I have never been the sort of person who keeps a tidy house. My mother had a fridge magnet that declared:
Monday, 3 June 2013
Nesting, C Section & week 39 update
I have never been the sort of person who keeps a tidy house. My mother had a fridge magnet that declared:
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Bump update: week 37
So the last couple of weeks have been a bit of a nightmare, truth be told! On Wednesday I'll be 38 weeks and I am suffering!
After the disastrous consultant visit (I wrote about it here, and also wanted to express my thanks to those who commented and tweeted after that post) I then went further into anxious mode, until my MW appointment last Wednesday. As ever she was completely supportive, horrified that the consultant hadn't listened to what I had explained and brushed me off as a 'first time worrier', she got right on the phone to the hospital to make me another appointment with a different consultant, who I met last Monday, and who agreed (yay!) but said that it had to be signed off by a second doctor (he then helpfully gave me a prescription for some iron tablets with someone else's name on, cheers doc!) BUT I am seeing the 2nd consultant tomorrow morning, so hopefully my months of not knowing will be over!
And as for symptoms...
We went through some new symptoms (itchy body, including feet and some slight swelling in uncomfortable places) and my general tiredness levels, my MW took some blood and advised me to call the next day at 5pm, however by 10am the next morning I had already had a call from the hospital asking me to call back to discuss my results, worrying, but super quick service! SO it turns out my iron levels had dropped lower than they were last time they were checked (30 weeks, I think) even though I have been taking Feroglobin iron supplements and eating well, and the blood test that measures liver function was also low, (as recognised by the itchiness, which is very scientifically clever!) so that needs some tablets, but I said I already had consultant appointment on Monday, and could I wait and sort it all out then, the answer was yes, as long as the baby is still moving as normal (which it is, phew!) although I had been experiencing some really painful twinges all that morning.
She said it was probably just the braxton hicks getting a bit more powerful, or that I was just doing too much, or the baby was getting more confined as it grew, or a combination of all of these things. It was a pretty stressful day at work too (stupidly I was on my hands and knees scrubbing things and checking under beds ready for a butt-load of visiting VIPs) but after a 2 hour nap the pain seemed to have eased off by that night (last thurs!) and has since reduced to bearable levels and pretty much remained that way.
I've also developed some skin tags and changes to a couple of moles, mainly around my neck, a few google searches tell me this is normal and that they will go after the baby arrives, but the moles changing I am going to get checked at the Drs just in case!
Other than that, my symptoms have more or less remained the same (frequent piddling!!) but the aches have got worse, especially first thing in the morning! If it didn't take me so long to wash and dry my hair I'd move bath times to the morning but I think a warm bath before bed helps me unwind, so I'm not really willing to change my routine! I look like a decrepit old lady until at least mid day when things have eased up a little!
I am due to finish work on 23rd May (this Thursday ) and have more or less finished the handover to the person who will be managing the hotel for me in my absence, but it's going to be so strange not having to be on call 24/7 and not knowing what the hell is happening, but I'm sure I'll get over it pretty quickly!
I have been told I am having a leaving party on Tuesday too, hurrah! I'm meant to be going to a meeting (with dinner and a stay over) in Bournemouth on my last day, it'd mean I get to see all the people from the hotels in my region before being off for so long, and have a proper catch up, BUT I am inordinately worried I'll go into labour and Sam won't be there and I'll have to make someone drive me home in the middle of the night or something... I'll see how I feel the day before and decide then!
Anyway, I will keep you all posted on the yay/nay C-section meeting! Also, I'm moving about 7 weeks after the baby arrives, (blog post here on my other blog) any tips?
Monday, 29 April 2013
Bump update Week 34
[for previous bump updates click here]
34 weeks and a couple of days
So here’s an update of symptoms/happenings etc… (with some holiday snaps flung in just because I can!)
Itchiness & Skin: Still no stretch marks as yet, but more itchiness like I got back in the first trimester on my hands and feet mainly, which is very odd, but the cream I was prescribed back then has helped! Where I had my belly button pierced twice, and a small scar from when I had my appendix out have been a bit sore where the skin is stretching ever tighter over the bump, but not painful really, just enough to notice (I took both belly rings out when I knew I was pregnant, Sam hated them anyway and I didn't want them to pop out or anything gross!) I’ve been lathering on various creams and things on an almost daily basis, not forgetting my back/thighs/bum too!
Headaches: I’ve had a couple, after not having any for a good few months, but nothing a good sleep and a couple of paracetomol didn't fix, apart from one that needed co-codamol and a darkened room to get rid of, but I'd driven for about 4 hours and then endured 2 small boys screaming when we went to see Sam's cousins.
