Pregnancy - 31 week update

How far along?  31 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a coconut (or a small-clawed otter)  - around 41.1 cm and 1.5 kg (3.3 lb)!

Total weight gain/loss?  62 kg today - another little increase.  I'm expecting to add about 0.5 kg a week between now and baby being born so right on track!

Waist?  Not measured this week.

Stretchmarks?  No new ones.

Maternity clothes?  I got myself a nice stretchy maternity swimsuit at a bargain price from Decathlon at the weekend - I plan to keep on swimming right to the end, when other exercise gets a bit more difficult.

Sleep?  Sleep hasn't been too bad - I've taken to having Gaviscon every night before bed, rather than waiting to wake up with heartburn and having to get up and get it.  I'm getting up a lot to pee but mostly get back to sleep quite quickly.

Best moment this week?  I can't pick just one!  We had a lovely family BBQ and ALS' grandparents' house on Saturday, we went to Monkey Forest on Sunday, on Monday we went to IKEA to get the rest of the furniture for the nursery and have got most of the room organised and then this afternoon I went for coffee and cake with my sister-in-law and gorgeous little nephew - it's been a brilliant week!

Movement?  Lots! Pip actually managed to tickle me from the inside yesterday which was an unusual feeling.  I think he/she has some body part wedged under the right side of my ribs too as I can't get comfortable sitting down without feeling a bit squashed around that area.  I've also started noticing movements more even when I'm walking around this week, previously I only really felt them when I was relaxing.

Food cravings?  I was so desperate for chicken the other day I bought a ready-cooked one from ASDA and just sat eating it off the bone!

Food aversions?  Nothing.  

Gender?   No idea!

Labour signs?  Maybe some Braxton hicks in my lower back but that's it, nothing serious.

Pregnancy symptoms?  Heartburn is the big one at the moment.  Being uncomfortable sitting and having to lie/stand most of the time.  I had a nosebleed the other night which was a first (this may have been last week and I may have mentioned it previously - I lose track of days).  I'm also looking considerably more pregnant - a woman I'd not seen for a while the other day congratulated me as soon as she saw me without me having to tell her which was amazing!

Belly button in or out?  In.  

What I miss?  Nothing really - pregnancy isn't currently stopping me doing anything.  I'm really enjoying my exercise at the moment and I oddly feel like I'm getting fitter and stronger.

What I am looking forward to?  Finishing work - I love my job and I'm not finding it particularly hard being at work but I can't wait until I can wholly focus my attention on preparing to be a mum!

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I see the midwife again in 2 weeks (13th Sept).  I have my next scan and Consultant appointment on 25th Sept.

 Weekly wisdom?  Plan as much fun stuff as you can before baby arrives.  We were going to have a few quiet weekends but we have ended up with the next 3 weekends packed with stuff - especially catching up with people we've not seen in a while.  We'll still try and get out plenty with the baby but it's nice to spend some quality time with our friends and family before little one arrives.

Milestones?  Getting my bedroom back because we moved most of the baby stuff into the nursery now!

Bump picture: 

My bump really seems to have changed shape this week - it looks smaller than last week but I think it's actually because it's dropped down a little, which is odd because it feels like baby is really high up under my ribs.  Hopefully this means Pip has turned head down and it's feet that I can feel jabbing into my ribs!

Bittersweet Moments!

It occurred to me the other day that if our first transfer had worked, baby would have been due on 24th August so I would either have a baby now or be 4 days overdue.

Whilst I feel a twinge of sadness for our lost embryo, the pain is a lot easier to deal with knowing that I'm carrying our second embryo and he/she will be here in another couple of months.

I was devastated when they embryo didn't stick but looking back now I can see that the time just wasn't right.  If I'd become pregnant I would have never taken the opportunity to come back to my current job when it arose, which has put me in a far better position mentally to be able to deal with being pregnant and deal with the idea of having to go back to work after my maternity leave.  It may seem inconsequential to some but I know for a fact that my own mental state being so much better will make me a far better mother and you can't put a time limit on that - the extra few months was worth the wait.

On another note, if it had worked first time, by November I'd have a 2 month old and time would be flying by. This way I still have everything to look forward to and all those firsts to experience. I'm also still getting to enjoy my pregnancy. Both of these are big things for me as I'm very aware that I'm currently experiencing pregnancy for the first, but possibly also last, time.  We have one embryo in the freezer which we plan to transfer at a later date but if that doesn't stick, we can't afford to pay for another full cycle so our little Pip may well end up as an only child.  This makes me want to savour the whole experience as much as possible.

