Due July 2025

[narwhalsarereal]

I've just had my BFP & my estimated due date in July 2nd.

This will be my first pregnancy

Hope everyone is doing well today!

Feeling quite anxious after my booking appointment, dredging up various traumatic events post birth for my daughter, miscarriages, medical histories. Has made me feel quite down. Forgot quite how many questions there were and it has popped my little happy bubble a bit!

Have a private scan booked for 9th December when I'll be approx 10 weeks 5 days so just counting down the days until that

Congrats to the ones who have joined this thread, it's nice to know we have each other on here!

The booking appointment will go through your health history and nearest relatives. Previous pregnancies. They will do your height and weight to determine your BMI. They'll ask about all medications you have taken in the last 6 months. Take your blood pressure and test your co levels to check if you smoke. They will run blood tests for blood type and stds and a few other things
They will ask which hospital you want to be booked in with and where you would like your scans. I have a choice of 2 hospitals for births and one of those hospitals comes with the option of having scans at a local hospital with an op clinic but not maternity ward for births.
At the end they will assign you as high or low risk. This basically is are there any factors that might introduce complications in pregnancy or soon afterwards. I'm bipolar and on medication for that which makes me high risk even though it doesn't seem directly connected to pregnancy. I'm on medication which will mean that my baby might need extra monitoring for the first few days it can also make me severely mentally unwell in the days after birth. With my daughter this meant I had to see the obstetrician once to reassure me that it's important to stay on my medication and I got a single room on the maternity ward for 3 days to help me get better sleep than being in a bay whilst we were in for my daughter to be monitored. Otherwise the bulk of my pregnancy care was consistent with a low risk pregnancy and I gave birth in the midwife led unit. So "high risk" doesn't necessarily mean a more medicalised pregnancy and birth.

Hi all!

I am tentatively joining in if you'll have me! I say tentatively as I still can't quite believe it. I am about 5w4 and this is a very very long awaited (hopeful) sibling for my 8 year old son!
I am 37 so geriatric in the pregnancy scheme of things. I'm in Ireland too so a slightly different procedure to you all.
Went to the doctor this morning to start the process, blood pressure is quite high so back Monday to get a 24hr monitor.
We booked a private reassurance scan in two weeks time as my nerves won't last until I get my hospital appointment, which will most likely be after Christmas!
Delighted to have a group to chat with until I can tell everyone IRL at 12 weeks!

@Superscientist thanks so much for the detailed rundown of the appointment. I didn’t know I had the option to choose where I had my scans / midwife appointments. There are two hospitals near me, like you not sure on the fundamentals though. I understand my Midwife appointments will be at the local out-of-hospital surgery just down the road, but I could be wrong. Have you had your booking appointment for this one — how far along are you?

sounds like you went through a lot with your daughter. But it’s good you know how it’ll be this time and that you’ll have that more tailored care. A private ward sounds lovely 😅 it’s interesting what they deem as high / low risk. Did you have more than the standard 12/20 week scans?

@MaSads sorry your scan dredged up a load of old feelings and emotions you weren’t prepared for, and reliving things from your daughters birth. Was your midwife compassionate? You are 3 days ahead of me. So am I right in thinking you’re 9+1 today? My booking apt is week today where I’ll be 9+5. Have you had a scan yet or will the first be in 2 weeks time?

@GCS34 I think generally when deemed high risk you have more than the 2 routine scans, at least in my area anyway! I had my booking appointment yesterday and I am high risk and was advised my care will be shared and I will have more scans and will have to routinely see my consultant.

Anyone else been told they will have to go on aspirin from 12 weeks? I don’t have HBP so it’s not for that

@BroomAdventures co grays on your booking appt and pregnancy. How far are you now and have you had a scan yet? I am on low dose aspirin already (75mg p/day) — been on it since positive pregnancy test and not sure if I’ll continue after 12 weeks. That’ll be one for the consultant to decide I think. My understanding is it is to stop blood clotting and to allow blood flow to the baby and placenta to ensure baby gets what it needs for me. After 12 weeks I think (don’t quote me) is for high blood pressure and to prevent preeclampsia but it’s likely I’ve got that wrong 😂🙈

@GCS34 I'm 8.5 weeks but measured 10 days behind at an early scan last week.
With my daughter I only had the 12 and 20 week scans as my reasons for high risk for my health rather than babies. I was on the edge of needing growth scans as my bump was measuring on the 10th percentile but never dipped below. 10th percentile is the threshold for growth scans for small babies and there's a similar limit for larger babies too.
I have had an early scan this time around at the epu due to a miscarriage in the summer. I have another next week as my dates didn't match up with the scan.
I had my booking appointment last week.

