Due August 2023 (Thread 2)

[AnnieApple123]

Can’t believe we’re onto a second thread already. Hope this doesn’t put any newbies off, as I don’t think we’re even halfway through possible due dates yet. Anyone welcome to join in.

I wanted to start off by reassuring TheBirdintheCave that I have no nausea either and had none whatsoever all through my last pregnancy. Thinking of you and hoping your current fears turn out to be for nothing. xx

When I got my vaccine the other day, the nurse said something about pregnancy, then (I can't remember how she got to it but) she said Something like "do you even want to bring a baby into... this" gesturing around her, meaning the world and the current state of the UK.

I didn't say anything at the time, just awkwardly exhaled (not quite a laugh) as she was about to be stabbing me with two needles, but I'm now really really upset about it?

What a f**king thing to say to a newly pregnant woman?

Of course it's a tiny bit of a concern but I hadn't been thinking about it, now (probably due to my anxiety) it's been coming up in my head once every two hours and I'm honestly beginning to doubt my decision, the more news I see about stuff going wrong in the UK.

I will try and get over it, and have therapy on Monday so that'll help, but would anyone else make a complaint about it or am I being overly sensitive do you think?

@AnnieApple123 yes I’ve been considering that, still would have to get through 24 weeks though but it’s definitely an option! If I hung on til 32 weeks it would be the summer holidays here though, then could start mat leave at the end of it. I feel like I can’t even think that far ahead. Told my HT really early last time and asked her not to tell anyone as family didn’t know but she told the whole management team, which usually I could understand but it was during covid and the schools were shut. There was literally no reason they’d need to know 🤦🏼‍♀️ So this time I’m just keeping my sick notes as ‘anxiety’ until 12 weeks

@BoodifulGoose you’re right that’s so unprofessional, and I’d be upset too. My grandad does say this to me regularly and I remind him that he was born during WW2 and had a life filled with love and family despite everything he has seen and gone through. But a midwife should not be saying that to you!

@TheBirdintheCave I'm sorry you're feeling this way and I hope it will be a good outcome for you. I had an EPU scan this am and they measured me approx 6+4 with a CRL of approx 7.5mm which I think was quite similar to yours. I was surprised, as I thought I was hitting the 7 weeks but I know I did ovulate later in my cycle. I didn't even know what CRL was until I came back and googled it 🙈She seemed positive and the heartbeat was there so I have no reason to doubt her and I'm sure if they were concerned about the growth, they would have indicated it and booked a follow up scan. I hope this helps a bit.
Of course, I know it's still early days and this will probably reassure me for about a week 😂

Welcome to all the new people and congrats 🎉 This thread moves really quickly and hard to keep up.

I was so anxious about my scan this morning that I booked last minute annual leave today and now I'm just chilling out on the sofa. I was so full of Adrenalin this morning, I think it was masking my nausea a bit, but now I've calmed down, I think I can feel it creeping in again but it's defo not as bad as it was earlier in the week. My fatigue isn't as bad as yesterday or the day before either and I actually managed to put on some laundry 😂 so the symptoms definitely seem to come and go and fluctuate.

I haven’t thought about it actually! I think I may see what the anomaly scan & bloodtest results are and then make a decision.

@Alexandra07 Thank you!
I think I’ll wait and see what the anomaly scan and the blood tests results are, then I’ll make a decision about the nipt!

I'm glad you've asked because I could have written this! I was very sick with my first, and lots of acid reflux. I was throwing up acid after everything I ate from the day after I conceived.

This time, I feel tired. And a bit nauseas, but nowhere near as bad as the first one.
I also feel a bit dizzy and keep getting that metallic taste in my mouth!

I'm definitely tired though. Just done a few hours work and half an hour on my exercise bike (I usually run, but I'm not going out in ice!) and now I'm wiped out 🤦‍♀️🤣

@TheBirdintheCave I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling ❤️ I know how the anxiety and negative thoughts take over.
Can you go to your EPU ( early pregnancy unit) for a scan? I did that with my son as I had a bleed in week 6. They were very reassuring and kind. I’m sure they would ask you to come in if you explain your worry. I’ve not read all the threads so I’m sorry if you’ve already done this.
As for symptoms, mine came and went with my son and he is a healthy 2 year old. It is worrying when you don’t feel pregnant, I went for quite a few private scans just because I wanted to see that everything was ok.
This time around I’ll try to assume that everything is fine unless I’m told otherwise, it’ll be easier said than done 😅

@TheBirdintheCave I'm so sorry you are feeling so anxious 😥 I know there is nothing we can say that will make you less worry, but I just wanted to tell you that I understand completely how you feel ❤️ Pregnancy after loss is so difficult, it can never be the same. The only thing we can do is thinking that today we are pregnant, that's the only thing we know and we don't have any control. And today you are: you saw a heartbeat a few days ago, so there is hope. I don't think the symptoms can tell you much, but I understand the worry: I really don't have much, maybe some nausea sometimes, but I don't have any food or smell aversion which I had a lot with my previous pregnancies (that ended in loss anyway). I hope you will feel better and get some good news on your next scan. I have a scan as well the 30th of December, I will be 8+5 and I'm already terrified about it.

