"Just Barely" Pregnant PS''ers

[Haven]

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Mmmmm, Alan Rickman.

Indecisive--I'll be thinking about you tomorrow. I was super nervous before my first appt too. I have a good feeling that you'll report back with WONDERFUL news!
(My pups and kitties are my babies, too. I love them so!)

AMC--Ha! I love your baby's stubbornness.
I'm definitely crying a lot lately, and I am NOT a crier in my non-pregnant life. It startled DH at first, he isn't used to seeing me emote so freely. He's getting used to it.

Prana--It sounds like you're handling your FIL in the best possible way. I would mortified about that busty conversation, too. Good thing his selective memory blocked out the right conversation. Oh, family dynamics. So much fun.
WAIT--Are you saying you can buy pre-made Rice Krispie Treats???? Um, that's the best thing I've heard all day. Adding them to DH's shopping list for tomorrow.

AFM, I had an awesome day. Well, I'm STILL sick, which is just pissing me off, but other than that, great day. First, I had lunch with a very close family friend. We're like family. When I told her I'm pregnant she went nuts, and was just the most supportive person ever. She's also desperate to watch the baby while I'm at work, so that will be awesome. Her daughters are 15 and 13, and she's been pestering me to get pregnant for a couple years. She was dead serious that she will watch the baby when I go back to work, so I'm really, really excited about that. (She's 16 years older than me, and was my babysitter. I'm 16 years older than her oldest, and babysat her kids. Now her oldest will be 16 when my first comes, so it's like this great cycle going on.)

Then, I got the printed results from my NT scan in the mail today. Both the DS and the two other trisomy risks were within normal ranges. I don't have the sheet in front of me, but I think the DS risk is 1/2800, and the two trisomies risk is 1/>10,000. So that's good news, right?

So, overall I'm feeling much better mentally today. My mom is driving me crazy, texting me to ask if she can tell people. We asked her to keep it private until we have time to tell our closest friends in person, which will take at least a week. She doesn't seem to be getting the message. She already told all of her colleagues, so that means the news is going to spread like wildfire now.

 

[Prana]

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Haven YES! You can buy them usually in the granola bar/fruit snack isle I think...

And yes, Alan Rickman. Isn't there just something so dreamy about his voice?

I'm sorry you are still feeling sick. Jeez, shouldn't it be going away for you now? And I'm sorry that your mom can't keep a secret But I'm glad that you are still able to have fun through it all.

Indecisive Good luck today! Keep us all posted!

AFM: I heard my Marvin Alan Rickman's heartbeat on my personal doppler today! I thought it might be early, but I pressed hard and moved it around a lot. I found my heartbeat a bunch of times, then all the sudden I heard a heartbeat that was going waaaaaay faster than mine !!! It's beating about 160-165. I heard it on the left side. It was so cool.

 

[indecisive]

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Quick post... I don't have time to reply to everyone right now but I do love all the Alan Rickman talk!


Thank you SO much for the good thoughts!!! I just saw and adorable 6 week 5 day baby with a heartbeat of 118 ! I am beyond thrilled and really happy DH was there with me. I also found out I have a tipped uterus (like I suspected) and a big cyst on my right side. I am concerned and I have felt pain on my right side but she said they will monitor it and it is not a risk to the baby. Thank you again so much!!

 

[Kunzite]

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Okay, I think I'm in love with you ladies DH does not understand my love of Alan Rickman at all! And Prana, I love that you're growing a paranoid android!! That's all...

 

[monkeyprincess]

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Indecisive, yay! I'm excited for you because I know you've been stressed. I have heard of a lot of ladies having cysts when they are pregnant, and often they resolve on their own or don't pose any risk.

Prana, isn't it so amazing when you get the doppler to work the first time? I love being able to listen to our little guy when I'm feeling a little worried or want to "bond."

 

[Puppmom]

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Indecisive, that is fantastic news!!! I had a cyst at my first u/s too. By my 12 week scan, it was a little smaller and even smaller at my anatomy scan. I had a final scan at about 25 weeks and it wasn't gone but continuing to shrink. It's pretty common and usually nothing to worry about.

