33 Weeks Pregnant

Its July and I'm having my baby in August! It's surreal but I am so happy we are this close to meeting baby Paicey! It's all I think about now. Mostly these are my thoughts... I wonder if we have a little boy or girl? What will our baby look like? How will the birth go? How much bigger can my bump get? When will I go into labour? Do we have everything we need? But mostly I just feel grateful and blessed to be carrying this baby and think positive thoughts that we have a beautiful, healthy baby.

I have a huge list of things I want to get through in the next couple of weeks. I am slowly getting through it but finding it rather exhausting despite it being a pretty usual list for me. Lots of things home and life related but other things baby related like buying things for our hospital bags and then packing them and batch cooking at least a week to two weeks worth of food for the freezer for when baby arrives. I've also been holding off booking an appointment to get my hair coloured as I think just a few weeks out til babies birthday will be best. I want to go lighter instead of the balayage dip dye I've been wearing. Going lighter will be more maintenance which doesn't really go hand in hand with a new baby but I'm feeling like a change. Im going to hold off cutting it as I can imagine Ill have an image crisis a couple of months after having the baby while I'm trying to shed the baby weight and a trip to the hairdressers for a new haircut might be handy at that point! I also need to wash the babies clothes, sheets and blankets and have gone as far as buying non bio, sensitive skin washing powder and fabric softener but thats as far as I have gotten!

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was going to get the Whooping Cough vaccine. I had this last week as my midwife recommended I have it between 28 and 32 weeks.  In the UK, America and New Zealand this is offered to woman whilst they are pregnant as the vaccine passes through the placenta and gives the baby some immunity. From what I am aware It may also transfer through breast milk once the baby is born to provide your baby with further immunity until the baby is 8 weeks old and can have its first injections. Whooping Cough can be carried by adults who don't know that they have it and it can be fatal to babies. Some woman are cautious of the vaccine as it has only been given to pregnant woman for a few years. In Australia I'm fairly sure they don't offer this while pregnant but recommend the parents, grandparents and anyone else who will be around the new born have the vaccination to protect the baby until he or she has their first jabs at 8 weeks old. I know some people are also simply for or against vaccinations for their own reasons so I am not forcing an opinion, but baby Paicey will be getting immunised as were my bother, sister and I based on my Mums choices. Anyway, the injection took all of 3 seconds and was quite a sharp scratch to my arm. I had a sore arm for around 2 days, only to the touch or if I slept on it and I didn't have any other side effects which some people get such as feeling unwell.

I did a post on our travel system/ pram when we ordered it (which you can view Here) but it finally arrived! It was a pretty fun day I have to admit putting it all together despite Mr P wanting to leave it in the box for a few more weeks! I must have looked pretty funny to the neighbours taking it outside and seeing how to manoeuvre through our front doorway, as its a very small entrance with a staircase directly in front of the door, its quite tricky and I thought I would have to use the door at the back of the house, but it fits. We also ordered the Maxi-cosi Pebble carseat and Iso fix base for our car which arrived with our order and is all fitted and ready to go in the back of our car! Mainly as I didn't want it taking up the space in the house or our very hairy cat Archie sitting in it, but also because I was just very excited. So far we love the pram and can't wait to use it.

I think everything I'm feeling is pretty normal for this point. Im getting really tired in the afternoon but waking up early in the morning to go to the bathroom. My upper back has been really hurting me for the past few days which is new. Im guessing its the added weight and the way I am carrying myself now so I have been doing some of the yoga stretches we do in the pregnancy class and also laying down on my side with my pregnancy pillow to try to stretch it out. A friend of mine has told me it is my body's way of telling me to slow down but I honestly feel if I slow down ill be stationary!

Weight wise, I've put on 13 kg or 29 lbs so far in the pregnancy and I can't believe the number staring back at me on the scales. I feel less hungry than I was in the second trimester and just sticking to 3 fairly healthy meals with snacks of nuts, apples and berries. I said to my husband the other night that our baby will be addicted to berries as I eat them morning and night! Every few days I have an ice-cream or piece of cake from the shops too which is my guilty pleasure. 

I should be finished packing my hospital bag very soon and will do a little post on what I have packed for myself and for baby Paicey, as i found other posts on this helpful when making my own list.  My bump is getting bigger by the day and the movement is phenomenal. I still love the movement and you will find me happily sitting back with my hands on my belly feeling a little foot sticking right out and pressing back on it. Here is the bump at the end of week 33.

32 Weeks Pregnant and a trip to Cornwall

We usually get away somewhere nice in June or July each year as this is when Mr P gets a month off from the rugby season. This year with the impending arrival of baby Paicey, we decided to stay in England. Most airlines do let pregnant woman fly up to 36 weeks but after 28 weeks this requires a fitness to fly certificate from your doctor. I am a very cautious person by nature and didn't want to take the risk of any complications arising if we were in a foreign country, plus it can be a very expensive time preparing for a baby! So we have been enjoying the great summer weather we have been experiencing here in England and set off to Cornwall for a long weekend. We stayed in St Ives at a beautiful spa hotel set right upon the beach.

