The maybies are in the second trimester and (hopefully) entering the blooming phase just in time for a cozy Christmas. Thread no 5?!

[mumof2aimingfor4]

Lets scoff the mince pies and christmas cake, the belly is all baby......honest!

Stats page: docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvygwA-EKhURdDMwQWNNWGt0cHhmVkloazVVQ0hYNUE#gid=0

Size of baby: m.thebump.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-tools/articles/how-big-is-baby.aspx?MsdVisit=1

Pixie we're scan buddies! Mine is at around 9... I need to find the letter, I've managed to lose it

High level of white blood cells at the doctors this morning so they've sent it away. TMI ALERT, I also have thrush, which is absolutely lovely I got swabbed... I felt violated afterwards it was quite painful too! Pregnancy is full of delightful surprises

Thistle Braxton hicks feels like a tightening across your tummy. It can be painless. Mine were last time around. Or they can feel sore.

I had a routine checkup with my mw yesterday and was very glad of it. The braxton hicks never let up the whole day (10 mins apart) and they were exactly the same as when I was in labor with DD2. Very painful. She got the doc to check me and he referred me for an ultrasound in the xray lab as the pain was on top of my bump. Nothing strange was found so they thought that either I has a tummy bug and it was making the womb react or it was brax hicks. either way I was told to rest and stop lifting heavy things. I am guilty of lifting the dds all the time and basically just acting like I'm not pregnant. Time for that to stop. The contractions finally stopped this morning and I am doing NOTHING!

Baby is fine and no leakage so I am just going to be more careful from now on. Fingers crossed that they don't return, or at least that intensely.

Randomm I'm quite the opposite. Maybe it is my head in the sand but I always think the baby is fine.

Twin to twin transfusion is basically where the blood vessels connecting the twins are a bit uneven and one drains some blood from the other. This means one twin has too much blood, and the other doesn't have enough, and both can be dangerous. If it's not treated neither will survive.
I went to London on Tuesday and firstly I had 2 external ultrasounds and one internal ultrasound. Each one lasted about half an hour. Then I was given an antibiotic and I had a cannula put in. Finally at about 5 o'clock I went in for the operation. I had a local anaesthetic in my abdomen, and a small tube inserted next to my belly button, into the larger twin's sac. They put a camera and a laser down the tube, and used the laser to destroy the connecting blood cells. They then drained some of the fluid out.
Unfortunately, I have really strong muscles in my abdomen, so the tube ended up breaking inside me, and it really really hurt. I was actually crying with the pain. After the operation I had to lay down for half an hour, then they scanned me again and were happy with the results, so they sent me home.

Alyss that is great that they were happy with how it went.

I can't imagine the pain and worry you were going through. Sounds terrible.
Fingers crossed that it will be plainer sailing from now for you and the twins.

Alyss that operation sounds awful. Thankfully it's finished. Did they let you know when you will find out if it was successful?

Good luck for the scan tomorrow Pixie and Moomin. Mine is Friday. Can't wait.

So glad it has been successful alyss sorry to hear it hurt so much though. Rest and recover well xx

So good to hear they were happy with the results alyss. Really hope you have a speedy recovery & sail through the rest of your pregnancy.

I totally agree with the name change idea - we are no longer maybies!! I think this thread has had more than it's fair share of bad luck!

Good luck to moomin, pixie & anyone else having their scan tomorrow.

I am absolutely exhausted after a long parents evening tonight, can't wait for the end of term! I definitely get more tired than normal & over the last couple of days I have really been craving a cup of tea!! So odd as I haven't drunk caffeine in about a year.

Sounds like quite an ordeal Alyss but glad they were happy with the results.

Sorry to hear you've had a scare Fright but glad all is ok.

Just checking in...what a week on this thread. Thinking of all those having a tough time. Makes me feel very very lucky that so far all is ok for me..I have a lot to be thankful for.

I've had a few tricky conversations with people (family mainly) who seem obsessed with us having a girl (we have a son already). My MIL said 'would you be really disappointed if it's another boy?'...given the losses and heartbreak experienced here I just can't help myself but to snap back ' no, I just want a healthy baby...why, would it disappoint you??' We already know that we are having another son but I just can't get round to telling the family as they seem to all have these expectations (hopes??!!) that we might have a girl. Argh. Anyway, I am feeling peed off with it but just happy that I can feel my little boy wriggling around in there :)

Just to lighten the mood, it was our sons nativity this morning. He was Sheep4 and I was so proud of how well he did with his lines...it was ace. I'm so emo though I nearly cried!!

Lots of lovely baby names suggested. We are thinking Max Louis but it could change!! 20 week scan on Xmas eve so looking forward to seeing him again...exciting.

Take care all xx may the force be with us :)

Thanks ladies for the GTT responses.

That's the spirit, choppa. People can get wrapped up in these things just because it's a nice binary variable to focus on: girl or boy. And some odd idea that males and females are the main way to have a balanced family. The people who are closest to the situation (you and your OH) are the ones with real perspective here, as you realise that healthy and happy is the most important thing for him/her, and you, to be. Thank goodness we also have other pregnant ladies to share that view with!

