Paranoia in Pregnancy?

I had a high-risk pregnancy for my first one, and I read every book I could. I wanted to know day by day what was happening. I was almost always nervous. I found out that the baby was much more resiliant than I thought. Thank God! Everything turned out just fine, and he is my frustratingly wonderful little boy.

I don't have any words of wisdom other than these: 1. Find out all you can about how the baby is developing, but DO NOT read the parts that talk about how things might go wrong. Those are statistically very small, but they caused me to lose more sleep than I care to think about. 2. Find something that you like to do and do it often. For me it was walking. (I found out I was pregnant in March, so the weather became warm enough to do so shortly thereafter.) Others I know are involved in cooking, reading, other forms of excercise (like yoga or swimming), or they have a great cleaning kick. Find something and get going!

I understand why you are paranoid. It took us 5 years to get pregnant for the first time. I was worried at first, but then I just tried to enjoy the miracle. I know its hard to do, but God gave you this baby for a reason, and you worrying all the time is not good for the health of the baby or you. If something is going to happen, you can't stop it, but if you are serene and stress free, that gives your baby that much better chance at having a healthy baby. Good luck!!

I think how you feel is reasonable. You waited a long time for your positive test and are still fairly early on in things! My first pregnancy I was way beyond 20wks before I realized some of the "fluttering" I was feeling was the baby! I would be paranoid before each checkup that something would be wrong and I was also COMPLETELY in the dark about a lot of things to do with pregnancy!In a lot of ways we convince ourselves that we are completely educated about the process but a lot of it is "until you experience it, its a mystery" kind of things. Try to trust your instincts as much as you can, listen to your body and by all means if you have a concern call your Dr's office! It's what they are there for! Good luck on this magical journey!

I was very nervous when i was pregnant with my daughter because we had miscarried twice before that. Before she was moving, it seemed like an eternity to wait a month between office visits. I ended up getting a home doppler unit to listen to the heartbeat, BUT you really have to spend about $100 to get a decent one...the ones they sell at Babies R Us etc probably won't work and will make you more worried, but read reviews online if you decide to try it. ALSO, the first time I tried to find the heart beat, it took FOREVER to find it. If this is going to make you MORE nervous, don't even consider this option because it will cause you more stress. Once I figured it out, I could find the heartbeat pretty quickly, but I didn't use it more than once a week....they say that the dopplers and the ultrasounds etc may have an effect on the baby, so if you are going to be tempted to test all the time, it's probably not a good idea. Your doc can reassure you that at 17 weeks, there's very little chance of a miscarriage, and you should start feeling movement soon. Good luck.

I have two kids and felt the same way with both. I think it's normal, especially for you, where you tried for so long and have PCOS to worry about on tops of it (my sister has it as well, so I know quite a bit about it). Before an appointment, I would always be so excited to hear the heartbeat but also anxious to make sure everything was OK. It's just hard, especially at 17 weeks when you don't feel anything yet (I didn't until after 20 weeks with both) and have no idea what's going on in there! :) You just want the best for your baby and a little worrying is normal. Just try not to let it overwhelm you. Get used to worrying about your kids... it hasn't gone away yet, and I'm sure it never will! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy! :)

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I too have PCOS and after 15 months of trying we were finally able to get pregnant! We now have a beautiful, healthy, 8-month old baby girl. I completely understand what you are feeling. I had bleeding incidences throughout my whole pregnancy and it caused me a lot of worry. I too would get worried before every appointment. It does get better when you get to feel the movement but I would still worry. You will be feeling the baby soon. I was about 20 weeks along when I first felt movement. I know it is easier said than done but just try to relax and know that everything will turn out great! Your chances of miscarriage at this point are pretty low especially since you have heard the heartbeat. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your pregnancy!

Well I wasn't super paranoid with my first but now that i'm 12 weeks along with number two I've been super paranoid but I've been trying to relax and realize every pregnancy is different. Do stop and think that in most cases you will know if you are miscarrying since it usually is painful. Also with first babie many women won't feel the first kicks at this stage or they mistake them for gas. also it is normal for breast tenderness to be reduced since hormone levels are starting to become a more consistent level.

If you are an active person the baby most likely is rocked to sleep while you are up and going about business. try laying down on your side after eating a snack and you may feel some movement. Just remember nothing happens by the book every woman experiences different things at different times. I haven't even had my first ob appointment yet due to when I found out I was pregnant. (dec 4) I had to go through a bunch of paper work for insurance then to top it off couldn't get scheduled until this month due to the doctor being out for holidays. so I am anxious too to hear the heartbeat. But the only thing I would say is you were right to freak out over bleeding what with your situation with pcos.

i'm not sure anything will alleviate your paranoia, we're moms, it instinct - and it starts early! i know they sell personal machines where you can hear the baby's heartbeat and things, if you can afford that...but in the meantime, just know that every pregnancy is different and with my first i had virtually no symptoms, forever. i ate all the time but i almost attribute that to stress and worry as much as anything else (altho i'm sure it was really the pregnancy *wink*) other than that i never had nausea, soreness, anything. it's a new feeling being pregnant and you're just not sure what is going on yet. but just know that you're not going to wake up and magically "feel" pregnant. you do need to make a concerted effort to consciously relax. you know your baby would be better off. good luck!

It's normal to worry. Worrying starts in the womb and you will continue worrying about your baby until they are grown, and even then I'm sure you will still worry.

Just try to relax! I'm sure everything is just fine. Soon you'll start feeling movement, and you'll also have another ultrasound, and then after that you'll start having 2 visits per month, and then weekly. Try to take it easy and enjoy your pregnancy. It goes so fast!

Congrats!

Welcome to motherhood! Yes you are going to be paranoid the ENTIRE time your pregnant, if its not from one thing, it will be another. I thought once the baby was born the paranoia would subside, nope, still pretty paranoid! Congratulations on your baby! Lots of prayers for a happy healthy baby!! Good luck!

You are normal! It took me forever to feel my daughter move, and I never had breast tenderness, no nausea, nothing. At one point, I experienced some bleeding, and we were so worried that I had my husband take me to the hospital. Turns out I was dehydrated.
Also, about this feeling lasting the whole pregnancy - maybe. Even when you do start to feel you LO kicking, there will be days when s/he does not kick as much and you will freak out! And that's OK, too. If you were nonchalant about the whole thing, well, then what kind of mom would you be?
Have you had your ultra-sound yet (to see the baby)? It might put your mind at ease to see your LO first-hand.
Just remember, never be afraid to call the ob-gyn for any reason. They know that you are are first time mom and scared out of your mind. They are used to it.
Happy Mommy-ing!
-C.

L., First I want to say Congrats on the little one! What a blessing. I think it is pretty common to feel so paranoid with pregnancy. My first pregnancy I had a misscarage, so when I got pregnant again I was SO paranoid all the time, worry that it would happen again. I almost didn't even get to enjoy the wonderful feeling of being pregnant because i was so paranoid. I know its easier to say than do, but do relax, for the baby! You are now 17 weeks along, that is great soon you will feel the baby all day long and I think your paranoid feel will start to fade. Good luck with your new little one!

I know from experience it does get a little better after you can start feeling baby kick. There are a couple of suggestions that I have. First, does your OB have a nurse practitioner or PA? If so, sit down with them, or the doc, and tell them about your anxiety (take hubby with you if it would help). They may suggest breathing exercise or be able to schedule you for more frequent visits. Another suggestion is you can rent (medical grade)doppler machines so that you can listen to babies heartbeat anytime you want. It take some practice to find LO especially as they start to move around but it can be very reassuring. Also pray, both for your child and for peace for your mind. Surround your self with positive people. Ask your family and friends to only make positive comments about pregnancy and the baby. I wish you the best.

PS. I'm a PCOSer with two healthy happy children.