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 🤗

17/2/25 🙈

Amazing scans everyone! Huge congratulations to you all - @apple67cherry yippee, another boy to add to the roster and, @QuantumPanic, hurrah, a fellow girl mum in the making ☺️

Just in answer to the NIPT questions, I too had just 'low risk'.

Envious of those of you who are starting to have a clear bump and / or movement. I just feel incredibly podgy - it's as though everything is being pushed up into my upper abdomen and bulging there too - but I think most of it is still fat. My husband is convinced my tummy is getting firmer though.

But what kind of firmness indicates the bump? It's more 'balloon' than 'football' firmness at present if that makes sense. Any thoughts? 😉

@UrbanSquirrel It's definitely more balloon firmness than football it's not rock hard! I'm definitely showing now so lucky most people know as it's getting harder to hide especially with nice weather can't cover it up!

Anyone else still have this anxiety that something is going to go wrong? Not sure why and I'm not really an anxious person but sometimes just get this niggling. I know statistically the chances are low but I think as its I have no control over anything and I'm a bit of a control freak 😂

Hi everyone had my screening results. Low risk for all syndromes however they said I have Low Papp-A at 0.34 is this a cause for concern? They've recommended aspirin for me. I don't have great understanding of this as it's my first little one but does this cause baby coming early at all?

From a quick Google, it effects how the placenta works which can cause low birth weight, which is classed as under 5.5lb. I presume the aspirin is to encourage blood flow through the placenta to try and counteract that.

Papp-A is a hormone made by the placenta, and if it’s low this can mean your placenta is working harder and you can see higher incidences of small babies or mums with pre eclampsia when there is low Papp-A.

It’s a fairly new thing to measure and observe, it’s a screening tool really. You’ll be offered extra growth scans and midwife checks, and aspirin is recommended to improve blood flow through the placenta.

Some people with low Papp-A will have complications and some won’t. Some with a normal level of Papp-A will have complications and some won’t, hence why everyone has routine midwife checks and growth scans.

Fingers crossed you’ll get to term with normal blood pressure and a well grown baby and it’ll just be one of those things that you knew about but didn’t cause any issues!

@lilacsnail thank you for your reply. I worry just hearing 'low risk' with no numbers won't help as that's what the initial screening result was, but I need to remember it will be much more accurate! Might be hard to persuade my husband as he is just not worried at all, and keeps talking about all the people in our circle who have been told they had high risk of downs and then healthy children. It just makes me think we will be the unlucky ones!

@apple67cherry if you are on their radar then you will have all relevant checks and I'm sure everything will be fine. When I phoned the screening midwives about my results they said the cut off for low PappA is 0.4 so you are also only just below it, hopefully that is a bit reassuring to hear

Hello, I'm terrible at finding time to catch up. I found the messages about clothes really helpful- thank-you @EastLondonCoffeeFiend @Lidlisthebusiness @retrievermum @elb1504 @TTCagain85 @superj21
@DearKoala

@Lulahoop People are so rude commenting, I've had a few people staring at me saying they can see the bump when I know it's mostly massive bloating and pretty normal for me lol. This is why I think I'll like maternity clothes and probably want to always wear them unless I can finally solve the mystery of my bloating!

@elb1504 yes on the anxiety. I'm anxious atm lol. Been feeling more uncomfortable like a heavy feeling and some pains which hopefully is just normal but got me worried. Especially as we just told people last week. I'm not sleeping well either which probably isn't helping. Do you find much helps with feeling anxious? I'm a naturally anxious person so I keep myself busy/distracted. Working on an embroidery kit atm while watching Netflix, one thing alone not enough to occupy my anxious brain haha.

Thanks everyone for informing me in detail about the low PAPP A.
I've been advised to go onto aspirin 150mg 1 tablet a day. I cannot find these but have found 300mg ones that you can snap in half, would this be okay?

Yess definitely, I’m feeling super anxious still. Finding it really hard not to stress about things like ingredients in food (especially in restaurants) and cosmetics :/ I’m hoping it will fade more as time goes on?

Hi everyone,

Adding to the list of people who had scans yesterday - turned 13 weeks today and have due date of 18th Feb!

Did introduce myself on here an age ago and on Facebook but have lurked for a while as felt so anxious about yesterday. Feeling a bit better after seeing my wriggly bean yesterday and tiredness and nausea easing too, but definitely still anxious about things going wrong.