@TheBirdintheCave I wish I had something positive to say to make you feel better. But I can’t make you feel better and no one can. This is a shit situation and I think it’s ok to acknowledge it as being shit.

Its such a nerve wracking time and there’s so much hope and anticipation on the line. All I can say is there is literally nothing you can or can’t do to stop the outcome - whether that’s a healthy pregnancy and baby or the worst case outcome which we clearly all hope and pray isn’t the case. It’s shit but you just need to wait and there’s a lot of people here to support you, regardless of what the outcome is x

@Blondbombsite compared to with my daughter I’m a bit more tired (but that’s probably because I have her). I also feel like I’ve had a few more nauseous occasions than with her, as I barely had any with her. Also feel like I’m having extra food aversions and also not wanting as much sweet stuff either 🤔

@Mulner88 I'm glad all was well with your scan :) You do have a reason for your dates being off though. I don't. I'd already subtracted a week because I know I ovulate later than normal :( There's just no other reason for the small growth other than a non viable pregnancy.

And, from my experience with my MMC, sonographers lie and tell you it might be ok when they think the opposite. I don't trust a word they say beyond what I can see for myself on a screen.

In terms of my results I mean, yours sound normal :)

@AnnieApple123 that miscarriage calculator is a good reassurance tool. Thank you for sharing it.

@BCxx the funny thing for me is my nausea is far worse this time around but I can actually eat, with dd there was a very limited amount of foods that I could eat that wouldn’t immediately make me feel worse. I’m actually eating more than I thought I’d be able to which is nice.

@TheBirdintheCave if I’m remembering rightly (apologies if I’m not) your last scan was with EPU? Could you not contact them and ask them for reassurance regarding the scan as you are very anxious about it? I’m not sure if you’d get anywhere with it but it seems incredibly unfair to you to be under this amount of worry and stress when they may be able to reassure you about the measurements.

@Rowanandremy I did try and get her to tell me the truth but she just kept saying that everything looked fine and that maybe I implanted later (or something annoying like that) 🙄The truth is that I should have been 7 weeks and wasn't measuring that and that's concerning. I wish they'd offered me a rescan.

@TheBirdintheCave I am so sorry that you are going through all of this anxiety. Is it worth seeing if you can get another scan with them? If you explain about the measurements and the fact that you are worrying and stressed, surely they can do something to help you? Maybe blood tests to see about hcg levels. Waiting until the 30th is going to feel like such a long wait for you.

@Rowanandremy Based on my experience with the MMC I don't think they really care that I'm scared. I don't know how much blood tests could tell me and I know they don't offer them.

I'm pretty sure if they offered me another scan it would only be two weeks after the last one which would be the 27th so only three days before the 30th anyway,

@TheBirdintheCave the blood tests are usually done every 48/72 hours and detect rising, or falling, hcg levels. They can be more accurate than scans in some ways. How strange that your EPU don’t do them. It’s terrible that they seem not to care that you are scared, I can’t think of a scarier time than worrying for your baby.

Im sorry I haven’t been able to offer any advice that’s been helpful. All I can say is you have the support, and well wishes, of us all on here.

@TheBirdintheCave i think it was on a pregnancy after loss thread a lady was using medicheck for hcg and progesterone blood tests if it was something you did want to do. Not sure if they’d even arrive on time with the post at the moment though 🙄

@TheBirdintheCave Not going to try and make you feel better, because I know you're on the brink and whatever your feelings are, they're valid.

But just remember baby it ain't over til it's over

@ChloeN I have a friend who used medicheck as well! It was accurate from what I recall @TheBirdintheCave

Realistically if what you think is happening is actually happening, and you're losing it, your hcg levels won't be increasing properly. It's a very good indication of something going wrong. Are you sure EPU don't do them?

@somuchtolearnabout I begged and begged them during the MMC as I knew something was wrong and they just kept saying that they didn't do blood tests. My GP said the same thing. I don't feel quite as desperate this time. It's more a worry that things are going to go wrong based on the last scan.

@ChloeN I'll have a look into Medicheck. Doesn't HCG slow down in it's doubling rate at some point in pregnancy? I think I'd have to do a lot more research into what I should be expecting to see if I decide to do it.

@TheBirdintheCave Yes I was about to say that HCG is less informative at this stage and starts to increase at a slower rate. I can’t remember all the details offhand but be careful if you do this.

Aaarrggh, just when is reached a point where I was feeling reasonably confident, I’m now terrified my toddler has slapped cheek (which can cause miscarriage). The worries just never end.

@AnnieApple123 oh no! What do you do in that situation? I know if a child at school has it we don’t go in but what do you do if it’s a child in your own house?! Hopefully it’s not anyway!