Movements

Yesterday, we went to Bluewater - it was ram-jam! Didn't really think it through properly, but then again EVERYWHERE is busy in the xmas holidays. We were going to go to the cinema but the queues were so long, we decided against that, then went into Santa Fe for some lunch. While we were choosing what we wanted, I felt something inside me, on the left hand side & below my belly button, like tiny little bubbles, very light - they kept coming for a few minutes on and off then went and came back again a bit later on in the meal. I have thought in the week that I have felt flutters but I didn't know if I was imagining them, but this was definitely real! Woohoo!

We had a look in a few shops, and popped into H&M, they had the maternity section in there, I found one at last! They had a few nice things and I got a nice warm brown cardie and a smart black top. The cardigan had one of its buttons coming off so they gave me £5 off, result!

For ages I have been fancying Krispy Kreme doughnuts so I bought a dozen, they are now all gone! I don't know how many I had but I reckon it was about 7 (shhh!)

We went to visit little baby Charlie again today, 3 weeks old today, he's such a sweetie. Our baby did some more bubbles too! I love it!

We had a look through the baby name book again for inspiration for a boys name, Jack's Mum came up with Dennis today. Yum!

Gotta go to get ready for NYE! Byeeeeeeeeeeeee x

16 Weeks Pregnant

Wowie, I really can't believe we've hit the 16 week mark. 4 months. It feels like yesterday I got the positive result!

Here are my bum pics for this morning - excuse the PJs!






















Babycentre.co.uk says this about week 16... "You may not know it when it happens, but your tiny tenant frequently gets the hiccups, which babies master before breathing. Babies don't make any sound because their trachea is filled with fluid rather than air.
Although you've probably gained between 5 and 10 pounds / 2.2 - 4.5 kilograms, the fetus weighs in at around only 5.5 ounces / 156 grams. It measures approximately a little more than 4.5 inches / 11 centimetres long, crown to rump. Legs are growing longer than the arms now, fingernails are fully formed and all the joints and limbs can move. You may be able to find out the sex of your baby by ultrasound now, since the external genitals may be developed enough that the ultrasound technician can tell you if you're going to have a boy or a girl.
If the idea of having a baby seems so remote, nothing makes it feel more real than feeling your baby move for the first time. Most mums-to-be discern movement (called quickening) between 16 and 20 weeks. If you've been pregnant before, you'll feel things earlier rather than later. What you may first think is a rumbling stomach may be your baby doing some back flips. Make note of when you first start feeling the baby and tell your midwife at your next visit. This middle stage of pregnancy is a good time to start exercising."

First Midwife Appointment

We've had a lovely Christmas, and had the excitement of the midwife's visit to keep us on our toes.

She came round this morning, through the snow, and stayed for about an hour. She was a very nice lady and everything went very well.

Firstly, we went through my maternity notes - talking about family history, if we smoked, did drugs etc etc - anything they may need to know which may affect the baby or the labour. She then spoke to us about antenatal classes and showed us what Barnet has to offer on the NHS. I asked her if the NCT ones were worth doing and she said they were good and they had smaller classes and can be more thorough. The leaflet she gave us said the NHS course lasts 3-4 weeks, but the NCT ones last 8-10 weeks so you must get told more information.

She then told us about the triple test which is the blood test you have which tests to see your risks of having a baby with downs syndrome or spinda bifida. This test has to be done at 16-18 weeks, and as I'm in the 15th week at the moment she has asked me to go to the hospital next week to have that done. She took 3 other vials of blood to test for Rubella, Hep B etc, and a urine sample to test for protien and sugars which were fine, she's going to send the sample away too to check for any infections.

Once she'd done all the horrid things she got me to lay down and she tried to listen for the baby's heartbeat. She felt my tummy first and found where the baby is, she said it's very big and grown a lot since my first scan. She then put the doppler on my tummy and within a few seconds she'd found the baby's heartbeat - it was very fast and loud - she said it was very good and powerful. She kept it there for about a minute which was lovely for us to hear.

She also took my blood pressure, and Jack asked to have his done too because he's never had it done before! We both have very good blood pressure according to her. She gave me all the information I need to contact her or any of the other 4 midwives on her team - I have their pager number and general number if I have any queries or emergencies. She's also going to book me in with the consultant for 20 weeks, and has asked me to make an appointment with the midwife at the surgery for in 4 weeks, which is also at 20 weeks. I also have my scan at 20 weeks, so a very busy week that week!

