36 Weeks and our first Wedding Anniversary

This week we celebrated our very first wedding anniversary. Its hard to say whether the year has flown by quickly because pregnancy is a long process, but it is hard to believe that my beautiful husband and I have been married for a year already. Our anniversary was on Sunday, and on Saturday night we went to a local michelin starred restaurant in Kew called The Glasshouse. It is a french menu that changes regularly and seeing as it may be a little while until just the two of us dine together in a fancy restaurant, we wanted to make the most of it. All three courses were cooked to perfection but the dish of the night for both of us was our dessert. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the dark chocolate mouse was made with pasteurised eggs, as was the pistachio ice-cream so I had this accompanied with an almond crumble and honeycomb pieces. Mr P went for cheese 'from the board'. A board with 25 cheeses came out and we were given an educated commentary on the different cheeses before picking a selection of 5. Mr P enjoyed red wine (which I miss like crazy) and I sipped on mocktails. On Sunday, the day of our actual anniversary we headed to Pennyhill park and Spa for a day of spa indulgence. This was really more for me than my husband as he could take or leave a spa day but I was definitely pushing for this. We had such a lovely day with a light lunch and a relaxing swim together in the indoor pool that has music playing underwater which was a nice touch. I indulged in a 60 minute pregnancy massage that was simply stunning and magically 'fixed' the shoulder pain I had been suffering from. Mr P used the sauna and hot tubs which I was advised not to use, while I was having my treatment. We finished off with a lay by the outdoor pool with some coffee's (decaf for me). All in all we had a beautiful relaxed weekend celebrating our first anniversary. Next year, I want champagne!!

Our Wedding Day 06th July 2013, Mission Beach, Australia

This week I attended a 3 hour evening breastfeeding class at Kingston Hospital where I am having baby Paicey. It was a really small group and it was very informative. We each had a doll that we used to 'practise' our positioning with and the different ways you can hold your baby to feed. We watched lots of videos of babies latching on and I can't tell you how surprised I was to find out how far back in the babies mouth your nipple has to go! I've been scaring all my friends with this information. I honestly thought the baby would just have your nipple in its mouth but you really have to put your aereola and then some of the breast in the babies mouth! The lactation consultants who run the class were very much pushing baby led feeding on demand and were not keen on routines. It was also very interesting to see how small a new born babies stomach is at birth and then for the next few weeks it slowly gets bigger. It can only hold the tiniest bit of milk which is why little babies needs to wake for feeds so often. We were told about 6 wet nappies in a day is a way of telling if you are providing enough milk for your baby. All in all I was glad I took the class but I think it really is one of those things you can only learn from 'doing'. 

We both attended a half day antenatal class at the hospital which was really good. We mostly took away from it information about different pain relief available, going into labour and when to go to hospital as well as the first week at home with our baby. We had to go around and introduce ourselves and most of the dads to be said they were terrified or very nervous. I asked Mr P afterwards if he is scared and he said he isn't scared at all just excited. So either he has a deluded vision of our life with baby or our constant discussions and his laid back nature have him well prepared mentally. The midwifes running the course were very pro water birth which is what I am hoping to have. They made it sound so wonderful that I am scared its all a farce and I will get in the birthing pool and realise that the water just doesn't cut it for me! One form of pain relief that I am going to avoid is Pethadine. Its just a personal choice. Pethadine passes through the placenta and therefore the baby also feels the effect of the drug and can come out sleeping or floppy which doesn't sound nice. The midwifes said that Pethadine has its place in some births though with some woman really needing it to relax and help their labour progress.

I also had my 36 week midwife appointment this week where I had all the usual blood pressure and urine tests, a listen to the babies heart beat via the doppler and measuring of the fundal height of the uterus. The midwife said that I will not be having a small baby like I was (I was 5 lb 8 oz) and that I was measuring 2.5 weeks ahead. I said to her that this could be the way baby was positioned or more amniotic fluid but she said she can feel that I have a lot of baby in there and not too much fluid. She estimated 3.5 kg or close to 8 lbs which isn't exactly big, just not small. The babies head has engaged further since my 34 week check up and is now 2/5ths engaged. We discussed all my birth options in great detail and made suggestions for my birth plan. I wasn't going to write up a birth plan as I believe you just need to go with the flow and the plan will most likely go out the window but she has convinced me to write one as certain things can be applied such as delayed cord clamping and dad to cut the cord. Ive started to write it and will post it here once I'm finished.

So we had a big week of prepping and taking in information for our babies imminent arrival. I still have heartburn and swollen feet. My wedding rings are officially off as my hands have swollen too. This is the first time ever that they have been off! I didn't however take a single photo of the bump which I am very sorry about! I will be sure to make up for this in next week's blog post. 4 weeks to go and counting xxx

  

   

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.

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

20 Week Scan

                           PINK or BLUE.. We didn't find out!

Our 20 week scan was booked for the day after I landed back in the UK, when I was 22 weeks. The midwife and doctors said this was not a problem when I discussed booking the scan 2 weeks later than the usual 20 week appointment.

We decided not to find out the gender of baby Paicey and we held strong when the sonographer asked if we wanted to find out. Mr P basically yelled 'No' at her when she asked, probably thinking I would change my mind. We had to close our eyes at one point as she scanned over 'that' area. So we will get the most amazing surprise of our lives come birth day when we get to meet our little one and see if its a lil rugby player or ballerina in the making!

We were both so excited to see our little baby on the big screen again and we weren't disappointed! The 20 week scan or Anomaly scan is very in-depth as they check over the whole baby paying great attention to the 4 chambers or the heart and the 2 sides of the brain as well as the spine and complete anatomy. Our tech at Kingston Hospital was really great and explained everything to us as she went along. Some things we could make out and others not so much. The babies spine and rib cage were very easy to see and the technology is so great, they can highlight the blood flowing through the baby so it shows up in red and blue on the screen.

Baby Paicey was not playing ball and was hiding, facing down so we couldn't see his or her little face and its legs were all tucked up. After I jumped up and down on the spot, turned from side to side and went to the toilet, baby Paicey would still not move so we were asked to go for a walk and come back to get the rest of the measurements. Second attempt and the little one had rolled over so we could see its lovely profile and snap a pic (see below), but the little ones legs were still curled up, so we were asked to rebook for the following week.

Four days later and back in to finish the scan measurements and baby Paicey was in the weirdest position like a little yogi, legs bent at the hips with both feet touching its forehead! Babies have such soft bones and are so flexible but it looked so uncomfortable being basically bent in half. After viewing the lower limbs and feet, we got the all OK that all the measurements looked fab so we are very happy!

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!

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