19 week and many questions in my mind

[salmon_finland]

1- I have some fear what will happen if something happens in emergency?

2- I wonder can I give birth naturally?

3- Is there high risk after 19 week about losing my baby?

....

[Megzey]

1, It is totally out of your control if it is an "emergency" happens, if you are in the hospital you are in the best place for it to happen and it can be dealt with asap.

2, Why have you got a doubt that you wont be able to? Has your midwife reffered you to a consultant?

3, There is a 3% risk of miscarriage after 20 weeks, if your midwife has classed you as high risk then they should be monitoring your closley. Are you classed as high risk or are you just freaking out?

[salmon_finland in reply to Megzey]

Actually I dont understand the health system in here. In my country during 9 months gynologists are taking care with pregnancy. They are really expert and in UK it is not like that. 2 scans only it is weird. And midwifes meeting are only measure the blood pressure I can do it by myself at home as well. I do not know without scan or any blood tests how can a midwife classed high/low risk? I am freaking out because of these..

[Megzey]

Ah please try not to worry.

At your 20 week scan they would have checked your placenta and if you had placenta previa etc which might be a reason why that they could see why your cant deliver naturally. They are not going to have all the answers until you actually go into labour.

You have just got to trust the hospital and the midwifes/doctors that are there, they do it everyday so if things look like they are going to go wrong then they will give you the best care they can to deliver your baby.

If you are concerened and want more scans then pay private for them to put your mind at rest.

[salmon_finland in reply to Megzey]

Yes I will go scan since there is no scan from 20 to 40 weeks. It is weird because if for example there is growth problem after 20 weeks how can I know without any scan? So I will go priate. In 20 weeks scan shoul I tell that I want to know the gender as well? What should I expect? Do they make an explanition or nothing? Should I ask ?

[salmon_finland in reply to salmon_finland]

Also is 20 weeks early to understand plecanta previa? What happens after 20 weeks?

[Megzey in reply to salmon_finland]

When you go for your midwifes appointments they measure your stomach and that fives them a rough idea of how many weeks you are. If you were measuring small/big and they were concerend I am sure she would send you for a scan to make sure the baby was developing correctly etc.

At your 20w scan with the nhs if you want to find out the gender then the sonographer will ask you if you want to know the gender. If they can't tell then they will not ask you back you will have to go private.

The 20w scan is quite a long one, they check everythig is o.k with the baby i.e spine, organs, limbs, brain. They also check where your placenta is.

Are you not booked in with your midwife for blood tests? I have got one but not until the beginning of August and that is as I have got diabetes in my family.

When is your 20w scan and have you got an appointment with your midwife soon? I really think you are listening to to many other people and getting yourself worked up. If you aren't feeling unwell then there is no need to worry.

[salmon_finland in reply to Megzey]

My scan is 13th of June, my midwife app is 2nd of July. She did not mention any blood test. I also wonder my blood level like calcuim, magnesium and ferritin.

[salmon_finland in reply to Megzey]

in which week you have a blood test?

[Megzey in reply to salmon_finland]

Ring you midwife and see when you are booked in to have your bloods taken, that will be the easiest and you know then to put your mind at rest. You have not got long now to wait for your scan and any concerns you have about the baby you can discuss with the sonographer, hopefully you will have a happy healthy looking baby and that will put your mind at rest.

[salmon_finland]

Also I wonder how a midwife can understand that you have anemia or calcuim ineffiency without any blood test? Most of my friends say they had cramps after 20 weeks and dr said they have magnesium ineffiency.

[ritz21 in reply to salmon_finland]

oh! they cant - just eat healthy and hope you would be fine. I am also new to UK and I dont understand NHS either.

she would do the blood est between 24 to 26 week appointment - that is if she is successful in taking your bloods (most of the times they are completely clue-less in finding your veins, especially if you are in Scotland!) . My 24-26 week bloods were take 4 times (for just 4 tests) and the final one was in 34th week - problem was that two times they took blood without properly locating my vein - so the blood was dripping inside the needle and got clotted.

One time they forgot to attach the forms properly and yet another time they did not store properly. I have to finally call the mid-wife supervisor to get it all sorted out, only to get a lame sorry from one of the 4 mid-wives that I am placed under.

So yup its horrible. Even more horrible is the fact that in Edinburgh there are no options for Private birth - there are some in London which would cost you around 4000 pounds (an amount in which you can probably go back to your country and get birth in the best hospital there).

Only relief for my is that I am getting a private scan done this weekend, and my mom and MIL are coming soon after, so that would be some re-assurance from the old-wives.

Also, my mom alerted me to the fact that she lost two of her new-natals despite having correct womb measurement (she just had more water than the baby mass) - s hopefully at the private scan i would know if things are fine with my baby.

Another thing, atleast my mid-wife was completely wrong in locating my baby's head, despite me telling her that I can feel her hiccups in my ribs she said that the baby is in head-down position - lets see what she says on my next appointment - or if I have to have yet another argument with her !!

[Claire88]

The NHS only offers midwife-led care and the two scans because it cannot afford any more than that for every pregnant lady. That is why there is the option for private healthcare here where you DO have access to Gynaecological doctors, and more scans - but you have to pay for this service. We went and paid privately for a third scan at 7 months as we lost the first baby and just wanted to make sure all was ok. It's up to you - NHS care is free but you don't get the same full service as is available in other countries, private care is not free but you get full care.

[salmon_finland in reply to Claire88]

NHS is not a system for me. In my country Gynaecological doctors care during whole pregnancy and you have almost more than 10 scans, blood test (2-3 tests), sugar blood test, calcuim test etc. I do not know UK says they have good economy/or thinks but good economy shows for me how they care the health. Also private scans are there but UK is expensive country so it should provide health. Also the midwifes app. are useless. Anyway, my question is for the private scan in which weeks should we prefer to go? (28 and 36 is good?)

[Claire88]

my apologies, I was just responding to your comment above.

[Claire88]

But it is not unsafe, how they handle pregnancy in the UK. In countries like America where they do have gynaecology doctors etc, and more scans, they have to pay for this too. If it was unsafe, they would offer more scans here, but they don't so unfortunately you either have to put up with it or pay for extra care if you want, but it is not necessary, only for peace of mind.

[Claire88]

We went for our private scan at 29 weeks (7 months) - it was just the right time for us.