I know it's easy for me to say "be positive" and "look on the bright side" when I'm currently pregnant and my failed transfer is behind me and I would probably feel very differently if I'd had further failed transfers and was still waiting for my miracle, but please have faith that it will happen when the timing is right. I didn't see that the timing wasn't quite right when we first had the transfer but now I realise it wouldn't have been as perfect as it is now.

Wishing you all lots of sticky baby dust <3

Pregnancy - 30 week update

How far along?  30 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a cabbage (or a platypus)  - around 39.9 cm and 1.3 kg (2.9 lb)!

Total weight gain/loss?  61.5 kg today - another tiny increase.  I'm pretty happy with the steady increases and Pip is definitely getting bigger and stronger all the time if the movements this week have been anything to go by.

Waist?  33.5 inches.

Stretchmarks?  No new ones.

Maternity clothes?  I've bought myself some leggings in a bigger size and a few stretchy t-shirts from Primark for casual wear and a lovely lady at work gave me a couple of maternity tops that she had for work so I'm well kitted out now.  I'm mostly living in leggings and dresses.  I have my maternity skirt for work but I'm still in normal tops most of the time.

Sleep?  Sleep has been a bit poor this week.  My bump is starting to pull me forwards so I've been trying to wedge a rolled up towel or pillow under myself to support it.  Between that and the pillow between my legs to ease my sciatica, I then find within a couple of hours I've really overheated.  That being said I don't feel too bad so I'm dealing with it, it's just preparing me for Pip being born I guess!

Best moment this week?  Catching up with our friends who have just come back from New Zealand after not seeing them for almost a year!

Movement?  There are some very strong kicks and a lot of wiggles and rolls (some of which make me feel quite nauseous).  It's very nice being able to watch my stomach moving, it's like having a little alien in there.  Pip is very active in a morning for a good few hours after work and I've put this down to drinking Lucozade with breakfast!

Food cravings?  Nothing in particular.

Food aversions?  Nothing.  

Gender?   We still think it's a girl, everybody is of a similar opinion aside from 1 or 2 people who are sticking with it being a boy.  I'm SO excited to find out!

Labour signs?  Nothing at all - I keep having a bit of an upset stomach which I keep seeing can be an early sign of labour but I'm mostly putting it down to Pip squashing all my organs!

Pregnancy symptoms?  All of them!  I'm still not waddling yet though so that's something.

Belly button in or out?  In.  

What I miss?  Having money to spare!  We have pretty much everything we need for Pip now but there are still a few little bits I'd like to get.  However, due to ALS having been off work for a couple of months due to a fire in his workplace and me having a really expensive month with my car I don't feel able to finish the baby shopping until at least next month.

What I am looking forward to?  Meeting my baby!  I know I still have a while to go yet (and I definitely don't want Pip to show up for a while yet) but just knowing that in an absolute maximum of 12 weeks I will be a mother is such an amazing feeling and it's starting to feel very real.

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I saw the midwife this afternoon and I see her again in 3 weeks (13th Sept).  I have my next scan and Consultant appointment on 25th Sept.

 Weekly wisdom?  Don't go shopping alone!  Every time I head into a shop I end up having to fight with myself to prevent buying extra baby things that I don't need.  When Ant is there, I don't have the same desire because I know he'd tell me to stop it and we just look at the practical things together and buy what we actually need.

Milestones?  I'm 30 weeks today which is 3/4 of the way through!  Hitting the 30s feels like a really big milestone for me and I'm liable to start counting backwards from here and counting how many weeks I have left rather than how many weeks I've done.

Bump picture: 

I took my bump photo in the light today so it's a better image (as you can see from the background I've been sorting out baby stuff too).  Bump is getting bugger every week - it's measuring 3 weeks behind but the midwife isn't concerned as baby was measuring fine on the scan so clearly I'm just not carrying much extra fat/water.

One year on...

Yesterday marks a whole year since I first started IVF meds. Our journey had already been about 18 months to that point, but that was when it started to feel real that we might actually be starting a family.

Exactly a year later I am incredibly grateful to be able to say that I am almost 30 weeks pregnant.  We were very lucky that our actual IVF success came only 6 months after first starting the medication and, although it was hard, we didn't suffer nearly the amount of heartache that some go through.

In another year's time I will be sat here with a 9-10 month old baby... here's to the future!

Pregnancy - 29 week update

How far along?  29 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a butternut squash (or a New England cottontail rabbit)  - around 38.6 cm and 1.1 kg (2.5 lb)!

Total weight gain/loss?  61.2 kg today - a tiny increase from last week and as I know baby is growing well I'm more than happy that I'm not gaining weight excessively whilst gaining enough to keep baby in good health.

