28 Weeks 4 Days: Baby B Has Hiccups!

At 28 weeks and 4 days, I had a peculiar feeling in my tummy for about 7 or 8 minutes.

I had felt it before but couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was. Basically, it felt like I had a throbbing pulse in my tummy, quite low down, way past my belly button, actually, more in my bum to be precise!

 It was a reoccurring feeling of pulsations, in an ongoing pattern which lasted for between 3-6 minutes.

 It felt really odd, I assumed at first it was the baby kicking, but it was too gentle for a kick and also it was in exactly the same spot time after time.

I had ignored it on the previous occasions I felt it but this time I was a little weirded out so decided to google it.

I didn't really know WHAT to google, so I actually typed the words ' Pregnant and have a weird pulsing in my bum'' (Yes, really...)  and guess what?

It turns out it is the baby hiccupping! How I hadn't thought that this could be the explanation  I have no idea, but there it was, and the more I thought about it, the more it made sense!

Baby B had bloomin’ hiccups!

It was Soooooooo sweet and made me feel extremely close to my little one, imagining them hiccupping away!

28 Weeks Pregnant & Baby Is Transverse

So Today I am 28 weeks and 3 days preggo and I had another midwife appointment.

I’ve been feeling extremely uncomfortable for about week now and was looking forward to speaking to the midwife to see if this was normal at this stage.

During my examination where she feels the baby, measures my bump and listens to the heartbeat, I made the mistake of asking what position my little on is in. Turns out part of the reason for my discomfort is that Baby B is currently Transverse. 

Cheers Baby!

Basically, it is laying across my tummy horizontally rather than head down, vertically. I have a head in one hip and a bum in another! GAH!

I was pleased as at least I knew my why the sides of my bump felt so uncomfortable, but felt mildly panicked as if the baby stays in this position, I won’t be able to give birth naturally, which terrifies me.

I was re-assured baby still has plenty of time to turn, so I’ll try and stay optimistic and hope that baby gets a wriggle on and moves out of my hips!

Sleep? What’s that?

So, pregnancy, I have a bone to pick with you.

I was under the impression that sleepless nights only came ONCE the baby had arrived. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that I didn’t sign up for sleepless nights just yet. So why do you plague me with them so?!

Sleep Issue 1: OK so firstly, I have to pee like, every 90 minutes. It’s pretty much clock work now. I know that If I go to bed at 10:30, I’ll be up at 12pm, 1:30, 3pm, 4:30 and then 6pm, just before my alarm goes. It’s not fun, but that on its own would be somewhat manageable, it’s all the other stuff too which makes sleeping so much harder!

Sleep Issue 2: The thirst. I realise that this could possibly be a contributing factor to Sleep Issue 1, but after various tests I have concluded that it matters not if I drink a thimble of water prior to going to bed or a litre of the stuff, the 90 minute rule will still apply. That said, why is it that I can make it through the day on a relatively normal quota of liquid, but by the time I lay my head to rest in bed, I’m suddenly possessed by a thirst demon that demands I drink my weight in water before I’m allowed to close my eyes? I find this just plain weird.

Sleep Issue 3.  I am hot. ALL the time. I’ve been sleeping in a sheet since about week 12 and it’s now November and I’m still in a sheet, terrified of the sweats that will inevitably overcome me should I dare to snuggle into a duvet. Even with just a sheet I’ve been knows to wake with a clammy neck, its grim. Aaah Duvet, you are banned from my side of the bed for the foreseeable, and I’m missing you so much!

Sleep Issue 4. Then there’s the sleeping on your side thing. For a (former) tummy sleeper like me, this is so un-natural and uncomfortable! If it wasn’t for the waking every 90 minutes to pee, I’d be awake having to turn onto my other said to remedy my dead leg, torso and arm, which is completely floppy from where I’ve been leaning on it. Joy.

Sleep Issue 4: Dreams. Oh the pregnancy dreams, they are pretty damn vivid and I’ve actually managed to wake myself up on more than 1 occasion because I’ve been talking so loudly, out loud to myself. (My poor hubby!)

So Pregnancy, a little heads up would have been great is all I’m trying to say, given that I had plans of storing up as much sleep as possible ahead of Baby B’s arrival!