As bit of intro, I am a 37 year old STM (have a boy who is 3.5). Had a very straightforward pregnancy with him during Covid which took an unexpected turn when he spontaneously turned up at 32 weeks. My tests all came back low risk yesterday except slightly high risk for pre eclampsia (1:131) and so this and previous premature birth mean I am getting a lot of extra attention this time.

Have an initial pre-term consultant appt and scan next Friday and then also been scheduled extra scans at 24, 28, 32 and 36 weeks (hopefully make it that far this time!) - all a bit overwhelming but also reassured I’ll be looked after.

Havent told work yet but need to soon as bump becoming obvious (I am skinny but bloat big!). I really like seraphine and frugi for maternity clothes (latter for baby/toddler clothes too!) so looking for those in sales / on vinted.

Sorry very long post, but look forward to being a bit more onboard with the chat and community!

Welcome again @Cheeseandcrackers123 😊 I'm hoping the tiredness eases for me (the nausea has) - I'm still exhausted most days. Things should be getting better from here though!

I'm glad your scan went well and I hope you have an uneventful pregnancy with this little one 😊 it's great that they've got you booked in for all your extra scans already.

@SBelfast I'm trying to just rationalise everything to help with the anxiety and keep busy. I also have a lot of aches and pains which I'm sure are just normal. As with pregnancy so far feel like it's a bit of a limbo time, I've got a gender scan next week then 20 week scan a few weeks later in September. I think leading up to the scans is also when they anxiety heightens.

@EastLondonCoffeeFiend It's so strange isn't it, I think the not knowing what's going on in your body isn't helping me. I've not been too bad this time round with foods etc.. probably did all that worrying when I had DS and this time just going with the flow. I'm sure when we can all feel proper baby movements that will help, I know it'll help me.

I take 2 of the 75mg tablets to make up 150mg. I am on aspirin for a different reason but this is what the EPU recommended.

@AH2023 thanks for this, do you think I'd be able to snap half of a 300mg tablet?

My consultant from recurrent loss clinic told me I could snap 300mg in half!

If they’ve got the line down the middle then yes you can snap in half to get the right dose.

Don’t see why not!

Is anyone else absolutely starving all the time? Honestly I think I must have gestational diabetes or something, I eat a then an hour later need something else. Woke up at half 5 this morning from hunger pains and had to get up and have a bowl of granola!

My nausea has also returned with a vengeance even though it’s week 13 😒

Does anybody know if alpro yoghurt is pasteurized?

my sickness has seemed to of disappeared. Started from 9.5 weeks and lasted until 14.5 weeks. Horrendous and now completely gone since yesterday 😳

Yep starving, had to go and get a biscuit at 5am the other day! Does seem to have eased a bit now as long as I have regular things to eat, when I'm in the office I have to have a lunch bag full of stuff to keep me going.

I don't know for sure but I think all yoghurt in UK is pasteurised, also as its Alpro is it dairy free? So nothing to be pasteurised? Might be completely wrong!

I had my 12w scan today, all is well, nuchal measurement is lovely, though I'm expecting the risk to be bumped up because of my age and get a call in a few days. Also had my bloods taken for screening. It was nice to have a positive scan, which I'm seeing as the silver lining to an otherwise awful month or so. I'll pop my scan picture on the FB page 🙂

All. The. Time!! It's driving me insane and I am scared how much weight I'm going to end up gaining 😂 even though I'm eating relatively healthily I'm basically hungry again within 30 minutes of eating. My friend who is due in September has assured me it doesn't last 😂

Good afternoon all

sorry I am such a late joiner. I did debate whether to wait until Friday when we have our scan, but wanted to say hi! Congratulations to all you Mammas, the scans are gorgeous 🥰

I am pregnant with our 3rd baby. We had a private scan at 10 weeks but I have quite bad anxiety so worried something is wrong.

I had the NIPT done so know everything is low risk, doesn’t seem to stop the worrying though. It’s odd, I don’t remember feeling this worried with our other 2.

i am going to be referred to the perinatal mental health team which is good to have the support. We haven’t told any family yet, just 2 close friends of mine. I feel like people will judge us.

we have 2 boys and this baby is a little girly 🩷