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 38

We are on the home stretch and the end is in sight! Any time now, baby number 3 is going to make an appearance and the excitement is beginning to take over the fear of the birth. I am becoming aware of all the 'lasts' that I am doing now. The last time I will go swimming, the last time I walk down a certain being pregnant, even purchasing my last tub of Cocoa Butter to stop any sneaky stretch marks. Sad I know.

Talking of Cocoa Butter, I must say, I don't think I could have done without my trusted body butter. Having done a previous blog post on moisturising and the different products I have used in this pregnancy, this is my favourite and has definitely worked in preventing stretch marks. (I hope I haven't just jinxed myself). It's so thick and luxurious for the skin that my tummy has never really had the opportunity to become dry. I really would recommend this to any pregnant ladies out there.

I had my 38 week check up the other day and the babies head is still down and is FINALLY engaged! The only thing that wasn't quite as expected was my bump only measuring 35 weeks, which is the first time I have the mention of it being small. It was a different midwife from the one I have had most of my pregnancy so I'm not sure if it's a simple case of different people working slightly differently or the fact that the head is now engaged that makes it appear smaller. She didn't seem concerned though and the baby is still kicking away so hopefully there is nothing to worry about.

Here are couple of bump pictures for this week. I can't believe the belly will be gone soon, despite all my  complaining, I think I may actually miss it (well, a bit anyway).

Hat: PRIMARK

Shirt: RIVER ISLAND

Jeans: ZARA MATERNITY

Boots: ASOS

Bag: TK MAXX

xxx

Pregnancy Diaries: Week 37

Full term and ready to go, well almost! Technically everything is all set and baby is fully developed so I could go into labour at any time now. However, despite being uncomfortable at times, I would be quite happy to go right up to my due date. I am conscious of spending quality time with my two children as I know it will be a case of trial and error getting the balance right in looking after three kids,  making sure no one feels left out so I want to make the most of the time I have left as a mother of two. 

Source: Kaitlyn Hibbs Via Pinterest

As it is the school holidays, any kind of exercise, walking or otherwise has gone out of the window and I am starting to think about how my body will be after the birth. The common theme I have noticed with mothers, new and old, is the battle many face to loose their 'mummy tummy' after having a child/children, although this isn't the only area I find affected by pregnancy. As well as the boobs, the bum can go south too and I would like to start tackling this area again now even although I will be giving birth shortly, and what better way to do this than with a good old fashioned squat. The way I see it is, if I begin this squat challenge now, I will be a good portion of the way through it by the time the baby arrives. This way it might not seem so daunting starting from scratch with my whole body in a few weeks time, assuming I have a safe, natural delivery. The great thing about this exercise is that I can brake it up to into two or three sessions to be done during the day once I get further along in the challenge. This means I have no excuse to not complete it as I don't believe anyone can honestly say they don't have five minutes to spare once,twice or three times a day, even if this means squatting whilst waiting for the kettle to boil, dinner to finish cooking or just before bed. At least, even if my tummy doesn't go back to normal, I will have a great looking, perky butt!

My baby changing bag arrived the other day and I absolutely love it so please keep an eye out for a review of that along with some other videos I have planned. 

I shall leave it there and end with my bump pic at 37 weeks. I will hopefully be writing another pregnancy blog next week and not giving birth quite yet. Can you tell I'm stalling?!

xxx

Pregnancy Diaries: Week 36

Let the insomnia begin. At this point I am well and truly knackered. Night after night now I find myself lying awake thinking of things I need to do, followed by a couple of trips to the fridge, to feed the baby of course! The most frustrating part is knowing that I should be getting as much sleep as possible right now as in a months time I'll have a beautiful but hungry/dirty/windy/restless bundle of joy keeping me up all hours. On the plus side, the complete silence I get at 3am has allowed me to get more organised for the baby's arrival with the help of my many, handy lists I have created. I love a good old list, don't you?

I have left a lot of things to the last minute but am not stressing as everything will get done although I think I may be taking for granted, the fact my other two arrived around their due date and am assuming this baby will too. That's not always the case and I did have a scare a few days ago when I thought I was in labour, even convincing the husband with my bouncing away on the pilates ball. Thank goodness it was a false alarm and was so relieved when everything calmed down before bed and the bonus is I now have hospital bags packed!

