First time Mums in London / South East due summer 2021

[WingingIt2021]

Hi Ladies

I live in London and am wondering if there is anyone else in the London/Kent/Surrey area due around July 2021?

I'm a first time mum and so many of the Groups I've joined are mums who have done this before. This is so incredibly helpful to hear their past experiences, but it would be fab to meet some ladies who haven't been through it before as well.

Also, in a post covid world, it would be lovely to meet anyone local! ❤

Hey! Can I join?

I'm due July 1st - currently 9 weeks pregnant with my 2nd ... due to be having baby at Princess Alexandra in Harlow but that's just because I don't like the hospitals in East London

Hi @PandaBabyJuly welcome! Eeek 9 weeks is fab progress, super exciting. Do you live in East London? How has the pregnancy been for you so far?

@WingingIt2021 - yeah I live right on the border with Essex ... so far it's been extreme tiredness during the day but then not sleeping until 2am and horrible feelings of sickness but without being sick
Complete opposite of my first pregnancy! Ha

Had my 1st scan and booking appointment last week so just waiting for my 12 week scan just before Christmas!

So nice to be with other people that are due around the same time too!

East London and due mid July 👋
Also doing my appointments at homerton, so nice to see people in the same boat!

@PandaBabyJuly I think everyone is struggling with the sickness. I'm making the most of it before it hits, exercising and eating healthy, as I know it will all go out the window when the nausea hits.

How was the scan? Bet it was amazing to see it. My is a month today which feels like a lifetime!

Welcome @luxxlisbon can't believe how many of us are in East London!

@WingingIt2021 so jealous you already have your scan appointment, at least you can count down to it!
My booking appointment is on the 10th but no word on the scan, I’m guessing they arrange it after. I hit 12 weeks the week after Christmas so I think mine will be in January. I was hoping to do it before Christmas so I could be more excited. It’s going to be so hard to wait the extra week or two.

@WingingIt2021 I'm hoping so lol all I'm thinking about is all the food I'm going to eat

Yeah everything went well; I'll see if I can upload my pic - I wasn't as excited as I thought I'd be because it doesn't really look like a baby but I have my 12 week one just before Christmas so I know I'll be more excited

@luxxlisbon ah yes I know some hospitals only book you in after your initial booking appointment. Lucky GBC dont and mine is 14th Jan when I'll be 13 weeks. We have booked a private scan on 21st Dec when I'll be 9+5 so we can tell very close family Christmas day. Earlier than I would like but we have 12 family members at ours (if we are allowed) and if im not drinking it will be so obvious anyway! There are lots and lots of places in East London to scan. Window to the Womb are currently charging £59 for their early scans. So option if you want some pre Xmas reassurance and your date is quite into Jan!

Oh @PandaBabyJuly that is amazing!!! Ahhh I really think it looks like a baby 😍😍😍 i had a very early scan in EPU to make sure it wasn't eptopic (all the pain was on one side) and it was this TINY little dot, just the sac and yolk. She asked if I wanted to see the baby, I was like, that is not a baby 😂😂

Well my exciting news is I took my last test today and got my 3+ on my CB digital. So now feel I can stop testing and worrying about progression and wait patiently for the sickness to come to remind me im pregnant and everything is fine 😂❤🤦‍♀️

Happy Sunday all!

Window to the womb early scan was good for me. We went at 8 weeks and they were great. I also had an early scan at 6+5 due to spotting and prior mc.
I’m 15 weeks today and really thought the sickness was truly behind me. I got through the first trimester but striking a deal with the lil one - no food or drink before noon or else it’s violent sickness. It seems that this is also extending to second trimester too. Yesterday morning was not fun. I pretty much can have nausea/sickness anytime of the day since the beginning.
We had Harmony done so we knew we were having a lil girl just before 12 weeks. My 20 weeks scan is after Xmas but will be 7 weeks in between the last scan and this scan. I’m anxious to see how she’s getting on.
Hope everyone is well and not too much morning sickness

Ahh amazing @Meomeomeo huge congratulations on your little girl. Is this your first? Which Window to the Womb did you go to? We are going to the Bexleyheath one in Dec. Really sorry you're feeling rough again. Hopefully it won't last and baby is just having a growth spurt!

@mrsstarmix I’ve heard Homerton is great too.

My 12 week scan is on the 15th of December so hoping to tell friends around Christmas. I’ve had quite a bad week (close, sudden bereavement) and have been very panicky so have also booked a Window to the Womb scan next week (Walthamstow branch). My brain is working overtime and there’s been that BBC article floating about so I’m worried I won’t find my reassurance scan that reassuring! Glad to hear there’s been some good experiences in this thread.

Also it still feels mad to me that they let you get to 12 weeks before they check anyone is in there! Anyone else sometimes feel like they can’t believe they’re pregnant?

@TomatoSoup69 I'm so sorry to hear that. Really hope you're getting the support you need. I've just been reading that article on BBC. No idea what to think. I feel like they should advise you to go to the hospital if they spot something. I will directly ask them if there is anything they would suggest we get checked out so they can't just not mention it and would have to directly lie. Hopefully this article will mean they are all very conscious on ensuring best practice now.
I definitely don't feel pregnant!