And if one more persons utters the words ‘It’s your body’s way of getting you ready for the sleepless nights when your baby comes’, I won’t be held accountable for my sleep deprived actions!

Does any of this ring a bell with anyone else, or is it just me?! 

Bump Pic! 27 Weeks 6 Days!

This week has proved itself to be really boring and un-eventful.

I'm feeling quite big now, heavy and tired so work is beginning to become a drag, ESPECIALLY the commute!

Maternity leave still feels like its a long way off (I'll be 34 weeks when I go) and I sometimes find myself wondering how on earth I'm going to keep going until then!

Indeed, I felt so uncomfortable on Sunday evening, that despite being sat around in my PJ's and it being about 9pm in the evening, I drove around to my parents house.

I really wanted a cuddle and was feeling emotional. They only live around the corner so it's not like I had far to go, I just wanted a hug!

Heartburn is really starting to blight my life at the moment, nothing that I do seems to help and I'm spending a fortune on Gaviscon, which is revolting!

I'm thinking about speaking to my GP to ask if there is anything stronger than Gaviscvon that I can take to help ease the pain, maybe then I'd feel a bit more comfortable.

Bump Pic! 26 Weeks 6 Days!

This week  I am 26 weeks preggo and Mr B and I went to The Baby show at Olympia to hunt for some bargains!

I was really excited about going as until now we haven’t really done any real baby shopping, bar ordering the nursery furniture, so I was really looking forward to it.

It was, as expected, extremely busy there and I struggled with the lack of available seating and the huge queues for the toilets and cafes on site, even Mr B got the hump!

Seats, Loo’ s and cafes aside, there was a fab range of brands and products at the show and we picked up some great items at fab prices exclusive to the show!

We got...

A Philips Avent Digital Video Baby Monitor

A Gro Bag in a super cute Sleepy Circus print

Some fab WaterWipes

2 Bottles of Eisberg Alcohol free wine(nom!)

A super cute lamb baby soother

We were there for nearly 3 hours and I was ready to drop by the time we left but it was well worth the trip as everything we bough had been heavily discounted and we saved a good amount of money!

It was also the week of the ‘big storm’ and Halloween this week, and me and Mr B ended up being unable to get into work because of the ‘storm’ and train lines shutting down (touch!)

Normally for Halloween I make a real effort, but I didn’t want to splurge on a Halloween outfit that I wasn’t going to be able to wear again and the thought of getting all trussed up made me feel hot and sweaty! 

  We had a party at work and I made a bit of an effort (as you can see below) but I just wasn’t feeling it really.

Bump is starting to wear me out now too- by the end of the day it feels heavy and its starting to disrupt my sleep more and more- is it too early to start counting down to maternity leave?! 

Mamas and Papas Christmas Collection

So I'm well aware that my little one won’t be here in time for Christmas this year, so I won’t get the chance to dress him/her up in gorgeous little outfits.

 I must confess that this hasn't stopped me looking though!

                    Snowman set, £18                                              Unisex Christmas Santa 2 Piece Set, £10

Take a look at some of the gorgeous offerings from Mamas and Papas this year!

Girls Christmas Mary Dress, £10                                       Boys 4 Piece Cardigan Set, £38

I can’t wait until Baby B is here and we can put him/her in these gorgeous clothes next year!

I especially LOVE the Snowman set! How cute is it!!

                                              Unisex Christmas All In One, £8                                        Unisex Christmas Jersey 2 Piece Set, £8

Which Items are your favourite? Will you be dressing your little one up this crimbo? 

The Essential One Maternity Nursing Pjyamas

There is quite literally nothing more important to me right now than comfort.

As my bump grows, so do my list of ailments, aches and pains! (Don’t worry, I’ll bore you about these in another post!)

My favourite part of the day is getting home from work, indulging in a bath and slipping into some super comfy pyjamas.

My favourite, super comfy Maternity Nursing PJ’s come from The Essential One.

These nursing pyjamas are a joy to get into of an evening!

Unlike regular PJ’s, the top is super long in length, allowing me to make sure my whole bump is neatly snuggled within its soft fabric! It has a hidden top lining and nursing clips/straps which will be perfect for when bump becomes baby so I can breastfeed with ease too.

The bottoms are long and voluminous, something that I love!

