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.

Pregnancy - 26 week update

How far along?  26 weeks

How big is baby?  The size of a red cabbage (or a slow loris) - around 35.6 cm and 760 g (1.7 lb)!

Total weight gain/loss?  59.8 kg so no change from last week.  I didn't expect much of a change to be honest as I ate like a pig last week and have tried to eat more healthy this week so I think the weight gain has just spread over a couple of weeks.

Waist?  32.5 inches - a whole inch on!  I actually measured myself on Sunday night as well (when it was also 32.5 inches) because I thought I looked huge after eating a giant bowl of spaghetti bolognese and a Kinder Bueno ice cream sundae so I thought it might be around 32 by today now I'm less stuffed, clearly I've expanded and stayed expanded!

Stretchmarks?  No new ones.

Maternity clothes?  Just the couple of bits I have for work - primarily the skirt because my trousers don't fit.  I'm still in my normal clothes around the house, accompanied by leggings.

Sleep?  It's been a bit hit and miss but nothing too bad.

Best moment this week?  Getting the wardrobe up in the nursery and getting the shed up in the garden - the house is really starting to come together now!

Movement?  Plenty :)

Food cravings?  I just want chocolate ALL the time.

Food aversions?  Nothing.  

Gender?   Still no idea.

Labour signs?  Definitely not - not even Braxton Hicks.

Pregnancy symptoms?  I've had a lot of trouble with sciatica this last few days but I expected it as I struggled with it pre-pregnancy too.

Belly button in or out?  In.  

What I miss?  Being financially comfortable... due to a fire at his workplace ALS has been effectively unemployed for 6 weeks with very little pay (he's essentially self-employed so isn't covered by the company).  We have also had a car written off and had to get a new one and have a lot of expense at the moment due to various annual bills (like car tax) all falling at the same time.  We're far from destitute but I'm having to be very careful not to buy anything else for the baby until ALS is back at work and earning properly again (fortunately he's back on 1st August), which is frustrating when I just want to get everything in place.

What I am looking forward to?  My best friend, who is coordinating a baby shower for me, is coming over this weekend to discuss it and get everything finalised.  It'll be lovely to see her and obviously a baby shower is a very exciting prospect!

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?  Know when to remove yourself from a situation.  My mum's mental health has deteriorated and I've had to be on hand to support my grandparents a lot in the last week.  However, I have taken great care to remove myself from the situation (even if only for a few minutes) if I've felt myself getting stressed or wound up.  I've noticed that when I'm around my mother, Pip doesn't move at all, which makes me very sad as it's his/her grandmother but at the same time it's also a giant warning sign for me to not be under that stress too much.  There's a fine line between helping her and taking care of my baby but I think I'm managing it quite well - she's actually been admitted to hospital in the last few days so that's a big relief for me as I know she's safe BUT she's over 120 miles away so I'm not really able to visit.

Milestones?  For some reason I didn't change this last week and left it as viability from the week before BUT it's a big milestone so I'm not concerned!  This week I've started to really notice a pattern to baby's movements and it's lovely waking up every morning to feel him/her wriggling around as soon as I start my day.

Bump picture: 

My bump is still looking pretty tiny - I'm filling out in general and I've noticed my waistline getting wider as well as more towards the front so that's probably why it doesn't look as big.  Also, compared to other women I've seen my bump starts very low down - there's still a distinctive dip in at the top of my bump whereas most women seem to start right under their boobs by this stage.  Just waiting for that bit to pop out so I start looking pregnant and stop looking fat! :D

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!

Pregnancy - 24 week update

How far along?  24 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?  59 kg exactly today.  It's 0.2 kg down on last week but given the fact that last week I weighed myself later in the day and fully dressed, I reckon I was probably only 58.something last week so things are still going in the right direction!  1.5 kg over where I started at 24 weeks, not bad at all.

Waist?  31.5 inches - another 0.5 inches on! :D

Stretchmarks?  No new ones - I'm still swearing by Palmer's Tummy Butter, either it works miracles or I'm just being very lucky.  I'll probably start to get some when I really start to grow.

