Quote:
|
Originally Posted by nikirj
A quick question - do any of you use a fetoscope? How early did it work for you? I'm getting nervous not having felt any movement at 17 weeks. I was pretty handy with a stethoscope while we were doing body function sounds (I was premed for a while...) - I really just need to know if it would be worth my while to get one, and where I could get one.
Oh, and for those of you doing UP, are you charting weight, fundal height, etc? I've been roughly paying attention but not recording, plus I haven't been actually measuring fundal height, since I'm confused - I have a severe abdominal muscle separation, and on the sides of my abdomen, where the muscles are still in place, the measurement is a good inch larger than in the middle, where I can essentially just reach down and feel my uterus.
|
I just have a regular stethoscope and I wasn't able to hear the hearbeat til about 28 weeks... I am 31 weeks now. With my first baby I didn't feel movement til at least at the earliest, 18 weeks... it was really 20 weeks or so before I really was sure of it. With this pregnancy I started feeling flutters at 15 weeks....but
do not compare yourself with others... Is this your first? If so the "average" is 18-20 weeks and I bet for even second and third babies it can be the same as well... its all different for each womyn and her child.
I probably wouldn't go get a fetoscope, but if you want one: Cascade Health Products (online) has them. Sounds like you are having some doubts and TBH the fetoscope might make things worse...might make you worry more, but that's JMHO. I would say meditate, look deep within and think how do you *really* feel about the baby and try to seperate your fears from actual instincts. I know its easier said than done as I struggle daily with it too, but I think that the only way to get rid of the fear is to recognize it, think on it, and release it.
As for UP, yes I am doing that. About 23 weeks I was just curious to know what I was measuring...all of my friends joked that I was having twins cause my brother and sister are twins, my mom was a twin and my best friend just had had twins so the twin theme was in the air... I was pretty much measuring right on. Those measurements are really subjective too though because if dh does it he could place the tape measure in a different spot and get a few contimeters difference then if I did.
I measured a couple of times for curiosity and to get a sense that I am not like 8 weeks ahead...usually the dates are 1-2 weeks ahead and I know that is normal and fine. Heck, if I was having twins I am not going to do anything different anyway, so I decided just to measure as a fun thing to do...same thing with the heartbeat.
I found it once for me and once for dh but haven't listened ot it in over a week...I know baby is fine, he/she moves tons and I feel content with him/her inside--i.e. I know he/she is ok. I haven't taken any blood pressure readings either...mostly cause I don't have a cuff and again not sure what it would tell me anyway. I am not having any swelling, my pee is clear and my blood pressure was always fine with my dd#1. So I don't worry. I also was at the beginning of this pg going to use the cuffs that they have like at walmart/pharmacies but I heard they were grossly inaccurate
.
So that's my story... sorry if I rambled for so long!
the stork comes when she is ready! 
) , so I don't anticipate needing them at all this time either! 
) I'm not sure I'll be able to find a midwife sympathetic to UC when we move to PA. We'll see.
yea klothos!! enjoy your beautiful blissful birth!
Follow Mothering