Baby Lessons Part I

Last week Giles and I attended our first NHS lesson on how to get through this pregnancy and birth malarkey. The session was a 1.5 hour session, focussed on 'Physio' and was to cover pregnancy physio, birth positions and getting back to normal post-pushing baby out. We arrived and found a seat in the boiling hot (not ideal for a bunch of preggos!) classroom with the other 15 or so women and their partners. It was the first situation that I've been in with loads of pregnant women and I found myself eyeing up all of their bumps, wondering how pregnant they were and making comparisons with mine! 

The session started with the Physio session asking us the following question: "Who is not in any pain at the moment?". Now, naive as it may seem, I thought that almost all of the women would be putting their hands up - and so I eagerly stuck my hand in the air. I was the only one!!! This led to me be asked to declare my secrets to the group! The next hour was a bit of a moaning session - we went through all the symptoms, aches and pains that the women were experiencing and talked about techniques to help - we had pelvic pain, muscle pain, ankle pain, chest pain, bum pain, thumb pain - the list goes on! 

It made me realise how incredibly lucky that I have been throughout this pregnancy - I've loved it! No sickness and almost no ailments, aches or pains! As for my secrets... the only things that I can think of are: 

• Walking: I currently walk 4 miles a day (2 miles each way to work). Even though I'm getting much slower... I am sure this must still be good for keeping the swollen ankles, stretch marks and cellulite at bay!
• Sleep: I've always needed a good 8 hours sleep... and I've kept this up throughout pregnancy. I've been going to be earlier and earlier in the third trimester - now asleep by 9.30/10 most nights! Pack it in now before the baby is here!
• Not reading too much: I have been so overwhelmed by the amount of books, articles, forums on what you should/shouldn't do during pregnancy/labour/child raising that I've decided to try and avoid reading stuff, apart from the essential literature provided by my midwife! I want to be able to make up my own mind about what to do and how to behave, so that I can feel guilt free about my choice during pregnancy and beyond.

So they are my top tips. In reality, I just think I've been one of the lucky ones! It probably means I'm doomed to have an excruciating labour or something - hopefully not!

The last bit of the session gave us some tips for birth positions. We came away with some leaflets with rather funny pencil sketches of recommended positions - and a scary leaflet on how to avoid "tearing"... Oh god! 

Alien Invasion

It's been a while since I posted. To those that are not me, not much has changed. Many people comment that they often forget I am pregnant, which I see as a good thing - I hope that it means that a) I am not too huge; b) pregnancy has not taken over my life/conversations! I do feel very very lucky that I have had such a straightforward pregnancy - I have felt pretty good all the way through - full of energy, happy and well. I know that others are not so lucky!

So since the last post...

17 weeks - I started to feel movement. I described it at the time as feeling a fist in your tummy moving from side to side. I didn't like it at first, but eventually got used to it. As the movement got more and more frequent, it became reassuring. 

20 weeks - the 20 week scan. So I didn't make the same mistake as last time and made sure that I went with a half full bladder, rather than painfully busting for the toilet! The scan was all fine - exciting to see the baby wriggling around and we were very pleased that everything was 'normal. We got a couple of alien looking photos from the scan, including a very cute one of the bottom of the baby's foot!

28 weeks - today! I've been continuing to feel tip top and now feel movement all the time. In fact, I see it wriggling around and trying to punch and kick it's way out of my tummy all the ruddy time! I understand now what people mean when they compare being pregnant to the film 'Alien'!! 

We are starting to buy baby stuff - I'm absolutely overwhelmed by all of the choices and things that people say that we need... but will save that for another post! 

Scantastic

So. Finally. The 12 week scan!

The letter inviting me to the scan advised that I must come to the appointment with a full bladder, with warnings that if this is not abided by, the scan may have to be rearranged. So, with this firmly in mind, I made sure I drank a good pint of water half an hour before the scan was due. By the time Giles and I arrived at the hospital, my bladder was certainly full - I was absolutely desperate! Typically, the scan was delayed by 30 minutes - and by the time we were called in, I was actually in physical pain! 

I lay in the bed and had the conductive gel splodged onto my tummy... As she pressed the scanner in, she said "oh my goodness, you really ARE desperate for the toilet!" - and all you could see on the scan screen was a huge bladder!!!! I was advised to pop to the loo and "release half of it"!!!! How on earth do you judge when you have released half a wee?!? It's very difficult I can tell you!

Anyway, after relieving myself of half a wee, the gel was slapped back in and the scan could begin! It was so lovely seeing the baby wriggling about all over the place. It was not behaving (which is not a good start to the next 18 years!) and she had to press extremely hard sideways on to get a good view. We had the classic scan snaps taken - side on, close up face and one that looks like an alien! I am now waiting impatiently for the next one at 20 weeks :) 

Medical mayhem

This week has been a whirlwind of emotions. Anxiety, terror and relief. 

ANXIETY
I have been getting intense stabbing pains on my left hand side, on and off throughout my pregnancy. The last week or so, it has been getting more and more intense. I kept putting off going to the doctors as it kept coming and going - so I kept thinking it had gone away. The pains lasted around half an hour and some were so debilitating - I was doubled over in pain. So, Tuesday, I phoned the doctor to ask their advice - thinking they'd just say it was normal and to get over it - but instead then booked me in for an emergency appointment. 

