Babies due Jun & Jul 2013

[Constance]

Is there anyone there to join me?

[zanussi]

Maybe.... I've got a scan booked in on Monday when I should be 5w6d following our 3rd and final ICSI attempt. I got a low blood beta positive (35) on 28th Sept 13 days after egg collection but it doubled as it should by the 1st Oct to 109 which looks good but the clinic are advising caution as the number was low to begin with. I've done 5 HPTs so far every other day since the 1st and the first 2 were very faint but the lines are good and strong now so I'm going to try and hold off until Monday. Had a few symptoms so far (although many of them could be down to the progesterone supps)- bloating, hunger, weeing a lot, greasy hair & skin, heightened sense of smell and the last few days I've had mild nausea every afternoon from about 1 o'clock. It really doesn't feel real yet, I guess as we've been trying for almost 6 yrs now without a sniff of a positive. These last few days till Monday are going to drag!

So what's your story Constance?

Hugs Sara xxx

[Constance]

OMG, very best luck and lots of sticky baby dust for you, Sara.

I tested positive last Thursday after months of trying (well, I should say: not using contraceptives rather than trying) and almost coming to terms with the fact that I would only ever have one child. I'm a bit terrified at the moment by the changes in my life again... I'm 40 and I feel old, too old to do it again. I spent over a year losing all the weight gained during the first pregnancy and here we go again...

Yes, I noticed weeing a lot as well - quite annoying at night. Nothing else so far, well, except the cold I've had for the last 3 weeks!

You have quite a nice selection of symptoms but it sounds like you've had lots of trouble getting here...

Let me know how it goes on Monday. x

[hannahboo]

Sorry to crash, but eeeeek Constance congratulations honey, hope you have a H&H pregnancy!!!


Congrats too Sara, I hope everything goes well at your scan and that you too have a H&H pregnancy x

[Constance]

Thank you, Hannahboo. All the best with yours too - I can't believe you are so close already! x x x

[sammykins]

Crashing too for Constance, so happy to read you got a BFP, and sending you and all the other ladies on this thread loads of sticky baby dust!! H&H 9 months xx

[Constance]

Thank you and good luck Sammykins. x

[hannahboo]

Thank you, Hannahboo. All the best with yours too - I can't believe you are so close already! x x x

Thanks yes me and Samira are racing towards the finish line now!!!!!!

[zanussi]

Well, I'm still in the game. Had my scan this morning, baby is measuring 6mm and we think we may have seen a heartbeat the flickering could've been down to my own pulse in my uterus. Got to go back in a week for confirmation but the nurse said I was allowed to be a little bit optimistic! My nausea has stepped up a gear and I'm now feeling sick all day until the evening but it's been so reassuring especially after having a little bleed on Friday afternoon.

Congratulations Constance on your natural BFP! It's only natural to be thinking about the changes to your life but if it help my mum was 39 when she had me (after an 8 yr gap after my bro) and I helped to keep her young!

here's to a very straightforward & healthy 9 months to us both!

xxx

[Constance]

Hi Sara

That's really good news. Lots of sticky baby dust for you.

I must say I'm a bit terrified at being pregnant at 40... there are all the risks involved, plus I suddenly feel I'm too tired to do it all again. I was ok 2 weeks ago, full of energy, etc, now I feel depressed and sick all the time. Well, it does not help that I have a cold, and yesterday I saw a doctor - and my blood pressure is really low. She said it was a bit low, but ok. I feel it's too low because I feel like I'm on a merry-go-round all the time. Well at least I am now aware of it and I'm having some coffee now to raise it. I felt a bit better yesterday when I had some coffee. Can't have too much though as I'm slightly allergic to caffeine. Except that I get pains in my uterus and I cannot stay awake after 8:30 pm, which is unlike me, so I go to sleep and then wake up at some crazy moring hour and can't go back to sleep again, which makes me tired again - vicious circle.