I see the midwife in the community and have scans and obstetrician appointments at the hospital. If mental health declines in pregnancy I have the option of switching to the mental health midwives and I think they run out of the hospital. I've chosen to give birth at the hospital that allows me to have the scans /obstetricians at the local hospital. The maternity wards are both 30-40 minutes away but the local hospital with out patient facilities is only 20 minutes away and has better parking.

It was nice having my own room and it did help me get better sleep... Too much sleep really I got told off on the first night as me and my daughter slept for 8h and I should have woken her up to feed her. I set alarms for the next night!

@GCS34 The midwife was lovely and talked me through a lot of things but it just was hard going through it all. Made me seem a bit silly for having another baby after all the issues I had last time! Yes that's right I'm 9weeks 2 days today going by scan measurements dates but going by last period I'm 9 weeks so we are pretty much the same. I have had 2 scans so far, one at 5 weeks 4 days and one at 8 weeks 2 days because of some spotting and pain, and also my last pregnancy ended in a csection so wanted to check baby was in the right place.

I'm feeling a bit better today but just felt a bit negative after whereas I've been very positive so far up until then!

@BroomAdventures They also put you on this if a previous baby was under the 9th percentile for weight, my daughter was between 9th and 25th and the midwife had to calculate it exactly yesterday (19th percentile) and she said if she was under the 9th then aspirin is needed

@BroomAdventures there are certain conditions and risk factors that mean you are more prone to blood clots in pregnancy blood pressure is just one risk factor that can increase your risk. This can increase the risk of miscarriage as the clots can impact the health of the placenta. Further into pregnancy I think it can cause slower growth. I know a friend had growth scans due to being on blood thinners and risk of small babies

Sorry if this is a silly question but I'm seeing different things online, is anyone O Negative and can advise how this will impact baby if it does at all? DH doesn't know his blood type so I've been a bit nervy about baby potentially having his blood type instead of mine.

@Superscientist i read your update on your early scan. It’s a horrible time that wait but give symptoms etc it sounds positive. What day is your scan next week? I have really bad scanxiety and hate going for them and work myself up so much before but once all is okay, I love them. It’s such a hard period early pregnancy. It’s not easy for anyone I don’t think, never mind those of us with a history. We are exactly the same GA — I am 8+6 today so due 5th July. Same as you I imagine and very similar to @MaSads

sorry to hear of your loss in the summer. It’s so hard to navigate pregnancy after loss, and no one really prepares you for it. I was and still am struggling to expect it all to go wrong at the drop of a hat.

That sounds like a good set up at the hospital. And parking is notoriously awful at hospitals so win for one that doesn’t have issues. Do you find that pregnancy and the hormones exacerbate your bipolar? Don’t answer if you don’t want to. It’s a very personal question!

@MaSads im glad she was lovely. Some doctors / nurses can be quite condescending so it’s nice she sympathised with you. Was your latest scan at 8+2 okay presumably? I had one at 8+3 and baby was 1.9cm which put me at 8+4 I think. But it’s so early it will all change I think. Has your sporting stopped and the pain stopped? you know if you’ve had spotting you can get progesterone prescribed from the GP as per NICE guidelines. I’ve got to stay on progesterone until 16 weeks and my IVF clinic gave me the nice guidelines to go get it free. So might be worth a chat at your next apt? Only if you want it obviously. It’s piece of mind for me I think.

glad you’re feeling better. Don’t feel guilty or bad for your feelings. It’s a lot to go through and pregnancy after loss is hard never mind having a birth story that’s less than rosey. Be kind to yourself xx

I’m still breastfeeding so finding it hard to differentiate but they’re definitely different!

I’m becoming a bit of a repeated POAS-er

using expired tests

I know it means nothing but feeling a bit reassured as had multiple early scans last time (due to pregnancy of unknown location that turned out ok) so being 7 weeks away from my first scan feels forever.

Thanks, it's on Thursday. I struggled with nausea and sickness for a week after my miscarriage in the summer so it's not as reassuring as it might have been. I've been feeling quite spaced and dizzy today. I'm trying to keep eating.

Pregnancy hasn't been too bad on my bipolar. I got a bit of depression with my daughter but it was 2020 so an odd situation. The tole of the sickness didn't help. After my daughter was born it went to hell though and when she was 3 weeks I developed severe depression and pyschosis and I spent some time on a mother and baby unit as a result. I stay on my meds in pregnancy which I think helps me stay stable and my bipolar is generally well managed nowadays. The episode post partum is the only significant episode I have had in about 8 years but did take 2 yes to recover from.

The main hospital is awful. The staff park on the pavements (you can see their permits) if there's tarmac there's a car parked on it. It takes about 40 minutes to find a space. If I'm on my own I now take the bus which was the reason for choosing this hospital!