We had such perfect weather for the 4 days we were away and the food was beautiful everywhere we ate. We enjoyed the spa facilities everyday with hubby using the gym, sauna and jacuzzi whilst I used the indoor swimming pool and had a massage and a pedicure in the treatment rooms. I wish we could go again, it was so relaxing and just what we needed. Mr P finally had some time to read some of The Baby Whisperer which has the E.A.S.Y routine that we intend to follow with baby Paicey so it is great that he is up to speed with it all. Our last getaway/babymoon as a twosome! I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the beaches were, however the water was still icy cold in our opinion and we didn't have a dip in the ocean as planned! I promise my 33 week update will be more 'pregnancy' related and ill go over my symptoms but plenty of bump photos in this post so I hope you enjoy xx

Enjoying a Cornish cloudy lemonade before dinner.

A beautiful lunch view in Newquay on our drive down the coast.

Rick Steins fish & chips at Padstow

Getting some sun on the bump!

I promise I am wearing my bikini it is just hidden by the bump!

Mr P at beautiful St Ives. Our hotel was up on the hill.

30 Weeks Pregnant (75% baked!)

At 30 weeks I am officially 3/4's or 75% of the way through my pregnancy! We are officially on the countdown to meeting baby and time is flying.

I haven't worked during pregnancy and I know I have been very lucky to have had this time to myself to relax and enjoy each day. During the first trimester I would have to say that time felt like it was moving very slowly, and I believe not working compounded this as I had nothing to take my mind off the growing secret inside of me that I was bursting to tell everyone about. That being said, I am so grateful that I didn't have to be on the packed train into London everyday and work through the nausea. I left my job as an accountant at the end of September last year due to many factors, two being the late nights and the travel into Leicester Square each day. The plan was to have a month or two off (as I was studying for two CIMA exams in November to become a chartered accountant) and apply for a new job closer to where we live. We found out I was pregnant in November and I never went back to work! I honestly know believe there would have been a lot of tears and stress for myself (and for Mr P) if I was still in that job, and when I say that so far I have had a wonderful pregnancy, I know a lot of it can be put down to the fact that each day has been at my own pace, waking up late and lounging around, holidaying or having a bath or a walk into town when I feel like it. So I'm very aware that I'm extremely lucky in that respect and I take my hat off to all pregnant women who get on with it and work whilst they are pregnant! 

Mums to be in the UK can take maternity leave from their job from 29 weeks pregnant, if they wish to go early or they can work up until they are ready to give birth. Despite my current unemployment status, I qualify for statutory Maternity Allowance as I worked for 26 weeks in a 66 week test period prior to the babies due date. The weekly amount is £138.18 which will not go far however I am extremely grateful that I qualify for this and this week I received my approval letter stating that my first payment will commence shortly. I have many little bits and pieces to pick up for baby Paicey, just small things like nappies, wipes, creams etc and I think I will even treat myself to a pedicure with my first payment! After not working it is very exciting to get a payment regardless of how small it may seem to some!

This week I caught up with some of my girlfriends from Australia for a lovely dinner cooked by my gorgeous friend and foodie, Melodie who is about to set off filming a television series, cooking her way through Italy. If you like food and recipes,  be sure to check out her blog here. We had a truly lovely evening catching up and the bump seriously received the most rubs and hands on it than its ever had! The girls where trying to feel kicks but I had to tell them that baby Paicey wasn't moving at that moment and I would tell them when he or she did! They loved my big tummy and I felt the love. We were celebrating my friend Jess's 30th birthday and I must have eaten about 36 cupcakes at the end of the meal. They were gluten and dairy free and as I was assured they were apparently healthy, that was enough for me!

Lots of pregnant woman go through a 'nesting' faze at some point, and this week I think it started to happen in our house. Our house is small but quaint and our living room is not very big. Our sofa is on the extremely large size, so it takes up a lot of space. We don't have a coffee table as we think it would take up too much precious floor space but I've started to think about the logistics of having a baby and trying to have a cup of tea/coffee or even a bite to eat and also a place to put the babies bottles, dummy, infacol (if needed) etc. So we hit Ebay to look at our options and settled on a 'nest of tables'. We didn't win the first set that we bid on but we are now the proud owners of these refurbished beauties that tuck away in our bay window. I think they will be perfect.

Archie clearly didn't get the memo and thought we brought them for him.

Just enjoying a decaf perched on the littlest table.

We also upgraded the cushions on our sofa as I was never entirely happy with the browns and greens that we originally had and went for a mix of blues, cream and grey. We got them from M&S and they brighten the room just nicely. Now I just need to get the sofa cleaned before the baby comes along. Unfortunately we had a huge water leak causing damage to our bathroom, spare bedroom, kitchen and dining room, but I won't go into that. Hopefully it will all be fixed up soon because I hate to look at the damage. Lucky I like taking baths as our shower is definitely a no go zone at the moment!

New cushions!

This week on Saturday it was raining so went to a boutique cinema in Walton called Everyman cinemas. Its a small screen that seats around 40 and every seat is a comfy couch with a little side table for yummy snacks! We seen X-Men and took a moment to think it may be our last or close to last trip to the cinema before we have a little one keeping us at home! We had lunch in Nandos prior to the movie and I couldn't tell if it was just me or if I was sitting in the smallest booth seat in the world! I was so squished I felt I could barely get in or out. Mr P said it was OK for him so the expanding bump was just taking up all my space. I snapped a pic below when I thought no one was watching.