 

[Haven]

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Yay, Indecisive!!!! So happy for you!

 

[Prana]

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Yay Indecisive!! That's so exciting! Hopefully you feel a little better now, having seen and heard your little nub!!

Kunzite The comparison makes me laugh. Sometimes when I think of the baby, I imagine it wallowing around in a "woe to life" mentality and I giggle a bit. I hope I don't cause any weird depression/monotone/paranoid states in my baby by all this joking

Oh yeah...they cyst. Did they tell you it was a corpus luteal cyst? I had and still have one on my right ovary. Both my US techs told me it was normal and actually looked for it when they did my US's. They told me that based off that cyst, they could tell I ovulated from the right. I was nervous too when I heard "cyst", but I was assured that it was totally normal. I certainly hope so!

 

[indecisive]

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Prana- You were right about DH's intuition. Usually I hate admitting he is right but this time I was ecstatic! I am able to relax more now and I can't stop smiling when I look at my little baby. Picturing little Marvin/Alan Rickman makes me smile too! How amazing you can hear the heartbeat. I am trying to decide if I should buy a doppler. DH is wondering if we should use the money for a 3 D ultrasound instead but I am not sure.

Andi- Thanks for the well wishes. I really appreciate it!

Haven- I am sorry you are still sick! It has to let up soon, right? I am glad you got to share the news and get a good response. Sometimes family is not just blood. That is great she will be able to take care of your little one the way she took care of you. Obviously she already has a proven record of success!

monkeyprincess- Thanks for popping in here! I hope my cyst shrinks as we go along!

pupmom- Thank you for the congratulations and reassurance! You guys are so great!

mlk- I hope you are doing well! I still don't have much as far as symptoms. How are you feeling?

AFM- I am still on cloud 9. It feels so much more real now that I have seen the little heartbeat. I do have to say I think the little one is just adorable with its little tail. DH is mad when I say the picture kind of looks like a little manatee inside me. I feel like it is a compliment because manatees are adorable but he doesn't see it that way! We are telling our parents Sunday so I am excited about that. I am just not good at keeping secrets so I have just been avoiding people. I am sure they will understand now!

They did not say if the cyst is the corpus luteum but I imagine that is what it is. I think the big issue is the size and the fact that it does hurt. I think it was like 6.5cm. I looked on a ruler and that is huge!! I am pretty nervous about it rupturing because I have had that happen before and it really hurts. I know if that happens I will go straight to the ER. I don't think that will be a danger to the baby though. Best care scenario is that it shrinks on it's own. Worst case looks like surgery in the second trimester. This is from google not my doctor so I will see what he says.

 

[JGator]

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Hi, indecisive. Congratulations on the ultrasound. I would suggest getting a Sonoline B doppler, but you might not hear anything until a bit later in the pregnancy. You can watch youtube videos online on how to find the heartbeat and those should give you an idea of how far along you have to be before you will hear anything. We got ours after our NT scan at 12 weeks. Mine was about $57 total online - http://www.pulseoximeteronline.com/sonoline-b.html which I think is less expensive than a 3D ultrasound, and you can pull it out at anytime when you get nervous about the baby. It can be a long wait between office visits, and having the doppler is very reassuring.

 

[indecisive]

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Jgator- Thank you so much for the recommendation. That is more reasonable than I was thinking. I think you are right that I will need reassurance. I wish we had little windows in to the uterus!

 

[Prana]

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Indecisive I agree with JGator about going for the doppler. They are reasonably priced, and that added assurance of being able to check in with your baby between visits is priceless. I'm glad that you are thrilled, telling your family should be fun! And keeping the secret was hard for me at first too, but I sort of like just having it be between my and my DH (and our immediates). It's a nice little safe shell where nobody gives you advice or comments that you are waddling or "looking thick" . And they do look like manatees when they have their tails.

