Sunday 29 June 2008

27 weeks, 3 days

Not a lot has happened but feel like I've got a lot to write. Feeling in a bit of a moany mood today so watch out!

Was my birthday on 21st June. I didn't do much as I share it with a friend who had his 30th so left him to take the limelight. Also, not much I can really do myself. I just had a lunch with Dan, Lou and Ben (and Stuart, of course) and a few others joined us for a drink after lunch before going out to Dinner for my friend's 30th. I had two celebratory Pimms over the course of the day - so really partying :o)

Stuart got me a lovely pressie - one of those model makeover packs. I've pondered over whether I should get it done while pregnant or wait until after the pregnancy but have decided to do it before. I have to do it before 1 December so there is a risk that I don't get my figure back by then (in fact, highly probable!) and it might be good to have a couple of nice pregnancy ones to look back at later.

Baby is break-dancing like anything. It feels like it is constantly moving to me but I guess does have a few snoozey moments. It has definitely moved up a bit now so right at this moment it feels like it is booting me in the ribs - very uncomfortable!!! It gets fascinating to watch my belly though - it really reminds me of alien! Bumps and ripples all over the place.

I've finally bought new bras - yipppeeeee! Mainly because my back size has changed more than my cup size but they are growing a little. I have actually given in and got non-wire ones too which I didn't think I'd ever do but M&S do a couple of good t-shirt ones that are actually quite comfy and look like a bit like underwire ones. Sorry, not a very interesting topic of conversation but new bras is a milestone for me!

I'm just about to enter the 3rd trimester now and am already starting to feel the woes of the 3rd trimester. My poor ankles really can't handle standing for long periods and any physical work really takes it out of me. I have finally started painting our bedroom after the plastering was done last week. I didn't realise how many muscles it uses to paint a ceiling and to squat down to do the edges. Has wiped me out today and, yes, my ankles are very achey. Am looking forward to a bath later though dreading the effort it takes me to get in and out. Has anyone got a winch? or a crane perhaps?

Not meaning this to sound rude as I know people are only showing an interest and there isn't much else to talk to a pregnant woman about (can hardly discuss the latest drunken antics from the weekend!!!) but I have thought about getting a t'shirt made that says over my bump
I'm due 26 September
I'm a surprise
I haven't made mummy eat
any weird concoctions
The sickness has long gone
That in answer to the four most commonly asked questions.
  1. When are you due?
  2. Do you know what you are having?
  3. Have you had any weird cravings?
  4. Have you had any sickness/do you still feel sick?
OK to the occasional person when you see them but when you go to a gathering and everyone decides to ask you independently...sounds really bad but makes me want to hide my bump (impossible as that may be) and not want to talk about it. It also makes me not want to ask others about their pregnancy in case they are suffering from the same thing. May just be me though as I was the same with my wedding. I got bored of talking about it and was desperate to talk about other stuff. It was so boring to me.
Told you I was feeling in a moany mood! To anyone reading this, do feel free to ask me about my pregnancy but perhaps not so much if you see me at a big gathering - or be one of the first!!! ;o) or just ask me a different question...

Monday 16 June 2008

25 weeks, 4 days

One of the more entertaining parts of being pregnant is trying to find new easier ways to do the most simplest tasks, such as shaving your legs, cutting and painting toe nails.

Imagine a contortionist trying to get into a box but with a football attached to their belly!!!

The current way of shaving legs is sitting on the edge of the bath with my leg stretched out to the side. I'm yet to find a good way of painting and cutting toe nails. A squatting position starts off ok but ends up aching my legs or I fall over - my balance isn't what it used to be.

I forget I'm not as agile as before I was pregnant. I will go to bend down to pick something up but then my bump gets in my way.

Being only 25 weeks pregnant - these things are only going to get harder as I grow so I will be trying out new exciting and adventurous positions. Who ever thought shaving my legs and caring for my feet could be such fun...?

