30 Weeks Pregnant & Bump Pic

Time for a bump pic :) Here I am at 30 Weeks pregnant...

This was taken a few days ago (in Lanzarote!)and believe it or not my bump has grown considerably since then. I'm working on my 31 weeks post tomorrow!

I have to say, being pregnant on holiday is easier than I thought. Here is a little pregnancy update.

Maternity Clothes - Hell no! My shorts are from last Summer (topshop). I borrowed the top from my mum, I raided her Summer wardrobe before I left. She loves empire line tops and they suit here, she's a ruler shape so it works out well for me bump wise. I didn't bring any maternity clothes with me. Think I'm  still in denial :)

Sunshine/Heat - Does wonders for the soul doesn't it. I haven't been too warm or anything. Thought I would be dying with the heat. I have been lounging around the beach and drinking tonnes of water.

Appetite/weight- Useless. I was starving in my third trimester last time round. Struggling a little this time. Nausea has become a normal part of life these days. My weight hasn't changed too much in the last few weeks. I have been walking a lot here though so that accompanied by evening nausea and lack of appetite are making it difficult.


Movement - This bus is less wriggly than Eve was :) She moved none stop and was very strong. She is the exact same now at 14 months. This baba is a little more chilled I think.

Health Issues - I was sent away with a pack of protein test samples to check for protein in urine and also a blood pressure monitor since I had pre-eclampsia last time round. I wasn't expecting any action but low and behold 4 days ago protein started to climb. There was +3 yesterday, not so good. Bp was also pre-high (120/89) yesterday. Legs swell up like balloons, right to me knee by evening and face was swollen this morning but has since gone down. I'm thinking a visit to the doc might be in order. Really don't want to.

How is everyone??

28 Weeks Pregnant

* Update - I scheduled this post to go live about 9 days ago and nothing happened! Forgot to check, oopsies. I am working on this weeks on now with photos. 

I'm 28 weeks pregnant - holy moly that feels a little bit shocking! How times flies when you have no time to think about being pregnant.

Apppointments I had a scan on Monday followed by a three hour glucose screening test, always a joy. I'm off the hook for another 4 weeks now, woo hoo!

Baby Position Baby is head down. Eve was head down at 28 weeks and stayed there until she was born. All good so far.


Scan I had another wee look at nugget on the big screen. What a looker! :)

Bump Is so different this time. High and compact, last time I was low and more like a sprawl.  I'm finding it very easy to dress this time round.

Shopping I did a spot of holiday shopping and just plain refused to buy maternity clothes. I hope to Jesus I don't go through a major spurt on holiday - I can hear you all now, serves ya right!

Leg cramps I would rather labour any day to leg cramps. Is it just me or is it the most unbearable pain ever?? I tried the excercises the physio recommended in the hospital. The only way I can keep them away is to go for a walk - they never happen on the day I get my legs pumping.

Braxton Hicks Barely noticeable in my first pregnancy, this time round they're more pronounced. I have found myself sitting down in the supermarket on occasion. 

Bathroom Breaks I feel like I should just move into the loo. The bladder punching is out of control. This baby seems to be facing inwards all of the time. I feel kicks to my organs more than kicks to my tummy.

All in all I have had one hell of a week. Eve has an ear infection

27 Weeks Pregnant

Sorry this weeks post is a little late!

Yes, I am definitely pregnant! I say this because up until now I haven't had the feeling of being big and  pregnant. Yet when I see the photo below I think my bump is much smaller than this stage in my first pregnancy.

 27 weeks pregnant

Weight  I mentioned in last weeks post that I hadn't put on enough weight. Well this week it caught up - I haven't changed my diet or activity levels but mt weight gain this week makes the last month average one pound a week. I feel a lot happier about my weight now.

Food All milk smells gone-off to my nose at the moment. On my last pregnancy I kept throwing out sausages because they smelled sour so I assumed they were off. I did this about twenty times before Mr Amy commented that it was statistically impossible for that number of sausage packs be gone-off when they were bought on different dates and from different butchers :) Now I obsessively smell the milk - which always smells sour to me! I have eating a lot of scrambled eggs with fresh tomato for the past few months but over the past few days the thought of digging in to my once favourite meal makes me gag.