Sleeping/Energy Levels – Still not brilliant, but I have started taking Feroglobin liquid x3 a day which is meant to help your iron levels, and have been eating lots of green veggies when I can. I think carting around a huge belly would take its toll on my energy levels whether I’m anaemic or not, plus the fact that I have been hurtling around Cornwall visiting castles on hills/islands/caves etc hasn't helped much! I still appreciate a good nap when I can get one of course! As for sleeping I am having broken nights sleep (piddling) and also still getting pretty bad nightmares a lot of the the time but am napping when I can!
[gratuitous holiday snap of St Michaels Mount, which was all cobbled slopes, not ideal but pretty!]
Position: Baby is head down and facing towards my back, or so MW says, all good with me, hope it stays there till it has to come out!
Peeing – My Midwife says my constant urge to pee is because sprogs head is pressing on my bladder, and I agree with her completely. Literally I can pee immediately after leaving the toilet having done a pee… Its really irritating and my 3 trips a night to the toilet are killing me. There was ONE glorious night a couple of weeks ago where I didn't go during the night, but it was a one off apparently (and no, I didn't pee in the bed!) Often when the sprog stretches (i.e. it’s little rump sticks upwards and it’s head presses downwards at the same time) I am thankful I started doing kegel exercises a few weeks back as there have been a few near misses!
Acid reflux/heartburn – Much worse in the last 4 weeks, I’m attempting to eat smaller portions and not as close to bed time, and sleeping with more pillows so I am raised a but higher in bed seems to help a little.
Back/Hip Pain – Not horrific, although a little old lady came up to me in Asda the other day to specifically tell me ‘you never forget the feel of back pain in pregnancy you know’ THANKS LADY. In all honesty it isn’t that bad, I think I have fairly good posture anyway from all the dancing I did, which hopefully has helped. I get achy when I wake up, but after I've been up for a little bit it fades. Hot baths help at the end of a long day to. I did overdo the walking in holiday and got achier than normal but that’s my own fault really! I’m not wearing any kind of bump support or anything either…
Cramps / Braxton Hicks – Still getting bloody painful leg cramps, and have had a few Braxton Hicks fake contraction things, which are not pleasant and quite alarming at first (although husband once called them ‘branston hocks’, which was amusing) but they’re not painful, just surprising.
Movement – Still squirming at pretty much every waking moment, sticking its bum up under my ribs when I am driving and generally making most positions uncomfortable in the evenings when I am trying to sit still and it is having a whale of a time wriggling. The last week has been particularly difficult as bump has grown, as it is so hard to get comfortable sitting/lounging/in bed, and I can only see this getting worse until the bump becomes a baby!
Size – My last midwife appointment (at 33 weeks) was the first time the bump measured more than the number of weeks I am, and even then by only a cm, so it’s still not ‘big’, which is a good thing in my mind! I have an appointment with a obstetrician this week and I am hoping he/she offers me a growth scan then, so we’ll have a better idea of its size, and the size of the head more importantly! Needless to say bending down is nigh on impossible and rolling out of bed sometimes requires a push from Sam! I am also lots and lots slower, and run out of breath quicker than a 90 year old with a 60 a day smoking habit.
And as for my size, in the last couple of weeks I have felt distinctly frumpy and flabby. My midwife said she definitely didn't think I had anything to worry about weight-gain wise, and I haven't weighed myself for a few weeks so not sure if I’ve put that much more on, but I think my thighs and upper arms are bigger than they were, but to be frank I like food, and have spent the last week devouring cream teas and various other unhealthy things whilst on holiday so ce la vie! Oh, and my boobs STILL haven't gone up by more than a cupsize and have put on exactly 2 stone since I got impregnanted!
Cravings – none. SO annoying, I wanted to crave something awesome and hard for Sam to get hold of when I got demanding, but no such luck!
Swelling – none, apart from ankles slightly at the end of very long days!
Mood – Still anxious about many things, and with a lower tolerance level then ever before (it was pretty low to begin with!) but no tears!
Maternity Leave – remember I talked in this post about not knowing who I was going to be handing my huge and complex hotel over to whilst I am on mat leave? well I know now and am happy with who it is, so have finally made the decision as to when I will stop work, which in my 39th week. However if I do have to stop before I know that I won’t be leaving anyone in the crap so to speak! I am also lucky in the sense that I can work to my own schedule and cut days shorter if needs be. Work is also only a 10 minute waddle from home and 5 minutes in a cab to the hospital should anything drastic happen…
Things I need to do: Pack a hospital bag! dun dun dunnnnnnnn!
