Due February 2025 - Thread 3

[UrbanSquirrel]

Following on from the two existing threads, welcoming all the intrepid ladies due in February, for further excellent support 🤗

I just got my second hand copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting and am really enjoying it so far. I'll definitely look for these ones - especially the positive birth one. I'm in denial about birth and need to sort my head out about it 😅 Thanks for sharing!

Just got my combined screening results:
1:15000 for Down’s Syndrome
1:38000 for T13/T18

im so relieved, I was worried as I’m 33 and this is my first baby. Good luck to anyone in the thread who is waiting for results.

@UrbanSquirrel nice to see you around. I went to the Amnio but when they pierce me with the needle I jumped (I read it wasn't painful... Oh God I felt Jack the reaper was in the room, honestly.) because of that the baby went to inspect, nosy little thing, hahaha. I ended up shaking my hips, laughing, coughing, etc but the baby moved a little. I was "stabbed" two more times (never pierce the amniotic sack but the needle was just there) but the baby didn't want to fully move to a side and the sonographer decided not to proceed. He could heard the heartbeat (as they check for malformacions in it as it's a DS common issue.) I need to come back next Thursday to get my colander look. I think I'll be ready for Halloween! Hahahaha

Ohh you have a bump already! I bet you look gorgeous! Is it cool to hear their heartbeat, isn't it? What's this midwife appointment about? I'll got mine postponed because of the Amnio until 2 weeks time.

@Redapple21 hi, I missed your message. Thanks for thinking about me, as I mentioned before I went there, got pierced 3 times but unfortunately the baby was moving the hole time and ended up in a very awkward position (had both feet on the top on of my uterus with its head down. Hahaha was a little bit 'wtf are you doing baby?!' Hahaha I think it wanted to be a break dancer like the Australian one from the olympics hahahaha) anyway, I need to be back next Thursday to be pierced again. I hope next time they can do it. Because another week of waiting and not knowing would kill us for sure. Thanks for asking! And I hope your covid/illness is not very serious and you get well soon! 😊❤️

@Piluka ah that's such a shame they couldn't do it and you now have to wait another week! Mischievous baby haha. Hope you're doing ok. Hopefully some reassurance from checking the heart beat.

I did a covid test and it was negative! So just another yucky virus. Quite hard to be unwell with a toddler at home! We've watched a lot of Blippi and Cars!

@ThisLimeDeer Excellent to hear those results.
Congrats - a huge weight off your mind, I'm sure, and now you can take a deep breath and feel a lot more confident 🤗

@Piluka On one hand, your posts have made me laugh so much - the idea of you looking like a colander...!!! 🤣 - but I'm frustrated on your behalf that you have to go back in another week, after waiting so long already! (And the process sounds very alarming.) You mentioned the heartbeat - were they able to get any sense of whether the heart was all OK? It sounds hopeful, so I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

Your baby sounds amazing though! So energetic! Mine is more like Little Miss Laid-Back - every time we see or hear her, she seems to be asleep 😂

The appointment yesterday was just a standard follow up - to discuss the results of the 12 week scan and to make sure everything is OK. We had it booked in when we first met the midwife at 8 weeks. Don't you have any other scheduled meetings with the midwife yet?

@Redapple21 So glad it isn't Covid. That doesn't stop it being grim, obviously, but at least you don't have all the associated worries about continuing to test etc. Hope you're firing on all cylinders again very soon (if only to preserve your sanity from those kids' TV marathons!) 🤗 x

That is so interesting re the differences, especially both within London as you say! I think maybe they took my weight because I lost weight during 1st trimester (thanks to the joys of nausea and food aversions). But I’m still in the whale category (😂) so don’t think they need to worry 🤷🏻‍♀️

also I definitely have a proper bump too now! It’s quite nice, isn’t it? Although hard to hide at work as I’m trying to avoid most people knowing until 20 weeks if possible 😬

On the topic of books, I’ve been loving the Emily Oster ones- Expecting Better and Cribsheet. But will give some of these suggestions a go too! The Positive Birth Book sounds great @CarrotySnack

Yes! I've really enjoyed Oster's Expecting Better! It's mostly known for the chapters dissecting the evidence for drinking alcohol and coffee etc, so the second half on the birth plan stuff was unexpected and I found it super helpful. I had totally forgotten she had written another book, I will look for that.

@KittyFantastica I've heard of the What to Expect book, glad to hear it's good!

