October 12 & 13th 2009 - Early scan at the EPU

(Quick Contents )

This was a bit of a worry that thankfully turned out to be nothing. I had been suffering with awful back and side pains for about 5 days, which were not getting any better. And I had an apt with the doctor already which I hadn't got round to canceling. So I took the opportunity to mention it to him.

Since I had been taking clomid to help conceive this baby, and there is a slightly increased chance of ectopic pregnancy, the doc thought it was best not to take any chances and whisked me off to the hospital for an early scan at the EPU (Early Pregnancy Unit).My level of stress was not improved when the lady performing the scan found an egg sack, but nothing in side it! Which meant there was no ectopic, but maybe no baby either. So Mark and Jack were turned out while I was given (another) internal scan.

And there was baby! A tiny little blur with a very very faint heart beat (too small and unclear to bother with a photo). She had to really search for the heart beat though, and she thought that baby only looked about 3 1/2 weeks in size, although clearly since there's a heart beat it must be 6 weeks. She said that since we've had this early scan then chances are we'd be monitored very closely for the rest of the pregnancy. I don't care. Let them. I'm just glad little Squiggle is there and alive!

November 19th 2009 - 12 week scan

(Quick Contents )

I've been a little nervous about this scan. There have been a lot of women on the forum I visit who have had the worst news possible at their 12 week scan. And even though I was certain everything was going to be ok, there's always that little niggle in the back of your mind that maybe the worst will happen. And with the 6 week early scan showing Squiggle to be small for our dates there's that added concern,

Luckily, though, every thing is perfect! We got a lovely picture of squiggle (which for now I have had to photo instead of scan since I have lost my scanner cable, doh!).

I can't help thinking that this baby is a girl, even though it's too early to tell, so forgive me as I keep referring to the baby as "she" or "her"! She was very obliging in the scan (unlike Jack who mooned us his 12 week scan), she laid on her back so we could get a look at her profile, see her spine and tummy, legs, arms and cord.

You could see her heart beating too. Other than that she was pretty still though (sleeping it would seem) and just as I was asking if that was normal (again, Jack was wiggling all over the place at his so that's all I have to compare against) she did a little shuffle!

We were recorded as being 11 weeks and 5 days, with a due date of June 5th, which is only one day off what I thought (the 6th) so that means that baby is developing at the right rate too (and is not small like we thought at the 6 week scan).

In the end the only thing I wasn't happy about with the scan was not being able to let my dad come in to see. He missed the whole of my pregnancy with Jack and I'm trying to get him included in this one so invited him to the scan. I knew that I could only have 1 person with me in the scan, but was hoping that Mark and my dad could swap part way through and that this would still count as one person as they would not be in there at the same time.... but no. It wasn't allowed, and as much as I wanted my dad to see, it's more important for Mark to see his unborn child. Still, my dad was the first person to get a scan photo, instead of the last!

January 5th 2010 - First Kicks! (Written on Jan 6th)

(Quick Contents )

I was getting a little worried. I hadn't felt anything... no kicks, no shuffles, nothing. I'd hoped to feel something around Christmas. It's normal to feel the first movements between 16 and 22 weeks, and I thought that since I'd already had one baby and knew what to expect that I'd feel something sooner. But I hadn't. There's snow here at the moment. Not as much as in other parts of the country, but we do live on the top of a very steep hill. I'd taken the car out yesterday - and wound up skiing down the hill and unable to drive back up! Wednesdays (like today) are the drop in sessions at Apple Tree (at the bottom of the hill) where you can listen to the baby's heart beat and I had promised myself that I was going to go today, especially if I hadn't felt anything. But there is no way I can walk back down that hill in this ice!

As I was climbing into bed last night, and becoming resigned to the fact that I would have to wait another week to make sure Squiggle was ok, I felt something! I just lay there for a while waiting, wanting to make sure I hadn't imagined it, or mistaken some other bodily function for kicks. And there they were again! Actual movement! Whoo!

I'm having doubts now that Squiggle is a girl. I'm thinking Boy now that I've felt the baby move. Something just says boy.... I can't quite put my finger on what though. Of cause now I have got Mark calling Squiggle a girl! Hee hee hee! Never mind... it's got to be one or the other

!And just to add to my excitement... I have just seen that my baby ticker from baby-gaga.com has moved over into the central square!! Just to remind me that we are practically half way through this pregnancy!