@LifeonMarss Me! So, at my hospital trust they do a blood test where they can work out early on if the baby is o negative too or different. If they are different, they give you anti-d injections. Then when the baby is born, they check them over to see if the blood type differences has made them ill. If you don't have the anti-d injections, your antibodies may attack the baby and make them sick, which sounds scary but that's what the injections are there to prevent. My daughter was positive blood type and she was a teeny bit poorly because of this, they said they would monitor her a bit more and she was given some folic acid but no other treatment needed and she stayed with me the whole time, didnt need special care or anything. But they will be prepared for it if the blood types are different, and they check the umbilical cord via blood test for antibodies that may have been passed to the baby (the antibodies cause the illness). Obviously if the baby has your blood type then no extra care needed. I hope that's reassured you, not frightened you!

@GCS34 Yes she was much nicer than my midwife for my daughter, so I felt ok but just draining having to go through pretty much every traumatic life experience and I was unprepared.

Scan was fine thankfully, baby was 17mm, not growing on my scar or ectopic, saw a baby with a strong heartbeat which was a bit of a shock, I had convinced myself that there was nothing there as my scan at 5 weeks 4 days showed no fetal pole.

They did prescribe me progesterone which I took a few of but I had quite bad side effects so they advised me to stop quite quickly. All spotting and pain has stopped too so everything seems to be going well, fingers crossed

Thank you, I am taking a bit of a rest day today and just trying to get myself back in the happy mood I was in pre appointment. How are you feeling today?

@MaSads its funny what you tell yourself in your head isn’t it? I was adamant it wouldn’t be a successful scan on Tuesday so I was shocked. I think I have PTSD from scans at my ivf clinic, as I don’t have the same level of stress before the private one I’ve had. I’m so pleased all was okay and hopefully a sigh of relief. When is your next or are you waiting until 12 now?

sounds like babes right on track which is so reassuring. Have you told anyone yet or are you keeping it under wrapped until Christmas?

interesting on the progesterone side effects — were they pills or pessaries? I’m on 3 x pessaries and an injection a day. The only side effects I’ve had is bloating and trumping 😂😂 no dignity here.

do something nice for yourself — go for a walk maybe? Being outdoors really helps mindset I think. Personally anyway. I’m okay thanks — away this weekend to Cambridge so I’m hoping that’ll take my mind off obsessing!!

@Superscientist it’s so confusing isn’t it. And so much going on with hormones it can really mess with you. Will it be 2 weeks on Thursday since your first scan? Sending lots of positive vibes to your uterus. Did they give any inclination?

gosh I’m so sorry you ended up back in hospital post birth. It’s good you recognised it though and got help. So many people don’t. I’m glad it didn’t affect pregnancy though and youre able to stay on the medication. That must be a huge relief.

i don’t get why hospitals have shocking parking. Least you have a good option 2! My nearest is about 20 mins too, so imagine I’ll be there.

@GCS34 it took until 10 months to accept the bed! 😆 I wanted to have tried everything at home first but it was helpful. It's just tricky as my parents don't know I'm bipolar so I had to hide my admission from them I only got away with it because of the pandemic

It has got worse since the pandemic. During the pandemic they stopped restricting the number of staff permits and they now have way more staff with permits than they have staff parking places so they end up parking in patient car parks or abandoning their car wherever.

It will be 15 days between scans. They were optimistic. I didn't track ovulation so i could have ovulated later. My partner was away for a week a few days after I was predicted to ovulate so from that perspective I'm more optimistic that it's 10 days behind rather than a week as that wouldn't have been feasible. Given it's only a few months since my miscarriage it's possible things weren't back in a normal rhythm yet. In my head it's 50:50

Not personally but both my sisters are O- and have had kids. Sister 1s husband is A+ and I can't remember what treatment etc she needed but her first baby's blood type came out O+ so a mix of both parents. Both babies healthy.

Sister 2s husband doesn't know his blood type as he is scared of needles haha so she had to have the injections. Both babies healthy 😊

I'm O+ so won't have this issue and thought it was cool my nephew had "my" blood type lol.

Hi guy, I am 10 weeks on Sunday and have a private scan booked and I am absolutely petrified! My first pregnancy the baby stopped growing at 9.5 weeks but I didn’t find out until my 12 week scan (which was at 13.5 weeks due to Xmas)! This time I’ve booked a scan for 10 weeks but am so petrified of bad news again 😭

Dr has given me cyclizine for my nausea and omg the taste of it alone is enough to make me gag. Hoping it will help me though, thankfully not been too bad today

@LifeonMarss it's better with juice/smoothie if you can manage that and if you put the liquid in your mouth first then the tablet so you don't have the tablet starting to dissolve on your tongue whilst you take a drink