Monday 29 June 2015

Corsica!!

As I'm sure I mentioned in one of my recent bump updates we recently went on a weeks holiday to Corsica.
Now I don't know about you but I had no clue where Corsica was (and that's embarrassing to admit as an air hostess!) but it's a teeny little island off the coast of southern France & north western Italy with Sardinia and Sicily, but unlike the other two islands Corsica is owned by France rather than Italy - which all confused me a LOT.


I actually flew out to Corsica 28 weeks pregnant which is the last week you are able to fly without a doctor note for most UK airlines. So as I was going to be 29 weeks when we flew back I had to make sure I had a letter from my midwife confirming that in her opinion both me & bubba were fit & healthy to fly. 
Luckily I actually found the flight both ways absolutely fine and no different to anytime I've flown before I was pregnant. I had read to expect extra swelling but thankfully this didn't seem to happen, I did make sure to drink lots & lots of water, get up to walk around a bit and it probably helped that the flight was only 1hr 50 so over pretty quickly really.

Overall I actually found a hot holiday while pregnant absolutely fine. The temperature was 30+ degrees everyday but to be honest I didn't struggle like I expected to. There were a couple of occasions where I felt fine in the heat and like I could lay out & sunbathe like normal but I was conscious that bump was getting a bit too hot so made sure I went to sit in the shade. I also usually burn super super easy (damn ginger skin!!) so I made double, triple sure that I wore my spf 30 & 50 like a good girl and kept my bump in particular out of direct sunlight wherever possible. Luckily the whole villa had really good air conditioning and each bedroom had a blackout shutter that came down electronically across the windows which kept our rooms lovely & cool throughout the day!
I'm not going to lie it was quite nice having a "get out of jail free" card being pregnant. If my family all went out for the day & I didn't feel up to it we didn't hesitate to say so and had a few quiet days staying in round the pool. Walking around in the heat all day would have been too much, especially up and down the gorgeous mountains we were staying in.




The whole purpose of the trip was to celebrate my Uncle's 50th birthday coming up soon so we were lucky enough to be staying in this gorgeous 6-bedroom villa. There were 13 of us in total, all my family plus G and my cousin's girlfriend Chloe. 
The villa was so pretty and modern, in fact we were the first people to stay in it so everything was literally brand new! We had every amenity you could possibly think of, all 6 bedrooms had en suite bathrooms (one in fact was its own separate little studio with its own kitchen & living space), a laundry room, BBQ, a gym, table tennis table, a huge plasma TV, iPod docking it really was amazing.






It would have been so so easy to just lock ourselves away in the gorgeous villa for the entire we but we did try to venture out a few times. We had a couple of meals out in the evenings, including a very scrummy Michelin starred meal that my nan & grandad treated us all to one night.
On our last day G and I actually just spent a bit of time in our own. It was the anniversary of the day that G's dad died 8 years ago so it's always a sad time of year for us and spending the day with a houseful of people would have been a bit much. We went out to this lovely sandy beach for the day and had some lunch. g finally got to try his "Moules Frites" which he had been dying to all week and I played it safe with a big fat burger!




All in all we had a great time and were so grateful to be able to get one last holiday in before Squishy arrives. Realistically we wouldn't have been able to afford to go away on our own this year otherwise so that made us even more grateful of the sunshine.
Don't get me wrong it's definitely testing at times being cooped up with 13 members of your family but I think the holiday went pretty well considering, nobody got on anybody's nerves too much and my Uncle enjoyed himself which was the main thing after all!

Did you have a last minute holiday whilst pregnant? Have you been away yet this year? Or do you have any holidays coming up? I'd love to hear all about them.
If you're enjoying our pregnancy updates I'd love you to follow our story either here or on Bloglovin'
XOXO

Saturday 27 June 2015

Bump update - 31 weeks

Bump

Bump isn't feeling too bad this week. I don't think it's grown massively and I'm getting kind of used to it now.



When I roll over at night bump definitely feels heavier & I can feel the shift in weight as I change sides. Maxi dresses & havaianas have been my best friend now the weather is warming up so I'm hoping they will see me through until my due date now.


What have we been up to?

