First Proper Kick!!!

I felt my first proper kick yesterday (18th March) at 20 weeks, I could feel it on the outside too and it made me jump. So amazing. Now I know what this feels like I have been having some movements from about week 16, I was expecting to feel a 'popping' feeling as people had told me this is what it feels like, but it was more of a twitchy feeling.

We had the 20 week scan this week too. We weren't able to find out the gender as the baby was in the wrong position but very pleased that everything seems to be good. We were marvelling at the fact the baby's thigh bone is 3cm long! The scan pics did not seem to be as good as the 13 week scan but not long now until we can meet our baby in real life.

Getting organised and got some more reusable nappies from Ebay, almost got a big enough newborn stash now :-)

X

Half way there!

I'm half way there now and looking forward to having another scan next week. I THINK I can feel the baby moving but not really sure for definite. I feel what seems to be twitching in my tummy - I've never had it before so can only think it might be little one having a stretch and a wriggle.

I now have a virtual 'bump buddy' on the Babycentre forum, she already has 2 other children, with her 2nd she used Hypnobirthing which is something I have been reading a lot about recently. Not knowing what to expect from birth I feel that a bit of preparation and relaxation techniques is a positive thing. Hypnobirthing is a form of self hypnosis to put you in a relaxed state during labour. I once tried a hypnosis CD and ended up having the best nights sleep of my life so I am definitely looking forward to trying it. Will try the CDs/downloads first and go from there. I love being in the water so my first choice would be a water birth using the hypnobirthing techniques - watch this space to find out how I'm getting on with it! I'm posting a link below to a fantastic blog (I'm VERY jealous of how good it looks) written by a Hypnomummy, Dany. I now plan to explore Dany's blog more as I'm like a sponge when it comes to this subject at the moment... I think it's taking up all of my thinking space :-) Having not found a suitable class near me as yet, Dany's new home study package sounds ideal, there is a competition to win one of these packs (details on the blog link) so I might be lucky and win one! Keeping my fingers crossed:

http://tums2mums.blogspot.com/2010/02/valentines-competition.html

I've also started building up a collection of reuseable nappies, they are ridiculously cute and I cannot wait until I can start using them. I have started putting all of the baby things I've been given or have collected into a baby box, I've had some gorgeous baby gifts so far including some little knitted cardigans which I love and our student who stays with us has given us some tiny little socks - it's strange to think there will be little feet in them in the near future, they are gorgeous!

So with the weeks flying by and things feeling more real by the day it's fair to say we are more than a little excited. I'm hoping we will get to hear the heartbeat again at the scan next week and maybe even get another picture!

Soon I'll have to start posting bump pictures as well xx

Baby's First Email - Written with help from Daddy

Afternoon Granny,

Mummy and Daddy saw me for the first time earlier and i think Mummy cried a little.
Daddy thought i was a farm animal..i heard him.

Tell Grandad that he has to stop smoking by August because thats when im coming and he better do as i ask!!!

Nanny Gail thinks I look like Daddy as i look gorgeous already but hopefully i will have Mummy's hair because the old man hasnt got any!

The nurse said everything look perfect ( again like daddy) and I was wriggly and my heart beat was very good and strong. Mummy is protecting me well and she passed her MOT which is good.

Daddy is going to tell Uncle Tom so please keep quiet for a couple more days!

Looking forward to meeting you as I have heard you are a wonderful Mummy and will be a brill Granny.

Love you

Baby Pink

The Husband

I felt this deserved a post in itself as my husband has been so amazing, he's brought me breakfast in bed on weekends, cooked dinners, chopped up apple if I feel like it and completely looked after me in every way. It is difficult for the dads-to-be as they don't feel anything at all, I think the scan helped him to make it feel more real and he loved telling his family.

I really can't wait to get a baby bump and for the baby to start kicking and he can feel it. I dream about lying in bed falling asleep and baby and daddy having a special moment communicating in their own special way.

He has been given 2 'blokes guide to pregnancy' type books which I think I'm enjoying more than him at the moment, he's not really a great reader but I'm finding it funny to see it from their point of view.

One thing that made me really laugh today was reading in the Mother & Baby magazine that one father ate the tea and toast given to his wife just after she'd given birth - they were advising dad's that this isn't really good etiquette. Whilst I don't think my husband would do this, he does like his food and has been known to eat my food before so I had to point this out to him.