Talk to me about 3D ultrasounds. DH and I will not have one done because I don't think there will be any reason to, but I've read/heard that they expose the baby to an awful lot of radiation. Is there any truth behind that that anyone is aware of? I'm actually considering forgoing any US after 24 weeks because of the radiation exposure. What have you ladies heard?

 

[amc80]

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Talk to me about 3D ultrasounds. DH and I will not have one done because I don't think there will be any reason to, but I've read/heard that they expose the baby to an awful lot of radiation. Is there any truth behind that that anyone is aware of? I'm actually considering forgoing any US after 24 weeks because of the radiation exposure. What have you ladies heard?

We really debated this one. Honestly, I always thought they were creepy. I did research and talked to my doctor. What I found was that as long as you are going somewhere with a certified tech, you should be okay. And by certified, I mean ARDMS. Some "techs" will say they are certified, but all it means is they went through a weekend long training course to learn how to use the equipment, but they aren't really professionals.

I've also heard that keeping the session under 10 minutes or so is another safeguard. Our 3D session was 30 minutes, but due to an uncooperative baby, we ended up with three sessions, all about 10-15 minutes.

All in all, I'm really glad we went ahead with it. Our pictures are awesome and it's really nice to see the baby as a baby and not just a 2D blob.

 

[yellowducky]

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Talk to me about 3D ultrasounds. DH and I will not have one done because I don't think there will be any reason to, but I've read/heard that they expose the baby to an awful lot of radiation. Is there any truth behind that that anyone is aware of? I'm actually considering forgoing any US after 24 weeks because of the radiation exposure. What have you ladies heard?

We really debated this one. Honestly, I always thought they were creepy. I did research and talked to my doctor. What I found was that as long as you are going somewhere with a certified tech, you should be okay. And by certified, I mean ARDMS. Some "techs" will say they are certified, but all it means is they went through a weekend long training course to learn how to use the equipment, but they aren't really professionals.

I've also heard that keeping the session under 10 minutes or so is another safeguard. Our 3D session was 30 minutes, but due to an uncooperative baby, we ended up with three sessions, all about 10-15 minutes.

All in all, I'm really glad we went ahead with it. Our pictures are awesome and it's really nice to see the baby as a baby and not just a 2D blob.

Just wanted to chime in here in case it's helpful, but ultrasound, 2D or 3D, does not emit any ionizing radiation, so you need not be concerned about that. I think the main concern is that while ultrasound is regarded as safe to the fetus, it's not well known if "excessive" or high frequency exposure to the soundwaves generated by ultrasound have any deleterious effects (for instance, cavitation from high frequency ultrasound). Professional organizations have spoken out against medically unnecessary/"keepsake" ultrasounds for a variety of reasons, including the additional risks that amc80 mentioned above where inexperienced individuals control the exam parameters or may not have the ability to interpret what they see accurately (medico-legal liability issues), so if you're a cautious, "by the books"-type of person, it's probably best to only undergo these when there is a medically indicated reason from a legitimate facility. And now for my disclaimer: I am not a physician, so one should definitely weigh in here, but I have spent a few years studying this general topic (diagnostic imaging) in a former life in healthcare consulting. HTH!

 

[Prana]

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Thanks AMC and YellowDucky!!

I don't even think that our facility would offer us one because I think they only do that if there is a medical need, but I would most likely turn it down anyway. They are really neat though. And it's definitely fun to see your bebe in there and see who it looks like and all that fun stuff. As far as I go, I'm just going to do what they tell me to do. But I will question any US after 24 weeks unless medically necessary. As much as I love seeing Marvin.

 

[mlk]

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HI ladies, sorry I have been MIA but I have been just so tired and struck down with sinus problems.

Indecisive, so happy you got to see baby and a heatrbeat. Was the dating accurate or are you measuring a few days ahead? Yay for a healthy stickly little bubba!

Prana, now you have got me worried about the ultrasounds, my OB does a 4D ultrasound at every appointment. Everything I have ever read said there was no safety concerns about ultrasoiunds, so now I am not sure what to think. I was one of the reasons I chose an was so excited about my OB.

