Author: Lisa

Maternity Financial Planning

Lisa 25 Comments

Maternity Financial Planning

One of the biggest financial commitments you will make is having a baby and that’s why Maternity Financial Planning is essential so that you can enjoy your bundle of joy when the time comes.

Maternity Financial Planning

So get ahead of the game, do your homework and then you can sit back (yeah right) comfy in the knowledge that your finances are sorted for the foreseeable.

Maternity Leave Payments

You are entitled to up to 52 weeks maternity leave. Dependent on how long you have been with your current employer will determine the amount that you are entitled to. To work out what your entitled to, use this Maternity Allowance Calculator. Statutory Maternity pay is currently at £140.98 per week.

Shared Parental Leave

Dependent on your circumstances you want to share the time off to care for your baby. Luckily there is such a thing as Shared Parental Leave which you may be eligible for. You can find out all the info on this through your employer or here.

Paternity Leave

You should be entitled to 1 – 2 weeks of paid Paternity Pay. Find out your Paternity Pay Right Here.

Benefits

Make sure that you claim everything that you may be entitled to. This is dependent on your financial circumstances, but it’s definitely worth a look. Pop over to the Gov Website for more info on everything from claiming Child Benefit to Child Tax Credits.

You are of course entitled to free prescriptions and dental treatment which is valid for twelve  months following the birth of the baby. You will need to apply for this through your midwife or health visitor.

Forecast your future costs

Once you have your Maternity plan sorted and you have a rough idea of when you will return to work, sit down and work out your current incomings and outgoings. This will help you in the long run and can be adjusted if and when things change. If you’re going to have childcare costs when you return to work it’s a good idea to know how much this is going to be. It’s a huge factor in deciding what hours you will need to return to to make it worthwhile.

Try not to splurge

Easier said that done when you find out your having a baby BUT keeping your head whilst making purchases could save you a fortune. There’s loads of things that you can do to save on the spending:

Buy Secondhand

I know that a lot of people aren’t up for this (I used to be one of them), but babies, especially newborn babies don’t wear their clothes for very long and usually remain in excellent condition. See what Baby Markets and Pre-loved events that are near you. I find a lot of these on Facebook so check out local events. You could also approach friends who have had babies to see if they are willing to sell you outgrown clothes which may give you peace of mind if you’re worried about where they’re coming from.

Do your research

All the magazines and websites will give you endless ideas and lists of all the ‘Must have’ baby gear which can be often misleading. Ask friends who have had babies and you will soon learn that they were led down this path only to find that they didn’t need X, Y and Z. For me it was a bottle warmer and a hand pump for milk. I haven’t known a single person to recommend a bottle warmer and the hand pump for milk was such an effort and took such a long time.

Sales

Find out when your favourite shops hold their sales and stock up on things. It’s worth stocking up on things that you know you’re going to need such as nappies and wet wipes. If you do know the gender of your baby or your baby is already here, buy the next size up in clothes or out of season clothes which will fit them when the time comes round.

Family and Friends

All family and friends want to buy something for the new baby. Most people will ask if there is anything in particular that you need. Be honest and let them know what you have left on your list to buy. If it’s something big they may contribute with vouchers, but people really do like to know if they can buy something that you want – It’s why they asked!

Baby Groups

I went to loads of baby groups when Isabelle was a baby but the cost of these do stack up. Make sure you factor these into your monthly budget. Not all groups have to cost the earth. Look out for local parenting groups most often held in village or church halls which are often something like £1 for a stay and play session where you get a cuppa and a biscuit. Your health visitor should be able to give you some information on where to find these.

Nappies and Wet wipes

I’m going to write a more dedicated post on this subject, but have you thought of using Washable Nappies and Wet Wipes? Don’t cast this idea aside. Have a look and I guarantee you will be surprised on the options available. We went washable with Isabelle and will be washable with baby number 3. This could save you a small fortune not to mention the environmental benefits. We’re lucky in Devon that we have the Real Nappy Project where you can get advice, trial kits and demonstrations. Again, you should be able to get local information from your Midwife, Health Visitor or you may even receive this information at the hospital antenatal classes.