The bump closing the gap between table and me!

Well that was our quiet-ish week at 30 weeks pregnant with a trip to the cinema, a good girly catch up dinner and my first bout of nesting. I've got plenty of bump photos lined up for my 31 week post as I wasn't very good at taking them this week. I hope you enjoyed reading xx

29 Week Pregnancy Update!

There really isn't a moment now that I'm not aware of my pregnancy. In weeks gone by I could go about my business and momentarily forget I'm pregnant, just going about my day with loads of energy. But now, the bump is big and the baby is moving around like crazy! Things that were once easy have become hard. Shaving my legs has to be done sitting down in the bath and I can no longer get to my toes to paint my toenails. Breathing has even become a big job... I'm starting to run out of room in my abdomen and if I laugh or lay down I often get shortness of breath. All this and I'm still loving being pregnant! For me it's a beautiful time of anticipation, excitement and wonderment. Don't get me wrong, I am nervous about labour and birth, the first few weeks of sleep deprivation and learning to look after our baby, but the excitement about meeting our little one by far overrides the nerves.

We had a little shopping trip this week and brought a few more bits and pieces for the baby. I am planning to breast feed but may go with a formula dream feed during the night or express some milk to give in a bottle so Mr P can help with the odd feed, so we brought a set of Dr Brown's bottles. We have been recommended these colic reducing bottles by friends and they have great reviews. We also brought a steriliser for the bottles and cleaning utensils, a padded nappy changing matt to go on top of the dresser in our bedroom, and a few more new born one pieces which were on my earlier wishlist post. We ordered a simple white moses basket and sheets from John Lewis and a Prince Lionheart white noise bear which we hope will help baby Paicey (and us!) get a good night sleep listening to sounds of the womb.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was looking forward to starting pregnancy yoga. I've since been taking a class for the past 3 weeks and its really enjoyable. I sometimes don't feel like going as I'm getting tired around that time of the day but it is so good and refreshing once I am there. We do a lot of stretching, light yoga poses, breathing and pelvic floor exercises which will be beneficial during labour. The instructor is a gorgeous woman who has a lot of energy and loves to talk about pregnancy and babies. It may not be for everyone but we focus on our babies and send love and positive energy to them during the class, which I love. It feels wonderful to stretch out my body in a safe way for pregnancy and learning the breathing techniques feels empowering in the lead up to labour. Its also nice to be in a room full of other pregnant woman and have a chat afterwards about how they are feeling.

We have been undecided on whether we should move from our 2 bedroom house to a 3 bedroom once baby arrives as we like to have a spare room for family to stay when visiting from Australia. We think we have found the perfect solution as we love our little house and have renovated every single room in the 3 years we have lived here so are quite attached. So this week we had a few building companies come over and provide quotes to add another floor and create a master bedroom with ensuite and dressing area in our loft space. I think we are going to go with this option so it is quite exciting, however the 8 -10 week building time will not be quite as exciting!

On Friday Mr P, the bump and I ventured out for dinner on opening night of a new restaurant that opened up on the lovely Kingston river front. We were lucky enough to be invited to sample their delights free of charge and had the yummiest food and drinks. My mocktails were so divine I didn't even miss not having alcohol! Check out Busaba Eathai Here for their yummy menu and locations. I wore a pre pregnancy dress of mine that really revealed the bump which I was a little self conscious about at first, but we had lots of smiles and well wishes on our night out.

Next week I am off to the doctors to get a Whooping cough vaccination so wish me luck on that one. I can't believe i'll be 30 weeks next week! Have a great week x

Baby bump stepping out for dinner at 29 weeks.

28 Weeks - Welcome to the Third Trimester!

I've hit the third and final trimester! Woohoo! Theres something so great about reaching milestones and it feels like we are on the home stretch to meeting our little baby in August! We've had a great week with an action packed weekend which has made this week fly by which is exactly what I want at this point. 

On Thursday we had our 28 week appointment with my midwife which entailed a blood test to check for anaemia, a urine sample to test for protein and glucose and a blood pressure reading. Happy to report all was well. Mr P came to this appointment as he was home from rugby training and got to listen to baby Paicey's heartbeat which was cool for him. The midwife felt around my belly and pushed and pressed really hard and was able to tell that our little one was head down and feet up at this point which made me happy. But she did say that the baby still has a lot of room and could turn out of position at any point. The student midwife measured my bump from the pubic bone to the top of the fundus and got 28 centimetres which was spot on for 28 weeks and then the midwife did a quick measurement and got 32 centimetres, which could mean that we have a huge baby! They both agreed to disagree and said either way, baby Paicey is measuring on target and was a nice size. So it will be interesting to see at my 32 week appointment with the GP what the measurement is coming in at, as they say that everyone takes the measurement differently. Plus its not all baby in there, maybe theres lots of fluid!

