Autistic & Pregnant: What To Expect At An Ultra Sound Examination.

Image title reads Autistic and pregnant what to expect at an ultrasound exam. Image to the right of title shows a pregnant woman having an ultrasound exam performed on her.

Written Pre-Covid.

Ultrasound scans are typically performed twice throughout a standard pregnancy, once at 12 weeks and again at 20 weeks. Mine were performed at the ultrasound department of my local hospital- the same hospital I chose to give birth at.

Autistic & Pregnant: What To Expect At A Typical Midwife Appointment

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The amount you see your midwife will vary depending on your personal situation though I have written a basic overview of how many midwife appointments to expect during pregnancy to give you a basic idea of what to expect. Below I have detailed some of the typical checks made at these appointments.

Autistic & Pregnant: How Many Midwife Appointments Do You Get During Pregnancy?

 

Image title reads autistic and pregnant how many midwife appointments do you get during pregnancy? alongside this title is an image of a yellow stethoscope on a light blue background with a red paper heart laying next to it.

*Written Pre-Covid*

This is a guide to the typical antenatal appointments offered by the NHS in the United Kingdom as of 2017. Please use this as a guideline, some areas and some midwives may operate differently.

Autistic & Pregnant: What To Expect At A Booking Appointment

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A booking appointment is usually your first contact with your midwife. It involves 'booking' you into the system and collecting a wide variety of health and lifestyle information from you and your partner. You are also required to submit a urine sample and blood samples will be taken. 

Autistic & Pregnant: Should I Take Anti-depressants During Pregnancy?

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I'm not writing this post to cause controversy and I know that some people will not agree with the decision I made but for many people with a wide variety of health conditions it's a decision that needs to be made. As explained by my doctor, a lot of medication is not tested on pregnant women purely because of the ethics involved and because of that it's very difficult for medical professionals to know which medication is safe. Tests are performed on pregnant animals, something which doesn't sit well with me but I do understand the need for it. So often the best a doctor can tell you is how the medication affects animal foetuses and then it's down to you to decide if it's a risk worth taking.

Autistic & Pregnant: Finding Out I Was Pregnant

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I have been pregnant twice. My first pregnancy ended in miscarriage at 6 weeks. My second pregnancy has so far been successful. On both occasions the baby was very much planned and I was expecting a positive test, though that didn't prevent me from being surprised, shocked and a little fearful.

Autistic & Pregnant: What To Do When You Find Out You Are Pregnant

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Congratulations! You're pregnant!

and if you are feeling anything like I was then you are feeling a whole lot of emotions varying from immense happiness to crushing self-doubt. In those first few days after seeing those two blue lines my emotions went crazy. Yes, some people will say that's the hormones but it's also the realisation that your whole life is about to change and no matter how prepared you are, change is scary for everyone but especially those with autism. Don't feel guilty or shy away from your emotions. Accept your emotions and remember that there is no 'right way' to process this information and if you feel able to why not open up and share your thoughts and feelings with your partner. The chances are they are feeling the same wild mix of emotions too.  

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