The doctor was absolutely lovely. She spent a long time asking questions, feeling my tummy for pain points and was considering doing an internal examination (my first thought was - uh oh, I haven't shaved my legs!). She then revealed that she was worried the pregnancy could be ectopic and growing inside the fallopian tube and so was going to refer me to the Early Pregnancy Unit at the hospital. I was not expecting that! 

TERROR 
I had an appointment through for the very next day and went along with my husband. The waiting room was pretty distressing. There was a couple who had obviously just had some bad news and the girl was in floods of tears. Then there were other ladies with kids running amok around the small waiting room! Anyway, after a tense hour wait, we were invited in to talk to one of the nurses, who went through my symptoms and explained that as I was only 8.5 weeks pregnant, they would be performing an internal examination (external examinations are done at 9 weeks onwards). Again - I was not expecting that! But this time, I had shaved my legs just in case!

RELIEF 
I was called in for the internal scan, whipped off my clothes and the doctor got to work. My heart was beating so fast - but we didn't had to wait long at all. Almost immediately she said that there was a baby and it was growing in the right place. She showed us the baby on the screen and we were able to see a tiny heartbeat and it wriggling around all over the place (which doesn't bode well for later on!). The doctor said that the baby is actually measuring at 9 weeks (my maths is obviously terrible!) so I could have had a tummy scan after all! Apparently the pain I have been experiencing is due to a cyst on my left ovary, which is where the egg that was fertilized was released from. The cyst is currently dying away and detaching itself, causing the pain. Most women don't even feel it. Anyway, we are both hugely relieved. I am perfectly happy to put up with the pain now I know that nothing is wrong with the baby - and also discovered I am able to take paracetamol for it! I had been under the impression that all drugs were a no go! 

The relief was huge and we are both so happy that everything is ok. I can't stop thinking about the couple in the waiting room, for whom the news wasn't so good. So very sad and difficult to get over. At 9 weeks pregnant I FEEL pregnant and I have fully accepted mentally that I am pregnant. To have that taken away from you must be so awful. 

The Waiting Game

Time is passing, but not quick enough! Everything about pregnancy seems to be about waiting! Once one milestone has passed, the next one can't come quick enough. The next wait is for the 12 week scan - only 4.5 more weeks to hang on. I know that is soon as the 12 week scan is done - the 20 week scan will be on the horizon! 

Everything seems to be going 'ok'. Though it's hard when you don't really know what 'ok' is! I am having sore cramps (like period pains) pretty much every day at various intervals and then occasionally rather more painful cramps in my left side. The midwife assured me that all of this was normal, so I'm trying to keep calm and not worry! I'm finding it to be quite an isolated, lonely place. I would normally be talking about something this important with all of my friends, colleagues and any other bugger would care to listen! So it does feel rather strange keeping this to ourselves. Again - ROLL ON THE 12 WEEK SCAN!

Symptom Searching

Even now I know that I am pregnant, I haven't stopped the searching for 'symptoms'. As I don't look pregnant yet and it's such early days, I find myself looking for every bit of reassurance that everything is ok and going well. To be perfectly honest, I have felt pretty much normal since the beginning, with a couple of exceptions. 

Just three days after conception, I had really sore nipples and breasts. It hurt to wear a bra - but also hurt not to. This lasted around a week, before everything went back to normal. I am now in week 6 of pregnancy. I have been getting a sharp pain in my left side for about 20 minutes at a time, once a day - followed by various aches and stretching pains for a couple of hours. I've done what any first time pregnant lady would do and 'googled it' and feel comfortable that this is all pretty normal. I started to scare myself that I had an ectopic pregnancy (symptoms of which are sharp pains in the side of the body) - but the pain is bearable, and not coupled with any bleeding so I think I am ok. 

Apart from these two things, nothing has changed. I still have my appetite, I haven't felt sick (just slightly when I wake up - but this is no different to normally really!) and I haven't had any headaches, spotting, tiredness - or the other million and one symptoms that you COULD get in the early stages.  I feel pretty lucky really as I have just watched one of my close friends go through hell in the first 12 weeks of her pregnancy. She lost over a stone as she was so sick and could barely leave her bed! Touch wood, I seem to be getting off rather lightly! Hopefully I'm not speaking too soon...!

"The News"

Since I found I was 'with child' I have been ITCHING to tell people and share the news. I want to tell family, friends, workmates, pets, passers by, Tom, Dick and Harry...! I have never been the best at keeping a secret, especially of  my own. The advice seems to suggest that it's best not to tell people about a pregnancy until after the 12 week scan as there are so many things that can potentially go wrong in early pregnancy. This is obviously a very good point - it would be terrible to share the news and for everyone to be excited and interested about it and then for something to happen. However, if something did happen (god forbid) then surely I would want support from the people that I love? Plus, I imagine pretty much all of my close friends will just work it out when they clock that I am not drinking cider or wine or eating blue cheese!! 

So we have reached a compromise. Last night, I headed over for dinner with my mum and dad and told them the news. Half way through dinner, I asked them what they were up to in April - the answer being nothing. Then I advised that they may want to avoid booking a holiday as I would be having a baby. My mum made me repeat it three times and my dad was just stunned! They were overjoyed, emotional and excited and I am SO SO glad that they now know! Phew! We will be telling my mother in law as soon as possible too, but then that's the lot. As I said above - I can almost guarantee that by the time the scan comes along, the majority of our close friends will have noticed - they're an observant lot!