Due in June 08 - the rollercoaster continues...

[debinaustria]

Morning everyone

Hope you're all OK today

Deb

Welcome hedgehog - and snap on the due dates! You must be really excited, congratulations.

[shuffles up to make room on the sofa]

take a seat - make yourself comfy.

Morning everyone
Im glad the weekend is over I did far too much.
DS had a great day yesterday though not that he did much on his actual b'day.
Also trying to potty train DD who refuses point blank to sit on her potty grrr!
only 2 weeks to go how exciting

Welcome Hedgehog you must be over the moon, after 5years of trying I dont know how you coped with that. Glad you have joined the gan anyway.

must go and do something productive!

Oh keep meaning to ask has anyone started with the nose bleeds yet? mine is starting and I hate it, I suffered from terrible bleeds when a child and they fixed my nose, but when im preg it sets it off again.

Sophie the guests were a mixed bunch - a group from Prague who I said they could make a drink in the b+b kitchen and they proceeded to cook a meal!The others - English from Germany were really nice and we went skiing with them yesterday, well I didn't ski, just watched and enjoyed my lunch out.They are coming back to us in March for a week and were really happy with all the bits I'd put out for their boys.

So now it's back to decorating - yippee

Hello everyone,
Seems like ages since I have been on here, I was out of the office all last week (although of course I don't spend all my work time on the net, hmmm!) so didn't get chance to log on. Sounds like you are all still having lots of ups and downs. Littlemy I hope you get some good news this week.

I finally got a date for my scan, it is on the 19th but I'm really wishing it was earlier. Still feeling a distinct lack of symptoms and am starting to stress about the fact my tummy hasn't changed shape at all (apart from biscuit related growth). Plus went to my work christmas do on friday and got a lot of questioning about why I wasn't drinking, was I pregnant and I am rubbish at lying, apparently now rumours are flying around, great. The thing is I am dying to tell everyone but have become paranoid about telling them before I have the scan and know it is OK.

Hope everyone else is having a nice day, I am trying to get up the enthusiasm for going and doing some christmas shopping during my lunch break while it isn't raining but the thought of battling round busy town is putting me off.

Wish us luck tonight, we are trying DD in a big bed for the first time. Fingers crossed.

Ktpie - So rumours are flying now!!Hope time passes very quickly for you until the 19th!!

Sophie - good luck, it wasn't too bad when we put the boys in their big beds, it took them a couple of nights to realise they could get out on their own!!

welcome Hedgehog, so great that you are here, and good luck for your scan

Sophie, good luck with the big bed. Ds just started sleeping in his big bed for nap times. How long should I wait before I put him to bed at nightime in it? Have you got bars around the bed or au naturel?

Good night all.

xx
Upside

Thanks for all your support I wish I had found this site earlier then I might be a bit more confident about tomorrow but despite being assured by various well meaning friends and family that if you can't keep food down you are still pregnant I still worry that it is all a phantom.
But was wondering if any1 can help me out. This evening I have a mild stitch/twinge pain running across my tummy - the book says that it is just my ligaments etc stretching, is this anything to be worried about?
Will let you know how things go tomorrow
Sleep well

Good luck for your scan today hedgehog, I wouldn't worry about the pain - does sound like ligaments stretching or sometimes you get a little stomach spasm. All nothing to worry about.

When I was expecting ds#1 we didn't get a scan until 20 weeks, so I was pretty big by then , feeling movements etc and still on the way to the hospital I said to dh - maybe it's just trapped wind and there'll be no baby there!!Obviously there was and he's now 7 years old!!But I just wanted to reassure you that everyone has the same worries and it doesn't get easier in your 3rd pregnancy.

Hope everyone else is OK - Littlemy when are you expecting your results - was it today?Good luck

hedgehog1979 congratulations!!! I just relaised that I don't have ligament stretching pain anymore but I'm nearly 16 weeks and it only stopped a few days ago. It is very normal. Good luck with your scan. I'm looking forward to mine tommorow.

Good luck with your scan today Hedgehog - you'll never forget seeing your bub for the first time and it does make it all seem real.

We've got our appointment with the consultant tomorrow to chat through our options with regards to the CVS or Amnio. The good news (I think) is that they have provisionally booked us in for Monday for the CVS so at least if we decide to have it done then it will be happening quickly. I was a bit worried that with it coming up to Christmas we would struggle to get appointments. I had a lovely midwife call me yesterday to chat through what will happen at tomorrows appointment and also answer some of our questions. It feels better knowing we've got the appointments booked but I still spent all night tossing and turning worrying about it all.

Anyway, I hope everyone else is well. It's a gorgeous day here, cold but blue skies and sunshine which is lovely after all the rain and storms we've had lately.

Josie - good luck with your appointment/tests.

Littlemy - I hope you get reassuring test results today.

Hedgehog - welcome . You must be so thrilled to be pregnant. Good luck with your scan.

Just checking to see if there's any news.

Littlemy - hope did you get on?

Hedgehog - how was the scan?

Josie - good luck for tomorrow

Just wanted to say hi.

Am due on 7 June (was 24 May but they changed the date on seeing the first scan). Have a 14 month old ds who is too young to work out why I don't really like him sitting on my stomach. Am working full time - much more restful than being at home because at least I can sit down all day rather than chase after DS and carry him up and down stairs.

Don't you find it weird (those with kids) that although you've been through pregnancy before, you forget all the strange symptoms and things that happen to your body. I think I was much more informed first time round (mumsnet was a great source of info).

So the preliminary results just came in from our CVS (I had to phone them, of course!) and they have excluded Down's Syndrome, Edward's and Patau's Syndrome. We have to wait for final final final results, but the preliminary ones are almost always accurate, apparently.