Loyalty Cards/Clubs

Loads of the big shops such as  Boots and Tesco have Baby Clubs where you get additional points for baby purchases, find out about upcoming ‘baby events’ and special offers. It’s definitely worth signing up for these so that you can get the best value of money on all the every day essentials.

Baby Markets and Pre-loved Events

As well as picking up a bargain, you could also sell on your outgrown and unused items to make some pennies to put towards the next thing you have to buy. You may of course be planning to have more children so it may be that you will store everything for the next one.

I’m sure that there are so many more ways that you could save money so if you have any fab nuggets of wisdom then do pop them in the comments.

Lisa x

 

 

 

Dealing with Leg Cramps during Pregnancy

Lisa 13 Comments

Dealing with Leg Cramps during Pregnancy

Leg cramps during pregnancy is something that has bothered me during my first two pregnancies and now with my third so I thought I would share some tips on dealing with leg cramps during pregnancy. Some women complain about their bladders being the thing that wakes them up in the night, but for me it’s crippling leg and foot cramps.

Dealing with Leg Cramps During Pregnancy

The only thing that seems to get rid of the pain and foot spasms is to get up and stomp my feet on the floor. For the first time ever my calf muscles are tense like I’ve exercised loads and it’s been striking me during the day as well.

During the day I could cope with the cramps as I can get up and walk around which is never a bad thing as I work in an office I probably sit far longer than I should anyway, but it’s awful at night so I thought I would do a bit of research.

What causes leg cramps during pregnancy?

It’s not entirely clear why pregnant women suffer from leg and foot cramps, usually in the second and third trimester of pregnancy.

It could be due to the additional weight that we carry round during pregnancy and then cramp up when you rest.

The pressure that your baby puts on the nerves and blood vessels that lead to and from your legs with changes to your circulation.

There is also a theory that your body becomes low in certains salts during pregnancy which can cause your muscles to cramp.

What can you do to prevent or ease cramps during pregnancy?

Stretching your Calf muscles – It’s thought that stretching your calf muscles before bed may help prevent leg cramps. Stand at arms length from a wall, put your hands on the wall in front of you and move your right foot behind your left foot. Slowly bend your left leg forward, keeping your right knee straight and your right heel on the floor. Hold and stretch for about 30 seconds, being careful to keep your back straight and your hips forward. Don’t rotate your feet inward or outward and avoid pointing your toes. Repeat with the other leg.

Stay Active – Continuing to exercise during pregnancy is important ensuring that you seek advice from your fitness instructor or a doctor.

Make sure you stay hydrated – We should be trying to maintain our hydration levels anyway, but it’s always best to try harder during pregnancy. A good way to tell if you are drinking enough is by your urine. It should be light in colour. If it’s dark you should try to drink more.

Keeping your legs raised – When resting put a pillow under your legs to help maintain blood flow. At night put a pillow under your legs to keep them slightly raised.

Taking a Magnesium supplement – Only after seeking advice from your midwife. I take Pregnancy vitamins which contain Magnesium, but you can also try eating magnesium rich foods such as whole grains, beans, dried fruits, nuts and seeds.

Wearing sensible shoes – Boo but hey I’m not a first time mum so the days of walking around in massive heels are long gone. Supportive footwear (urgh) with heel support can help as a preventative.

Massage your calves – If you can reach! If not, rope your partner (a friend) into help. Conversely, if you fancy really treating yourself, why not visit a professional Massage therapist who can treat your sore muscles in a way safe for both you and baby?

Taking a bath – Before bed this can help relax the muscles and hopefully will aid a good or decent nights sleep.

Drinking Tonic Water – Tonic water contains quinine which can help alleviate cramp.

Did any of them work?