Here is where the magic almost happened :/

As the kids are on their school holidays for the summer, we all marched in one by one for my check-up with the midwife to see if the baby was playing ball and I am happy to report that it is no longer breech. However, the head is not engaged yet which means there is a chance is could still move back so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays put. Please, please, please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With the weather getting warmer, I am feeling the need for new clothes but I can hardly justify going on a shopping spree for the time I have left although I did buy a couple of dresses in the H&M sale to get me through. I am now focusing my sights on all the things I'll be able to wear in a few weeks. Yay. Topshop, River Island and eBay, watch out.

The belly at 36 weeks

That's about it for this week but keep an eye out for some videos coming up with my baby purchases from the last few weeks.

xxx

Pregnancy Diaries: Week 34 Breech Baby?!

This week I had a routine check-up with the midwife. She asked all the usual questions, am I feeling ok, is the baby moving etc, then took my blood pressure. All good. When it came to having a feel of my tummy to work out what body parts were where, it appeared that the baby wasn't head down yet. She explained that whilst it isn't unusual for babies to be breech at this stage, she would still like to see me at 36 weeks instead of the normal 38 week check up. That way, if there hasn't been any change, plans would need to be made for another scan and possibly a c-section.

Now at this point, it is only a possibility, however I have never had the mention of this with my previous two pregnancies so the idea of it this time has me freaked out.

To be clear, I am not someone who believes delivering a baby should be done any one way as the main priority is the safety of mother and baby. Plus no one gets a medal for doing it cave man style and your child will not thank you any more so for doing it au naturel. The problem is that my mind runs over time and the thought of something becomes a lot worse than the reality.

Yes the baby can still turn but what if it doesn't?  What if I have to be awake (albeit pain free) and get cut open? How will I react to not feeling my legs? How sore will it be afterwards? What if my stitches burst open? You see where I'm going with this. This list of questions in my head goes on forever despite the fact the I know if the times does come, the worst probably won't happen and I won't care about any of it as long as I have a healthy baby.

There are many pros and cons to both natural and c-section deliveries, however other than the pain of a natural delivery (it hurts bad!), the recovery time is minimal versus an operation. I am aware that thousands of women every day have sections, whether they choose to or not, and it all works out fine. For me,  it will just take a bit of time to get my head around the idea that it could happen and deal with it. I simply need to stop thinking, it shouldn't really be that hard for me at the moment as my brain doesn't seem to retaining anything just now anyway. Get a grip woman!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a picture of the bump that is causing me this worry.

Something else which has been keeping me awake at night, is the start of Restless Leg Syndrome. Described as the urge to move your legs to relieve crawling, tingling or burning sensations it can be common in later pregnancy and unfortunately there isn't a whole lot that can be done. I have had it for a couple of weeks now but seems to be getting worse. Despite its name, I get it mainly in my feet and hands and find that running them under cold water can help sometimes. Thank goodness I only have about 5 weeks as its driving me crazy. 

That's about all for this week, lets see what week 35 has to offer.

xxx

Pregnancy Diaries Vlog: 33 Weeks - Weight Gain Stretch Marks & Braxton H...

Pregnancy Diaries: Week 31 Moisturising

So this has been another slow week in terms of progress however I have noticed my belly is getting bigger, at a faster rate now. 

31 Weeks

For this reason I have increased my moisturising routine to help fend off the those dreaded stretchmarks! I had started moisturising my tummy regularly at around 17 weeks when I felt my waistline was starting to expand and would do this twice a day, applying something in the morning and before I go to bed at night. Fast forward to 31 weeks where my tummy seems to be stretching more and more each day and I have begun slapping on the nearest lotion or potion to hand during the day as well, just to make sure my skin doesn't have a chance to become the slightest bit dry. Even if I am exhausted and can't bring myself to remove my make-up before hitting the pillow, I always make sure to tackle my tummy.

It is thought that stretch marks are hereditary and that if you are going to get them then there isn't much you can do about it. This is where I guess I take after my mum, as she didn't get them with her two pregnancies, there fore I have been more or less lucky, other than a couple of tiny purple slivers on my side/back that one one else would even notice. That being said, I do think (in my case at least) that constantly moisturising has helped, as I do have other stretch marks on my thighs where I gained weight quickly in my late teens when moisturing was at the bottom of my list to do list. So I would say regardless of how your skin is behaving in pregnancy it is important to pamper the belly whilst you have it.

These are some of the products I have been using depending how my skin has been on any given day. My favourite would have to be the Palmers Cocoa Butter as I love the smell of it. Whilst the Johnson's Baby Oil, is nothing special, I do like to lather it on just before I get out of the shower to lock moisture into my skin before I get dry and apply a moisturiser afterwards.

