292 replies to this topic

[Chil22]

Hopefuldad- your wifes request is totally legit- more blood and nutrients if you lie on your left side. Good luck as I know my husband puts up with a lot with me and my requests, mood and attitudes during pregnancy! And itbisnt always delivered very nicely !

[returnable]

Chil22 - I know what you mean!  At our 12 week ultrasound, the technician called our baby a "she".  So I thought we were having a girl, but my wife kindly reminded me they can't tell the gender that early yet, tech was probably just used to calling them "she"!  Glad your anatomy scan went well though!

 

Returnable - good luck with your anatomy scan, hope the week goes by fast for you!  Sorry to hear you're uncomfortable and that your cat will find a comfy spot next to you instead!

 

Another quick question, is it true that it's better to lie on your left side when you're pregnant?  I usually sit on the left side of the couch, but my wife says she needs to lie on her left side so she made me switch sides on the couch...I need to know if this is legit or if she just wanted to take my seat!!!

 

Even if she wasn't telling the truth...are you really going to argue with a pregnant woman? 

[hopefuldadsomeday]

Returnable, you're right.  Some things are worth fighting for, but not worth dying for.

[returnable]

Returnable, you're right.  Some things are worth fighting for, but not worth dying for.

 

AND she is carrying YOUR child...the argument ends there..

[Momsomeday]

Hopefuldad - yes left side is best! Although really either side is good. The big no no is lying on your back, which I am finding hard to comply with 😫

[SunshineTTC]

Thread crashing Right side can be same/worse than back, probably depending on your specific anatomy. Only applies once the uterus has some weight to it second half of pregnancy. The issue is compression of the Inferior Vena Cava, the large vein carrying deoxygenated blood back from the lower body to the heart/lungs to be re-oxygenated, located towards your back on the right side of your spine. So in theory this could reduce the blood flow and oxygen supply to the fetus. Since I'm now dealing with gestational hypertension, I've been monitoring my blood pressure constantly (and since I'm a geek/researcher, recording and treating myself like a science experiment lol). I very consistently go immediately hyPOtensive (abnormally LOW BP) if I lie on my right side, no real difference back or left side. OB has reassured me no worries if I occasionally wake up on my right side. Actually I've sometimes used this, purposely lying on my right side to lower my BP when it spikes and I can't get it to settle. When I ended up in hospital a few weeks ago they had me flat on my back for 4 hours straight for monitoring and no one seemed concerned (except me just in a physical sense, I was SO uncomfortable!). Regardless, I'd tend to agree with returnable on this one lol! Best of luck to everyone for continued healthy uneventful pregnancies!

[returnable]

Sunshine thanks for the clarification as it gives me an option of at least resting on my back when my left hip starts getting achy in the night.

[hopefuldadsomeday]

Sorry, I was bored and found these funny pregnancy memes that I can relate to

 

 

 

[returnable]

[Chil22]

So awesome 😎

[maryl]

Hello ladies! I read the thread and noticed that all of you have done an ultrasound a week (or so) after the positive blood test. Can this ultrasound be obtained through the fertility clinic only, or can I expect that my family doctor will agree to give me an ultrasound referral?

 

I am in Ontario (if location matters). I did a lot a online research, but I only found information about the 10-12 weeks screening ultrasound in Ontario. Nothing about 6-8 weeks ultrasound.

[hopefuldadsomeday]

Hi Maryl, most fertility clinics will do a 6 and 8 week ultrasound to ensure the viability of fetus after IVF/FET.  Prior to IVF, my wife has a history of recurrent pregnancy loss and was able to get early ultrasounds done at BC Women's hospital through the RPL clinic.  My understanding is most doctors will order an ultrasound at weeks 10-12 unless you're either undergoing IVF or have a medical history that requires early monitoring (e.g history of miscarriages).  Doesn't hurt to ask your GP though!

[returnable]

I'm in Ontario and it is the same as hopeful dad says. The only reason I had ultrasounds between week 6/7 and 12 was due to bleeding.

[maryl]

Thank you hopefuldadsomeday and returnable! I guess if I have no bleeding then my family doctor can still say no to early ultrasound.

[returnable]

How is everybody doing?
 
We had our anatomy scan today and everything came back okay. The baby is on track for growth and all the systems are as they should be. They also measured the length of my cervix which was very good, which reduces the chances of pre-term birth. Our monkey was moving around a lot, so the whole ultrasound took almost an hour and a half before they got all the images they needed. Our next ultrasound will be in four weeks where they will check the placenta to make sure it is functioning properly.
 
It is a big relief to have the anatomy scan out of the way. Of course we are still not out of the woods, but it is a big step.

[Momsomeday]

Returnable - great news! Why are you having the extra scan done on your placenta in 4 weeks?