Well having given all of the above a go, it’s hard to tell which if any worked. Maybe it was a bit of everything, but it’s good to keep all of these things in mind if you are suffering with leg cramps which are pretty crap especially during the night.

I’m going keep going with all of the above as I definitely need my sleep, more so now that I’m growing a little person. I will keep you up to date with the leg cramps in my Pregnancy Diary Posts.

Lisa x

Pregnancy Diary Week 20

Lisa 17 Comments

Pregnancy Diary Week 20

Pregnancy Diary Week 20 – We’ve hit the half way mark and the bump is growing nicely.

Pregnancy Diary Week 20

Our scan is booked for Monday and I’m really excited to be able to see the baby again.

I rang and asked if it was okay for Isabelle to come with us so that she could see the baby rather than just know it’s there. As she’s seven they said it was fine.

We went to I ibounce on Sunday so that Isabelle could burn off some energy. She loved it although I think Daddy was a bit more than knackered when he was finished.

Scan Day

We dropped Isabelle off at school and picked her up at 11am as arranged. We had to make her a packed lunch otherwise the poor thing wouldn’t get any lunch. As with any outing where we take food this was the focus – she wanted to eat her lunch!

We waited ages on the waiting room as usual and finally our name was called.

The sonographer was not at all happy that Isabelle was with us and wanted to know who had given us permission as it’s not hospital policy to allow children as it’s distracting. I totally understand that but assured her that Isabelle was quite capable of sitting quietly (fingers crossed).

The baby was lying in a really awkward position facing downwards and towards my spine. This made taking measurements really difficult.

The image of the baby wasn’t that great either. We saw arms and legs but it wasn’t a clear whole baby like in previous scans.

Isabelle thought that the baby looked like a fishbone and was more interested in getting inside her packed lunch box.

After much jumping and wiggling by me the Sonographer gave up trying to get the heart measurements as the baby had its arm over its chest.

The result was that we had to be booked in for another scan on Friday when hopefully the baby will have moved position.

I’ve been really super tired this week as I can’t sleep properly due to cramp in my feet and legs. It’s waking me up and I have to get up and walk up and down the bedroom to get rid of it.

I’ve been plagued with this in each pregnancy and it’s totally crippling.

Second Ultrasound Scan

So on Friday we went along for a second 20 week scan so that the measurements could be completed. Fingers crossed that the baby has decided to move.

It’s tempting to find out the sex of the baby but I know that I will regret not keeping it a surprise.

Whilst the baby is still facing downwards it didn’t have its back to us so we saw a lot more than spine!

The heart measurements were taken first which a clear picture was seen and all the measurements were not only taken but awesomely normal. Yey!

After this the Sonographer had a bit of a look around and we had a much better view of the baby including a lovely shot of it’s feet.

It’s really curled up, so much so that it’s actually kicking itself in the head. The scan showed close up of it’s nose, mouth and eye sockets. We also saw as it booted itself in the head.

It was lovely bumping into one of Chris’ friends who is due around the same time as us so it might be nice for him to have a ‘Dad friend’ to do the usual moaning about sleepless nights, baby sick, baby poo and the impending nagging that I will undoubtedly do!

I came out with clutching some lovely pictures, but more importantly all the measurements are completely within the normal range so we got the big tick for a healthy baby so far. Phew.

So what’s next? Is it just me that ticks off the pregnancy to-do list in my head. I have to book in for my whooping cough injection at 23 weeks.

We still haven’t bought anything. I’ve done lots of looking and have a list of things that we’re going to need, but I don’t want to start buying until we’ve finished decluttering the house so that we have some actual space to put things.

I’ve also started to connect with some other mums online who are due around the same time as me which is lovely since I think constant talk of pregnancy and all things baby can bore the hell out of every other human being on the planet.

Have a good week!

Lisa x

You can also read all of my Pregnancy Diary posts by heading over the the Pregnancy Diary page which you can find along the header or by clicking Here. 