Sweet Almond Oil * Aveeno Moisturiser * Palmers Cocoa Butter * Johnson's Baby Oil * Garnier Intensive

If I am wanting something a bit lighter, I use a combination of the oils below to make sure the job gets done, also making sure to do my sides, back and not forgetting the boobs, bum and thighs as the bump isn't the only part that grows in pregnancy!

Sweet Almond Oil * Extra Virgin Olive Oil * Jojoba Oil

Now some of you may be thinking 'but olive oil is for cooking with', and I thought the same thing when people were first telling me to use it on my daughters afro hair. Since then, I have been surprised to learn about different kinds of products that we assume are for one thing only, when in fact they have a lot of other benefits too.

I like to mix them together in equal parts in a bottle which makes for easy application. I find the smell of the Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba Oils counteract the smell of the Oilve Oil, however you can add a drop or two of Lavender Oil if the smell is bothering you.

I don't know that there is one moisturiser, oil or concoction that has the ability to work better than any other so it really is a case of seeing what works best for you. And I truly believe that an expensive lotion will work no better than a cheaper one as long you are lubricating your skin. If stretch marks are going to rear their ugly head, they will do so regardless of how pretty the packaging or how much you have spent.

xxx

Pregnancy Diaries: Week 30 (Prenatal Listening System Review)

There has been no real changes to report this week so I thought I would review the Prenatal Listening System which my mum kindly bought for me. It is not something I would have purchased myself as it isn't a necessity in pregnancy however, since I was given it, I thought it would be fun to try out with the kids as a way of including them in their new siblings journey. 

The instructions suggest using it from 28 weeks to ensure there is a strong enough heartbeat, so as not to panic a mum to be who may not hear something in the earlier weeks of pregnancy.

It comes with two sets of ear phones and a band which you fix the monitor onto so it can be strapped to your tummy. It is pretty self explanatory when it comes to working the device.

Was it as good as I expected it to be? Disappointingly, no.

I thought it would sound similar to what I hear when the midwife listens for the baby's heartbeat at my regular check ups. However instead it sounds like a very faint drum beat which I can just about make out and I can tell the kids can barely make sense of what they are hearing, if at all. That being said, they still ask if they can listen in on the baby every couple of days so I think the idea of hearing the baby is exciting enough for them and makes them feel like they are part of what is going on in mummy's tummy.

Would I buy it myself? Quite simply, the answer is no.

Having read other reviews on it only reiterates the problem of poor sound quality, which some mothers may find distressing if they think they can't find their baby's heartbeat. Depending where you buy, it retails at around £24.99 (£12.99 in TK MAXX), it hardly breaks the bank although I think the money could be better spent on something else.

Has anyone else tried using one of these? What were your thoughts on the device? I would love to know. 

xxx

Pregnancy Diaries: Week 29

As someone who has been fond of piercings over the years, other than my ears, the only one I refuse to say goodbye to is my belly button piercing. Not because I want to show it of in mid-riff bearing clothes but more so because I think it distracts from the shape of belly button I have been left with after two children. I used to love what I call my full moon belly button which was perfectly round and formed but found that while my stomach returned to normal after both pregnancies my belly button did not do the same and was left with what I now call my half moon. Fast forward to pregnancy number three as my innie has become an outie and am no longer able to wear my belly bar. There are large flexible ones you can buy for pregnancy but am scared it would catch on something so am just putting in my normal bar every couple of days for a few minutes. I find that if I don't do this it starts to close up and really don't want to have to get it redone once I've had the baby. The older I get, the less tolerant I am to pain!

Talking of pain, I had my whooping cough jab this week. Whilst the jab itself wasn't sore, by the end of the day my arm was killing me, with it hurting to lift away from my side or lying on whilst sleeping. So a word of warning, if you choose to have this done (its usually between 28 & 32 weeks pregnant I think) make sure it's done in the arm you use the least.

I also thought I would share some pics of the pram I ordered last week. In the end I went for the Bugaboo Cameleon3 with a silver chassis, black base and the hood/apron in petrol blue. The name petrol blue initially put me off the colour especially when looking at the samples but when you see it on the pram it actually looks more of a turquoise, teal colour which I thought would be nice with either pink or grey accessories depending on the sex of the baby.

Image credit: Polyvore

I took inspiration for my colours from this swatch on pinterest and have decided on the pink or greys with pastel tones to add some colour to white baby furniture I want to get.

After 7 months of looking at prams this is what I went for

After much deliberating I ended up choosing the Maxi Cosi Pebble car seat (on the right) in the colour Graphic Crystal (on the left). 

