Pregnancy Diary 26 Weeks

Pregnancy Diary 26 Weeks – unfortunately this week has started by being totally consumed by last weeks featured topic – back ache.

Glucose Tolerance Test

I had my second glucose tolerance test on Monday. They are the longest two hours ever sat in the waiting room watching everyone else coming and going. I got a bit of a fright when another lady who had also had the GTT collapsed. I’m a feint risk at the end of my pregnancies and know how scary they are. She was also on her own but the staff were brilliant and took her off to lay down for the remainder of her two hours.

I took a book to read to pass the time, but clearly didn’t read much past the title (The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club by Helen McGinn) which I thought would be a humorous read. Turns out that it’s actually about wine and the best types of wine to buy for any given situation. Not much use to me at the moment then!

Back Ache

After this weekend I knew that I had to contact my midwife to see what I could do to ease the back ache. I’m quite opposed to taking any kind of medication drying pregnancy but top of the list of suggestions was to try some Paracetamol.

The pain is in my lower back and at the end of the day it’s painful to even sit in an upright position. My midwife suggested that I have a bath, take Paracetamol and rest in the first instance.

When I told her if the awful pressure that I feel when walking, she gave me the number for the pregnancy physio as a back up just in case it doesn’t ease off. This was quite reassuring since I’ve still got another 14 weeks to go which could be torture if it doesn’t go. I made contact with the physio department and left a message. I’m still waiting on a reply, but given this past weeks weather I didn’t expect them to get back to me just yet.

As such I took the day off work and plan to have a bath and relax.

I’ve used up my whole stash of Lush bath bombs and bubble bars so will need to stock up on some more.

Due to the predicted but unexpected downfall of snow I stayed in this week. I would have loved to have gone for a bit of a trudge in the snow but I couldn’t risk slipping and hurting my back even more than it did so the only snow that I experienced was through the window.

Leg cramps

Yey these have seriously eased off which I’m going to put down to slathering my legs in the Peppermint leg and foot cream from Lush every morning and evening as well as stretching my legs out. I’ve also increased my water intake which was one of the recommendations but it also means that my visits to the loo are more regular than normal.

Movement

Wowsers I forgot how much babies wriggle around. This one, like the other two is super wiggly and has now got to the stage where a single kick can stop me in my tracks just from the sheer oomph of it. When I look at my stomach it moves around in the weird alien like way which is lovely but also makes me cringe a little bit.

Eating

You will be pleased to know that I haven’t been sick for a couple of weeks now. I still can’t eat chicken and cooked veg is still a bit iffy but most things are okay now. I’m getting really horrible heartburn so I’ve got the jumbo sized bottle of Gaviscon which I swig straight from the bottle in the usual lady-like-pregnant way. It’s a definite lifesaver as heartburn is nasty!

We even had a little tea-party on Thursday to try and cheer up Isabelle after World Book Day was cancelled and school was cancelled due to the snow complete with cupcakes which went down very nicely.

I’ve been taking pregnancy vitamins since I found out I was pregnant and I’ve been testing out an American brand called Mother’s Select which will hopefully give the baby all the essential vitamins that I’m most definitely not giving it through eating alone.

Leaving the Second Trimester behind

This pregnancy is definitely going really fast. I head on into my third trimester on Sunday which will make me 27 weeks. I’m sure you can work it out, but that means I only have 13 weeks left and 11 weeks of work left. Not long at all!

I think I look and definitely feel further along than 26 weeks. I’m waddling. It’s more like an old lady walk because of my back. My bump is huge and I definitely feel like I’ve hit the heavily pregnant bracket. I got off the bus the other day which was really busy and this lady moved forward a bit and asked me if I had enough room to squeeze through – erm no! I did have my coat on so she was forgiven for not realising that I was pregnant.

I’m getting lots of comments now which at the moment I don’t mind too much. My bumps were really big with my other two pregnancies so I expected this one to be the same.

Development

My baby is around the size of a swede, weighing around 1.6lbs and about 35.6cm long.

He or she will start practice breathing in preparation for when they are born.

They will also start to open their eyes (I wonder what they see) but their vision is still underdeveloped.

They baby will respond to sounds as well as increased pulse rate from me. I think this is true as I’ve felt quite a lot of stress this week and the baby has been more active than it ever has previously.

If they baby is a boy (Isabelle is still requesting a sister) the testicles will begin to descend into the scrotum.

Apparently I may suffer with feelings like hot flushes which I’ve only had a couple of times. I’m still really feeling the cold, in particular my feet are freezing. I normally wear flip flops around the house, but these have been replaced with wooly socks and slippers (I usually hate slippers) and quite often I complete this look with a granny lap blanket as well.

Until next week.

Lisa x

Pregnancy Diary 23 Weeks

Pregnancy Diary Week 23 – A desperate plea to get my Mat B1 at my whooping cough injection appointment.

Whooping Cough Injection

Monday I went for my whooping cough injection. The nurse did warn me prior to the injection that I would have a sore arm the next day but jeez! It hurt to lift my arm above elbow height and sleeping on it woke me up during the night. So feeble.

Mat B1 Form Update

I got the Golden Ticket!!!!

I asked if she could fill in the Mat B1 form for me which she couldn’t, but after speaking to the Receptionist she was able to get the doctor to fill this in for me.