Finally!

Yesterday I went shopping and popped into Dorothy Perkins - they had a little maternity section there, and I bought some black combat trousers and a nice greyish V neck & back top with a bump panel. How exciting!

Just as I was about to get back to the car, the midwife called me on my mobile to say that there would be someone coming round on Tuesday... yes... THIS Tuesday! to give me my first midwife's appointment. I'm so pleased, plus it means that Jack will also be here and can join in with it too.

We've just finished wrappping the presents, and I'm listening to 'Hello Children Everywhere', a CD I bought in preparation for the baby - it's got all the tunes I remember from my childhood on it, it's great!

15 Weeks Pregnant

Today marks the big 1-5 weeks! I'm feeling pretty good - no more nausea, getting bursts of energy every once in a while, and I keep waking up just before my alarm goes off feeling very awake, so it's all good! Only thing I wish I could change is my spotty face, back and chest. I've bought a Lemslip Butter Bar from Lush because it's meant to be good, so I will have to let you know how I get on with that.

I've been wearing my new maternity bras, they are SO high up in the chest and under the armpits - they kind of limit what tops you can wear! I've had a look about on the net but few places seem to do a DD, and lot's of the bras in the 'maternity' ranges are actual nursing bras which I don't need quite yet!

I went out this morning and had a look in Topshop Maternity for anything I might be able to wear this xmas - nada. Then, walking past Jane Norman I saw a lovely aqua/teal jumper dress so I bought that which I can wear with jeans and some gold sandals and accessories. I can't believe xmas is only 3 days away, it doesn't feel xmassey yet! It's the last day of work now until 3rd January - bliss!

Other changes are the bump is a bump at all times now! Before, it used to get bigger at the end of the day - but now it's big all the time. Here are my 15 weeks pics (taken yesterday evening)
Babycentre has this to say about week 15... "Crown to rump, your baby is around 4 inches / 10 centimetres long and weighs one-and-three-quarter ounces / 49 grams. The body is now growing faster than the head. This week, its parchment-thin skin covers itself with lanugo (ultra-fine, downy hair that usually disappears before birth). Though eyebrows are beginning to grow and the hair on top of the head is sprouting, this hair may change in both texture and colour after birth. About now, the fetus can grasp, squint, frown, and grimace. It may even be able to suck its thumb. Researchers believe these and other movements probably correspond to the development of impulses in the brain."

Huge Boobies

I thought my breasts hadn't really grown since being pregnant, but knew that I needed to move to non-wired maternity support bras, so braved the nightmare that is Oxford Street, and went to Debenhams for a fitting. I couldn't believe it, I have gone from 34C - 36DD! I bought a white and a black bra, both exactly the same and both extremely unsexy!

The 4 Pregnancies of Xmas

On Friday night, we went out for one of Jacks friends birthdays. All the usual boys were there with their girlfriends, and everyone commented on the little bump and said I was showing! I lurve my bump! Another of the girls is one month further along than me so it was nice chatting to her to see how she was feeling and if she'd felt the baby yet (she had).

Then Saturday we went to visit tiny little baby Charlie - he is SOOOOOOOO sweet, so tiny and cute and he looks like both his parents so much! I had a little hold and he was just a little sweetheart and slept while he held onto one of my fingers. Then Jack had a little snuggle and loved it too, I'm so glad we're having one!

Saturday night I had my xmas meal with the girlies, and another of the girls is due 2 days before me - she rolled up to the resteraunt with a flat stomach! I couldn't believe it! I felt like such a fatty! But once we'd eaten it bulged out a bit, so it's all good! At least I can get a seat on the train ;) One of my other friends bought me a lovely jumper dress for xmas, which Im wearing as a jumper today, it has good coverage!

Im looking forward to this week very much! Only four days of work then off off off for xmas - it's gone so quickly I can't believe that this time next year we will have a little baby!

Waste of Time

Yesterday was a complete waste of time. I trundled off to the GPs, all excited about seeing a midwife and finding out more about the bubba, and ended up waiting 45 mins in the waiting room.