Thats it for this week. Keep an eye out for my next Pregnacy Diaries Vlog on YouTube. Here is my first ever one from last week if you missed it.

xxx

Pregnancy Diaries: Week 28 - 3rd Trimester!???

We are officially in the third trimester... I think! If you look on line you will find differing opinions on when the third trimester actually begins. Some say it's anywhere between 25-28 weeks and others state around 27-29 weeks pregnant. I'm going with 28 weeks, not that it matters a great deal.

The tummy is starting to get in the way is week. Bending down to put on socks and shoes can be tricky as by the time I lean forward, boobs rest on the belly, belly on the thighs, there is no where left to go. So rather than go to the feet, I bring the feet up to me when sitting down, sooo much easier! I have also begun belly bashing my way around with me mis-judging spaces I have to squeeze through versus the actual size of my ever expanding middle. I'm getting good at apologising for bumping into people, telling them it wasn't me, it was the belly honestly. Life was so much easier when I had a waist!

28 weeks

I had a routine appointment for a check up with the midwife and all was fine until it came to getting blood taken. It was going well until she accidentally pulled out the needle before she got enough blood so began again. Nothing was coming out despite, and I quote my 'beautiful veins' (there are other things I'd rather be praised for but hey). All in all it took five attempts before the job was done by which point I was left feeling a bit like a pin cushion. Good job I don't have a phobia of needles.

On a more pleasant note, an exciting part of this week was ordering my pram. I won't go into detail now as I may do a separate post on that but it was the first step in making the baby's arrival a reality, scary stuff!

That's all for now. 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

Pregnancy Diaries: Week 26

This hasn't been my best week with no real reason other than hormones to blame I guess. I have been feeling extremely tired and rather emotional. I could cry about nothing and everything, and have found myself waking up on the wrong side of bed which has only served to make the days more frustrating. One day I even got upset because I felt so uncomfortable with baby taking up all the space, that there was no room left for dinner. FYI - I love my food!
My red and inflamed skin hasn't helped. Despite my taking anti-histamines, the itchiness has returned resulting in me spending a couple of nights lying awake scratching, applying cream then repeating the process until I could no longer keep my eyes open. It is really taking it's toll one me now as it affects every aspect of my day from showering, the clothes I wear, being in the kitchen to something as simple as my holding my children's hands. As I have said previously, I am I prone to mild eczema on occasion generally and is apparently common for it to become worse when pregnant although have never experienced the condition to this severe extent.  I swear I could open up a pharmacy with the creams I have collected during this pregnancy but to no avail.

As I get closer to my due date, there is a part of me beginning to feel sad I will never carry another baby, feeling a kick and sharing special moments between my baby and I that no one else gets to encounter. On the other hand, I can't help but think of the day when hopefully my hormones revert back to normal and I don't need to live in constant pain. The things we do for our children huh?!

Pregnancy Diaries: Week 25

A number of pregnancy sites state that nesting (the urge to clean, tidy and organise excessively in pregnancy) tends to begin just before a woman goes into labour, however at 25 weeks I have taken a notion to do those things already. Now anyone who knows me would be quick to point out this is not my normal behaviour so I can only put it down to nesting. While cleaning has been high on the agenda, I have also been looking at what extra storage we will need and working out where everything is going to go once baby arrives. My pre-pregnancy clothes have been put away in a suitcase to create more space in my wardrobe for any new purchases in the next 3 and a half months.

I had in excess of 20 pairs of jeans in different colours, sizes and styles so took this as an opportunity get rid of some items all together whilst the rest are stored away until I regain my pre-pregnancy size.

All apparent nesting aside, I have been experiencing some discomfort at the top of my bump which feels like my skin pulling rather than cramps or braxton hicks. I think this is due to everything stretching as the baby grows bigger and am definitely more aware of it third time round. Unfortunately there is nothing I know of to relieve this feeling, it is simply another symptom of pregnancy which means I am another step closer to the end.

xxx

Pregnancy Diaries Up To Date!

My diary entries will be on a weekly basis from now on as we are up to date. 

I am currently 25 weeks pregnant and everything is going great. With 15 weeks left to go (potentially less!) it feels like I still have a while left. However on the other hand, I have started thinking about what stuff I need to buy and the panic sets in as the only thing I have bought so far is a pack of nappies. 

Not exactly fun shopping but necessary!

It is only now that I am realising I will be a mother of three quite soon and I have to say whilst the thought is daunting, the excitement is kicking in. 

