support thread for women who are pregnant or TTC after a termination for abnormalities

[katiecubs]

Hi girls - i hope this becomes a useful area

Hi all, just popped in to say hello. Managed to wrestle phone off DH long enough to do so (laptop in for repairs leaves my phone as only Internet access. DDs iPod has been conviscated for being cheeky/rude - DD, not ipod).
Feel like I haven't been here for ages. Katie, I'm not sure if I even congratulated you on your big scan - if not, that's excellent news. And you have a bump now! I bet you're carrying really neat. Allstars & Numpty, how're your bumps going?

So close to Cant's little ones appearance. Left a quick note in the cottage next door, but I'll say it again - All the very best for you and your family this week Cant. We'll be thinking of you and waiting to hear an update. Hope you don't leave us hanging too long...

Hi Mimsy, from BrisVegas to Scotland! How long ago did you move? Is your man Scottish? And how did you go climatising? Do you ever visit Oz? So many questions. Well, I'm still down here, though if my 15yr dd had her way we'd probably be in the UK somewhere. A new free-to-air station here has lots of shows from the UK, and we watch Escape to the Country together. She just loves the old buildings and says she wants us to move there. For the past 18 years we have lived on the mid north coast of NSW. My mum, sisters etc are all still in Melbourne. We nearly went to Brisbane on Easter weekend in our search for a caravan but only made it as far as Coffs Harbour (still no van though). Do you miss us in Oz?
As for my MIL, she lives up here but one of her daughters is a nurse in Melbourne. That's why she goes there for treatment (& better treatment facilities). As part of her cancer treatment she's had a lobe of her lungs removed, chemo, radiation, and brain radiation in an effort to prevent it spreading to her brain (as many small cell lung cancers do). She's doing well. It was because she was always paranoid of lung cancer that she caught it early.

DH is hassling for phone. Think I've gone on long enough anyhow. Hello to everyone else and the very, very best of luck to those TTC xxxxx

Hello All

Checking in primarily to wish Cant all the luck and love in the world. The anxiety of the countdown is like nothing else I know and each minute feels like hours, so I do empathize. But soon you will be there. It will all be in the past and it will be so, so worth it. I really hope that you are able to enjoy aspects of it, it's important that you can, if you can. I was a gibbering wreck during the last days of the pregnancy, as we know. But I now look back on delivery etc as a golden, warm, happy time. Not sure if that is reality, or the drugging trick that mother nature plays on us all. I am so looking forward to congratulating you. And raising a glass of something naughty.

And to Numpty and Katie, the time will now speed up at an alarming rate. You both seem like incredibly relaxed women, I'm impressed. Talking of maternity clothes, I've just ceremoniously dispatched all of mine into a charity bag. Felt funny - a very obvious way of declaring that I am through with a certain time of my life. But I'm happy with that. I say all, but I've kept a rather lovely and rather too £££ wrap dress which I think I will continue to wear. Or keep for fat days - of which there are depressingly many.

Kittens, Little Poot and Mimsy - all good luck for this month. Sorry to hear about the BFN kittens, but just think how much more FA you will have got into your system by next month. I'm a big believer in finding the positives and my love of folic acid knows no bounds whatsoever. And Mimsy, Bris-Vegas sounds desperately glamorous - have no idea what it's really like, but in my mind it is more glam than Cardiff. (Not hard.)

And Mishtabel - hope Bella is going from strength to strength. I have a 2 month development check for DS this week. Its late - their fault, not mine. He is such an alert, happy little poppet that the fear that I thought I would have developed hasn't materialized just yet. He will have massive immunizations, though. That I don't look forward to one bit. Hi to Lins too, who is doubtless going through similar.

Otherwise, we are doing well. DH and I are having a spate of silly bickering over planning the christening. But as I've been typing this, I took myself back to this time last year. If you'd have told me then that DH and I would have been planning a ceremony to welcome our son to the world, I would have laughed out loud. And then probably said some not very nice words. So, I'm going to go find him, make it good and just get on. Some things are more important...

My love to you all - and everyone else who posts here. It's been sunny here this weekend, which is excellent for the morale. I hope it is with you, too. x

Hi all

Shangrila, you and Mishtabel and Lins have given us all so much hope... thank you. And good luck with the vaccinations. I recall me finding them worse than DD did! and glad DS is so clearly in bouncing health. How big was he when he was born; I can't remember?