Also on the subject of books I found Siobhan Miller's Hypnobirthing book questionable and remarkably lacking in content, apart from a paragraph on down-breathing and up-breathing, which I didn't understand from her description anyway!

I wanted to lob Lucy Jones's Matresence across the room multiple times (although unfortunately I was listening to it on audiobook so that would have just been my own phone!) It was seemingly based purely on her own birth rather than any evidence whatsoever and she said a few things that I'm certain are plain wrong.

BUT I did pick up one good tip from Matrescence, which was another book (lol) by Juju Sundin called Birth Skills. I've bought a copy for a penny online and might be really interesting for anyone else who would like to try and get through without an epidural. It's something a bit different from the idea we can just sit there all zen, focusing on our breathing, and puts much more focus on moving around.

@Redapple21 so glad your test was negative, what a relief for you!

Hurrah! Those are low odds! Mine was 1/5000 for all three. 34, also my first baby.

@CarrotySnack I quite liked Matrescence, although there were some bits that were a bit too florid for me. I've also read Holding The Baby by Nell Frizzell, which was an even more subjective N=1 (so avoid if Matrescence wasn't for you) . I've got The Unexpected by Emily Oster next on my list!

Thanks for the warning re Nell Frizell! I hadn't heard of The Unexpected, another Oster book to add to the list (I had no idea having a baby would cause so much reading!!)

@UrbanSquirrel i'm glad you laugh. At the end of the day it's not so bad, the test can be doable and in theory should be better (or so the scanner said) I try to be Positive and laugh at things. 😁Life's to short to not laugh at it, specially if you are a colander. 😉😁

Regarding the heartbeat, she didn't mentioned much about it at the moment but at the end of the "jack the reaper meet and greet session" she mentioned that everything was alright. Honestly, I don't know if she said so to reassure us as we had to wait another week or because everything was right for real. I guess without the Amnio liquid they can not tell for real. So, hope everything's alright. By the way, the staff at the hospital were absolutely lovely and nice. It was more the experience than the people.

I'd prefer a lovely layback baby than a nosy one. I bet yours would be an angel.

I didn’t love the positive birth company book but their hypnobirthing course was fantastic I thought especially for the price and she explains the breathing well enough on there! It helped me stay calm (with plenty of swearing) for 2 births. It’s not for everyone but I would recommend it, I use the up breathing to manage anxiety most days! Hollie De Cruz has a birthing book that’s well rated with friends, and she’s had 2 planned homebirths turned into emergency caesareans so I feel is very open and realistic about birth.

Thanks that's really helpful to know. Doesn't totally surprise me, as in the book itself it almost felt like all the actual instructions were missing!

I agree with the positive birth company course, I did it last pregnancy and the breathing techniques were really helpful. I've not read the book though so can't comment on that.

Hello everyone 15+6 today and going to see our little boy! Hoping to hear heartbeat tomorrow purchase a heartbeat bear. My sickness went away for 2 weeks and today it's come out of nowhere...it's like he knows to reassure me on the day we go to see him 🤣🤣 I've been so worried with no symptoms. X

Hi all,
lovely seeing everyone’s updates.
@Piluka hope the next attempt is a success and good on you for finding the humour in it all!!
I’ve got my nipt booked for 3rd sept which feels like ages away! 15 wks now and struggling to hide what is to be fair a very small bump. 35 and second pregnancy so the worry is constant in back of mind but keeping busy with little one and work!
hope you all enjoy the weekend!

We had our NIPT and scan today, 16+1

Baby is a girl! 🩷 I have a 4.5 year old girl & a 3 year old boy so wasn’t too fussed what we were having but my daughter REALLY wanted a sister so I’m delighted for her!

Confirmed little boy! So excited and heard his heartbeat for first time 🥹

Lovely scan news @OrangeSlices998 and @apple67cherry 🥹 so exciting you’re finding out sexes already!
I’m 13+5 and itching to book a 16 week scan to find out 👀

So amazing @apple67cherry and @OrangeSlices998 - congratulations! You’re making me rethink our decision not to find out the gender 😅

I'm 14 weeks today, and I seem to have developed the teeniest of bumps overnight!

I haven't had any blood results yet, and I've been waiting for them to make sure all is well before I tell the other children, so I could do with them hurrying up a bit. We're going on holiday on the 6th, so I think we might tell them whilst away, and if they hate the idea, at least they have a massive waterpark to take their mind off of things!