I'm writing this on my way to Coffs Harbour where I'm going for work meetings being held over the next couple of days. I'm sitting in the qantas club at the moment watching everyone boozing along, probably drinking more than they normally would just because it's free.

It's Australia Day, so Happy Australia Day. If I were home, I'd probably be at a friends house for a BBQ or down at the beach.

My next obs appointment is 18 Feb. It's my last day of work before two weeks holidays. I can't wait! DH will also be on holidays (he gets a month though). In the first week we are going to do a little trip with our camper trailer. In the second week we have my stepson. I have booked in for my 20 week scan which will be on 2 Feb. Hopefully we'll get to find out if we're growing a girl or a boy. That day we are also doing a tour and booking in to the hospital we have chosen. After that we'll pick up J from school and then we're off to Melbourne for three days as a bit of a treat for him (and us). It's going to be a great couple of weeks.

All good!

My appointment went well, not much of huge interest to report. We did a quick scan and saw the heartbeat and Little M waved at us. He was pleased with how everything is going and my next appointment is in a months time.

14 weeks

Well now I can say I am definitely in the second trimester. I've been a bit confused about when the second trimester actually starts. Some books/websites say 12 weeks, some say 13 weeks and others say 14 weeks. But I'm definitely out of the first trimester now, even according to the later dates.

I'm doing pretty well. Nausea seems to have almost completely stopped. My energy levels are on the up again, I can actually stay awake after 8pm now and I'm no longer yawning continously all day. I think I now have a little baby belly, but it is very hard to tell under my blubbery normal tummy. But it has become a bit "pointier" and definitely harder.

We listen to the heartbeat on the Doppler most days. Now we can actually hear Little M moving about by the heartbeat suddenly moving away, then it's back again a short time later. It's very reassuring to hear, especially now the heartbeat is easier to find and much louder.

We're starting to think about buying some baby gear, pram, cot etc. We don't want to have to find the money for everything all at once, so we'll buy it gradually. You can probably tell that I am feeling a lot more relaxed about things now, and beginning to really imagine how life is going to be in 6 months time.

Next obs appointment is on Friday arvo. This time DH can't come as he has long-standing plans to go to a one day cricket game, Australia vs someone(?). I think he is more disappointed that he can't come to the appointment than I am!

Life is good!! (apart from having to go to work which I am not enjoying at all at the moment, my mind is taken up with other thoughts hese days!). Shall post again on Friday night to update on my appointment.

Today's scan

Everything is looking good! Little M wasn't very cooperative though. We tried an external and internal scan, but little M was in the wrong position to get the NT measurement. So we waited in the waiting room to see if bub would change positions. Tried again and bub had turned over but now it had it's face buried in the placenta. So to the waiting room again, then a final try. Success! Baby was now the right way up and we got the NT measurement. It was somewhere between 1.6 and 1.7, which apparently is fine. Just have to wait for my blood test results now, which should have been back already. Bub had caught up a bit in size and is now measuring 12w5d. I'm very happy and my positivity is back!

Lacking positivity

At the moment I am really struggling to have positive thoughts about this pregnancy. It is really frustrating me, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't get past my feeling that this pregnancy is doomed. I am just waiting and expecting something to go wrong. The latest stress factor is being 6 days behind in bubs measurements and it's really got me down. Just last week my obstetrician told me how important he thought positivity is. I believe that too, but I just can't make myself feel positive.

:-(

NT scan update

Well it didn't end up being an NT scan at all because Little M was measuring too small to do the NT measurement properly. I'm not sure if I should be worried or not (but of course I am worried) but Little M was measuring 6 days behind at 11w1d (I'm exactly 12 weeks today). She tried to get a position where Little M stretched out a bit, but that was the longest she could get (4.51cm). Everything else looked goo. Little M was moving around and the heartrate was 158bpm. We could see the brain developing in the head (which measured at 12w2d so big headed short baby?) and it apparently looked as it should. We could see the blood pumping through the four chambers of the heart (which was on the correct side and orientated in the correct direction). We could see arms and legs. So I am trying very hard not to worry about the measurement being 6 days out, considering everything else looked great. I guess the positive is that we get to have another scan in a weeks time.


Here's a 3D picture. A bit hard to work out what is what, but the head is at the top and a little arm is covering his/her face. Down the bottom you can see a bent leg, with the foot at the very left of the picture. Not sure what all the other lumpy, bumpy bits are.


And another pic looking from above baby. I must say the head looks a bit like an alien.

NT scan in the morning!

Finally the day of my NT scan is almost here. Tomorrow I will be exactly 12 weeks and I am having my scan in the morning. I just googled "NT scan" and seeing the pics of what is normal and what isn't made me feel 10x more nervous. But I am also feeling very excited because assuming we get a good result then we will be announcing our pregnancy. Not that there are that many people that are close to me that don't know already! But I think it will all feel a little more real tomorrow.
Will give you an update after my scan tomorrow!