Haven, are you still hanging in there, you must be just about ready to leave us

AFM, I am 6 weeks 4 days and just counting down the days till my first OB visit (5 more to go, this Friday, sydney time). I still ahve not really felt morning sickness, have felt a little off, just not myself for the last few days and extremely tired. Oh and my boobs felt like they were going to drop off when I went for a walk today. Other than that, still no real concrete symptoms. I have been trying to eat healthily but this weekend has just been a disaster, I have just not felt like coking and DH has not been at home for meals so I have been bad. I am going to feel very bad when the OB weighs me on Friday (to start with I was slightly overweight but in proportion) unlike all you skinny minnies.

 

[Prana]

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HI ladies, sorry I have been MIA but I have been just so tired and struck down with sinus problems.

Indecisive, so happy you got to see baby and a heatrbeat. Was the dating accurate or are you measuring a few days ahead? Yay for a healthy stickly little bubba!

Prana, now you have got me worried about the ultrasounds, my OB does a 4D ultrasound at every appointment. Everything I have ever read said there was no safety concerns about ultrasoiunds, so now I am not sure what to think. I was one of the reasons I chose an was so excited about my OB.

Haven, are you still hanging in there, you must be just about ready to leave us

AFM, I am 6 weeks 4 days and just counting down the days till my first OB visit (5 more to go, this Friday, sydney time). I still ahve not really felt morning sickness, have felt a little off, just not myself for the last few days and extremely tired. Oh and my boobs felt like they were going to drop off when I went for a walk today. Other than that, still no real concrete symptoms. I have been trying to eat healthily but this weekend has just been a disaster, I have just not felt like coking and DH has not been at home for meals so I have been bad. I am going to feel very bad when the OB weighs me on Friday (to start with I was slightly overweight but in proportion) unlike all you skinny minnies.

Sorry Mlk! Don't be nervous. There's so much contraindicating advice in some of these studies which is why I asked in the first place. I wanted to see what others had heard or been told by their doc's! I'm sure that your practice wouldn't do anything to put you or your baby at risk. And I can't believe your practice does standard 4D US at every appointment! I don't think my insurance would cover that1 That's pretty neat that you get to see everything so up close and personal. You'll have to share all your US pics with us!

and good luck with your first US! It's very exciting!!

 

[Haven]

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Hey ladies! How's everyone doing? I'm excited to see some action in this thread!

Prana--I hadn't heard about any concern over the 3D ultrasounds, so I'm glad you brought it up. (Even if it's just being overly cautious, I like to know when there's concern over something, just in case.) How's little Marvin doing?

MLK--Hey, lady! I'm so sorry to hear you're feeling sick. I hope you get better really soon. And those non-symptoms you described sound like symptoms to me--especially the boobs feeling like they're going to fall off part! I hope these next few days fly by for you, I bet they will. That first appointment will be here before you know it.
I'm STILL sick with MS, but this week I was a bit more productive than I have been. And I've been able to eat a bit more regular meals, so this is a good thing I think. I don't want to leave this thread! I can't join the super pregnant mamas yet, that's too scary!

Yellowducky--Thanks for all that info!

AMC--How are you feeling? I think the 3D ultrasounds are a bit creepy too, but I'm sure if I saw one of my own baby, I'd be all over it. We won't get one unless someone tells us we need one for some reason, but I like the way you can really see the baby's features.

Indecisive--Did you order the doppler? At first I wasn't going to get one, and then all day yesterday I was irrationally worried that something happened with the baby because I felt no nausea for a span of two hours, which hasn't happened at all for weeks. So, I'm thinking I might be a good candidate for a doppler!
You're so right about family not just being about blood. I feel so lucky that we have great "family" members, I need to remind myself of how lucky we are!

JGator--Thank you for that link! I think I'm going to buy one, too.

AFM, still sick here, but it's letting up a bit.

Andi--How are you, lady?

