Thursday, 19 May 2011
31 weeks
Now 31 weeks and my bump still looks small, even though the midwife says I am measuring just right!
Symptoms I wasn't expecting
I was a bit naive about pregnancy before it happened, but I definitely wasn't expecting
- the complete exhaustion... 2nd trimester bloom?! I reckon this is just a myth told in the first trimester to give you something to look forward to
- swollen feet. Mine are a size bigger now, and my shoes are getting tight
- hunger like I've never had before, and that comes on really quickly
- blocked nose, feels like I've had a 7 month cold
- the complete exhaustion... 2nd trimester bloom?! I reckon this is just a myth told in the first trimester to give you something to look forward to
- swollen feet. Mine are a size bigger now, and my shoes are getting tight
- hunger like I've never had before, and that comes on really quickly
- blocked nose, feels like I've had a 7 month cold
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Friday, 11 March 2011
Saturday, 26 February 2011
20 week scan
This week we were at the hospital for the 20 week scan. I was surprised to see that the baby has changed quite a lot since the 12 week scan, and now looks much more like a baby with its head and body more in proportion. It was really easy to pick out key features - you could clearly see all the organs, the valves of the heart moving as it beats, and even count the fingers. In fact, I think everything is pretty much formed and most of the time between now and the birth is taken up with growing bigger. But, the scan has a serious point too as it's when the baby is checked for anomalies, so there was always a small worry at the back of my mind. It was very reassuring to be told that everything is looking good. Now I finally feel like it's all real and I can look forward to the rest of the pregnancy!
Friday, 11 February 2011
Cravings
Pregnancy cravings are infamous, and I was looking forward to the day when gherkins and chocolate ice-cream would taste delicious. But it seems like the only thing I am craving is fruit juice.
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
Monday, 7 February 2011
Maternity clothes
In the past couple of weeks I have switched to wearing maternity clothes. The trousers especially are far more comfy now than my usual clothes, and there are very few of my pre-pregnancy tops that fit anymore! Having searched everywhere for decent maternity clothes, my top places are
- ebay for cheap bundles of tops
- Gap for the basics
- Topshop for funky dresses
- Next and Dorothy Perkins for jeans that are short enough!
- and finally Seraphine, my favourite discovery, for classic well-fitting clothes that are well designed without shouting 'maternity'. Perfect for work and for days when you just want to feel a bit smarter :)
- ebay for cheap bundles of tops
- Gap for the basics
- Topshop for funky dresses
- Next and Dorothy Perkins for jeans that are short enough!
- and finally Seraphine, my favourite discovery, for classic well-fitting clothes that are well designed without shouting 'maternity'. Perfect for work and for days when you just want to feel a bit smarter :)
Baby movements... or just dinner?!
For the past few days I have been noticing strange fluttery type movements in my tummy. The first movements of a baby are often described as 'like bubbles popping', so I have been on the lookout for this sensation! However, what I've been feeling this week isn't quite like bubbles. At first, I couldn't quite work out whether it was just my dinner sloshing around (although without any stomach gurgling), but now I'm starting to wonder whether I'm actually feeling baby doing small somersaults.
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Friday, 21 January 2011
Week 15
I've just reached week 15 and suddenly started to feel a lot better! Before Christmas I found myself getting home from work and lying on the sofa before heading off to bed early. Now, I can stay up till a normal bedtime and even have the energy to do things in the evenings. The nausea has mostly passed, although I still get small waves occasionally, and I'm nowhere near as hungry anymore.
The other main change is that my belly is expanding :) Not enough to really be noticeable yet, and I think most of it is flab gained because of the first trimester hunger, but my next-size-up trousers are getting tight.
The other main change is that my belly is expanding :) Not enough to really be noticeable yet, and I think most of it is flab gained because of the first trimester hunger, but my next-size-up trousers are getting tight.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Shopping!
So, my tummy is expanding (although no real bump yet) and I can finally justify spending some money on new clothes. I was surprised to find some half-decent maternity wear around, although it seems you're out of luck if you want something that's not black, grey or white!
My first buy was a set of bump bands for extending the life of pre-pregnancy tops that are getting just a little bit short now. They go under your normal clothes and look like a vest underneath, giving you a couple more inches to hide a growing belly. Also useful for covering the evidence if you need to use a hairband to do up your old trousers.
Other buys have been mostly with work in mind - some stretchy waist trousers and smart tops. I've found Isabella Oliver, Seraphine and Gap great so far. Once I get some more free time, I'll check out my local high street which has all the usual suspects - Next, M&S, Mothercare, Dorothy P's, Topshop etc.
My first buy was a set of bump bands for extending the life of pre-pregnancy tops that are getting just a little bit short now. They go under your normal clothes and look like a vest underneath, giving you a couple more inches to hide a growing belly. Also useful for covering the evidence if you need to use a hairband to do up your old trousers.
Other buys have been mostly with work in mind - some stretchy waist trousers and smart tops. I've found Isabella Oliver, Seraphine and Gap great so far. Once I get some more free time, I'll check out my local high street which has all the usual suspects - Next, M&S, Mothercare, Dorothy P's, Topshop etc.
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Wardrobe crisis!
I've just reached the point where I'm getting too big for my normal clothes, but not yet pregnant enough to fit into maternity clothes. Even though I'm only noticeably bigger to myself, my chest and tummy have both grown which means that some of my clothes just don't look right any more.
