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Pregnancy and Parenting Society Mark II

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Original post by Anonymous
Does anyone on here have medical training? I just need to ask something.


I can try but if things aren't clear the response might be to go to your GP as there is so much you can't tell without seeing someone.
I do too, though randdom's training is probably more relevant than mine!
Original post by randdom
I can try but if things aren't clear the response might be to go to your GP as there is so much you can't tell without seeing someone.


Original post by Helenia
I do too, though randdom's training is probably more relevant than mine!


Had blood test to check hormones. Phoned in today to be told 2 normal and 1 abnormal but no appointment avaliable until end of the month. To make things weirder I took a pregnancy test and it came up with faint line but I don't trust test anymore. My question would hcg be included in a standard hormone test? I know FSH, LH, testosterone, thyroid and glucose but I can't remember if hcg was included.

Reason why is I've always been told normal is negative everytime I have hgc blood test so I was thinking abnormal is positive. Bottom line I'm having a weird day and I'm pretty freaked out.
Original post by Anonymous
Had blood test to check hormones. Phoned in today to be told 2 normal and 1 abnormal but no appointment avaliable until end of the month. To make things weirder I took a pregnancy test and it came up with faint line but I don't trust test anymore. My question would hcg be included in a standard hormone test? I know FSH, LH, testosterone, thyroid and glucose but I can't remember if hcg was included.

Reason why is I've always been told normal is negative everytime I have hgc blood test so I was thinking abnormal is positive. Bottom line I'm having a weird day and I'm pretty freaked out.


Most GPs would not routinely include an HCG test unless pregnancy was suspected/confirmed. If you have a positive urine pregnancy test then it's likely you are pregnant - check again in a few days and the line should be getting darker. And obviously go back to the GP to discuss the rest of your results!
Original post by Anonymous
Had blood test to check hormones. Phoned in today to be told 2 normal and 1 abnormal but no appointment avaliable until end of the month. To make things weirder I took a pregnancy test and it came up with faint line but I don't trust test anymore. My question would hcg be included in a standard hormone test? I know FSH, LH, testosterone, thyroid and glucose but I can't remember if hcg was included.

Reason why is I've always been told normal is negative everytime I have hgc blood test so I was thinking abnormal is positive. Bottom line I'm having a weird day and I'm pretty freaked out.


As Helenia has said it would be unusual for your GP to do an HCG on your blood tests unless you asked for it. A faint line is a good sign. Maybe repeat the test in two days and see if it is getting darker?
Original post by Helenia
Most GPs would not routinely include an HCG test unless pregnancy was suspected/confirmed. If you have a positive urine pregnancy test then it's likely you are pregnant - check again in a few days and the line should be getting darker. And obviously go back to the GP to discuss the rest of your results!


Original post by randdom
As Helenia has said it would be unusual for your GP to do an HCG on your blood tests unless you asked for it. A faint line is a good sign. Maybe repeat the test in two days and see if it is getting darker?


There's no reason for my GP to suspect pregnancy. I needed my hormones checked in preparation for fertility doctor referral because I'm struggling to get pregnant. I stopped trusting hpt because it's nearly always wrong for me. Thanks both for the replies. Most likely my thyroid.
Original post by Anonymous
There's no reason for my GP to suspect pregnancy. I needed my hormones checked in preparation for fertility doctor referral because I'm struggling to get pregnant. I stopped trusting hpt because it's nearly always wrong for me. Thanks both for the replies. Most likely my thyroid.

A line is a line. If you've been having faint positives then getting your period, it could be chemical pregnancies. Worth mentioning when you get to the fertility clinic, but do re-check a urine test in a couple of days!
Big congrats Helenia :biggrin:


Had an early scan this morning, all well, heartbeat strong and dated at 8+4. Scary!
Original post by Helenia
A line is a line. If you've been having faint positives then getting your period, it could be chemical pregnancies. Worth mentioning when you get to the fertility clinic, but do re-check a urine test in a couple of days!



Not had period but last time it took 4 months so not hopeful.

Just an update I needed to see my GP because of borderline thyroid result and testosterone up. Thanks for all the replies.
Original post by letsdothetimewarpagain
Big congrats Helenia :biggrin:


Had an early scan this morning, all well, heartbeat strong and dated at 8+4. Scary!


Brilliant, I am glad all is going well :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
Not had period but last time it took 4 months so not hopeful.

Just an update I needed to see my GP because of borderline thyroid result and testosterone up. Thanks for all the replies.