As each pregnancy week end falls mid-week for me, new posts will be around then.

xxx

Pregnancy Diaries; Catch Up weeks 23 & 24

Week 23

Whilst I have had a bad flare up of eczema the entire pregnancy, it is really starting to get to me now. I've been given a couple of steroid creams which I have reluctantly been using but have made no difference. I have to keep reminding my self that there are worse things I could have and it's all for a good cause but this doesn't help my being paranoid of them showing or help with the pain. This should go once baby arrives however as it's likely hormones have triggered it, I'm worried this will continue when breastfeeding. I am finding this is slightly over-shadowing the pregnancy however am mindful not to wish the time away and try to focus on the good bits.

Week 24

So I'm 6 months this week and pregnancy wise I'm doing good. The baby kicks consistently throughout the day and at night it doesn't stop. I swear it was punching and kicking away for an hour and a half, non-stop the other night, I guess there's not much else to do in there. I'm finding myself getting full really quickly now and even struggled to finish a Happy Meal of all things. This is something I previously experienced towards the end in pregnancy yet I still have 16 weeks to go until the big day. Now I'm scared the reason there is no room for food is because I'm going to have a gigantic baby and am wondering how I'm supposed to get it out! Here is the big bubba this week.

Pregnancy Diaries: Catch Up Weeks 21 & 22

Week 21

Since the scan last week, I have been constantly thinking about the sex of the baby. I was so proud of myself for resisting the urge to find out the gender, knowing I would regret it afterwards as I am set on having a surprise this time. However now it seems like the birth is so far away and I have all this time to wonder if it's a boy or girl. I am forever browsing the baby clothes when shopping and don't know whether I should be looking at the pink or blue section which means I can't buy anything unless it's white or cream. This also makes the naming process more difficult as we can't even narrow down the names and concentrate on one gender. It is proving to be a problem as hubby and I  have a few girls names we like but can't agree on a boys name which panics me a little as this convinces me it's going to be a boy! I also don't feel quite as connected to this baby as with my other two (I knew their sex in pregnancy) with not being able to say him or her, which makes me worry how I will feel when it arrives.

On the flip side, I am aware there is no need to buy an obscene amount of pick or blue items before the birth as long as I have a few plain baby grows for the first few days. We will have six weeks to name the baby once its here which gives us plenty of time with only one gender related list to chose from. And I will have all the time in the world to gain a close bond with what is currently known as 'the bump' when I am holding my latest bundle of joy in my arms.

I think as women we want everything to be planned, organised and ready for lift off as this gives us peace of mind but sometimes it's nice to go with the flow and see what happens.

Weeks 22

I am definitely finding it to hard to get into any of my pre-pregnancy jeans without a wrestling match so went out and got a couple of things to make getting dressed in the morning less of a challenge. The one thing I have been mindful of is not spending a fortune on maternity clothes when I will only get 4 months wear out them so am going for items which I will be able to use post pregnancy as well. I will obviously still need to wear some of my pregnancy wardrobe for a bit once the baby comes and I think personally I will feel better if those clothes don't have the name 'maternity' attached to them.

I don't want to go down the route of wearing black leggings with everything as we are coming into nicer weather so I picked up blue and grey leggings from River Island which imitate the look of jeans. They also come in other colours and materials for different looks and the waist band is perfect for expanding tummies which doesn't dig in like some other leggings I have.

Here are the grey ones I got along with some other colours. These range in cost from £15 to £22.

Pregnancy Diaries: Catch Up Week 20 Half Way There!

The best part of getting to week 20 was having our second scan. We took the kids along with us so they could be part of the experience, which I was super excited about. However, whilst they understood that what they were seeing on the screen was the baby, I think they found it hard to make out what was what. Other than the heart and feet, it was all a bit of a blur to them but to be fair, the hospital was short staffed and it did feel like the sonographer whizzed through everything. The main thing though, is that the baby is healthy and growing as it should.

We decided not to find out the sex, unlike with our last two, as I would like to have a surprise at the end, even though my husband is to keen to know. I just feel that this is the last time we are going to do this and want to make the most of every moment. I would like to know what it feels like to be in labour and have the excitement of wondering whether we are going to be handed a boy or girl and thankfully my darling better half was happy to go along with my preference.

Having had two children already, means that I know what items we need straight away and what things can wait a couple of weeks or months after the baby arrives. So whilst I do want to go down the route of dressing or co-ordinating colours to suit the gender, I know that I don't necessarily need to have everything the baby will use in it's first six months of life, before it is born. This makes my decision for a surprise less stressful however I do understand why people feel they need to know so they can be more organised before the kaos begins.
Having said all of this, it hasn't stopped myself or everyone else trying to have guess at what we may be having. The majority say it's a boy, guess we'll find out in 20 weeks time!