Luckily it's winter so I can make use of the chunky jumpers that are already in my wardrobe, and layering up is a good way of disguising my figure. So far I have got away with only buying a couple of pairs of trousers and longer tops in the next size - the long tops are great for hiding my growing tummy, and the trousers are comfy while still looking smart enough for work.
Soon though, I am going to have to hit the maternity shops, and I'm quite looking forward to it! I normally enjoy shopping, and I'm excited about being able to (eventually) show off my growing bump.
Luckily it's winter so I can make use of the chunky jumpers that are already in my wardrobe, and layering up is a good way of disguising my figure. So far I have got away with only buying a couple of pairs of trousers and longer tops in the next size - the long tops are great for hiding my growing tummy, and the trousers are comfy while still looking smart enough for work.
Soon though, I am going to have to hit the maternity shops, and I'm quite looking forward to it! I normally enjoy shopping, and I'm excited about being able to (eventually) show off my growing bump.
Anxiety
Early pregnancy turned out to be a little harder than I imagined. I didn't really know what to expect, and thought that morning sickness was the main thing I'd have to contend with. In the end, I had a little nausea, but I found the constant tiredness the hardest to deal with. This kicked in before I even got the positive test result, and is only just fading now I've reached week 13.
Anxiety was the other thing I hated. Very early on I accidentally read a newspaper article saying that up to 25% of pregnancies end up in miscarriage - not a very comforting statistic to read when I still had the whole of the first trimester to face! A bit more research led me to think that this statistic is misleading as it includes pregnancies that miscarry very early, even before you'd normally get a positive test result. So if you've seen those two lines, and are otherwise fit and healthy, the actual risk is less than the very scary 25%.
Having said that, nothing is as reassuring as seeing baby wriggling away at a scan sometime at around 12 weeks.
Now the first trimester is almost over those early symptoms are disappearing, I am much calmer, and beginning to look forward to the second.
Anxiety was the other thing I hated. Very early on I accidentally read a newspaper article saying that up to 25% of pregnancies end up in miscarriage - not a very comforting statistic to read when I still had the whole of the first trimester to face! A bit more research led me to think that this statistic is misleading as it includes pregnancies that miscarry very early, even before you'd normally get a positive test result. So if you've seen those two lines, and are otherwise fit and healthy, the actual risk is less than the very scary 25%.
Having said that, nothing is as reassuring as seeing baby wriggling away at a scan sometime at around 12 weeks.
Now the first trimester is almost over those early symptoms are disappearing, I am much calmer, and beginning to look forward to the second.
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Things I didn't know about being pregnant
1. Morning sickness isn't just for the morning. I am lucky to only have been mildly nauseous, but there's nothing fun about feeling sick all day.
2. The heart starts beating really early, around 5 weeks, even though the embryo is only a couple of millimetres in length!
3. Early pregnancy makes you feel a bit rubbish. I naively thought I'd swan through the first months carrying on life as normal, but didn't account for the nausea and fatigue making me want to curl up on the sofa all evening.
4. Following on from 3, 8pm really is an acceptable time to go to bed!
5. Chocolate and coffee can taste bad. I went off a whole bunch of things, but it really surprised me that I just couldn't stomach some things that I normally love.
2. The heart starts beating really early, around 5 weeks, even though the embryo is only a couple of millimetres in length!
3. Early pregnancy makes you feel a bit rubbish. I naively thought I'd swan through the first months carrying on life as normal, but didn't account for the nausea and fatigue making me want to curl up on the sofa all evening.
4. Following on from 3, 8pm really is an acceptable time to go to bed!
5. Chocolate and coffee can taste bad. I went off a whole bunch of things, but it really surprised me that I just couldn't stomach some things that I normally love.
In the beginning
"Babies are cute, don't you think?"
"Mm-hmm, I guess so."
And so we found ourselves one morning, a few weeks later, staring at a white plastic stick trying to decide whether that second line really was a line or just a figment of our imaginations.
Having spent the past 10 years successfully avoiding getting pregnant, I was somewhat ignorant of my chances. Every bit of advice I read says that it might take months. There's about a 20% chance of conceiving each cycle for a couple aged 30ish. That's far better than the chance of winning the lottery, but not the kind of odds you'd want to bet your life savings on. Great, I thought, loads of time to get used to the idea. I wasn't at all prepared for a positive test after just 4 weeks!
Now, 9 weeks later and a few pounds heavier, I've come round to the idea that I am actually pregnant. And I am excited about finally seeing our baby in a couple of days at the first scan.
"Mm-hmm, I guess so."
And so we found ourselves one morning, a few weeks later, staring at a white plastic stick trying to decide whether that second line really was a line or just a figment of our imaginations.
Having spent the past 10 years successfully avoiding getting pregnant, I was somewhat ignorant of my chances. Every bit of advice I read says that it might take months. There's about a 20% chance of conceiving each cycle for a couple aged 30ish. That's far better than the chance of winning the lottery, but not the kind of odds you'd want to bet your life savings on. Great, I thought, loads of time to get used to the idea. I wasn't at all prepared for a positive test after just 4 weeks!
Now, 9 weeks later and a few pounds heavier, I've come round to the idea that I am actually pregnant. And I am excited about finally seeing our baby in a couple of days at the first scan.
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