I caved in an bought some maternity clothes yesterday. I just have a tiny little pooch sticking out, but most of my pants have been uncomfortable for a couple weeks now. The final straw was when I could not find one comfortable thing to wear yesterday morning and, instead of behaving like a rational person, I threw myself on our bed and started wailing. DH was like, "Let's go clothes shopping." The Gap had a tiny section of clothes and I bought some tops and a GREAT pair of black pants, all on sale. Then we went to Macy's and I got a dress, a pair of cargo pants, and a couple tank tops. All on sale, too. I've been living in the cargo pants since, they are so comfortable and I can't believe I waited this long. If any of you are feeling uncomfortable, get thee to a maternity section! I'm serious, these pants are heaven. I told DH I'm going to wear them to big meals even when I'm not pregnant--no uncomfortably tight waist bands here!

We had a nice Father's Day brunch this morning for my dad, my FIL, and DH's brother and his kids. It was fun, but I was exhausted when they left. FIL and his girlfriend gave us gifts of some fun books, so that was super nice. It was a much better family gathering than the last one, so I'm feeling better.

I can't remember if I shared that we got our blood test results back from the NT scan, but we did and everything looks good. The ranges are all within "normal range" so we won't do any more testing.

That's all going on here. I have another appointment in a couple weeks, and I'm just hoping this nausea will GO AWAY soon.

I hope everyone is doing well!

 

[indecisive]

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Prana- I think I am going to get a doppler for sure. 2 days after my u/s and I was already worried about if I was still pregnant or not! Yes, I am crazy. I hadn't heard that there was danger with the 3d/4d u/s but I will have to do more research. I had read what amc and yellowducky posted when my friend had one. I look at my us picture so much right now and it just looks like a tadpole/manatee. I can't imagine what I will be like when it looks like a baby. It was good to tell people and I really had to because there have been a lot of things that have come up that I can't do (my family breeds horses and they need to be given hormones, etc) but I did love when it was a little secret. When were you able to hear Marvin's hb with your doppler?

amc- thanks for the info. That is what i had read as well. It was your picture that finally got my DH interested in it!

yellowducky- Thank you. Very good information.

mlk- good to see you!! There were a couple different measurements. It looks like 6 weeks 5 days and 3 days. I think it is right on track but this was the one month where I wasn't sure the exact day I ovulated. Go figure! You and I are symptom twins so far. I have a little bit of nausea, sore boobs, and I am tired but not much else. I do have some pain on my right side because of the cyst . It has been hard for me to eat healthy too. I am good with carbs, cheese, and fruits/veggies but that is it. It doesn't hurt that those are my favorite foods . I am excited about your appointment. You will have to show us what the 4d looks like at that age.

Haven- I am glad you are sticking around a little longer before the jump to the big thread. I am going to get the doppler but I am going to wait until I could actually hear something. I know I wouldn't be able to resist trying it early and then I would get anxious. I have to do some research on when you can hear it. I am glad you got some comfy clothes. You are already miserable with the ms, no sense being in tight clothes too!

AFM, telling the families went well. It did feel strange for it to not be our secret but it was good to share the news. My BIL, who is younger, immediately started talking about someone he knew that had multiple miscarriages, so that wasn't the best part. My mom was really glad that I told people though, because she said that it means more people loving and praying and thinking good thoughts for the little one. I am doing pretty well except for pain from the cyst and I am very tired. When I need a nap I NEED a nap! Just wanted to post a picture so you can see my tadpole/manatee!