Wednesday 11 June 2008

24 weeks, 6 days (post 2)

Just thought I would do another post to see if I can predict the baby's sex based on folklore. My instincts are saying boy so lets see if the folklore matches:

Boy

• Your baby's heartbeat is lower than 140 beats per minute - Incorrect, higher
• you're carrying all out front - Correct
• you're carrying low - Correct
• you're blooming in pregnancy - Inconclusive. Hmmm, don't know. I don't think so
• you didn't suffer from morning sickness in your first trimester - Incorrect. I didn't 'suffer'. I wasn't often actually sick, I just felt sick for most the time. This only lasted a few weeks.
• your right breast is bigger than your left - Incorrect. Never has been - bizarre 'myth'!
• you look at yourself in the mirror for at least a minute and your pupils dilate - Inconclusive. No idea. Will have to try this.
• you crave salty food or protein, such as cheese and meat - Inconclusive. I don't crave any food really.
• your feet become cold more quickly than before you were pregnant - Inconclusive. Maybe. Hard to recall as now it is summer. I do remember my feet getting cold but they always have.
• you tie your wedding ring to some thread, hang it over your stomach and it moves in circles - Incorrect. Back and forth.
• your skin becomes dry - Incorrect. Only usual dryness on hands and face. Nothing unusual.
• you combine your age at the time of conception with the number of the month you conceived and the resulting number is even - Incorrect. 39
• your hair has become more full-bodied and shiny during pregnancy - Inconclusive. Thicker (though took its time and I wish it hadn't). Not particularly more shinier than before - dryer.
• the hair on your legs has been growing faster during pregnancy - Incorrect. Not that I've noticed.
• you are more prone to headaches Incorrect. I got headaches nearly every day for weeks 13-16 but not since then. Occasionally when dehydrated but that's normal.
• your pillow faces north when you sleep - Inconclusive. Errrr, not sure which way is north
• you're asked to show your hands and you present them palms down - Incorrect. I hadn't done this but when I read the first part of that sentence ('you're asked to show your hands') I pictured me doing it with palms up. I then read the second part of the sentence. I would assume I would have therefore showed them up.
• you lie on your left side when sleeping - Inconclusive. Left was my preferred side but probably more often sleep on back.
• your urine is bright yellow - Inconclusive. Only when dehydrated.
• you were the more aggressive partner during love-making when you conceived - Erm, I'm not going to answer that one. For me to know and no one to find out!!!!
• you eat a clove of garlic and the smell seeps out of your pores Inconclusive. I haven't tried it. I've eaten garlic and no one has commented on me smelling but that is probably because the people I have been with have also eaten garlic.
• your previous child's first word was "dada" - Inconclusive. No previous children.

No. of positive 'correct' answers - 2

Girl
You could probably just reverse the above answers to get the below answers but I will go through them anyway just in case any are different.

• Your baby's heartbeat is faster than 140 beats per minute - Correct. 148-155
• you're carrying all round - Incorrect.
• you're carrying high - Incorrect
• you've missed the "blooming" period altogether - Inconclusive. Possibly - see above answer.
• you suffered morning sickness during your first twelve weeks - Inconclusive. See above answer.
• your left breast is bigger than your right - Correct. However, I understand that this is normal for most women as it is the side closest to the heart - therefore it has a better blood supply.
• you look at yourself in the mirror for at least a minute, but your pupils don't dilate - Inconclusive. Haven't yet tried it.
• you crave sweet things, such as juice, fruit and sweets - Inconclusive. No more than usual.
• you tie your wedding ring to some thread, hang it over your stomach and it swings from side to side - Correct.
• your skin is soft - Correct. I would say so but might need confirmation from someone else.
• you are more moody than usual - Inconclusive. More emotional but not sure about more moody. More likely to cry than get angry.
• you're asked to show your hands and you present them palms up - Correct.
• you were the less aggressive partner during love-making when you conceived - Still not answering that one!!!
• you eat a clove of garlic, but you don't smell of it - Inconclusive. See answer above.
• you combine your age at the time of conception with the number of the month you conceived and the resulting number is odd - Correct. 39
• your hair has become thinner and dull during pregnancy - Inconclusive. Thicker but possibly duller
• you lie on your right side when sleeping - Incorrect
• your pillow faces south when you sleep - Inconclusive. Still don't know.
• your urine is dull yellow - Correct. This is different from previous answer. Would say it was more 'dull' than 'bright'. Just very yellow when dehydrated.
• your previous child's first word was "mama" - Inconclusive. No previous children.

