Scan you see it yet? Due in Jan 09

[fourlittlefeet]

Am keeping us in antinatal rather than in preganancy so newbies can find us! Have posted for tink on her thread.

x

Chefswife just read your post properly and know how you feel - we are in the process of buying our first house which is 300 miles away from where we currently live, and it is likely to be November before dh and I are actually both living there. In the meantime will have to manage period of dh commuting and me at parents, while sorting out baby stuff, getting in to healthcare system and sorting out the house. I know it will come together eventually but it will be a bit of a pain in the meantime.

Belly is out and proud - nowhere to hide now.

Hello to all the new ladies.

All those still having naseau - I hope it passes quickly.

My friend has recommended that I get a special belly seatbelt that I attache to my usual car seatbelt - bot sure if I would use it - any of you mums already used the seatbelt thing? Is it worth it?

i have never used a seatbelt thing

never used the seatbelt thing either - I just move the seatbelt forward a bit so it is below the bump once you have one and resting on your legs rather than where your waist would be - that will make more sense in about 3 months time . They sell those things on the basis that if you had an accident the pressure of the seatbelt could harm the baby - so as long as the belt isn't across your bump you should be fine. This early on the baby should be protected by your pelvis anyway.

Congratulations on all the good nuchal results - makes me slightly wished we had had one, but I know it wouldn't have been right for us.

Fourlittlefeet, I was put forward (from 10th to 18th) which I am so glad about for precisely the reason you mentioned -- but surely they can't induce you if you don't agree? Can't they check the placenta is still okay? This whole date thing seems like such a guessing game!

On a different subject, has anyone used bio-oil for stretch marks? I have them already, how unfair is that?! My boobs have practically doubled in size. I only have one depressingly practical bra that fits me -- really must go and get a couple more! Anyway, bio-oil claims to be some miracle substance, so I may as well give it a whirl.

I meant put back, not forward (I get really confused by this type of thing, all the time, not just when I am pg!)

Thanks for all the nice welcome messages.

My bump has definitely popped out this week (15+wks). Is everyone else eating like a complete pig? I think I'm eating for six, not 2 - sausage sandwiches are a definite fave at the moment and anything else really unhealthy.

I've got one of those car seat thingies, although i haven't dug it out of the loft yet. No idea how useful it is though, as I haven't had a crash to test it out (quite a relief really).

Hello

Went to the hospital this morning for a blood test and ended up seeing a midwife after the phlebotomist sorted it out! (I had been given an appointment for next month when i would have been 20 weeks which she didn't think was acceptable)

Not sure about bio-oil, I used that cocoa butter one last time round, but not sure it did any good!

I got a much later scan date than LMP date - 12 days - and am hopeful of avoiding induction - if I get there..

I had a phone call which I feared but didn't expect this morning. My combined test result came back and it's not great - 1:120 - so I'm being offered diagnostic tests and am feeling really anxious and upset at the moment. Most of it is age related - risk is 1:139 at 39 and 1:112 at 40 - I don't know if they factor in the months between birthdays (as I'll be 39 and 7 months at the end of January).

I've not been on here for a while but glad to see scans are going well and everyone is getting bumps!

Elkiedee - thats really difficult, do you have to decide whether to have further tests then? Stats and percentages of risk are just confusing - so they have just assessed your risk based on your age and the risk hasn't gone up any as a result of the blood tests? Hope your midwife is nice and can talk through it with you. I've not had my results yet and occasionally have a big panic about it as I don't know what I'd do about having amnio/CVS or whatever it is.

I've finally told everyone at work which is a big weight off my mind. I wish I'd done it earlier now - I've just had my Pregnant Workers Risk Assessment and have it in writing that:

'Iwouldgoouttonight has been advised that she must go and lie down in one of the bedrooms if she feels tired'!

Well, if I must...

