Pregnancy | 38 Weeks

How far along? 38 weeks and 3 days.

Baby's size: He is the size of a swiss chard, whatever that is! Measuring 19-22 inches long and weighing approximately 6.5lbs although I guarantee he is more than this!

Total weight gain: Still haven't weighed myself but I'm starting to see that I am putting weight on my face.

Maternity clothes: Yep, nothing else fits!

Best moment this week: I can't think of any good moments this week, we have had a horrendous week. On Sunday afternoon I started getting awful cramp in my back that got so bad we decided to go into the hospital where they checked me, and I was only 1cm dilated so they sent us home with some codeine for me. The back pain kept getting worse so we ordered a TENS machine which really helped. Then on Monday I started to have a bloody show, and on Tuesday I was having regular painful contractions for two hours, but they just all of a sudden stopped and I have had nothing since! We honestly don't know whether we are coming or going this week! Then on Wednesday we found out that I am Group B Strep positive so I have to have IV antibiotics during labour to prevent the infection passing on to the baby. WHAT A WEEK!

Miss anything? Being able to sit comfortably! The most comfortable seat in the house is my gym ball.

Movement? Yep, all the time.

Food cravings: Still lemonade, and all I've wanted for days is some nachos, cheese, salsa and jalapeño peppers from the cinema.  

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still just when I get hungry.

Gender: Boy.

Symptoms: Back ache and cramp, braxton hicks, leg cramps, swollen ankles, carpal tunnel, still losing mucus plug and have had a bloody show. Hopefully this means things are moving along and it won't be too long now until he is born.

Belly button in or out? Out.

Looking forward to: Having a baby instead of a bump! I just can't wait to get him here so that I know he is safe and healthy.

Other fun things to note: My mam has decided to come up early since I have been having so many signs so I am really looking forward to having her here. We are planning on going for long walks and eating lots of spicy foods!

Pregnancy | 37 Weeks

How far along? 37 weeks and 3 days. I can't believe I am considered full term and that my little boy could be born any day now!

Baby's size: He's the size of a winter melon, still 19-22 inches in length and around 6 and a half lbs.

Total weight gain: I still haven't weighed myself but my bump has shot out and is much heavier so I'm sure I will have put on some weight.

Maternity clothes: I bought some t-shirts from Asda the other day as I'm sick of nothing fitting me. They aren't maternity but I bought the next size up than I would usually buy.

Best moment this week: Being considered full term now is just amazing! I can't wait for him to be born. 

Miss anything? Being able to walk without waddling, haha! I say that it's not a waddle, it's my pregnancy swag ;)

Movement? He's still a right little wriggler, Mark says he's going to be the next Alan Shearer!

Food cravings: Still sweet things like chocolate and lemonade. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still just when I get hungry.

Gender: Boy.

Symptoms: Back ache, braxton hicks, breathlessness, muscle pain, leg cramps, heartburn, swollen ankles, carpal tunnel. All the same as last week, and this is gross but I've started losing my mucus plug. It's gross but all a good sign that things are progressing!

Belly button in or out? Out.

Looking forward to: Meeting our son, it really is amazing that he can be born any day! I'm sure he will still make us wait though. He's been a tinker this whole pregnancy so why would he change now? Haha!

Other fun things to note: I bought an exercise ball from Argos at the weekend as it was getting so uncomfortable sitting on the sofa. The ball is the comfiest thing ever and I am so glad that I bought one! They're also good for getting the baby to engage and also getting them into the right position for labour :)

Pregnancy | 36 Weeks

How far along? 36 weeks and 2 days.

Baby's size: He's the size of a large cantaloupe, 19-22 inches in length and around 6lbs.

Total weight gain: I haven't weighed myself since a few weeks ago but everyone has said that my tummy has just shot out so I reckon I've put a bit more on.

Maternity clothes: Yeah, still wearing maternity clothes.

