Pregnancy - 23 week update

How far along?  23 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a large mango (or a chinchilla) - around 28.9 cm and 500 g (1.1 lb)!

Total weight gain/loss?  I was 59.2 kg this morning - which is a gain of 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) in a week... I'm not convinced it's accurate as I weighed myself at a different time to normal, have been eating healthier and I weighed myself clothed.  BUT maybe it's a bit of catch-up weight gain.  Either way that now puts me at a whole 0.7 kg heavier than when I first got pregnant, so finally something going in the right direction.

Waist?  31 inches - half an inch on since last week.  I'm definitely starting to look pregnant now, a couple of times ALS has pointed out to me how much of a bump I'm getting - I love that he's starting to notice because, as he sees me every day, it must mean it's getting quite a bit bigger!

Stretchmarks?  No new ones :)

Maternity clothes?  Still none, my work trousers are getting quite tight now though so I think they'll be too tight in another week or two.

Sleep?  It's been pretty good.  I didn't end up going to bed exceptionally late at the weekend, so managed to get up at reasonable times which helped to keep me in a routine.  I had a little nap this morning as I was feeling rough but that's the first nap I've had since I was about 10 weeks.

Best moment this week?  Knowing that Pip is now over 1 lb in weight!

Movement?  There's been plenty of movement.  Some days Pip is more active than others but there's been more than enough every day.  Still waiting for ALS to be around at the right time to feel it! 

Food cravings?  I'm generally wanting sweet stuff.  However, I've been really focusing on my diet this week.  ALS has decided to try a vegetarian diet for a while and the stuff is amazing - meat free meatballs, mince, burgers and sausage have been fab.  They're all foods that would normally be high in fat and a bit of a treat.  However, the meat-free ones are high in protein and exceptionally low in saturated fat so I've been feeling like I've been treating myself whilst actually eating pretty healthy.

Food aversions?  Nothing.  Although ALS had a couple of beers the other night and I couldn't stand him breathing anywhere near me afterwards!

Gender?   Still no idea really.

Labour signs?  Definitely not.

Pregnancy symptoms?  I've been having some issues with my sciatica flaring up and quite a bit of pain from it.  However, I've been actively making sure I don't sit still for too long and doing plenty of stretching to keep myself comfortable.  Sleeping with a pillow between my legs has also really helped.  I'm having a lot of round ligament pain so I think Pip must be having a bit of a growth spurt which is exciting.  Bladder over-activity is something I have always suffered with but it's very noticeable at the moment.  I know this all sounds negative but it really isn't - none of this is making me any less excited to be pregnant and I'm still loving every moment.  I also have serious pregnancy brain - left my purse in the office, only put suncream on one shoulder so the other one got burnt... nothing too bad but it's definitely amusing.

Belly button in or out?  In.

What I miss?  The summer weather is making me fancy a cocktail or two... I keep coming across bottles of spirit in the cupboard, or ready made cocktails in the fridge from before I became pregnant, and it's tempting.  However, as I'm not a big drinker it doesn't take me more than a second to get over my desire to have a drink.

What I am looking forward to?  Reaching viability next week - since my sister-in-law gave birth early (32 weeks) a few weeks ago I've been a little more nervous about things going wrong so reaching 24 weeks will be a big milestone.

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I saw the Anaesthetist yesterday regarding my EDS and she's arranging for me to have a heart scan just to check all the boxes.  She's pretty happy for me to be treated normally though as long as I'm careful with positioning in labour to avoid any dislocations or joint issues.  They're unsure about how effective an epidural will be until we try it - but hopefully it won't be necessary anyway.  I'm back at the midwife on 19th July and my next growth scan is 14th August.  

Weekly wisdom?  Spend as much quality time together as you can - I know I've used this before but it's still as true.  We had an early appointment at the hospital this morning and I'd got a full day off work so we had the rest of the day to spend together.  I had a nap and felt like being lazy but I dragged myself out of bed, we went to the cinema, we did a workout together and then cooked dinner together.  It was absolutely lovely and I feel like, whereas a lot of people find themselves arguing during pregnancy, we are closer than ever lately.  Also, try and make time for a little "physical" love.  It's been hard work as my sex drive is absolutely zero BUT I've pushed myself to make the effort and really appreciated the outcome.  It's nice seeing how sexy ALS still finds me despite me noticing every tiny bit of fat that appears anywhere that can't be considered "bump".

Milestones?  Pip now weighs over 1 lb!.

Bump picture: 

My bump is slowly starting to get bigger and spread higher up, although there's still a very distinctive top and bottom.  I can't wait until I lose the dip at the top of my belly button and it all becomes one smooth curve!