Hi Mishtabel and Mimsy...

No time to say more now. Going to hospital tomorrow - scary stuff. Please think of me/us. Bezzy will update the sister thread so do check there.

Take care, all of you.

Hello all - and particularly GOOD LUCK to Cant - I can't believe it's tomorrow!! Will be thinking of you, hope it's all straightforward and that you get confidence in the support you receive. Look forward to Bezzy's update!

Shangrila, good to hear from you too - hope the immunisations go OK, and really glad to hear that your DS is getting on so well .

If I'm relaxed I think it's because I'm in that mid-way state, beyond the fears of scans and yet to face the unknown of what's ahead. I'm sure I'll get nervous nearer the time - particularly as there's also the logistics of who is going to look after DS, family (apart from BIL) all being around 250+ miles away. In-laws would have helped, but we only told them about the pregnancy at Christmas and FIL had bought cruise for him and MIL timed for early July. So I think the problem-solving is keeping my mind off anything else. Plus after my earlier worries about non-moving bump, bump is turning out to be very active which is reassuring. DS is starting to get the idea that there's something unusual about my tummy, often referring to Big Mummy (or Big Tummy) and that there's a baby in there - but then said he had a baby in his tummy too...

Katie - hope you are enjoying your little bump . I feel like I've been in maternity clothes for ages; today was the first day when I really wished I could be wearing something different like a dress or skirt because the weather was LOVELY, all the Glaswegians doing their best to get sun on their either pale or permatanned skin. Except me, as all I have are maternity trousers... When are you planning your move to Hove? I'm going to have to face up to moving out of our flat sometime after this baby arrives, really a family of 4 (plus cat) in a studio flat is pushing the boundaries a bit too far! But I think we'll give it a go for a few months longer if we can... I really hate that we'll have to move .

Mimsy - in the distant past when I actually cared for my window boxes (now looking very sad) I managed to grow lambs lettuce and herbs, worked quite well - it was really nice harvesting lettuce for salads from the window on a sunny day.

Love to everyone else I've not mentioned, must go get organised for work tomorrow. xx

A really quick message to say good luck to Cant - will be thinking of you today.
And a big hello to everyone else. I'm 34 weeks now and struggling through last few weeks at work, so haven't been online as much recently. Hope everyone has been enjoying the sunshine! K x

Hello all. Lovely to log on and hear some happy, sun-filled voices! I guess I wasn't the only one enjoying the weekend sunshine.

So excited for Can't! I'll be thinking of you, and I hope everything goes really quickly and smoothly!

And exciting for all the other bumps too. Katerina, I remember you so well from when I had my termination last year - you and BrightonGirl arrived on the thread just after I started lurking so your stories were the therapy I needed. So happy that you're nearly there now. Hope Mrs BG joins us soon.

We spent the whole weekend in the garden, which is really starting to take shape. Mimsy - I've got a pretty massive veg patch now (big meadow of a garden) so I'm currently growing: potatoes, garlic, shallots, onions, lettuce, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli, cauliflower, beetroot, peas, parsnips, asparagus and broad beans. Pumpkins, sweetcorn, courgettes, carrots and french beans to go in in the summer. Yes - I'm obsessed! This year we're trying to make the rest of the garden look a bit prettier, so I'm also branching out into flowers and shrubs. If it wasn't for my foul-mouthed neighbours, my garden would really be the best place in the world...

Anyway, I'm afraid I've succumbed to POAS so I'm ovulation kitted up to the max once more. Although I don't actually appear to be ovulating, so suspect this month isn't going to be the one. My friend rushed to the EPU for a scan at the weekend with stomach pains and bleeding but there's a 9 week old bundle with a heartbeat, so hopefully all is well. I am happy, but its definintely tinged with something less positive. Not that I don't want her to be pg, just that I want me to be too.

Better run - I'm meant to be working. Love to all and fingers crossed for an exciting week! x

Hello one and all ? I?m assuming Can?t probably won?t be reading but just wanted to say good luck!! Sending lots of positive thoughts your way, I hope everything runs and smoothly as it possibly can. I?m going to be waiting with anticipation for news on the other thread!

I hope everyone enjoyed the sun this weekend? I think it was pretty nice across the country anyway. I did lots of lounging in the garden and on the common and even managed to get a small patch of sunburn on my wrist which I was quite pleased about considering it seems to have been the longest winter ever!