 

[Dandi]

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Oh indecisive, you are growing the cutest bean! (manatee!!) Clever mamma!! EEK about your BIL's comments, isn't it bizarre how totally inappropriate people can be?!?! Sheesh!
Hey Haven! I'm going great! I had a scan last week at 15 weeks, my OB was only planning to do a doppler, but for a few minutes he could NOT find that heartbeat... I bet he could hear mine, it was pounding out of my chest!! SO scary. So he did the ultrasound, and there was the little monkey, perched in it's side with enough cheek to give me a wave Little bugger. Baby was rolling around like crazy so he couldn't catch it. Oh and I hear you on the clothes thing! I don't feel ready for maternity clothes but me jeans will not do up any more, so I bought one of those Bella Bands to wear with all my pants, it's awesome! I'm going to use it for the rest of my life It's winter here so I'm wearing mostly black tights with knee high boots, and loose knit dresses and the like. Comfy and cute, and fortunately forgiving! I'm in that pudgy in-between 'is she pregnant or has she let herself go?' stage!
Eeeee, mlk! Only four days to go now! Yippee!! I can't wait to hear about your appointment! Rest up, lady!
Hi Prana, JGator and anyone I've missed!

Well DH and I had a really productive weekend. I'm in serious nesting mode, so cleaned out walk-in pantry from top to bottom and cleared out SO MUCH STUFF! My computer desk and the linen cupboard copped it too. DH has been moving alot of furniture around, and we have two loungerooms each with flatscreen TVs that need upgraded cabinets/units to sit on, so we went shopping and bought two beautiful solid jarrah lowline TV units, I love them! Plus we can now streamline everything and hide all the CDs and DVDs away from eventual tiny little fingers

15 weeks 5 days

 

[mlk]

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Oh Indecisive, that is just the cutest little picture of your bubba. Yeah we are definately symptom twins. I can't really say how I feel other than just plain yucky. Oh and I am hungry all the timel. I finished dinner an hour ago and I am starving again.

Prana, thanks for the reassurance re the ultrasound, I'm sure it will be fine but just something extra to ask the OB on friday.

Haven, good I am not ready for you to leave yet either! Yeah I guess you are right, those things are still symptoms. This wait is just so painful. Hope your ms is slowly easing.

Dandi, wow you really are nesting, I could barely move off the couch all weekend. I ahve two bedrooms to clear out. We moved into our house 2 years ago and I still ahve not gone through all the boxes from my parents house. We at least need to clear out one room in the next 7 or so months.

AFM, just holding out and counting down each day. Today I saw my endo and my thyroid levels have increased, but I was overmedicated, so no cause for concern. He has prescribed me a higher dose so it doesn't increase too much. I guess the fact that my levels have increased from 0.15 to 1.1 in a matter of a couple of weeks seems to say that I am definately pregnant.

 

[Haven]

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AFM, just holding out and counting down each day. Today I saw my endo and my thyroid levels have increased, but I was overmedicated, so no cause for concern. He has prescribed me a higher dose so it doesn't increase too much. I guess the fact that my levels have increased from 0.15 to 1.1 in a matter of a couple of weeks seems to say that I am definately pregnant.

WOOHOO! More good signs!!!!

Andi--Haha, you have a cheeky one in there for sure. That would have terrified me too, the waiting for the HB. GAH.
Oh, man, I wish it were winter here! I feel like a beached whale in my summer clothes. I would love to cover up, but it's too darn hot.

Indecisive--Look at your adorable bean! Love it!
DH thinks I'm going to drive myself crazy with the doppler, so we're waiting now. He's usually right, not that I'd tell him that.

How's everyone else?

I'm 14 wks today and still sick. I'm starting to get irritable now, well I should say I'm getting MORE irritable, so I'm really hoping this gets better soon. I have this huge research report I need to write up and I cannot focus on it long enough to be productive. I had a nightmare about it last night, so I'm REALLY hoping I can get it done soon. I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't on summer break right now. Take a medical leave, probably. Good timing, at least!

 

[mlk]

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Just a quick post from my phone. Has anyone had funny sensations going down their cervix/vagina. Kind of a cross between shooting, tingling and vibrating. I have had it all morning and has hot me a little concerned as I'm only 7 weeks

 

[Dandi]

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mlk, yes I had that too, and still do from time to time. During pregnancy there's more blood flow directed to that area which is likely responsible for the shooting/tingly sensations you're getting, I definitely had those too. Ain't pregnancy glamorous?!

