Is it normal to be so paranoid and feel this way at 10 weeks?

[Thingiebob]

I am approx 10 weeks pregnant. I have seen my GP and had bloods done which seem normal but have not yet seen a midwife or had a scan. I think because of no scan or midwife I am finding hard to accept that there is a baby inside of me! I have all of the normal symptoms, three positive tests, some sickness, no period, maddening hunger and thirst, fatigue etc. and I've never had a mmc before, yet I can't help worrying that something is wrong or that the baby has stopped growing.

As a result of this, I am reluctant to talk or make any baby plans and I've trying to put the pregnancy to the back of my mind until I have had a scan. Now I have developed a bump and look quite clearly pregnant. This has happened in the last week and has taken me by surprise as I didn't expect my body to change so suddenly. For some reason this has made me really unhappy.

I have tried explaining it to my wonderfully supportive OH but he is a bit perplexed as to why I would find a bump at this point upsetting. I'm not really sure myself but I know that everytime I look at myself in the mirror or get dressed, bathed etc. I feel really worried and scared now and I can't put it out of my mind like I could before. It's too real so now I'm fretting all the time about the midwife appt and what will happen at the first scan to the degree where I can't bear it when family talk about babies to me!

I am just being a loon, aren't I?

I think this is probably quite normal and I also think that the first trimester can be very stressful for some women.
I'm in the very early stages (about 5 weeks behind you) and am trying not to think too far ahead, am desperate to keep it a secret from friends and family for as long as I can and pretty much carry on as before until I get to the scan.
This will be my second DC all being well, and I found out fairly late that I was pregnant first time around, so was into 2nd trimester without knowing too much about it. This time around, found out very early and every day is dragging and feel fairly anxious. Was blissfully unaware last time and I know which I prefer!
I hope you start to feel a bit better but if you feel really anxious it might be worth while confiding in your GP.
Take care.

i agree with mintchoc. you sounds pretty anxious and i think you should talk to your GP about it

no, tis completely normal

I remeber going for my very first scan with DD1 (then you just got the one at 20wks), convinced they would laugh at me and tell me there was no baby.

you get so little obvious sign (bar the feeling crap and sick etc) at the beginnning, you start to wonder if youo are making it all up.

don;t feel like a loon..........I felt it, I am not one (well, some might disagree).

congrats, tis a magical time

in both pregnancies i felt unexpectedly low/anxious and odd round around this time. it passed both times and for the rest of the oregnancies i felt emotionally balanced and normal. for me, it was definately the rise in hormones making my go a bit wonky.

be patient with yourself.

I am with you. I find the first trimester excruciating and like blinks I have got pretty down at that stage every time. No advice other than to say you are not a loon and just take every day one at a time. Then before you know it you'll be having your scan and it will feel more real.

You sound like me. You just need proof that all is okay. Hang in there till your first scan and I'm sure you'll see everything is okay.

I'm also just completing 10 weeks and feel exactly the same. I can't wait for the first scan but that is another 2 weeks. I've been reading too many posts on this website and convinced that I'm going to be told that the sac is empty or something like that.

I don't want to tell work until after the scan. The thought of that terrifies me, but I'm convinced everyone has probably guessed already because I have put on a bit of weight too around my belly and because I'm constantly eating between meals which I never did before. When I'm not at my desk, I walk around desperately trying to breath my stomach in. How ridiculous is that!

I'm sure most people are the same.

I felt exactly the same, apart from slightly increased appetite and sore boobs I had no symptoms. I also had no bump at all, even at the 12 week scan. I had completely worked myself into a frenzy convinced I would have a mmc (even after a private scan at 8+3), especially after reading so many things on here and the internet about it! The internet is a dangerous place for people with active imaginations (like me ).

I tried to tell myself that there was nothing I could do etc and if it were going to happen, it would and I couldn't stop it. I think it's fairly normal and just want you to know I felt exactly the same so you're not a loon! I did start to relax a lot after the 12 weeks scan thought which was a relief! Am 16+1 now...

Yes, yes and yes. I googled myself half way to lunacy over mmc symptoms because I had no sickness or signs other than raging hunger (and let's face it I've had that before without being pg..). Drove DP mad saying 'i don't think there's anything in there...' about fifty times a day.

I paid for a scan at 10 weeks, saw my splodge, left with a big smile on my face.

Try and see it as 'beautiful agony' perhaps?

Yes - it is absolutely normal, although I would second mentioning it to your GP if you are getting so anxious it is really getting you down.

I didn't want to talk about the baby at all in the first trimester, and I got irrationally angry with people who did - the few people that knew - as I felt they were "jinxing" me. I was like it when pregnant with DS too, so it isn't jsut a first timers thing!

The internet is a terrible, terrible thing, I was going to say in early pregnancy, but actually I think in pregnancy generally. It has certainly provided me with no end of panic and worry in the past!

You will find that your anxiety decreases, and once you have your first scan, should become more manageable.

Ah thank you for your reassurance.
Bubbles - I've been reading too many posts on the website and am convinced that they will tell me the same thing.

And yes - I keep thinking there is nothing in there!

Not sure how to go about getting a private scan to be honest.

thingiebob are you in London? Lots of places do them here - London Ultrasound Clinic (I had mine there) Fetal Medicine Centre (I think it's called) etc. Otherwise I'd google "prviate scan" and [your area] and then it's easy - you just call up and book one (no need for Dr's note etc - well I didn't need one). It's a really good thing to do to reassure you if you can get one done - they vary between about £90-£150 I think.

You sound so like me 8 weeks ago - and even though I still worried after the scan it did make me feel a lot better as the chances of miscarriage apparently go down to 3% once you see the heartbeat at 8 weeks. (This is from pregnancy books etc)

Thingiebob - google private viability scans in your area and you'll find somewhere that does them.

A lot of people on the Jan 2010 antenatal thread have had the scans privately (myself included). You should come and join us on the thread.

And no - you arent a loon - this is your way of emotionally protecting yourself. I didnt allow myself to get remotely excited / tell anyone until we saw DS at the 12 week scan.

You sound completely normal to me... but, that's just by my definition of "normal".

DP was quite embarrassed when we went for the dating scan at 11+6 'cos I was apologising that there was probably nothing there, etc. Then I blubbed when I saw the little thing on the screen. It was great when I had some proof that I wasn't making it all up.

Congrats and hope that you get a scan and can start to feel more positive very soon.

Thank you for the advice about the private scan. I'm going to do it as I discovered today that my first scan is the day after my wedding and I don't want to spend the day fretting.

Thank you everyone - I don't feel such a numpty now!