5 weeks & feeling weird

[Sunnyb]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum & it's my first post.
I have a 5 year old boy & this is my second pregnancy. It feels sooooo different to my first. This time I got implantation bleeding & my first couple of tests were very faint positives. Did last test on Friday & it's very clearly positive. I am so excited, but so worried at the same time. I had bleeding at about 10 weeks last time & my triple test result put me at high risk of Down's. My son was healthy & arrived 11 days late after a horrendous induction & birth.
With this pregnancy I keep feeling cramps & bloated. I keep checking every time I go to the loo to check all is ok. But as I had no cramps when pregnant with my little boy & I'm just soooo frightened that cramping = bad things. Are cramps normal at this stage? It feels like I'm bloated & my tummy feels almost hot inside. I've read that the uterus stretches & can cause this, but I guess I'm just looking for others experiences at the moment! Sorry for the huge post - I guess I just want to relax & enjoy this pregnancy, but I just feel stressed!

Sunnyb xxx

 

[LouLou1986]

i can understand ur scared and keep checking im excatly the same huni! but rest asured cramping is normal, but if you do hav a lot off bloddy go a&e to be on the safe side xxx

 

[Lacey's Mummy]

Welcome to the forum! Everything sounds completly normal! Congrats on your pregnancy!

 

[jodied]

Hello, welcome and congratulations! I'm sure the cramps are just the ligaments all stretching and making space for your LO xxx

 

[FallingStar]

Hiya and welcome
I can definitely sympathise with the worrying.. I'm the same! I'm trying to follow all the advice I've received from the lovely ladies on here, just to relax and try not to alway think the worst.
Lots of different symptoms are 'normal' for different people and different pregnancies.
I feel a bit bloated, and am also on 'knicker watch' after a bit of blood yesterday.. but an hpt this morning was still positive.... so far so good
No sore boobs or nausea yet, but think I'm only about 3 maybe 4 weeks pg... so massively early days still. Stomach fels a little crampy... but possibly because it's now nearly half one and I've only had a Smarties cookie so far today
Try to be as stress-free as possible, easier said than done I know... but as someone (forget who, sorry!) pointed out to me in another post... baby needs a nice calm place, so it/he/she can get well settled in.
Hope you feel less stressed soon.. I find it comes and goes for me. I was a wreck this morning, but am now nice and chilled and intend to go relax on the sofa for a while
xxx

 

[XHopefulX]

I can relate to the cramping, it's been constant now since OV and get's to the point where I think AF is coming, sometimes it feels alot worse that AF cramping, then back gets sore plus sore hips. Cramping is normal, just ligaments moving around to make room for baby's home xx

 

[Sunnyb]

Aw thank you all so much for your warm welcome & words of advice. I think I'm just worried as I'm 6 years older than last time (I'm 37) so have concerns about being an older mum! I wanted to have children closer together. But after having such a tough time giving birth to my son, it sort of put both me & hubby off the idea for some time. I feel ready to be a mum again, but all the bad memories keep flooding back. I guess I have to look at all the positives. I would like to have a Nuchal Fold scan in addition to blood tests this time just to be extra cautious. Though I'm not sure if this will be offered to me. Again I'm not sure if they'll do anything differently with me being an older mum to be or given my past history with my pregnancy & birth of my gorgeous boy.

Thanks again everyone xxx

 

[XHopefulX]

Hiya again,
Well I am the same age as you and every test that will be available I will take, this is my first pregnancy. If in doubt ask your midwife what tests are available in your area, don't know if it is a postcode lottery for certain tests at certain ages, I am yet to find this out xx

 

[FallingStar]

I'm just a couple of years younger (35) and I'll be taking every test offered too. Keep us posted on what tests they offer you etc. Would be interesting to find out if we all get the same care.. or maybe not? xxx

 

[Sunnyb]

Yes I'll definitely keep you posted. I think it is a lottery postcode. My triple test came back as 1 in 200 chance of Down's last time & as I was frightened of having an amnio given a higher risk of m/c so went for a private scan & series of blood tests in Leeds & it was the best £200 we'd ever spent. They put our minds at rest & after these I didn't feel I needed an amnio - had a healthy baby boy (9lb 7oz). If you can afford them, private scans & tests provide a fantastic peace of mind.

Sunnyb xxx

 

[missymiamoo]

I'm 31 and have been offered a combined dating and nuchal fold test at my first scan - I'm in West Sussex and it seems to be standard here but I have heard it varies from area to area (which seems ridiculous when they're just looking at a scan you're having done anyway)

And with the cramping, it's just your body adjusting, nothing to worry about. I had period-like cramps a lot from week 4 to around week 6. They then tailed off and now (wk 9) I still get the occasional stomach twinge. I read today that by now my uterus has grown to the size of a small melon, so I guess you have to expect it to feel a bit odd now and then!