29 Weeks Today! Bump Pic…
I decided to take a picture tonight purely because I had my strongest Braxton Hicks contraction so far! I can see why my Mum thought it was just wind when she went into labour with me!
Please excuse the strange look upon my face, I was whistling or humming along to a song :), oh and that little lump just before my top ends is my bellybutton, hee hee!
Sunday Stats… on Tuesday!
Well I’ve put on another 5lbs. Is this normal?! I know quitting smoking usually makes you eat more and in turn gain weight but I quit over 5 months ago. Actually starting to feel fat now, the big bump I can live with (I actually love it!) but the huge arse and elephant thighs is pretty alien to me! The heaviest I’ve been is over a stone lighter than I am now, I really don’t know how to stop all this gain… I’m not eating excessively, at least I don’t think I am.
Anyway, there’s not much to report baby-wise. Little bugger is still having very quiet days which makes me panic but then the next day s/he is doing somersaults. I’ve asked Jeff to try and listen for a heartbeat but all he gets is a hard kick in the ear! I’m feeling a lot more tired these days, ready for bed at 9.30 which is horrible! And it’s getting harder to get up from being on my knees, oh dear.
I’m not going to measure bump today, haven’t really seen any difference. And bump pictures are pointless right now because they all look the same! Maybe at 30 weeks.
Midwife Appointment Today…
… And it was soooooo much better than last time! The midwife was really nice, listened to everything I was concerned about and didn’t rush us through at all.
Told her that I wanted to have a homebirth instead of birthcentre and she reacted positively. She said that there’s no point in talking about it until I’m at least 35 weeks and nothing would be arranged until at least 37 weeks, just in case baby comes sooner. She told us that a homebirth is exactly the same as birthcentre risk-wise, which I already knew but I’m glad she said that for Jeff’s sake.It’s so great that the midwives around here actually *prefer* homebirths, living in this area has it’s perks then.
Baby is doing really well, 136 heart beats per min, which has come down a lot since last time. At my last appointment baby measured a week smaller than I actually was, today s/he measured a week larger! Grown a lot then! When I lay down the midwife was quite shocked, she said she could actually see where the baby was. I’m not surprised, the amount of times I’ve had a head or butt jutting out of my abdomen! She didn’t write down the position baby was lying in because s/he kept moving away from her prods!
My blood pressure has come way down - 130/68 down to 90/60. I knew the couple of dizzy spells meant something! She said “nice and low” so I’m happy.
Baby’s been moving around so much today and yesterday. I was wondering why and one of the girls on Amity reminded me about the full moon. Her baby was moving around a lot too! I can’t wait until all us pregnant Amity mama’s start giving birth, it’s a wonderful little (haha - huge!) community there, I’ve never felt so… what’s the word… comfortable? Happy? Accepted? Yes, accepted.
Anyway, next midwife appointment is on Feb 20th, 32 weeks by then!
Sunday Stats
Sunday again. I’ve put on 5lbs since last week. FIVE POUNDS. Measuring 44in around belly so only half an inch gained. Oh dear! Where has all that weight gone?! Really must try to eat properly from now on, I’m eating too much again.
I haven’t posted for ages… needed a break from the computer and needed to concentrate on something else. As you can see from my Winter Walk posts I’ve kept myself busy in my spare time. I’ve got another project going on now, embroidery again. I won’t say what it is, just that it may take some time, is a wallhanging and Buddhist themed. Ok, so I gave a lot away by there!
We’re past the 6 month mark now! There’s just over 12 weeks until this little human is due to enter the world. And unless there is a medical emergency I will be homebirthing! Hooray! Jeff is doing his usual ‘yes dear’ responses to everything I say about homebirthing so I know there isn’t a problem there 
I have to let the midwife know at our 28 week appointment on Wednesday. Wonder who I’ll have this time?!
Late pregnancy symptoms are kicking in… uh oh! Backache, nausea, aching hips and pelvis, lots of loo trips and fatigue. Had a bloody awful night last night. Woke up so many times, once with itching wrists and drenched in sweat! Mind you, lack of sleep can also be blamed on late night ‘revellers’. Four different groups of them walked past our house within 15 minutes! At 2am at that! And there’s nothing worse than hearing loud, screechy drunk women and testosterone-fuelled drunk men.
Anyway, we have to go to bed soon. Jeff didn’t have the best night either and he’s got to get up really early again tomorrow. So, I’ll be back with an update on Wednesday and post my bump picture on Thursday.
