All my symptoms....

[Lou]

Hi

I just found out I am 5 weeks pg with my first baby after many many months of TTC and having symptoms month after month but still having regular monthly visits from AF. The frustration that this can cause is all too familiar to me so I am only too happy to tell you my "real" pg symptoms and hope that some of you can relate to them and take some comfort in the fact that you are not going mad or imagining things! So heres how I conceived and my early pg symptoms.....

Ok so the first day of my last AF was 26th of Feb. As soon as I finished AF my partner and I resumed "relations" lol and were having relations every morning instead of at night time, for no reason other than his work was making him get up early and get home late. We continued like this then on 13th of march I gave up smoking. I smoked a cigarette which made me feel so sick I literally stubbed it out, threw away all my packs and said I would never smoke again! This was weird for me as I have smoked for a good 10+ years!

I dont know if this was my first "symptom" but it was very much out of the blue and looking back now may well have been my body rejecting cigarettes.

Anyway, nothing out of the ordinary happened again until the 19th when we had a family day out. I started to feel dizzy and as though I was going to be sick. These feelings only lasted a few seconds at a time but it was enough to get me thinking of being pg. A few nights later I also started to feel as though I was sickening for something, like I wanted something but didnt know what it was. I knew my AF was due on the 25th and I was staying very realistic and tried not to get my hopes up.

On or around the 22nd my boobs started to hurt and I felt as though AF was coming. I was having pre-AF cramps and everything seemed "normal" for the arrival of AF. (I am still having cramps on and off now). The only other thing that happened at this stage was that I had 2 spots on my face. This was unusual for me as I am 30 and don't get spots anymore. The 25th came and went, I was still feeling dizzy and sick every so often, then the 26th and the 27th came and went...still no AF. I woke up on the morning of the 28th, after having a very realistic dream that I had a baby, and decided to take my last clear blue digital test that was stashed in my bathroom.

I was so used to taking these tests month after month and being so disappointed that I pee'd on it and put it to one side while I brushed my teeth. I did this with such a "whatever" attitude to try and soften the "not pregnant" blow yet again that I actually laughed to myself at how exciting it is even after so many negative results.

I took the test off the shelf and glanced at it. I thought I saw the word pregnant! I looked again. I DID see the word pregnant. To cut a long story short I told my Bf then went to the local supermarket and bought another test (different brand) just to double check and that was positive too"!

I had my first doctors appointment yesterday and she said I will start to have proper morning sickness (if i get it atall) in the next 11 days and all I do now is wait for my letter from the hospital, take my folic acid and look after myself!

My boobs are still very sore and If I lay on my back for too long then they really ache when I move and I feel quite dizzy when I first wake up but other than that I feel great. I am drinking plenty of water and trying to stay relaxed (which is not easy when you are shaking with excitement) As far as vaginal discharge goes I haven't noticed any changes other than the usual stretchy ovulation discharge a couple of weeks ago but I am so used to it every month that I didn't even make a note of it.

I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that everyone kept telling us to stop "trying" which we have done and I believe it has worked for us. My bf for one reason or another hasn't actually been near me for 2 weeks! And I didn't do an ovulation test this month or have sex then put my legs in the air like I always do any other month. I know stopping "trying" won't work for everyone but it is the best advice I can give from my own experience.

I'm sorry this post is soooooo long but I really wanted to give you the whole picture so I can help as much as possible. There are so many other things I could talk about but I will save them for other topics and other posts!

Please feel free to ask me anything you like no matter how personal or crazy you think it may sound and I will be only to pleased to help if I can.

speak soon

Lou

 

[hayley]

Hi Lou

I really enjoyed reading your post. I can actually imagine the brushing teeth and then reading PREGNANT on your test stick situation! It was similar to me testing for O! I am fed up of getting just one line that i do the test and walk away. The other day I got 2 lines. Anyone would have thought it was a pregnancy test the way I reacted. I dragged the DH off for some fun!

CONGRATULATIONS.. I bet it's the best feeling in the world telling you BF and family. Was you BF in the room when you tested? The first time I tested we sat together waiting for the words PREGNANT! (no luck) now when I test the DH is no where to be seen.

How long was you trying? if you don't mind me asking.

I've also heard cigarettes taste awful. That could be the first sign. I stopped smoking when i started trying. But a girl in work noticed the taste was awful and threw the packet away - she found out a week later she was pregnant.

 

[Lou]

Hi Hayley nice to meet you

Thanks for reading my post (I was beginning to think no-one liked me!) And of course I dont mind you asking questions.