I’ve also been to 2 out of 3 ante-natal classes that are run by the local NHS, the first one was about the stages of labour, and breathing etc, which I didn't find that helpful as I've been reading all sorts of books etc but Sam did, he he claims he’ll know what to expect now, so that’s a bonus! We also did an exercise where the mums and dads had to split into two groups and write down what we thought the qualities of a good birthing partner would be, and actually the 2 lists weren't that different! Basically we had “do everything I ask you to and don't get upset when I shout at you” and theirs was “do everything she says!” There was a creepy looking baby in a fabric womb though, along with a knitted boob (which acted as a bladder!)
Class 2 was about ‘when things don’t go to plan’ and I went to this on my own as Sam couldn't get out of work. It covered pain relief including epidurals/forceps/other types of deliveries and C-sections, and I must say was pretty helpful as the Midwife went through everything in detail and answered all our questions thoroughly. The next class is about breast feeding and the first few days at home, and we have to bring a dolly/teddy to practise with, which will be difficult as I own neither!
Another sweet and reassuring phenomenon is that we’ve spent the week with some close friends and their 10 month old on holiday, and Sam has taken a huge interest in how things work, including feeding times/methods (he fed her himself a few times with great glee!) and ‘nipple’ size (he meant teats on bottles but we’ll let him off!)
That’s about it for now, I've just got back home from our week away, so am desperate for a long hot bath and my own bed but it’s okay… only 3 weeks left until mat leave!
[underground caves and steps at Tintagel Castle!]
Monday, 25 March 2013
Pregnancy update week 30
I’m a week and a bit late with this update if I'm going by my every 4 weeks rule, but seeing as I set the rule I figure I can break it… Wednesday marks the start of the 31st week of being up le duff, or 30 weeks and zilch days if we go by the midwife countdown…
here’s the low down…
Sleeping/Energy Levels – My last blood tests revealed I have low iron levels, which explains the on-going tiredness, though the last trimester is more tiring than the middle one anyway which makes sense. I wanted to avoid having to take iron tablets on prescription as they play merry havoc with IBS from previous experience (both me and my mum regularly go through anaemic phases so I’ve had them in the past and they do strange things to your bowels/droppings!) instead I am eating lots of green veg and red meat.
Peeing – still piddling a lot, and managing to expel about 5x more liquid that I ingest. How is that even possible? I have also (TMI coming up…) had to start wearing party-liners daily as a couple of severe sneezes/coughing fits have resulted in slight leakage (I was mortified but apparently it happens to almost everyone and if they say it didn't they're lying!)
Acid reflux/heartburn – on and off, sometimes I will have eaten nothing for hours, and wake up with it really badly and need to find some rennies STAT in an attempt to clear it up!
Back/Hip Pain – In all honesty I would have to say that the pain hasn't got worse, although it may just be that I am learning to live with it! My fancy new ergonomic high backed desk chair at work has helped, plus the fact that I have attempting to walk for at least half an hour a day.
Stretch Marks/Skin- still no stretch marks, still lathering on various creams and potions when I remember, and no linea nigra yet either. Belly button has NOT stuck out at any point… though maybe this is because it’s dead from having two different piercings (I took them out when I got pregnant) and a scar from my appendectomy in it. But I'm pleased because it freaks me out when they poke out. Facially my hormonal spots have pretty much cleared up too!
Headaches – hardly any since the last update, I've only had to take tablets for it once.
Cramps – more ‘restless leg syndrome’ than ever, coupled with 3 bouts this week of excruciating pain in my left calve. Picture this, you’re happily asleep, then suddenly your calve muscle tenses up in a MAJOR way and you wake up wanting to scream but you can’t because your husband only got into bed and fell asleep after a 16 hour shift an hour ago and it would be mean. You then lie there for 15 minutes trying to clench and un clench your toes in a vain attempt for the muscle to contract and go back to normal. THEN you have trouble putting all your weight on your leg when you need to go to the toilet and promptly fall over when you get out of bed, and wake the husband up. OH, and I've also had some very bizarre crotch-area cramps this week, like shooting pains in the vag, not pleasant!
Movement – almost had a dangerous spillage when sprog did a major kick/flip knocking a bottle of nail varnish off the bump, but luckily the lid was still semi screwed on, phew! Sprog loves to wiggle about in the bath too.
Size – I have put on just under 2 stone, and the midwife says this is absolutely nothing to worry about, as the ‘average’ (ie if you were of a normal BMI when you got pregnant) person should put on around 2.5 stone overall. I think my legs are a bit chunkier, but people have said that facially I don’t look any bigger, which is a bonus, to be honest I'm not watching what I eat at all, so I'm surprised I am not looking like a beached whale.
