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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

How do you know everything's ok?

52 replies

BraveLilBear · 30/01/2013 17:41

Having a momentary wobble. I'm 15+2 by scan, probably less in reality.

Sickness has eased up (yay!), feeling less tired (also good), but don't yet have any bump, haven't put much weight on (thanks to sickness) and can't yet feel movement.

How do you know everything's ok? I have my 16week check on Monday, but apparently some midwives refuse to check heartbeat in case it's hard to find, thus causing panic.

I have no 'bad' symptoms, and don't have any feeling of dread, but I am worrying a bit. Anything I can do to reassure myself?

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NoTeaForMe · 30/01/2013 18:17

Unfortunately you're in the bit where you don't know everything is alright. You just have to trust that it is. Once you start feeling the baby move you'll know then. Heartbeats can be hard to hear at 16 weeks, if she looks and can't find it it can be more worrying than not looking at all.

Sorry but you'll just have to wait for kicks etc.

HavingALittleFaithBaby · 30/01/2013 20:40

I just had to trust that no big changes (feeling ok-ish, no bleeding etc) meant everything was ok. My midwife did find the heartbeat at my 16 week appointment but you're right, you can't bank on them doing it. I did start to feel fluttery movements about 18 weeks which helped and felt massively reassured after my 20 week scan. Nothing like seeing it wriggle on screen again and them say that it all looks healthy! By then, you start to feel proper kicks as well. You just need to hang in there.

duende · 30/01/2013 20:55

I have a fetal Doppler, this one here angel sound

I'm only 14 weeks but have managed to find the heart beat two days ago.

Teapot13 · 30/01/2013 21:23

Unfortunately you will never know everything is OK. My PFB is 3 and I still stand outside her room listening for the deep, regular breaths in the night. Don't know what I'll do when she starts going out with friends!

Personally I never used a fetal doppler because (first) my consultant told me he likes to use ultrasound because it can take him a long time to find the heartbeat with the Doppler, and it upsets the patients. I would probably put myself in a total panic. The second reason is that there have been some sad stories in the news of women being falsely reassured by finding what they thought was the fetal heartbeat when they had symptoms they should have had checked. I don't have any medical training so I think I'm better off not using one. Just my view.

mylittlemonkey · 30/01/2013 21:31

My MW did always check babys heartbeat at all my appts after 16 weeks and if you are especially anxious I am sure she would do few extra appts for you if you asked. The reason they only have the 2 scans is that after you have seen a good healthy scan at 12 weeks the chances everything is ok is very high so take some reassurance from that.

phoenixrose314 · 31/01/2013 06:45

Have faith.

The bit between 12 week scan and feeling movement is always the scariest. Just trust that you are being a good home for your little one - and in my experience please don't buy a Doppler until at least 20 weeks as if you can't find the heartbeat (due to bad position of baby or placenta in the way) can make you feel even more worried.

lljkk · 31/01/2013 07:17

Just know you've done everything in your power to make sure everything's okay. I'm afraid all of life is like that, you can only do what you can do. It's bad for you to worry about stuff that is too difficult to control, so it is okay to let yourself have faith it will all be okay.

wanderingalbatross · 31/01/2013 08:24

I think that once you've seen the heartbeat at the 12 week scan you have to trust that the chances of anything going wrong with the pregnancy are slim. I'm in the same period with DC2, and it is a long wait for reassurance, but this is the 'safest' part of pregnancy. Also, the worry doesn't stop when you hear the heartbeat, or when the baby is born (and probably not even when they leave home at 18!).

Original poster

BraveLilBear · 31/01/2013 10:39

Thanks all - will just sit and wait and try not to think about it in the meantime! I had a similar flirtation with worry/doubt about 7 weeks in that baby helpfully responded to with the onset of full sickness

I honestly don't know how they managed all the waiting before scans were commonplace!

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HJBeans · 31/01/2013 18:34

Hi brave. [waves] I know just how you feel. Only had my 12 week scan last week when I was 13w2 and in less than a week have already had my first 'of course this won't work out' wobble. Nothing to cause it, just fatalism which I'm sure for me is down to my m/c history.

My friend has a doppler i coukd borrow, but think I won't for reasons folks have stated above and because I think I could become obsessive with it and it would probably cause more worry in the long wrong. Since my wobbles are becoming less frequent, I figure there's no point giving myself a way to check in daily.

However, I've pretty much decided to go for an extra scan privately at about 16-17 weeks - it will break the wait till the anomaly scan and now that I'm finally starting to bond a bit with the idea of having a baby, I'd like to be able to stop calling it 'it'. 2-3 weeks seems a doable time to tell myself to have faith all's well and a month and a half just doesn't.

Hope we'll both start feeling kicks sooner rather than later.

Kafri · 31/01/2013 18:55

it's the nature of pregnancy - you worry.

i worried an hour after an appointment that something might have happened especially in the early days when you cant feel anything yet.

but then when i could feel things, i worried if i hadn't felt anything for a while

ironically enough - i worried right the way through and everything was fine then the day I went into labour i had an appointment with my consultant booked in the afternoon. apart from labour pains i felt fine and dandy but when she checked my BP it was through the roof and she sent me straight to labour ward to be admitted!

if you are EVER unsure, just speak to your midwife - my local day unit at the maternity hospital always told me they'd rather see me every day and tell me everything was fine than not see me and risk it not being.

Hope all goes well for the rest of your pregnancy - I now have a VERY VERY colicky 6 week old with a fabulous set of lungs on him!

