Pregnancy - 39 week update

How far along?  39 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a mini watermelon (or an American short-haired cat)  - around 50.7 cm and 3.3 kg (7.2 lb).

Total weight gain/loss?  I'm 64.7 kg today so no real gain or loss over the last couple of weeks.  I've heard it's not unusual for your weight to plateau around the end so I'm not really expecting much change. 

Waist? 36 inches so no change again (possibly creeping up to 36.5).  I'm pretty sure the baby is getting bigger by the week but my body is refusing to expand any further, which is rather annoying because it's getting pretty cramped in there.

Stretchmarks?  Still none - I can't believe how lucky I've been.

Maternity clothes?  Still loving the leggings!

Sleep?  I'm getting a good solid 4-5 hours between around 2am and 6-7am most nights but prior to that I'm up and down a lot peeing or trying to get comfy.  I tend to doze til around 9am but I'm trying not to lie in any later than that.

Best moment this week?  We had a lovely day on Saturday meeting my friend's baby for the first time and then visiting more friends for dinner and pumpkin carving.  It's nice to still have the chance to get out and socialise this late on!

Movement?  Still plenty - most nights he/she goes crazy when I'm trying to sleep.

Food cravings?  I'm back on the coleslaw again... just enjoyed a lovely jacket potato with cheese and coleslaw.

Food aversions?  Nothing but I'm still feeling quite nauseous on and off.  Last Thursday I couldn't keep anything down all morning and my stomach has been upset since - all normal I understand towards the end.

Gender?   The general consensus is still that it's a girl - not long until we find out now.

Labour signs?  I've had an upset stomach on and off for weeks now which people keep telling me could be a sign that things are imminent but I'm not taking it to mean anything.  I've still had no real signs at all.   We had sex last night and I wondered if that might start anything but other than some crampy pains on and off overnight (more like a constant period pain than anything else) it didn't have any effect.

Pregnancy symptoms?  The heartburn has been horrendous for the last few days and my sciatica is worsening by the day, although bouncing around on the exercise ball has helped a lot with this.  

Belly button in or out?  Kind of flat.  I'm wondering if it'll fully pop out at any point or not.

What I miss?  I'm missing work a little bit already - I've only been off work for 2 weeks but I'm starting to get a bit impatient for baby to arrive and keep me busy!

What I am looking forward to?  Halloween!  It's my second favourite holiday (after Christmas) and, although we won't be doing a lot this year because we didn't want to make plans and have to cancel them, we are going over to my sister-in-law's for movies and stuff so I'm looking forward to it.

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I see the midwife again on my due date.  I have a sweep booked with the Consultant on 6th November (40+5) if Pip hasn't made an appearance by then.  The Health Visitor also came round today to introduce herself which was nice, although a little unnecessary if I'm honest.

 Weekly wisdom?  You'll never feel ready!  I've been desperate to have a baby since I was a teenager, we've planned this for a long time and with the IVF it's definitely been a long time coming.  Then I've had the last 9 months to prepare myself but I'm still starting to get a little nervous about the fact that there will soon be a tiny human who is entirely dependent upon us.

Milestones?  Being physically ready for baby.  The nursery is ready, the house is clean, our bedroom is ready, the changing/feeding stations are ready, the hospital bags are packed, the freezer is packed with meals, we've made arrangements for the cats and we generally couldn't get more more prepared now.

Bump picture: 

My bump seems to flit weekly from quite round to quite defined but it doesn't really seem to be getting much bigger.

Here's a little picture of our pumpkin family, just for fun.  I'm very attached to our little Pip Pumpkin!

Pregnancy Essentials!

With less than 2 weeks until my due date I thought I'd take some time to reflect on my pregnancy and the things that I couldn't have survived without!

Palmer's Tummy Butter

I've been lathering this all over my stomach, hips and boobs since the day I found out I was pregnant and so far, so good.  I had real problems with stretchmarks during puberty and they've now faded but are still mildly visible, so I wanted to do everything in my power to prevent them this time.  It seems to be working but there's still time I suppose!  If nothing else, it's very relaxing having a routine where I go to bed every night and moisturise with this and I'm looking forward to it even more once my bump is a bit bigger.  It can be a bit greasy afterwards so I suggest wearing old pyjamas if you're bothered about them getting a bit messy - it does seem to wash out fine though!  You can buy Palmer's Tummy Butter online or from most supermarkets and drugstores - I got mine from Boots and I'm just under halfway through my third tub.  Obviously the bigger you get, the more you use.  I have no idea if it's actually helped or whether maybe just massaging and keeping good blood flow has been more useful BUT it's a great way of bonding with baby.

Brother Max Ray Bath and Room Thermometer

During the IVF I read in a few places that having hot baths after an embryo transfer isn't good for you as you shouldn't raise your core temperature too much and the same goes for pregnancy.  Therefore, I invested in this little guy.  He's cute, easy to use and doubles up as a room thermometer.  He'll also be a handy tool to check room and bath temperatures once baby is here.  Again, I purchased him from Boots.

