The Berry-Copter!!! (Early 2015 edition)

[FeatherFeather11]

Here we go! Here's to a big Berrie clusterdiff from the other thread and many a safe and healthy baby Berrie arrival in 2015!

Hello gil, how are you? Gosh May will be a long month, it is anyway. I had my whooping cough jab today, nurse was like a ninja, I was just bracing myself & felt something sharp & that was it! A real pro.

Have hen night in cardiff tomorrow, looks like it's going to be a wet one- boo!! I've bought a pretty flowery maternity dress especially, might be a wee bit nippy!!

Anyone else got to the point where they're a bit can't be bothered with their job? Was so tired today, trying to do paperwork but really counting the time till the after school cake sale! Talking of which our scales broke a while ago. Last time I weighed myself I'd got to the scary number. I asked the mw yesterday to weigh me and yes we're now onto the other scary number. Off to google normal weight gain for pregnancy..

Gill! Welcome! Yes prepare for the bit no one tells you about! This bits worse than the 2ww! Try not to go nuts though. A month is a long wait though? I had my first scan at 6 +1. Congratumalations x

Bushy! A hen do!?!?!? You're brave. You'll be the only sober one by 3pm! Lol. Hope you all have a great time x

I had my scan on Wednesday! All was good although due to me being...ahem...large she couldn't see very well. And the babies were flipping and somersaulting so much she couldn't do the nuchal measurements. Never mind what would we do anyway? We're unlikely to be high risk as donor was only 25 and a proven donor. Just going to go with the flow now!

Only slight worry is sibling rivalry might have started already... They were kicking each other! . Norty lambs!

I've officially told my team at work and its spread like wildfire round the building! Lol I had an email from a lady in our other building saying "Have I heard a conversation in the kitchen correctly??? ". I've really enjoyed it! In fact so has my mum. Considering she's known for 8 weeks she not told a soul! I've had messages and calls from loads of my cousins!

I feel a bit like its really happening now and I can relax a bit and enjoy it!

gill welcome and congratulations! The wait is killer... I paid for a cheepo early scan at 6 weeks (otherwise I'd have had to wait for the nhs one at 12 weeks) because I was in so much disbelief after 5 years of TTC and thought the 8 pregnancy tests I'd taken must be wrong, or alternatively I was going to loose the pregnancy at any moment - incredibly I was wrong and I am 24 weeks now! Starting to think this baby might actually be real.
Nice to met you by the way!

jellie yay for getting excited and enjoying your pregnancy! It must be lovely expecting twins and them already interacting in the womb is the sweetest thing.

bushy hope you have a really fun hen weekend. I've asked a couple of berries on FB regarding weight and the consensus is that there is no way to determine how much of it is water, how much baby and how much you - most have suggested not worrying about it or weighing yourself, which is the approach I am trying to take now.

I am in Belgrade at the moment, for a family wedding which was last night. It was lovely but exhausting - the music was so loud, I've never felt the baby kick so much, not sure if he liked it or it was in protest :-)

Been absolutely loving the second trimester - feeling energetic and well, but in the last week I have started getting some of the negatives too, very swollen legs through water retention and last night was woken up by a killer leg cramp, that made me jump out of bad with atypical agility my leg still hurts.

For those who had a scan at 6 weeks, what did you see? I'm half tempted to get a scan in before we go on holiday in 2 weeks time.

Hi Pearl, pleased to meet you too. I saw your stats in t'other place and you actually live about 5 miles from me!

Good luck with the hen do Bushy. You'll be able to regale them with all the horror stories tomorrow.

Hi Jelli! Can't believe you're past the 12 week scan already. Glad your twins are bonding with each other and I'm sure they'll be fine. Wondering if I have twins myself as they transferred 2 embryos. You're right about this waiting being mental.

Gill congrats!! Just a flying msg as Dodo poorly :( but also well done Jellie!!

Gill at my early scanat 6 weeks they just looked like two small balls. However the Dr did pick up the heart beats of both. At 8 weeks one looked more baby shaped and the other looked like a frog! (Bad angle!) But at 8 weeks you could see arm añd leg buds forming! Was well worth it especially as I was spotting pretty regularly.

