Following on from my blood test to confirm that yes indeed I was pregnant and 8 weeks along, my GP recommended I do an ultrasound to make sure everything was ok as I’d reported some clotting. With a growing sense of fear, unease and something that resembled nervous excitement I made the appointment at an imaging centre.

On the day, after drinking enough water to burst anyone’s bladder, I arrived at the Imaging Centre for my appointment alone as I had told hubby and thought to myself ‘I can handle it ok’. Facing the bed next to the machine, my heart beating in overdrive, I wasn’t so sure anymore.

Anyway, I climbed on the bed and the Ultrasound technician switched on the machine, applied a cold gel on my tummy and started moving the machine around. Torn between wanting to look and not wanting to know, I held my breath for a moment as the technician turned the screen towards me to show me the various parts of my uterus. And there ‘it’ was! What could only be described as a small sac of an abstract matter with a very strong and loud heartbeat reverberating around the room.

For a moment, I forgot to breathe…I could not believe this small sac had a heartbeat! The technician told me that a heartbeat develops from 5 weeks. For a while, it seemed as though time stood still and I had to try hard to concentrate on what the technician was saying.I even forgot about my full bladder!

What could only be described as nothing short of a miracle, I left the ultrasound feeling dazed with an overflow of feelings – happiness, protectiveness and excitement. Right then even the morning sickness didn’t faze me one bit!