I felt exactly the same as you when I used to do my ovulation tests. The first one I ever did was positive, back about 4 months ago now, and it was a great feeling to see the result as it was the first positive result I had ever seen, like you said as though it was a pregnancy test! lol

As for my bf being with me when I took the test I have to say I feel a bit guilty about that because I did it alone. Me and my bf had an argument the night before and he slept on the sofa so we weren't "speaking". Ha ha.....the result soon put a stop to that! I dont know why I did it alone, it certainly wasn't out of spite, I think I just assumed it would be another negative and I always felt (how should I put it?) "embarrassed" when I tested negative in front of my bf. Silly I know.

As for the trying we were trying for a good year if not more. We never really wanted kids you see but as we have settled down wanting children has happened all by itself. A natural progression I like to think. We tried all the usual things to help us fall pregnant, legs in the air, no booze, sex everyday then sex every other day. You name it we did it. All around us people were falling pregnant and it was so frustrating I wanted to scream at all the people getting pregnant by "accident"! lol Anyway, our families kept telling us to stop trying and relax for a while so thats what we did and my god its worked! I think most couples fall pregnant within the first year of trying. Thats what everyone kept telling us anyway.

As for the smoking it remains a mystery. To be honest if somebody walks past me with a cigarette I actually like the smell but I just dont want to smoke! It really is like I never smoked. Weird.

I hope this helps and answers your questions. Honestly feel free to ask me whatever you like. I log on here most days.

Take care and best wishes to you and bf

lou

 

[hayley]

Hi Lou

It's always the way when we start trying! people around us just fall pregnant at the drop of a hat. I'm newly married as well (september 04) so people at work and friends/family keep asking.... when are you having one? I'm fed up saying the same story "enjoying married life for a year or 2 first". I feel like they know i'm lying because it's written all over my face. I really really can't wait to be pregnant. In fact i'm really looking forward to getting that first little bump. I'm going to show it off so proud! But up to now that's just wishful thinking. I came off the pill back in September but we decided not to start trying/working out Ovulation dates etc until I had a few normal Periods. Anyway by Dec I had fallig into a cycle of 27/28/29 days so we tried in Dec then in Jan. Feb we missed out because my cycle got a bit mixed up (period late 2 weeks) so this month we have really tried.. I mean legs in the air the lot.. but as you say! it'll most probably happen when we relax. It's just that I want to be pregnant so badly. I'm hoping this time worked but i;ve got another week yet to wait and i'm not getting myself worked up like last month (after the 2 weeks late situation)

Are you showing yet? I understand how you feel about getting a negative result and feeling a bit embarrased. When I did my first ovulation test. I used up all the sticks without a postive result. Every morning i'd sit there looking at it with my husband. So after a while you tend to just do it alone. Also if you wasn't trying this month then you probably thought you was going to get another negative result... It must be the best feeling in the world when you see PREGNANT or those 2 lines. How far are you? Have you told work?(if you work) I know i'm jumping ahead of myself but in cse I do get a positive this month.. when do you tell your boss. I was going to wait until after the first scan. (listen to me.. haven't even got a result yet)

Anyway CONGRATULATIONS again... wishing you a healthy/happy next 9 months.

 

[Lou]

Hi Hayley

Congratulations on getting married! I am getting hitched before the year is out hopefully Just read your post so here's my reply....

I am exactly 5 weeks pg tomorrow. My Af was due 25th of March and I tested positive on the 28th. Because it was easter the doctors was closed on the monday so I was lucky and registered at a new doctors on tuesday and got an appointment the same day. Hayley I know exactly how you feel and its so frustrating. I felt so out of control of my own body when I was TTC but to be honest now I am pg I still feel out of control. I am scared of everything I eat, I'm scared of doing my normal daily housework, I'm scared incase my bath is too hot and I cried the other day when I walked down the street and a drunk man breathed on me. Its madness! lol The only way I can describe it is that I feel like I am made of glass. I might get myself a t-shirt printed with "fragile" on the front lol.


Its interesting that you said you only came off the pill in september, if we are in april now then thats only 7 months ago and depending on which pill you were on it can take that long to completely get the pill out of your system and get your body acting "naturally" again. One of my best friends fell pg last year after coming off the pill and it took her 8 months. Every month she would convince herself she was pg but I kept telling her that she should start getting really serious about getting pg after 6 months of being pill free. She eventually fell pg with twins, would you believe it, and they were born just before christmas so all the waiting and frustration was well worth it, she got 2 babies!

When I started to TTC I had been off the pill for a good couple of years for one reason or another so I assumed it would happen straight away. It's strange how you take the pill to stop pg and assume you can get pg whenever you feel like it. Seems pretty arrogant if you think about it doesn't it! I think one of the best things I ever did was using ovulation kits because they reassured me that at least I was ovulating, although to be truthful it did make me look at my bf and think ha..so it must be you then! How awful lol! I'm sure I heard someone mention the other day that you can now buy home sperm counting kits, have you heard about that? I might look it up later just out of interest on the net so i'll let you know what I find.