On Friday evening we had an end of season awards dinner for Mr P's rugby club held at the Hilton, Heathrow terminal 5. It was really nice to get all glammed up for the evening. I spent the afternoon doing my nails and makeup and went for a blowdry at the hairdressers which was nice. I wore a twobirds floor length dress that covered my bump beautifully. I borrowed it from my friend Shauna as I didn't want to buy anything that I wouldn't wear again. Shauna is much taller than me so I had to wear the highest heels that I own due to the length of the dress, which happened to be my 5 inch Jimmy Choos that Mr P brought me for our wedding day. It was nice to pull these beauties out for the night nearly a year after our wedding. Nice until 2am when we were leaving and my poor feet were in agony.. worth the pain though! I was worried about my feet swelling but I haven't experienced this symptom yet. We were really rubbish with taking photos except for a few that I insisted were taken in our living room before we left. I intended to get a few of me and my hubby all dressed up in his tuxedo when we arrived but we were too busy having fun. I was actually really disappointed we didn't get one of the two of us as it was a perfect occasion to show off the bump and would have been a nice momento.

I was so shattered when we woke up on Saturday morning after a 3am bedtime on Friday night so I stayed in bed til around midday before getting up to get ready for another day out. We were off for a day in the sunshine to watch the last game to be played at our rugby club before they knock it down and the team moves into the new state of the art training centre they have built for next season. My hubby has played for the same professional club for 10 years now so we have seen a lot of players and there families come and go over the years, and many of our old friends came from near and far to say goodbye to the old club ground that has been there for 80 or so years. We had a great day, lots of food and plenty to drink for Mr P and it was another big day, finishing up at 11pm. I had to grab a seat from inside and bring it out as my legs and back were starting to ache and sitting on the floor was only good in short periods as my legs were getting pins and needles. Lots of babies and bumps were out and I got a few snaps with my friend Lindsay who is pregnant and just 1 week behind me. She has a bigger bump than me and looks great!

On Sunday we needed to make the most of the glorious weather so we walked along the river from Kingston to Hampton which took about an hour and thirty minutes and had lunch in a cafe in Hampton. We've done this walk before and managed it a bit quicker and also walked the return journey, but it was a bit much for this pregnant mummy to be so we caught a boat home which was so lovely! 

All in all, week 28 and entering the third trimester was a fantastic week. Plenty of relaxing days at the start of the week, a good midwife appointment and an action packed weekend. The bump is starting to get very big now and I get lots of comments and people wanting to feel it. Im not one to mind this, but I am aware that some pregnant ladies don't like people touching their bumps. I've been chugging back the gaviscon before bed as i've had some heartburn but nothing too serious. I weighed myself at the midwife appointment and I am still 9kg heavier than pre pregnancy. Everyone has an opinion on the gender of baby Paicey with most saying they think its a girl. A few bets have been placed and Im just too excited to think of the moment we find out! Oh and we brought a baby book called The baby whisperer. I'm about a third of the way through it and I'm liking it a lot so far but I will let you know once I'm finished it whether I recommend it. Its about a structured eating, sleeping and activity routine for when baby arrives. I hope you had a lovely week too! X

27 Weeks Pregnant

How far along: I'm 28 weeks and 3 days along, so I am running late on my weekly update.

Symptoms:  I have just started to get uncomfortable as my belly is huge! Its probably not that big but it sure feels that way to me. Just sitting on the sofa I find it hard to get comfy as if I sit forward it doesn't give my bump enough room and if I lay back I feel crushed and like I'm not getting enough oxygen. Plenty of Braxton Hicks contractions where my tummy goes into a hard ball. These are painless but still uncomfortable. Braxton Hicks are just practise contractions to get your body ready for the big birth day. Overall I feel happy and content with not many ailments to complain about so I feel very lucky as everything is going along swimmingly.

Sleep:  I'm still sleeping really well. I wake up often to change from my right side to my left or vice versa and then I need to adjust my huge pregnancy pillow but I fall straight back to sleep. I'm very tired in the mornings and sometimes get up to go to the bathroom and have breakfast and then lay back down. Life is very relaxed at the moment but I know that in a few short months I won't be able to sleep in so I am making the absolute most out of it.

Weight Gain: I'm up just under 9kg which is around 19.5 lbs. I've noticed that this is not all baby as my upper arms and legs are a bit fuller than they used to be, but i'm ok with it and don't feel like I will have a problem loosing the weight in the months after our baby arrives.

Food:  I'm still so hungry all the time. It is recommended that you eat 6 small meals a day at this point to aid the body in digestion which has slowed down due to pregnancy, but I've still just been having my normal sized 3 meals. I'm often starving in between meals and even after I've eaten sometimes. We've started making fruit smoothies in between meals and having lots of apples, raspberries and strawberries. I'm craving fruit lately as I've been eating a lot of it which is always a good thing. We've been making sure we cook fish a couple of times a week so the baby gets all the Omegas it needs for healthy brain development. That being said, I definitely crave chocolate and Ice cream the most above everything else. I was desperate for an Ice cream tonight but Mr P wouldn't go to the corner store for me as he is trying to be good with his own intake. The rugby season has just finished so he really needs to watch what he eats for the off season. Needless to say I was very annoyed and settled for an apple instead!

Movement:  Such strong and lovely movements all day long. Lots of kicking, squirming, rolling and pressing. Sometimes so strong it startles me. We've not had too much luck with getting Mr P involved in feeling the movement as every time he tries to feel my tummy, baby Paicey becomes quiet again.

