First pregnancy friends please!!

[Babylentil]

Im pregnant currently with my first baby, at 15wk+4days and I want someone to share my new experiences with!! Do any first time mums to be want to chat?

Our baby is also the first grandchild so lots of (over)excited grandmas and grandads to be! Once they got over the initial shock haha!

Hey @Daffodil2491 so close to each other! Haha yeah grandparents all getting excited is very sweet. The weeks will definitely fly by, I feel it's gone so quick already, then you think...we're only a couple/few weeks off from the halfway point!

Is anyone thinking/booked in a private scan before their 20w btw? Or are you post 20w and had private scans done already?

We are thinking of doing an 18w scan for a few reasons - I have fibroids; some big and want to see the size of those. I had red degeneration in early pregnancy and want to see if they've continued to go down in size. Another reason is I always find the private photos are so much clearer than NHS, and they give you lots more than the standard 3-5 NHS does. And also whether I'm having a girl or boy. I'm happy with either, but I'm sooooo curious to know! 😁

@CaramelCluster I only had the NHS one at 20 weeks which we got everything we needed from as well as gender and a good photo. I can completely unstand why you'd want a private one if you have lots you want to ask about though. Our scan was very quick which suited us fine as uncomplicated pregnancy, baby was in really easy position and we were able to get all the measurements and find out gender without needing to jiggle or have sugar or any of the other tricks! But can imagine otherwise it could have felt super rushed!

Had my dating scan today. The lady was so rude and abrupt, it wasn't a pleasant experience ! They were running 40 minutes late and I was desperate for a wee She said I wasn't far along enough to do proper measurements or the nuchal check (or whatever it is called) and she was getting irritated that baby wouldn't sit still ! We are going back on 16th to try again.
Definitely booking a private scan at around 15 weeks - feel like you get the time and a more pleasant experience and we may be able to find out the sex

@Kathryn19 yeah I was still debating whether to have the private or not but we've decided that we will at 18 weeks. Our 12w scan photos aren't the best quality and felt like it was a rush to get us in and out - our sonographer was quite abrupt, and quite rough compared to a private scan I've had before.

I also heard from a friend who is also pregnant that she heard the heartbeat at her 12w scan but when we asked the sonographer she shook her head and continued with the scan (we could see it which was a relief) we have an appointment with the midwife this week and hopefully we will hear for the first time with her.

@BobbySD345 That's a lovely photo! Sorry to hear you had an unpleasant experience and hopefully next week will be a lot smoother. I think you can find out from 16 weeks onwards via scan in regards to gender (it'll be a bit more accurate then I believe)

@CaramelCluster it does definitely seem to be hit and miss. We have seen the heartbeat at both scans, didn't hear it there. But did get to at the 16 week midwife appointment. Our sonographer always took the time to point out the heartbeat, and he narrated the appointments really thoroughly etc. We were definitely lucky!

Also probably just too cheap to spend on another scan! We weren't exactly baby ready so in the process of buying our first home, getting a family friendly car as well as getting all the baby essentials!!! It's been rather a shock to the bank balance as well as to us haha

Hi congratulations sweet, I'm currently 15 weeks and 5 days and due 24th October. I am also a first time mum and happy to keep in touch throughout

@Caramelcluster So I'm not the only one who ended up with a rude sonographer. Ruins the experience doesn't it !

and rough! My belly hurt afterwards. Plus she made me go empty bits of my bladder three times, sighing each time and slapping on so much of that tummy gel that by the end my clothes were soaked @Caramelcluster*

@BobbySD345 it does indeed! Really sorry the sonographer put you through that, especially what your bladder went through! I hope you get a better experience via private and your second one next week.

I had a great experience going private earlier on so I'm happy to spend a bit and get better quality, and the staff at the one I went to (Window to the Womb) were very welcoming and informative about what we were seeing.

Ooh can I join? I'm 13 weeks with my first, due the second week of Nov 😊
Looking forward to not feeling nauseous anymore! The only thing that seems to keep it at bay is constant snacking, so I've already developed a "bump" but I think that's only because I carry my fat on my belly. So I suspect the "bump" is mostly made of crackers, fruit, and crisps rather than baby 🙄
I asked our sonographer at the 12 week scan "is that the heartbeat?" but she'd already moved on to another area and she was like "oh, uh, yeah it probably was" 😳 So hopefully it's actually alive in there; I suppose the nausea is reassuring in that sense at least. Presumably if there was no heartbeat she'd have said something?!

@Doubtoftheordinary welcome! I can't believe that.. feel so lucky about our sonographer now..!
My first trimester was definitely also characterised by lots and lots of sickness fighting snacking!
Also as an aside can't believe how quickly time is going, it so shocks me when I see that babies are due towards the end of the year :o

Hello all!

