Half-Baked! 20 Weeks!

I was so excited to reach 20 weeks, it was like it was my Birthday! What added to my excitement was that I got Hubby to feel my bump and see if he could feel any movement, and after a lot of patience, bump wiggling and stroking he felt two tiny kicks! He said it felt weird and I said trying having it inside you!

20 week bump

20 Weeks 1 Day was scan day and everything is perfect with Baby! We are so happy. It was also great as my Mum was allowed to come into the room and watch too!

Now it's the count down to Christmas Day and to 24 weeks! Sooooo exciting!

19 weeks, almost half way!

Exciting news - at 18 weeks 4 days Baby made themself known through kicks/movement! We had just gone to bed and I rubbed my tummy, and Hubby started talking and all of a sudden I felt two little thuds inside my abdomen. As I was telling Hubby that I thought I felt something, it happened again but much stronger so that there was no doubting it! Also the next morning during breakfast I felt  it again. It has made the pregnancy different some how - more real and exciting. It has also made me more impatient, I want Hubby to be able to feel the kicks and I want my big bump now!

I have been feeling much better, I do still get tired if I stay up later than 9pm though! I'm trying to swim twice a week, pregnancy yoga once a week and have started back at Body Balance. It is so nice to be at Body Balance and finally be the one that the instructor gives adapted moves to because I'm pregnant! I am also loving Pregnancy yoga. It isn't really a workout but helps you relax and teaches you good posture and breathing techniques and positions that can help during labour. It is great because I go with my friend who is 34 weeks pregnant and there are lots of ladies all at different stages of pregnancy, and at the end we have herbal tea and biscuits and chat. You learn a lot from the instructor and the other ladies. Also someone comes and talks to us at the end of the class such as a lady who was coming to the class right up to the birth. She brought her new baby and told us her birth story and we can ask questions and get advice and tips! We also go out and socialise and I am in my element just talking about babies non-stop!

 I have put on a total of 7lbs which is a healthy amount but still don't have much of a bump just look fatter:

17 weeks

18weeks

19 weeks

Although I don't have much of a bump, I have noticed some changes. In the morning when normally I would have a flat stomach, I no longer do and instead I have a hard round mound! Also in the night when I turn onto my side this mound moves and squishes, and when I turn onto my back everything feels heavy - it's not exactly a pleasant feeling and I wonder what it's going to be like with a big bump!

In other news I had the flu jab last night, I spoke to the GP about whether to have it or not and he said "Have you ever had flu, how did you feel?" Say no more, I've had it once in my adult life and couldn't get out of bed or eat, and so with so many people around me with colds and bugs at the moments I decided it was for the best!

Today I went for an early-bird antenatal class at the pysio department at the hospital. It was nice to meet other expectant Mums although we didn't really get a chance to chat but I could compare bumps! The class was all about posture and looking after our pelvis, it was interesting and I picked up a few tips that could help save my back when my bump gets bigger.

16 weeks / 4 months gone!

Yay, we've made it to 16 weeks! That means there is only 4 weeks until we are half way and 8 weeks until we are 24 weeks and baby is viable! That day is also Christmas Day!

So what has been happening since our dating scan almost four weeks ago?

Well, now I am in the 2nd trimester I am supposed to be blooming, feeling better and have loads of energy. That has not been the case! I've been a bit queasy and very tired, and I haven't been able to exercise. So being fed up of feeling like this I decided that during half-term I would have a blood test to see if I was iron deficient, start gentle swimming, get out a bit more and catch up on some sleep in the day if I need to. And as I come to the end of this week, I think I am feeling better! I have been swimming three times and out for a couple of walks and shopping sprees. I haven't needed a sleep during the day and I have only felt poorly for one afternoon - progress!

Some positive things that have happened are that around 15 weeks my uterus must have moved upwards in my pelvis and so I don't have to go to the toilet so many times in the night which is helping me sleep better. We have been listening to the baby's heartbeat with the doppler and the heartbeat is stronger and louder and has also moved upwards. Also we can hear the baby kicking/moving with the doppler which is amazing, and we even think that baby responds to our voices sometimes (or maybe this isn't possible yet but is something we like to believe). 

On Friday morning at 16w3d I had my first consultant appointment which went well. I went in to see a nurse first and my urine was fine and my blood pressure was good. I got my blood test results back and they showed that my iron is 11.5 when the norm is 12-15 or something. But they won't give me anything for that as it is borderline and the iron supplements could cause more problems like constipation or upset stomach. They said my iron reserves are good though. The nurse said I'd see the doc soon and they would decide if they need to keep an eye on me or not, probably not as all looks ok. She also asked if I was feeling any movement yet and when I said no she said not to worry, it's just some people feel them early. I asked her when I would get my 20week scan appointment and she said around 19 weeks! I said that late? Apparently that's the norm!

Then I went in to see the consultant but he wasn't there and so I was seeing the registrar. He went over my history and decided that they would keep an eye on me for reassurance for me and for them. I am to be scanned and a consultation at 24 weeks and a few other times after that. He explained that after 24 weeks they can give me steroids to mature the baby if they feel it is necessary (I think he was just trying to reassure me that if the baby looked like it was coming early there are things they can do to help. There is no reason for my baby to come early but having had miscarriages, they are just reassuring me as much as possible).
He listened to the baby's heartbeat with a doppler and all is good and normal.
We discussed the fact that my Mum had a blood clot on the lung after having my youngest brother and I wasn't too worried because I've had blood clotting bloot tests which were all fine. These tests were done at the fertility clinic though and the hospital doesn't have a copy and so he was going to prescribe me low dose aspirin when the consultant returned and took over. The consultant decided that he would write to the Professor at the fertility clinic for copies of my previous blood clotting tests and not bother with aspirin for now. He was very nice and said I look blooming which shows that I have good blood circulation, also the fact that I am still tired is due to high progesterone making me tired but it is also a good thing. Basically he said all was good and I am doing really well. He said so I'll see you at 24 weeks but when he checked the calendar he saw that that would be Christmas Day, so we're seeing him on 28th December!

I've had to buy maternity bras as my boobs have grown, also bigger tights and sensible winter boots! I haven't got a bump yet but I am getting fatter - I'm waiting for the day when it is clearly a bump and not bloat! Also waiting very impatiently for those first feelings of movement!

So here is the bump update:

13 weeks

14 weeks

15 weeks

16 weeks