Belly Button: Its a half innie, half outie! The top half has popped right out with the bottom half still in.

Stretch Marks:  Still remaining stretch mark free on my belly (please long may it continue), but just last night I noticed some tiny ones on the underside of my boob on the left side. We went out today and brought some Mama Mio pregnancy boobtube lotion, so I will be routinely applying this along with the Mama Mio tummy butter twice a day to try and avoid any more.

Wedding rings:  Still on. And only getting tight when it gets really warm which isn't too often here in London. We had some gorgeous weather this week and only for a few hours were they feeling very tight.

Baby's Gender:  Still unknown of course! I'm feeling so curious especially with all this movement and my belly getting so big now. I just can't wait to find out if we are parents to a boy or a girl when baby Paicey arrives. So exciting!

Bump:  Getting very round and hard. The photo below was taken for my sister and wasn't intended for the blog so please excuse my outfit!

27 weeks belly. Please excuse my comfy outfit!

Second Trimester Favourites

As I near the end of my second trimester (Yes!) I have to say i've been really lucky and have had a happy and enjoyable time. Its gone nice and quickly, perhaps as I've had a couple of holidays to Spain and Australia in this time. Plus I love the anticipation of an impending British Summer. Winter to Spring changes so dramatically and I love seeing it unfold, so I think that has helped with my happiness factor also. Here is a list of my absolute favourite items that have got me through weeks 13 - 27 happily and comfortably...

1. Nespresso Decaffeinato Coffee Pods. I love coffee and have gone through so many of these little caffeine free beautys. Our machine makes the perfect latte and when I feel like a sweet treat, I add a little caramel syrup. I have certainly enjoyed the odd coffee with caffeine but these pods have been a lifesaver as I can enjoy these guilt free.

2. Mama Mio Tummy Rub Butter. I started using this product once a day from 12 weeks in a bid to prevent dreaded stretch marks. It smells and feels divine on my skin and its a lovely ritual rubbing it over my growing bump. So far I've avoided any stretch marks but feel its too early to say whether this has been the miracle cream I'm hoping it is as I will grow a lot more in the third trimester! 

3. Jojo Maman Bebe Multi- Purpose Maternity Body Support Pillow. I love this pillow! I've been using it from about 21 weeks and although I can't say that this is the only factor, my lower back pain has been relieved, I get a comfortable night sleep and I feel really supported. Highly recommended!

4. Prêt Chef's Italian Chicken Salad. Pret A Manger use pasteurised free range eggs, which means that pregnant woman can enjoy caesar dressings and mayonnaise. I eat this salad for lunch about 3 times a week. Its so fresh and full of yummy ingredients such as chicken, mixed greens, roasted peppers, black olives, cucumber, tomato, pistachio nuts, parmesan cheese and a delicious caesar dressing. I feel like I give baby Paicey a good dose of nutrients and its so yummy.

24 & 25 Weeks update

Eeeek time is flying by and April will be officially over when the sun goes down tonight. We've had some lovely spring weather here in London which I LOVE. This means lots of lunching on the river in Kingston Upon Thames and lots of day dreaming about summer with our baby in tow! My Mum is flying over from Australia when baby Paicey is born to meet her first grandchild and to help us settle in at home. We are very lucky that Mr P's parents are also coming, so I keep mentally taking notes on where we can all take the baby for walks and which cafes and restaurants look the most pram friendly.

Im 25 Weeks, 4 days pregnant so I'm just a few days off being pregnant for half a year! I am missing  a few things at this point. The first being soft poached eggs! Oh how I miss these delights. Then I'll be honest and say I'm missing drinking alcohol! I really miss the social factor of getting together with friends and having a glass of wine or just having a drink with my husband at our local. And I'm seriously missing sleeping on my stomach and back. Just over 3 months to go until I get to sample these delights and drool into my pillow again (in between broken sleep).

We had our regular 24 week GP appointment last week where I had my blood pressure taken and we listened to baby Paicey's heartbeat on the doppler, which was such a wonderful sound.
From the  24 week point they start measuring the bump from the top of the pubic bone to the top of the uterus in centimetres. The measurement should be on or near to your babies gestational age in weeks, give or take 3 centimetres. My bump was measuring 24 centimetres so it was pretty accurate and all was good!

25 Weeks bump.

Baby Paicey is growing and moving a lot now. The movement is so strong and it literally puts a smile on my face every time. I can feel the baby turning over and kicking in both of my sides. Last night was the first night I have been woken up from the strong movement and my uterus was hardening at various points in the day which was uncomfortable but not painful at all.

I am so hungry! I could eat for days. Last night for dinner we made a chicken and mushroom pie (very yummy!) and after my giant man-sized portion I was still so hungry, whereas Mr P said he was so full. This growing a baby business is hard work!

My little 'bowling ball'.

I started to clear out a chest of drawers to make way for babies clothing and bits and pieces and it was great to see what we have and what we still need. I realised we have more 0 - 3 month pieces and not much newborn so we will have some fun picking out a few more things. I've been really restrained with buying things as I would rather wait until we know if its a baby boy or girl so we can go crazy on the cute gender specific outfits instead of neutrals. We have received some gorgeous gifts from our friends and family. People love buying little things!