I think the best thing you can do is keep using your ovulation kits mid cycle and make a note of when they test positive then you will know for next month if you dont fall pg. Also start taking folic acid, its so important for the development of the baby and if you buy pregnacare or a brand similar then you will get all the folic acid you need and lots of vitamins needed for conception and pregnancy. Its a good idea to take folic acid 2 months before you even start TTC. I didnt take it before but I am taking it now, and will be right up till the 12th week of pregnancy.

As far as work goes I actually resigned from my job at christmas. I was finding my job very stressful ( it was sales) and I thought it may be stopping me falling pg. I am lucky because I have a bf who runs his own business so now I work from our office at home, answering the phone and booking appointments for him.

Anyway, oh yeah you also asked about me showing. I think I am a little but to tell you the truth I wasn't exactly kate moss before I fell pg so my belly is a little sticky out anyway I'm not overweight, just got a pot belly so its really hard to tell. I am really looking forward to having a big pg belly though, I am gonna buy lots of tight cotton tops for the summer and show it right off! My mum is out today buying me some loose fitting trousers so wear around the house. Bless her!

I really hope things work out for you soon. I know its easier said than done but try to relax as much as possible and be patient while your body "recovers" from taking the pill. The pill makes your body act in such an unatural way that you must need time to get back into a normal monthly cycle again. And start taking your folic acid if you aren't already, it can only have a positive effect on you and maybe just taking them everyday will make you feel like you are actively doing something towards being pg other than pee'ing on sticks and putting your legs in the air! lol

Anyway best of luck and I wish you all good positive pg thoughts

speak soon

lou

 

[eshka]

Hi Lou/Hayley -

Just read your posts and wanted to check in really. Lou, congrats on falling pg, and I'm crossing everything that all goes well for you. You sound as though you're really taking care of yourself, which is the main thing at this stage.

I'm Eshka, by the way, and I'm 17 wks pg with surprise baby number one.

I noticed in your posts that you actually had EXACTLY the same symptoms as me at the same time. I've always enjoyed my ciggies, but around the time I was 4 or 5 weeks pg, I simply could not face them - the sensation of smoking was completely alien to me, and I just stopped there and then. Following that, I discovered I had painful breasts etc - all the signs of an imminent period - and 3 days after AF hadn't arrived, I did a test. It read "If after 3 minutes you see a pale pink dot, you are pregnant." I, however, had a dark purplish dot after two seconds - pretty solid evidence of a baby in the belly! Pretty soon after that, the morning sickness/exhaustion began...and I was in the throes of pregnancy!

I consider myself very lucky, as being only 21 I wasn't expecting to get pregnant, yet my mum actually got the test for me while I was at work and her reaction was simply "Cool, I get to be a granny!". Thankfully, both me and my boyfriend are in stable jobs and had planned to move in together/have kids at some stage anyway...it just happened a little sooner than expected

It seems like just yesterday that I was only 5 weeks, but it just flies past and before you know it, you're preparing for your big scan!

Take care of yourselves, both of you

Esh xxx

 

[hayley]

Hi Lou

How are you getting on in the early stages of pregnancy? Hope all is going smooth and calm. I think I would be the same as you when you say you feel like your made of glass. I have been working one evening a week in a bar and i'm worried that when i do become pregnant the smoke will be damaging. I don't smoke but the place does get quite smokey.

Anyway... i'm after a little bit of advice, if you don't mind. My next AF isn't due for another week but for the past week i've had pains in the overies area. Similar to period pains but at times they have been quite deep and painful. I don't usually get period pains until i'm actually bleeding, and like i said, it's another week yet. As this is my 8th month from being off the pill my body could be switching to non-pill periods which could be more painful and heavier than a pill-periods. I'm sure the pill is out of my system now. So, what i'd like to ask is..... did you notice any pains the days following ovualtion/fertilisation? I'm thinking it could be the egg bedding in (does that sound stupid) or it could just be old fashioned period pains.

I'm trying not to think about it too much (the whole baby making situation) but it is hard. I'm not going to get myself work up like i did last month only to be disapointed. I only have myself to blame if I get upset when my AF arrives. I noticed that i'm building my husbands hopes up also which isn't fair on him either.

Have a good weekend

 

[Lou]

Hi

Sorry I havent been around. We had a virus on the computer then I had a migraine for 2 days. Feeling better today

Hayley the pains you are talking about could well be implantation pains or like you said just pre-af pains that you never had before because of the pill. I didnt notice any pains the month I conceived, but because I had more or less stopped TTC I wasn't paying much attention to be honest.