Jollyb · 31/01/2013 19:02

Brave I'm in the limbo period too at 14 + 5. I've had 5 scans so far this pregnancy (bleeding and 12 week scan) and this is the longest I've gone without a scan.

I'm trying to stay calm by reminding myself of the statistics. I'm also bulging over my jeans which I'm taking to be a good sign. I'm not going to buy a Doppler as I think I could become a bit obsessed by it. Like beans I have booked an extra private scan at 17 weeks - I'm going overseas shortly after and am keen to know all is well before I go.

curlyclaz13 · 31/01/2013 19:54

I was going to ask the same I think worry is part of being pregnant and then a parent ! I am 21 + 4 have no noticable bump and haven't felt him move but the scan was perfect two weeks ago and guidelines say not to worry until 24 weeks about movement. just try not to worry which is easier said than done !

Original poster

BraveLilBear · 01/02/2013 12:06

Hi Beans and Jolly

I'm kind of glad I'm not the only one, although it is unsettling, isn't it! Have been taking enormous comfort from twinges - bizarre as they can be a bit sharp and stabby - all day yesterday, and also from the fact that my work trousers still appear to be getting tighter.

I think me and doppler would be a recipe for anxious disaster so will probably avoid (she says), so just trying to distract myself. As my other half said last night, the chance of something going wrong after seeing heartbeat at 12wk scan is 1% or less. Yes, some people will be in that 1%, but most people will be in the 99%. There's nothing you can do either way, so just assume yo're in the 99% and don't think about it.

Luck and calm thoughts to all x

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HJBeans · 01/02/2013 12:24

Had nearly exactly the same conversation with my husband, bear, last night when broaching the subject of the extra scan. He found it hard to understand why I didn't sit back and assume I was in the 99% since there was nothing I could do about it one way or the other.

Explained it was a struggle at times to avoid irrational dread and that, for me, getting reassurance every three weeks or so until I could feel movements was worth the outlay. So I'm going for the extra scan and he's agreed to come along, the sweetheart, even though he finds scans 'icky'. Bless him.

Calm thoughts right back at you.

marushka82 · 04/02/2013 14:38

Hi Brave,

I know exactly how you feel!
I'm almost 16 weeks and started to worry just today that something is wrong. Not even sure why, since the 12 week scan and screening test were all good, I guess I was always worrying about everything in advance so nothing's changed now! :)

the main reason I'm worried is because I feel really well (stupid, right? Everyone says I should be happy I didn't have any problems since the beginning, no morning sickness, metallic taste, fainting, nothing)... eh.

I have to say that finding this message board made me feel a lot better - nice to know I'm not the only one!
Let's try not to worry then and wait patiently! When's your 20wk scan? Mine's on 28 Feb.

Oh and btw, this is my first post here! So hi! :D

Original poster

BraveLilBear · 04/02/2013 15:16

Hi and welcome Marushka - to Mumsnet and the 2nd Trimester Worry Stretch!

I actually just got back from my 16 week appointment and the midwife found the heartbeat which was amazing could also feel it kicking the doppler, which I found an incredible relief as I'd already had to say I hadn't felt any movements yet (which she said was fine).

I'm also feeling better and better each day, hence the random worry, but feel much more reassured now.

Hopefully the next four-week wait (til 20 week scan on March 5) will be broken up by some kicking, so won't feel as long. Bring on the booting!

Good luck to you and your LO!

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marushka82 · 04/02/2013 15:35

Ugh, I just realised that my 16 week appt is not until 22 Feb for some reason. Might call the hospital tomorrow and see whether they got that right since I start week 16 on Wednesday :)

HJBeans · 04/02/2013 18:45

Hooray, brave, for reassuring HB on the doppler and your doppler-kicking little one! I've not met my midwife yet, so keep forgetting this is this whole other avenue to know a bit more about what's going on in there. So glad you've had a good visit.

Welcome, markshka.

marushka82 · 05/02/2013 10:26

yay, rebooked my 16 wk appointment and I'm going to see the midwife this Friday!
Wondering whether she will attempt to listen to the heartbeat; if not, should I ask her?

Original poster

BraveLilBear · 05/02/2013 10:31

Good news Marushka I'd ask to be honest... the mw took ages to find the heartbeat, but could hear blood feeding the placenta straightaway and that in itself is a positive sign. She just said she'd keep looking so that I would be able to recognise it, and eventually, we got a few seconds of it in amongst all the other sounds.

FIngers crossed!

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cogitosum · 05/02/2013 10:38

I've had 16 week appointment and also listen to HB almost daily on Doppler at home but now got myself worked up about what they can find on 20 week scan and looking up all the different abnormalities.

I know you can never completely relax (even when baby's grown up) but I really hope I can relax a bit after 20 week scan and enjoy pregnancy without panicking every so often!

cogitosum · 05/02/2013 10:52

Oh and hi bravelilbear and hjbeans I was on the mosh pit thread for a bit (not sure if you'll remember me but I think we got bfps st arounf same time) I'm 17 w 4 days

cogitosum · 05/02/2013 10:52

And jolly glad it's going ok

Original poster

BraveLilBear · 05/02/2013 11:30

Hey Cogito nice to hear from you! Glad everything's ok. Remember the mantra - today I am pregnant

Easier said than done but try not to worry about 20 week scan. There's nothing you can do to change anything, so just focus on making an awesome home for your little one in the meantime. Fingers crossed all round!

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