Hi ladies! I’m pregnant with my first and live SE London/Kent, will be having my baby at the PRUH ☺️

8 weeks today and have a private scan later this morning which I’m really excited for!

Hi @nam095 that is so exciting!! Please let us know how you get on later and share a pic if you can. Sounds like you are very near me! 😊

@WingingIt2021i used window to the womb in croydon. It was spacious and people followed social distancing. Very clean.
I do recommend these reassurance scan in the first trimester as what they are detecting (after been to the EPU not long prior) are - is there a sac, is their a fetal pole, is there a heartbeat and is the heartbeat normal. They also check the location of the pregnancy, glance through your ovaries so nothing too technical.
As for more serious scans to detect anomalies like nuchal or 20 weeks, I would go to NHS or if the mean permits, Fetal Medicine Centre, where they know what they are doing.
This is my first, I had 2 mc back to back earlier this year. I wanted to make sure the baby has been as ok as she can be as NHS won’t see you until 12 weeks. Tbh they hadn’t even done my booking appointment over the phone by the time I went for my 12 weeks. I had to wait a while for the booking app to take place before I could see the results of nuchal scan and blood test (taken the day of the scan - for nuchal as well as ones you would have at your booking appointment). The hospital has caught up now so all my appointments are aligned. Had it not for the Harmony results I would have gone bonkers.
I highly recommend the Fetal Medicine Centre for scans or for NIPT. They are just outstanding. The man behind them is Prof Nicholaides who is the leading expert in the field (invented the nuchal scan I believe). If there’s any issue, he will look/consult personally. All profits go to his foundation to research fetal medicine.

@TomatoSoup69
We are so close to each other in London!
Sorry about your rough week, hopefully your early scan can cheer you up.

Anyone else crossing their fingers so hard that normal pregnancy and then baby classes will run in person next year?
I’m a first time mum and don’t really know anyone close by who has had a baby so I really feel like I would benefit so much from the support of others in the same situation.

@luxxlisbon I'm keeping my fingers crossed too, it would be nice to meet ladies in the same boat, although all my friends seem to be popping them out this year and next, so there will be at least 5 of us with children in the same school year group!

@WingingIt2021 I also had my 8 week scan at WTHW and it was great for reassurance and I was curious to see how many were in their (secretly hoping for twins as I wouldn't need to do this again)

@Meomeomeo I have read up about the fetal medical centre and wondered if it was worth going to even with no real concerns in the 12 week scan? Between 12 and 20 weeks I would like further reassurance as you become more and more attached..

@Meomeomeo that's so helpful thank you.

@luxxlisbon yes praying NCT classes are F2F again. I really would find it helpful to have local mums to meet up with, I'm also a first time mum. That was one of the main reasons for starting this thread 😊

Thanks for your kind words @WingingIt2021 & @luxxlisbon - it's been hard.

Maybe I'm being too optimistic but I feel like antenatal classes will be face to face by the time we need them. I had a look at the class options and realised the provider I wanted was full for the slot up until before my due date(!!), so (possibly jumping the gun?) we booked them - they're in April/May next year. I think I also feel optimistic because I was able to have my booking appointment in person a couple of weeks ago - massive relief for me to actually speak to someone, look them in the eye, smile, have my blood taken, weight, get my flu jab and stuff. I think if I hadn't had that I would have felt even more like this wasn't happening. What has been everyone else's experience of the booking appointment (if you've had one yet)?

A lot of us are saying we're looking for local mum support - just wondering if anyone's looked at the Peanut app or similar? I haven't, but I've heard about it, so I'm interested to hear people's thoughts.

@TomatoSoup69 my booking appointment is on the phone. But Greenwich maternity are allowing partners to come to all scans which is amazing, I had fully expected to he doing on my own. I think they will be in person. I guess the only issue it is very unlikely pregnant women will be given the vaccine, therefore I reckon we will still be vulnerable and have to be careful! But im definitely going to be wanting to meet other mums both before and after the baby is born! No i havent tried peanut yet. I was going to but tried reaching out of here first 😊

@WingingIt2021 that's good to hear about your partner being able to come to the scan!

My hospital said they'd be given permission to do it too but needed to install screens and other measures so hopefully they'll do that in time for my partner to come with me.

@Nesski, I totally would. After going to 11weeks scan by NhS and a nuchal scan @13 weeks scan with FMC (part of my harmony package), I’d say the difference is unreal. It was quick with NhS but FMC took time to go through everything, checking each limb, measuring everything and actually talked us through as they went along. It was such much more details. I think they do anomaly scan from 17 weeks so that would be good. I’d like the chance to see the baby again. 20 weeks scan seems so far away.

@TomatoSoup69 wow you’re so on it already booking for April/May classes. I didn’t even know you were supposed to do it that far in advance. This is such a learning curve!
I’m optimistic that they will be face to face.
My partners cousin is currently doing their over zoom and they prefer it because they just want to do the class and move on, whereas I would want the classes for the benefit of meeting people due around the same time.