Ginger was the thing that stopped my sickness last time - I used to have an Innocent smothie with ginger every morning. I bought some ginger and lemon tea yesterday - the smoothie was nicer - I hate ginger! Are you doing anything for your sickness?

x x x

[zanussi]

Sorry to hear you're feeling rubbish. It sucks but I'm sure it will pass. How was your pregnancy with your LO? Any tiredness you had then will be greater this time round just because you've got him to take care of, not necessarily anything to do with your age. Are you taking any supplements at all? I've been taking a high dose of vit C every day (2000mg) for the last 5 months but I notice now that if I miss a dose I end up with cold symptoms the following day. I don't know how practical it is for you but my acupuncturist recommends lying down flat for 20-30 mins in the middle of the day as it helps to get your blood out of your extremities and flowing round your body better- I usually combine it with listening to a hypnotherapy track but tbh I'm not sure how much of it I take in as I end up snoring after a few minutes! I feel so much better when I have a little nap early afternoon and actually helps me to sleep at the right time at night.

I've not really done much to prevent the sickness feeling- it's weird but I'm actually enjoying feeling rotten as it means that things are ok with baby- I'm sure that if it actually becomes vomiting rather than just nausea I'll change my mind though! I was a bit concerned before my scan that it was actually in my head as I often get nausea when I'm nervous or excited about things so I though perhaps I was making myself feel like this so it was a relief to know it's not of my doing! I love ginger and eat & drink lots of it. I make a big vat of lemon, ginger & cinnamon tea every afternoon which my OH thinks is disgusting but I love it and it's a great way for me to know I'm getting enough fluids.

I had a bit more spotting last night and even passed a small clot but I'm just hoping it's down to the U/S scan dislodging something rather than something more sinister. I still feel sick this morning so I'm not too concerned right now. I've got acupuncture this afternoon so I'm hoping she'll put my mind at ease.

Hope we start to see a few more ladies joining us on here...

xxx

[Constance]

Hi Sara

I'm taking Pregnacare only. Can't lie down during the week while at work, but it would be nice to do so. I'll try that at home during my long weekends. I also added cinnamon to my ginger tea - I love cinnamon - but I still don't like the tea. I have a big cup every morning though, and some coffee, otherwise I'm spinning around like Kylie... lol I wish this would stop - I don't like feeling unwell.

I hope you are ok, and your little bean is still holing on tight... all the best. When is your next scan?

Here is my list of symptoms: feeling sick, feeling shakey all the time, have to eat often to feel a bit better, period pains in my belly, blocked nose at night, bloating and having constant urges to eat something... one moment I fancy my colleague's sandwich, the next moment I remember something I really want to eat, and it goes on all day. Pretty bad for Slimming World target member... I'm terrified I will stop my healthy eating and put on 3.5 stones like last time.

I think I completely forgot my first preganancy or I felt much better, with only slight sickness for about 2 weeks... I need to find the tread and read it again lol.

Do you work Sara? Do you have a partner or husband?

x x x

[zanussi]

Really hope you feel better soon Constance. I don't know how you're managing looking after your LO and working whilst feeling rubbish- I can barely muster the energy to take my dog for a decent walk, and then when I do have the energy we can't go far as I end up dying for a wee! I'm very lucky and I'm not currently working- I used to be a catering manager and there was no way I could continue that job and do fertility treatment due to the long hours and inability to take time off work so the job had to go. Fortunately my husband earns a decent wage and we try to live as frugally as possible (other than shelling out big bucks for the ICSI!) so hopefully this situation can continue at least until our child starts school.
My next scan is on Monday and I'm still feeling quite optimistic about it. The nausea has stepped up a gear and now starts as soon as I wake up until I go to sleep. It passes a little if I lay down but as soon as I move it's back again. All the things that would sort me out last week like frazzles, veggie burgers and pukka ginger tea are repulsive to me this week! Sod's law as I stocked up on them at the weekend. Fortunately this week I'm wanting fruit & veggies though so at least it's a bit healthier.
Do slimming world have a plan you can follow when pregnant, to help maintain your weight as it is? Do you take food to work with you? Could you take a box of healthy treats so you can graze on it as you want?
Hope you can come up with a solution to your low BP soon and start to feel better quickly.
Hugs Sara xxx

[Constance]

Hi Sara

How did your scan go?