No, the risk is slightly higher than on age alone, I think 1:120 instead of 1:139

mis jackson - have never used bio oil for stretchmarks i use avent cream is gr8
blot 4 i am definetly eating more 2
elkiedee sorry for results that must be hard

i have used the car seat bump belts for my last two pregancies and am using them again. its just for piece of mind and i have the extra worry of having two babies this time and the extra risks involved. it does a great job of positioning the belt on my legs rather than on the belly.

elkidee are you to late for the nuchal fold scan? there are no risks with that and it might lower your results.

oh elkie thats tough. hope they do talk you through it a bit. was that bloods together with nuchal, or bloods alone?

I use REN monoi nourishing oil last time and only got a couple of marks right on the ouside of my belly (suspect its where I didn't oil). Most articles say oils don't make any difference to stretch marks, but do really helps with the itching as it keeps your bump skin smooth (and lovely smelling!). Both my mum and sis got awful marks, though I suspect that was with second pregnancies. Personally I think its like any dieting/weight gain; if you do it slowly and in a controlled manner, your body should be ok and keep up. However with pregnancy you have growth spurts you can't do anything about. I had L at 38 weeks last time and apparently its the last few weeks that do the damage. Heigh ho.

Books, glad you feel the same about the dates. I get about it as I had a C/S last time and am desperate to have a vbac this time, but have no fecking chance if they induce me. we shall see.

Goodness! You all type so much! Thanks for all the welcomes
For ease, I am usually EPPM if that helps!

msSparkle I will probably want some tips from you about 2nd children and how to treat them.
I am worried about this one feeling 2nd best- even down to the fact that I'm stressing over their name- we had dd's name picked out years ago, before we even decided to marry or have children, and it is just so perfect. We haven't a clue this time round.... eek!

elkiedee thinking of you, and hope all goes well whatever you decide.

MissHairspray- we moved when I was 8 mo pg last time, though admittedly across the city, rather than 300 miles- you crazy lady

elkiedee am thinking of you. It must be so hard. Look after yourself. I hope your appointment comes through quickly for the tests to put your mind at rest. I was sure you said your nuchal measurement was fine - so has the risk gone up slightly based on your blood results?

FLF I am sure you are right about stretch marks - I had none until 38 weeks. DD was born at 40+2 and I got all of mine in the last 10 days or so. MissJackson the boob ones will fade almost completely ime. I also found that I went up a couple of bra sizes early on but then didn't really go up much more (apart from in my back when your ribs start to expand - lovely eh!) until after the birth.

Welcome EPPM - sorry, missed you earlier in amongst everything - these pg ladies in here can talk in case you couldn't tell!

Used both a bump belt and bio oil and would reccommend both!

elkie - if it were me I would have every test available, but you need to think through the consequences (i.e would you do anything if you found the baby had a problem...) hope all goes well and don't forget 1:120 means 120/121 babies who are absolutely fine. my friend had a 19:1 (i.e 19/20 chance the baby had a problem and he was and is absolutely fine....)

The "combined test" involves both nuchal fold and blood tests - I was told the nuchal fold isn't as reliable on its own and that it wasn't meaningful to tell me in isolation, though I did see the measurement on the form (1.9 mm).

The age risk is age at due date not age now, so I don't know if they only work on years or on months as well.

I think they will offer tests as soon as possible if I choose them, I think I'm going to talk to them on Monday (or possibly tomorrow but I may think about it over the weekend) - I'm away from home but staying at my mum's most of the next few days but overnight in a different town tomorrow. CVS can be done sooner. The problem is to make the decision(s) facing me. And I still don't know what I'd decide - I hadn't realised how much I want this baby until today.

elkiedee, i only had the nuchal scan as the bloods dont work with twins, mine were 1.4mm but my babies are smaller and i had it done at 12 weeks, the consultant was really happy with the result.
my age risk was at 33y11m 1:575 and 1:690 but ,the nuchal put me 1:2000 and 1:6000. there was a chart with the age risks on the wall. i found one here
www.wolfson.qmul.ac.uk/epm/screening/calcrisk.html
this also looks helpful
www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40001757/
i would decide if you will risk the amnio or cvs because there is a risk with them. i personally would be reluctant to have them if the results of the nuchal had been high risk. i do know someone who had a high risk score then an amnio and miscarried only to have the results come back normal. Also i know someone who had the nuchal and bloods and had a low risk result who had a downs baby.