Starting to take ‘bets’!
I got my family to give me their guesses today regarding gender and weight today. Still waiting on my dad’s reply because he has to ‘think about it’! Really Dad, what’s there to think about My little brother Dan came back with 9lbs! 9 POUNDS! Ermm… Dan… first baby, don’t say that!
Jeff thinks baby will be a boy weighing 7lbs, 7oz. He’s not favouring a boy, it’s just that he grew up in a male-dominated household and it’s natural to him. Strangely enough, all the men/boys so far think it’s a boy and all the women think it’s a girl… with the exception of Dan’s girlfriend who guessed boy. Still have to get Jeff’s side of the familys guesses. Our niece has said since seeing the first scan pic that she thinks it’s a girl… because baby has long hair! Kids are so funny sometimes!
I’ve changed my mind about the birthcentre now. I want to have the baby at home. Jeff seems to be a bit uncertain but once he realises that it’s exactly the same situation as being at the birthcentre, i.e. midwife will be there and if there’s any problems I/we’d have to be transferred anyway he should be ok with it. I’ve printed off a ton of info about homebirthing for him to look at and just knowing that Wales is leading in the UK with the highest number of homebirths, and midwives actually promoting and supporting them now should ease his worries a little. I hope so anyway. I just know that I’ll be so much more comfortable at home. I plan on having the birth nest in our bedroom where the cats can’t enter (unless I want them to!) and Mum will look after Skylar for us. The animals were the only reason I decided to go to the birthcentre at the start but I realise now that I’ll only truly be happy if I’m at home, with the knowledge that me & Jeff will be home as usual with them. If I had to stay in the b.c. for more than overnight I would’ve been so worried about them, and it’ll be much easier for Jeff to feed & clean up after them if we’re home. There are so many pro’s and so few con’s. And the videos I’ve been viewing has made me weep! Here’s a link to one page with a minute-long film of their birth experience - http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/ucstories/beatrice.html. I have to warn you though, readers, it’s not for some of you (Dad, I’m looking your way here!). It’s a fantastic unassisted birth story, one I’d love to make my own but I have to compromise!
Last night I shifted my weight slightly and felt a large bulge just below my ribs. I put my hand over it and realised it was baby’s head! It was so big - fitted in the palm of my hand! I got Jeff to have a feel and baby moved just seconds after he cupped his/her head. It’s starting to get more real now, finally! Baby’s been a lot more active today, kicking, wriggling and moving about in there. I’m not surprised though - kind of overdid it today. Took Skylar down to the bank & pet shop in really nasty wet weather, then later on I lugged Willow in a huge box down to the train station, and down to meet Jeff from work. Then after we stood about in the vets for 20 mins I spent half an hour racing around the supermarket while Jeff stayed in the car with Willow. (I’d have sent him in if I didn’t want him to stick to my list!) All that running around has made me ache all around my hips & pelvis. Rest up tomorrow methinks! 
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ps, if anyone wants to add their gender and weight guesses to the chart just leave a comment on my Gender & Weight guesses page above :)
Sunday Stats.
Here we are again, that week went extremely quick!
Weight gain this morning……………
4lbs!!! I jinxed myself last week I guess. So that’s a weight gain total of 34lbs, that’s nearly 2 and a half stone.
Not really that worried about it, in theory the weight should come off quite easily as I’ll be breastfeeding, babywearing and returning to veganism after baby is born. And hey, how many times in your life can you gain this much weight and not worry?!
Belly measurement next… just under 43 and a half inches. Roughly 1in since last week. I’ve got nothing to compare that to so this is just an experiment really. Quite interesting!
Baby hasn’t been kicking as much the past two days, it’s not a concern - I’m counting way more than 10 kicks a day, in fact I’m getting 10 kicks in one sitting usually! Just used to feeling this little human wriggling around almost constantly. Earlier today I felt baby poking me quite hard so I stroked my hand over the area and felt a definite joint, like an elbow or knee. That was strange!
I’m also having a hard time bending down, getting up and standing for too long… still 13 and a half weeks to go! Some of the cats are resting on my bump now. Little Nanuq is quite happy sleeping on it, can’t wait until the day baby kicks hard enough for the cats to feel. I wonder if they’ll react at all?
Anyway, that’s all for now. I’ve still got to iron Jeff’s workshirts and make him tomorrow’s lunch, and do the dishes and pick up the cats bowls!