 

 

Pregnancy Diary Week 19

Lisa 13 Comments

Pregnancy Diary Week 19

I’m writing this whilst sat in the confines of our local soft play. It’s freezing so I might have to get a cuppa to warm my hands on.

Pregnancy Diary Week 19

My belly has really popped out this last couple of weeks. I should measure it to track my growth. It’s definitely taken on a roundness which still looks like I’m a bit chubby in certain clothes.

I haven’t been sick for four whole days which feels amazing. I still gets bouts of feeling sick but I can cope with that.

Uh oh I spoke too soon!

urgh the sickness has kicked in again as my nose seems to have upped its smell sensors. Yuk!

Spots! I have two lovely volcanic style face eruptions on my chin, you know the kind that concealer won’t stick to.

My hair is also coming out a lot more than usual. I’m not too fussed with this at the moment because I have such thick hair. So long as I don’t develop a bald spot.

I need to start thinking about getting some new clothes now. I really want a pair of skinny jeans with the over the bump bit, but I want to be able to try them on. Nowhere seems to actually stock a decent or even nice range of maternity wear on the high street.

I’m fine for the moment as I tend to wear skirts/dresses and tights most of the time at work and these are stretching with me.

20 Week Scan…..

On Monday! I was excited for the scan anyway, but even more so now that Isabelle is coming along.

I phoned ahead to see if this was a possibility as I know that siblings aren’t really supposed to attend scans, but as she’s older at seven they were more than happy for her to attend.

She’s very excited about this, but is going to be on the look out for a willy just in case it might be a dreaded boy.

We have talked about the possibility that the baby might well be a boy, and that she will totally love it if it is.

We stupidly watched Boss Baby where a little boy gets a baby brother and the Mum and Dad don’t have any time for him anymore as they’re just looking after the baby all of the time. This worried her a bit and she had lots of questions:

  • Are we going to be able to play games with her?
  • Will we love the baby more than her?
  • Will we read to her at bed time anymore?

I think we’ve managed to reassure her that we will still do lots of things with her, just with the baby there as well.

We’re going to involve Isabelle as much as possible so that hopefully she will be absolutely fine with sharing her Mummy and Daddy. Coming to the scan I think will help with this as she’s totally impatient to meet her baby brother or sister as it’s taking ‘AGES’.

Have a great week.

Lisa x

#365daypennychallenge

Lisa

#365DayPennyChallenge

365 Day Penny Challenge

#365daypennychallenge – I’ve just found a post on the 365 Day Penny Challenge where each day you add a penny plus one. So it would go like this:

1st January = 1p
2nd January = 2p
3rd January = 3p
4th January = 4p
5th January = 5p

I think you get the gist. So each day you add a penny plus one so on the 31st December you would add £3.65 to the pot.

This would amount to a whopping £667.95 just by adding to it each day.

I think I’m going to have a go at this. We need to catch up a bit so we need to put away 21p to catch up as we’re now on day 6.

Whose with me?

We’ll link it up to our twitter account which you can follow at @babynotincluded with the hashtag #365daypennychallenge so you can count with us.

What a great way to save up for Christmas, Birthday or to put towards a holiday.

Lisa x

 

Pregnancy Diary Week 18

Lisa 1 Comment

Pregnancy Diary Week 18

Pregnancy Diary Week 18 – week commencing 31st December. Social media is awash with all the cool things that people are getting up to this New Years Eve and I just know that I will struggle to stay awake.

Pregnancy Diary Week 18

I’m not even going to try and force myself to stay awake until midnight. I wake up at around 4am every single day which is a total pain but it also makes the days really long. You may think that this is due to being uncomfortable but I haven’t quite got to that stage yet, I just wake up at this time every day and have done for a while.

We went shopping for some nice food and let Isabelle pick some fizzy drinks. We played some board games and watched Ratburger which was quite good. By 8pm I was already yawning my head off and it can’t have been much after that that I gave in and fell asleep.