Morning sickness & nausea Back with a vengeance. I get it in the evenings now. I had to change my dinner time so that I could keep it down, Fortunately, I don't have time to dwell on it. 


Check-ups  My last checkup was at 24 weeks with my gp - I have  shared care. There was a little protein in my urine sample which has been on my mind ever since. My next appointment is next Monday (I'll be 28 weeks) and hopefully no protein shows this time. I also have a glucose intolerance test on that day to check for gestational diabetes - I'm automatically tested thanks to PCOS. On my first pregnancy this involved 3 blood tests and a lot of lucozade - which I hate! I also have to fast from the night before. I'll wake like a bear that day :) I'll also get to see baby again which I'm excited about.


Maternity clothes Still in my own clothes this week.

Swelling The swelling in my legs has starter to stick around. Up until last week my legs swelled in the evening but was gone by morning. This morning when I woke I couldn't feel my shin bone. This is how it happened on my first pregnancy. I  just kept swelling and swelling with no let up. Eventually it moved to my face and neck. I'm hoping it doesn't mean pre-eclampsia this time. 

What to pack I'm heading to the Canaries in two weeks for 18 days and I have no idea what to pack. I was thinking maxi dresses are the way forward in case my legs swell more, particularly after the flight. I raided my wardrobe the other day and found that my shorts still fit, good. I will need to pick up a few tops though. I really haven't a clue what to bring. I have been busy sorting Eve's wardrobe out, I haven't given myself much thought.

Travel Insurance for Pregnancy & Letters to fly It's hard to find travel insurance that will cover me as I will be 29 weeks flying out and two days under the 32 weeks limit coming home.  I eventually found one! I'll have to ring and get a quote, surely it will be expensive. I also need a form signed by my doctor to say I can fly after 28 weeks. If I had have known all of this I might have travelled earlier.

YouTube Bump Channel I started a new channel for bump and baby related videos. My first video is up :) Link!

Ok enough about me.. How are you? :)

Amy x

Maternity Swimwear?

I have moaned quite bit about maternity underwear lately. Why did I expect anything more from maternity swimwear!

Before I get started, a question - why are so many maternity clothes black?? Do they think we're concerned with appearing slimmer? I'm pregnant not 10 stone overweight. Pregnancy is a beautiful time, where your body flourishes, why hide it away in a black shroud?! What happened to floral dresses, barefoot in the kitchen? It's actually quite difficult to find swimwear that isn't dark either.

I found two tankini's - these to me the least hideous thing on the market here.

Both from Mothercare £26 -  They're on special, buy one get one half off. I don't like the idea of a tankini. Should I be hiding the bump though?

I managed to find one bikini from Mamalicious for €29.99 at New Look...

  This so isn't me but I would bear it if it weren't for the bum picture - those stripes make the maniquins bum look huge, what will it do for humans??

I'm starting to wonder if I even need a maternity version. What's stopping my buying an ordinary bikini that fits? Am I missing something?

What are you reading?

Ok, so this is a little off the bump and baby topic but ever since my Omega supplement cured my baby brain I can't stop reading. At least I'm using my new powers for good!

I ordered four books from The Book Depository (I never use book shops anymore, so much cheaper and free worldwide delivery). Before I placed my order I spent an entire night reading reviews on GoodReads. I love using that site for reviews as I can check in with others who like the same type of books as me.

I'm a big fan of the urban fantasy genre... werewolves, fairies, witches, vampires but set in modern times. There are certain authors within this genre who write smutty, romance type novels and then call then Urban Fanstasy. I don't really like those. I like a good story. I also like the Young Adult genre. I'm not really into serious, thought provoking reads at the moment. Reading for me is an escape so I don't want to cry, worry, feel stressed or sad when I read.

With all of that in mind I chose four. All of which are the first in series. I do love a series!!

 

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - Loved this! It's a young adults series, well written, fast-paced with intriguing, likeable characters. I ordered the next three in the series to read by the beach next month.

Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampire Series) by Chloe Neill - I actually liked this one even more. The  main character is funny and strong. It's a lighthearted read and I couldn't stop turning pages. I also ordered the next three of these for the beach - I'm clearly planning an exciting holiday :)

The Huger Games by Suzanne Collins - I feel like I'm the last person to catch on to this trilogy! I haven't seen the film, I wanted to read the books first. I'm about half way through and I was enthralled from the first page. The tone is much more serious than the other three books but the pace makes it read like a movie. I can see why it was adapted for the big screen.

First Grave on the Right by Daryna Jones - There is a recommendation on the front of the book from JR Ward who couldn't put it down. Now, if you're a fan of JR Wards books you will probably like this. Unfortunately,  I'm not her biggest fan. This is the absolute worst cover for a book of this genre I have ever seen! It looks like an holiday novel. I found the lead character contrived and the humour forced. It felt like the funny lines were written separately and then spread around through the book. There were also sections of dialogue that were so choppy that I lost interest. Admittedly, I did enjoy the second half significantly more than the first but this book really didn't do it for me.

When I'm finished the Hunger Games I will order the last two books from the trilogy and then I'll see where I go from there.

What types of books do you like and what are you reading?

Amy x

Ps My 27 Week Pregnant post will be up tomorrow!

Changing Bags - Decisions, Decisions

I'm sitting here on this fine Sunday morning trying to decide between these two baby changing bags. This is where being a bloggere really comes in handy! I am so indecisive, help me!!

1.  Babymel Ella Bag - Multi dot

Here is in in a different colour - to give you an idea of scale...

I came across the image below and this is putting me off a little. It looks quite different here...

But it does hold a lot of stuff!

 Image above from http://www.successthroughplay.com

* This one costs €55 (reduced from €77) on Mamas & Papas website plus €8 postage to Ireland.
* Dimensions: H 40cm W 31cm D 15cm


Features & Benefits
- An insulated bottle holder included
- Matching changing mat made from the same outer material
- Four outer pockets for additional storage
- Two inner pockets and also a zipped pocket to keep valuables secure
- Wipe clean lining and outer
- Includes signature Babymel heart key charm

2. Babymel Satchel Bag Navy Stripe

 

* This one costs €51 plus €8 postage from Mamas & Papas.

* Dimensions: H: 33 x W: 44 x D: 15cm approx

Features & Benefits

- An insulated bottle holder included
- Foldable changing mat
- Large outer pocket for additional storage space
- Two inner pockets and also a zipped pocket to keep valuables secure
- Wipe clean lining
- Includes signature Babymel heart key charm 


What do you think? I have both open here on my screen and I can't decide! I'm leaning towards the navy.

An essential for Baby Sign Language

I recently posted about baby sign language. I mentioned how effective it has been for my 12 month old - she can communicate simple things instead of getting frustrated at me for not understanding. I was contacted about a brilliant little book called SuperHands to see if I would like a copy to help at home. I had to share it, it's fantastic!

 

As you can see from the photos I took, it's an illustrated dictionary. There are 40 of the most commonly used signs included. I love the illustrations, as does Eve. The pages are thick so she happily sits there perusing the images.

I read through the book and had an initial practice in about 10 minutes. I looked at it again the following day and realised I remembered them all. I think this is down to not only the illustrations but the short description of the actions. It helped me make associations and therefore made it much easier than an of the other articles I have read on baby signing.

At the back of the book there is a poem and a song with the signs - Eve LOVED these. She kept tapping the book for me to do it again (she has yet to master the sign for 'again'). There rare also tips and information bubbles throughout the book which are very useful and informative.

So far she knows:

Milk
Cookie
Thank you
Please
Bird
Drink
Hungry
Finished
Book

This is making our day to day life so much easier. To be honest, it will be a godsend when the new baby arrives. Eve has been getting frustrated for the past few months since she only know a few words but yet she knows what she wants. This book is perfect for people with babies and parents in a similar situation. I was expecting to have to put in a bit of slog to learn it myself, but this certainly was not the case. As I said, it took ten minutes.

I introduce one sign at a time so it's not over-whelming. Eve seems to pick up the association immediately but it can take her a few days to use the sign herself. For example, when I taught her milk and used the sign, she ran over to me and pointed at the fridge if that is what she wanted. If she didn't want it she put her hand up at me and walked off. After three days she started to use the sign herself.

I highly recommend!

For more information on Superhands Baby Sign Language check out their website link!