So I've now been to the hospital to have my 20 week "anomaly" scan, where they check for several abnormalities including anencephaly (absence of the top of the head), defects in the abdomen, missing or very short limbs, spina bifida, and major kidney problems.
Luckily all was well and the sonographer said she was 99.9 per cent sure it's a boy!
I'm very pleased, although I had no preference either way. A lot of people choose to wait until the birth to find out the sex, but I'm too curious and impatient. Also I wanted to be able to have a good look at the screen.
We paid for four photos (at three pounds each!), which have done the rounds of countless friends and family and have been emailed around the country.
Now I'm getting used to calling it "him", which together with the regular movements makes it all feel much more real. We've already decided on a name, but keeping quiet about it for the time being.
I wouldn't say we're bonding yet, but I'm aware that he can hear my voice and I'm thinking about the noises he's being exposed to. Yes, I have found myself playing classical music when I probably wouldn't otherwise! My husband is away at the moment, so I'm also playing a recording he made of his voice (reading Winnie the Pooh, very sweet).
It's strange to think that soon, when I reach 24 weeks, he would have roughly a 50 per cent chance of surviving outside of the womb. The time has passed very quickly. His main objective from now on is to grow thicker skin and put on a lot of fat - he'll probably weigh about six or seven pounds more by the time he's born. I'm trying not to think about that day too much yet!
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