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

My Extended Project Qualifiation

13 replies

ELamming1712 · 27/07/2015 19:33

Hi,

This may be something that you may not of heard of before but I am currently starting my second year in Sixth Form and I am planning to become a Midwife after I have achieved my A Levels and was wondering if some of you could help, whether you are pregnant or have been.

I am doing an extra qualification to make myself stand out when applying for universities and was wondering if I would be able to collect some information from you about how you felt throughout pregnancy and how it may have effected you self esteem in any way.

The information I will hopefully collect will be kept completely confidential and will be anonymous once I have collected the wonderful experiences which you have witnessed and later on in my life I hope to help women and experience this for myself.

I would be very grateful if you would help me out with this.

Thank you :)

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Junosmum · 27/07/2015 21:41

What info do you want and how?

Topsy34 · 27/07/2015 21:47

Possibly yes, what info :)

mummyneedinganswers · 27/07/2015 21:50

Yes what info do u need

contractor6 · 27/07/2015 21:52

Elamng, happy to give you info, good luck with your studying xx

ARV1981 · 27/07/2015 21:55

Hi,

Good luck with your studies!

In answer to your question, I'm currently 33 weeks pregnant with my first baby. This is a much loved and wanted baby.

But, I must admit although I've had an easy pregnancy in terms of morning sickness, I have suffered with emotional problems throughout.

Initially, I was overworked (my boss was relying on me to do her job without supporting me in any way as she was dealing with a breakup in her personal life... unprofessional but these things happen!) And I ended up taking two weeks off work with stress. I then had a bleed at 12 weeks and thought I was having a miscarriage. I actually thought at the time that there may be a link between the stress I was under and the bleed, but I'll never really know.

It all settled by 14 weeks... but then I started to develop issues with my body. My husband had stopped initiating intimacy as he was so terrified after the bleed, and I was feeling all bloated and though I didn't look pregnant I felt fat. And, because he wasn't initiating things, I felt completely unattractive and unloved.

Then, as I started to fill out more and more, I felt enormous. I've never really had problems with my weight always had a healthy BMI, and being a size 10 for most of my adult life, the sudden expansion of my waistline was a shock.

After I started telling people at work, one girl said she didn't think I looked pregnant, just fat. Which was pretty hurtful! This upset me for a while.

Now it's blooming obvious that I'm pregnant and I'm starting to feel a bit better about how I look, but am feeling pretty crappy due to tiredness and nausea, heartburn etc.

So, yes the period between showing and nearly showing did make me feel down about my body and my looks. I've never been a 'pretty' girl but have always had a good figure and felt happy about my body shape before this. It has affected my self esteem I think, but I'm now coming out of it and feeling a lot better.

ELamming1712 · 28/07/2015 19:06

Thank you ever so much for your replies. I was overwhelmed to see how many people where actually willing to help me.

The information I would like to receive from you is your experiences throughout pregnancy, body changes, your feelings throughout pregnancy and how they changed going through certain trimesters.

This would be wonderful help.

Thank you ever so much, again.
:)

OP posts:
Junosmum · 28/07/2015 20:53

I'm 31 and been married for 8 months. We decided to try for a baby thinking it would take months for me to conceive as I'd been on the pill since I was 18.

I came off the pill, had one normal period, had sex once, about cycle day 11. That day we went to visit some friends who have a one year old. I realised that I wasn't ready to have kids, had a mega panic and OH and I decided to defer trying for 6 months, book a trip to Peru and Cambodia and have a bit of fun until we settle down. Sounded great, started planning. I started spotting and expected to get my period the next day, I went out for cocktails with friends twice in a row, danced till dawn. Three days later, no aunt flow and still had a weird hangover, very unlike me, felt dizzy, sick and just weird. Then it dawned on me. My plans had been for nothing. I rushed out to tesco and bought a pregnancy test. Peed on said stick, and there was a very faint, but very definite line. I was elated! Totally surprised myself with how happy I was, and terrified.

I instantly started to panic about miscarrying, I was obsessed with every twinge, every symptom. I googled miscarriage risk, symptoms and missed miscarriages. It was all consuming. Until one day I realised that if God wanted me to have the baby would, and if it wasn't meant to be I would cope and that was Gods plan. From then, until 14 weeks I was calm. I tried not to get too excited but was very happy and content. I also felt nauseated practically constantly, though was only sick twice. I went off sweet stuff, particularly chocolate and also off coffee, though I only drank decaf anyway. My appetite reduced and I lost 9lbs. I was also tired too, but not excessively so. My cervical mucus tripled in quantity and went a whole host of colours from creamy to green- no infection though. I also got a nose full of boogies and an itchy bum! weird, but true. My boobs got fuller and heavier but haven't actually grown, I just better fill my bras now.