ask to speak to a consultant to talk through the risks. i feel so sorry for you as its such a hard decision to make.

big hugs

Elkiedee, sorry to hear about your results it does seem confusing that the risk you've been given is so close to what you'd expect for your age anyway. On the positive side, 1:120 is still ever such a low risk, and you could read your results as the combined tests indicate no more than average risk for your age -- but of course I understand why you're worried. Hopefully the consultant will be able to clear things up for you.

I did read somewhere that CVS doesn't have a risk but not sure about that and I think the amnio risk is much lower now than it used to be, as their techniques have become more sophisticated.

Fingers crossed for you -- keep us updated.

Have had a bit of a scout around (I'm at work, not just sitting at my home computer at 1.30am!) and found this organisation who deal with antenatal test results --

www.arc-uk.org/

It seems that there is a risk with CVS.

Hope that website helps.

i think there is more of a risk with CVS
from the second link above
''0.5-1% excess miscarriage risk for amniocentesis; 1-2% for chorionic villus sampling''
so you have more chance of a miscarrage than having a downs baby.
i have a friend who is an older mum and a nurse consultant and she paid for the nuchal test. when we were talking about nuchals she said that when the consultant saw the nuchal fold measurement they said 'thats a great result you certainly dont have a problem'. so the nuchal is important, they often look for other markers such as a leaky heart and nasal bone. they will check the heart and nose again at the 20 week scan so you can see if there are other markers there.
remember that it is 1:120, i am sure someone on mumsnet a while back had a 1:17 or something like that.

Hi ladies

Elkiedee - I can understand your concern, you really need to speak to a consultant about your results. Keep us posted!

Special seatbelts - thanks ladies for all the advise, I think I will wait until I am a bit bigger before deciding whether I need one or not.

Missjackson - I am using Bio-Oil and the Clarins pregnancy oil as well as Mama Mio belly butter, at least if I do get stretchmarks I cannot beat myself up for not trying to prevent them! I have ued Bio-Oil before for healing a scar and it has practically dissapeared now.

Blot4 - I have my moments regarding wanting to eat like a pig. Last night I was craving chips and was adamant I was going to get a portion but when I got to the fish and chip shop and I went through all the food I had eaten that day I could not bring myself to go in and walked on by - what restraint!

Also have finally found a place on a NCT course int he area where I live - it is booked for November for 5 weeks.

Prams / buggies - I went into John Lewis yesterday to check out the prams. I love the look of the Bugaboo Chameleon ..... but nearly passed out at the price £629.00!!!!! Glug.

Sorry not fo 5 solid weeks but one morning a week for 5 weeks!

i don't know if you need more info Elkiedee, but just thought i'd add my thoughts.

my combined results can back low risk - however, my nuchal fold scan itself was very high risk, and i had to wait a week between that result (1:43) and the combined result (1:2100)

in other words, i had a week in your situation.. i decided that i would have taken the amnio if combined had come back high, not because i knew i wanted an abortion, but because i wanted to prepare for my baby if I knew that it had Down's.

I spent a lot of time on the Down's Syndrome Association website, which is amazingly helpful, and strangely reassuring. Can't explain why exactly, but it shows what a positive experience having a child with Down's syndrome really is..as well as a big challenge of course (but which parent can't say that about their child?)

You must be so stressed about this but i'd advise you to listen to your heart (and avoid the internet if you can, apart from this site!) - do you want to be more prepared for the baby if it is positive, or can you try to relax and wait for the outcome? God, what a position for any of us to be put in...

Either way, you'll get through the next few weeks - best of luck with it all..

By the way, in the grand scheme of things, you ARE low risk - it hasn't shifted from your age-related risk, but somehow that doesn't mean anything when it's you, does it?