They are elasticised at the top and fit neatly and comfortably under my bump. They have two big, deep pockets on the side which I like to fill with sweet treats of an evening, out of sight of the hubby, but when baby is here I imagine they’ll be full of baby paraphernalia!

These PJ’s are available in two colour ways from The Essential One, the pretty pink stripy one that I have and a cool blue one.

Both sets are available from The Essential One,  retail at £29.99 each and are worth their weight in gold.

Mnnn, I can’t wait to get home and snuggle down into mine now!

Bump Pic! 25 Weeks 6 Days!

I had a little fall this week and my god did it scare the hell out of me!

I’d popped out with Mr B and his mum for a coffee in town and slipped on some wet leaves. Thankfully my mother in law was right by my side and managed to grab my arm to stop me from falling completely, and while I was totally fine, once I’d composed myself and initially laughed it off, I then promptly burst into floods of tears. Guess that’s pregnancy hormones for you eh! (But seriously, watch out for wet leaves they’re lethal!)

On a more positive note I finalised my maternity leave dates with HR and my last day will now be Friday 

December 20^th, just before crimbo! 40 working days to be precise (Not that i’m counting...) Ok I’m totally counting!

Check out my pup Dexter photo bombing me! (He's not actually a pup, hes 5 1/2!)

We also had our first community midwife appointment this week too. Because my hospital is quite far away, until the baby is born and once he/she is here, I’ll be seeing our local community midwives for my regular appointments, which is more local to me.

I had to give a urine sample and had my blood pressure taken- all fine!

My bump was then measured for the first time. They measure from your knicker line to the top of the bump while you’re laying down, and for 25 weeks and 2 days I was measuring at 26 weeks.

It’s roughly a cm per week pregnant you are, but you can be 2cm out either side and that’s still normal, so all looked good!

Baby’s heart rate was a healthy 150 beats per min and he/she was curled into my hip and decided to give the midwife a little kick when she tried to measure his/her’s heart rate! Cheeky Monkey!

Cantaloop Pregnancy Support Belt

Growing a baby is hard work and as it gets bigger, its gets pretty blooming heavy!

I have found myself on the waddle home from work, cradling my lower tummy as if trying to hold it up to help combat the weight of baby within!

It does look a bit odd, and I quickly got fed up of both the looks, and trying to carry my bag while trying to carry my belly too!

I’d heard about support belts and thanks to a bit of googling quickly came across a brand called Cantaloop, who specialise in maternity lingerie and sell a pregnancy belt.

Ok so the name did it for me, Cantaloop- it made me think of a big, sweet juicy melon and that made me smile as that’s basically my bump! Big and sweet! (Well, to me anyway... )

I decided to give their belt a go, unsure of what to expect.

Their support belt is designed to support your belly and back, offer warmth, comfort and expands as your belly grows.

The majority of the support comes from a thicker band around the back of the product, while the front is soft and silky, gently cradling your tummy.

I cannot express just how comfy this belt is to wear!

I just pop it on under my clothes and thanks to its seamless design, it feels like I’m not wearing it. It’s so soft and smooth against your skin that you can’t seen any lines under your clothes either!

I’ve found the support it’s offered my lower back amazing and it keeps me nice and warm which helps to ease my sore and tired muscles.

I’ve actually got one in every colour now and for £13.30, I’ve found it’s worth its weight in gold!

The Cantaloop Pregnancy Support Belt is available now from CMS Online.

Bump Pic! 24 Weeks!

Me and Mr B flew home from our last holiday as a couple this week. I must admit I was rather emotional on the last night, knowing this was potentially the last holiday we’d get together, alone, for a long time.

Don’t get me wrong, I am so happy to be expecting our first baby and am extremely excited, but im not that great when it comes to change and I’ve always loved our lazy holidays, spending our time reading and doing whatever we want.

I know that the next holiday we have will be completely different, and i supposed i spent the last day there mourning what we wont have anymore. Silly really isn’t it?

To while away the hours at the airport we decided to think of potential baby names and make a list. 

We don’t know what we’re having and I thought it was a good idea to think of several different names for each gender, in case Baby B is born and the name we had chosen doesn’t suit them!

I’m feeling good in general this week, with baby’s movement s becoming more frequent and noticeable! I do love feeling him/her move!