Pearl! Glad you enjoyed the wedding. Perhaps baby pearl likes disco dancing already!?!?! I can't wait to feel a bit more energetic! Boo to the leg cramps though! Rubbish

gill lovely to hear we're neighbors - happy to share any local info I come across with you if that's helpful( eg yoga class, hospital info, etc). As jellie says 6 week scan looks like a blob with a yolk sac and a heart beat. I'll try to dig out a pic to post on here so you can see what to expect. It still reduced me to tears especially as I'd had some spotting around 4-5 weeks when I thought all was lost (and again around 8-9 weeks like jellie). Also the scan convinced DH that we were pregnant, as he was in disbelief before then, so was worth it for that alone.

rp sorry to hear you've got a poorly wee one! hope dodo's back on form soon.

bushy how's the hen do? How much longer have you got to go at work? I've still got another 10 weeks and it seems like forever - I am not sure how I'll do at work when 35 weeks pregnant. Worst bit for me is the long drive though rather than being at work itself.

jellie second trimester was much better for me - the underlying nausea and tiredness dissipated and I started to just feel really happy and well, so fingers crossed it goes like that for you too. Prepare for some serious bump growing though. By week 18 there was no mistaking that I was pregnant (though my bump did measure very large for dates) and I wonder if this might be even earlier for you given you've got two munchkins in there.

Pearl, was your 6 week scan NHS or private? If private, where did you go and what did it cost?

Hope Dodo is on the mend RP.

gill scan was private as nhs would only see me if I had pains as well as bleeding. I used thisismy for a reassurance scan which is £80 www.thisismy.co.uk/reassurance-scans-6-17-weeks/ (they also have one which is £50 but i think this can only be used as a second scan and are based in the centre of Manchetser) the other company is ultrasound direct www.ultrasound-direct.com/ but they only seem to scan from 7 weeks (I used these guys in Chester but they do have a place close to the Trafford stadium)

I've been away this weekend but will look to dig out the image and report for you so you can see what you would get.

For me the scans were a way to be reassured but quite addictive and the cost does eventually add up

Thanks for the info Pearl

Just popping by to say a huge congrats to Gill and a big hello to the rest of you! Still keeping up with all your news but hands hardly free to chip in. I promise to be a better Berrie in the weeks to come!

Gill: I had a five week scan on nhs as I'd had an ectopic pregnancy and then paid £450 for the Harmony package at the Fetal Medicine Centre in London which included two scans - one at 7 weeks and one at 12 when they did the harmony blood test. Then I paid an extra £100 for a 20 week scan there too as they were so amazing and my hospital scans were so rubbish. Wishing you all the very best and I have everything crossed for you. Feel free to ask me any q's you have on the FMC if you're considering going there - I can't recommend them enough. X

gill as promised the 6 week scan
And the 9 week one too so you can see the difference. At the 6 week one, the heartbeat was visible.
Both ultrasound direct and thisismy have locations throughout the uk.

Like feather I had detailed genetic screening as well (in my case at 10.5 weeks). I had the Nifty screening done at thisismy center in manchester. It's a really personal decision as to whether you want any screening for genetic anomalies at all but if you are considering this happy to share details. Like feather, or me it was really positive experience and it meant I went through nhs testing without worrying as to whether I'll need to risk my pregnancy to amnio.

feather hope you and Cleo are doing well!

Hi berries,
Well yesterday you would havehad a massive rant. Dh has been decorating the kitchen & in his usual manner has been really slow and messy. This has not been helped by him being ill. Anyhow Sunday I helped as I had a change of heart with the colour, we got quite a bit done. He then had the day on Monday to paint the cupboard doors outside before the rain came. I had been trying really hard not to nag but the slowness was getting to me. Anyway woke him up at about 9 with a coffee; I had been up, put washing on, written shopping list etc. I then left to do the shop & got back & he had done nothing. I was a little snappy & basically a huge row blew up. Anyhow, got v upset & since then he's done half of the cupboard doors. Sometimes it frustrates me that it takes a huge row to make him get on but then maybe I should speak up sooner.