Best moment this week: Finding out at my midwife appointment that he is 4/5ths engaged! It makes me happy that things are progressing and my body is doing what it is supposed to dol.

 

Miss anything? Not feeling fat in everything! I can't wait until he is born and I can buy some new clothes!

Movement? Yep, all the time! It's getting quite painful now as he is running out of room.

Food cravings: Still sweet things like chocolate and lemonade. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Only when I don't eat enough and I am hungry all of the time!

Gender: Boy.

Symptoms: Back ache, braxton hicks, breathlessness, muscle pain, leg cramps, heartburn, swollen ankles, carpal tunnel.

Belly button in or out? My belly button has officially popped! It looks gross!

 

Looking forward to: My mam coming up on the 14th March so she can be here in time for his birth, unless he comes earlier than that in which case she will just jump straight in the car.

Other fun things to note: I had my midwife appointment today and he is 4/5th engaged! It's so excited that things are progressing towards his birth now. I really can't wait :)

Pregnancy | 34 Weeks

 

How far along? 34 weeks and 4 days.

Baby's size: He's the size of a pineapple! 19-22 inches long and should be weighing in at 4.9lbs. We had a scan on Thursday though and he's weighing 5lbs 2oz so I think he's definitely going to be a chunk when he's born!

Total weight gain: Finally I weighed myself! At my midwife appointment on Thursday there was a trace of glucose in my urine which can mean gestational diabetes. But because it's the first time it's been in my urine she said she will wait until my next appointment and if there's still glucose present I will be sent to the hospital for blood tests to see if I have gestational diabetes. So I thought it was best to weigh myself and keep track of things. Overall I have put on exactly 2 stone since being pregnant. I'm really chuffed with this as I was expecting far more!

Maternity clothes: Yep! Definitely, all my ordinary clothes just look silly. I can still wear my ordinary leggings though.

Best moment this week: Seeing our gorgeous son on the scan! Even though it was only a 2D scan you could see everything! We saw that he has proper chubby little cheeks, definitely has his dads lips and has hair on his head. He kept putting his foot in his mouth and kicking himself in the head which is so cute! We also found out that my placenta has moved right up out of the way so it will be safe for me to deliver him naturally which I am so relieved about!

 

Miss anything? Nothing really this week.

Movement? Yes, he still moves all the time! I love feeling him :)

Food cravings: Sweet stuff! If I could I would eat chocolate and ice-cream all the time. I've been trying to eat healthier sweet stuff like grapes, pears and plums. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? No, nothing this week. I've been getting horrendous heartburn though.

Gender: Definitely still a boy! We double checked at the scan :)

Symptoms: Back ache, braxton hicks, breathlessness, muscle pain, nausea, leg cramps. All the same as last week. 

Belly button in or out? Still in funnily enough! I thought it would have popped by now.

 

Looking forward to: Everything that I had to look forward to before the baby comes is over now, so it's just going to be me sitting round and waiting for his arrival!

Other fun things to note: We finally got the cot! It looks gorgeous, I love it so much! Also, we had a little scare last weekend as I was having tightenings every 5 minutes lasting a minute and some mild back pain. So I rang labour and delivery and they told me just to come straight in. When we got there they put me on the monitor and the contractions were coming up on the monitor so they decided to keep me in over night. They did a test on me also to see how likely it would be for me to go into labour in the next two weeks and it came back as a less than 2% chance which was really reassuring. I want him to cook for as long as possible! The next morning they put me back on the monitor and the contractions were still showing up but not as regularly as before so they were happy to send me home. The doctor said that it just seems like I have a very sensitive stomach with a very active baby so I feel Braxton Hicks contractions (practise contractions) a lot more than other people. This makes me worried for labour, if I have a sensitive stomach surely that means I will feel pain more! Also I was told that baby was lying in the back to back position, so all week I was spending 10 minutes a day on my hands and knees as I had been told that this turns them, and thank goodness at my midwife appointment she said that he's moved!!