Maternity clothes?  Still none, I'm off work for 5 days now so hoping to get some time to do a little bit of a shopping.

Sleep?  Sunday night was horrendous!  I'd just met my little nephew and I couldn't stop thinking about him and then thinking about having my own baby so I was awake until almost 2am.  Otherwise it's been okay though.

Best moment this week?  Reaching viability!  Also, for the first time someone actually just assumed I was pregnant without me mentioning it so I must actually look pregnant now - although it definitely depends on what I'm wearing.  I asked if he'd just assumed I was pregnant and he got really uncomfortable and apologised - I reassured him that it was entirely a good thing and I was very excited by it (although a lot of women might not like it). 

Movement?  I think Pip has moved this week.  Movements had been really low down, particularly on the right and a little on the left so we figured he was lay lengthways with his feet to my right.  In the last 24 hours I've felt some movements quite high up, above my belly button, so I think he might be standing on his head or just stretching out more.  Update - I shared this blog post this morning but this afternoon, whilst we were at the cinema (War for the Planet of the Apes is AMAZING by the way) ALS got to feel Pip kick :D

Food cravings?  Nothing much this week.

Food aversions?  Nothing.  

Gender?   I had a dream last night that I was putting the baby in the pushchair... it's not very clear in my head but I think it was a girl.  Maybe it's a sign!

Labour signs?  Definitely not.  I keep wondering if I'll feel Braxton Hicks at any point but nothing so far.

Pregnancy symptoms?  Nothing new this week - I'm just really loving being pregnant at the moment and so excited to be a mum.

Belly button in or out?  In.

What I miss?  Nothing at the moment - I'm just embracing everything.

What I am looking forward to?  Spending more time with my nephew, our birthday party this weekend (it's ALS' birthday tomorrow and mine the day after), ALS being able to feel kicks soon hopefully... lots of things going on at the moment!

Upcoming appointments/scans?  I'm back at the midwife on 19th July and my next growth scan is 14th August.   I'm also awaiting an appointment for an echocardiogram just to check my EDS hasn't affected my heart in the last few years and to make sure my previous murmur is completely gone.

Weekly wisdom?  Don't start counting down too early!  I'm currently counting down until I finish work - I love my job and the days aren't exactly dragging but I'm so excited to be able to fully focus on being pregnant and then being a mum for a while.  I know the time is meant to go slowly towards the end but when I'm at home I find plenty of ways to keep it going quickly.  I only actually have (I think) 46 days left at work because I work 4 long days instead of 5 average ones and I have some annual leave put in to take before I go off on leave.  It's going to fly by - hopefully!

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: 

It's SO amazing to think there's an actual viable baby in there!  I may have to find a new location for my photos... so pale I'm blending in with the bedsheets haha!

Love at first sight...

So, yesterday I finally got to meet my beautiful little nephew (in-law, but I'm counting him as a real one seeing as I have no siblings).

He came home after a 3 week 2 day stay in NICU and my sister-in-law would have been 35+2 weeks pregnant yesterday.  He's a tiny 4lb 7oz so he's regained his birth weight and they're both doing great.

Sister-in-law looks AMAZING to say she gave birth a few weeks ago and has been spending all her time by his incubator for the last 3 weeks.  They said we could go visit them for an hour yesterday evening when they came home for a break and I had my suspicions that there'd be a baby there when we got there but it was still the best surprise ever.  We've not seen any of them since he was born so it was lovely to catch up and see them as a little family for the first time.

What is more amazing than any of this is that ALS (who has never held a baby and is terrified of how tiny they are) actually willingly held him, albeit on a cushion, despite the fact that he's even tinier than your average newborn.  It was wonderful seeing him cooing over him (in his own quiet way) and it's made me even more excited to meet our little one.

None of this has done me any good at all... the last few weeks have dragged and it's now going even more slowly.  I was lay awake for 4 hours in bed last night just being generally in love and excited about the future and I couldn't focus at all today at work.  Hopefully this calms down or it's going to be an incredibly long 4 months!

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!