I had a stressful time at the start of this pregnancy, falling pregnant on the mini pill not long after a missed miscarriage (i took the pill perfectly, so it was a shock), but we were happy because we'd always secretly longed for a third child, but never had the guts to just go for it. I then had a big bleed at about 8 weeks and totally convinced I'd miscarried (to the point where I didn't speak to a doctor or have a scan, it was exactly like my previous miscarriage, so I had no reason to doubt).. roll on a few weeks later and pregnancy tests still positive- finally get a scan 7 weeks after what I thought was my miscarriage to discover I was in fact 15 weeks pregnant and there was a healthily developing baby with nothing on the scan to indicate why the huge bleed occurred.
So, the pregnancy started off from quite a stressful place. I'm 38, so was also stressed about that. I already have two healthy daughters, who I gave birth to in my late twenties. Am I too old this time? Am I pushing my luck? Will the baby be OK? Despite the fact that my screening test (quad test, was too late for the nuchal fold) was a nice low risk result, I still can't help worrying. Someone told me that these blood tests are more accurate in older women because you start off at a disadvantage just based on age alone. Apparently most older Mums get high risk result on quad test, so my low risk result is hopeful, I'm thinking.
And I'm worried about the birth now too- who will look after the girls when I go into labour? I've got a list of my daughters friends Mums who've said they'll babysit, but none close enough to knock on their doors at 2am(have lived here 5 years, so they're friends, but not very close friends)...husband works in London, so takes him at least an hour to get back home. I just hope I go into labour overnight, and the contractions build up gradually over several hours as happened the last two times! My Mother, who lives 250 miles away, has offered to come down and stay from 39 weeks on (my girls were born at 39 weeks) which is quite reassuring, but at the same time has the potential to drive me insane; my Mother being there at what is one of the most stressful, intense times.. recipe for disaster, or should I just relinquish a bit of control and let her help me? Hopefully I won't go overdue because that would entail her staying with us for at least a fortnight- arrrgghhhhhhh, I need a drink, (but can't have one for another few weeks!) .. I won't mention the fact that I can't sleep, have hip pain, mild SPD, constipation and a tendency to burst into tears at the slightest thing. I thought pregnancy was supposed to be all wonderfully natural and instinctive? And I won't mention that, despite having a textbook straightforward (but painful as hell) birth last time, I'm petrified of giving birth again.
Tell me I'm not the only one to have these worries!