I know how horrible it is waiting for af every month and my bf used to get himself all worked up aswell. He used to say he had good feelings then when af came you feel so dissapointed. All I can say Hayley is hang on in there and do everything you can to stay relaxed. And as for the smokey bar, if you only work one evening a week then you are not breathing in that much smoke but then again is it worth it just for one evenings wages? Only you can decide that one

Anyway let me know how you are getting on, I am fine now by the way. Having my first hospital appointment in a couple of weeks so taking it easy till then.

Take care and i'll speak to you soon.

Oh I am so rude! ....Hi eshka. I read your post and I really am wishing the weeks away now till my first scan. Just want this 12 weeks out the way. Oh well, I am half way through Nice to meet you, speak soon.

lou

 

[hayley]

Hi Lou

Sorry to hear about the migraine's, there is nothing worse. I used to get them when I was on the contraception injection many moons ago. So are you begining to show a little baby bump? How are you felling in yourself?

I did a pregnancy test and it's not my month. I'm not upset because i know it will happen when it happens. I suppose it's like winning the lottery. We all put a pound on and expect to win. Like you said, I have only been off the pill since september and 6 months of that doesn't count as trying as the pill could have still been in my system. I'm going to look at it like March was my first month trying. My Af hasn't come yet. Not due for another 2 days (I tested early - only 2 days). I've been quite lucky that my AF's have been every 28 to 29 days. Apart from one month. Which is quite good seeing as I have been on contraception for many years.

Congrat's Eshka - when are you due? what date have they given you Lou?

 

[Happy]

Hi Girls

Great to read your posts as they remind me a lot of my own experiences. I'm 30, married 2 years and I came off the pill in September (after 10 years) and made a conscious decision not to start trying until the new year but actually took no other precautions in between times.

I was really disappointed in Jan. to get a BFN result but then chilled out about it all, went on holiday - to coincide with ovualtion but didn't actually do an ov. test on the lucky month just enjoyed myself!! Got a BFP 2 days before period was due in March. I am now happily 8 weeks gone!! Delighted about it obvioulsy. I can't imagine going through that disappointment month after month. But on reading your post Lou I reckon that your attitude did the job and I think the same applied to me actually.

No real early symptons at all - still not entirely convinced it's true as I expected more signs. :!: Do feel queasy in evenings though. I'm not a smoker so that doesn't apply. I did notice one odd thing. Some freckles became more 'raised' on the skin than they ever had been before. They're still like this in fact. Weird.

Anyway when are you due Lou? I'm Nov 19th but reckon, by my own count puts it about a week later but will know better after first scan in a few weeks time.

Anyway apologies in advance if there are long periods without reply from me as I'm really only able to view posts when no-one else is in office!!

Take care and good luck and good fun with trying hayley!

Happy

 

[Lou]

Hi

Sorry to hear that it wasn't your month Hayley. You have a good positive attitude though so good on you. It's hard to stay positive but what else can you do!? I hope it happens for you soon.

As for me...morning sickness is kicking in nicely lol. Not so much morning sickness as all day and night sickness. Actually its not that bad, I'm just being a baby about it. My bf bought me a case of ginger beer yesterday so I'm sipping that throughout the day and its helping. My main symptom that is really getting bad is my boobs. During the day they are fine but at night when I lay down they really hurt bad. I bought a sports bra but its too tight. I'll get another one at the weekend I think.

I have had my first 2 appointments through from the hospital. My first is with a specialist on 22nd (next friday) then my first antenatal is on the 10th of May. I am seeing the specialist because I have spina bifida occulta, so fingers crossed all will be well. Not sure if I am having my first nuchal scan next week? I'll keep you posted.

Oh and my due date is 3rd December Hayely but they might say something different when I have my first scan! (I am praying I only have one baby aswell) lol I am far too small to have 2 babies!

Hope to hear from you soon

Take care

lou

 

[Lou]

hi Happy

You must have been posting as I was composing my post so sorry if it looks like I ignored you!

Congratulations on being pg! Alot of people kept telling us to go on holiday when we were TTC but me and my bf have travelled so many places in the world we couldn't think of anywhere "safe" to go that we would enjoy. We're not really the laying on the beach type if you know what I mean. We recently bought a camper van ( we sold our last one a fews years ago and really missed it). So this year we are going to have lots of weekends away to the New Forest and the coast.

You have been really lucky with your early pg symptoms! I was getting quite confident that I would have no sickness then I got a bad headache that turned into a migraine and ever since then I have had sickness which is not too bad but gradually getting worse. I think maybe it was a big rush of hormones that set it off. Its funny you should say about your freckles because today I was cleaning my bathroom and caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror and noticed a dark patch of skin on my cheek, I tried to wash it off but its actually the pigment in my skin. Its only little but how weird! lol

Anyway, take in easy

speak soon

lou