18.5 weeks - Felt the first movement!!!

My 18.5 week tummy shot. I feel like a bump is starting to appear now, although I sometimes wake up in the morning and nothing is really there but by the end of the day it's popped right out, weird! I have a feeling that between now and my next scan (at 21.5 weeks) in 3 weeks time I should defo get some growing happening! I can't go along to my second scan hardly looking preggers, that's just wrong!



I had a very exciting moment today.... I woke up this morning and whilst I was just lying in bed I felt something weird go on inside my tummy. I lay for a minute and it happened again, it was a definite movement from inside!!! It felt a little like a nerve twitching (like you get in your eye sometimes) but it was inside the tummy and only one or two and then would stop and then maybe happen again a few mins later. It was on the right hand side and felt so cool. I'm glad Dan was still at home so I could share my excitement but at the time he just though that I needed the loo (hmmm!). It continued to happen every now and then whilst I was getting ready for work then at around 4pm whilst at work. It was so cool! I will keep an eye out for it as I guess over the next few weeks it should get stronger but it was amazing just feeling that little movement.

I really hope when I feel my first real kick I'm at home with Dan. I'm off to Tuscany with my folks in 3 weeks (can't wait!) and although it would be so cool to feel the first kick with them, it'll be a shame to have to tell Dan about it just over the phone without him being there, so hopefully the little blighter will give us a kick before I go or even wait until I get back!

Dan and I have also decided we're going to get a 4D scan done. You have to do it privately and costs about £100. You basically get to see the baby really clearly in a 4D video image and not just the black and white grainy image you get with the NHS. You get to take a DVD away plus lots pics and I think it will be so cool to keep as a memory to look back on (especially when I have a screaming toddler running about I can watch the video and remember how content and quiet it was in my belly). I think it'll be amazing and I've heard loads of good reviews about it, so can't wait. Apparently the best time to do it is between 25 - 30 weeks so will book in for about 27 weeks. Dan also refuses to go before that date as the baby's eyes won't be open (they are still sealed slightly until this date) and he thinks it looks too alien like and it scares him! haha. We will make sure we tell the sonographer that we don't want to know the sex because apparently on the 4D scan it can be very obviously to anyone what the sex is and as we don't want to find out they can just focus on the top end!

We are also busy packing the flat up at the moment as we are moving house to Heathdene Road on 1 Sept 2010 (2 mins down the road). A lovely 3 bed detached house with garden and parking (woo hoo) so perfect for us to start our little family. We are only renting but hope to be there for about 2 years so we can settle right in and best of all we get to have a proper nursery for the baby's arrival (it's own room, how exciting!). The tenants move into our flat a week later and they seem like really nice people (found on Gumtree) so hopefully we won't have any problems.

The flat is currently covered in boxes and stuff ready for the move and with me not being able to carry really heavy items, the move it going to be a tough one. Poor Dan! We'll get there in the end though and it will definitely be worth it!

I also got a call from St Helier Midwife today and they have transferred me from Shotfield (with the horrible midwife) to Stanley Park Childrens Centre so hopefully will be much better. Firstly they take appointments outside the hours of 1pm-3pm so a lot easier for me and work! My appointments after the scan so will update how I get on.

First guess - it's a boy!

17.5 weeks

We went to a friends engagement party over the weekend and I was chatting to one of our friends Torna who was the first to give the baby's sex a guess. She was adamant it is a little boy, not too sure how she came up with that as my bump is still very small but she assured me that she has never been wrong before!! We well see....

Feel so much better over the past few weeks, I love the second trimester, although I just want my bump now. Still not very pregnant like. I can see from my profile pics that I have grown but personally I just look fat! hehe! I know that there's a baby in there so that's ok!

Body has been feeling ok although been experiencing quite bad 'period type cramping' and on occasions the tiniest bit of blood (and I mean the tiniest so not worried about miscarriage or anything). I try not to worry about these things as it can drive you insane but after reading up on it, the period pain is quite common and is caused by the growing of the baby and stretching pains and the blood is only a worry if it's quite a bit (e.g. like a light period). It's nothing like that so I should be fine. I will check it out at the next scan appointment, just in case.

Eating - yep, I am doing this a lot, still! I have to eat something every bloody hour or so, it's crazy! I don't feel like I have put on much weight though, although haven't weighed myself but if anything it's just my tummy, love handles, thighs and boobs that have grown so I think that should be ok.

Mum sent me down some pregnancy vitamins as I haven't been taking anything since giving up Pregnacare. Been taking them for over a week now and no problems, so all good. She also sent me this rank Omega Oil liquid thing, it is so rank. I am suppose to have 3 teaspoons a day but I just can't stomach it, I'm such a wimp! You imagine drinking 3 tsps of olive oil, straight, rank! My stomach turns at the thought of it so that doesn't help. I will try to take it though, especially as it will help the baby! hmmm.... I would prefer to eat a nice portion of salmon! ;0)

Decision made - a water birth it is!