When I woke up I took myself off to bed and we put Isabelle to bed as well. A bit boring but sometimes you just have to go with what your body craves.

New Years Day I wanted to go to the beach with the dog but as usual, at the moment it was pouring down with rain. We’re so bored of all this rain at the moment.

Tuesday was back to work for Daddy whilst we had our final day off together before Isabelle and I are back to school and work on Wednesday. We also remembered that Isabelle’s school shoes strap broke just before Christmas so a quick shoe shop followed by a trip to the newly opened Brick & Mix Lego shop where you can stay and play

Isabelle has just started to get into the proper small piece Lego and got some sets for both her birthday and Christmas.

To finish off our last day together we had a chilled afternoon with a bit of kids you tube watching and snuggling in front of the TV.

Food

My eating has improved over Christmas. The whole buffet style diet with lots of cheeses, crackers and pickles is going down well. Why don’t we eat like this all the time.

I actually ate chicken curry and rice last night.

I can feel the baby moving around loads now. I’m just waiting for the moment when you can feel it from the outside so that Isabelle can feel her baby brother or sister.

Isabelle is getting really impatient with the whole waiting game. I’ve got the bounty app on my phone and currently (Tuesday) I have 152 days to go. Is that a couple of weeks? Will it be here it time for Easter? We’ve gone over it more than 152 times but still she asks!

She also wants to know when we’ll know if it’s a boy or a girl. I’ve explained that you can find out but we want to keep it as a surprise. She thinks this is totally rubbish but we like the not knowing.

Cramp

I’ve got the dreaded cramp back in my feet which is awful. My toes trust over each other and I can’t seem to stamp it out quick enough. A colleague once told me that you should put a potato at the bottom of your bed. Now at the time (last pregnancy) I was willing to try anything, but she hadn’t specified what kind of potato so I went with a jacket potato. Who knows if it helped to lessen the cramp in my feet but it was funny when Chris came to bed late one night and the potato fell on the floor. Not an everyday occurrence.

The baby is actually quite active but it’s only been today (Saturday) and yesterday that you can feel it with you hand on my belly. Nobody has yet felt this apart from me as these ones are few and far between.

I’m really looking forward to the 20 week scan and seeing the baby again. I wish that Isabelle. Luke come with us as she so wants to be involved and is getting quite impatient. I may ring the hospital to see if this is possible and then beg the school to allow her the time off!

Development

The baby is the size of an onion now (ewww), measuring around 14.2cm and weighing about 190g.

The babys nerves will now be forming a protective covering of myelin which is vital for the nervous system to develop and function properly after birth.

The baby will now be doing a lot of kicking, rolling and moving around. Now that they have developed their grip they may be holding onto and pulling the umbilical cord (makes me cringe a bit).

If the baby is a girl, she will already be developing eggs in her ovaries – amazing

Bring on week 19!

Lisa x

I’m linking up with Jenny over at Lets Talk Mommy Blog for the Bumps and Babies Linky 

My Goals for 2018

Lisa 13 Comments

My goals for 2018

It somehow doesn’t feel right for me to write New Years Resolutions since everyone seems to fail miserably at these so I’m going to write my goals for 2018 instead.

My Goals for 2018

Stop Procrastinating

This applies to work and life. I’ve got to start not only setting goals and to-do items, but to actually tick them off the list. There’s loads of things that I want/dream of doing but then don’t……….No more. Bring it on!

Decluttering

We have years worth of stuff that we no longer have use for or are too small (clothes). I’m going to tackle this bit by bit by selling some stuff, donating some to charity and sorting stuff for the tip/recycling centre. I’ve got a separate list for this and have already sorted two bags of clothes for the charity shop. Added onto this is a bit of DIY with shelving etc so that we have actual home for all of our stuff.

Blogging consistently

My blogging is a bit haphazard of late. I’m going to put this down to the early stages of pregnancy which seems to have taken over me for the last couple of months. I am writing a weekly pregnancy diary which I’m enjoying. It will be good fun to read back on what a miserable cow I was at the beginning stages. My aim is to post twice a week to start with and anything more will be a bonus.

