Early pregnancy questions..hospitals, tiredness, weight

Hi ladies, I am just over 5 weeks pregnant and this my first pregnancy. I am delighted but also a little overwhelmed! I have nobody to ask all my questions to so hopefully I will find some information here.. sorry, some of these questions are probably very basic We have decided to go private in Holles St and I will have my first appointment with consultant in week 10. Stupid question but is this appointment a scan or just a check up? I know they will be taking blood etc but I never asked if there would be a scan. I always thought scans took place in week 12. I assume my husband comes for that appointment too? The lady mentioned that I would have 12 visits to the consultant over the pregnancy - is this right? I didn't think I'd be seeing the consultant that often. I'm really freaked out by how exhausted I am - does this continue throughout pregnancy? I'm literally falling asleep whenever I sit down. I always envisaged myself being really active while pregnant but I'm the total opposite at the moment due to tiredness. I wasn't thin to start off with and I really feel the weight piling on after only 6 weeks so Im worried in case I just keep piling it on. My diet hasn't changed at all.. Hopefully the weight just levels out as time goes on? As you can see I am totally green.. I will probably have plenty more questions as the weeks go on but if anyone can give me a steer on the above I would really appreciate it! Holly35

Congrats on your pregnancy! I'm not sure whether or not you will get a scan at your first apt, I'm not private so can't say. My 'booking in' appointment at the Coombe was at ten weeks. Took medical history, checked weight, height, took bloods and urine test. I was given an appointment then for two weeks later to have dating scan at 12 weeks. I've heard that when private you get a scan at every appointment. Might be worth ringing Holles St to check as there's not much point in your partner being there if there's no scan, if he needs to take time off work. As for the tiredness I know exactly how you feel. Up to around 7/8 weeks I was going to gym 4 times a week, was feeling great but then the terrible tiredness hit me, I hate even calling it tiredness cos it's worse than that I think. People say this goes away around the 12 week mark but unfort it lasted a bit longer than that for me. Am feeling great now though and going for walks nearly every evening, a couple of months ago I couldn't even consider doing anything like that. Sleep if you feel you need to, there's not much else you can do! Enjoy the next few weeks and your first appointment!!

Congrats! I went private in H*lles St and had a great experience. The private consultants have a scanner in their room, so you will get a scan at every visit. He will also check blood pressure and urine and answer any questions you have. the consultant doesn't do the bloods himself but he will give you the forms and you get them done downstairs. The standard scheduled would be 1st visit at 10-12 weeks, then 16 (optional), 20 , 24, 28, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 + 6 weeks check up. I would bring your hubbie to that first visit if he's available, as its great to see the first scan. (Btw, feel free to call the secretary with any questions too - they are very helpful). The tiredness is normal for the 1st trimester - I was exhausted too. Just look after yourself - take it easy, sleep when you can. For me once I got to the 2nd trimester it was much easier - I felt back to myself again. Best of luck!

Hi Holly35, congratulations... so exciting. I'm now 13 weeks on our first and felt just like you, delighted but nervous... my tiredness and morning sickness started in week 6/7...... the tiredness and sickness hit suddenly like a bolt out of the blue.... the tiredness lasted until this week really, not back to normal yet but didn't go to bed at 8pm last night so fingers crossed it's ending... I used to go the gym 3/4 times a week (always watched my weight as looking at a piece of cake was dangerous), have only managed a really light work out once a week since finding out really.... I've put on alot of weight, not from over eating but from lack of the exercise my body was used to... I'm planning on starting swimming a couple of times a week starting next week as I think i'll find this easier than the gym and more gentle too... Don't worry, apparently from about week 12-14 your energy will come back and if you have any sickness that will get better too... I can vouch that both of these things are happening, and I can't wait for more energy as we have alot to sort out in the next 27 weeks!!!

Congrats on your pregnancy! I know it's tough at this stage when you are full of questions and no one to ask because it's too soon to tell your news! WOL is a saviour for this stage of pregnancy! The tiredness is normal and usually eases off when you get to second trimester. I was starting to feel more normal by 10 or 11 weeks I think. I had nausea from 6 or 7 weeks. If you get it the best thing is to eat little and often. Keep some dry crackers by the bed for first thing in the morning and have small healthy snacks every hour or two. Don't allow yourself to get hungry or you will feel sick. I put on nearly a stone very quickly in the first trimester but I plateaued then until the third trimester pretty much. My best advice would be not to allow yourself to change your diet too much. Obviously there are things you shouldn't eat like unpasteurised cheese and undercooked eggs. But I mean don't give yourself extra dessert and cake just because you're pregnant! The eating for two thing is a trap. You don't need extra calories until the last trimester and at that it's only 200 calories which would be some fruit or a small sandwich! Eat healthily, get enough iron, cut down caffeine and drink plenty water and you won't go too far wrong. I ate normally, allowed myself treats in moderation and I put on just over a stone and a half. I wasn't depriving myself either. I lost most of it quickly enough. The last half stone was harder to shift but at least it was only half a stone. I'm back to pre pregnancy weight now. Re consultant visits, you can do every second visit with your GP if you want on the Combined Care scheme. I did all the visits with the consultant though because I was private and paying for it anyway! I said I may as well get value for my money. The consultant had a scanner so I got a scan every time which was most reassuring. Wishing you a healthy pregnancy! Enjoy the journey!

Thanks so much for the replies ladies, really helpful and great to be able to chat to people before the 12 week mark!

Hi Holly35, Congrats! Every pregnancy is different & every woman's body reacts differently. On my DS, I was very sick & lost 1 stone in the first 12 weeks. My friend was very sick & she gained a stone in the first 20 weeks! Hard to believe. But with our DS's born around the same time, our weights ended up being similar afterwards (she lost a huge amount of weight at the birth), so we were both around the same weight after the pregnancies! I lost about 2 stone at my DS birth (a section, due to transverse lie)I would advise you to not worry about weight gain (unless your GP is worried), you have a lifetime after to be skinny! THis is just a few months out of your life! I ended up going public on my DS, even though we have VHI, I was going private before, but the nurse at my GP's said the public system was just as good, the fees for private were €2500 on top of VHI by the time I got pregnant with DS & how I looked at it was going private wasn't going to save me, due to my history, & either way, when I needed care, I got it. Of course if you can go through privately then do, but I'm just saying I'm delighted with the care I got as a public patient & will go public again if I am lucky enough to have another baby. ON the exercise front, my situation was a little different, I have a history of miscarriage & even though I was never a major exerciser, my GP told me to do none at all, on my DS, but I was on medication at that stage to help sustain the pregnancy & I was 36, so he was basically saying " for these 9 months, your body is a host, basic everyday walking is ok, but that's it". I did what I was told! Was too scared not to! I was lucky I didn't have any major tiredness in the first tri on my DS,I was able to get out of bed without any problem, but felt sick alot of the time. SO my 15 month old DS is walking now & the sad past is a memory. If you have any questions at all, just ask, I know a fair bit about pregnancy now