ex

2) had "our" (read my) son

3) met my now OH

4) got together and moved in

5) brought our current house (lived in "his" house before)

6) got engaged

7) waited a few years and decided to get married

And we decided fairly early on in our relationship that we didn't want anymore children, which is a good job really as my endo and PCOS has left me infertile

I love it but miss having family close by to help out- H and I could do with a night out now and again considering we are newly weds but that won't happen until we go back in the summer! It's easier moving with a little one too, I can make friends through play groups and baby classes. Single mummyhood is really hard and I commend women who do it full time (they truly are amazing!). I love being able to nudge H in the morning and say, your turn to get up! To be fair, E is an easy going baby so I don't have the problems some mums have. It's getting more challenging now that she can move! I don't know why I fell pregnant on the pill but when I spoke to the doctor, he suggested that migraine tablets could be to blame- I suffered quite badly from them before I had E and took nurofen migraine tablets. They can have an affect on the pill (worth noting!)

Wish my labour had lasted just 2 hours! I ended up having a bloody episiotomy too!

Duly noted - I am taking both of those at the moment! Shall mention it to my GP when I see him on Thursday! Glad it's going well. I'm envious of your sunshine - it's miserable out of my window!

Oh and for me - the implant rocks. I got pregnant on the pill (microgynon), bled constantly with the depo injection (talking 3 months urgh!) and in a possible TMI situation when I had my coil taken out the gp almost ruptured an endo polyp that was dangling down and was growing around the wire bit (had it surgically removed and it weighed nearly 1/2 a stone....think grapefruit!).

OUCH!

Would def mention to your GP CB just for reassurance. I'd do anything for rain, grey clouds, cold weather! It's too hot and humid to go out here now. Half hour by the pool and then back in doors finding more ways to entertain E!

I've heard it's hard to conceive again once it is taken out?! 6 friends took between 11 months and 3 years after they had theirs removed. I was considering it until they told me this as my GP was really pushing it! Your coil story freaks me out! Ouch indeedy!

Yeah, it really was. With my 1st, I had no idea what to expect so although I ended up with them breaking my waters to attach a monitor to his scalp and then him being resuscitated after birth 'cos the cord was round his neck (and when they cut the cord so the rest of him could be born, they also cut me.... y'know... there!), it wasn't THAT bad because I had no framework for reference.

With the second, I went to NCT antenatal classes (a-mazing in my experience) and learned lots of things about how the body works during labour, and how to work with it rather than fighting against it , which is what conventional medical approaches to childbirth do. I had my mum and my best friend with me when Ethan was born, and it was a textbook hippy birth. Two hours splashing about in the pool, chomping biscuits and occasionally thinking "ow" before things got a bit more painful and I asked for some gas and air. After 5 minutes and 2 pushes, there he was - all 8lb 11oz of him! I swear that being chilled out is the best thing ever for pain relief in labour!

Scarlett however.... I'd been in and out of hospital through the pregnancy because they thought I had a pulmonary embolism (I didn't), so when I went into labour, I had to go to the medical delivery suite rather than the hippy place I'd had Ethan. Bright white lights, sterile rooms, horrible hard high beds, machines that go PING, and staff in and out of the room.... Not to mention that H was home with the kids waiting for my mum to arrive and take over, so I was on my own for 4 hours. Majorly, majorly freaked out. I hadn't slept all night so was exhausted, my madwife was a menace and insisting she wanted to put me on a drip to speed things up (there was nothing wrong with how fast it was going!). The pain got worse and worse the more tense I got, and that just made me freak out even more. At one point, the madwife was standing over me with a needle filled with syntocinon telling me she was going to administer it while I screamed hysterically at her that the contractions were already on top of one another and too painful! H nearly hit her....

Once I had the epidural I totally zoned out and just let my body do its thing. Half an hour later, Scarlett was born and the nightmare was over. If I ever do have another one, I'm stamping my feet and demanding a home birth!

Ughhh - mine lasted 2 hours and then I could feel everything - this was after they broke my waters and the dozy midwife brought 2 paper towels...I did warn her I was carrying 38cm of fluids + the child (9lb 15), but she wouldn't listen...

Conception - My son was a happy 'surprise' when I was 19 and my daughter was planned. It took about two months to conceive.

Pregnancy - Both pregnancies were fine, I loved being pregnant and it really suited me even though I had bad sickness with my son.

Labour - About as delightful as labour can get - but it could have been because I was a young mum.

Little Ones - My kids on the whole are really good and have been from the beginning, I'm very lucky.

I'm not broody at all - I have young nephews, a niece or nephew on the way and my good friend is also pregnant so I will have lots of bubbas around me. I'm also hoping to still one....

I got pregnant when i was 16 after being really stupid,my pregnancy was actually okay but no one warned me about stretch marks which formed a big huge map on my body ,they only appeared about a week before i had her so really unlucky. Did the whole birthing pool relaxing thing which was great,then some lovely dia morphine. Big baby for such a wee girl she was 8lb 6oz.

Due to a split chocolate condom on my 18 birthday i was pregnant again when she was 18 months old,quite upset but went on to have the easiest baby ,complete dream child until she hit 2 and was a tantrum queen for a while. Very very quick labour.