Making some money

With a baby due at the beginning of June I need to focus on making some cash so that I can enjoy my maternity leave. I’m hoping to have a year off work but we’ll see how things are going. Any suggestions welcome.

Saving some money

With two kids already there is always reasons why we can’t save money. A total cop out as I think we could achieve this if we stop and think about what/how we’re spending our money. I’m going to open up a savings account. I’ve already made a budget spreadsheet with all bills listed. I’m going to go through this to see what we can get rid of or reduce. I’ve also joined a Facebook group where tips and suggestions are made for saving money.

Learn to drive

Hmm at 36 I’m still a non-driver. This has never bothered me before but recently it’s become really annoying that it takes so long to get to places on public transport. The weather I think has made me think this way. It’s been miserable with loads of rain in Devon lately so it doesn’t really give you the get up and go to go out. I can drive (well I hope I can still remember) back when I was pregnant with Isabelle (seems to be a pattern) but I got too big and then when I went for my test when I’d only slept for about two hours I failed and ditched it. Time to get back on the horse!

Take time for myself

I’m really bad at this. I work four days a week and work in my blog every evening. If I sort out the procrastinating and limit things to scheduled time slots then I should be able to fit in some time for things like face packs, doing my nails and having a bath. I’m not asking for the world but a little bit of home pampering would be nice. I’m also looking into pregnancy yoga since I’ve not got gestational diabetes I’m going to be planning as smooth a labour as possible. It may also help with the back ache that keeps creeping in at the moment.

Making time for each other

Chris’ job means that he’s not at home most evenings so some days I go to work just as he’s waking up and I’m in bed when he gets home. We don’t do much talking or spending time together other than sitting watching a bit of TV together. I hate the term ‘ date nights’ but I succumb to it and think we should start taking it in turn to arrange nights out or nights in minus our phones.

Being more social

I’m not very good at this so I’m going to make much more of an effort so that I have people away from work and home maybe just to have a good old moan with. Isabelle has some lovely friends as well so I’m going to make much more of an effort to make play dates for her to have time with her friends.

I think I’m going to leave it at that since overall they are quite big, plus if I make too many I’m more likely to fail.

What goals do you have for 2018? Let me know in the comments.

Lisa x

Pregnancy Diary Week 17

Lisa 8 Comments

Pregnancy Diary Week 17

Pregnancy Diary Week 17 – week commencing 24th December. So it’s Christmas Eve and as we’ve been so unorganised it’s a day of present wrapping for us.

Pregnancy Diary Week 17

This time last year we had it sorted and had a chilled day including a visit to our local pub before heading home for a pizza and Christmas film.

This year I’m upstairs wrapping and Chris is downstairs cleaning and entertaining Isabelle.

Christmas wrapping whilst crouched on the floor has done nothing for my back or my knees.

I used to suffer with chronic neck pain which was a constant years ago and unfortunately both my back and my neck are screaming in pain at the moment.

When I saw my midwife last week she wanted me to have some anti-sickness tablets so that I could try and eat the Christmas dinner that I was really dreading.

I’m stubborn so I won’t take anything whilst pregnant so I’ll just put up with the sickness and constant nausea.

By the end of Christmas Eve evening I felt exhausted and looked forward to bed.

Christmas Day started at 3.45am for us when I heard a little voice asking if it was time to get up yet. We managed to put her off until just before 5am when we gave in to the barrage of ‘how many more minutes’….

The unthinkable happened and Ryan got up as well. It usually takes ages!

We headed downstairs after opening the stockings to find a huge pile of presents. Charlie (our dog) was going super crazy as he knows that there are presents and a stocking for him. He has a corner of the room where he takes things to rip up (usually things he shouldn’t have) so we sent him off with some wrapping paper to shred.