Did you mention the positive pregnancy test? Definitely worth retaking in a few days to see if it's getting darker.
Original post by Anonymous
There's no reason for my GP to suspect pregnancy. I needed my hormones checked in preparation for fertility doctor referral because I'm struggling to get pregnant. I stopped trusting hpt because it's nearly always wrong for me. Thanks both for the replies. Most likely my thyroid.


As the others have said a false positive pregnancy test is incredibly rare - if it's happened to you more than once & you're trying I think it sounds like you might be having "chenical pregnancies". Have you used a digital test to be sure that they're positives? Some people say they're less sensitive but I've always got positives on clear blue digitals before my period was due.

It's important to know if your issues are fertility (getting pregnant) or repeated chemical pregnancies (which if you've had 3 or more would count as recurrent miscarriages needing further investigations). NHS clinics are set up as for geberal gynecology, or fertility or more rarely recurrent miscarriages specifically & the investigation/treatment options are different. So i think it's worth chatting through with your GP which type of clinic you should be referred to. If you're in London there are a few recurrent miscarriage clinics specifically - St Mary's (blood clotting approach) or Epsom/St Helier (auto-immune natural killer cells approach) although all will do the basic tests/scan. If you live further north there's a very well regarded NHS/self funded implantation clinic based at Warwick/Coventry.

It's interesting about your thyroid being borderline - for trying for pregnancy gynaecologists/reproductive endocrinologists often treat more aggressively than a GP might for the general population. There's a big research trial going on about whether treating borderline results or for thyroid antibodies in the blood reduces the risk of miscarriage.

Hope this helps - good luck whichever route you go down!


HELENIA - Yay, pleased you're "out" now. For private medical scans rather than the big novelty chains that do 4D & a teddy bear with the heartbeat sound etc (!) the Fetal Medicine Centre in London are excellent (the private work helps fund the research foundation & it's headed up by the guy who does the same on the NHS at Kings)- website has details of packages on - were you wanting another shot at nuchal measurement or a non invasive/foetal DNA test? Advantage of the latter can be they'll report sex in singletons.


So - I am 31 weeks now - bump is massive but still lower than it got to with my daughter so hopefully still some more space for them. On my self-designated maternity leave now & definitely much more incapacitated than i was with just 1! Scan & Consultant next week to birth plan / book a C-section date if things haven't happened already although apparently 60% of twins arrive before 37 weeks so I've mostly done my hospital bag, bought a few 5lb baby clothes (they look so tiny! :eek: ) & need to re read my hyponobirthing book!
Original post by Anonymous



So - I am 31 weeks now - bump is massive but still lower than it got to with my daughter so hopefully still some more space for them. On my self-designated maternity leave now & definitely much more incapacitated than i was with just 1! Scan & Consultant next week to birth plan / book a C-section date if things haven't happened already although apparently 60% of twins arrive before 37 weeks so I've mostly done my hospital bag, bought a few 5lb baby clothes (they look so tiny! :eek: ) & need to re read my hyponobirthing book!


I am glad that things are going well! I can't imagine how big you must get with two.

I hope they stay put a little longer.
Original post by Anonymous


HELENIA - Yay, pleased you're "out" now. For private medical scans rather than the big novelty chains that do 4D & a teddy bear with the heartbeat sound etc (!) the Fetal Medicine Centre in London are excellent (the private work helps fund the research foundation & it's headed up by the guy who does the same on the NHS at Kings)- website has details of packages on - were you wanting another shot at nuchal measurement or a non invasive/foetal DNA test? Advantage of the latter can be they'll report sex in singletons.


So - I am 31 weeks now - bump is massive but still lower than it got to with my daughter so hopefully still some more space for them. On my self-designated maternity leave now & definitely much more incapacitated than i was with just 1! Scan & Consultant next week to birth plan / book a C-section date if things haven't happened already although apparently 60% of twins arrive before 37 weeks so I've mostly done my hospital bag, bought a few 5lb baby clothes (they look so tiny! :eek: ) & need to re read my hyponobirthing book!

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll look into them! Was more thinking of the non-invasive DNA tests, as I don't think I'd have time for another nuchal test - 13+4/6 (dates/scan) today and going on holiday on Sunday so we'd be outside the window by the time we got back. I know they are £££ though :s:

What do you recommend for finding out about hypnobirthing etc? I'm not sure if I'll be able to tolerate much in the way of super-fluffy natural childbirth literature, but think learning about some coping techniques that don't come at the end of a 16G Tuohy might be useful!
Original post by Helenia
In possibly the least surprising anon reveal ever, I am #28! Had my dating scan today, which all looks ok, and measurements match up with dates pretty perfectly - they've bumped my EDD forward by two days, but that's fairly academic. Annoyingly, he/she wouldn't lie the right way for NT measurement, so I couldn't have my triple test done, so am contemplating private screening as I know the NHS quad test isn't quite as accurate, just not sure it's worth the extra cash.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Helenia/IMAG0449_zpstvoha8xt.jpg

Can't work out why it won't let me add an attachment or do an img tag - is it cos we're in H&R?


