November/December babies

[monkey]

Hell, I've just found out I'm expecting No. 3 mid November, and am very excited. A bit scared too - I can't remember a thing! How can I possibly have done this twice already??? Hope more of you can join me soon!

Monkey, are you in Switzerland?? Sorry for being nosey, but the "little Schlumpfli" comment further down the thread sounded familiar. I spent some of my childhood in Geneva, and dh comes from the German/Swiss border, so was just wondering...

My dh is a radiologist which is great when it comes to scans!!! Anyway, you can have them done privately - I had a dating scan at 6-7 weeks as ds was unplanned. My dh has said that although it is thought that there is little risk to the baby of having ultrasound scans, that isn't conclusive so he advises against 'going mad' and having lots done.

Hi sprout - yes I am here in Ch. Lucky old me - the health care is fantastic & I'm looking forward to at least a week in hospital lying in the lap of luxury & trying hard not to think of the 2 awful days in Chelsea & Westminster following my emergency c-section for ds1.

Well I'll just butt into this thread although I am due end of October I just feel in my waters that I will be overdue and baby will be born in November. I have a date of November 14th in my head - will have to wait and see!!
Anyway, to answer your query Jaytree. If you want a dating scan you have to have one done before 16 weeks for it to be accurate. I would definatly ring up and ask if you can have one if you are unsure of your dates. Where I live they don't offer an early scan as routine only one at 20 weeks but they do see you at the hospital at around 12 weeks (I'm going in for a hospital check when I'll be 13 weeks pregnant). I've seen the midwife for a booking in appointment but then don't see her until I'm about 20 weeks and then 8 weeks after that. Even towards the end I wasn't seeing her that much but then the last pregnancy was very straight forward for me. I'm sure they see you more if there are problems. I have to say though the care I got from my midwife and the midwives in the hospital last time was fantastic. And I am really pleased to see my midwife again.

Many congrats to everyone! I'm about 7 weeks now and feeling really sick and knackered. Yes Tinker, this is no. 4. Most people I've told think I'm totally mad, especially since the other 3 aren't exactly shy, retiring sorts! Still, at least I know what I've got coming to me.

We've moved to a different area since the other 3 were born, so the routine is slightly different to the one I was used to. Booking in visit with the midwife at 10 wks and a dating scan at about 12/13 wks, I think. As you can see, I'm as unprepared as usual!

Best wishes to you all

Chanelno5, don't I remember you declaiming about how you'd thought about a fourth, but had reached the conclusion that you were perfectly happy with three....? I'm only asking as I have three and am just wondering myself what it would be like to go for just one more. I'd love to know what swung it for you, if you don't think I'm being too nosey.

elliot - congratulations thats brilliant news. You weren't on the 'anyone else trying to get pregnant' for very long at all!

Count me in - only about 3 weeks and very hopeful! Due date should be around Dec 6th - same EDD as dd1 in '99 (who arrived 2 weeks late).

grommit I am 4-5 weeks (nearly 3 weeks post conception) and reckoning on a due date of Dec 3! Were you counting the number of weeks from your LMP or from conception??

My due date also virtually identical to ds (who will be 2) - but he arrived a few days early! Hopefully neither of us will have siblings who share a birthday...but I don't relish organising (and financing) two birthdays and Christmas within a month!!

Buttercup, ok I was lucky with treatment (touch wood things stay that way etc etc) but I had been trying 'in the conventional manner' for about a year before that!

just read that again and realised how horribly early it all still is ....wish I could just fast forward to week 13....

Elliott - I used the chart from a pregnancy book to work out my dues date. Will see the doctor on Friday who can hopefully confirm. All being well December will be a busy month for both of us - I hope number 2 is early!

I've changed my name for this. I found out yesterday that I'm pregnant, about 3 weeks I think. I'm really really scared and just needed to tell someone. Can't say more I'm afraid, but nice to know that I won't be alone through this one.

Shocked - so the pregnancy testing kits work that early or are you 3 weeks after your period was due?

Shocked, welcome (I think) If it's any consolation I'm terrified too!

shocked, we're here for you when you feel able to tell us more of your circumstances.
I'm afraid at the moment I'm still terrified in case I don't end up with a baby, but I'm sure if I get through the first 12 weeks I'll start being terrified that I might end up with a baby!!

Shocked
Hope it all works out for you. Its difficult to rationalise things when your hormones are all over the place. I feel pregnant with ds whilst on the pill and it was a real shock, but we worked through it and now we have a beautiful 7 month old who we adore to bits.

can't believe there's so many of us. Hope you're all feeling ok, especially shocked. I know what you mean elliott - I'm 8 weeks tomorrow & it still feels very slow & early.

I wish I was one of these people who says "Oh, I was so busy I barly gave it a second thought" Ha - I wish - couldn't be more opposite.