Baby Paicey's growing clothing collection.

I'd love to hear your comments, so please let me know if your planning on washing all your babies clothing before the little one wears it, or if you've done this is the past.

23 Weeks Pregnant

How far along:  23 weeks, 2 days

38 Inches around my belly button

Symptoms:  My lower back. Its killing me! For the last couple of weeks I've had such a sore lower back. To bend down, stand up, move in bed or walk up stairs or a hill it hurts a lot. I've been wearing only flat converse shoes for the past week and my hubby brought me a pregnancy pillow from JoJo Maman Bebe to try to relieve the pain so I'm hoping it subsides before I get any bigger. Other than that, I feel great. Loving this stage of the pregnancy with my bump growing nicely and people starting to notice I'm not just putting on weight. I feel really motivated to get things done around the house and doing my usual share of washing, cooking, tidying, organising etc whereas in the first trimester my husband was picking up all the slack as I was like a sloth on the sofa.

Sleep:  This week I've started using my new maternity body support pillow and it is comfortable and supportive, but I do feel I have to move it around when I wake up in the night to adjust it so its just taking a while to get used too. Its quite bulky so it disturbs Mr P's sleep but we will both get used to it and anything to help my back and support my belly is welcome in our bed. At this point in the pregnancy it is advised that you try not to sleep on your back due to the weight of the uterus laying on an artery which can cause dizziness. Getting used to side sleeping is also tricky so hugging the pillow helps me stay on my side.

Weight Gain:  I've put on 7kg now which is just over a stone in weight. I've downloaded an average weight gain chart for pregnancy and I am at the heavier end of average.

Food:  I am an eating machine. Always willing and eager to eat. I try to eat healthy but theres always room for dessert these days. If you can't do it when you are pregnant, then when can you? I did say the other night that I do look forward to trying to look my best post pregnancy and exercising and eating healthy.

Movement:  Lots and lots of movement and kicking, which I love. Its so reassuring to feel your baby move. I always tell Mr P when his babe is having a little moving session. He has felt kicks a few times when we have been in bed laying flat and still, as thats when the little one usually kicks about more or when I can notice it more. The scan showed I have a high anterior placenta which means its on the front wall of my uterus so the kicks are probably felt less hard than other people can feel them at this stage.

Belly Button:  Still an Innie! But its half and half at times with the top part going flat.

Stretch Marks:   None to date but I had a little scare this week. I must have scratched my belly as I had 2 red lines side by side. My heart sank as I couldn't help but think that if I had them this early then they would be everywhere when I get big. A couple of hours later and the marks had disappeared thankfully. Im lathering on my Mamamio tummy rub each night and it smells so good.

Looking forward too:  Starting pregnancy yoga. The classes are on Saturday mornings and are sold in bundles of 7 classes for £84

Bump:  Growing and growing. Im getting too big for lots of my tops now. I've got some maternity tops on order at Asos which I hope are nice as I've struggled to find ones I like for a reasonable price.

19 Weeks - Holidays in Australia

How far along: 19 weeks, 2 days. 

Symptoms: There's been alot going on the past week with my very long journey from London to Cairns so my symptoms have been all over the place. 3 flights and 32 hours later I arrived very tired but happy. Cairns is extremely hot at around 30 degrees so I feel a bit hot and bothered at times and have noticed my hands and feet are feeling tingly and a bit puffy. At the beginning of the week I had the worst headache that made me cry out in agony at times. It was unlike any headache I've had before and felt like I was being hit over the head each time it throbbed. I gave the midwife a quick call and she suggested I take some paracetamol which I was reluctant to do but 1 tablet did the trick. This week my expanding uterus has felt a little more crampy than usual and it gets really hard during the cramping. It didn't hurt very much but  it's a little uncomfortable.

Sleep: I love it and I am getting plenty of it!

Weight Gain: Just over 5 kg now! That's 11 lbs which seems a lot but I am nearly half way through this pregnancy! 

Food cravings: It's hard to decipher what's been a genuine craving to a 'oh my gosh, I've missed you so much' to my fave Aussie foods. I've had lots of yummy macadamia and mango Weis icecream bars and delicious cold watermelon. My mum and I went for lunch at my old favourite sushi train and had the chef prepare some fresh chicken and avocado rolls for me but it wasn't as good as I remember and prefer my local in the UK. Ahhh I'm getting hungry talking about food, my appetite has certainly started to increase lately.

Best Moment: The moment I flew into Cairns was pretty special this week. There's no place like home and my mum and I have been baby shopping for a few little clothing bits which was lovely.

Worst Moment: I've had a great couple of weeks on holiday so not much to worry about  this week except the increased risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis that applies to pregnant woman flying long distance. I wore flight socks for all 3 flights, moved around and drank only water or orange juice on the flight to keep uber hydrated. I didn't have any swelling in my legs after the flight. Also I sobbed my little heart out at the airport saying goodbye to Mr P. I thought I had made a mistake leaving him for 3 weeks as we are so close normally but even more so now that I am pregnant. Needless to say I am having a great time being home so nothing to worry about. 