Arr to the lovely scan pics. I too had a scan at about 6 weeks that looked v similar to pearl's which had a heartbeat & fetal pole. It doesn't look like a baby tho.

The hen do was good, we had a craft workshop & made bunting for the brides wedding. One of the ladies is really crafty and said we could make bunting for the baby as a baby shower. I am not keen on baby showers, think it feels a bit against my reserve & a bit American, also there's the old counting your chicks before they're hatched. I don't think I could be that confident. Anyhow I've said yes to making bunting & having a pre baby get together. The hen do got more rowdy in the evening & lots more rowdy after I went- inflatable willies etc!!

Feeling pretty proud of myself, took the class on a 3 mile walk today!

I would have been similarly frustrated Bushy and feel like I have to nag DH from time to time. No what you mean about being uncomfortable about a baby shower. Well done on the 3 mile walk too.

Thanks for the pictures Pearl. It's amazing the difference between 6, 9 and 12 weeks.

Hey gil congratulations once again and welcome aboard the copter! I'm so pleased that you have your BFP after all the delays you had to go through. Our own little frosty baby is now 5.5 weeks old!

My clinic scanned right after the BFP to check that the pg was not ectopic and whether it was a singleton or not. Then again at 6 weeks to check for a heartbeat. I would definitely be tempted to have an early scan, as a heartbeat at 6 weeks means the odds are really in your favour. I think you said you have a scan at 8 weeks though anyway, in which case you might want to wait?

bushy I can totally relate - sounds like the kind of thing DH would do! I got mad at the weekend as when DD finally falls asleep in the day I end up running round trying to do as much housework as possible before she wakes up whereas he lounges around with his iPhone!

Congrats on your scan jellie. I wouldn't worry too much about the NT measurement. We had it done but in the knowledge we would go ahead regardless so it was more for reassurance than anything else, especially as I was dumped in the high risk category for being 35! So cute to think of the 2 of them rolling round together in there!

rp Hope Dodo is better soon.

pearl Enjoy the second tri - great that you're feeling so well, hope it continues to the end!

AFM any advice on fussy babies would be great! I wonder if DD is having a growth spurt as she is cluster feeding all evening at the moment. I wasn't too bothered at first as she then slept 5 hours in the night which was great. But then last night she was awake all evening until 3am and now will only sleep on my boob or in my arms! Please let it just be a phase. Am worried I'm getting into bad habits but find myself just giving in to whatever she wants on the basis she's still so young surely I can't spoil her at this stage?

Hey Chloe, can't believe you frosty baby is 5.5 weeks old already. Pretty much the same age as my embie!

Tried to book a scan for next Tues before we go on holiday but the lady I spoke to said that as I was on the cusp of being 6 weeks at that time, they couldn't guarantee we'd see anything. On that basis I couldn't see the point. We come back from holiday on 23rd by which time, we'll only have another 8 days to wait. Hopefully the holiday will stop me mentalling too much although it's in the South of France so worrying about my food choices.

chloe could very well be a growth spurt. C was very fussy in the early days and I just let her do what she wanted - there's no way you can get a five week old baby into a routine. We did bath and bed time pretty much since both but I'm sure it was more for our benefit than C's - we just needed something to hold on to!

There is a book and an app that I've found hugely helpful:

The book: your baby, week by week. Written by Simone Cave and Dr Caroline Frettleman

The app: The Wonder Weeks - best £2 I've spent and really gives you abreakdown of what your baby is going through developmentally. Just remember to put in your original due date and not your baby's birthday when you log in for the first time.

How are you finding it all? Feeling well? C is 11 weeks today - can't believe it! Time FLIES once your baby is here, ladies!

