The Elderberry Helicopter #3, in which we continue to fret and play 'guess the sex'

[Boomgoestheweasel]

Open to all elderberry grads and anyone who fits the berry criteria: over 30, pregnant with #1 after trying for a loooong time, and nervous as hell. Come on in for handholding and nub theory!

[funkymonk]

Hi Ladies. Sorry you've been feeling under the weather Angel. All the best for your scan tomorrow!

Hope the berries had a lovely meet up on Saturday!

I just came back from my scan. Last week they said 5+2 when I'm quite sure it was 6+3 and today (i think should be 7+2) they said 6+2. So in 8 days it's done a weeks worth of growing. She said the growth rate in the last week looks fine and the scans are +/- 5 days in terms of dating. Despite having 10days of brown cm and passing a clot last night there is a little bean there with a heartbeat flickering away! Amazing the change in a week, particularly when I have zero symptoms so was so convinced it was all over. She did say the heart rate was perhaps a little slower than what they would expect so I am going back next week (tuesday) for a scan. I asked what the bpm was but she couldn't tell me. I think they needed a different piece of equipment so she was just guessing visually. I am hoping she is wrong and that next week it is all tickety boo. Feeling reassured for now anyway!!

Think I would like to join your grads FB group now if you'll have me. Kitty is friends with me on FB already if she doesn't mind adding me?!

[qazxc]

Have rang hospital as there was no sign of any appointment letter coming through. They have booked me in for the 10th of January which is AAAGES away. As DP said when i texted him "the child will be walking by then!".
I will be about 16 weeks so on the plus side we will be able to see quite a lot, the bad news is that my paranoia will run rampant til then.

[Angelina77]

Thanks funky - glad you've had some reassurance, I know how stressful it is

[Angelina77]

qaz that's a long wait, I take it you're not going for a nuchal screening then? I think the cut-off for that is 14 weeks.

Have you tried a home doppler? I managed to find the heartbeat (under my fat belly) at 9 weeks! It's kept me sane during my most paranoid moments.

[CatsCantFlyFast]

Funky that's really great news

[Thunderpantsarego]

Yuk angel sorry you've been feeling so rough. I had headaches from about 14 weeks I think and they were really debilitating. I hope you feel better soon and good luck for the scan- very exciting!

qaz this is your dating scan?? Wtf? That's too late!

funky, another brilliant step forward, good news. So you saw a heartbeat and bean has grown a weeks worth of growing in a week? That's got to be good. Sounds like it might be time to ditch your calculations and go on what the bean actually is?

[Boomgoestheweasel]

Funky fantastic news! Nothing like a little heartbeat to calm down a paranoid berry for a day or so

qaz that is a ridiculously long wait! What's their reasoning behind that??

Angel sorry you've been feeling crap. Hope work aren't making you feel too rubbish about it - there's nothing you can do about it and you're entitled to the time off so they'll just have to suck it up!

So my main news of the day...after having my morning grumble that the babies still weren't moving..I think I got a couple of kicks in the bath (actually, in the uterus, CHORTLE)! Not totally sure, they were very gentle kicks if that's what they were, but don't know what else they could have been apart from wind but ignoring that possibility

[Thunderpantsarego]

Ooo boom! I bet they were kicks! Obviously set off by the change in temp. Have you tried the tricks of drinking either cold or hot drink and lying down quietly for a bit to see if you can feel them? When I first started to feel mine it was just like a little shift inside- like wind or a tiny muscle spasm. They just got more and more frequent and strong from that point. So pleased for you!

[Boomgoestheweasel]

Eeeee they just did it again and my tummy moved a bit! They're FINALLY KICKING

[Brodicea]

Nice one funky

But grr for you qaz and angel for your tardy scan / feeling crappy.

boom they could well have been kicks - mine have felt like weird wind most of the time! Very much like wind, but in the womb. Ace news! Also intrigued by the distance - stalk away!

[Angelina77]

Wahey ,boom :)

[qazxc]

I'm in ireland, i don't think they do nuchal scanning. Pregnancy care in UK sounds a lot better TBH.
Antenatal dept say i am under care of EPU until week 14, then they will be shut for 2 weeks over christmas and new year. So the earliest is 10th of jan. Good thing I rang because it sounds like i would have waited a lot longer had i waited for them to get round to me.
Still at 16 weeks they should be able to see loads, we only get 1 scan here. We'll have to fork out privately if we want more.
we have decided to book a private scan next week for peace of mind, they only do dating scans at this stage and at 150 euros it's a bit steep, but if it stops me worrying about MMC it will be worth it.

[BlindKitty]

thunder yep very early but sooo impatient! Might have to go and run a bath now!!!

boom the boom babies are kicking!!! Yey!!!

qaz that's crap about only getting one scan! Don't blame you for paying for one! I found ultrasound direct were quite reasonable. Not sure if there's one near you.

funky how can they even tell the heart heat is irregular?! It's such a tiny flicker! I wouldn't worry

[PoppySeedBun]

Hello everyone - sorry for silence, thought I'd lost you all there for a bit!

Have added myself below - 21 weeks today, sickness down to once every week-10 days (still not completely gone ). And I've been getting little fluttery movements for about the last week.
Had anomaly scan last week - everything measuring pretty much spot on, and no problems to report, so very relieved that we can relax a bit over Christmas.