Waist?  ALS has nicked my tape measure so I have no idea!

Stretchmarks?  No new ones.

Maternity clothes?  Same as before.

Sleep?  Some days great, other days awful.  I tend to alternate between a really bad night and then being completely zonked the next so at least I'm catching up.

Best moment this week?  Seeing our little Pip wriggling around on the scan and having confirmation that he/she is growing well.

Movement?  Plenty and it's getting higher up now too.

Food cravings?  Nothing in particular this week.

Food aversions?  Nothing.  

Gender?   We managed to avoid seeing any little boy or girl parts on the scan but facially we really think it looks like a girl (sorry Pip if you're a boy and we just called you feminine).

Labour signs?  Definitely not - not even Braxton Hicks.

Pregnancy symptoms?  Struggling to reach my toes to put my tights on in a morning!  The heartburn is getting pretty excessive although I've had a good handle on it for the last few days.  I also keep peeing myself (sorry, TMI!) so time to break out the pads!

Belly button in or out?  In.  

What I miss?  Having time to chill out in an evening - I've really got back into my workout routine lately and been busy with friends and family.  However, it means I usually get home with less than an hour to spare before bedtime.  I either end up staying up late to chill out and wind down but then find myself knackered in a morning OR feeling like I've not wound down before bed.  I've got little to no housework done either!

What I am looking forward to?  Getting the nursery mostly finished.  The plasterers are coming in tomorrow to fill the hole where the radiator has been moved from which means this weekend we can finally crack on properly... although we have a busy weekend so I'm not sure how much we will get done but at least I'll have the option!

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I have an appointment with the midwife next Wednesday (23rd August) and my next growth scan/Consultant appointment is 25th September.

 Weekly wisdom?  I don't have any wisdom this week - I have full on baby brain!  Maybe that should be my weekly wisdom... make lists, lots of lists, because you'll forget everything.

Milestones?  I don't think we've hit any particular milestones this week.  I think we have everything we need now in terms of clothes and I've just got my hospital bag out ready to pack after work tomorrow - so they're pretty big things!

Bump picture: 

There's definitely no denying it now!  I'm so in love with my body and the miraculous things it's doing :D

Here is little Pip at 28w5d.  He/She is sat with head under my ribs, feet over face and bum sitting on my bladder (which explains all the weeing) - plenty of time to turn around yet though :)

Pregnancy - 28 week update

How far along?  28 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of an aubergine (or an echidna)  - around 37.6 cm and 1 kg (2.2 lb)!

Total weight gain/loss?  61 kg today - it's 0.5 kg down on last week but as I said last week I'd had a massive meal the night before and weighed myself at a different time of day so I expected to go down a little bit this week or stay the same.  I've put on around 12 lbs from my lowest point in weight but it's only 5 lbs from where I started the pregnancy as I lost a lot in the beginning.

Waist?  33.5 inches so another 0.5 inches on.  I'm measuring around my belly button which is still right at the top of my bump so not measuring around the biggest part but it's the easiest way for me to be consistent.

Stretchmarks?  No new ones.

Maternity clothes?  Same as before.

Sleep?  Slowly getting worse - turning over creates some twinges in my uterus, my sciatica has been playing up and Pip has been using my bladder as a trampoline.  I'm getting enough to function though so I can't complain.

Best moment this week?  Finding out that my mum is moving to a local hospital today so I can go and visit her at the weekend without killing myself to get there.

Movement?  Plenty - lots of bigger movements as well rather than just little jabs.

Food cravings?  Anything I see, I want!

Food aversions?  Nothing.  

Gender?   We're pretty convinced it's a girl but still no confirmation.

Labour signs?  Definitely not - not even Braxton Hicks.

Pregnancy symptoms?  I'm starting to really feel pregnant now - I have almost constant heartburn, I'm peeing all the time, I'm not sleeping too well, my stomach is starting to feel heavy when I'm standing for too long, my back hurts and I love it all!  I wanted the full blown experience and that's what I'm getting.  I'm especially enjoying those little moments where my bump gets in the way or where I look down and just see the tip of it poking out!

Belly button in or out?  In.  

What I miss?  I'm pretty damn content with life at the moment - I don't think I'm missing anything in particular.  If I had to name something I kind of miss not being able to eat whatever I want (such as binging on junk food) without feeling guilty about it because I'm feeding Pip too... but really that's a good thing because it's forcing me to have a healthier diet.