The kids were happy with the numerous presents that they each had. Isabelle had a robot pony, a shopkins aeroplane along with lots of other pink things. Ryan got power tools which he wanted as he’s recently started a carpentry apprenticeship.

I was a bit disappointed with my presents but I’m going to put this down to my pregnant emotional state, but they weren’t what I’d hoped for and buying a pregnant woman pyjamas for when she’s fat doesn’t really scream thoughtful.

Never mind…..

The dreaded Christmas dinner was fine and did not have me running to the loo.

The whole eating for two is a load of rubbish. I feel really full really quickly.

The rest of the day was lovely but my bed was a welcome site come the end of the day.

Boxing Day we went to my mums and all my side of the family were there. It gets quite hectic with all the kids but it went well with I think only one fall out which was quickly resolved. Boxing Day is all about cold meats, roasties, pickles and picky bits which suited me fine.

This kind of eating I could get used to.

The following days were quiet at home. Unboxing and making Lego. The lounge is full of toys but we have managed to find homes for most of the new things.

Next year is going to include a huge decluttering of everything from clothes to toys in each and every room. The thought of having another baby and all the stuff that comes with it seems a bit daunting at the moment.

I went back to work on Thursday just for one day and it was nice to get out but I was exhausted by the end of it.

The baby is moving around quite a bit now I can feel the movements but you can’t feel it with your hand yet.

Development

The baby is now the size of an avocado (yuk) weighing around 140g and measuring about 13cm and would fit in the palm of your hand.

He/she looks like a proper little person now and their eyebrows and eyelashes have started to grow. Their eyes are still fused shut but they can move their eyes around.

Their heartbeat will be beating around 140 – 150 beats per minute and will be about twice as fast as yours.

Amazing. How is your pregnancy going?

I’m linking to the Bump & Babies Linky over on Let’s Talk Mommy Blog.

Lisa x

Pregnancy Diary Week 16

Lisa

Pregnancy Diary Week 16

This is my Pregnancy Diary Week 16. We’ve hit the four month mark. Christmas is stressing me out. I’m feeling all kinds of pressure to do loads of Christmassy stuff, brave the wind and rain to take Christmassy pictures and create memories for us all to add to our memory banks.

Pregnancy Diary Week 16

The reality of this is that I’m fed up of Christmas shopping and I don’t want to leave the comfort of my blanket and fluffy socks to go and hustle and bustle with the rest of the world.

We went to Sainsbury’s at the weekend which was an ordeal in itself.

We did manage to make some Chocolate Orange Christmas Puddings for Isabelle to give as gifts.

Maybe it’s because I’m working all of this week which leaves only the evenings to do anything when I’m already tired. It just feels like a massive effort!

I’ve also started to get back pain which isn’t great. It’s not constant but sharp twinges if I move too quickly or sometimes when getting up and down. I also feel like I’m sleeping all scrunched up at night so in the mornings theres lots of creaky noises when I stretch.

Baby Brain – is this a proven ‘thing’? This time round I seem to have lost words from my vocabulary. I know what I want to say but can’t remember the words such as last week the word brush completely fell out of my mind so I had to resort to charade like acting to describe it. Weird.

I saw the midwife again this week and the results of my glucose tolerance test. I assumed it was going to be positive as I’d been told previously that once you’ve had it once, you would have it in subsequent pregnancies.

It was NEGATIVE!!

I’m so pleased. I’ll be tested again at 26 weeks but I’m so happy that this means that I can go into labour naturally and no need for additional appointments and the need for being under a Consultant.

It made my day.

I also got to listen to the heartbeat which was loud and strong. It’s going to be another little fidget like the other two.

With that done and the Christmas shopping finished I can relax a little bit and dream of a water birth…….

Development

The baby is the size of an orange now, weighing around 100g and measuring about 11.6cm.

