Pregnancy - 25 week update

How far along?  25 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a swede (or a prairie dog) - around 34.6 cm and 560 g (1.5 lb)!

Total weight gain/loss?  59.8 kg today so that's an overall gain of 1.3 kg - pretty minuscule for 25 weeks of pregnancy but the midwife wasn't concerned today so I'm just glad I'm keeping myself fit whilst growing Pip! 

Waist?  31.5 inches - same as last week.

Stretchmarks?  No new ones, I think the ones from when I hit puberty/got fat are a bit more visible than usual though.

Maternity clothes?  It was my birthday last Friday and ALS bought me some lovely tops and a skirt for work to keep me going.  At home I'm just living in dresses and leggings but it's nice to have some smart clothes for work - I can't wait to wear them but they still need a little bit of growing into.

Sleep?  I've had a couple of horrendous nights lately due to getting to bed late, noisy neighbours and being uncomfortable with the heat/back pain/needing to get up to urinate.  Last night I slept really well though so hopefully the bad nights were just a blip.

Best moment this week?  I've had so many!  It was ALS' birthday last Thursday and mine last Friday so we spent some quality time together, we went to the cinema and went shopping, we've had a couple of meals out, we've seen a lot of family and friends (including throwing a little party on Saturday).  We've also gutted our kitchen and given it a proper clean which made me feel really good.  I had a few days off work and as you can see from the above, I made the most of it and the whole week was just great.

Movement?  Pip's been very wriggly this week and is starting to respond to touch more; last night he/she kicked me, so I poked back, he/she kicked back etc. for a good few minutes.  ALS got to feel a few more movements last night as well, as they're starting to get stronger.  It's such a wonderful feeling... although occasionally it gets a little weird and feels like Pip is trying to claw his/her way out of my uterus!

Food cravings?  Finally a proper craving!  Tortilla chips or Pringles dipped in coleslaw... I don't even like coleslaw.

Food aversions?  Nothing.  

Gender?   Still no idea.

Labour signs?  Definitely not and I'd like to keep it that way for at least another 12 weeks!

Pregnancy symptoms?  Nothing different - bits of heartburn, sciatica, tailbone pain and needing to wee all the time.  I also keep having tiny leaks when I cough, despite doing a tonne of pelvic floor exercises!  I do feel like I'm at a lovely stage of pregnancy though - I have a nice bump forming but I'm still very mobile and fully functional.

Belly button in or out?  In.  I've changed my belly bars over this week to flexible plastic retainer bars so hopefully they will stay in until I give birth.

What I miss?  I'm missing proper powerlifting sessions - mostly because, due to busy schedules, I've not done any exercise at all for over a week (which I rectified today).  I don't feel comfortable starting lifting more again because, due to the IVF, gym issues, working schedules and various other things, it's been almost 6 months since I did any heavy lifting and we all know pregnancy isn't the time to tax your body with something that it's not used to.  However, in future pregnancies (hopefully there may be some) I intend to keep up with it considerably more.  On another note, I thought I'd miss drinking with having a party at the weekend but actually I really wasn't bothered.

What I am looking forward to?  The wardrobe for the nursery is arriving tomorrow!  I can't wait to get it up at the weekend and hopefully get our new shed up too.  

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I saw the midwife today (everything is fine).  I have another growth scan and appointment with the Consultant on 14th August and then I'm back at the midwife on 23rd August - this is at 30 weeks instead of 28 because she only works Wednesdays and I'm already seeing the consultant the week before so would have to take an extra day off work.  Also (because they've made their own due date and ignored my IVF dates) they are running on the principle of me being 3 days behind so they don't realise I'll be 28 weeks on 9th August and could be seen then!  Either way, the scan is the important bit so that's what I'm focusing on/counting down to.

Weekly wisdom?  Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees is a great way of easing sciatic pain.  This is something I learnt when I had sciatica last year but it's also come in useful during pregnancy because I'm too stingy to buy an actual maternity pillow and, quite frankly, my normal pillow is working just as well.

Milestones?  Viability.  As much as I really hope Pip stays put for a good few months yet, I'm very relieved/excited to know that if anything did happen now he/she would stand a fighting chance.

Bump picture: 

I know I'm tiny in comparison to some (most) but I definitely look pregnant now and I feel huge when I look at photos like this!  Pretty pleased that so far I appear to be all bump and don't appear to have gained weight on my legs/butt etc.  However, I have definitely put some size on my hips and just generally become more rounded, which is probably partly why my bump looks little - it's just spread out!