My anatomy scan went well today, except baby was moving like crazy so the tech was having a hard time getting good pictures for measurements. She was frustrated but I was just thrilled that the baby is so healthy and active! I have to go back again next week so they can get a few measurements they couldnt today. We have a "fairly confident" gender guess of girl!

[returnable]

Yay momsomeday! Our tech just didn't want to give up until she had everything. She made me go pee part way through hoping baby would flip, and then even called another tech in hoping she'd have better luck getting the final photos. Congratulations on the girl!

 

About the placenta ultrasound I wasn't sure whether it was a standard ultrasound or not, so if you are not having one then I assume it is because I have some pre-existing conditions which make me a higher risk for the pregnancy. I'd never heard of an ultrasound like that either, but just thought perhaps since it wasn't such a milestone like the anatomy scan that people just didn't talk about it.

[Chil22]

Returnable and Momsomeday glad the scans went well.  It really is the coolest thing to see the baby moving around.  I haven't heard of a placenta scan either so very intrigued to hear your assessment after you have it. 

 

AFM - all well here.  24 weeks tomorrow and thankfully the back issues have been at bay and baby is kicking and moving around some days more than others.  Today was a really active day.  I have a check up with our OB on Tuesday - I will definitely be asking him if he spilled the beans on us when we had our last scan.  I hope not.  Other than that  we are gearing up for Christmas and i am just ecstatic to be out of the office for ten days and seeing a change of scenery.   

[returnable]

Chil - I'm so happy that your back is feeling better. I know sciatica is very hard to resolve in pregnancy. I hope you get good news on Tuesday and that your OB did not spill the beans so that you can have a nice surprise.

 

So after realizing that the placenta scan was a new thing to everybody, I did a bit of reading. They look at the placenta before 24 weeks to diagnose placenta insufficiency which is one of the risk factors for pre-eclampsia. Because I am at a higher risk category for pre-eclampsia due to kidney disease and pre-existing high blood pressure, this must be a standard ultrasound they do for people like me. I am in a unique category as most of the indicators utilized for pre-eclampsia diagnosis are already out of range for me, so perhaps they have to use this as an additional tool to make sure things are looking good, or if not, to try to do something about it.

 

In other news, I definitely am feeling the baby more and more. I had a super active day on Monday. Perhaps the baby was out of kilter from all the pushing and prodding of a 1.5 hour ultrasound, but I was definitely enjoying it. I'm finding now that I am looking for the comfort of the hard spot when the baby is closer to the outside. Especially if I can't sleep in the middle of night, I put my hands on the bump. I don't always feel him shifting, but I swear I felt two kicks or punches the other night. It is a super weird feeling to feel the rolls but it's definitely a bonding experience.

[hopefuldadsomeday]

Momsomeday - happy to hear your anatomy scan went well!  Congratulations on your baby girl!

 

Returnable - glad your scan went well, thanks for the info about the placenta scan.  Wow I can't believe your scan was for 1.5 hours!  My wife will be "thrilled" to have a full bladder for that long, lol.

 

Chil22 -  glad to hear your back is better!  Hope your OB/GYN just calls all babies a "she" so you still have the surprise gender reveal when he/she is born!

 

As for us, nothing exciting.  My wife says she doesn't really feel the baby move, gets the occasional twinge but she think it's just gas, lol.  Unfortunately her reflux is quite bad and she constantly has a sour taste in the mouth despite taking the Zantac regularly.  She is having massive food cravings, I had to do a late night Haagen Daz run and she ate all my pickles... She is also starting to show quite a bit, not sure if we will be able to get through Christmas without our family finding out, we were hoping to delay the news until our 20 week scan next month just in case.

 

Hope everybody is doing well otherwise!

[returnable]

HDSD - I'm sorry to burst your bubble but if your wife is showing already the bump just keeps getting bigger from this point forward. I'm at 19 weeks and it's impossible to hide especially if it is with family or friends.

[Momsomeday]

Hopefuldad - I second what returnable says! I'm 19+4 and definitely looking pregnant these last 2 weeks. I dont think I could hide it from any family or close friends. Maybe if she wears really loose clothing? 🤷‍♀️

[Momsomeday]

How is everyone doing?


I had my ultrasound redo today, everything looking good and baby is definitely a girl!

[returnable]

That's awesome news! Congrats on team pink.

We are travelling through Germany to tour and see some Christmas markets. I'm struggling with eating and heartburn but feeling okay otherwise. I feel the baby more and more so it is very reassuring

[Chil22]

Glad every one is doing well. I can definitely relate to the heartburn theme!
Had my appointment on Tuesday and grilled our OB and he said that he knows we dont want to know and he meant nothing by calling the baby a she- I am still skeptical 🤨
Been battling a terrible cold that has ravaged our house - i knew I should have slept in the guest room ! Thankfully I am on thr mend.