Funky edd 28th July 2014 (hopefully). Bfp cycle 12 (mc cycle 8)
Boom edd 20 April 2014 (twins). Just had 20wk scan, next scan 24 weeks
kitty 16+1 edd 22nd may 2014. Bfp cycle 26. Awaiting cheeky Xmas scan 22nd dec
Tallyra, 21 weeks, edd 17th April, having a little girl (although you are the only people we have told!!)
Thunder 25 weeks edd 20 March, (team ?)
Merk edd 21 March, team pink, totally incompatible with pregnancy
Angelina edd 26th June, 11+0, 12 wk scan next Thurs
Puppymummy 15 weeks edd 31st May 2014
Brodicea 19 weeks exactly, EDD 5th May 2014, 20 week scan on 19th December!
Poppy edd 23 April 2014, girl, next up 24 wk checkup in Jan and 26 wk scan.

[funkymonk]

Yay Boom! Yay! How exciting!

Qaz that's really rubbish about your long wait! I don't blame you for booking s private scan. Definitely worth it for your peace of mind and a lovely Christmas gift.

kitty she said it was a subjective measure and she was just going on what she could see! I'm bewildered by it all.

Thunder I'm still sure that my dates must be accurate give or take 1 or 2. I know I ovulated 4th Nov, we didnt do the business after the 5th and I got a positive test quite early at 11dpo so it couldn't have happened much later than I thought. Not a week anyway? That would mean I was 2+5 when got positive test. Is that possible?! I'm confused

Hope there's not been any more incidents of diffed berries toppling over!

[funkymonk]

Just putting us in order...

Thunder 25 weeks edd 20 March, (team ?)
Merk edd 21 March, team pink, totally incompatible with pregnancy
Tallyra 21 weeks, edd 17th April, having a little girl (although you are the only people we have told!!)
Boom edd 20 April 2014 (twins). Just had 20wk scan, next scan 24 weeks
Poppy edd 23 April 2014, girl, next up 24 wk checkup in Jan and 26 wk scan.
Brodicea 19 weeks exactly, EDD 5th May 2014, 20 week scan on 19th December!
Kitty 16+1 edd 22nd may 2014. Bfp cycle 26. Awaiting cheeky Xmas scan 22nd dec
Puppymummy 15 weeks edd 31st May 2014
Angelina edd 26th June, 11+0, 12 wk scan next Thurs
Funky edd 28th July 2014. Poss 3rd August 2013??

[BlindKitty]

Ugh feeling a little sick! It's one if 3 things;

1. I'm preggers
   
2. I've got food poisoning from the off melon someone brought to work (managed to spit it out before I swallowed though)
   
3. I've even too much kinder surprise chocolate
   
   I think it's the latter!

[funkymonk]

Mmm kinder surprise. I've been trying to organise christmas gifts I've got so far. Got a big pick and mix bag of lindt chocolates just to drop in peoples presents, but I seem to be working my way through them myself.

Thanks Kat. I am trying to remain positive ready and see what next Tuesdat brings. Are you using 11th April as your edd then? I'll add you to the list!

Thunder 25 weeks edd 20 March, (team ?)
Merk edd 21 March, team pink, totally incompatible with pregnancy
Katatonic edd 11 Aprill
Tallyra 21 weeks, edd 17th April, having a little girl (although you are the only people we have told!!)
Boom edd 20 April 2014 (twins). Just had 20wk scan, next scan 24 weeks
Poppy edd 23 April 2014, girl, next up 24 wk checkup in Jan and 26 wk scan.
Brodicea 19 weeks exactly, EDD 5th May 2014, 20 week scan on 19th December!
Kitty 16+1 edd 22nd may 2014. Bfp cycle 26. Awaiting cheeky Xmas scan 22nd dec
Puppymummy 15 weeks edd 31st May 2014
Angelina edd 26th June, 11+0, 12 wk scan next Thurs
Funky edd 28th July 2014. Poss 3rd August 2013??

[funkymonk]

Grrr, spelling mistakes. I'm on laptop as well so can't blame autocorrect.

[Thunderpantsarego]

qaz good idea with the private scan - especially with the timescales you have in front of you! So you don't get nuchal scan over there then?

funky it does indeed sound confusing... I don't know the answer. Sounds like bean got off to a slow start! Whatever happens though, still looking good... one appointment at a time. At least Tues isn't too far away this time.

hi poppy! Excellent news that the nausea is at least giving you a break, and that you can feel wiggly start to wiggle too!

Kitty I'm guessing that your wishful thinking bath didn't produce any kicks? Patience my friend, patience..... PAH! Says she!

26 weeks here today. I just love these nice high numbers. There was a time when I wondered whether it would ever work out for us overdramatic? moi? and now I just can't believe how lucky I am. Even if it all goes horribly wrong now, I'm savouring this very moment for what it is.

And now better stop savouring and get my sorry ass to work. Damnit.

[Boomgoestheweasel]

I'll second that thunder, being able to say I'm 21wks is freaking awesome!

Massive life fail this morning, got up at 5 and drive 40 mins to work...wrong day. AND I fell over on black ice and skinned my knee again. I have the knees of a very plump five year old. On the bright side, being at home with a snoozy dog and a bacon sarnie sure beats working!

Question, does anyone know anything about maternity benefits? I'm supposed to know but definitely don't, went to job centre this morning to ask what I'm entitled to and they were as useful as a chocolate teapot...

[CatsCantFlyFast]

Boom what do you mean by maternity benefits?
You get SML (assuming you are employed and give 15 weeks notice)
You get SMP if you have worked for your employer for 26 weeks prior to 15 weeks prior to your due date
If you're not eligible for SMP then you may be eligible for Maternity Allowance

Links;
SMP and SML
maternity allowance

[Angelina77]

Scan all went ok this morning, just have to wait for the blood results but the sonographer said everything looked normal.

EDD brought forward 4 days.

Any chance of a gender guess, merk?

[CatsCantFlyFast]

angel i did have a look and I think boy