Scans and Blood

Last week we had our 20 week anomaly scan, although I was in fact 23 weeks and 3 days. Wow have those things come on since Callum was just a little bump in my belly. Daz and I were totally amazed at the first sighting we got of Bumpy's spine, so much clear detail, you could see all the bones! Thankfully everything checked out ok and we got a good few scan shots to take home with us. We decided not to find out if Bumpy is a girl or boy, we want a surprise. All that mattered was that Bumpy was coming along as they should. They can even tell you a weight nowadays, although obviously it's a bit of a guess but still how amazing is that? We were told Bumpy weighed 1.5lbs which is just what they should for this stage.

For a breakdown of what is what you can go here and see the notes.

Baby Bumpy

Today it has all been about blood tests. Because of my age and my weight, so basically they are saying I am old and fat, they think I have a high risk of pregnancy diabetes. So off I headed to the hospital with my Mum to have blood taken. Now for some people this isn't a problem but for me I hate having my blood taken, I have what I've been told are spider veins (small veins) but also today I got told that added to that I have veins that are deep down so it's harder to find a suitable vein and then harder still to get a needle in and then you have to try and get blood out. So yeah not a very fun thing for me and to have it twice and on an empty stomach because you have to fast from 9pm the night before. Yep not a thing high on wish list of things I want to do. But it's done now and I just have to wait to hear back if I have diabetes or not. Apparently they phone you only if you do.

So all in all I'm feeling a bit sore today, tired but at least no longer hungry. *blush* I had two chocolate bars and two lots of sandwiches after leaving the hospital. lol

Fat and Frumpy not Pregnant and Blooming

That's how I feel and I think my most recent photos prooves that. I keep reading that this part of pregnancy is meant to be the part where your aches and pains and tiredness are put aside and you start to enjoy the benefits of pregnancy, the blooming stage. But I don't feel like that, my back aches, I have what I think is carpal tunnel syndrome starting up again and I just feel fat and tired. Maybe next week I'll give myself a pampering day, do my hair and nails, maybe a facemask.

As for how the pregnancy is going, all well it seems. Daz thinks he felt Bumpy move at the weekend, just a little light fluttering but hey that's cool! I seem to feel lots of movement, a lot more than I ever remember getting with Callum. Next week we have our anomaly scan which while exciting (we get to see Bumpy again) is also a little nervous (get to check all the body parts are ok). Still I'm trying to concentrate on the positives this time. Then the following week I have to have a diabetes test, because of my age and my weight I'm at risk. Great!

We've been looking at baby clothes and last weekend got back from Daz' parents the old clothes of Callum's they had been storing for us. It's been fun to go through those clothes and hard to imagine that Callum was once that small. He actually tried on one of his baby shoes and announced that he could just about get it on his big toe. lol. How time flies. Luckily a good amount of the clothes are in good enough condition to reuse this time round and there wasn't as much blue boys stuff as I thought there would be but hey if Bumpy is a girl I'm sure she won't mind wearing a blue babygro. We've decided that after Christmas we'll get the cotbed put up on the nursery but will have the rest of the room ready by then. It was newly painted last year in what was called "Toffee" but it's a nice yellow, we just need to get a border to go up and new curtains. It's quite exciting this stage.

So that's that. Hopefully next week I'll have a new scan photo to post here.

Nearly half way there

In a few days time I'll be halfway through this pregnancy. It's hard to imagine what in some ways things will be like in another 20 + weeks and it's also interesting to see how different in ways this pregnancy is compared to my one with Callum. For a start as I said to Daz yesterday "Blimey it's just hit me we're nearer to 40 than to 30 this time round." yes I'm talking about our ages. Daz and I wonder if that's why this time round I seem to be feeling (and in some ways suffering) more with things.

Anyway before thoughts get in the way a quick update!

As of today I am 19 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I have a little bump appearing now as can be seen below:

Me at 17 weeks and 5 days pregnant

I still have the never-ending tiredness and the constant all night late night visits to the little girls room but hey I don't feel sick and queezy any more and the lightheadedness seems to have gone too. I've had little fluttering movements from Bumpy and seems that certain genres of music appeal to them more than others, Jesus and Mary Chain for starters the other day. It's been fun to work out what music gets bumpy a fluttering and a jiving. I can't wait until Daz and Callum can feel the movements too, I think mostly I'm looking forward to seeing Callum's reactions to it all. It's been interesting to see how Callum sees and deals with pregnancy. Sometimes you'll find he wants to talk to bumpy and will put his mouth up to bumpy and start talking to them saying simple things like "Hiya Bumpy, it's Callum here, I'm going to be your big brother and we'll have so much fun." or "Are you in the bumpy of have you popped out for a bit?". lol. I do think Callum wonders where his place in the family will be once Bumpy is born and sometimes says he worries that he won't be needed by us any more as we'll have another little child but we try our best to reassure him that he is always going to be special and important to us and who will we need around to teach Bumpy things. The other day Callum was doing some Maths homework and turned round and told me how Bumpy can already add up. When I asked how this was so Callum replied that he had been teaching Bumpy and that Bumpy knows that 3+2=5 and when they say "ga ga ga" that's them saying "the answer is five." Yeah I don't know what goes through that head of his either. lol

At the end of September we had a consultant appointment where we received back the blood test results and got the all clear... you'll be pleased to know I don't have syphilis. ;) The consultant said that we can still try for a natural birth which I'm happy about but we still have to be at Queen's Hospital incase of any complications and because of Callum's birth they want to be careful. We've been given a leaflet to read about natural births after an emergency c-section so fingers crossed all goes well and to plan this time round and no middle of the night phonecalls to my parents from a worried and upset Daz after Callum and I are rushed into an operating theatre.