It’s official people! My last day at work is Thursday 17th May with a return date of Monday 20th May 2019!

Food

My appetite has finally returned a bit. Chicken is still off the menu but this week I’ve had feta cheese, cous cous, pasta and sauce (unblended sauce) and a hot pot type dish.

There has  been no sickness this week but have had a couple of near misses. I think that’s down to the awful heartburn that I’ve been getting so Gaviscon is now on the menu most evenings.

I think I’ve got more of a sweet tooth this time or it could be that I’m making up for all the food I could’nt eat at the beginning.

Is it a boy or is it a girl? Isabelle’s Fool Proof Gender prediction

Isabelle is quite annoyed that this baby is a boy. We of course don’t know this BUT when she puts her head on my belly and shouts ‘kick if you’re a boy’ the baby kicks. I have tried to explain that it doesn’t know if it’s a girl or boy and that it’s probably just reacting to her shouting. She thinks she’s got it so Sussed.

Buying for Baby

I bought some baby clothes. Just some little vests and a couple of hats but it’s a start. I also got some of the Dove baby range which smells lovely but not too strong.

We must get all of Isabelle’s bits and pieces out to see what we have that might be suitable.

I also got a delivery of an outfit that I won via the Let’s Talk Mommy blog from The Essential One. I was able to choose the size so opted for newborn. Ryan weighed 6lb 4oz and Isabelle was 6lb 12oz so we had to make a special trip to buy tiny baby clothes so I’d like to be a bit more prepared for a small baby so that they don’t have to be drowned in the first clothes that they wear. Anyway the prize arrived this weeks and it’s just so cute.

Urgh my coat is a bit of a squeeze to do up now which is a bit pants as it’s still quite cold and of course raining nearly every day. It’s my every day coat that is warm and waterproof (my mum coat). I don’t really want to buy a new one so I’m hoping the weather improves so I can wear one of my lighter jackets.

Development

My baby is now the size of a Mango (feels a lot bigger) weighing about 1.1lbs and measuring around 28.9cm and has all the features of a newborn.

It can still do somersaults which I think it’s doing plenty of at the moment.

The lungs are still developing and getting ready to breath following the birth and they still have translucent skin.

Apparently now is the time to start playing soothing music to the baby as noises are more familiar.

So far so good!

To read my week by week Pregnancy Diary pop to the top of the page of click Here. I’m also linking up to Let’s Talk Mommy Bumps and Babies Linky which if you are a fellow pregnant blogger you should link up to or if you are pregnant yourself pop over to read other’s Pregnancy journeys.

Lisa x

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Pregnancy Diary Week 21

Pregnancy Diary Week 21 – I’m slowly getting a bit more adventurous with my eating. We had tacos last night with garlic and onion in it. I really enjoyed it even though I started to waver when the garlic and onion smell wafted through the house.

My Eating has improved…….

As well as the taco’s I’ve eaten a salad with feta cheese and salad dressing.

Raisin and cinnamon bagels are way up there on my current faves – toasted with loads of butter. Yum!

Food smells aren’t so stomach churning anymore, but I still don’t have a huge repetoire to choose from.

Chicken is probably my most hated food at the moment. Yuk.

Maternity Leave

I had my meeting at work this week to discuss maternity leave and how much time I intend to take off. At this stage I’ve gone for a year and fingers crossed that our finances allows this.

I had decided to make my last day the 24th May which would give me a week before my due date to chill a little bit. However, looking at the dates, it’s bank holiday Monday on the 28th May and Isabelle will be off school for the entire week leading up to my due date. Bit of a bummer!

I don’t mind so much that she will be off school but she’s going to want entertaining for the week AND I’ll be on my own with her if I go into labour that week. Yikes!

Anyway, as I didn’t have my Mat B1 form the official planning and acceptance of this has to wait until next week.

Maternity Wear

I’m sporting my one and only piece of maternity wear today which is a pair of over the bump leggings from H&M. I’ve been pretty disappointed with the choice of maternity wear that I’ve managed to root out on the High Street so I might have to have a look online.

Failing that I will just continue to wear tunic style dresses with leggings or tights with cardigans.

Just to report back on the leggings which were a total bargain at £8.99 a pair. These are so so comfy and are now going to be a staple feature in my wardrobe.

Back Ache

As well as leg and foot cramps at night I’ve started to get lower back ache which is making walking a bit of a problem.

We went to the beach today as a birthday treat for our dog, Charlie who turned four and it really took it out of me even though we didn’t walk particularly far.

Fingers crossed that I’ve just overdone it a bit and it will pass.

Development

The baby will be about the size of a pepper, measuring around 27cm long and weighing about 360g.

The eyelids and eyebrows are formed and it’s possible for them to blink. Amazingly the baby will have taste buds and can taste a variety of different flavours dependent on what I’m eating (hope it likes cheese).

The skin will have a coating of white, waxy substance known as Vernix Caseosa. This protects their body from the effects of bobbing around in the amniotic fluid for so long.

The baby will be urinating, which they will then drink. Pee, drink, pee, repeat. The baby’s first poo is currently in the making which they will poop out once the baby is born.

This pregnancy is flying by and my belly is growing now at an amazing pace.

Until next week.

Lisa x

Pregnancy Diary Week 20

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

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

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.

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