Maybe I should go to a specific thread for this, but amongst you lot i'm sure I'll get some good advice - In the Uk, it pretty much depended on where you live for what antenatal tests are available, unless special circumstances. With both my kids I had the nuchal fold scan & got excellent results.

Last time I saw my doc (now not in UK) he gave me a list of all the possible tests, and next time I see him I need to tell him which ones I want done.

I kinda thought I'd ask for the nuchal scan, I suppose mainly because I had it with my other 2, but also for reassurance.

I don't think I would ever want an amnio, or other invasive test 1stly because of the miscarriage risks (I know less than 1 %, but still that's lots of healthy babies every year that are lost - sorry - don't wish to upset/worry/offend - I know every body has different views & feelings about this) & 2ndly because even if it was bad I couldn't go through with an abortion.

I was talking about itwith a local woman & she said that although obviously you have the inal say, basically the implication is if you agree to one you agree to them all, and if the result is bad you sort of move on to the next one - do y ou follow? So I'm really torn, because I'm 3 yrs older than my last pg, and i do have worries about being older iykwim, I just don't know what to do - I know I can al ways refuse but maybe it's better not to have any att all - what do you think?

Monkey - it is a difficult decision. I did not do any tests last time around but I am now 3.5 yrs older - 36. I am considering non-invasive tests such as the blood and nucal fold but what worries me is that these tests are taken so late for me there would not be a choice to make.
How do you count no weeks - from LMP or estimated ovulation?

Dunno monkey. Personally I'm going for whatever tests I can get and would like a Nuchal Fold except that I gather some health autorities don't offer it and if ours doesn't the only option would be to pay (£400 ish), which we really can't afford. I would terminate however in the case of downs, so I do want tests. My sister just had a nuchal fold scan with a v low risk result and therefore didn't go ahead with cvs which would have been the next stage. So I think you could take each test as it comes and decide at the time maybe? If you definitely wouldn't terminate though I'm not sure there's a lot of point, other than mental preparation maybe?

monkey, that's a complicated one
I don't think it necessarily follows that you should only have screening if you are prepared to have a termination. Knowing the diagnosis before birth can help, I think, and I'm sure it would certainly make the birth and early days more enjoyable. A friend of mine has had to decide whether to continue a Down's pregnancy - she has had fantastic support and counselling and I'm sure no assumptions made about her final decision. I don't know how things would be where you are.
However, I think that if you are definitely not prepared to consider invasive diagnostic testing in the event of a positive nuchal result, then you need to think carefully about how you would cope with the uncertainty that would generate. For serum screening, about 5% of all screened women have a 'high risk' result, but the vast majority of these have normal babies. To me, that's quite a high chance of being worried to death unecessarily for the rest of the pregnancy. I think the figures are probably similar with nuchal but I am less familiar with that type of screening.

I am also slightly uncertain what to do about this, but my situation is overwhelmingly coloured by the difficulty I have gettting pregnant. With ds, I was absolutely certain that I could not put what might be my only chance of motherhood at risk through an amnio, so I opted out of screening altogether. This time is less clear cut, but I think I will probably decide the same. I'm not saying other people's pregnancies aren't also precious, but I think I would feel differently if I conceived easily and naturally. Certainly if there was a risk free way of getting a definite diagnosis, I might take it, and I might also consider a termination. I don't know (actually I don't really like to think about it too much).

Sorry to go on, don't know if that helps any!

grommit, number of weeks is taken from the first day of the LMP - so if you have a four week cycle, then the day your period is due you are already four weeks (even though conceived only 2 weeks ago).

Thanks Elliott - great - that means I am 4.5 weeks

Hi Sid - Just noticed your message. Basically, dh changed his mind and decided that he would like one more, don't know why, maybe he's getting sentimental in his old age! I was happy with 3, but as I always thought 4 was a nice even number, I thought I'd go for it. We were lucky, it happened the first month of trying, though dh feels rather cheated! Barely had time to think over the practicalities of having 4, now I am, and wondering how I will cope. Still I'll have 3 (over-helpful) little assistants to help out. HTH with your decision.

Best wishes to everyone. It does seem such a long way to go still, though my week does go by quickly when the kids are at school. I'll be 8 wks on Friday, and am now worrying because today I don't feel as sick and tired as normal. Shouldn't be complaining about feeling a bit better, it's just my over-active imagination kicking in. Anyone else feel like this?

This is a popular month for being pregnant isn't it - Congratulations to everyone!

Chanelno5 I know exactly how you feel. For the last couple of weeks I've felt lousy, had no energy and felt really sick most of the day. Then on Friday (at about 8 weeks) I suddenly felt fine and have done since. I know I should be happy, but theres that nagging doubt that now I don't feel pregnant. It does help having some of the energy back though with ds as he's a bit much to cope with when you feel awful.