Unfortunately the girls dad passed away when she was 11 weeks old so i had quite a task on my hands to have two young kids at 19 but got on with it and managed to go to uni and then met my OH,

With baby number three i wanted that whole romantic "trying" for a baby,excited faces at waiting for the test to turn postive..i got it but it took four long long years to conceive. He is a wee dream and i love having a boy,it's very different.

Sammy...i am finally not broody at all. I was for a little while after having my son perhaps because of the age gap he is almost like an only child,it has gone now though and i have no desire to ever be pregnant again. In a different life i would have liked that whole get married plan and have children but i am happy with my lot and i don't think my mental health could cope with a newborn thrown into the mix with a 16/13/3 year olds.

I've been getting broody for a year or so, but luckily none of my close friends have babies yet. I'm not sure when we might start trying, but think I'll have to convince OH first.

I think that I might come off the Pill either after the wedding or the year after, depending on uni and where we're living.

Is it sensible to be pregnant/have baby while trying to do a dissertation? I have that planned for 2013...

Everyone warned me so I took action from the day I found out and used Elemis' Japanese Camellia Oil on my tummy and legs twice a day. I still got them, one on each boob, but nobody told me you could get them there!!

I used every cream, oil, lotion and potion I could get my hands on and my stomach STILL looks like a road map. I don't have them on my legs, bum or boobs though so I can live with it.

It's lovely to read what others are thinking.

Me and OH are sat very impatiently on the broody bench, and had a talk about it at the weekend that involve OH expressing his need to "have kids now!" while I, am in the mindset of not wanting to be pregnant for our wedding/honeymoon so I can enjoy it - eat/drink what I like and not stress about not being able to do much.

However OH then heads off for 6 months after our wedding, so it's likely we'll start trying ASAP after that as it looks like he may have 2 whole years in the UK after this next tour! ?

Was about to tell you that for some TTC is NOT romantic, till I read the whole sentence! After 18 months of no pregnancy (except for 1 ectopic) I am sick of ttc and it's looking like IVF for us ☹️...

We waited till we had a nice flat before trying (after having been together 9 years) but some things don't go according to plan.

I have a friend (who knows of my woes, most people don't know) who hasn't started trying yet and is planning on it next year. We were talking holidays and she said, "I am planning to be pregnant next summer." Made me mad ? given my circumstances.

Even though I have never actually TRIED to conceive, it's difficult to get out of the mind frame of assuming it will just happen. You know my situation too Vicky and even with my history I still struggle not to assume it will happen. I try to be realistic and accept that it may take time particularly now I am heading for my mid thirties.

Its so interesting reading everyones experiences, although a little scary!

I agree that it is so difficult to get out of the mind set that it will just happen. I have just come off the pill after 10 years (microgynon!) and have to accept that it may take my body a while to adapt, and their may be other difficulties on the way. But the first time we had sex after I came off was so exciting, and im sure the first time liverpool play at home I will be gutted, even though I know its not realistic to just expect to be pregnant!

Although, OH and I have just booked a holiday for 28th september so would be nice not to be pregnant for that! As much as i want to have children there is always something in the pipeline that I dont want to be pregnant for!

This is why I don't want to tell anyone IRL that we'll be trying, although I'm sure a few will assume. I'd like to think I'll be pregnant by next Christmas - my mum caught first try with both me and my sister - but I know it doesn't always happen that way. OH announced last night to his football team that he only intends to carry on as manager for one more year as then we'll be "having kids". I definitely don't want to be in the position where everyone keeps asking us if I'm pregnant yet.

Yeah IRL H and I don't openly talk about the fact we're trying. There are people that know us well enough to know that we are without asking, but they are sensible people who don't ask us if we're pregnant yet everytime we see them.

I'm definitely not of the mindset that it will just happen though. I was so convinced that it wouldn't happen that when I did fall pregnant (and quite quickly) I couldn't quite believe it and kept thinking that I was cheating fate. When I subsequently miscarried I almost felt like saying 'I told you so' to myself. It's silly really. But I do hate TTC. In fact there is an I hate TTC thread going on over on BT at the moment!

Argh it's the worst, I'm already sick of hearing "Ohhh babies next" since we've been married.

Totally agree! There is only one person IRL that knows we are trying, and thats becasue I was bursting with excitment and a few glasses of wine in the evening! I want it to be a surprise all round, and as you said I dont want people asking all the time, or thinking there is something wrong with us or taking pity on us if we are taking a long time. Which some people have already assumed we have been having problems conceiving as we have been married a year without popping one out, but we just had other priorities. Bloody busy bodies!

Even with 3 kids already, people are often asking us if/when we'll be having more now we're married... Very odd!

Yeah my husband has 3 already and I think most of his side assume that we don't want any together. My side are the opposite and always mention it.

may head over there now... and vent!

It is a good idea not to tell people you are trying. If you fall quickly then it is your little secret!

Loads of people do fall quickly BTW and most people are NOT infertile so I hope I am not freaking anyone out... I just hate it when people make certain assumptions (and then voice them aloud to me when they know that I am having trouble TTC).

I'm exceedingly broody, and will be TTC as soon as I'm married. (Or as soon as I'm back from the honeymoon, I'm not coming off the pill and having a period in the Maldives, that would suck.) I don't think it's going to be easy for me though, as I've PCOS, and don't have regular periods when I'm not on the pill. :-(

I sympathise, KV. It can't be easy.

I've got no idea if I can have children or not following treatment I had a few years back but I'm looking forward to giving it a go one day ?