I then went through and met the midwife, she was lovely. Basically, when I rang up the doctors on Tuesday to ask when my appointment would be, they said "come in Thursday", when really the Thursday appointments are for ladies further along in their pregnancies, and are only 15 min slots. So I was told I would get a call in a few weeks to arrange my booking in appointment, which is the first appointment you have, and the midwife will come to my house to do that.

I got home and cried and cried! I'm very emotional at the moment anyway, and expecting something then getting nothing was very disappointing.

Roll on 3 weeks then!

14 Weeks Pregnant

Today, I am 14 weeks. Off to see the midwife at midday, which is lurverly having the morning at home!

Here are my bump pics

Getting bigger!

Babycentre for this week says... The fetus is now 3 to 4 inches / 7 to 10 centimetres long from crown to rump and weighs about an ounce / 28 grams — about half a banana. Its unique fingerprints are already in place. And when you poke your stomach gently and she feels it, your baby will start rooting — that is, act as if she's searching for a nipple.
If you're having a girl, she now has approximately 2 million eggs in her ovaries; she will have only a million by the time she's born. She'll have fewer eggs as she gets older, and by age 17, the number will have dropped to 200,000.

As for you, the fog may be lifting, so to speak. For many women, the side effects of early pregnancy — frequent urination, intense fatigue, nausea — diminish sometime in the second trimester. Your uterus, while large enough to announce to onlookers that you're indeed pregnant, isn't so huge that it gets in your way. Even though birth is months away, your breasts may already start making colostrum, the fluid that will feed your baby for the first few days before your milk comes in.

Midwife Appointment

I rang the doc's to chase up my Midwife Appointment, and I have one this Thursday! Woooohoooooooooooooooooooooooo

Hello Charlie!

I've just realised that I'm not posting here much, apart from the bump pics and babycentre stuff about what is happening that week - and that I really must stop!

I think its just because theres not much happening to tell about. I still haven't been contacted with a midwife appointment, which I'm starting to worry about, but not overly so. Some of the Handbag ladies will be having their 2nd midwife appointment at 16 weeks, and I'm almost 14 weeks and haven't even had one! I think it's silly giving you one so late - the beginning is when you need to know what you can and can't eat, the reassurance regarding the feelings etc.

Saturday night we were meant to be going out with our friends who have a baby due on xmas day (eek!). We got a call on Saturday morning to say that she'd had a show, so the baby could be arriving within the next week, so they were going to stay in instead. Sunday morning, I awoke with a text message from her saying that she'd had him at 11.30 that night! Welcome to the world Charlie! It's so exciting and I can't wait to see him! Jack and I went to Mothercare to look for a pressie for him but we weren't overly impressed. I spotted a little snuglo 'Action Man' knotted hat yesterday though, and I know Jack loves the snuglo stuff too, so whipped that up!

13 Weeks Pregnant

Today, we hit the 13 week mark - officially into the 2nd trimester, and out of the worrying part. More and more people know now, it feels strange knowing we've had to have kept it a secret for so long, to be able to tell it!

This week has been good - I've had really bad headaches which I saw the doctor about, he said I could take nothing but Paracetemol. That doesn't really have an effect on me, so I bought a stick of 4head, which is a natural headache remedy, and that seems to have done the trick. My skins gone bad too - he's given me something for that and said that it should clear up with the hormones, and also that my midwife letter has come out (yay)! Other than that, I've been feeling good which is great, just still tired and hungry all the time!

Here's my weekly bump snap, just taken with my new mobile (check ME out!)

Babycentre says this about week 13...

"Your baby's face is beginning to look more human, even though she is only about 3 inches/ 7.5 centimetres long from her crown to her rump and weighs slightly more than half an ounce/ 14 grams. The eyes, which started out on the sides of the head, have moved closer together. The ears are almost in their normal position on the side of the head. The liver is making bile and the kidneys are secreting urine in the bladder.

The fetus squirms if your abdomen is prodded, although you cannot yet feel movement. Fetal nerve cells have been multiplying rapidly and synapses (neurological connections in your brain) are forming. The fetus has acquired more reflexes: touching the palms makes the fingers close, touching the soles of the feet makes the toes curl down and touching the eyelids makes the eye muscles clench.

Your midwife can now feel the top of the uterus, also known as the fundus, low in the abdomen. As you enter the second trimester, you may find yourself donning looser, less restrictive clothing. Soon you won't be able to fit into your regular clothes any more.
You may now find that once the 'sickness' feeling has passed, your appetite returns."

