2013 Year of the Baby

This year I am going to be a Mummy, it is so exciting! I am 25 weeks pregnant today - just 15 weeks to go!

Here are my latest bump pics:

23 weeks

24 weeks

25 weeks

We have also made our most exciting purchase - the pram! We looked at lots but I was drawn to this Silvercross Linear Freeway in Charcoal. In the shop we practised putting the body on and off the chassis, changing it into forward and backward facing pushchair mode, and fitting and removing the car seat. I also treated myself to the matching changing bag.

 

As of today I have lots of countdowns on my phone:

• 10 days until birthing pool lesson
• 14 days until 3rd trimester (if it is when you reach 27 weeks, as there seems to be conflicting views?)
• 22 days until my 28 week midwife appointment
• 31 days until the next scan and consultant appointment
• 80 days until my last day at work
• 105 days until Baby's due date

We will also confirm the date for our private 3D scan tomorrow! It's all soooooo exciting!

A Pregnant Christmas - 24 weeks!

I have been so excited and wishing the days away until 25th December when our baby would be 24 weeks and what is classed as 'viable'. 

24 weeks is the cutoff point for when many doctors will use intensive medical intervention to attempt to save the life of a baby born prematurely including doing a cesarean section. Between 23 and 24 weeks is a "gray zone" where most doctors would not intervene. And below 23 weeks doctors are unlikely to do a cesarean section for fetal reasons and most neonatologist will not resuscitate a baby born before 23 weeks, and many won't resuscitate a baby born between 23-24 weeks.
A baby born at 24 weeks would generally require a lot of intervention, potentially including mechanical ventilation and other invasive treatments followed by a lengthy stay in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Odds of survival increase as the pregnancy progresses, and even an extra week in the womb can make a difference. In general, premature babies born closer to 37 weeks will be much better off than those born before 28 weeks.

http://www.babymed.com/prematurity/pregnancy-viability-what-does-it-mean

 So when Christmas Day came I woke up and couldn't stop smiling and shed a few tears of happiness. We got lots of present for baby too as well as lovely cards:

 

From Marshie to Daddy          From Marshie to Mummy

To Mummy & Daddy from a good friend

 

 

  

 

  

We also went for our latest scan and consultant appointment and all is good. Baby is measuring on the 50 percentile so not too big or small!

 

My placenta is still lying low but there is plenty of time for it to move up. So I'm feeling good apart from heartburn but Gaviscon and Rennies are my new best friends!

Couples Classes

When I was 14w6d we went to a free early pregnancy class which was fun and it was nice to meet other pregnant couples and to start our pregnancy learning process. The class covered the female anatomy in pregnancy, the best birthing positions and some massage techniques that can help in labour. This is Hubby wearing a 9 months pregnancy suit:

Today Hubby and I went to our 2nd couples class run by my yoga teacher. The class was really good - at the end all the men said they didn't realise how involved they would need to be at the birth!
This class was also two hours long but we went about 30 minutes over and we all would have stayed much longer! We covered what the pelvis is like before and during pregnancy and how during labour the baby moves, comes down and out (ideally and some problems that may occur). We also talked about moves that can help if the baby is back-to-back or facing the wrong way. One of the moves is the Mayan 'sifting' massage which we all practised. This involves placing a scarf under my bump and moving it back and forth, such as this:

Another thing we talked about and practised was being comfortable in labour - preparing our environment as well as ourselves. Apparently we release the hormone 'oxytocin' during labour which is responsible for contractions which are responsible for the release of our bodies natural pain relieving endorphins. What we don't want during labour is to be too anxious or scared because we release adrenaline which reduces our level of oxytocin and can can slow down or stop contractions! We also should have the lights dimmed as we want the hormone melatonin to be produced and help with the contractions. Our instructor reminded us of how cats go off and find a private, safe, dark environment to give birth in. We too are mammals and this would be the natural environment for us to give birth in, not in a hospital room with bright lights and lots of staff in and out bossing us about.

So we should feel safe and have as much privacy as we want. The lights should be dimmed and Hubby and others shouldn't talk to me during a contraction, just support me, helping me with breathing techniques and massaging. Everyone should be positive and calm - no shouting.

The main thing for us though was actually talking to each other about our ideal birth and what we want and what we should do. We haven't really talked about it before because we still consider ourselves to be in the early stages! But we should be talking about it as it is best to try and sort out your plan early and get your head around things to be prepared for all eventualities. The class has also made the pregnancy more real for us. While practising labour we looked at each other and we couldn't believe that we are actually going to have a baby, we even remembered occasionally that Marshie was with us!

We were advised to write our perfect plan and read it over and over so that it becomes our positive focus and it really could happen that way, and so here is our first basic draft:

I go into labour in the night and Hubby stays asleep and rests. I stay in bed and try and sleep for as long as I can. When I feel the need, I get up and go into the nursery and visualise our baby in the nursery. I walk around or rock in the nursing chair with just the night light on. I take a bubble bath if I feel comfortable enough. I will go to the kitchen barefoot if I am hot as I like the cold granite floor. I will have plenty to drink and have my breakfast.
When I need Hubby I will wake him. I would like to take a short walk to the shop for magazines, sweets and drinks to take with us. I will watch TV on the birthing ball. We will time the contractions and ring the hospital for advice as to when to go in but we will stay at home for as long as possible/ for as long as I am comfortable. This will help me resist pain relief and help with our privacy and comfort.

When we go to the hospital I will give birth in the birthing pool. Hubby will be in pool with me towards the end and he will pass the baby to me and tell me what sex it is. We will wait until the umbilical cord finishes pulsing and then Hubby will cut it. I will stay in the pool if I am warm enough or hubby will get out and I will pass the baby to him. Hubby will do skin to skin until I'm dry and warm on the bed ready to continue the golden hour of skin to skin. Hubby can cuddle us both.

I don't want the injection and will pass the placenta naturally. I am looking into the Vitamin K drops for baby so we haven't got a firm decision on that yet. I will be breastfeeding.

That's where we are up to at the moment. A couple of things we need to think about are what hubby won't / will say during labour, and how we are going to handle the hardest thing for hubby - denying me pain relief when I say I want it, he's too nice!

My actual birthing plan and hospital bags contents will be another post a bit later on.

The main thing we have taken away from the class is that it's all about teamwork, and we make a great team!

22 Weeks!

Only 2 weeks to go until Christmas Day and 24 Weeks/Viability Day! So exciting but also nerve wracking. I'm not as relaxed as I have been since Friday when a car went through a junction and almost hit me. I was so shocked and had to take the day off work. All day I could hardly stop myself crying thinking about such a near miss - to have made it this far and someone's silly mistake could have taken it all away from us.

Anyway, extra careful driving and observation from me from now on, if only everyone else would do the same!

I can't stop smiling when I feel baby move. The movements are slightly stronger now and some of them feel really weird as baby swishes around my tummy! In bed in the morning and evening I spend time feeling my bump and feeling the baby move and kick - it is a special time. 

21 weeks

21 weeks 1 day evening pic

22 weeks

For weeks now Hubby has been reading to Baby at bedtime. He read that longer nursery rhymes can increase a baby's attention span and so our regular rhyme is 'The Owl and the Pussycat' by Edward Lear:

http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/ns/pussy.html

He follows this up with more rhymes or stories from a great book he bought. The other night he read 'Chicken-licken' - it made us smile, let alone the baby!

      

http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/oct2008/chicken-licken.html

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