Pregnancy: Catch Up Weeks 18 & 19

Week 18

This has been a fun week in terms of the babies progress. I felt the odd kick last week, maybe once every couple of days, however now I can feel kicks and movement every day which is more reassuring that everything is going as it should. Even though this is my third child, I still worry about some of the same things I did with my first so these small things make all the difference. The kids are also getting more excited now as my tummy is more obvious so there is something for them to see. However unfortunately whenever I try to let them feel the baby moving, it seems to stop. I swear I have seen my tummy doing small ripples but whenever I go to show someone, everything goes still. I think this little one likes a game of hide and seek.

Week 19

Well the day finally came this week when I had to admit defeat with my favourite pair of jeans *sad face*. Whilst I have had to employ the loop the hair bobble through my jeans to continue wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans, so far I had manged to fit my butt into my usual clothes. That was until now when I got my jeans up to my thighs and even with some pulling, jumping and lunging they would not budge. In fact my efforts to get them up were so impressive that I could not get them off without the help of my daughter pulling them at the legs whilst I lay flat on the bed! My epic fail was made all the worse with the kids laughing whilst shouting that mummy has a fat bottom. Don't you just love children?

Pregnancy Diaries: Catch Up Weeks 16 &17

Week 16

These last couple of weeks I have noticed the exhaustion returning. I did suffer from fatigue in the very beginning of this pregnancy and maybe the sickness then made me less aware of the tiredness but recently I've felt floored again. Everybody has been saying how they had so much energy in their second trimester, well I'm still waiting!

16wks + 7days

On the up side though my bump is slowly starting to appear. It starts off small in the morning and doubles in size by the evening. I'm used to having a strong abdomen so the strangest part for me is losing my centre of balance. My husband laughs at me struggling to go from lying down to sitting up as he reminds me I still have a long way to go and am only going to get bigger. Oh the joys :)

Week 17

I am ashamed to say that this week I have conformed to such an obvious stereotype in pregnancy, a craving for gherkins. I saw them on television one night and went to buy them the following day. Thinking a small jar would be sufficient was a mistake as they were gone in one sitting. They were followed by subsequent large jars which I have munched on in an evening to stop me from reaching for things from the naughty cupboard.

Cravings aside, I made the decision to slot in some kind of workout into daily life again. Walking has been a great way for me to feel active and listening to up tempo music helps me to keep to a pace that is fast enough to get my heart rate up whilst not being too vigorous at the same time. There are also a couple of channels on Sky TV that airs numerous workout programs that I have recorded and done when I felt like doing something different. This is a great way to workout in the privacy of the living room with variety rather than buying one of the many workout dvd's on the market which I would be likely to do once or twice before getting bored. However it is important that certain movements are adapted to suit the different stages of pregnancy so if anyone is thinking of doing this make sure you know what is safe for you before starting a workout.

xxx

Pregnancy: Catch Up Weeks 14 & 15

Week 14

I have been feeling a lot more human these last few days which is a relief, I'm only feeling dodgy in the evenings now and as a result, I can't stop eating! I am thinking about food constantly and am having something every hour or less. At my 12 week scan they took my height and weight and found I had lost half a stone so all this munching away will have me back to my usual weight in no time. I have changed my diet slightly since my appetite has increased as when I was struggling to eat I made sure to have higher calorie foods so am making a conscious effort to eat better. It's simple things like going back to brown bread, pasta and rice which I ate before my morning sickness began and eating meat again as I had more or less gone of it unless I was eating out. My diet is by no means perfect but at least now I'm consuming the good with the bad, whereas before (other than grapes) I felt I was eating mostly rubbish just to survive.

Week 15

Things are slightly expanding this week and have bought my first pair of maternity jeans from Zara. I wasn't expecting to get anything, however they had a sale on so I picked up the jeans, two longer jumpers and tops for just under £50 (I love a bargain!). The only down side to the jeans is that they don't have an adjustable waist band so I am having to wear a belt with them until my tummy fills out some more but for £12.99 I can't really complain too much. For the top half  I either went up one size or chose box cut tops which allow plenty of room for a growing belly. If you notice I have a thing for black and grey but have promised myself I will introduce colour when we get some sun.

All from Zara excluding the grey striped tee from Topshop

xxx