Pregnancy Parts 4 & 5

Hearing the Heartbeat

It’s pretty amazing when you first hear your baby’s heartbeat. I mistook my own for the baby’s at first when the midwife put the thingy (correct technical term) on me and thought, “oh that sounds pretty normal.” Then within seconds I heard another super speedy heartbeat and the midwife told me it was that one that was the baby’s. It was so so so fast, loud, clear and strong. Each time I had a medical check, I felt more relief and relaxed that everything was okay. I've heard a few scary stories though. When my sister Moley went in to the docs to hear her baby's heartbeat, they couldn't find it with the equipment they were using. She got really upset, obviously, only for the midwife to then realise, "oh, the batteries are flat."

The Second Scan – Boy or Girl???

The midwife had told me that by Christmas and the date of my second scan (29th December 2010) I would no longer be able to hide the fact I was pregnant. She was  right really. My tummy was now properly jutting out below my boobs in that typical pregnant way. We again went to the John Radcliffe Hospital for the scan. I can’t remember much about the other people in the waiting room this time as I was so desperate for the loo! We were called in by a much friendlier sonographer than last time. The image of the baby quickly came up but it was moving around loads! The sonographer said she was struggling to get the measurements and good pictures as the baby was such a fidget. I was only two weeks since I’d first felt the baby move…that was on my Mum’s Birthday – December 16^th. I didn’t know for sure at first it was the baby moving but when I described it to other mums, I realised it was. It felt kind of like bubbles in my tummy. Almost as if someone was moving one of the those bubble bottle spatulers through me. It was faint and not at all uncomfortable.  That really was the only day I felt that kind of movement though, after that the bubbles turned in to more pulse type movements. As if there was a heartbeat in my tummy that randomly pulsated every now and then.

“Would you like to know the sex of the baby as I think I know what it is,” said the sonographer. We did. My feelings on this are, it’s going to be a big enough surprise when a baby comes out of my you know what, that I don’t need the extra surprise of finding out the sex. Plus, I could prepare better. Oh and if it was going to be a boy, I really needed to know as I’d need to get used to the idea…I’ve always felt like if I ever have a baby it will be a girl. I have a better idea of what to do with a girl…the games to play, the clothes to buy, the activities to take part in. If it’s a boy…I’m clueless. I mean, what do you do with a boy…say, “oh look – there’s a tractor,” and then plonk him in front of a football??!! Plus neither Shaun or I had a single name for a boy. My sister Sabrina was convinced it was a boy because of the shape of me. I thought it probably would end up being a boy simply because I couldn’t imagine having one.

I’d shared this thought with friends and many had told me boys are more loving and easier to deal with than girls. But my friend Hayley and her family felt that you need a girl to look after you later in life. They believe boys often tend to go their own way and aren’t as good at caring for their elderly or poorly parents, whereas girls are always there for their mums and dads and make sure they’re looked after.

“I’m pretty sure that’s a little girl you’ve got in there, said the sonographer.” I could barely believe it. I had almost convinced myself it would be a boy by now. I was so pleased…and relieved! Yay, I could go and buy cute baby dresses! Shaun was also really happy. The sonographer reiterated, “yep I’ll be pretty sad if I’ve got that wrong, definitely looks like a little girl.”

She gave us a whole load of photos of the baby as none had come out that brilliantly as the baby (GIRL!!!) was moving about so much. At one point during the scan, I said, “that’s not a baby…it’s a tortoise!” as the baby had got herself in a very strange position, probably half way through a roly poly. This was the sonographers favourite picture and she put it in a little framed Christmas card for us.

Baby or Tortoise??!!

In my next blog I'll tell you about some of the amazing pregnancy facts I've learnt and how people treat you differently.