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.

Pregnancy - 32 week update

How far along?  32 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a kale leaf (or a naked tailed armadillo)  - around 42.4 cm and 1.7 kg (3.7 lb)!

Total weight gain/loss?  63.1 kg today - so a relatively large increase.  However I did weight myself at a different time due to work and I've noticed that when I do this, I usually end up noticing I'm lighter the following week so I'm taking it with a pinch of salt.  

Waist?  33.5 inches, exactly the same.  This is odd as bump has definitely grown but I think it's because I'm measuring around my belly button and bump is lower down.

Stretchmarks?  No new ones, touch wood.  I'm expanding at quite a speed now so expecting some to pop up.

Maternity clothes?  I was really smug when I got my maternity skirt and decided that between that and floaty dresses I wouldn't need to buy any maternity trousers for work... I'm less smug at 6am every morning when I have to try and get tights on though.  I refuse to buy any more clothes for work though as, although it's 5 weeks until I finish, between holidays and working 4 day weeks I only have 16 working days left!

Sleep?  Sleep has been quite horrendous.  I've got a lot of pain in my ribs which means lying on my sides is uncomfortable so I keep finding myself wanting to lie on my back, which obviously I shouldn't be doing for prolonged periods.   I'm peeing pretty much every hour and, even with Gaviscon, sometimes heartburn is a problem.  A couple of nights I've also woken up drenched in sweat and had to change.  Then there's the restless legs.  None of the above is conducive to a good night's sleep... BUT I'm feeling okay and getting just about enough to function.

Best moment this week?  Getting the bookcase up in the nursery.  I love reading and I really want to encourage Pip too.  I've already dug out all my old Disney books and Roald Dahl books to start filling the shelves in the nursery and I'm reading Harry Potter to my bump (ALS isn't a fan so I decided to get a head start and hope Pip enjoys them)!

Movement?  Lots of big movements nowadays, sometimes they shake my whole body almost.  There's definitely something wedged under my ribs which, when I move, feels like it's trying to tear my lower ribs out of my chest... that's less fun.

Food cravings?  Sweet stuff... I'm trying not to give in to this one too much but it's so hard!

Food aversions?  Nothing.  

Gender?   Still no idea.

Labour signs?  Still nothing, touch wood.  My sister-in-law had her little boy on the day she turned 32 weeks so I'm getting a little nervous!  

Pregnancy symptoms?  We're going to go with a list format seeing as detailed everything would take forever: regular peeing, feeling like I can't empty my bladder, heartburn, restless legs, night sweats, rib pain, being constantly hungry, sore boobs, haemorrhoids - I know it sounds like I'm complaining but honestly I'm loving it, despite all the crappy feelings!

Belly button in or out?  In.  

What I miss?  Being able to reach to put my tights on without a struggle!

What I am looking forward to?  We're off to the in-laws tomorrow night for a Chinese for my mother-in-law's birthday.  It'll be lovely to see everyone AND it's been ages since I had a Chinese.

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

 Weekly wisdom?  Enjoy being pregnant!  Yes, it's hard.  Yes, there are times you probably wish the baby would just get out already.  However, I love my bump.  I love feeling my baby moving around and I know for a fact that, although it will be lovely to be able to sit or lie comfortably and pain-free once baby is born, I will miss the special bond I have with my bump.

Milestones?  Making it past the point where my sister in law gave birth, hopefully I can relax a little more now!  32 weeks itself isn't a big milestone to most but it's been what I've looking forward to.

Bump picture: 

I'm so in love with my own figure right now!  My bump is finally joining at the top, there's just a tiny dip where it goes in just above my belly button, which will probably be gone by next week.  I feel like it's gotten a lot bigger this week.  

Happy Conception Day!

Exactly one year ago today our little Pip was conceived, along with 10 other little ones.

5 didn't survive to day 5, 2 carried the chromosome from ALS' mum and have been donated to scientific research, 1 was transferred and just didn't stick.

That brings us to today, where 1 of our miracle embryos is now wriggling around inside me and growing by the day.  We also have 1 little frostie left in storage, waiting to hopefully provide Pip with a sibling one day.

I do enjoy confusing people who don't know the whole story by telling them that my baby was conceived a year ago, watching them do them maths and proceed to ask me if I'm some sort of elephant and have been carrying Pip for 12 months already.

It's amazing to look back on how far we've come and to think that in just a couple of months we will have a real baby here to take care of.

Miracles do happen!