How do I know everything is OK in early pregnancy?

[soontobeamum1982]

I guess nobody really has an answer to this but how did any of you know that things were progressing well in early pregnancy?

I'm 6 weeks plus 2 days, after a very early miscarriage (5 weeks) at the end of August. I want to be excited about this pregnancy but I can't stop worrying that something is wrong.

I was really surprised that the GP didn't confirm my pregnancy with blood tests, and just took it on trust that I'd had a positive Clearblue test (which came out 2-3 weeks when I took it 5 days after missing my period). I had some spotting when my missed period was due but that cleared up.

What has surprised me is that I feel totally fine. My boobs are a little sore and I have some mild cramping but that's it. I'm the sort of person who normally gets hit hard by every illness going, so expected to have my head shoved down the toilet bowl by now and I'm really shocked that I feel so well. I can't help worrying that things aren't progressing as they should be.

My first midwife appointment isn't until 10 weeks, and obviously the scan at 12 weeks. I just feel that I was expecting more medical support/reassurance at this stage, esp after a miscarriage. OH and I had been trying for a year before I conceived the first time in September, so this baby is much wanted and longed for. Neither of us are spring chickens (me: 34, him: 46) so I just can't help worrying.

Did anyone else go through this? Any advice? I feel like I'm driving myself mad when I should just be enjoying being pregnant and feeling well!!!

[soontobeamum1982]

I mean conceived the first time in August!

[Snowflakes1122]

Hi,

Congratulations!

It's hard being pregnant after a miscarriage, but for me an early scan helped me feel reassured.

You can usually book a private scan from 7/8 weeks.

[Snowflakes1122]

Pressed post too soon!

And it does get easier as the weeks go on. Hang in there!

[soontobeamum1982]

Thanks Snowflakes. I had thought of this. I'm actually off work the week I will be 8 weeks (a pre-xmas break) so I might look into this.
Could you pay privately at the same hospital you're under for midwife services? Or do you have to do it somewhere separate?

[NeverAShadowOfDoubt]

Congratulations OP. No answer really but you're not alone! No bleeding and no cramps is a good sign. Some people go for a private early scan to help reassure them that everything is going well. I didn't and managed to wait til 12 week scan but it feels like an age. As for feeling fine, please make the most of it. My sickness hit between 6 and 7 weeks and was relentless right until around 14 weeks. Sheer misery, I felt like I was dying. So please make the most while you feel well as if you are going to be like the rest of us who suffers, it can hit you like a ton of bricks. On the other hand, some women don't suffer at all! lucky bitches

[Hollyhop17]

Seriously, dont wish for morning sickness, I am experiencing it at the moment, 8 weeks, and it is the worst I have ever felt. Utterly horrific :( As others have said you can get an early scan. I went to the early pregnancy unit at my local hospital on Tuesday (Croydon if by chance you live close!) and got a scan on the NHS. I was only 7+4 then. I haven't had a mc before so can't speak to how you feel about that other than to sympathise. Congrats on being pregnant!

[Snowflakes1122]

Not in the NHS I don't think.

However, private hospitals will do scans. There are also companies such as Babybond who are a national company that do them.

If you google private scans you should find one in your area.

Also, I have a Doppler to enable me to listen to heartbeat. Worked from
About 8 weeks and this also helped me too. Also worth looking into.

[kiki22]

I think lots of people feel ok until about 7 weeks I've also known pregnant friends to float through pregnancy without a single niggle personally i felt crap.

I had an early scan with my second pregnancy (first baby) because of some bleeding then didn't with ds2 by 10 weeks I was going out of my mind worrying I think the early scan the first time helped break it up if I had another not bloody likely I would get a scan about 8 weeks. Sadly you never really know everything's ok until your baby arrives but once you have a photo get bigger and get kicks its so much easier not to worry.

[Anatidae]

Don't wish for morning sickness! I puked twenty times a day for nine months and it was truly horrific.

Book a reassurance scan at 8 weeks ish - that reassured me :)

Congratulations

[welshweasel]

A private scan after 7 weeks can be reassuring. If you see a heartbeat at that time there's a greater than 95% chance of having a successful pregnancy. I can recommend babybond, I didn't have my early scan through them (had one as part of IVF) but had 3 scans there as part of NIPT at 10 and 12 weeks and another at 16 weeks and was v impressed with the set up. Early pregnancy is terrifying but it does get easier, especially once you can feel the baby.

[Anatidae]

Yeah - recommend NIPT too if you're anxious :)

[idontlikealdi]

I had a private reassurance scan at 7+2, and another one at 10 weeks. I had also had a miscarriage before. Cost £60ish I think each time and saved my sanity.

[soontobeamum1982]

Thanks everyone.

Trust me I'm not wishing for puking in bags on the train to work or anything, I'm just really surprised that I feel alright. I think I've been gearing myself up for the worst as during my life I've had a lot of medical problems, surgery etc. I've sort of expected to get HG and have even told HR already because I sort of expected to get signed off work due to severe sickness.

Famous last words. It will probably hit my like a ton of bricks next week now. Luckily I am off work on xmas break from 17th - 28th Dec, then six days at work, then off again for four days in first week of Jan. So hopefully the rest I can get then might help.

I'm with Kings College Hospital in London. I'm going to ring their midwife helpline this afternoon and ask about early scans.

[minijoeyjojo]

Other than doing an early scan there isn't much you can do unfortunately, other than take reassurance from any lack of signs of things going wrong. I felt absolutely fine through my entire pregnancy and remember really worrying in those first few months - 12 weeks is an awfully long time to wait to see them. Just take each day at a time.

