HA and pregnancy

[Button1]

Hi guys!

I haven't been on here for a little while as I've been feeling alot better. Thank god! Although now something has happened which might just throw a spanner in the works!! Last week I found out that I am pregnant which is amazing but it has happened at a time where I am just getting over a bad bout of health anxiety.

I saw my doctor for the first time to tell her today and she was lovely but has advised me to come off sertraline now and she wants to monitor me on a weekly basis until I get CBT. She has also advised that I can have access to a specialist antenatal psychologist if I need it.

I've actually been quite OK since I found out- I'm doing ALOT of checking (for things like blood) and am slightly freaked when I feel any twinges but I've only had one bad night where I felt like something was going wrong (based on really nothing at all) and started googling. The pregnancy has sparked my IBS and I'm experiencing 3 loose BMs a day but they aren't painful. Apparently this can happen due to the surge in hormones...but it is playing on my mind still as colon cancer was my big HA worry.

I just wanted to know whether anyone on here has been pregnant with HA and how they coped?

Any advice would be great- sorry for the long post!

x

[mum-of-4]

Hi there

Firstly congratulations on your pregnancy :D

I suffer from HA and I also have 4 kids. During my last pregnancy my HA was at it worse.

I also suffer from IBS. But don't panic because the loose BM's you are having are most definitely due to hormones. I had it in early pregnancy with ALL of my children. For me it turns to constipation during the later weeks of pregnancy (I think the loose BM's stopped for me in the second trimester).

Honestly please try not to stress. It sounds like you have a really supportive doctor. Something I found that helped my HA during pregnancy was I joined an online baby birth club community. You can post messages to others due the same time as you and I found it really great to know that most of the symptoms I was experiencing were totally normal pregnancy symptoms and not anything sinister.

I totally understand what you are going through but please try to relax and enjoy your pregnancy.

Wishing you lots of luck.

xxxxxx

---------- Post added at 17:27 ---------- Previous post was at 17:24 ----------

Also, you will feel lots of twinges during pregnancy. Your body is going through lots of changes and even though it's early, your uterus is already stretching and growing to accomodate the baby.

xxxxxxxxxx

[Button1]

Oh my goodness, thank you SO much! That advice has already calmed me down alot! Especially about the bowel issue!

I have joined BabyCentre and they are all great so that's helping alot but having someone who specifically understands what it's like to have HA and be pregnant is just fab...and so comforting.

I know I'll never get this time back and I know that what is meant to be is meant to be. I'm just going to need a helping hand every so often I think!

Thanks for your help x

[tnt808]

I'm pregnant right now with HA. I have my days where I have googled, and what else could it be but what Google says, right? I'm off all of my meds as well, and honestly I think I could be doing far worse.
I still have a few months before the birth-which I am certain I will start freaking over soon (although, this isn't my first rodeo). Good luck to you hun x

[Button1]

Thanks guys- my problem is partly HA but alot of it is probably normal pregnancy worries. My issue is that I don't have any perspective when it comes to my body. Any pain, any twinge is the worst case scenario. Every time. I don't know how to get through every day, and I'm only 5 weeks...January feels like a lifetime away and I feel like I've got no hope of hanging on to this baby..

Any advice?

[toria]

Hi just wanted to reply to your post as you sound very much like what i was like last year i was pregnant with my second child, i have a girl and a boy but i have had other problems but i wont go into them i was very scared from the day i found out and if i could of gone to the hospital every day to get checked out i would, i worried about every ache and pain but you do get a awful lot of aches and pains as your body is changing so much, i just wanted to say please try and relax the more you do the less things worry you you will have a midwife app soon and please tell her all your worrys they will help as much as possible and you may have a unit in your hospital called a maternity day unit which if you had any problems they are there to help and they have advice lines dont be scared to ring i did lots,if you want any more help just post, hope this did help and one more thing congratulations xx
just wanted to add i have ibs and mine got really bad in early pregnancy x

[Button1]

Toria- thank you!

I had a bit of a sob to my husband last night- I was just so tense. He is now worried that this is what the next 8 months will look like (fingers crossed I get that far...) I did feel better for being able to say that I'm just a bit worried and overwhelmed. It has been a big week by anyone's standards!

I just need to keep getting through every day- I'm currently aiming for next Friday when I get to speak to my doctor. So I have my head down and that's what I'm going for. I'll be on my way to 7 weeks by then.

I think I also need to limit the amount of time I spend on the pregnancy forum too. It's great in so many ways but this morning I logged on to find someone going on about how many miscarriages there had been recently...NOT what I need...or there are people screaming 'WHY DON'T I HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS??? IS MY BABY OK????' Sigh. It's making me pray for debilitating morning sickness. Mad.

I'm hoping that when I have my first scan I'll be able to relax a bit so at the moment I'm just aiming to get to each appointment and block out everything around me...I'm not sure what else I can do and stay sane.

It's so good and comforting to hear from people who understand and have been in the same place.

Thank you x

[cattia]

Hi, congratulations! I have two children and during both my pregnancies I was quite anxious. The first trimester is always the worst for me. With both pregnancies I booked a private scan at about 9 weeks as I couldn't make it to 12 to find out if things were going OK. I also found I had to stay away from baby forums during the first trimester of my second pregnancy as reading about things that were going wrong for other people scared me so much. I rejoined in the second tri though and wassup OK. Both times, I found it way easier when I could feel the baby moving every day. It is hard at first, but once you get past 12 weeks things really move much quicker.

[Snoozy]

I have just given birth to my second child a few weeks ago, and back when I found out I was pregnant, my first reaction was excitement, and my second was terror, as all my health fears just came to the surface.

In my case, I found the pregnancy easier than I thought I would (despite having a few complications) and I think it was because I knew that during pregnancy so many aspects of your health are closely monitored. I was also fortunate to have a fantastic GP and a community midwife who understood anxiety.

[Button1]

I am finding that my HA isn't bad at the moment- it literally is just constant fear that there's something wrong with my baby (who isn't actually big enough to be a baby yet!) I'm anxious about symptoms, not having enough symptoms...I know every pregnancy is different and because of my lack of ability to deal with uncertainty I can't handle there being no black and white answers.

I'm not sure anyone is going to be able to help me on this really. I just need to get through....maybe a 9 week scan might be a good idea? If I get that far?? I've had a tiny nervous moment today and it is still taking me a hell of a long time to get out of the loo because I'm checking for anything that might have gone wrong. But I'm just trying to get on with work (hard) and I'm finding staying off the forums is helping alot.

Thank you for this support though- you guys have been so so helpful, I literally don't have anyone else to talk to (my husband can't handle my anxiety and freaks every time I do...not helpful!)

x