Pregnancy - 37 week update

How far along?  37 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a Swiss chard (or a striped skunk)  - around 48.6 cm and  2.9 kg (6.3 lb).

Total weight gain/loss?  I'm 65.6 kg today - gained just over a stone in all  (7.1 kg) which is not bad at all when you consider almost half of that will be baby, then there's the placenta, extra blood volume and fluid to take into consideration.  

Waist?  36 inches so no change this week.

Stretchmarks?  Still surprisingly not, although as you can see from the picture below my old ones are showing up a little more!

Maternity clothes?  Just living in leggings and long tops for the next few weeks until baby arrives now... with a healthy amount of PJ time!

Sleep?  I have managed to sleep a little better this week - sometimes getting a whole 4 hours in between bathroom trips!

Best moment this week?  Finishing work - as of yesterday I am now a lady of leisure until Pip arrives.

Movement?  Still plenty - some of which can be quite painful now, especially when the kicks are directed at my ribs.  I'm pretty convinced that if I'm still pregnant in another 4 weeks then Pip may actually just kick/punch it's way out like something out of Alien!

Food cravings?  Cereal... without milk.

Food aversions?  Nothing but my appetite is still down.

Gender?   Generally still feeling like it's a girl but it's all guesswork. 

Labour signs?  Nothing at all and Pip is still very high.  I'm going to spend plenty of time on my exercise ball this week to try and get him/her to drop down a little bit, even if just to give my poor ribs some relief.

Pregnancy symptoms?  I spoke to soon last week - on Thursday and Friday I had horrendous swelling in my feet, ankles and lower legs.  With an increase in fluid, moving around at work more and plenty of gentle exercise I've managed to get it to go back down though fortunately.

Belly button in or out?  In - although it is starting to flatten out a little bit.  

What I miss?  I'm not missing anything at the moment although I was thinking last night about how I'm going to miss the gym once baby is here.  I know I can still work out at home but I won't really be able to get back to powerlifting as there'll be nobody to have baby (I could go to the gym alone and leave it with ALS but when I'm doing heavy lifts I like to have him there).  I've missing training with ALS whilst I've been pregnant but that's been due to me doing different exercise (more classes) and his busy work schedule so I guess things would have changed anyway with his new job even if I'd not been pregnant.

What I am looking forward to?  Getting the house completely ready and nesting like mad for the next week or so!

Upcoming appointments/scans?  Midwife next week (18th October) and then again on my due date (1st November).  Booked in for a sweep with the Consultant on 6th November if there's no sign of Pip.

 Weekly wisdom?  Sitting too long causes swollen feet/ankles... so does walking or standing too long.  Keep moving but with plenty of rest too and lots and lots of fluids.  It sounds daft that more fluid prevents fluid retention but it's true!

Milestones?  Reaching full term today!!

Bump picture: 

I think it looks quite a bit bigger this week - if it's possible it feels like it's getting higher!  I'm guessing that's just baby growing and not having dropped down yet.  Shout out to my white sheet for emphasising just how pale I am.

Pregnancy - 36 week update

How far along?  36 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a romaine lettuce (or a chihuahua)  - around 47.4 cm and 2.6 kg (5.7 lb).

Total weight gain/loss?  64.9 kg today - another oddly timed weight measurement but I would say this is probably about right.  It means I've put on a total of a stone so far from my weight at 4 weeks pregnant.

Waist?  36 inches which is quite a significant increase, but I could have told you that without measuring it just from how I feel and how my clothes are fitting.

Stretchmarks?  No but I'm increasing in size quite rapidly so I'm in the danger zone.

Maternity clothes?  Same as before.

Sleep?  I have been quite uncomfortable in bed this week but with the aid of a lot of pillows I've managed to sleep relatively well.

Best moment this week?  Finally having a garden!

Movement?  Plenty, although it's obvious that little Pip is running out of room in there.  The movements feel like he/she is trying to stretch out without really having the space, some of them have even hurt a little.

Food cravings?  I really fancy KFC at the moment and have done for a week or so now, maybe I'll treat myself at some point.

Food aversions?  Nothing, just generally still quite nauseous with a variable appetite.

Gender?   Still no real idea.

Labour signs?  Nothing at all - I'm starting to wish I'd at least had a few Braxton Hicks, just so I can get a bit of an idea what very early labour might feel like.

Pregnancy symptoms?  Pretty much still going through the lot - fortunately I haven't had much swelling though and I've still got my wedding ring on.

Belly button in or out?  In - although it is starting to flatten out a little bit.  