January 21st 2010 - 20 week scan

(Quick Contents )

I have been so excited about this scan! All night I was waking up every 2 hours, checking the time, and nodding back off. I eventually got up at 6am since the apt was at 9.10am and traffic in Lancaster is terrible at that time. Mum was coming over to mind Jack and I wanted to make sure the house was fit to be seen, and to spend a bit of time on my forum in peace before Mark & Jack got up.

We had a man do the scan this time, and we think he might be quite new, but he was very professional and detailed in what he was doing. We got a really long scan too and got to see all of Squiggles limbs, digits, facial features, internals and so on. Squiggle was sleeping for most of it I think and was not at all happy about being prodded and jiggled about so we could get a clear scan of his/hers face! I think Squiggle is quite shy though, because not only did s/he not want us to see his/her face.... there was no way those legs were going to uncross for a gender check!

Mark got quite emotional watching the scan. I saw him dab his eyes no fewer than 3 times. Me... well I couldn't stop grinning at my little baby up there on the screen and I haven't stopped bouncing around the place since! I would also like to make a note that Jack was very well behaved for my mum in the waiting room. He sat on her knee and read books and pointed to all the numbers he knows. He was even noticed by the other parents-to-be who commented on how cute and well behaved he was. I love being a mum!

January 26th - Consultants Appointment

(Quick Contents )

So I had my consultants appointment today. I have issues with my kidneys that they wanted to check up on, and also because they considered Jack to be "big".
Apparently he was 4.4 kilo (I only do lb & oz) and if he's 4.5 he'd have crossed some threshold or other... Don't fully understand. But the consultant is worried that this baby might also be big. Bigger even. And if it looks like I'm going to have a bigger baby this time she's implied that I should opt for a c-section.

I don't want a c-section.

The alternative being (again, if baby is big) an early induction. Like 37 - 38 weeks. IF my cervix is soft enough. A better idea.... but still not ideal! I want to do this relatively naturally! (as in GIMMI DRUGS for the pain, but let baby some when baby is ready, and out door nature provided!) I had a 3rd degree tear with Jack which has caused some fiber damage to my bum (making going to the loo difficult if I get even so much as a hint of constipation), and this could happen again and even be worse. Even if this baby is smaller. I'm being checked out for gestational diabetes too. They checked me for this time and again with Jack and I never had it. I just ate a lot of sugar (3 packs of Jaffa cakes in a single sitting. Often! Hence FAT BABY!) but this time I don't have the sugar craving so apart from some choccy (no more than I usually have) and the Honey Hoops I've been eating I'm not on a sugar overload. I'm 100% certain it'll come up fine.

So I'm a little miffed. At no point was my belly measured - or even TOUCHED - so there's nothing I know of to go on about Squiggle being big, apart from Jack being big. I thought the deal was Every Baby Is Different ... ! But on the bright side, I do get 2 more scans! One at 28 weeks and the other at 36. So I get to see my Squiggle again BEFORE the Big Day

March 16th - GTT

(Quick Contents )

I have not liked this at all. This is my Glucose Tolerance Test to make sure I am not suffering with Gestational Diabetes...

I'm pretty sure that I'm not, I don't think I am displaying any of the signs. I have only gained 11lb so far this pregnancy. I feel perfectly fit and well if a little tired now in the afternoons. But considering we are redecorating the house, have a toddler to look after (Jack will be 2 in less than a week) and I am now in my 3rd trimester being tired is normal!

Anyway, it went like this: Arrived for my 9am apt. Seen at 9.30 and had many tubes of blood taken (she did my 28 weeks bloods at the same time). Then given a nasty drink of what tasted like cold, unset jelly. I had to drink this slowly over 5 mins, followed by water also slowly over 2 mins. The I am left for 2 hours (read one trashy mag and 3 chapters of my book). Another tube of blood taken, offer made of food and drink (declined... off to KFC!) and dismissed! I'm to call back at 4pm for my results.

If it's negative WHOO! If it's positive I'll have to go to a clinic tomorrow... I'll be on later with my results!

7.30pm After 2 calls to a very very busy ward who couldn't deal with me, the hosp called me back. I am borderline... That means that tomorrow someone will have to go over my results with a doctor and call me back. I think that early induction will be happening after all :o(

March 17th & 24th, April 7th & 21st, May 19th - Diabetes Clinic See my GD page and chart

March 23rd - Growth Scan

(Quick Contents )

My dad came with me to this one and the lady who did the scan was lovely. She showed us loads of the baby and gave us a much longer scan that I think I would normally have had (I did make a point of it being the only scan my dad had ever seen and that he had come ever such a long way to see it).