And here's the latest pic of
C for those interested.

gill sorry you didn't manage to book the scan but on the positive side - when you have your 8 week scan and all is well the statistics are definitely in your favour - the chance of all going well is over 94%.
South of France sounds lovely - enjoy it to the full and don't worry too much about food. If you are interested in getting the most recent scientific stance regarding which foods are OK, how much coffee to have, plane travel, etc and loads of other interesting things from screening to pain relief in labour than I would highly recommend the book 'Expecting better' by Emily Oster. It has really helped me to make the right decisions for me regarding how to behave in pregnancy and to resist utterly unreasonable pressures and fears put on me by others.

feather that is one gorgeous smiley face!! It sounds like you are doing brilliantly well

chloe 5 hours a night seems amazing for such a tiny one - and perhaps its still too early for consistency? Hope you get things sussed soon.

bushy your hen do sounds like fun and I am sure the baby shower will be the same. I threw one for my friend when she was expecting and it was lovely - the mum to be really enjoyed it.

I have been through a massive growth spurt and now have what feels like an enormous bump for someone just in their 6th month but the baby has been really wriggly which is great and means I worry a lot less about whether all is well. Planning to get a few more baby things this weekend and getting on with decorating the nursery which has been so enjoyable! Just trying to take it all in and really savor every minute.

Thanks for the book recommendation Pearl, I'll take a look at that. Exciting about getting the nursery ready. I've been desperate to get one of our bedrooms decorated as it hasn't been touched since we moved in 2.5 years ago and is a bit ropey. I'll hold off for a few months yet but looking forward to getting it done.

Cute baby Feathers!

feather C is so adorable! Thanks for the advice and reassurance. I had planned to get the Wonderweeks app and will have a look at the book you mentioned. Am feeling really well thanks but needing some time to get used to the lack of beung able to control or plan anything when I have a baby attached to my boob over 6 hours a day! Like you say the time goes by so quickly that I should just try and enjoy every moment while it lasts! She'll be smearinf food all over the place before I know it,

gil Hopefully your lovely holiday will distract you a little. It totally doesn't make sense to go at exactly 6 weeks just in case it is too early to see anything and then leave you worrying for another 2 weeks. Just try and stay positive. My clinic had a higher success rate with frosties - the theory is that only the strongest ones survive the process!

Have fun shopping and decorating pearl You're right to savour every moment - I loved being pregnant and was sad in a way for that time to come to an end. Obviously DD more than makes up for it though!

Sorry I haven't posted for ages, I never get to use my laptop now that there's always a baby attached to me so this is from my phone.
Congratulations to Gill, I'm so pleased you've made it on here, you had the patience of a saint with all the preparation your palace required! I had a private scan at 8 weeks, I think the success rate if you see a HB (or 2!) at 8 weeks is 97% so much more reassuring than 6 weeks.
In terms of my labour/birth, I had 2 days of back to back labour at home, 5cm when I went in to hospital but then I was stuck at 6cm for ages. I eventually had an epidural after they broke my waters and the pain in my back became unbearable and then after the epidural she turned (the Birth Skills book says epidurals often help this happen) and I progressed quickly after that, perhaps too quickly because she had a prolonged bradycardia but they did a forceps/episiotomy in the room and she came out crying with one push/pull. Although I had been dreading vaginal delivery, in the end most of the experience was OK, especially the 4 hours I spent in the pool with gas and air and orange chocolate digestives, and thanks to the brilliant epidural I didn't feel a thing for the forceps/stitching stage!
I have found looking after a baby a lot harder than I thought, the constant feeding and no sleep is tough. She lost just over 10% of her birth weight but she's on the way back up now. Thanks for the wonder weeks app recommendation Feather, I've downloaded it. In terms of parenting books, I've got the Art of womanly Bfing and First time Parent on my kindle.

Hey lady good to hear from you! Sounds like you had a pretty tough labour you poor thing, glad that she arrived safely though and is doing well. I found as well that nothing can prepare you for looking after your first newborn. It does get easier but it still amazes me how little time there is to do anything else but care for them! Hope you're being looked after and that you catch up on a bit of sleep doon.

Great news on the scan Gill and congratulations to Tiger who will hopefully be on this thread soon!

So this is where the pregnant berries hang out! actually there's a fair few of you who have your babies too. Wonderful to see and gives me hope!

Thanks lady. It will be a few weeks yet till I feel confident to take a spot in the chopper...scan booked for 5th June so I'll just be quietly terrified in a corner until then!