Ginger Biscuits

These don't need a link as you can get them from any
local store or supermarket, but they were a livesafer in the beginning.  Ginger is well known for easing nausea and I found nibbling on a couple of these first thing in a morning to line my stomach a great way of fending off the morning sickness.  Oddly enough, now I can't stand the sight of them but that's probably because I associate them with feeling queasy.


Seven Seas Pregnancy Multivitamin

I was taking folic acid (with vitamin D) for well over a year in the lead up to starting the IVF process and I continued that until I'd had my embryo transfer then switched over to these, which are more specifically designed to support a growing baby.  They still contain all the folic acid and vitamin D you need, but also other recommended supplements (such as iodine - which I read about late on, panicked and then realised was in these anyway).  They also have a little ginger mixed in which may help with morning sickness.  They're a great way to make sure you're getting everything you and baby need during those first few weeks where you feel sick and your diet is mostly eating whatever you can stomach, whenever you can stomach it.

Pillows

A pregnant woman, especially one in her third trimester, can never have enough pillows.  I've been building myself a little fortress every night in an effort to get comfortable and I've started getting a little more sleep since I padded myself out with more pillows.  I use one between my legs to ease sciatic pain, one under my bump/ribs to ease rib pain and prop up 2 under my head.  It's also helpful to have a couple behind you so you don't end up rolling on to your back.  In the last week my sister-in-law has lent me her pregnancy pillow and it has been pretty useful.  However, I wouldn't say it's a necessity and normal pillow do the trick.  You certainly don't need one of really fancy pregnancy pillows that cost around £70, a cheap £20 will do just the same job!

Gaviscon

If I could only have one thing off this list, Gaviscon would be it.  I've had chronic heartburn from around 16 weeks and none of the self-help measures have worked.  I've tried cutting out spicy/acidic foods, eating little and often, not eating/drinking for a few hours before bed, keeping myself propped up at night and every other thing people have recommended but absolutely nothing works.  Gaviscon, however, provides instant relief and is perfectly safe to use regularly during pregnancy. I've got a selection of various sized bottles around the house, in my handbag and I kept one in my desk drawer at work!  FYI I was told that once baby drops down in late pregnancy the heartburn would go away - I'm now almost 39 weeks, baby is 3/5 engaged and I STILL have horrendous heartburn.

Exercise Ball

These balls are amazing - so much so that I bought 2 of them.  I have one in the living room which I use for sitting on in an evening when I'm watching TV and for stretching/exercising and I kept one at my desk to switch out with my desk chair when I was uncomfortable, which I found especially useful for tailbone pain.  The one I brought home from work is now safely packed away in my hospital bag ready for labour.  They're also great for helping baby to engage and turning breech babies apparently - I'll be bouncing on it a lot in the next week or two to try and encourage Pip to make an appearance.

Leggings

Black leggings from Pep & Co (usually found inside Poundland stores) have been an absolute life saver.  Every time I've got bigger I've just bought a pair in a bigger size and it's not broken the bank as they're around £2.50 a pair!  As I got rounder I found that my work trousers wouldn't fit and I couldn't fit any smart maternity trousers that I liked and that were a reasonable price, so I switched to wearing dresses and tights constantly.  Then, when I got to the point that getting tights on was just too much of a fight I swapped to wearing these under my dresses with a pair of black socks and nobody was any the wiser.  These are going to be perfect for after baby is born as well as they're soft, stretchy, comfortable and easy to get on and off.

Nursing Bras

Although these are more essential after baby is born, they've been brilliant for taking the pressure off my ribs which have been hurting for a good couple of months now.  Any underwired bra would do the same job and I spent most of the first trimester in sports bras when my breasts were really tender.  I bought a pack of 3 from Amazon seeing as I was going to need them after birth anyway and they weren't expensive at all.  They're incredibly comfy but I haven't posted a link as one of the straps on one has already torn so you might have to shop around a little!

There are various other things that I have really benefited from such as good apps on my phone (Pregnancy+ and Baby Centre are 2 of my favourites), slip on shoes over the last few weeks and, possibly most important of all, a good solid exercise regime but the above purchases were all well worth going out specifically to buy!

What were your essentials for pregnancy?  I'd love to hear about them - particularly anything a little unusual that people might not think of!

Pregnancy - 38 week update

How far along?  38 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a leek (or a Pomeranian)  - around 489.8 cm and 3 kg (6.8 lb).

Total weight gain/loss?  I'm 65.5 kg today - my weight is fluctuating quite a bit.  I weighed myself yesterday by mistake thinking it was Wednesday and I was 64.6 kg so thought I'd lost quite a bit.  I seem to have stayed relatively the same as last week.  

Waist? 36 inches so no increase again.  Baby seems to be getting bigger and squashing more of my insides but my body doesn't seem to be willing to expand to accommodate it.