So glad to hear Alyss and others are doing better.

Have spent the afternoon/evening in a&e having been sent there by my GP for a hr of 130. I have had a few runs of palpitations. Have now stopped. Tracing of the heart was normal. Will be rung with thyroid blood results tomorrow. Completely exhausted. They think what I was interpreting as anxiety was actually my heart racing due to another reason....

hi, not posted for a long time and namechanged too (was roses). Have read all the bad news though, that's one of the reasons I haven't posted as I've just had DS2's one year anniversary of TFMR. Found it very odd as I had an early anomaly scan the same week and we discovered we have an apparently healthy girl this time. That was the week after my other consultant agreeing to elcs immediately having read my (extensive) notes from DS1's (traumatic) birth. So seeing both consultants in itself was quite emotional. Both have taken a while to get my head round and threw up some really negative emotions again. I am still paranoid that something will go wrong though really my odds are the same as most people, and it is very odd knowing the exact day to expect her arrival (end of April) so she won't really be a maybaby!

Choppa the attitude of people has really annoyed me, and I am (apparently) having the seemingly magical boy then girl pair- 'isn't that lovely, you'll have one of each blah blah blah'. After 4mc and a TFMR we didn't really care which we got- the news that there's no apparent NTD and a viable fetus was the far greater result of my anomaly scan, strangely enough...

In the meantime, glad Alyss that the procedure seems to be successful. Hopefully there'll be more positive news after scans tomorrow :)

I am so nervous. Don't care if it's a boy or a girl, as long as it's healthy, but me being me I've managed to convince myself there will be something wrong. I wish I was one of those people who could enjoy pregnancy and the scans and appointments that come with it doubt I'll ever be able to if this is anything to go by.

Good luck today all being scanned!

Lovely to hear from you Blanket. Sorry you've had a tough time. Hope you are feeling better now and congratulations on having a little girl. Lovely news.

What a roller coaster week to catch up on, glad things are looking better for you Alyss and mumof2.

Good luck to those withs scans over the next few days. 19 weeks tomorrow, can't believe how fast this is going - we WILL all be holding our beautiful babies in no time at all :)

I know it's so hard but the best thing we can do is just stay positive and to continue to support each other. Lots of love to you all xx

Ali I'm 19 weeks tomorrow too - thankfully these last few weeks since week 12 have went much quicker than the first 12!

Moomin it's normal to be worried about scans and things going wrong. There's so much information out there about everything that can go wrong, and when you want your baby so much, it's not unusual to fear the worst. I'm sure everything is fine though - I can't wait to hear how your scan went and see pics!

blanket congratulations on your daughter! Ignore everyone else. There's something about being pregnant that turns everyone else into insensitive fuckers! Hopefully you can relax and enjoy the rest of this crazy journey - sorry you've had such a tough time before x

alyss that operation sounds horrendous, but thank jeebus it's over and I'm glad things are looking up! Just take it easy and order your dh about ;-)

I hope littlebairn is doing okay. I keep thinking of her. I hope she has lots of real life support.

Everyone else, my brain hasn't got the capacity to remember more names. Hope we're all doing well. 19 weeks tomorrow and I have a vay vay posh work do on Saturday so I look ridiculous and pregnant in an evening dress. Ah well. Hopefully everyone else will be too drunk to notice!

Can't wait to see the scan news and pics coming in... Mine isn't for another week and a day. I am chomping at the bit to find out the sex! DH wouldn't let me book a private one, the arse! Told us to just wait. I kinda hope the baby doesn't let us see and we have to book a private one to find out anyway, that'll learn him not to let me get my own way!

May the force be with us!

Very healthy team yellow baby :D

Team yellow??

We've decided on a surprise :)

Glad to hear everything went well! Post the pics when you get a chance! I love scan pics.

Moomin Congratulations on team yellow!

Good luck to everyone else having theirs. x

Finally got my appointment through, 30 Dec, not long to wait. x

Blanket what is tmfr? Congrats on having a little girl - yay another member of team pink! :)

We've got our 20 week scan on 23rd. I can't believe that will then be the last scan we have throughout pregnancy. The next time we see our little girl after that will be when she is born!!!

Ooh team yellow moomin! Congrats, glad all is well with your little one!

Congrats on scan moomin! What made you decide not to find out in the end (not that I'm judging - we've decided not to find out but I keep imagining changing my mind next week and begging DH at the last minute for us to find out! )

Sorry to hear you've been having a tough time blanket. Also to randdom - hope you're feeling better now and they get to the bottom of it. I've had palpitations a couple of times last week - I previously had them quite badly a few years back and got told to cut out caffeine, which appeared to fix it - not nice getting that feeling again though, and not a lot I can do since I'm on virtually no caffeine already!

Good luck to all those due scans soon. Mine is next Friday (same as a few others it seems).

Team blue for us! Unfortunately the scan wasn't perfect. Two sonographers checked me and neither were happy so I'm having a further scan with a fetal medicine consultant next week. I won't go into details about the problem until then, as the sonographers said they're really unsure and it could just be that the baby's got himself into an awkward position! Feeling rather wobbly now