Movement: When I am still I can feel little nudges here and there. Usually once a day now which is awesome. One of my best girlfriends is pregnant with her second child and it's been amazing to see her and her hubby and son Hugo. Her baby moves so much and you can see her tummy moving from the outside! Now that is exciting. She's a good 15 weeks ahead of me so might be a while yet til we can see baby Paicey moving!

Belly Button: The top of it has started to pop out so I can notice a change but still definitely an innie!

Wedding rings: They are super tight on my finger and I'm contemplating taking them off but I don't want too. I think my hands have swollen from the heat rather than only pregnancy. Still currently on but not sure for how much longer. 

Looking forward too: Seeing my sister in Brisbane next weekend!

Bump: I think I finally look pregnant! My brother was asked by someone who seen me at the grocery store if I was pregnant today. I havnt seen this guy in 10 years so he was good to spot that it was a baby bump and not a thicker waist!

Mum & I 

Bump at 19 Weeks, 2 Days

16 Week Update

Oh my gosh I finally have a minute to update the blog! What a full on week this has been. Its always busy when I have exams and they always take a lot out of me but even more so while growing this tiny human being inside me! I had a 3 hour exam yesterday afternoon and another this morning so can everyone keep there fingers crossed for me that I did enough to pass pretty please?

Now onto baby Paicey, the little munchkin is doing fabulous. I know this as I just came out of my 16 week midwife appointment. I am 16 weeks, 5 days so the appointment and this post are a little late. I had my blood tests reviewed and all came up great. Blood pressure and urine samples today were good and our jelly beans heart rate was really strong at 146 beats per minute.

I had a scare last week when I had a very minor accident in the car. I ran up the back of a motorcyclist but going very slowly as I had slammed on my breaks. It was more scary than anything, no-one was hurt and very minimal damage. Thankfully the lady I ran into was lovely and really nice about it all as I was so shocked that she was comforting me when I imagine it was more scary for her!
I booked in to the GP for a check up the next day and the doctor could not find my little ones heartbeat on her doppler. She booked me into the early pregnancy unit at the hospital for a scan but couldn't get an appointment for 5 days. So we had a long wait and my husband was quite worried but I just felt everything was fine with the baby so tried to put it out of my mind. On Monday I went into the hospital and the nurse found the heartbeat on the doppler immediately and didn't proceed with the scan. The nurse at the hospital was appalled that I had waited 5 days without knowing if the baby was ok and said I could have come right in that same day if my doctor had told them that she hadn't found a heartbeat. Needless to say, I will not be going back to that doctor as she had no empathy towards a first time mum to be or any mum to be really.

I think its safe to say that my bump has finally popped out and I feel pregnant! But not in that awful feeling sick kind of pregnancy way, just that I am super proud of my little bump and I love it. I wonder if I will feel that way at the end?! I've been feeling great this week. No nausea at all and tiredness kept at bay. There has been a huge difference so far in the second trimester to how I felt in the first trimester. The only issue i've had the past week has been a very sore lower back.

Mr P and I have booked a holiday to Lanzarote for a week on Sunday. The temperatures are a high of 21 and low of 16 so not boiling hot but so much nicer, dryer and sunnier than the British winter we are having. I am really looking forward to a week of relaxing, spas, eating, sun baking and reading books all whilst enjoying my husbands company. A little babymoon for us! Ill post a pic of the bump on holiday in Lanzarote for my 17 week update, but for now here are 2 photos of my bump popping out. Excuse the photos, I had just finished my exams and been running around like a mad woman!

15 Weeks... and counting

We've had a pretty uneventful but nice and relaxed week. I've been studying for 2 accountancy exams that I am taking at the end of February, mixed in with lunch out with Mr P for Valentines day and really enjoying being pregnant.
For valentines day I received beautiful flowers from the market as well as a delightfully huge box of hotel chocolat caramel selection choccy's. I got the hubby a very cute baby grow that says I love Daddy. Heres a summary of the week just gone and what I have been feeling.

Our Valentines day treats

How far along: 15 weeks, 4 days

Symptoms: I think I've got the hang of what triggers making me feel sick, which is if I go the slightest bit too long without having something to eat. I still get surprised by how quickly the nausea comes but it is quickly relieved with food. I experienced quite strong pains in my abdomen one evening and my old friend google suggested I hadn't had enough water. 2 Big glasses later and miraculously the pain subsided so my body sure is letting me know when I haven't eaten or drank enough water! Other than that, my lower back has been super sore, especially when rolling over in bed or walking up stairs. Kind of like a pinching feeling. I think I might need to invest in a pregnancy pillow sooner rather than later.

Sleep: A few good nights, a few bad nights. My Husbands constant moving and loud breathing has been irritating me lately which I am normally fine with so I'm putting it down to pregnancy hormones!

Weight Gain: I actually lost half a kg this week which is weird, especially considering my growing belly. 

Food Cravings: I'm not really craving anything per say. I've gone off steak which we usually have once or twice a week. I've substituted my piece of steak for a big jacket potato with cheese and sour cream so that hubby can still enjoy his weekly steak fest (due to Mr P's rugby training schedule he doesn't have the potato as he tries to go mostly carb free). On Saturday night after a huge away win by Mr P's team and a try from my husband, we decided to order a pizza (naughty) and I also ordered a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice-cream in cookie dough flavour. After eating half a tub straight from the container I decided that should do it and popped it back in the freezer. I couldn't stop thinking about it and 30 mins later I retrieved it and ate the lot! Ive never done that before.. I definitely used being pregnant as a lovely excuse.