Pregnancy | 33 Weeks

I am so sorry that I didn't get round to writing my 32 weeks pregnancy post last week! It was my baby shower last weekend and I was so busy all week getting everything sorted for that and I just didn't have the time to sit down and blog!

How far along? 33 weeks and 3 days.

Baby's size: He's the size of a honeydew melon, 19 inches and weighing 4.5lbs!!

Total weight gain: I still haven't weighed myself! I can't decide if it's a good or a bad thing that I am not keeping track of my weight gain. I don't have any scales so I can't really, but I will weigh myself after I have had him and then make a decision on how much weight I want to lose. 

Maternity clothes: I have been wearing the maternity tshirts my friend gave me a lot more recently as not only do my normal clothes not fit over my bump anymore, the ones that do fit I don't want to wear and cause them to stretch because then they will be ruined and I won't be able to wear them after I've had him.

Best moment this week: My baby shower! I loved getting together with my family and friends and celebrating mine and Marks son. 

Miss anything? I miss being able to eat dippy eggs! I've been craving them so badly but you're not supposed to eat soft boiled eggs during pregnancy because of the risk of salmonella. I'm sure it would be absolutely fine to eat one because I've never gotten sick off a dippy egg before, but it's not worth the risk for me. The first thing I'm eating when I get home after the birth will be a dippy egg and soldiers!

Movement? Yep, still moving all day every day! I love it. It's not so much kicks anymore as he is running out of room, its more rolls. However I do keep feeling little feet coming out my side, which can be a tad painful especially when he kicks off my hip bone!

Food cravings: Still coffee and chocolate. I craved chocolate so much the other day that I made a whole chocolate cake! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still feeling sick at night when I lie down because of heartburn and acid reflux.

Gender: Boy.

Symptoms: Back ache, braxton hicks, breathlessness, muscle pain, nausea, leg cramps. 

Belly button in or out? Definitely on its way out now! It looks gross, haha.

Looking forward to: My birthday next week and getting to see our baby on scan as I have a low lying placenta so we have to go for a scan on my birthday when I will be 34 weeks to see if the placenta has moved out the way, otherwise it will be a c-section!

Other fun things to note: STILL waiting for his cot to be delivered. I'm really not happy with Mothercare. We ordered it almost a month ago and were told it would be delivered within 10 days. We heard nothing from them for 3 weeks so I rang up about it, to be told that there had been a delay with their deliveries because they had changed couriers. It would have been nice to have been notified of this instead of sitting round and wondering when it will be delivered!

Pregnancy | 31 Weeks

How far along? 31 weeks and 4 days.

Baby's size: He's the size of a coconut, 18 inches and weighing 3.2lbs.

Total weight gain: Still haven't weighed myself! I think as long as the midwife isn't concerned about weight gain when she see's me then I won't be either. I will definitely try hard once he's here to get all the weight off by going on walks with him. 

Maternity clothes: This lovely birdy top is a maternity top that my lovely friend gave to me. I love anything birdy so I especially love this!

Best moment this week: Going to physio and being givena bump support band, I really hope it works and takes some of the pressure off!

Miss anything? I miss being able to paint my toes! When I went down to my mams at Christmas my sister was kind enough to paint them for me, but now they've started to chip and really could do with being done again. I will definitely be booking a pedicure closer to my due date. I don't want minging nails in labour!

Movement? Oh yes! I had been feeling bruised across the top of my bump so I asked my midwife about it and she said it's where he sticks his bum out because he is head down and his bum is right up in my lungs. Naughty little baby!

Food cravings: Coffee, lemonade and chocolate! I've been resisting coffee because I didn't want to drink any caffeine but I just wanted the taste so much that I bought some decaf. I think decaf is pointless because I'm expecting to feel a buzz and to be more awake after I've drank coffee but when I drink decaf obviously that doesn't happen. But I gave in and bought some because I was craving the taste so much! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? I still feel sick when I lie down at night so I always have to prop myself up with pillows now. I have bought some Rennies for in case it gets unbearable but I've been okay at the minute.