Dating Scan

Yesterday morning, we went for our first scan. I hardly slept through excitement, and I kept waking up having dreamt that we'd slept through our alarm and missed the appointment!

I was told to have a full bladder when I went, and just before we left, I weed! I totally forgot! Ooops! Anyway, I drank a big bottle of water hoping to top up my levels, and we left half an hour early to make sure we gave ourselves enough time.

We arrived at the hospital with 25 minutes to spare, but drove round the car park looking for a space for about 15 mins! We finally found one, parked up, then realised we were in the Staff Parking bit! In the end we drove back out and parked on the roadside and walked back with a few minutes to spare.

When I checked in at reception, I was given a big pile of things - a Bounty Pack which had lots of leaflets in and a little pregnancy booklet, a big book about pregnancy, and a big book which will hold all my Maternity Records. I think I have to take it to every appointment with me now but I wasn't told anything.

We waited for about 5 mins, when a lady called us through to the room where I was to be scanned. Jack sat at the end of a bed, and I was told to get on the scales and weigh myself, which I did, then got on the bed. The screen was to the right of me, and totally facing in the opposite direction so I couldn't see a thing.

She put some gel on my stomach, and said that first of all she was going to check for a heartbeat, check how many babies were in there, and measure it. Jack was sitting by my feet, so he could see the screen - I tried to have a look but got told off because it made my stomach muscles tense. I also got told off for having an empty bladder, even though I felt like I was about to wet myself! She said she could see a single baby in ther (phew!) and could see a heartbeat. She measured and said she was getting a reading of 11 weeks and 3 days, but also said that my dates were accurate so stick to them.

The whole time this was going on, Jack could see the bubs, and all I had to go on was his reaction. He was laughing! Not laughing, but you know when someone's smiling SO hard that it makes them kinda make a laugh noise? It was that, and that alone made me smile and happy. I was then finally allowed to have a look - she did a close up on the heartbeat, fluttering away, and showed me all the body parts which all seem to be in tact. She zoomed out to take the pic, but I still love it!

We bought 5 copies of the scan for £2 each and she gave us some little paper frames to put them in. Jack and I have kept one each, given one to each sets of parents, and I've sent the other to my Grandad. We can't stop looking at it! My mum thinks she can see a willy! We can clearly see a head, body, arm, leg, foot and umbillical cord in the pic... here it is....

We made our next scan appointment for 26th January, and went off to work as proud Mummy & Daddy!

11+5

The scan is now only one day away, we are SO excited!

I came home early for the past 2 night because I'd been feeling rough - I have had a mega headache and have been feeling very sick. I'm having the day off today just to relax and try to get better. Maybe I'm just getting myself worked up because Im excited about the scan... I hope I'm not getting ill... I don't know how I'd cope without being allowed to take anything!

I took another bump pic... this is me last night at 11 weeks, 5 days. I think I'm having a triangle!

11 Weeks Pregnant

1 week until the scan!

Here's an 11 week bump pic, just taken with my phone at work.




Babycentre.com says for week 11... "Your baby will double in size in the next three weeks. He or she is now swallowing and kicking, and all the major organs are fully developed. More minute details are appearing too, like fingernails and peach-fuzz hair. The external sex organs are beginning to show and in a few weeks they will be developed enough to tell whether you're going to have a boy or a girl. The fetus is only about 2 to 3 inches / 5 to 7 centimetres long from crown to rump and weighs less than half an ounce / 14 grams. Even so, it's busily swallowing and kicking. Each day more minute details start to appear, such as fingernails and peach-fuzzy hair. The vital organs — the liver, kidneys, intestines, brain, and lungs — are fully formed and functional, while the head is almost half the length of the entire body. The forehead temporarily bulges and sits high on the head, but later will change into a more human-like feature. If you could take a look at your baby this week, you'd be able to see the clear outline of his spine. Spinal nerves stretch out from the spinal cord.
Your uterus is now the size of a grapefruit. With the help of a Doppler, a hand-held soundwave stethoscope, you can hear the fetus's rapid heartbeat — one expectant mother likened it to the sound of tiny horses galloping."

Maternity Clothes

This week I have searched for nice maternity wear. What I really want is a couple of jumpers - something that can keep me warm without riding up the bump! So I went to H&M in Oxford Street - no maternity section. Next Oxford St - no maternity section. I couldn't believe it - only 4 London H&M's stock their maternity range.