Stretchmarks?  Still no - I'm hoping this means I've escaped but I could still have another 4 weeks to go so I won't count my chickens just yet.

Maternity clothes?  Same as last week, although most of my comfy PJs are getting a little snug and I'm having to wear summer PJs even though it's getting colder.

Sleep?  I have had some horrendous nights and some not so bad ones.  Getting to sleep is hard because my brain is working overtime and then I'm constantly waking up with pain in my ribs, pain in my back or needing to pee.  Being off work has been a godsend because I've managed to have a couple of naps on days where I've slept really badly.

Best moment this week?  Getting really organised - I've started making freezer meals ready for when Pip is here, I've given the inside of my car a good clean (it's been filthy from carting around all the garden tools and rubbish), I've started reorganising the kitchen and I've made a good start on my Christmas shopping too.

Movement?  Lots, although it's quite obvious that Pip is running out of room.

Food cravings?  Munchies!  I'm also still really enjoying broccoli, which is a wonderfully healthy craving to have.

Food aversions?  Nothing but I'm still feeling quite nauseous on and off.

Gender?   I'm way too excited to find out now... I keep seeing the most adorable little Christmas outfits and can't wait to get one. 

Labour signs?  I've had a few little pains in my groin and, as confirmed by the midwife today, Pip is now 3/5 engaged.  That's it though - still no loss of mucous plug, no Braxton Hicks or anything else exciting.  My bump also hasn't dropped but I don't think it will to be honest.

Pregnancy symptoms?  I thought with Pip being lower I would get some relief from heartburn and rib pain but they've both been out in full force this week.  My sciatica has been really bad, again down to Pip being lower down, as well this week.  In general I'm still rather enjoying pregnancy though.

Belly button in or out?  In - although it is starting to flatten out a little bit.  I'm wondering if it'll fully pop out at any point or not.

What I miss?  I'm not missing much because I'm still doing everything I was doing before I was pregnant - I even did a bootcamp class at the gym this week!  Due to my lack of sleep a little caffeine wouldn't go amiss though.

What I am looking forward to?  We are going to see one of my best friends on Saturday - she gave birth to her second child on Monday (a little boy weighing 7lb 3oz) so I can't wait for snuggles.  I've been counting down my pregnancy by counting down all of my pregnant friends having their children and she was the last one so I guess it really is my turn next!

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I saw the midwife this morning and now I don't see her again until my due date.  I have a sweep booked with the Consultant on 6th November (40+5) if Pip hasn't made an appearance by then.

 Weekly wisdom?  Keep yourself busy during your maternity leave!  Within 2 days I was bored.  I'm trying to take it relatively easy so I'm giving myself a few things to do each day and resting in between, just having things to focus on is really helping me not to get too bogged down being impatient for Pip's arrival.

Milestones?  Baby being engaged... that's about as much as I can come up with today.

Bump picture: 

Bump is still sitting nice and high - the rib pain has been excruciating today despite the fact that baby's head is engaged.  I'm guessing it's because I have such a short torso that his/her feet are still stuck up in my ribs even though the head is so low.

Last Day at Work!

So, as you may know from my last post, Tuesday was my last day at work.  I'm not officially on maternity leave yet as I'm on "holiday" for 2 weeks but essentially I'm on my maternity leave.  I was utterly and completely spoilt rotten by my coworkers so I thought I'd dedicate a post to what they gave me.  It's also a great idea for anyone looking to make a hamper for mum/baby, as they really did think of everything!

Firstly, there was the amazing cake.  We have some pretty fabulous bakers in our department and they did not disappoint.  There was a lovely lemon drizzle cake and then this masterpiece with a box of Milk Tray on the top... my favourite!

Then they gave me this wonderful hamper.  There were some bits in there for me and some for baby, I've added a list below as you can't quite see everything from the photo.

These adorable clothes were in the hamper as well.  I've had my eye on the Harry Potter set for ages and the woman who I share my office with knows I'm a fan.  She's the one who put the hamper together and I was so excited when I saw those red/gold stripes!

For Mum:

• Shower gel
• Bubble bath
• Facemasks
• Deodorant 
• Flannel
• Moisturiser
• Lindt Lindor Orange - one of my cravings and absolutely favourite chocolates (that I only recently discovered)

For Baby:

• Clothes - including a lovely little reversible coat with an outfit, Harry Potter outfit, onesies and bibs.
• Dummies.
• Bright Starts connector ring toys, also great for teething.
• Peter Rabbit books.
• Sun shades and a "Baby on Board" sign for the car.
• Baby toiletries - talcum powder, body wash, bath oil and baby wipes.
• Rubber duck which changes colour on the bottom if the water is too hot.

I can't explain how grateful I am to have such wonderful colleagues and I know they'll make my transition back into work so much easier when I've finished my maternity leave!

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.