This weekend I actually went away to Liverpool for my best friend Sophie's hen do. I'm going to do some separate posts about it but I had such a good time and am so pleased I went. Ever since finding out I was pregnant it was at the back of my mind worrying that I might not be feeling up to it but everything was fine. While I was away G has had a nasty sick bug so has been off work for a few days - luckily I seem to have missed it so far!

Weight/Cravings

After avoiding my favourite drink - Pink Lemonade Lucozade - for my entiiiiire pregnancy so far I gave in to the cravings & picked one up for the train home from Liverpool. Well I think I managed about 2 sips before Squishy lost her head & began what felt like a week long rave in my belly so I gave up and didn't drink it all! Safe to say assuming the caffeine in Lucozade would be too much for baby was right! Haha

Symptoms/Movements

I woke up a little bit worried this morning (31+1) because Squishy hasn't been moving like she normally does :( I've been up for over an hour now and have had some sugary cereal and cold milk and she's wiggling around just fine thank god but I hate the anxious feeling wondering whether to go to the hospital to be checked, waiting for her to move. We also discovered last night that Squishy makes really funny shapes in my belly when I'm in the bath! It's almost like all the extra skin & flab around my tummy tenses up and moves out the way leaving just a pure teeny baby shape right in the centre of my tummy & we can really make out the shape of Squishy! Eeeeek!

Mood

Generally I'm feeling pretty good, certainly more tired now - both in the evenings and after doing anything particularly energetic. I've realised the last few days that I think I'm actually less emotional than before I was pregnant. Usually I am an absolute emotional wreck who cries at the teensiest things but that seems to have got better since I've been pregnant and I definitely cry less! Haha

Gender

Little girl!!

Appointments

I haven't had anything this week but I've got my 32 week ultrasound and consultant appointment in a couple of days. As my BMI was high before falling pregnant they just do an extra scan to make sure that the baby isn't growing too big too soon but so far she's been spot on her measurements every time I've seen Karen so hopefully she'll be fine. We can wait to see her on the screen again anyway!

Shopping

Nothing new this week - the shopping seems to have finally calmed down!

Are you around the 31 week pregnant mark? I'd love to hear from other August mummy-to-be's.
If you're enjoying our pregnancy updates I'd love you to follow our story either here or on Bloglovin'
XOXO

Wednesday 17 June 2015

Bump update - 30 weeks




Bump

The bump seems to have stayed the same size since last week...pretty large! I've gone from having everybody tell me I really didn't have much of a bump to saying I definitely look pregnant now. Which I think is the polite way of saying I'm massive! Haha I still don't feel like I've put on much weight anywhere else, it is all bump and I'm still wearing practically all of my normal pre-pregnancy clothes which is nice.

What have we been up to?

Not an awful lot to be honest! Since getting back from holiday we've just been catching up on housework and catching up with friends. It was my 27th birthday on Sunday (how on earth am I 27!!! I feel like it was yesterday I was turning 18) but we didnt really have a lot of money to celebrate properly so we just had a quiet weekend. Luckily G was off work so I had some company at least & we went to my mum & dad's for a Sunday roast but I can confirm sober birthdays when you're 30 weeks pregnant definitely aren't as fun as a normal year! I've been catching up with some of my girlfriends and went out for some (non-alcoholic of course) birthday drinks with my best friend Sarah.

Weight/Cravings

I'm trying not to focus on my weight too much after last weeks bombshell so I'll report back on that next week & I haven't had any new cravings this week that I can think of? I've been enjoying lots of birthday chocolate but that's nothing new!

Symptoms/Movements

Heartburn is still going with a vengeance. It seems to be last thing at night when I lie down to go to sleep, or when I'm lying down in general. I've also been suffering with some random sickness & feeling light headed which isn't fun. I read somewhere that this can be from sleeping on your back/lying on your back for too long so I'm making a conscious effort to stay on my side more now and it's definitely helping.
I've also been feeling so so so hot all through the night. One night I had to come down & sleep on the sofa just because I couldn't get comfy at all. I think I'm driving G mad, all the windows in our house are wiiiide open and I'm wandering round in the teeniest clothes ever - God help me as it gets warmer, it's not even that hot yet!