[TerriB84]

To be honest it wasn't until I started feeling the baby move regularly that I stopped worrying. Each scan reassured me for a while but it didn't last. I wouldn't worry about not getting sick though. Plenty of women (including me) go through their entire pregnancy without getting morning sickness. Getting it/not getting it is luck of the draw and has no bearing on the health of the baby. Congratulations on your pregnancy. x

[chloechloe]

Congratulations on your pregnancy. The lack of signs really doesn't mean anything - I am near due with my second and have been lucky to sail through both pregnancies without any side effects.

Also it's possible to still suffer from morning sickness etc after a miscarriage - side effects continue so long as HCG is in your bloodstream which means you can cruelly still have pregnancy symptoms after the baby has gone.

Symptoms don't mean anything either way.

Book in for an early scan - a heartbeat at this stage means the odds of a healthy pregnancy are high.

[53rdAndBird]

You really can't guess how bad your sickness is going to be based on non-pregnancy illness. I almost never got ill before pregnancy and had HG all the way through; I have a friend who's always been ill much more often, but didn't have a day of sickness in pregnancy. It's a totally separate thing, so please don't worry about it

[throughgrittedteeth]

Congratulations!
I had the same feeling as you - how on earth am I going to wait all that time!
As others have said an early scan will help, I'm not sure if you can have it at the same hospital, might be worth ringing around though.
Please don't worry yourself about feeling well - I was fine until 8 weeks then BAM everything was shit... I'm 19 weeks now and still wobbly most days and honestly it's flying by now but those first few weeks take sooo long to get through! Good luck!

[Helbelle75]

Congratulations!
My first pregnancy ended in MMC in May (today would have been the due date) adn I felt truly dreadful - piles, backache, exhaustion, put loads of weight on.
I was lucky enough to find myself pregnant again in July and this pregnancy has been a lot easier - still lots of symptoms and I'm still exhausted, but I feel better.
The first few weeks was hard, but I was determined to stay positive and took each day I was still pregnant as a bonus. We went for an early private scan at 10 weeks, and it was the best thing to see that little heart beating.
I'm now 22 weeks, and honestly still have doubts and anxieties. Baby's kicking now, so at least I'm reassured by that every day.
Hope it all goes well!

[DappledThings]

I was at King's as well. Scanned in the EPU in first pregnancy which confirmed miscarriage at 10 weeks. Pregnant again 2 months later and paid for private scan at 8 weeks. We went to Babybond in Croydon and they were great.

Someone told me just to go back to EPU at King's and say I was worried I was miscarrying again so could I have an early scan there. I thought this was awful advice and is an absolute piss take to use NHS services unnecessarily so we paid for a scan.

Like you I had zero symptoms either in the pregnancy I lost or the next one which was successful so the private scan was a massive reassurance.

[Suzie2287]

I had a miscarriage with my first pregnancy, and when I got pregnant again I couldn't relax into the pregnancy as I was convinced something would go wrong again. I am now 19 weeks and all seems to be going well, even after having two little bleeds in the earlier weeks. So I know exactly how you're feeling. I personally paid for a private scan at about 9 weeks as I was getting worried that i didn't know if everything was OK... I think it's totally worth the £99 for a bit of reassurance to keep you going until the 12 week scan! You just have to try and have some faith in your body, that it would tell you if something was wrong. 😊

X

[Suzie2287]

Oh and I forgot to say.... I was about 7 weeks pregnant when all of a sudden I started feeling nauseas every day, then around 9 weeks I started being sick, so it still could happen! I still have days where I'm sick even now at 19 weeks!

[Gooseygoosey12345]

6 weeks is still early for morning sickness, a lot of people don't even know that they're pregnant at that stage. Some people don't get sick at all in pregnancy. Your spotting sounds like a breakthrough bleed or implantation and the slight cramping is more than like everything starting to stretch or could also be implantation. If you'd only had one mc they wouldn't necessarily see you as high risk unless there was a problem with your uterus or cervix so that'll be why they're not worried. Don't worry yourself, enjoy it :)

[eastegg]

Hi soon, we are at the same stage and the same hospital! I make myself 7 weeks tomorrow. Really sorry about your loss.

I'm anxious because sadly I lost my third baby (have 2 DSs) last year at 16 weeks.

So far I've just had a phone conversation with my GP as since this pg my surgery have started a new system whereby you call and they triage everybody with phone calls back from a GP . She just said she'd put everything in motion with Kings and I'd hear from them. Which makes sense but it's a bit weird that this is the pregnancy where I most feel like seeing someone face to face and that hasn't happened yet.

What I'm getting round to saying is that she said I would be offered an early scan, although I haven't had anything in the post yet. As it happens I don't think I'll take up the offer as I don't think I'd feel particularly reassured I have to say. So I was wondering if they would early scan you but maybe it's different after an early miscarriage, most people on here seem to think you'd have to pay and no doubt you'll find out if you're in the process of contacting Kings. Also I'm 42 that might have made a difference.

In the meantime stay strong and good luck! I know how you're feeling I think

[Seahawk80]

Hi soon I'm at kings too, so far they've been amazing. If you want an early reassurance scan I'd reccomend FMC on Harley st. We had one there as part of harmony test and previously one at my ultra baby and FMC was by far the best.

I can't believe anyone would say pretend you think you are miscarrying and go to the epu! I've had 2 scary bleeds with this pregnancy and both times was sick with worry and shaking before the scans, I was so glad that resource was there to help me. Can't believe anyone would abuse this and make people who are genuinely terrified wait longer