 

[mlk]

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Thanks Dandi for the reassurance. Did you ever ask your OB about them?

 

[indecisive]

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Andi- Thank you! I think little one is adorable but I am already pretty biased. When I showed my FIL I could tell he just saw a blotch, not a little baby/manatee like I did. That must have been scary when they couldn't find the HB even though you hear it happens a lot. That is why I don't trust myself with a doppler yet! Your little one sounds so cute already, waving at the camera and rolling around! That must be so great to see. I am impressed you did all that cleaning. All I want to do is sleep!

mlk- Yeah, it is nothing I imagined being pregnant would feel like. I just sometimes don't feel great but it is no one thing. I bet you are so excited about your appointment! You will get yo see your baby soon! Is your DH going with you? I don't think I have had those pains but I would bring it up with your Dr. What Andi said makes sense though. I think we are already producing so much extra blood.

Haven- I hate it when they are right! I can't tell DH that too often either. When do you think you will get a doppler? I can't believe you are still sick! That is just not fair. I wish we could split symptoms so you would get a little break and I would have reassurance I am still pregnant. I can't remember, where you going to reschedule your trip to Spain? We are starting to think about a babymoon trip in the fall but we are trying to look at all the factors. My DH is on the fence but I want to take a trip so badly!

AFM- I am pretty much the same. I have been making an effort to eat more protein, which is good. I have been off sugar(except fruit) since January for TTC purposes and I haven't really had an issue with it until now. All I want is sugar!! I have been able to just eat fruit but man, the office candy bowl has got to stop calling me! I am also back to feeling nervous . My next appointment with ultrasound is on the 5th and it is such a hard wait! DH wants to throw away my BFP tests but I just can't do it because they are proof. Crazy, I know! I hope everyone is feeling good and growing healthy babies!

 

[monkeyprincess]

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For those of you considering dopplers, I think I got mine when I was about 10-11 weeks pregnant. To be honest, it took me quite awhile to figure out where exactly the baby was the very first time I tried it. The babies are down really low at first, lower than you'd expect, and you pick up all sorts of different beats from your own blood vessels, etc. But once you pick up that fast heartbeat and you know the general area where the baby will be, it is a lot easier. Ever since that first time, I've been able to find it pretty fast each time. It's a piece of cake now that the baby is so much bigger. If you think it would cause you to panic if you don't hear it at first, then you should probably hold off getting one until you are about 12 weeks along or so, because it is supposedly iffy until then. I'm almost 24 weeks now, but because I have an anterior placenta, I'm still not feeling that much movement, and the doppler has given me so much reassurance. But if you are not neurotic and can wait the four weeks between visits to hear the heartbeat, you are probably better off without one. Just my two cents.

 

[Puppmom]

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MLK, I had the with DS and now. I refer to it as "throbbing" crotch! The things I find myself googling at work...

 

[JGator]

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I second MP - I got my doppler after my 12 week NT scan, and even then it was sometimes difficult to find the heartbeat, but it is definitely easier now that I am 20 weeks pregnant. Still you would be surprised at 20 weeks, I have to put the doppler a good 3-4 inches below my belly button to pick up the heartbeat. I assumed it would be much higher by now as I know the baby moves up as your uterus grows.

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Re:

We heard the heartbeat!!!!

Or, in other words, hello to all the “just barely” ladies on this thread, I'm F-D-L, longtime PS reader, and it’s such a privilege to be able to join you lovely women! This whole thing has been an absolute whirlwind, we’re both so happy and excited, and it’s still a little hard to believe it’s happening. From having the “should we start trying” talk to the BFP was 14 days… as a woman well out of her twenties, I had assumed I’d be spending a lot of time on the TTC threads before coming over here so I’d never visited this thread. What a pleasant surprise these last few lurking weeks in FHH to discover who is posting over here—congratulations DandiAndi, Prana, Haven, Puppmom, MonkeyPrincess, Indecisive, AMC80, MLK and JGator; may all your beans, manatees and Marvins all be sticky and healthy!