What I miss?  Being able to curl up.  I'm used to sleeping in the foetal position but as my ever-growing bump is where I'd like to tuck my legs (and curling up gives me horrendous heartburn) this is a thing of the past.  I'm looking forward to being able to lie comfortably once Pip arrives.

What I am looking forward to?  Finishing work!  It's my last day on Tuesday next week so I only have 4 working days to go.  I'm definitely getting ready for finishing so I think I picked a good time.

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I saw the midwife today and all was fine.  I see her again in 2 weeks then again on my due date.  I always thought you went every week towards the end but she seems happy with fortnightly visits.  I won't actually see her again as she's on holiday for my next 2 appointments and then 4d my Consultant has booked me in for a sweep on 6th November (after my due date) if I haven't had a baby by then.  So the next time I see my own midwife will likely be when she comes to visit me at home after Pip is born.  No more scans now, the next time we see our baby will be when it's born!

 Weekly wisdom?  Listen to your body BUT don't always expect it to be right.  After some overtime this morning and my midwife appointment this afternoon I was planning on going swimming when ALS went back to work at teatime.  I made the fatal mistake of lying down for a bit and decided that I'd stay home and have a nap instead.  I've woken up from this nap feeling absolutely shocking!  I can't say I ever feel worse for exercising so I think the swim would have definitely been the better choice.  I may be sickening for something though as I keep going cold and shivery and my nose is running constantly.

Milestones?  We are now into the final 4 weeks (hopefully) and my toes have well and truly disappeared!

Bump picture: 

Sometimes I find it incredibly hard to comprehend the fact that there's a whole, albeit small, human inside there!  It's such a miracle and I'm so in love with my own body for what it's doing.

Pregnancy - 35 week update

How far along?  35 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a honeydew melon (or a mini-lop rabbit)  - around 46.2 cm and 2.4 kg (5.3 lb) - although according to our scan he/she is a bit bigger than this!

Total weight gain/loss?  64.1 kg today (working again so weighing at a different time to usual).  That's 1.3 kg on since last week but only about 0.6 kg from the week before so maybe last week's dip was just an anomaly.  

Waist?  Not measured this week because ALS stole my tape measure for work again!

Stretchmarks?  No new ones - the Consultant even commented on the fact that I'd not developed any marks!

Maternity clothes?  Same as before.

Sleep?  I'm really struggling with sleep - comfort is hard as baby's feet are in my ribs and I'm having to go to the toilet up to 20 times a night (no exaggeration) because it's headbutting my bladder.  I could do with a nice nap in the middle of the day - roll on maternity leave!

Best moment this week?  Seeing our little monster wriggling around on the scan.

Movement?  Lots - I've noticed baby having hiccups for the first time this week as well.  It's had them every day since the weekend.  It also keeps sticking a foot out in my right hand side which is both weird and cool!

Food cravings?  Nothing really this week.

Food aversions?  Nothing, although I've felt quite nauseous on and off this week.

Gender?   Still no real clue.

Labour signs?  Nothing at all and I'm happy to keep it that way for at least another few weeks.

Pregnancy symptoms?  Pretty much all of them - I'm just about getting to the point now where I drop something on the floor and spend time considering whether I actually need it any more because picking it up is just hard work haha.

Belly button in or out?  In.  

What I miss?  Being able to fasten my shoelaces without having to be a contortionist - at least I can still do it myself though!

What I am looking forward to?  Getting the garden turfed!  My dad is coming over this weekend to help us, we've ordered the top soil and turf and hired all the tools we need - then we will finally have a garden.

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I see the midwife again next Wednesday (4th October) and my Consultant has booked me in for a sweep on 6th November (after my due date) if I haven't had a baby by then.  No more scans now, the next time we see our baby will be when it's born!

 Weekly wisdom?  Don't underestimate how hard it gets towards the end at work.  Whilst I'm still coping pretty well and managing to exercise plenty, trying to sit at my desk for 10 hours a day is becoming really, really hard.  I was off work last week on holiday and going back over the last few days has been really hard work.  It sounds daft but sitting too much is the worst.  Getting comfortable at my desk is impossible so I've just been walking around often and counting down the days - only 2 more weeks to go! 

Milestones?  I don't think we've hit anything in particular this week - for some reason 35 weeks pregnant seems SO much further along than 34 weeks.  It's getting very real.

Bump picture: 

It may just be how I'm standing or how my clothes are positioned but it definitely looks to me like my bump has dropped down a bit this week.  I was hoping that would give some relief from my rib pain but clearly it's not dropped enough yet!