No. of positive 'correct' answers: 7

Looks like I might be having a girl then - though I still think boy. Guess we will have to wait and see :o)

[List from article: www.babycentre.co.uk -Knowing your baby's sex: the folklore http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/naming/knowingsexfolklore/ (accessed 11 June 2008)]

24 weeks, 6 days (Post 1)

Stomach size: 102cm (as of a couple of days ago - it may have grown again since)

First of all, some good news. Went to midwife Thursday last week and my BP has gone right down to 120/72 which is really good. All other tests were good and baby's heart beat was strong 148-155 bpm which is good apparently.

While there, I got the application form for maternity exemption. I get a card to say I'm exempt from prescriptions, dental expenses etc. I didn't realise I had to apply for this - stupidly. I thought that once I got my MATB1 form somehow everyone would suddenly know I was pregnant and that I was exempt. Some advice to others, you can actually ask for this from about 12 weeks pregnant I think.

I seem to be getting scattier by the minute. Very forgetful and very clumsy. I think I'm going to start taking the cod liver oil tablets with pregnacare again. Hopefully, that will bring some of my mind back or stop me losing more. If I don't write things down I forget everything.

A few things from today i) I kicked over a glass of water I had left on the floor ii) I walked into town today with a bottle of water. By the time I had gone in a couple of shops, I realised the water had gone and I must have left it in one of them; iii) I went into a beauty shop and got a drink of water from their machine and promptly threw it all over the floor. These are just the most recent examples but it is like this all the time. Strange that all these relate to water - I wonder if that means anything (other than I'm thirsty!!!).

My ankles and feet are starting to ache now when I stand for a long time or do lots on my feet. I think this is worse at the moment because the weather is quite warm. I guess this is only going to get worse. Lou's feet (my pregnant friend who is about to drop!!!) swelled loads the other day and this seems to happen regularly. Other than this though, at the moment, I'm not suffering too badly with the heat. Baby is a lot quieter when it is hot.

I think I have hayfever too which is worse than it has ever been. Usually I just suffer a couple of months of sneezing but it is worse this time. Not as bad as others though, I don't get itchy eyes (though do get itchy throat). I wonder if it is worse because of the way the environment and global warming is changing or whether it is allergic rhinitis which is a symptom of being pregnant and makes you feel like you have a cold.

Monday 2 June 2008

23 weeks, 4 days

Well I'm back from my holiday and still not much more to report.

I was really worried that everyone would make jokes about my size while away and make me really self-conscious but, thankfully, they didn't.

Baby was quieter while away, not so much moving around. It still moved but just not for so long, it would just be a nudge here and there. It is back to its constant wiggly self now that I am home.

Lots of predictions took place as to what people think I will have. My cousin was very specific - A boy, born on 26 September (my due date) at 9.15 (unsure of am or pm but would lean towards pm), would weigh 7lb 14 and we would call him Joshua. I've always been put off Joshua because so many of my friends wanted it. However, Stuart had said he had been thinking of it recently. I think, if we did have it, it would just be Josh as I prefer that to Joshua. Personally, I still prefer Toby. I guess we will see...

Have been put off boys even more though while on holiday. I keep praying for a girl or that if it is a boy it will be gay!

Scary that people keep saying to me how quick the end of September will come along - eek! Not in any hurry yet!!!!

I'm starting to suffer more with acid again. I don't get any pain or heart burn but it just sits at the top of my stomach and keeps rising up. Mints seem to help it but I never seem to have any.

I got my MATB1 form just before I went away and have sent it to work (I forgot to take it in with me so had to send it from Spain) so have got the ball rolling with my Mat Leave and being able to apply for Maternity Allowance.

I've got my next mid-wife appointment on Thursday.

Everything is just plodding along nicely.