Anyway, yesterday I went to Topshop Oxford Circus, where they now actually have a whole seperate floor for their maternity stuff which I was very impressed with, it's very calm up there! They had no jumpers, but I did get two lovely pairs of jeans - Mooch & Duke. Mooch are baggy in the leg, and Duke are tight on the leg, so could wear a nice top with them and wear them out-out too. I got a plain white t-shirt which is long and tight (all my other tops ride!), and it does accentuate my bump I think! I also got a white tube top which is like a book tube but you wear it on your tummy under a normal t-shirt so it looks like you've just got a white top on underneath, giving a layered look. Very handy, and only £5!

On the the tube on the way home, I had to go one stop, so was standing up... there was a lady with a big bag, and it was getting kinda cramped, a man noticed and said "be careful, I think this lady's pregnant"! So she got out of my way. He had his iPod on, so he shouted it, but it made me smile that a stranger had noticed my lickle prawn!

Oooh I nearly forgot, we got "Cool Names For Babies" the book on the weekend, everything was a bit too cool though or horrid! Like Snoop Dogg, Margaret etc etc. We're sorted for a girl, but a boy is what we're having trouble with. I suppose we have long enough to think!

10 Weeks Pregnant

Again, I'm 2 hours away from the big 1-0, but again, can't wait until the morning, so here is a current bump pic...

This week, according to babycentre.com... "Your baby weighs under 10g — a fraction of an ounce — but is poised for rapid growth. All the body parts are now present, including arms, legs, eyes, genitals and other organs, though they're not yet fully formed. At week's end, your fetus measures approximately 1.5 inches / 3.5 centimetres long. In both shape and size, it resembles a peapod and weighs about a third of an ounce / 9 grams. The eyelids are fused and won't open until week 27. The wrists are more developed, ankles have formed, and the fingers and toes are clearly visible. Arms are growing longer and bend at the elbows. By week's end, the inner workings of the ears are complete. Though you can't yet identify the sex of the fetus by ultrasound, its genitals have begun to form. By now the placenta has developed enough to support most of the critical job of producing hormones."

PLUS... now only 2 weeks until the scan! (How slow do you wanna reckon that will go!?)

Heave

I had a Jack and germ-free weekend, which was very boring! It's rubbish doing nothing by yourself!

Saturday I stayed in bed all day, and tidied up a bit. In the evening I went round to my friends house and got a take away and sat thinking of names.

Yesterday I heaved while I was eating my breakfast. It was discusting! We went out for a family lunch, I came home and felt so rough I had a bath and put myself to bed.

This morning I had to sit next to the bowl of the toilet for a while because I kept heaving, my eyes kept watering and I thought I was going to hurl any second. Luckily my Mum was there and heard me so bought me some dry cream crackers to nibble on. Yum.

Jack's coming round to stay with me for a few days until his house is completely clean again, so that's something nice to look forward to!

Wooohoooo

Mum and I went out for a Chinese after work and had a good long chat about everything - I feel very happy and content and I know she is very pleased for me.

When we got in, I noticed an NHS envelope... tore it open, and it was the letter telling us of our first scan... Thursday 1st December! Although we knew we would be getting a dating scan, just having a date to look forward to is amazing! And it's not too far away either... WOOHOO!

9 Weeks cont...

In the 9th week (as I am now), babycentre.com says... "The tiny tail is disappearing and so many changes have taken place that your baby has changed from an embryo and is now officially a fetus. This is the critical stage when your baby's organs are forming. The baby is now constantly moving and shifting, though you won't be able to feel anything for several weeks. The arms have grown and the hands are now flexed at the wrists and meet over the heart. The legs are lengthening and the feet may be long enough to meet in front of the body."

I stayed at home again last night - Jack's Mum, and now Jack's sister have the sickness bug, I don't want to risk getting it and doing any damage. Hopefully Jack won't have picked up any of the germs so can come stay with me in my germ-free home!

Mum told me she's secured me a babyseat and pushchair from a friend of hers (yes, although we told them not to tell anyone, our parents seem to have told EVERYONE!) I'm surprised there hasn't been an ad in the local paper at the rate they're going!

We booked tickets to see Little Britain Live next November, someone's going to have to babysit! Our first babysitting favour to be asked, how exciting!