Mood

I felt a bit down this week around my birthday. I was upset that we're struggling for money and couldn't really do anything at all to mark my last birthday before we are parents and inevitably everything will be different this time next year. I've also been finding it hard that I can't run around in the park with the puppy anymore. When we go for our daily walk little Marley is so excited and always jumping up wanting me to play & run around like a nutter with him and unfortunately I just can't do that at the moment and it makes me sad!

Gender

Little princess still!

Appointments

No appointments this week but I finally managed to get hold of the children's centre where I see my midwife and book my 33 week checkup in. I've been umming and aahing some more about getting a 4D scan done. I really really really want one because I am desperate to see Squishy's little face and her little features. Plus I think the pictures and DVD are a priceless keepsake. But we really can't afford it at the moment and we're quickly approaching the 32 week mark where the baby will be too big to see much at all so we need to make w decision pretty quickly. Is it just a waste of money? I'm really struggling to decide!

Shopping

No new shopping at all this week. I did forget to mention last week while we were in Corsica my nan & mum appeared with this cute little rag doll for Squishy - we've named her Zoe! Here she is strapped in on the plane...baby's first dolly, so cute!


Are you around the 30 week pregnant mark? I'd love to hear from other August mummy-to-be's.
Would you recommend a 4D baby scan? I'd love to hear people's thoughts!
If you're enjoying our pregnancy updates I'd love you to follow our story either here or on Bloglovin'
XOXO

Monday 15 June 2015

Squishy Haul #2

I've had this post saved in my drafts for absolutely ages and for some reason never seem to have got round to posting it!
Since we found out we are expecting a little girl naturally we (and everybody else for that matter) seem to have gone crazy overboard on the pink shopping! Don't get me wrong absolutely nothing pleases me more than picking out gorgeous little frilly pink bits - I am such a girly girl - but you know what, I think a couple of my favourite baby bits are actually some of the first unisex/neutral stuff we bought before we knew the sex.

These top three pictures are all from Baby Gap and I adore them all! To be honest Baby Gap isn't somewhere I imagined myself to be shopping for a baby. I always had the impression, wrongly I'd like to add, that it was pretty pricey and not great quality but I honestly couldn't be more surprised.


This all in one sleepsuit complete with feet is probably my all time favourite outfit we have bought for Squishy so far. It is so so soft and really thick so feels like it will be great quality. Stupidly I bought it in 0-3 months so although hopefully it will last a good while, unfortunately we probably won't be able to use it as a coming home outfit - unless bubba is a whopper of course! (Not that I'm wishing for that!)
It was £16 but I happened to go shopping on a 20% off sale day so it only cost me £12.80 which I think was really reasonable.





These next two baby vests are also Baby Gap. The dreamer one is newborn size, has slightly shorter sleeves and is thinner - my thinking being that we might have some nice weather around Squishy's due date. The second one is size 0-3 months, has slightly longer sleeves and is a slightly thicker warmer material. How cute is the text? "I go where mum goes" I just couldn't resist.
Both the vests were £8 each but again in the sale so I paid £6.40 which I was really pleased with.


This gorgeous little sleepsuit was a gift from one of G's sisters and we absolutely love it. I love anything sentimental so a babygro saying "Born in 2015" was always going to be a winner in my eyes and is something we will be putting in Squishy's special keepsake box once she's done with it for sure.
I'm not sure on the price but it was from Next so I assume around £8-12, as they are usually pretty reasonable.

Coming soon.....Pink Haul # 1
XOXO

Friday 12 June 2015

Our little alien...

Since entering the third and final trimester of my pregnancy I have noticed one main change - Squishy is SO SO CRAZY ACTIVE!!! So I thought I'd pop all the details into a little blog post dedicated to her movements so I don't forget a thing!

(Image: Google - because of course when you try to photograph or video your own belly the baby stops IMMEDIATELY)

I've been feeling regular movements since I was 19 weeks - so for a good 10-11 weeks now - but these last couple of weeks they have just turned into something else! At least once or twice a day I can sit and watch my belly moving around, just like there's a little alien inside. Squishy seems to react really well to any touch from the outside so anytime I give her a prod or rest something on my belly she tries to boot it away again. She's actually doing it right now as I'm resting my phone on my belly while I type! Not to mention our poor puppy Marley who keeps getting his head bashed in every time he rests on my belly which he definitely seems to like doing more often now - I'm sure he can tell there's a baby in there.