Antenatal Class & Growth Scan

Antenatal Class 1 - Labour/Delivery:

Our first antenatal class was last Wednesday and was all about labour and delivery.  My lovely mother-in-law accompanied to me as ALS wasn't able to make it due to a change in dates (see my 33 week update).  Quite honestly, I don't think I learned anything that I didn't already know.  However, I assume that was mostly because I've always had such an interest in pregnancy, I've read every book/website that I can lay my hands on and I work in a the Maternity/Gynae Department at my local hospital for a while.  These were the sort of topics that were covered:

- How to know when you're in labour and what to do during the early stages.
- How to time contractions.
- When to call the hospital.
- When to call an ambulance.  FYI the only time this is acceptable is if there's a head poking out!
- What types of pain relief are available.
- What happens after delivery (delivery of the placenta, baby checks, feeding, going home).
- When you'll be visited by the midwife once you're home.

It was a good opportunity to meet other couples, although we didn't really speak much and I think my wish to make mummy friends might be a bit of a long shot given that the most of the couples there were very different to ourselves and I didn't really "click" with anyone.

I think next week will be a bit more informative, especially for ALS, as it is all about newborn care and the first few weeks at home with baby.  Whilst I have experience with babies, ALS is very new to this and only held a baby for the first time a couple of months ago.  Even from my point of view, I'm hoping it will be useful for things that I've never experienced such as breastfeeding and bathing a baby - it'll be nice to get to go together as well.

34 Week Scan:

Today we had our 34 week scan (at 34+5 weeks) and things are all going pretty nicely.  Baby is head down with its bottom under my ribs on the left hand side and its feet pressing up into my ribs on the right (the source of much of my discomfort).  It was pointed out to us that baby is growing nicely and that its head is on the larger side and is on the 95th centile.  This was a source of much amusement to us, as ALS has a rather large head and as a family we like to remind him of this often.  It was also a source of some panic from me - nobody wants to hear that they got to push out a giant head! 

Baby's weight currently was estimated at 5 lb 13 oz - which is quite large in my opinion.  If it puts on the expected half a pound a week, then it'll be nearing 9 lb by due date and 10 lb if I end up going to 42 weeks!  However, everyone I've spoken to recently has found their estimated birth weight was quite a bit higher than baby ended up being and the sonographer did say that the head measurement may be skewing the calculations a little.  Considering I've gained less than 10 lb so far, I'd be surprised if a whole 6 lb of that was baby but we shall wait and see!

I'm absolutely thrilled that baby is the right way round and apparently it is at a 4/5 position in terms of engagement, so just dipping into my pelvis.  Time for lots of bouncing on my ball to get it lower down ready for the big day.  As there are no concerns with the growth, this will be our last scan and I won't see the Consultant again now until 6th November (40+5 weeks) for a sweep, if I've not had a baby by then!  It's all starting to feel very real.

Pregnancy - 34 week update

How far along?  34 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a cantaloupe (or a quokka)  - around 45 cm and 2.1 kg (4.7 lb)!

Total weight gain/loss?  62.8 kg on the scales this morning which is actually a 0.5 kg (1 lb) down from last week.  I'm trying not to be concerned about this but my bump doesn't look like it has grown much either - very glad we have a scan in under a week!

Waist?  34.5 inches so another increase, which reassures me a bit regarding the above.

Stretchmarks?  No new ones - although I think I may have a couple just starting to show up, they only seem to be visible at certain times though.

Maternity clothes?  I'm off work on annual leave this week so living in my leggings - SO comfortable.

Sleep?  I've not had a lot of sleep this week due to difficulty getting comfortable but, as I've been off work, I've been able to have lie ins which has helped.

Best moment this week?  Spending some quality time with my sister-in-law and nephew yesterday.  He's 3 months old now and 9 lb 4 oz - the thought of giving birth to something that size was a little terrifying when I held him yesterday so hopefully Pip will be a little bit smaller.  Judging by the size of me and my bump, I'd be very surprised if Pip ended up being that big though!

Movement?  Lots, I'm noticing a lot more overnight now too.  A lot of the movements are right on my right-hand side and there's often something large and hard sticking out there (I'm guessing a head or a bum) so I think baby is lying sideways at the moment.  If Pip isn't head down by my scan on Monday it'll be all systems go to try and get him/her to shift round.

Food cravings?  Broccoli... how odd.

Food aversions?  Baked beans - I've been eating them since my craving last week but as of last night they're no longer appealing, I think it's the texture.

Gender?   Still thinking it's a girl but no real clue.