After 5 miscarriages we've finally gotten to 15 weeks today and due on Halloween (my own birthday!) All the way through I've had no symptoms and just can't help feeling 'not pregnant'

How far was everyone before they began to "feel pregnant"?

Ha ha, I'm 22 + 3 and still don't feel pregnant!! Although within the last week or so when I'm still I can now reliably feel quite a lot of kicks and movements so it's starting to feel a lot more real.

Sorry about your previous losses, and massive congratulations for this one!

Hello @OneTimeMomma! A massive congratulations on your pregnancy 😀

Have to say at 15 weeks i didn't fee pregnant at all as sickness had worn of and I looked pretty normal (just a little thicker round to middle to those who knw me well). About 20 weeks I started to really feel the pressure of the bump more (no more high impact sport), looked more pregnant and felt really solid kicks so from then is when I would say I started to feel like a "proper pregnant" person!

@kyles101 thank you so much, cant believe it takes so long to feel like that! Thank you and co congratulations to you too! X

@Kathryn19 thank you so much. I just can't wait to get to that stage where there's more reassurance from the little bean itself! Congratulations on your pregnancy too! X

Congratulations to all new posters and welcome, it’s so nice to chat! Had my 16 week appointment with the midwife today and heard the heartbeat, it was amazing! So reassuring. Such a shame @BobbySD345 that you had a negative experience I would maybe mention it to your midwife, it’s not fair you should be put through that! My tummy was a bit sore after and I had to empty my bladder but scan lady was lovely and explained throughout and even went to find the heartbeat again for me because I’m a worry wart and really needed to see it again lol. You’d be within your rights to ask for another with someone else!

Hello all the new comers and congratulations!! So sad to hear about your negative experiences with sonographers! Mine was so lovely and understanding of me being totally freaked out. I didn't get to hear the heartbeat, but I saw it beating away so I'm happy!

Anyone past 16 weeks, what do they do at your 16 weeks appointment? Mine is tomorrow and would be good
to know what to expect!

@Babylentil at mine she tested blood pressure and urine (they do this at every appointment), felt where my uterus is (no measuring yet) and listened to the baby's heartbeat (she asked if I wanted to, this wasn't compulsory). She asked how I am feeling, if I've got support and whatnot. And she booked all my midwife appointments going forwards (which is approximately half my appointments as where I live it is split midwife and GP care).

@Babylentil they listened to the heart rate which was lovely. Tip- ask to record it on your phone then you can keep it forever. Also hubby couldn't come with me so he got to listen to it on my phone when I got home x

Hi all

@Babylentil your pregnancy sounds so similar to mine so far. I'm also due on 21st October.

I had awful nausea and sickness from week 5 (before I actually knew I was pregnant) to week 14. Near constant snacking and loose clothing was the only thing that helped. I don't really have a bump yet and now that the sickness has passed I can thankfully wear my normal clothes again. I'm going to relish that until the bump pops.

The thing that is frustrating me is the lack of tall maternity clothing. I'm 6'2" and tried on several pairs of maternity jeans whilst I was feeling really nauseous and they all looked cropped and finished halfway up my ankle. Thank goodness I'll hopefully be wearing dresses throughout summer when the bump gets big.

Our 20 week scan is on 6th June and I cannot wait to find out what we're having. I just hope the next 4 weeks go quickly.

@Kathryn19 @MrsC87 @CaptainSparklez I just had my 16 week appointment and I'm so happy! My bloods were all good and I got to hear the heartbeat, it was the best moment of my life. My boyfriend came with me and recorded it and i can't stop listening to it! My anomaly/gender scan is booked for the 3rd of June and I'm so excited!! Midwife had a little guess just for fun and said girl because the heartbeat was fast, panicked a little at first because she could only find my heartbeat but she got it eventually and I was holding back tears haha, also picked up some little kick noises! I ordered my first "big" item today, a car seat and there's something therapeutic about it, I can't wait to get more! I feel as though my bump has blossomed more in the past week too :)

@CaptainSparklez ah yes I'm not tall at all, but had noticed that the pregnancy jeans I'm choosing between are always pretty short styles - that must be so annoying!

@Babylentil so glad to hear the appointment went well! :) it is lovely to hear that heartbeat!!

Getting super duper bored with bump comments here. From people observing I finally have a bump over the weekend, to someone telling me my bump looks smaller today... followed by someone else saying it looks bigger. Why do people feel the need to comment on pregnant women's size all the time - do they think I can't see myself?! Rant over... ha

Lol @Kathryn19 totally sympathise re bump size comments, the other day in the staff room I got ‘blimey you’re going to be sizeable soon aren’t you’ and today while walking past the table ‘mind your bump’ to which I responded ‘it’s ok it won’t be big enough to knock things off the table for a few weeks yet’ lol, I have a bump but it’s small as only 16 weeks! But you’re so right, everyone comments! Thankfully not big enough yet for people to feel the need to touch it without asking, that’s really going to annoy me lol!