She even showed us Squiggles FACE! I had no idea you could see the baby's face so clearly on a standard scan. I thought you HAD to get one of those 4D efforts for that... Or maybe Squiggle was just being very cooperative, I don't know. But we saw baby's face. Squiggle even scrunched up it's little face for a moment! And looks SO MUCH like Jack it's amazing!

We also saw if what gender Squiggle is... but I'm not saying! Mark really doesn't want to know so I am keeping it zipped.

The whole reason for the scan though was the measurements. And here they are: FL (leg) 54.2mm, HC (head) 286.2mm, AC (tummy) 258.6mm, and an estimated weight of 1459.0g (or slightly over 3lb). Which in laymen terms means NORMAL! Not a monster, not a c-section waiting to happen, NORMAL!

Oh, and the placenta? The one the GD MIdwife said was up at the front? Round the back where it should be.

April 21st - 2nd Growth Scan

(Quick Contents )

Back to the hospital again for another scan and diabetes clinic... I love the scan part though! My mum came with me this time. We had a lovely lady do the scan for us. We were in there for a good half hour. Squiggle was facing my spine and refused to turn round and face us, so I was tipped back until I was almost upside down and jiggled ever so slightly until baby finally woke up and turned to face us, giving us a big yawn and a kick. We go to see the little nose and lips! There is definitely an Oakes chin there (from me and my dad) but the rest is pure Walker!

We got a lovely pic, and the lady wouldn't take any money from me for it! She's clearly been charmed by my beautiful baby!

Measurements! Weight: 2373g (5 and a bit pounds, normal) Leg: 64.2mm, Head: 318.6mm, tummy:303.5mm. Following the chart nicely!

I'll be whittering on about the GD on the GD page if you want to know about it. We have another scan and clinic in 4 weeks!

May 19th - 3rd Growth Scan

(Quick Contents )

Had my scan. baby has SHOT UP in size! Looking at 8lb 10oz!!! A massive growth spurt from 4 weeks ago which has taken us over the "normal" range.

However..... since my consultant wouldn't see me (and sent someone else in to see me after ranting about me in the corridor, where I could hear her) I was seen by another lady who was much more sympathetic and professional. She looked over my charts and said that I'm probably NOT diabetic after all (I've been saying that all along) and that while baby has grown suddenly and quickly, the fluid around baby is normal which suggests that the size is genetic, not diabetic (also what I had said all along).

They would still like to monitor me closely and want me to go back next week for a cervical check and they MAY ADVISE an induction at that point, but will not push me into it at all. As by then I'll be only 11 days early and Jack was 9 days early I may relent... depending how fed up I feel at that stage.

She made me laugh by suggesting various methods of softening up my cervix, like RLT and the birthing ball (both of which I am already doing) and "anything else we can think of" where she winked at my husband. Poor hubby looked confused and I had to explain that THAT might take some arm twisting as my poor hubby is rather, ahem, squeamish about pregnant nooky! She's ordered him to pull him self together and get it up! Never had a prescription for sex before! But I'm not holding my breath...

So here's to another week of waiting....

May 26th Internal/Sweep

(Quick Contents )

2 appointments today. 2.15 with the midwife at the GPs and 3pm with the consultant at RLI (or not, as she still wont see me. We saw the same nice lady as last time).

Mark came with me (Mum looked after Jack). The midwife was happy to see us but said it was largely pointless as we were off to the hospital. She did my BP and let Mark listen to the heart beat as he's never heard this baby's heart beat until today. She also tested my pee which is thankfully free of yuck this week.

Up at the hospital I was given an internal examination (aka a sweep) which has to be one of the least pleasant experiences of pregnancy. She said that baby was "no where near" my pelvis... Great. Just what I didn't want to be told.

So we discussed induction, and I have agreed on the basis that today I am 38weeks 4days pregnant. At this stage with Jack I was in labour (in fact, as I type this, at this time of day I was calling the delivery suite and telling them I was coming in!) and Jack was born in the early hours of the next morning. Also, the induction is for Wed next week, the 2nd of June. Only 3 days before my due date. The induction could easily take 3 days (more or less) to work so I don't consider this to be "early".

Mark thinks/hopes that Squiggle will shock us all by being born before Wednesday, but considering how baby is in my body at the moment, i.e. far too comfy and settled, I can't see it happening.

So, unless I do suddenly go into spontaneous labour inside the next 7 days this is my last mini blog post on this page! Next will be my birth story (over on page 3, prior to baby that space is being occupied by my "to do" list!)

See you on the other side O_o

Induction Appointment: