The Yummy Mummy’s Survival Guide. Liz Fraser

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СКАЧАТЬ alt="image 1"/>Screening for Down’s Syndrome. This is a hard decision for some, and an obvious one for others. Only you know how you would feel about having a child with Down’s, so talk it through with your partner and do whatever feels right for both of you. There are loads of different tests available, and different areas will offer different ones.

      

Glucose-tolerance test. Some women develop a special form of diabetes during pregnancy, and this is detected by finding extra sugar in your urine. You will probably have to drink a can of Lucozade and then have a blood test shortly after. Don’t do what I did, which was to drink a can of Diet Lucozade. The whole point is to get the sugar in there, Liz—duh!

      

Urine tests. You’ll have these throughout your pregnancy to check for signs of pre-eclampsia and to practise being humiliated. There is no simple way to get it in the bottle, so just hold it down there, hope for the best, and scrub your hands, wrists and forearms afterwards.

      

Amniocentesis. By removing a sample of your amniotic fluid with a long, hollow needle, and then analysing its contents, doctors can identify hundreds of genetic disorders, including Down’s Syndrome, trisomy 18, and spina bifida. It is usually offered between the fifteenth and eighteenth week of pregnancy, and you have to be very sure that you want it done: there is a 1 in 200 chance of having a miscarriage after amniocentesis, so it is a big risk to take if you don’t really need it. Talk about it…

       Ultrasound Scans

      Oh. My. God. Amazing, amazing, amazing. Scans are one of the most incredible things you will experience during the whole of your pregnancy, on a par with feeling your baby move and looking at your cleavage. A scan makes your baby seem real for the first time, and it can be a huge shock.

      If you have completely irregular periods, like me, then you might have a scan within the first few weeks of gestation, just to confirm how far gone you are. At this stage there is almost nothing to see, except for a small blob, so don’t get too excited.

      It’s common to have another one at about twelve weeks, to check that everything is hunky-dory, and to terrify you a little. By this stage your baby is about six centimetres long, and you may clearly be able to see the beginnings of little limbs, and a definite head bit. This is a good chance to get the first ‘baby photo’, which you can stick on your drinks cabinet to remind you why you’re not going to have that gin and tonic, or hide in your wallet and peek at on the way home.

      The BIG SCAN usually happens at twenty weeks, and you should prepare yourself well. This time you will see a proper-looking human baby sucking its thumb, kicking its legs, waving at you (yes, really waving at you), scratching its head, turning somersaults and all sorts. Most people cry, some can’t speak for hours, and others get hysterical.

      Tips to make the experience better:

      

Never go to a scan alone: This is one of the most important moments of your life, and sharing it with a four-year-old copy of Hello is not a good idea. You will need a cuddle when you come out, so take someone special.

      

Drink lots of water: It makes the image better, because a full bladder pushes the baby closer to the ultrasound thingy…

      

Wear some beautiful knickers: They will be seen.

      

Check your bikini line: They make you pull your knickers down very low, and it will just make the nurse’s day if there are no wayward hairs sticking out. Eeek.

      

Bring some cash: Trying to pay for a baby photo with a credit card won’t work, and you only get one chance to buy one.

      

Tell the scan-lady (or man) if you want to see the screen better: They are usually very kind, and will turn the monitor round for you to see everything. Otherwise you end up with a cricked neck as well as a belly covered in jelly.

      

Ask if you can’t identify anything: The image from an ultrasound is very dark and confusing, and unless you are used to looking at such things, it may look like nothing but black and grey blobs. Don’t lie there saying, ‘Oh yes! I can see her tiny fingers’, when really you could be looking at her earlobe for all you know. Ask, and ye shall learn.

      Try not to think about having a scan as a way of finding all sorts of things wrong with your baby. A lot of people get really worked up about scans, but they are usually just a great chance to see your baby for the first time, and to make the pregnancy feel more real. Very, very real, in fact. Yikes!

      Come Fly With Me (while you still can)

      If this is your first pregnancy, then please trust me on this one: travelling will never be as easy or enjoyable as it is now, so GO ON HOLIDAY and enjoy yourselves while the going’s good. If you don’t, and you duck out because you can’t be bothered, feel too tired, or don’t look nice in a bikini any more, you will regret it forever, and really annoy me because I’d love to go, thanks very much.

      If possible, fly away somewhere beautiful, because this will be the most tricky form of transport once the baby arrives, and you can get somewhere much more exotic on a plane. Flying short distances is perfectly safe for your baby and cabin pressure, dry air and ugly seat-covers won’t harm it. Do tell your doctor before you go though, because everyone has different medical circumstances…

      TOP SURVIVAL TIPS for pregnant travellers:

      

Fly before you are 28 weeks pregnant. After this, some insurance companies get a bit panicky, and either refuse to insure you at all, or require a letter from your doctor confirming your due date.

      

Carry your travel medical insurance with you at all times.

      

Take your medical notes with you.

      

Drink lots more water than usual to combat swollen feet and ankles, and to stave off dehydration.

      

Go to the loo every time you see one.

      

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