Pregnancy Fashion & The Next Chapter

So it's been two months since I had Jude and already it feels like I was never pregnant. Anyone who has read my weekly pregnancy blogs or watched my YouTube updates, will remember that I was not someone who enjoyed the whole human growing process despite how much I love the little bundle I got in the end. Hence why it comes as a surprise that I look back at my baby bump pictures with fond memories and think to myself that I would quite happily do it all over again. This is proof that pictures can be misleading and don't always reflect the reality of life!

One of the reasons I blogged throughout my pregnancy, other than to have something nice to look back on, was because I wanted to have the realities my what I went through in black and white. Something to remind myself that I SHOULD NOT and most definitely WILL NOT have any more babies in the near or distant future, regardless of any kind of broodiness that washes over me.

Before I became pregnant, I had already planned how I was going to style myself during a pregnancy and had grand ideas of how, the third time round, I would make a concerted effort to look and feel fabulous from the beginning right through to the delivery. This however went completely out of the window when reality, along with morning sickness and pregnancy related eczema, hit hard. At the beginning, a good day meant I was wearing something, anything, other than pyjamas. In the middle, it was if my were hands not weeping from scratching them through to the flesh. Looking glamorous was far from my mind when just managing to conceal the angry red patches on my face felt like a feat. I was thankful for the the latter stages in my pregnancy, once these symptoms disappeared, that I felt like myself. I had a grace period of about 4 or 5 weeks where I was able to put on a face of make-up, dress up and feel good about myself.

It is pictures from this time that make me think that, for a moment, maybe I do enjoy carrying a baby. There is something so amazing about growing a mini-me in the belly and being able to nurture and protect them from the world they will enter. There is also that empowering feeling of knowing that your mind and body are strong enough to get through a labour and delivery and come out the other side alive!

Being pregnant is such a special time in a woman's life and I am so grateful it is something I got to experience. So whilst I look back at my baby bump pictures with fondness, I know it's not all sunshine and rainbows. I am in fact happy with my lot and am ready for the next chapter, what ever that may be.

I will finish with pictures of my style during pregnancy taken from my Instagram.

Just pregnant  *  12 weeks

Top to Bottom L-R: 

17 weeks   *   23 weeks

25 weeks   *   28 weeks

28 weeks   *   29 weeks

34 weeks   *   34 weeks

37 weeks   *   38 weeks   *   38 weeks

39 weeks

xxx

Pregnancy Diaries: Week 27

This week I have been experiencing the start of braxton hicks contractions. At 27 weeks these are happening a little earlier than I expected. The feeling is hard to describe if you haven't had them before but I would say they feel a bit like someone is tightening a belt around the middle of your stomach and it goes hard. To look at,  it's like the baby has curled into a ball and everything is more compact. I have found myself breathing through the braxton hicks, which does feel a bit silly considering it's not as if I'm in full labour with the pain taking it's toll. However they can be uncomfortable and the deep, controlled breathing gives me something else to focus on instead of thinking about the tightening's. These have been happening most days so I'm hoping they don't get more intense just yet. With the baby only being the size of a cauliflower, 14.5 inches long and weighing around 2 lbs, there is still some cooking left to be done in there!

In the last few days I have also noticed a feeling like the babies foot coming out! Obviously this is not the case but sometimes when I'm standing, there is the sensation of this little one lying low as if something is going to appear. I did have this in my last pregnancy so I know there is nothing wrong, it just feels really weird *pulls strange face*.

I initially thought this was the first week of my third trimester but turns out that's not until next week, oops, so as this is the LAST week of my SECOND trimester I have put together some pictures of my growing bump side by side to compare the weeks. A lot can change in 27 weeks.

Week 5 * Week 17 * Week 23

Week 25 * Week 26 * Week 27