I'm just coming up 31 weeks pregnant and over the last two or three weeks the movements have got so much stronger and more frequent. It really does feel like Squishy is wriggling around for most of the day now, I don't get much of a rest. When a big one catches me unaware it easily takes my breath away. 
I feel like the worst mummy-to-be in the world saying this out loud but am I the only person in the world who doesn't like the feeling of their baby moving around? It is so forced upon us & quoted everywhere you turn that feeling your baby move inside you is the most "incredible feeling in the world", "magical", "amazing", "best thing ever"....no-one ever mentions not liking it? Now the movements are that much stronger and without a doubt more noticeable it literally does make my tummy churn and makes me feel really sick. Don't think for a minute that I'm not appreciative of the incredible work my body is doing to grow our baby girl and I know we are so so lucky to be having a healthy pregnancy so far but does that mean I have to love every aspect that comes with it? I feel so awful even thinking like this! Is it normal to feel like this? 
I was okay up until a couple of weeks ago when the movements were still mostly kicks and I truly was loving feeling our little girl kicking out. It also helped my anxiety so much because until I could feel Squishy regularly I would convince myself that something must be wrong. Since the "alien movements" (as we like to call them) have started I just feel nothing but sick & icky at the sight of my belly. We can now clearly see my whole tummy move from the outside in great big waves so I assume it's bigger movements where Squishy is changing position or doing somersaults, rather than little hands & feet kicking out in a certain spot.

I'd love to hear from any other mummies who felt like this in the third trimester? Should I be expecting it to get better or worse as Squishy runs out of room - I'm not sure? Am I the worst human being ever? I love our little Squish-a-belle so much and she's not even here yet I just wish these movements wouldn't make me feel so nauseous & make my skin crawl! :(

XOXO

Monday 8 June 2015

Bump update - 28 & 29 weeks

Bump

The bump seems to be forever growing these days. I definitely feel like in some outfits I look quite neat and have a cute, round, definite baby bump and then in others I just feel like a porker who has put on weight.
The photos below were taken the only 2 days apart! In the green dress I have a clear bump but round the pool I'm sure I didn't look much different in my holiday pictures this time last year....just a little podgier now!!



At my 28 week checkup Squishy was still measuring dead on 28cm so my midwife is happy with how she is doing.

What have we been up to?

This update is actually a little more exciting than usual as we jetted off on holiday to the lovely island of Corsica for a week. I'm going to do a separate blog post on our holiday & include lots of snaps for you but it was lovely to get away and get some sunshine late on in my pregnancy as we probably won't be able to afford to go away again for a while. When we got back G had a few extra days off work which was nice. We got to spend some quality time together, mostly just lazing around & catching up with housework (don't you just hate post- holiday washing!) but still I always appreciate having company as I'm getting so unbelievably bored not being able to work now! 
It was my dads birthday on the 10th so we popped over to Maidstone to buy him a couple of birthday presents and have a look around the shops.

Weight/Cravings

I'm part relieved and part depressed to say I'm back weighing in at 204lbs today (although technically I'm nearly 31 weeks now I'm finally getting round to posting this update!) meaning I've put on a total of 11lbs since my initial checking in appointment.
I think our scales must have just been having a funny 5 minutes when they were telling me I'd lost all my weight a couple of weeks ago but then I did eat a lot of ice creams on holiday and touch would the gallstone pain and sickness has stopped so maybe I have just piled on the pounds in the last couple of weeks?

I've been craving a lot of white chocolate which is something I never normally eat and I'm loving cheese sandwiches with LOADS of pickle!


Symptoms/Movement

Heartburn is still pretty frequent, at least every other day but is getting more bearable. 
I'm starting to get more aches and pains in my lower back and down below now, I guess where everything is stretching and getting me prepared for labour. Never mind Squishy rapidly running out of room.
Movements are on a whole new level of weird and strong. I've written a whole other blog post all about "Our little Alien" which you can read here.