Congrats Helenia :smile:

And yeah you can't do imgs in H&R - you have to upload
(edited 8 years ago)
RANDDOM - The bumpology of it is quite interesting! Comes out further than previous bump did with stretchmarks in an entirely new plane (excellent) but still space for fundus to go up more so hoping they do stay in longer - although apparently mostly needing to fatten up rather than get much longer now? I keep looking at outcome stats by gestation - cheery!


QUOTE=Helenia;63322905]Thanks for the recommendation, I'll look into them! Was more thinking of the non-invasive DNA tests....

What do you recommend for finding out about hypnobirthing etc? I'm not sure if I'll be able to tolerate much in the way of super-fluffy natural childbirth literature, but think learning about some coping techniques that don't come at the end of a 16G Tuohy might be useful!

I think it's £400 for a harmony there - but includes super detailed scan too (I think better equipment than the NHS foetal medicine unit I'm under) - there are some alternative newer non invasives available now though i think - including one processed in UK so quicker turnaround (harmony goes to US & takes 10 days) & if you just need the bloods might be able to find a cheaper deal - unhelpfully i can't remember the name - sorry!

I have "Effective Birth Preparation" book by Maggie Howell & found it incredibly helpful first time round. As did Mr Elles - made him read the labour chapter of OHGP, relevant chapters in Howell's & discuss my birth plan in detail in advance so he was clued up. I can lend you Howell's? Apparently it's basically sports psychology/one off event training preparation! ;-) I also did NCT because i thought it might counterbalance the medic-bias & would recommend it too - both for thinking about some practicalities & social network.

I'm apprehensive about an epidural! :-( I know they'll want one & probably early at about 4cm - mostly because of risk of instrumental/section for twin 2 & the idea of being in a labour ward room/immobile does suck - I enjoyed the spa like birth unit with gas & air + pool last time - until obstructed 2nd stage at least (!) & no one ever seems to have normal deliveries when you start on labour ward!
My biggest (who is getting so big and beautiful it's just ridiculous. Feels like she was a baby only yesterday).
12697491_845262782267218_4136857985540105436_o.jpg

My inbetweeners
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My lil' un
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Hi, I'm new to this but was wondering if any of you lovely people could offer any advice! My implant is due to come out and me and my partner are thinking about not replacing it, the only thing is that we are both in university. I will be doing my masters year next year and him his PGCE. I was just wondering if anyone had any advice or stories of their own which they could share? Thanks in advance!
Original post by Anonymous
Hi, I'm new to this but was wondering if any of you lovely people could offer any advice! My implant is due to come out and me and my partner are thinking about not replacing it, the only thing is that we are both in university. I will be doing my masters year next year and him his PGCE. I was just wondering if anyone had any advice or stories of their own which they could share? Thanks in advance!


No personal experience but a friend of mine got pregnant at university and writes a blog. Might be worth having a look http://thespeedbump.co.uk/
I got pregnant during my legal practice course (essentially like a masters.. it's a postgrad course). I would not recommend actually delivering a baby during the course and then continuing when you've got a baby personally; your whole perspective changes and your priorities change when you have a child and I'm not sure (a) I'd have gone back (even though I was smashing it and enjoyed it at the time) or (b) would've done as well if I did return.

I was lucky in that I fell pregnant with only 6 months left of the course to go. So although I was fairly heavily pregnant, travelling miles to university, waking up early, working very long hours etc, I did manage it and I got a distinction so clearly it didn't hinder my ability to achieve what I wanted to. However it was hard, very very hard, as I was absolutely shattered, and I was working as well. I also found the practicalities quite difficult as I had to travel in from one city to another, with luggage (I had to take so many heavy books and folders I had to take it in a suitcase!) and I was always nervous of doing myself physical damage carrying very heavy bags while 6 months pregnant. Thankfully I didn't, but it was a risk I had to take as I had no other option. I was lucky in that I didn't get morning sickness, but I imagine that would have been pretty horrendous and may have affected my performance more as well.

So much to consider. But I think if you can wait an extra year and a half, finish your course, that would be by far the best course of action. Only reason I didn't is because my boy wasn't planned.

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