Hair/Skin – hair is growing at rapunzel type speed, which is good. It also seems a lot shinier than normal, which is awesome. In other hair related news, I have purchased a ladyshave type device as I can no longer see my hoo-hoo, and shaving with a regular razor in the shower was getting dangerous. I figure this will be easier to use when I attempt to ‘neaten’ certain bits in preparation for the hospital (and then a lot quicker and less dangerous when I am attempting to shower between naps post birth!)
Cravings – nothing! dull eh. I am eating a lot of sweet things though.
Swelling – nothing yet, shoes still fit, ankles still look like they did before, wedding ring still fit too.
Mood – No major mood swings (lucky for Sam eh!) but a number of various anxieties that I am not going to share here, perhaps at a later date but for now I'm seeing my MW with more regularity than normal, and saw my GP this week about it too.
No other symptoms that I can think of, and with ten and a half weeks to go till D-day I’m hoping that nothing gets too bad! We’ve got a week away planned at the end of April with friends in Cornwall, and as long as I can drive there and back okay I don’t really mind if I'm too round to do anything as we’ve hired a gorgeous barn conversion and I'll happily spend the week reading/dozing/chatting with friends. I still haven't made a decision on when to stop working, mainly because I don’t know who is covering for me when I'm on mat leave, (if it was up to me I would’ve made the decision weeks ago, but alas it is not within my control and is causing me grief, as handing over a hotel isn't a quick task, and if it’s not the person I want it to be its a 2 week job, minimum!)
Now everyone tells me I look ‘big’ for my dates, however the midwife measured the bump and it is NORMAL I tell you!!! Snap on the right taken Wednesday before last, at the start of the 29th week (Or 28+0) and I am noticeably bigger already, which is the idea I guess! My coat doesn't fit anymore, so it better get warmer soon! I think people just think I'm big because I'm a midget…
Monday, 18 February 2013
Pregnancy Update week 24
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Pregnancy update Week 20
So I am either 19 or 20 weeks now, depending on which pregnancy app I look at. As I said before in my 16 week update, the whole weeks and days things confuses me, and normally I class myself as someone with a decent amount of intelligence, or at least common sense! But anyway I think days 0-7 of being pregnant are week 1, although I am now 19 weeks and 3 days, I'm actually in week 20. I think?
Anyway, I plan to do an update every 4 weeks from now on, so here you go...
Sleeping - I am not as tired as I was for the first 16 or so weeks, which is a relief. I am struggling to find a comfy sleeping position, but find that a liberal sprinkling of lavender oil on my pillow/duvet helps, as well as listening to BBC World service which is possibly the most boring thing in existence post midnight. In the last few days I have been more tired, but I think that is due to having a nasty cold which has taken it out of me somewhat.
Peeing - this still happens lots and lots, then some more. Although sometimes I go and nothing happens, and then 5 minutes later I'm desperate and Niagara falls happens. A tip for you to help empty the bladder completely is to lean forwards when you think you're done to help every last drop come out. Needless to say it's still affecting my sleep and I get up to pee at least once a night. Annoyingly my bathroom is downstairs and at the other end of the house, I have mastered getting there and back in the dark so as not to wake myself up too much with switching lights on!
Constipation - Still happening on a semi regular basis. However I find that by drinking LOTS of water (which doesn't help with the peeing) and trying to eat as much healthy veg and protein as I can, and am (as normal) keeping my dairy intake low, but IBS still roars its ugly head at times.
Headaches - I have had a bout of bad ones. Ones that don't go away with a 4 hour sleep. Eventually I gave in and looked up co-codamol in pregnancy, found that many expectant mothers had been prescribed it for various things by their GPs and took one. Headache went in half an hour. As I suffer from bad headaches and the occasional migraine (less now than when I was younger) I expect this will get worse as I get more pregnant, unfortunately.
Backaches - Randomly this week my normal lower backache when I wake up has been joined by upper back pain, which is strange. Its not like my upper back is taking the strain of bigger boobs (Still pissed off they've not got any bigger!) so not sure what's causing this apart from maybe a different sleeping position, although a couple of times it's happened at bedtime, so it can't be that! Anyway, the arrival of my new pregnancy pillow will hopefully help (& I will review it too!)
Heartburn - Slight but nothing too bad. If I eat crisps (which is rare) it's worse, so I know what NOT to eat.
Breathlessness - climbing stairs wears me out, I can only imagine how i'll feel when I get humongous.
Body temperature - It's January and I am sleeping with the window open, the radiator in the bedroom off and in a T shirt and pants only. My nice fluffy new sale bargain dressing gown is firmly hung on the back of the door, and I am not wearing socks or slippers around the house.
'Flutterings' aka the baby moving - I *think* this happened for the first time a couple of days ago, it was like a popping, but it wasn't wind (and I am familiar with wind, due to IBS) but I've not felt it again yet.