Labour signs?  Nothing at all and I'm happy to keep it that way for at least another 3 or 4 weeks.

Pregnancy symptoms?  Pretty much all of them - I'm just embracing it at the moment.

Belly button in or out?  In.  

What I miss?  I really fancied a cocktail the other night, but it passed pretty quickly!

What I am looking forward to?  I have my first antenatal class tonight!  I'll do a post dedicated to that a bit a later in the week once I've been but I'm looking forward to it.

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I have a scan and Consultant appointment on Monday (25th Sept) and then see the midwife again in 2 weeks on 4th October.

 Weekly wisdom?  Ask about your antenatal classes early!  My midwife didn't give me the form to fill in to book onto them until I was 25 weeks and said form should have been returned by 24 weeks.  We ended up being put on classes for 4th/11th October which would make me 36/37 weeks and I thought this was a little late personally but accepted it.  Yesterday they rang me to say there aren't enough people booked on so we'd have to move to the next block, which would have been 25th Oct/1st Nov which would be at 39 weeks and on my actual due date!  I told them this and they've squeezed me on ones tonight and next Wednesday.  However, due to the short notice, ALS can't make the one tonight because he has clients booked in.  I'm taking my mother-in-law instead, which she's excited about and she'll be great support for me, but as it's the one about labour/delivery tonight I think it would have really benefited ALS.  I've done a LOT of reading so I already have answers to all my questions, whereas he was mostly relying on the classes for his information - I shall have to make notes!

Milestones?  Nothing specific this week although we are at a point now where, if Pip decided to make an early appearance, providing there were no other complications, he/she would have around a 99% chance of survival!

Bump picture: 

I thought I'd add a shot from the front as well - I can't believe I still have a waist at 34 weeks pregnant!  I've not been trying to keep my weight down but I guess the regular exercise to keep myself fit and healthy has done that for me.

Pregnancy - 33 week update

How far along?  33 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a pineapple (or a ferret)  - around 43.7 cm and 1.9 kg (4.2 lb)!

Total weight gain/loss?  63.2 kg today - so very little from last week, which makes sense as I had a big increase last week.  I'm up 4.7 kg altogether (around 10 lbs) from my starting weight.

Waist?  34 inches so a little increase.

Stretchmarks?  No new ones.

Maternity clothes?  Still the same.

Sleep?  I slept really well over the weekend and then typically have had a couple of bad nights now I'm having to get up early for work, but at least I got some catch up.

Best moment this week?  On Thursday we went to ALS' parents' house for Chinese for his step-mum's birthday.  The whole family was there, we had takeaway and played board games - just great quality time, roll on Christmas now!

Movement?  Still plenty - there's quite a lot of movement in the left side of my groin and the right side of my ribs so I think he/she must be quite stretched out in there.

Food cravings?  Baked beans, which is weird because up until last week baked beans almost repulsed me.  I really didn't like them, never have.  But now a jacket potato with baked beans is the most appealing thing ever.

Food aversions?  Belvita breakfast biscuits... I used to quite enjoy these as a snack but can't stomach the thought of them at all. 

Gender?   Still thinking it's a girl but no real clue.

Labour signs?  Still nothing, not even Braxton Hicks (or not that I've noticed).  I have the odd day where I have diarrhoea which makes me a little nervous but it usually goes away.

Pregnancy symptoms?  Pretty much all of them.

Belly button in or out?  In.  

What I miss?  Cookie dough... my friends were on about ordering from a desert place the other night and I immediately said I'd have cookie dough, then realised I can't.  First thing I'm having once baby arrives!

What I am looking forward to?  We are going to a comedy club on Saturday night with my friend (who is also pregnant) and her husband.  I'm looking forward to laughing til I cry - best pack the panty liners in my handbag haha.

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I saw the midwife today - all is fine.  Next scan/Consultant appointment is 25th September and I see the midwife again on 4th October.

 Weekly wisdom?  Don't be a martyr.  Staying active is important but sometimes you're going to be exhausted, in pain or just generally struggling - don't be afraid to ask for help.  A couple of times this week I've asked ALS to get the washing out the machine for me and pop it onto the table so I'm not having to bend up and down (I know it sounds silly when you consider I'm still going to the gym and doing squats, but some days it's harder than others).  He's more than happy to help and just that little thing makes my life so much easier.

Milestones?  I don't think there's been anything particularly pivotal this week but I have noticed my feet are starting to disappear when I look down!

Bump picture: 

I never thought I could love my body this much, there's a whole human inside that bump and every time it wriggles around I love it more and more.