Numpty I?m glad you are feeling more relaxed now, I guess I?m starting to feel more like that too now and the little one kicking away is helping with that. I hope you manage to get something sorted with the childcare I?m sure it will all work out well in the end. We are planning to move to Hove in June at some point and we have just had quite a promising offer on our flat so keep your fingers crossed for us with that!

Littlepoot i am dead jealous of your garden, it sounds amazing ? do you sell any of your veg? Re. The POAS I didn?t ovulate until I think around day 30 of my first cycle post TX and I imagine cycles can be pretty messed up after a miscarriage too so perhaps keep peeing anyway and see what happens? You may just be a little later than you thought. It?s quite an expensive habit I guess but you can get some real cheapies on eBay.

Mimsy lovely to hear from you, good luck with the TTC, Mishtabel glad to hear your MIL is doing well and I hope DD?s ipod starts behaving a little better ;-) Good luck with organising the christening Shangrila ? what a special day that will be xxx

Update from Bezzy on the other thread - Can't has had a wee girl !

That's such good news! Now, who is due to be next cab off the rank here??

Love to all xxx

I'd reckon it's Katerina or Allstars...? Then I'm due at end June, and Katie is in Aug. Hope I'm not missing anyone else out, brain a bit frazzled after work.

Just been on a rather long shoot today so I will read through and post properly when I'm more with it but just wanted to congratulate Cantdo. Lovely news, just brought a big smile to my face. So, can'tdo did do!

Blimey LittlePoot, you'll be able to open a greengrocers by the middle of summer!

We only have a little garden but I'm growing stuff in pots. It's all very trial and error though! We've got green and yellow courgettes, red pepper, 2 types of tomatoes, round carrots (I suspect I've put too many in one pot!) and we have some onions to plant but I'm not sure where to put them at the moment. Maybe at the front of the beds. Don't they grow little allium type flowers? We have lots of Alliums anyway so they may just blend in nicely with them. We usually grow loads of tomato plants with varying success depending on the summer. Needless to say last year they were all blighted due to all the rain. I do fancy growing some sweetcorn and some chillis too. We have rampant parsley, mint (for Mojitos during non pregnant time) and rosemary so far.

Goodness, so many green-fingered people here! All sounds very lush and nice, even though I know it's hard work. I'm a useless gardener: I do like looking at something more than just the window frame hence having the window boxes but I leave them to fend for themselves. My greatest success has been fleabane, which thrives on neglect...

Kittens - you sound like me with the gardening with yellow courgettes and round carrots. I'm a sucker for anything weird looking so I'm trying purple beans, stripey beetroot and blue leeks. I figure there's no point growing it if I could just go buy the same in the shops! And yes - it does sound like a lot, but not everything tends to work, so at least this way there's usually something to eat. Onions would go well in your flower bed, but you would need to pull them up before they flower if you want to eat them. Only one of mine last year tried to flower and I'm afraid I chopped it down....very mean I know! And I grow my chillis in pots - I've even got two spares if you want them?!

Work is very boring - I'd much rather talk about gardening. xxx

Yay Can'tdo!! Congratulations on your little girl

Most of my "gardening" involves me saying to my other half "can you dig a hole over there please so I can put this in it?" I'm a bit of a lightweight when it comes to digging. Happy to do pruning and choosing nice plants and shrubs though. I tried to grow chillis last year but I planted them out too early. Apparently they don't like the cold and last summer was pretty rubbish so I don't think they stood much of a chance. We've got lots of strawberries too. I forgot about those.

See, a week to wait 'til ovulation time. Nothing to talk about 'til the 2wk wait so talking about gardening and veg instead .

What OPK are you using LittlePoot? I'm on the internet cheapies until I've had enough cycles to be able to use the Persona I bought before my last pregnancy - that I never got to use because I got pregnant before I got the chance. Hoping that may be the case again this time! I used to think the internet cheapies didn't work because i was only getting a very feint line but I've since discovered that the feint line comes up for a couple of days, and then disappears for 2-3 days and then reappears as a proper bold line matching the test line for a couple of days a bit later. Do you think that's what's happening with you? Maybe that's why you think you're not ovulating?