Sleep is starting to become more of an issue as I am starting to find myself getting up in the night several times to pee and also, I’m hot ALL the time!

I feel sorry for hubby, what with all my tossing and turning I’d be surprised if he gets any sleep at the moment!

Xpanda Bra! The Bra That Grows With You!

One of the most annoying and expensive side effects I’ve found thus far while being pregnant, Is the fact that I’m growing out of my bras every few weeks.

Now, bras, especially nice, comfy ones are not cheap, and its beggaring me having to upsize every few weeks as my bosoms continue on their seemingly, never ending growth spurt!

Where will it end?!

My first Issue is that I was a 34E before I got pregnant, and all big busted ladies out there will know just hard It can be to find pretty, or even practical bras in sizes above a DD on the high street.

Then there’s the price implications. Good bras are not cheap!

So, Imagine my joy when I came across a brand called Xpanda Bra.

 

Now chances are you’ve already guessed what’s so special about these bras already from their name, and yes, in a nutshell, these bras grow with you.

 

Xpanda Bra is a revolutionary new maternity nursing bra with individual adjustable cup sizes, so your bra continues to fit your body changes during and after pregnancy.

 

 AMAZING right.

These side clasps unhook to adjust the cup size!

  This bra is essentially, two in one. Unlike any other bra, you can adjust the cup size to accommodate fluctuating sizes in your breast, either due to pregnancy or breast feeding.

It’s really easy to do, using 3 hook and eye fasteners at the size, you can open up the cup to expand the size, or size down.

Adjust cup size as shown

 

Seriously, it sounds so simple yet is so effective!

The cups have two layers and are 100% cotton, making them exceptionally soft on your skin and have three hook and eye fasteners on the back, so you can adjust these accordingly to suit your changing shape too.

 The bra is wirelesss for extra comfort, but offers underwire level support, which is great when your boobs may be feeling particularly heavy!

The Xpanda Bra is also fab for nursing too, with no need to open the side cup adjustment after unhooking the maternity clip when breast feeding.

I am now a 36 F/G, which varies from shop to shop, so opted for a 36 F/G Bra.

The 36F currently fits on the smaller cup size, but I know in a few weeks I’ll be letting that bad boy out to accommodate my growing bosoms and it’s REALLY nice to know I won’t have to go and find another bra at that time!

I can also vouch for just how soft and comfortable they feel, giving just the right amount of support without feeling restrictive or tight.

As if all of those things alone weren’t enough to sway you, the Xpanda Bra only costs £28.99, which means you are basically getting two, fab quality bras for under £30!

Head over to the Xpanda Bra website to purchase one and for more info, including how to size yourself correctly!

P.S. Please feel free to thank me  once you’ve experienced the joy that is this bra! 

Bump Pic! 23 Weeks 3 Days!

I'm on holiday in Cyprus AND Mr B felt baby B move for the first time this week!

Just as our plane landed in Paphos I felt him/her kicking so grabbed his hand quickly and placed it firmly on my tum. He hadn't been able to feel anything before but he definitely did this time!

 It absolutely made my day that could finally feel him/her too!

The baby's movements continued all week too- I don't know if it was because It was the first time in weeks I'd spent a decent amount of time laying down and relaxing, but every time I lay down he/she would wriggle and kick me!

By mid week I actually managed to catch on video, about 20 seconds worth of movement- just tiny little ripples of my tummy, but it was amazing and made me smile!

It was lovely just to take time out the two of us (well, three of us if count spud!) and I really tried to make the most of it, given that it will be our last holiday together as a couple for some time! 

Bump Pic! 22 Weeks 1 Day!

You can't see from this photo, but this week I'm still battling against my bad skin this week and It's really getting me down.

I was off to a family member's 50th wedding anniversary and spent the majority of the time feeling super self conscious.

I asked for help on Twitter for any natural remedies or possible causes  of my flare ups (In terms of them coming and going) and one of the things suggested was that the flare ups could be due to the time in which the baby's sexual organs are developing more.

Sounds plausible to me, and I was told that this stage of growth with those particular hormones should settle by around week 25. I don't know how true this may  or may not be, I guess only time will tell.

I'm off on holiday to Cyprus for a week for a BabyMoon with the Mr, so took Friday off work to pack and prepare. I can't wait! In desperate need of some R&R!