All the baby’s joints are fully formed. I can feel the baby moving around but it can’t be felt from the outside yet. They may also have found their thumb which they may be sucking. The baby is stronger now so will start to straighten their head and neck. It will also be able to move it’s face muscles but has yet to gain control of these.

Ooh this is a bit cringy but the baby may grab or play with their umbilical cord as they develop the ability to grip.

I’ve got a definite baby bump now, although it’s small it’s definitely there. I’m still wearing all my normal clothes but have started to think about what I need to buy. I think I’ll probably go down the tunic/tights route.

Until next week.

Lisa x

For all Pregnancy Diary Updates head to the top of the page and hit the Pregnancy Diary link.

 

 

 

Pregnancy Diary Week 15

Lisa 2 Comments

Pregnancy Diary Week 15

Pregnancy Diary Week 15 – Week commencing 10th December. This week I feel like I have a little bit more energy. I’m not sure that Chris would agree with that as I’m still falling asleep at the drop of a hat.

I’ve got my glucose tolerance test this Wednesday and I’m expecting to have gestational diabetes again, which is often the case once you’ve had it in a previous pregnancy. When I was pregnant with Isabelle I was only just showing as positive for gestational diabetes so it was purely diet controlled and testing my sugar levels four times a day with a little pin prick machine.

I had to have lots of blood tests and an additional late scan to check the development and size of the baby. It also meant that I was induced at 38 and a half weeks pregnant. I didn’t have a good experience so at first thought that I would go against medical advice and opt for going into natural delivery since I didn’t have any complications or special care when Isabelle was born, but if anything was to happen it would all be my fault so it looks as if I’m backed into the mum guilt corner awaiting my fate.

I’m freezing! I know it’s winter and generally cold but I’m so cold in the evenings. Even in my PJ’s and under a fluffy blanket as well having the central heating and fire on. Everybody else is burning up whilst I’m clutching my blanket around me. Not sure if this is a pregnancy thing or just me!

so I had my glucose tolerance test this morning. Nothing to eat and only water to drink since midnight Tuesday. Of course Wednesday morning I was starving. I couldn’t have my rich tea biccies with a cuppa to stave off the sickness so hello toilet bowl!

I got to the appointment early in the hope that I would be seen early and thankfully I was called in straight away. The first blood test was fine. Not too ouchy. They then give you a cup of orange stuff to drink (not too gross) way better than having to down two bottle of lucozade , and then I had to sit for two hours in the waiting room – doing nothing!

They prefer you not to walk around either so I sat and re-read the Unmumsy Mum Diary. I saw lots of couples arrive and leave again. It was the longest two hours EVER!

Finally I was called by a different lady who took me to do my second blood test. It was brutal. It hurt. She may as well have stabbed me with a knife and collected the drops in her little vial thing. I felt warm and thought I was going to pass out, but no time for that as she ushered me out of the room. Goodbye…….

Back to work and the rest of the day I had a throbbing headache.

Oh and in the afternoon I went to watch Isabelle’s Christmas Concert which was lovely but not so much with a banging headache AND the heavens opened on the way to school so I got a soaking as well.

The rest of the week went by in a blur of work and tiredness.

I feel bad that at the weekend all I want to do is stay at home on the warm. I’m not eating or keeping enough down so I feel slightly weak and feeble. Christmas is nothing but a pain in the bum. There’s food everywhere and everybody wants to go out for Christmas drinks, neither of which I want. Bah humbug!

I hope next week will be a bit better, although it’s work as usual for me until Thursday…….

Development

The baby is the size of a peach, weighing around 70g and measuring about 10.1cm.

The head is in better proportion to the body now. The baby will be covered in a layer of fine hair called lanugo. This will keep he or she warm until they develop a layer of subcutaneous fat that will keep them warm once they are born.

Although the eyelids are fused shut, the baby can recognise light.

They will also be developing their sucking, gasping and swallowing skills and amazingly will be able to hear my voice.

Lisa x

For all Pregnancy Diary Updates head to the top of the page and hit the Pregnancy Diary link.