Gender: Boy.

Symptoms: All the same as last week, except I seem to be getting Braxton Hicks contractions a lot now. At least once an hour. I asked my midwife about this and she said its completely normal as long as they're not regular and not painful. 

Belly button in or out? In, but definitely on its way out!

Looking forward to: My baby shower next week. I ordered the nicest little guestbook off eBay for everyone to sign and I've asked for it to have his name on the front and the date of his baby shower so I can remember it forever. I also got some card and cut out the shape of vests and I will get people to write their baby advice on them at my shower, which I will think will be nice to keep. You can totally tell they're home made but I think that makes them even more special!

Other fun things to note: We're still waiting on getting his cot delivered, I'm getting so impatient I just want it up! I love just chilling in his room because the blue makes it so relaxing. Once we get the cot up I will be doing a blog post about his room :)

Pregnancy | 30 Weeks

For some reason the lighting in this photo makes me look like I have no legs!

How far along? 30 weeks and 2 days. 

Baby's size: He is the size of a butternut squash, 17 inches in length and 3.1lbs. He should be at his birth length now but little chub just needs to pack on the pounds now.

Total weight gain: Still haven't weighed myself. After all this Christmas chocolate I've been working my way through, I dread to think!

Maternity clothes: I've been wearing some maternity t-shirts my friend gave me and the jumper dress I bought last week. Everything seems so tight on my bump though, and uncomfortable. It's far more comfortable for me to just sit with my bump out, though I only do this at home. I'd get quite a few strange looks if I just whipped my bump out in the middle of Asda or something!

Best moment this week: The best moment this week was definitely getting his nursery all finished! I'm so excited!!

Miss anything? I don't really miss anything to be honest, but I do keep saying that I can't wait until I have a baby here instead of a bump! Although ever since we have finished his nursery it has been dawning on me more and more just how close we are to having a baby and things will never ever be the same again. It's an exciting but frightening thought at the same time!

Movement? Yep he loves a good all wiggle. He keeps pushing himself right into my hips and ribs which is really painful!

Food cravings: I've really been craving lemonade this week for some odd reason.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Yes when I lie down at night I start to feel really sick. My mam said it could be heartburn so I've been propping myself up a little more at night and it seems to help.

Gender: Boy.

Symptoms: Back pain, hip pain, breathlessness, fatigue. All the same as last week!

Belly button in or out? In.

Looking forward to: Getting him here! We have everything we need for him now finally, so now its just a waiting game. I'm also looking forward to my baby shower which is in a couple of weeks.

Other fun things to note: We got his room all finished this week which is exciting. Now we are just waiting for his cotbed to be delivered and then I will dedicate a whole blog post to that!

Pregnancy | 28 Weeks

How far along? 28 weeks. I can't believe I'm this far along already. 

Baby's size: He's the size of a head of a cauliflower, and 16 inches long. I got my tape measure out this morning and I was blown away by this! I can't believe he's this long. He should be weighing in at about 2.5 lbs.

Total weight gain: I weighed myself a few days ago and I have gained another 8lbs. I'm not concerning myself with weight gain though.

Maternity clothes: I've been living in pyjamas this week and when I do need to go out I just put leggings on and a long top. I do need some proper maternity tops.

Best moment this week: We drove down to my mams on Saturday to spend Christmas here, and it was lovely letting her feel her grandson kicking for the first time.

Miss anything? Not anything that I can think of this week.

Movement? All the time! The little tinker was obviously just being trouble last week when I felt like he wasn't moving because this week he is back with a vengeance. He throws himself around all the time, I love it. I've also started to feel his little feet sticking out! Its such an odd feeling. 

Food cravings: Still coco pops!

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not this week.

Gender: Boy.