What I am looking forward to?  We are heading to Cambridge this weekend to meet up with some friends we met on our honeymoon last year.  We haven't been able to get to see them since because of various life issues getting in the way so I can't wait.  The woman is pregnant too, about 21 weeks, so it'll be lovely to catch up although I'm already a little jealous because I know she looks a lot more pregnant than me!

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I have another growth scan and appointment with the Consultant on 14th August (this coming Monday) and then I'm back at the midwife on 23rd August.
 Weekly wisdom?  Get things done now!  I'm still feeling great and exercising regularly but people keep telling me that in another 6-8 weeks I'll be struggling and not have time to do things.  They may or may not be right but I'm trying to get through everything I can when I'm not at work, things that I might not be able to find time for so easily in the future - my car has just had new tyres, we're getting the garden done, I've deep cleaned the kitchen etc.

Milestones?  I'm starting to look pregnant instead of just fat... according to one of my work colleagues the other day.  I didn't know whether to be pleased or a little offended because she clearly thought I looked fat before.

Bump picture: 

My bump is definitely starting to join up at the top now and Pip's movements are being felt much higher up so there's some serious growth going on in the last few weeks!

Pregnancy - 27 week update

How far along?  27 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a head of cauliflower (or a fennec fox) - around 36.6 cm and 875 g (1.9 lb)!

Total weight gain/loss?  61.5 kg - that's a 1.7 kg increase on last week but probably not massively accurate as, due to working different hours, I weighed myself at a different time to normal and I had a MASSIVE meal before bed last night.  So I'm expecting to stay about the same for next week as well.

Waist?  32.5 inches, same as last week.  If I'd measured it last night after my meal it would have been at least 34 I reckon - I looked a good 2 or 3 weeks more pregnant than I do now haha.

Stretchmarks?  No new ones.

Maternity clothes?  Same as before.

Sleep?  It's not been great this week - circumstances seem to have conspired against me including back pain, noisy neighbours and me making the dumb decision to wait up for ALS the other night when he was out late, despite it being over 2 hours past my usual bedtime on a work night.

Best moment this week?  We went for a lovely walk in the Peak District on Saturday and, despite it being slightly more challenging than we anticipated (think Jumanji in places, you couldn't see 2 feet in any direction for overgrowth), I had an absolutely lovely time.  It was great feeling accomplished by the end - not only did I manage it without whining, we also managed not to get lost - and it was lovely to have some quality time together away from civilisation.  We will definitely be going for more walks between now and Pip's arrival, just maybe in slightly hilly areas when I start getting heavier.

Movement?  Plenty - I think Pip is upside down at the moment, the strongest movements are above my belly button rather than down in my groin.

Food cravings?  I still just want chocolate.  I'm not exercising hard enough to burn it off though so I feel guilty if I have much.

Food aversions?  Nothing.  

Gender?   ALS and I made our baby arrival predictions this week, they are as follows:  ALS - Girl, 22nd October, 6 lb 12 oz.  Me - Girl, 9th November, 6 lb 12 oz.  It's a little weird that we both guessed the exact same weight without speaking to each other about it first, but we both have a feeling it's a girl - maybe just because we've been calling Pip "he" for so long we just assume we'll be wrong.

Labour signs?  Definitely not - not even Braxton Hicks.

Pregnancy symptoms?  Just the usual.  Plus I've been getting restless legs every night... then I try and stretch them out and get cramp!

Belly button in or out?  In.  

What I miss?  It's not so much what I miss but more what I feel I'm missing out on.  With everything going on with my mum she's not involved in my pregnancy at all and, whilst I think that's for the best at the moment, I always envisioned sharing all this with her and it's hard thinking that Pip might be missing an important relationship with his grandma.  ALS' mum died when he was a teenager so Pip won't have his paternal grandmother around either.  Fortunately, ALS' step-mum is wonderful and has been very supportive.  She lives locally and will definitely want to be involved with Pip.

What I am looking forward to?  We are going to a welcome home party for our little nephew on Saturday and it will be great to see everyone and catch up.  It's only been just over a week since I saw my sister-in-law and nephew but I'm missing them both already and I just know he'll have changed so much!

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I have another growth scan and appointment with the Consultant on 14th August and then I'm back at the midwife on 23rd August.

Weekly wisdom?  Sleep.  Whenever you get chance, just sleep.  Get early nights, take a nap if you want one and do whatever you can to get good quality sleep.  Your body will thank you for it.

Milestones?  Today I am officially in my third trimester - we're on the home stretch!

Bump picture:

You can definitely tell it's a baby bump now when it's uncovered but I still just look fat in most of my clothes, I'm desperate for it to round off nicely!  It's still pretty damn tiny by most people's standards at 27 weeks but at least it means I can still reach to tie my shoes.