Bye 
Bump Picture Number 2
Here’s my pregnancy book’s Week 26 summary…
“Your baby measures about 9¼ from crown to rump and weighs almost 2lbs!
Your baby’s lungs are sitll maturing and he still has some growing to do. His spine is getting stronger and more supple to support his growing body, and a friend may be able to hear his heartbeat just by putting an ear to your abdomen. Your baby can inhale and exhale. His eyes have completely formed. His pulse quickens as he reacts to sounds; he’ll even move in rhythm to music. Studies of fetal brain activity show that your baby can now respond to touch.”
Isn’t that amazing?!
This is what I did yesterday… the purple is a bit darker in real life.
Baby’s first tie-dye! Hee hee!
Here’s my new bump picture, I’m going to wear the same clothes for each picture for as long as I can! I can see a slight difference, perhaps I’ll do this every fortnight instead of weekly…?
I can’t believe that’s me! That’s my belly growing and there’s a human being in there! We thought this would never happen. After getting our hopes dashed each month we gave up, and then BOOM! I’m pregnant! And I KNOW it’s not a case of “If you just relax, you’ll get pregnant”. I was ‘relaxed’ for the first four years that we were letting nature take it’s course, and many times over the next year and a half I was ‘relaxed’ and had to just forget about it for my own sanity! I don’t have an explanation for it other than our bodies decided to work together for once!
It all still feels like I’m going to wake up from a wonderful dream any moment. That’s not something I’ve said before, heard people say it many, many times and now I know how they feel. I feel like I’m faking it!!!!
Anyway, that’s your lot for tonight. I’ll be back on Sunday with my stats unless something else happens before then.
Double Figures!!!
99 days to go until my due date! We’re out of the triple numbers and into doubles!
I cannot believe how quick it has gone. In the beginning it felt like forever waiting for the weeks to pass, people would tell me how quick it would go and I didn’t believe them. I’m an impatient sort anyway, waiting has never been my strong point! But now there’s just 99 days. That’s 14 weeks, 1 day!
Exciting but scary at the same time. In just over 3 months a new person will come into the world and our lives. It won’t just be me, Jeff, 17 cats and a dog anymore. A new baby, another chapter in our lives… oh no, I’m starting to sound like a Hallmark card!
Sunday Stats.
Not much to report pregnancy-wise today, so I thought I’d start a weekly stat.
I’ve put on 1lb since last week, which is very good for me compared to 4lbs the week before! That puts me at 29lbs gained since pre-pregnancy… wow! I’m the heaviest I have ever been in my life now!
Bump measurements (bellybutton height) - around 42 and a half inches.
I’ll update with a bump picture on Thursday, be 26 weeks then
HEARTBEAT!!!
Well, we had the midwife appointment earlier. It seemed really rushed and wasn’t with ‘my’ midwife - apparently she’s off for the next 3 months so I’ll be seeing different midwives up until I’m about 38 weeks! That’s a bit worrying to be honest, I don’t know why but I feel a bit uneasy not seeing the same midwife for the rest of my pregnancy. I quite liked Carol and she was really open-minded. The midwife I saw today was obviously still on holiday time! She said that I wouldn’t be able to feel precise nudges & kicks until I’m further on but I do now (Jeff has felt different bodyparts too (we can’t tell what bodyparts they are exactly but when you feel something small and knobbly you can guarantee it won’t be the head or bum!)) but because she was so rushed I didn’t say anything, I also didn’t mention the pains I get if I walk for too long or over uneven ground. Maybe next time…
Anyway, on to the good part - we heard baby’s heartbeat! She found it straight away, no problems at all. He/she moved when I laughed and then kicked where the midwife was pressing! Baby’s h/b rate is 158, which is slightly above average but ok apparently. So if you believe those old wives tales, a high h/b rate means I’m having a girl… we shall see!
My blood pressure has risen from 110/50 taken in October to 130/68. I presume that’s good because nobody said anything. Baby was lying head down, but I doubt he/she would stay in that position, quite a mover this one! And the fundal height measurement had me at 24 weeks exactly. I asked the midwife if that was ok (because I’m 25 weeks tomorrow) and she said it’s fine just as long as it’s not too small and that I should grow 1cm per week.
So, apart from dizzy, rushed midwife everything went well in the 5 mins we were there. My next appointment is on 23rd Jan at 13.30, blood has to be taken then… oh dear!