Symptoms: Legs cramps, fatigue, breathlessness, pelvic pain.

Belly button in or out? In.

Looking forward to: My physio appointment next week, my hips and back are agony and I can't wait to get it sorted.

Other fun things to note: The most embarrassing moment of my life happened yesterday! I fainted in tescos and got rushed to hospital. I think I just overheated, but everyone in tescos was so lovely and helpful. They can't explain why I fainted but like I said I probably just overheated and I think because I'm pregnant they thought it best to get me checked over at the hospital.

Pregnancy | 27 Weeks

How far along? 27 weeks exactly!

Baby's size: He's about the size of a cucumber! 15 inches long and weighing in at 2.2 pounds.

Total weight gain: I haven't weighed myself this week.

Maternity clothes: I still need to get some more tops, all mine are ridiculously tight now. I wore a shirt top a couple of days ago and nearly fainted because it was so tight!

Best moment this week: Meeting up with some old school friends who have all recently had babies was really nice! I haven't seen any of them since school and it was lovely to catch up and talk all things baby related. It'll also be really nice to meet up when the baby is here and all our babies can play together :)

Miss anything? I'm really missing being able to get comfortable, still like last week. I'm finding it really difficult at the minute. I hate saying that I don't enjoy pregnancy because I feel so blessed to be having a baby but if I'm being honest, I don't think I'm cut out for pregnancy. I wouldn't change it for the world though, I will go through all the discomfort a million times just to get my baby!

Movement? I went into hospital on Saturday night as I hadn't felt him moving as much for a few days and when he did kick it wasn't as strong as what it had been so obviously I was getting nervous. The midwife was really lovely and she listened to his heartbeat and assured me it was nice and strong and not to worry. She explained that as he gets bigger his movements won't be as pronounced as he doesn't have as much room to stretch out as when he was younger. I feel much better about it now, but I'm glad that I went in to get checked.

Food cravings: I have at least two bowls of coco pops a day. I love them!

Anything making you queasy or sick? I've still been feeling nauseous a lot lately. I've heard that morning sickness can come back in the third trimester, but I really hope it doesn't!!

Gender: Boy.

Symptoms: Nausea, leg cramps, back ache, itchy stomach, dry skin.

Belly button in or out? Still in, for now.

Looking forward to: CHRISTMAS!!!

Other fun things to note: My husband and I have started thinking about wall paint colours for the nursery. We are going to start decorating after Christmas and I am so excited!! I think we are going to go and get some paint samples at the weekend, which will be lovely :)

My Pregnancy So Far..

So I'm going to start doing weekly updates but since I am already 26 weeks I thought I would do a general overview of my pregnancy so far. I really wish I had started doing these right at the start but I got out of the habit of blogging, but anyways I'm back now! We found out on the 3rd October at a 3D scan when I was 16 weeks that we are having a gorgeous little boy! I knew all along that it was a boy, everyone else was saying girl but I just had a feeling. We are honestly so excited, and feel so blessed, we just can't wait to meet him.

How I Found Out I Was Pregnant:

I found out I was pregnant on the 7th July when I was 3 weeks and 6 days pregnant! I had a stock shift at work the next day and I knew there was a chance that I could be pregnant and I didn't want to be doing loads of heavy lifting so I decided to take a test. I totally was not expecting it to come up positive, I was just doing it more to reassure myself I was okay to do my stock shift! Well, I definitely did not end up doing that shift! I was so shocked/excited when it came up positive, there's seriously no other feeling like it. When you want something so bad and then its staring you right in the face, its just amazing. 

I had wanted to do something really special to tell my husband but when he came in from work I couldn't hold it in, so I just said 'I've got something to tell you' and straight away he went 'you're pregnant?!' It was so funny how he just guessed it straight away!! 