Phew!

We still have to have the specialist heart scan, but apparently if that is normal and our 20 week scan is normal, we should have the same chance of a healthy baby as any other couple our age.

josie57 good luck with your tests - the CVS is uncomfortable but not too bad and in my opinion it's worth it to know. hope it goes well for you.

LittleMintSpy - a quick question. What prompted you to have the CVS - was it becuase of a low nuchal rating or were you just making sure. I have had a nightmare weekend trying to decide whether to go for additional testing or not - my rating was 1 in 600 and felt reassured that that 'score' was good enough to wait until the 20 week scan. If it's too personal, don't worry, but was just interested.

That's wonderful news for you littlemintspy. I am so pleased that has to be the best christmas present you could have. I've also heard that there is a very high accuracy rate on the prelim tests so I think you can rest easy.

So how uncomfortable was the CVS. Could you see the needle going in on the screen? How far away from the baby were they? Did you get cramps afterwards, did you bleed much? How soon did you feel back to normal? Sorry for so many questions but it's nice to talk to someone who has been through it.

I'm still smiling at your result!!!

mellymell - I think you have to weigh up the risks of miscarriage with CVS and the rating you have been given. 1:600 is pretty good. They don't recommend CVS or amnio for anyone under 1:300. We have a 1:89 risk and we are seriously considering the CVS but if I had a score of 1:300 I probably wouldn't. At the end of the day it is down to you and whether you will spend the rest of your time worrying. Probably best to discuss it with your midwife, I have found that the midwives at the foetal unit where they do the testing are really informative and very kind and caring. I think they have more counselling training so are able to handle people's worries a bit more plus they know more about the testing and risks etc than your community midwife will.

Great news! So pleased for you.

Thanks Josie57 for your comment. I spoke to the fetal unit - they mentioned the blood test you can have in combo with the nuchal test, and I found out I had missed the cut off by 2 days, so got in a complete panic and was about to sign up for an amnio. As you said, I have since returned to earth and discussed it sensibly and rationally with the fetal unit midwife. You sound a lot more sensible than me, so good luck with your decision.

LittleMintSpy - ignore my nosy question and I am glad that the CVS test came out well for you.

Hello josie57 and mellymell [waves happily]

So yes, it is the most fantastic Christmas present, even though we still have the heart scan to go it's a huge hurdle to have got past.

mellymell - our decision to have the CVS was based on a 1:24 risk of Down's and 1:71 of Edward's/Patau's, as our nuchal fold measurement was 4.8mm (normal is under 3mm). We felt we didn't know whether we would terminate if there was a problem, but we wanted to have all the information before we made any decisions. With DS1 we had a risk factor of much less - something around 1:700 I think? and we didn't have a CVS. If you think about it, a 1:600 chance means that you have a 1/6th of a percent chance of having a baby with Down's Syndrome, so that's really tiny odds. Only you can make the decision whether to go for invasive testing, but given that the mc rate for CVs is between 1 and 2%, you have a much higher chance of losing a healthy baby through having a CVS than you have of there being any problems. If you see what I mean.

josie57 - the CVS was no worse than a smear test. He gave me some local, which was like a sharp scratch, and then there was some pushing when he put the needle in, but no pain. When he put it in the last mm or two there was like a sharp jabbing right down inside my tummy, but only for a split second, and more of an 'Oh!' pain than an 'AAAahhh!' pain if you see what I mean. It was all over very quickly!

The needle goes nowhere near the baby as they go in from outside the uterus directly into the placenta - the baby is safely on the other side of the placenta so there's no chance of touching them.

No bleeding, no cramps - a bit of pain like someone had poked me really hard in stomach (which they had!) and a tiny bruise. But honestly not much. I took it easy for 48 hours but there's only so long a 19 month old will let you go without picking him up!

Hope this helps with your decisions

No problem mellymell - we're pregnant and within our rights to be slightly irrational, paranoid and every other emotion under the sun. I'm glad you found someone useful to speak to at the foetal unit it makes such a difference. I wish I could be sensible all the time but these days I seem to keep taking my sensible hat off and forgetting where I have left it!

I also have a 15 month old who doesn't understand that he can't sit on my belly, kick me in the belly etc. It's going to be interesting with two

waves hello - back from UK last night.

LittleMintSpy34, glad you results are so good.

Josie57, best of luck with your decision.

I'll be glad when this pg is over. I'm feeling better in terms of tiredness, tho flying with 3 little kids yesterday was hard work and not bloody well looking forward to having to drive to Milan on Thursday night and back again on Sunday, sigh

Fab news, LIttlemintspy, I am smiling so much for you.

Josie, good luck with your decision.

How was your scan, Hedgehog?

Hi Mellymel, welcome.

Hi ernest, glad you're back. I hope the service was OK. I'm sorry the flight was such a pain. How long is the drive to Milan?

My MIL had her mastectomy yesterday and came home lunchtime today Chicago time. She's doing fine.

Just thought - what if they move my due date out of June at my scan on Thursday? I'll have to go and find new friends!

weekend was pretty shit for lots of reasons, too many to go into.

The boys were great but it's a long journey. Drive to Milan is likely to be about 5 hours, trouble is, there are 3 or 4 traffic black spots, like gotthard tunnel (about 17 km long) which are totally unavoidable, so can really get held up, and I have to work on Thursday pm so can't even set off till about 5pm when I'll already be tired. moan moan. Alternative is getting up really early, having the 5 hour drive with boys cooped up in car all morning, then expecting them to be well behaved in interview in potential new school with very little break in between arrival in Milan and school visit.