Mood

Pretty relaxed on a whole these last two weeks. Being on holiday was a lovely break from reality and all my usual worries. Since we've been back it's definitely sinking in that Squishy will be here pretty soon..and starting to scare me a little.

Gender

GIRL!!!

Appointments

At 28 weeks I had to go to the hospital to have my glucose tolerance test to determine whether I am developing gestational diabetes due to my high BMI pre-pregnancy. Basically bloods and my sugar level were taken, I was given a pure sugar/glucose drink to down in one and then had to wait 2 hours before having my bloods taken again. I had heard absolute horror stories about the nasty sugar drink they make you drink but it really wasn't that bad at all. All the waiting around for 2 hours was abit of a pain but not the end of the world. I was told if I didn't hear anything then my results were fine and that a midwife would only contact me if my results came back positive and I haven't heard anything so I'm assuming all is okay. Although I was away when they would have been due to ring with the results so I will double check next time I see Karen.
I also had a 28 week checkup with Karen straight after just to make sure I would be okay to fly to Corsica. As I was over 28 weeks by this point our airline needed a "fit to fly" letter from a midwife or doctor confirming that I had not been experiencing any problems in my pregnancy so far. This is pretty normal procedure for most airlines and as it turned out no one was even fussed or wanted to see it but I felt happier having a letter anyway. 

Shopping 

Not technically shopping I guess but before we went away I met up with a lovely lady I used to work with who so so kindly donated SO many baby bits to us!
We now have a pink bumbo seat, a rainforest baby bouncer, a Winnie the Pooh baby bath, a door bouncer and so so many bags of baby girl clothes.
I honestly have been so overwhelmed with everybody's generosity since we announced we were having a baby. I really never expected to receive so many amazing items both new and hand me downs which have been an absolute god send to us and are really really appreciated.

Are you around the 28/29 week pregnant mark? I'd love to hear from other August mummy-to-be's.
If you're enjoying our pregnancy updates I'd love you to follow our story either here or on Bloglovin'
XOXO

The Low-Down on Birth Choices

So as I'm now in the third and final trimester of my pregnancy, naturally I am beginning to think about the big event.....LABOUR! Eeeeeeeek!
Alarmingly in a recent Which? survey 34% of mothers said they knew nothing or not much about their choices on where to give birth and this is something that absolutely has to change.
I think it is so so important for expectant mothers, whether having your first or fifth child, to be provided with the knowledge to make a personal decision on where they would like to have their baby. Of course every pregnancy and mother-to-be is different and while a traditional birth in the labour ward of a hospital may be perfect for one woman it may be the absolute last thing another lady would want so to feel like you have no or little choice in the matter must be awful.

To be honest although I am quite aware that other birthing options are out there, until this week I hadn't really given much thought to any option other than having Squishy in a hospital setting.

The lovely people over at Which? very kindly sent me three birthing boxes* in the post last week each designed to help me with my decision on where I would like to give birth. The boxes I received were: Hospital Birth, Birth Centre Birth and Home Birth, each one full of various products that may be useful in each setting.




The first box I opened was the Hospital Birth box which contained the following:
- iTunes gift card
With Squishy being our first baby it's possible that labour could go on for a long long time and be slow to start so it's definitely a great idea to load the iPad up with films & music to keep us entertained during that inevitable waiting period.
- Eye mask & ear plug set
Again this may be useful if I am in labour for a long time and need to try & get some rest. Particularly in the muddle of the day or on a busy labour ward.
- Charging cables
Inevitably we will be sure to take cameras, phones and iPads galore to the hospital to capture Squishy's first moments and let everybody know once she has arrived so a multi-charger device like this will come in super handy.
- Lip balm
I've heard that using the gas & air during labour dries out your lips like crazy so this is something I actually meant to pick up for my hospital bag anyway.
- Battery operated fan
I'm so so happy to have received a battery operated fan. I was looking out for a small handheld one to pop in my bag but this one has so much more power to it. I've heard lots of stories from friends where the hospital has been "unable to find" a fan when they really really would have appreciated one during labour so this will definitely been coming along with us.
- Healthy snacks & beverages
- Water bottle
Again if I'm in for a long labour healthy snacks and plenty of water will hopefully keep me going. Nevermind keep G occupied as well. I'm actually really looking forward to stocking up on one of my favourite drinks Pink Lemonade Lucazade for labour because I'm trying to be good and have avoided it during my pregnancy as it has a lot of caffeine.
- Flipflops
Something I'm sure a lot of people forget to pack in their hospital bags. These Haviana flipflops will be ideal for showering after I've had the baby. Or just as something easy to slip on and have a wander round the hospital to get things moving along - as Squishy is due in August I am expecting hot weather and swollen feet so these may be the only things that feet on my feet by then!