17 weeks

So after my ordeal at the midwife appointment, Frances put me in touch with a lovely lady called Carmel (who use to be a midwife) and I had a good chat with her about the questions I had. She put my mind at rest and also gave me more advice over the 10 minute phone call than in all my appointments so far. So, I was happy! The Head Midwife at St Helier called me after I logged a complaint, she was really helpful too and said that she would look into it and make sure I don't have that experience again. So again, very happy. It's worth complaining!

I mentioned to Carmel that we were thinking of having a water birth and she was so pleased which gave me a boost. Apparently she use to do the first water births in our area whilst she was practising and said the effect on the mother and the baby through out the labour were so much better than lying in a bed giving birth. I have read up a lot about it and although Dan was reluctant to begin with (he thought I was being ridiculous and airy fairy!) he has now changed his mind as he has also been reading up on it too and can now see the plus sides:

- I will relax more being in water;
- I will move about more as I will feel much lighter and able to move;
- the water relaxes the muscles so hopefully speeds up the labour;
- the baby will be born into water rather than straight breathing air so less stressful for him/her;

I guess there are some cons which we have to consider; infections for the baby, apparently this can happen if complications and also we hope the water doesn't become too messy (although Dan likes his joke about having to remember to pack a fish tank cleaning net to scoop stuff up, rank!). He is so loving....

I think the pros out weigh the cons so later in pregnancy we will get to visit St Helier birthing centre and check it out for ourselves and see what they're like, hopefully having a water birth will try and prevent wanting an epidural too (we will see...).

I have been very good with massaging my Bio Oil into my thighs, bum, boobs and tummy to try and avoid those stretch marks. I do it morning and night but Dan tends to do my tummy at night-time, we see it as good 'bonding' session for him and the baby, it's lovely really. No stretch marks so far so all is good!

Whilst I was in the process one evening of doing the Bio Oil ritual I came across something.... was a little shocked to begin with but it was a 'egg sized' hard thing at the bottom right of my tummy (about 2 inches below my belly button). It was amazing and I just knew it was something connecting to the baby. I called for Dan and we had a good old poke for a while until realising that we may be poking the poor thing in it's little head, whoops! After reading up on it, it's usual to feel this and it's actually part of the uterus and most women feel it about this time, so woo hoo, my first feeling! The baby is growing!

16 weeks - Midwife Appointment

16 week chubbs photo
10 August 2010


My first proper midwife appointment and I was quite excited. Not sure what to expect but I was still looking forward to it! I should however, have already learnt that things are never as you would expect through the NHS.....




I had a list of questions to cover:
- stuff to help with sciatica.
- Pregnacare made me constipated, gave me heartburn etc so should I be taking some other vitamins.
- 3D scan - we would like one but don't want to know the sex. We've heard that it's quite obviously to see the sex on the 3D scan.
- period type pains - is this normal.
- what exercises should I be doing.

Anyway... in a nutshell, the midwife was 10 mins overdue for my appointment, got my term wrong on her calculations (calculated me at 26 weeks and not 16!), expected me to have a urine sample (without giving me a sample jar), didn't ask me how I was feeling and basically ended the appointment before I jumped in and said I had some questions. She then responded with 'we don't really have time' and after I continued asking the questions anyway she responded with, 'most patients find it best to look on the internet'. WHAT THE F£&K..... you are my midwife, you tell me the answer!!!

So, I left the surgery crying and called Dan at work (bet he loved that!) afterwards I popped round to Dan's mum for a cuppa and a shoulder to cry on, which was so so helpful!

I have now learnt that at the midwife appointments which I have every 4 weeks, they pretty much just test my urine (if I bring it with me), listen to the baby's heart beat (which is so cool to hear) and take my blood pressure! I will take Dan next time as morale support! Oh, and they didn't even weigh me??!!? I really hate the NHS!

I must start weighing myself to make sure I'm not putting on too much weight. Luckily so far, I don't feel my body putting on weight except around my tum, so fingers crossed I will just get a lovely neat bump at the front.

Oh, this was funny and really topped it off .... she found the baby heart beat and said to me, 'does that sound ok?'. What?!?!? how the hell do I know, you tell me!! For all I knew it could have been my heartbeat! I was amazing to hear the little heartbeat though, so cute and reassuring that he/she was still working hard at developing.

I am going to see what NCT can offer through my membership thing and see if they have a helpline or something for advice. I will complain to the doctors and make sure I have a different midwife next time I go.

I hope I get a much nicer nurse to come and see me when I am struggling with breast feeding and trying to get my baby to sleep. At least once they are in my house I can bribe them to stay and listen to me with cups of tea :0)

I am so lucky to have two sets of mums that have been through it. I will be calling on both of them for advice and help with the baby when it comes (I will have to get my mum down to stay with me when it's born. At least we will have a much bigger house by then too!)