Morning. Oh you're lucky kittens - I have to do all the digging! My other half doesn't mind digging a hole but can't stand weeding, and as our garden is a den of nettles and brambles, there's a whole lot of weeding to be done... Now strawberries - that's a good idea! I've never tried growing those. Veg and gardening are excellent ways to feel a bit productive during TTC time. At least I can get some things to grow successfully....

As for OPKs, I used up the end of a first response one I had from before and am now on cheapy tesco ones. I'm not getting any kind of a line so far though so either I randomly ovulated early before I started the sticks or else it'll be late (or not there at all). Never mind. Will just have to wait and see. We're off on holiday end of next week, so it might be better if I haven't got pregnant this month - a week on a boat without being allowed to take travel sickness tablets might not be the best plan....

Hope Katie's still enjoying the kicking (!) and all is well with everyone else. xxx

Strawberries are really easy but you'd better get them in asap as they come out quite early in the summer. Also, get quite a few plants. In previous years we've just had a couple of plants and have pretty much been able to eat one strawberry per day. We have 6 plants this time so I'm hoping we may be able to get a small bowlful at a time. You also have to put them somewhere the birdies won't eat them!

Excellent plan - think I'll do that. Fresh strawberries would be fab.

Ovulation news (I love how I think you'll be interested!) - typically, stick is now saying 'go', just when hubby is away until the weekend. Grrrrr! Oh, but it looks like I'll be needing root canal surgery so possibly best I get that out of the way beforehand. All in all it's not been my best day.... xxx

Oh no! It always seems to happen that way. Either one of you is away or it's the time when work's full on and you're both knackered. I'm sure a large proportion of babies are the result of an obligatory 5 minute quickie.

You're right though, best to get the root canal (ouch!) out of the way. I really ought to get to the dentist and get my teeth x-rayed whilst I'm waiting to get pregnant. I've been having toothache on and off since I was last pregnant after all! Keep putting it off.

A really quick note to say CONGRATULATIONS Cant. I bet she is gorgeous and I hope you are really enjoying that newborn smell. It is such a delicious scent and incredibly addictive!

I am not due off the cab rank until 31st July. So by my reckoning that makes Numpty next?

Things here in my life have eased somewhat. It is nice to put some space/time between events (as I am sure you all agree) and slowly move on. DH has kindly booked a holiday for us at the beginning of May for some last minute sunshine. I am really looking forward to doing nothing for a fortnight and making the most of some time away.

As for the greenfingered bunch on here. Now is the perfect time to start some sunflowers. They are incredibly rewarding and grow so quickly that you can see the change overnight. My allotment is always full of them in the summer as I try to only put in a few seeds but often end up putting in the whole pack. Still, at least the birds enjoy the seeds in the winter.

Sorry if I have missed anyone.

Hi Allstars, nice to hear from you. I'm glad you are feeling better and that you have a holiday to look forward to. We're hoping to go to France to stay with my mum at the beginning of June. Incidentally, the view opposite her house is a field of sunflowers as far as the eye can see so I know how lovely they look! I'm guessing they don't do so well in the shade though and the sunny side of the garden is all filled up - it's the shady side I'm still trying to fill. Being in Central London our garden is about the size of a postage stamp.

Hello lovely ladies. Hope everyone is well.

I've just had my follow-up appointment with the consultant so thought I'd share. No chromosomal abnormalities in this one and it was a little girl. The first one (who had Downs) was a little boy. I didn't want to find out the sex the first time, but somehow now I'm not so bothered. So it really does look like its just been a run of crappy luck. One of each sex and no pattern of chromosomal problems. I think you were right kittens - it does feel better this way (that there aren't chromosomal abnormalities in the one that I miscarried). At least we know we can make 'normal' ones. Now we just have to work on putting all that together to make a 'normal' one and get it to stick.

Hope all bumps are coming along well and that little miss can't is getting used to the outside world. Peanuthead - we haven't heard anything from you in ages. I hope you're 'ok'. xxx

That's good news LittlePoot. Makes the perseverance that bit easier doesn't it?

It does, doesn't it. I didn't think it would make any difference what the result was, given that most miscarriages are due to chromosomal problems anyway, but I do seem to feel a lot less like I've got a problem and more positive that the next one really is likely to be ok. We're off on holiday on Friday (volcano permitting!) so I guess I'd better not take any travel sickness tablets (anti-histimines) or get food poisoning until I'm sure whether I'm pregnant this month! Not the best timing, but it would make for an exciting trip. When's your next deadline date kittens? x