Our next appointment will be at the beginning of November for out next scan, the anomaly scan to make sure all is progressing as it should be... and of course another chance for us to see Bumpy. After that I have to have a GTT (glucose/diabetes) blood test and then it will be MW apointments. It feels strange that I won't actually meet my midwive until I am 28 weeks gone.

So all in all everything seems to be going ok, I just wish I could get my brain into thinking like that instead of the paranoid state it's been in for weeks that something is wrong. I'm hoping once we have our next scan that I'll feel better in the mental department. Until then I am enjoying being pregnant, feeling those movements and seeing my bump get bigger.

Just a quickie.

Yesterday Daz and I went for our first baby scan and I'm glad to report back that the news from the sonographer is that Baby Bumpy is well and healthy. My due date has been moved forward by one day so now


Pregnancy Tickers from WiddlyTinks.com

And of course we got a scan photo, although Bumpy wasn't in the mood to be photographed and insisted on their head being downwards, well until the sonographer thumped my belly about a bit and bumpy lazily moved their head. Here are the scan shots!






I especially love the first one as it looks like Baby Bumpy is wearing a superhero/ine mask.

Old Wives Tales

They follow us throughout our lives these old wives tales but what are some that are associated with pregnancy. Lets see shall we?

Swing Low Sweet Chariot - Maybe there is a reason behind this song being sung at England Rugby games, apparently according to myths if you are carrying low (your baby bump is low down) you are carrying a boy and if it's high it's a girl.

Heartbeat why do you miss when my baby kisses me - Seems that us girls have a faster heartbeat while in the womb... well if you believe the myths.

She asks me why I'm just a hairy guy I'm hairy noon and night - Well your Mum had heartburn that's why mate.

Got to be good don't you understand raise your hand hey, hey, hey I said raise your hand right here right now babe - Believe it or not there is a myth that says if your raise your arms it will help to untangle your child's umbilical cord. You can raise your arms if you want but it won't help untangle that cord, the tangledness (yes I know it's not a proper word but it suits me) of it is down to how active your unborn child is in your womb. But hey, hey, hey raise your hand.

Come fly with me, lets fly lets fly away - As long as your doctor, midwife, health person says you're healthy enough to do so and the airline is happy for you to do so fly away to your hearts content. Although I think it's from about your 36th week that it is recommended you don't fly. But each person is different so it's best to check before any holidays are planned.

Sometimes when I look in the mirror I can't see my face - That's good because for this next myth you need to be looking at your boobs anyway, If your right one is larger it's a boy and your left one larger it's a girl. Goodness knows what it means if they are both larger.

Round, round baby round, round - How many of you remember doing the necklace or ring on a string trick as a kid at school? The one where you hold either of them above your hand or belly and see which direction it goes? I certainly do! Darned if I remember now what it always said I'd have but hey the Internet is there to tell me the meanings behind it if I ever do remember. So what does the dear Internet say? A circular movement means it's a girl and a swaying movement a boy.

So there we go a little peak at some of the myths talked about in pregnancy. Have any you'd like to share with us? Just let us know in the comments. :D

And just to have a bit of fun lets see how you answer these questions:


You can find the answers at the bottom of this page here.

The Size of a Blueberry

An online friend of mine who runs a great Mum's messageboard (MumsWorld) posted a link to this site here where you have a fun little cute "checklist" to see what size your baby bump is and also a small piece to say what is happening inside you. Currently it says that our baby bumpy is the size of a blueberry and this:

Baby's brain -- both hemispheres! -- is growing fast, generating about 100 new cells every minute. Arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby's third!) is now in place.

I love reading these little snippets of information on how my unborn child is developing and especially love in the pregnancy magazines the pictures/photos they show of the development too. In this day and age I think it's wonderful to have the Internet at your disposal to not just reassure you of things happening to your body but to also inform you too.

Constant Craving

To crave = to have an intense desire for some particular thing

Pretty much pregnancy and cravings go hand in hand and although nothing is 100% sure it is thought of in some cases that it is your body telling you it needs some form of nutrient that is currently lacking in your body/diet. There are also different forms of cravings, those that are of the food variety and those known a PICA which is items such a chalk, coal, rubber, ash, dust etc. Now the thought of eating a bit of dust or coal does not in the least seem appealing to me but show or even mention to me a packet of Ready Salted crisps and I'm drooling and would probably even commit murder to have them.

So what do certain cravings mean, if anything? Well the ever useful Internet is ever ready to help me so here is what I've found out.

Salt: It is thought that craving this is linked to morning sickness and needing to replenish the sodium you loose through being sick.

Melon: They contain potassium and vitamin A and Cantaloupes in particular are also high in vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, biotin, and inositol, yeah I'm not sure exactly what those last things are but it's not a bad thing to get inside your body apparently.

Cheese: Calcium is the main nutrient here but this can also be found in green vegetables like broccoli.

Sweet/Sugary Foods: It is thought that these are what are craved the most in pregnancy especially early on and is put down to morning sickness, low energy, mood swings and your body wanting a quick fix of a simple carbohydrate.

Chalk: A bizarre craving that some think means you need more iron in your diet. Even though in itself it isn't harmful to you or your unborn child as it isn't poisonous it is considered best to try and avoid it as residue could possibly get into your lungs and then cause respiratory problems.

Ice: Strangely enough this is a craving and to me even more strangely it can mean you've got an iron deficiency.

Spicy Foods: When you eat spicy food the feel good endorphins are released into your body.

Now I know there are lots more foods that are craved but if I listed all of them I'd be here all day and night, needless to say the good old Internet is full of answers. So what did you crave when you were pregnant? And here's a question: Did your child end up when they were old enough to eat food take a liking or dislike to any of those foods?