The First Trimester:

The first trimester for me was just awful! I was absolutely fine until i hit 6 weeks and the morning sickness just hit me full force. They honestly shouldn't even call it morning sickness, because I had it all day! And it was the worst in the evenings, literally I would eat my tea and then just go and throw it back up. To make things worse I got a kidney infection when I was 7 weeks and ended up collapsing at home because I didn't know I had one, so I was rushed to hospital in an ambulance for some IV antibiotics where I was kept in overnight. So scary!! 

The morning (all day) sickness peaked at 10 weeks and then as soon as I was 12 weeks it just vanished! It really was text book stuff. Although when I was 12 weeks I was on holiday at Center Parcs where my sister and I picked up a vomiting bug, so just as I was getting over my morning sickness, I started vomiting for another reason. Yup, I've definitely been in the wars this pregnancy!

Another symptom I struggled with in the first trimester was the tiredness! My goodness, they tell you you're going to be tired but you don't expect just how tired you really are going to be! I was in bed every night by 8pm and most days I would have a nap during the day. I was just drained off all energy and I seriously could sleep all day if it was acceptable! 

The Second Trimester:

To be honest, the second trimester has flown over! Every week I can't believe how far along I am. I like it though because I'm desperate to meet my little man even though everyone tells me to enjoy my peace while I've still got it! 

The only symptom I have really struggled with in the second trimester is hip and back pain. My goodness, it is agony! If I could live in the bath I seriously would because its the only time I get relief from the aches and pains. I am booked in for physiotherapy on the 30th December because its just unbearable. I can't even walk long distances anymore because my hips and back hurt that much! I haven't been diagnosed but I am sure it must be SPD or pelvic girdle pain. 

I started feeling little man kicking at around 16 weeks, but it turned into proper thumps and rolls at around 22 weeks. Its gorgeous just feeling him wiggle about in there, its my favourite thing in the world! I love just to watch my tummy moving from side to side!

26 Weeks Pregnant:

So currently I am 26 weeks pregnant so I will do a little weekly update for you now :) 

How far along?  26 weeks and 4 days.

Baby’s size: According to the What to Expect App baby is the size of an Eggplant. Yup, I have no idea what one of those is either! But he is 9.2 inches long and should be weighing in at around 2lbs!!

Total weight gain: I haven't been keeping track of my weight, however I did weigh myself around 2 weeks ago and I had gained 13lbs, not really sure if that's good or bad but I'm not too worried about it.

Maternity clothes?  Sometimes if I want to wear some jeans I will wear my maternity ones but mostly I've just been living in leggings or pyjama bottoms with a long vest on. I do think that I will need to purchase some new vests a few sizes bigger however, as the ones I have now are starting to get stretched beyond their means!

Best moment this week:  Feeling my little boy doing kicks and rolls in my tummy everyday and knowing that he's doing okay in there!

Miss Anything?  Being able to get comfortable in bed! ARGH its a nightmare trying to get into a comfortable position at night, everything huuuurts!

Movement:  Yes, all day every day! I don't think this little boy ever sleeps!

Food cravings:  Chocolate! I made my husband open his huge bar of galaxy I had all wrapped up for him for Christmas so that we could eat it. What baby wants, baby gets!

Anything making you queasy or sick: I have been feeling quite nauseous a lot this week but I'm on antibiotics for a water infection (again) so I think its probably just that.

Gender:  Boy.

Symptoms:  Occasional nausea; slight insomnia; weird dreams; extremely emotional!

Belly Button in or out?  This is a weird question but we'll just roll with it! Its in for now, although it is starting to make its way out (gross!)

Looking forward to:  Going down to see my mam next week for Christmas! Ahhhhh, I seriously can't wait for her to feel her little grandson kicking :) 

Other Fun Things to Note: I've started trying to get out every day for a short walk as I've read that staying active can make your labour easier, also I'm hoping that it helps with my sore hips and back if I'm keeping more active. I'm just hoping that the snow holds off because its not going to be much fun walking around in the freezing snow and risking slipping over! That would not be fun at all.