At 12 weeks I went for my scan, all appeared good. I was pleased, we then told my parents and OHs parents, every one was really happy. We opted for the combined nuchal fold and blood test to check for the risk of chromosomal disorders such as downs syndrome. We were told they'd write to us if the risk was low, and make an appointment with the consultant if the risk of was high. A week later I got a letter with an appointment. I was instantly terrified, I cried and cried, I googled and was distraught. I work with adults with learning disabilities including downs syndrome and I know what happens when parents are unable to look after them and I didn't want to think that may happen to my child. I started to disengage with the pregnancy unconsciously- stopped rubbing my belly, stopped talking to bump. About this time I stopped feeling nauseated, though my appetite remained reduced. At the consultant appointment he didn't mention the combined test but asked about my medical history and referred me to a cardiologist due to mitral valve prolapse and an endocrinologist due to an under active thyroid. At the end of the appointment I explained about the combined test and the letter, the Dr said he knew nothing about that but could understand my panic and so went to see if the test results were back. They were- a one in 27000 chance of a chromosomal disorder. Phew! Panic over.

We then went and bought a pram. I'm now 15+3, very excited and trying to calm myself! My energy is starting to rise and I'm getting a bump.

Cheshirehello79 · 31/07/2015 11:32

You might want to have a criterial or your project such as gaining information from:

First time mothers
first time mothers ( single parents)
First time mothers 18 and below
Mothers expecting twins
Mothers who've had previous miscarriage
Mothers with 1+ children
Mothers who've been trying for a while etc...

That way you will have different samples of information for your project ( just an idea)

ELamming1712 · 06/08/2015 13:46

Thank you for that note I am also doing a survey among people my age through facebook with people I know. But thank you for reminding me and giving me more ideas for different outlooks on pregnancy

OP posts:
ELamming1712 · 07/08/2015 12:54

Since receiving questions on what information I am requiring I have made a small survey which would be very helpful if you could fill in for me. I understand that some of the questions are very personal and like I have said before all of the information I receive will be kept completely anonymous.

If you wish not to answer the questions on this thread I have attached my email address at the bottom. I would be very grateful if you would complete this for me.

Thank you so much again

The information which will be collected from this survey will be kept completely confidential and the survey will be kept completely anonymous. You also have the right to withdraw from this survey and the information that you have given to this questionnaire will be removed and destroyed as protection to you.

  1. How old were you when you conceived?
    Less than 20
    21 – 30
    31 – 40
    More than 40

  2. When did you first see changes within your body throughout your pregnancy?
    0 – 9 weeks
    10-18 weeks
    19 – 21 weeks
    22 – 36 weeks

  3. Do you believe that your self-esteem change throughout the course of your pregnancy?
    Yes
    No
    Maybe

  4. If yes, please specify why. If you wish not to specify please tick the box below.
    Prefer not to say

  5. Choose three words to describe your feelings about your body during pregnancy.

  6. Choose three words to describe your feelings about your body now.

Thank you for completing this survey.
If you wish to contact me further: [email protected]

OP posts:
Glindathegoodwitch · 07/08/2015 14:26

  1. 21-30

  2. 0-9 weeks

  3. Yes - THIS TIME! -

  4. First time I was 18 and felt a bit embarrassed ashamed by my bump - I only looked about 14 and hid my pregnancy at every opportunity. Now at the age of 29, I couldn't be more proud of my bump and pregnancy and had wished that I had enjoyed and appreciated my pregnancy a lot more first time around. I feel very body confident now. My boobs are now lovely, huge and full, my belly is lovely and rounded, it's a struggle for DH to get me to wear clothes at home Grin

  5. Ever-changing, pleasantly-full and pleasing (there are negatives but I am focusing on the positives Smile )

  6. Same as above as am still pregnant

Good Luck with your studies, I think it's great that you are going the extra mile :)

Feline09 · 07/08/2015 14:31

I will :)

  1. I was 20 when I got pregnant, I'm now 21 I'll be 21 when the baby is born

  2. 0-9 weeks, I didn't physically change much but I had severe morning sickness so I didn't look for feel like myself

  3. yes

  4. I had severe sickness for months that made me feel awful. I couldn't even get out of bed in s morning, I felt drained and as a result looked horrible lol. The stretchmarks and weight gain didn't bother me but the physical and emotional side of the sickness was hell

  5. strange, ill, unusual

  6. I'm still pregnant so not sure if I can answer

ELamming1712 · 16/10/2015 16:56

Thank you ever so much for all the replies.

My extended project is now fully under way which is amazing. However I was wondering if any more of you would be able to answer my questionnaire for me.

If you could that would be lovely!

Again thank you ever so much

Eve :)

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