Next up was the Birth Centre Birth box which contained the following:
- Hair ties
Very practical, essential in labour when you have as much hair as I do and something every girl needs more of right?
- Thermal spring water spray
I have heard amazing things about this La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water Spray so cannot wait to try this out when I need cooling down.
- Hot water bottle
I use a hot water bottle a lot for my gallstone pains at the moment so I'm hoping it will help me in early labour while I'm still at home.
- Dressing gown
- Slippers
Both essential in my opinion for a bit of comfort & dignity after the event. This dressing gown is also lovely & light so won't take up too much space in my bag like my big fluffy ones at home.



And last but certainly not least the Home Birth box which contained:
- Plastic sheeting
This is an item I hadn't really given much thought to until a friend recently mentioned them. Should I chose a home birth I would honestly imagine keeping things clean and tidy is the last thing on your mind but if I don't then a waterproof sheet would certainly be useful to protect our mattress from any waters breaking anyway.
- Aromotherapy room spray
- Receiving blanket
This blanket is gorgeous and so so soft. Perfect for Squishy's first cuddles.
- Birthing ball
All of my friends highly recommend birthing balls during the later stage of pregnancy and labour so I am definitely keen to give this a try.


 

If you are still feeling like you don't know much about your birth choices and options I can highly recommend the Which? Birth Choice website. They have gathered so much information into one space I really have learned a lot even in just a short amout of browsing time.
The website has a handy birth choice tool which asks you a few questions about your expectations and hopes for your labour and then recommends the best place for you to give birth based on your answers.

For me personally the birth choice tool recommended a labour ward or a birth centre alongside which hasn't surprised me. A birth centre birth definitely does appeal to me and I like the idea of the whole labour being more relaxed and calming than perhaps a hospital environment would be but the 
hypochondriac can't help but want the medical side of things in place should I need it. I think if I have a positive experience with labour this time round I would certainly be more open to a birth centre birth if we decide to have any more children after Squishy.
Once the birth choice tool has given you your results it also lists the details and addresses of your local birth options based on your post code which is so so helpful. It details the distance of the birthing centre or hospital from your house, the size of the unit, how many times it has been closed in the last year, who can give birth there, how you will be looked after there and lots more great information.

There are also other parts of the website where you can get expert advice, a frequently asked questions areas and much further detail on all aspects of labour whether that be pain relief options, more about the birthing pool or the pros and cons of each birth choice.

After weighing up the pros and cons of each type of birth choice I still think we will be going with a Hospital Birth. Im not keen on the idea of being transferred to a hospital during labour, should should need arise, and for me & G it's important to know we are in the best place and in the safest hands should something medically go wrong. Before falling pregnant with me my mum had a stillborn baby full term so subconsciously this is something that is at the back of my mind and along with my gallstone problems we definitely feel a hospital is the best place for me to give birth.

The hospital birth box seemed to contain lots of practical items to be used both during and after labour which I like. There are also plenty of items that seem geared towards a long labour which, as I mentioned, as a first time mum is something I am conscious may be quite likely. For that reason I actually think all of these items will be assisting me during labour at some point. Both the birth centre box and the home birth box also contained items that I think we will still use in a hospital environment but they definitely lean more towards providing comfort rather than practicality.

So it seems like all is left for us to do now is get packing mine & Squishy's hospital bags!
Eeeeeeek!


Where will you be giving birth to your little ones? I'd love to hear about your choice and the reason behind it?

If you're enjoying our pregnancy updates I'd love you to follow our story either here or on Bloglovin'
Are you around the 29 week mark? I'd love to hear from fellow August mummy-to-be's
XOXO