I'm feeling a tiny bit better this week, my cold seems to be going away slowly, but I'm still generally weak, etc. Slimming World's food optimising (this is what they call the diet plan) is approved for pregnancy - it's basically very low fat and sugar diet. The good thing is that you can eat quite a lot if you stick to the rules and there are lots of unlimited foods you can have like lean meat, potatoes, pasta, rice, fruit and veg, eggs, etc. They only increase the amount of dairy and foods with high fibre that you are meant to eat every day.

I do take lots of food to work, I work in an office of a small company. I have my fruit and porridge at my desk, and then yogurt and my luch at midday and I snack on fruit all day long, I go throuh much more now that I'm trying to kill the sickness and heartburn as well... I'm still having my coffee in the morning - it's only flat teaspoon of coffee in a big cup of water, so it's not too much. Occasionally I have another small coffee later, but it's still under the recommended dose while pregnant.

I read my posts from my previous pregnancy and discovered that last time I was taking vit B complex rather than pregnacare and it helped me feel better and less sick - I've sent DH to get it for me today.

It must be nice to be able to stay at home and not worry about work. I don't think I could do it though... I only work 3 days a week since coming back from my maternity leave to spend more time with Daniel, I was going to go back full time when he starts his school next year, but now I'll have a few more years of working part time. At least this gives me some time away from the house and among adults. Life is a bit hectic some times though, especially that we moved into a new property in June and have all the modernising and decorating to do, and suddenly I'm useless, can't even paint anything... We've only done the kitchen, utility room and are now working on the first reception room which will be Daniel's playroom. We still have the rest of the house to do and right now it feels like we have taken on too much.

I'm really craving some fruit recently - apples, grapes, raspberries, sparkling water (I always always have still water), natural yoghurt... normal water tastes bad but I'm trying to avoid all the low sugar drinks which have so many chemicals in them.

Hope you are ok. When is your due date?

Is anyone else joining us?

x x x

[zanussi]

hi Constance,
Glad to hear your cold is finally on it's way out, hopefully with that gone and your B vits you'll soon start to feel better. Is your blood pressure getting any better?
Your diet sounds really good to me, wish I could still stomach porridge but the thought of it just turns my stomach! My acupuncturist recommended to me to lay off the raw fruit as it can make acid worse- she said to go for stewed fruit, compots, etc... instead. I've gone off "normal fruit" now anyway but get cravings for mango & pineapple quite regularly so I'm still having those when I want them. My heartburn has lessened since I stopped eating oranges and drinking my lemon & ginger tea so maybe there is something in it.

I'm sure you've not taken on too much with your new house, perhaps things will have to be done more slowly now but you'll get there eventually. So long as your house is safe & warm it doesn't really matter what your wallpaper looks like!

My scan on Monday went well again. We saw a good strong heartbeat and baby's spine. It was measuring a little small for where we expected to be, using our egg collection as a base we should've been 7w 2d, by LMP it's 7 wks exactly but baby measured 6w 5d (8.3mm). The nurse didn't seem concerned though. My beta HCG levels were a little behind where they should've been on test day so hopefully it's just a slow starter! not really sure of my due date yet, if I go from EC it should be around 8th June but I'm sure that'll change. Found out that I only have to do my blood thinning injections for another 5 weeks so that's a huge relief as I'd been reading about ladies still having them a month after birth. They're soo painful and my poor OH feels so guilty making me hurt every night. My tummy & thighs are covered in nasty bruises so it'll be nice to let them heal again.
My nausea has been a little better this week. Ironically I've cut right back on the amount of ginger I usually eat & drink and I've been feeling better. I'm still really tired all the time but at the same time I'm struggling to sleep at night due to being hot and uncomfortable. I had acupuncture yesterday evening and that really helped, it felt like the fog had lifted round my head for the first time in ages. Not entirely sure the effects are going to last very long though!

Hope you start to feel better soon
hugs Sara xxx