Best Moment: My favourite moment this week was on Friday when I went to the NICU at St Peter's hospital and visited my friend Jenny's beautiful new son Noah. He was so teeny tiny but absolutely perfect in every way. I even got to hold his little hand. He will be one of baby Paicey's first friends which is so lovely.

Worst Moment: No worst moments really. Studying is a real drag and I don't feel the most productive. I can't wait to sit these exams, they will be my last ones until after our baby arrives.

Movement: I recently blogged about feeling tapping on my tummy earlier in the week. I haven't felt anything similar since, so I'm still not sure if it was baby. But I can definitely feel little wiggles when I put my hand over my tummy and take some time when I am lying down or sitting still. My husband hasn't been able to feel anything yet. I signed up for weekly online pregnancy updates on baby centre, and this week it said that if you shine a torch onto your tummy, the baby can now see light and will move away from it. I really wanted to try this out but Mr P told me I couldn't torment our little baby like that and to leave it alone, our jelly bean will move when he or she wants too!

Looking forward too: We are looking into a holiday in 2 weeks time. Its so cold and wet here so its all about the sunshine and where we can get it! We are looking at Dubai which is more expensive but guaranteed sunshine, whereas the canary islands are cheaper, but still a little cold at this time of year. Looking forward to sunning the bump and hoping it pops out slightly more in 2 weeks so I definitely look pregnant and not fat in a bikini!

Bump: Popping out more and more. Its my favourite past time to look in the mirror at my little bump!

The Bump is coming! I think its lovely.

Week 13

How far along? 13 weeks, 2 days.

Symptoms: This week I am feeling great! Nausea has subsided as has complete exhaustion and I am feeling so happy!

I had my first dizzy spell when I was out and about at one of my favourite cafe's. I was queuing and started to get hot and bothered and then started to see 'stars'. I quickly grabbed a seat and some lovely customers noticed I was unwell and got me a drink of water, asking if I was OK which I was, within 5 minutes, albeit a little embarrassed. I have since found out that pregnant ladies have an increased blood volume and it takes our bodies time to adjust to this which can lead to dizziness.

Sleep: I am sleeping wonderfully at night, getting at least 10 or 11 hours with only 1 quick trip to the bathroom and then straight back to sleep. I am very lucky and get to sleep in each morning which is so lovely.

Weight Gain: I think its probably too much too soon but I am up 3 kg or 6.6 lbs

Food Cravings: Anything sweet.. Chocolate or Ice cream! Could you call this a craving?

Best moment: Seeing our jelly bean again at our scan and getting the negative NT screening results in the post.

Worst moment: Definitely nearly fainting in a busy cafe!

Movement: I thought I felt flutters first thing in the morning when I had my hand on my tummy to protect it from my cat Archie who was running around on our bed. I haven't felt anything else so I can't be sure and it is early for any movement.

Bump: Getting bigger but it still changes size from morning to evening when its bigger, which means its still bloating and water retention rather than all baby. I love it though!

Evening bump at 13 weeks.

My first pregnancy purchases.

Topshop super soft Leigh maternity jeans. 
I couldn't be happier with these, super comfortable and seriously stylish. 
I brought the same size as my regular Leigh jeans and they are perfect.

Mama Mio Tummy Rub.
To combat stretch marks I have started to apply this all over the bump. 
I'll review the product once I have been using it for  a while.

Jojo Maman Bebe 'duck print' baby grow.
Our first baby purchase was oh so exciting!
Notice it is neutral as we don't know if our Jelly Bean is blue or pink!

12 Weeks! The end of the first trimester.

Yesterday marked the big 12 week milestone and the end of the first trimester. I am very happy to report that all is well with Baby Paicey. We had our first midwife appointment yesterday which was quite uneventful. I had bloods taken and gave a wee sample as well as answering loads of standard health questions.
What we are really looking forward to is our NT scan next week when I am 13 weeks.. I do have to admit that I got rather impatient and we paid for an early scan last week which was ridiculously amazing! Best £99 we have ever spent. Our little Jelly Bean (or JB) as my Mum now calls it, was wriggling and kicking away which was so cool to see. Mr P was shocked and couldn't believe I couldn't feel the acrobatics but the sonographer filled us in that our baby was only teeny tiny and I wouldn't be able to feel any movement for at least another month.

Hubby and I started taking pics of the 'bump' at 10 weeks and took another at 12 weeks and we were both very surprised at how much my tummy had grown. I still look like I ate too much pasta (which i probably have) instead of pregnant but its still really cool seeing my changing shape. I had to go bra shopping today and I have gone from a B cup to a D cup! 

10 Weeks..

12 Weeks..

So now that I am officially entering the second trimester I am patiently waiting for that gorgeous pregnancy 'glow' to kick in. In this twelfth week I am still feeling super tired and am suffering from indigestion and heart burn (already). The midwife suggested I sleep with my pillow up high so that I am slightly upright. Last night was a good nights sleep so she may be onto something xxx