To the best husband ever - thank you SO much!!

14 Weeks

This week I'm 14 weeks along, now that we've had the first scan, time seems to no longer be standing still. Strange but the sickness seems to have increased, when it's supposed to decrease in the 2nd trimester - trust me to be the wrong way around to everyone else!
:-D

One thing I have noticed about pregnancy is that it is completely unique to each person, no 2 people have exactly the same experience and even though plenty of people give you advice I have noticed that people have completely different opinions on everything from breastfeeding to epidurals. I have realised that you can read as much as you like, listen to as many stories as you like but one thing is certain, only you can decide what is right for you. I have a bit of an idea about what sort of birth I would like and what sort of mummy I'd like to be but I am also realistic and realise that sometimes life doesn't always go to plan.

This week I'm hoping to hear about 2 test results, I don't have any more appointments now for 2 weeks and then it will be countdown to the 20 week scan. We were going to find out the sex at the next scan but a friend has put doubt in our mind at whether we really want to or wait for it to be a surprise. That's why I've added a poll to my blog to ask what you would do...

First Scan :-)

By the time we had our appointment for our scan at 13 weeks, we were VERY ready to see our baby. Our appointment was at 10am so we arrived nice and early. We were called in a couple of minutes early, I had been really nervous that morning with so much worry that something would be wrong.

I laid on the bed and the sonographer put some warm gel on my tummy, she told us to look at the screen at the end of the bed and as soon as she put the wand on me we could see our baby straight away!!! It was probably the most amazing sight I have ever seen in my life. The baby was moving quite a bit which was great to see, we could see everything so clearly, the baby turned it's back at the last minute and we could see the little spine. She also let us listen to the lovely heartbeat. We got 3 little pictures to take home with us and show family and friends.

The elation and relief we felt was indescribable and completely worth every painful day of waiting. I already can't wait for the 20 week scan.

0-3 Months!

I worked out our due date via the internet to be 1st August 2010 and that would have made me 4 weeks along already - this was something that was new to me I didn't realise that at the time of conception you are 2 weeks already. The internet was really useful as I had so many questions and no one to ask at this early stage.

Unfortunately, the downside of the internet is you can have too much information. I read up on all of the symptoms that come with early pregnancy and waited unpatiently for them to all arrive. It was a very very long wait.

I had to wait until I was 7 weeks to get the slightest bit of nausea. It gradually increased and turned into a bit of sickness occasionally. I knew I was lucky but the sickness was comforting and made me feel pregnant. I did have slight stomach cramps which I read to be the uterus stretching.

Other slight symptoms eventually arrived and included:

> Increased sense of smell
> Food tasting slightly different
> Going off certain food and drinks (e.g. tea)
> Heartburn
> Twinge on either right or left side if coughing or sneezing
> Tummy muscles feeling strange, like I'd done lots of sit-ups

By far the best bit of this trimester is telling friends and family. You are so happy yourselves but to be able to spread happiness and cheer (especially around Christmas and New Year) was really enjoyable. Everyone is excited to be having a baby in the family again.

One other thing that was especially noticeable was how slowly time was going, each week felt like a month - I just wanted to get to the 12 week stage where the risk of miscarriage was supposed to be reduced. The biggest worry was getting to the scan and finding the baby hadn't grown or there was no heartbeat.

No one wants to see you for quite a while, I had to wait until 9 weeks to see the Doctor. Even when I got to the Doctor she didn't actually do anything, she gave me an info pack and said the midwife would contact me. I didn't have my 'booking in appointment' with the midwife until I was 11 weeks.

The scan didn't happen until the 2nd trimester at 13 weeks and is definitely worthy of a post all to itself...

Finding Out!

Finding out we were expecting was not as straightforward as I assumed it would be. The first day I decided to take a test, I went to the pharmacy, faced with a vast array of different pregnancy tests I opted for a normal test with 2 sticks in it, the digital ones were very expensive and the only benefit they seemed to offer were that it spelt out the words 'pregnant' or 'not pregnant'.

I waited until I finished work and went into the toilet, not being able to wait until I got home. I didn't want to get Chris's hopes up so didn't mention I was doing it. A pink line came up but it was very very faint. When I got home I did mention this to Chris and said I would do the other test first thing in the morning as this was supposed to be a better time to get a result.

Having done the other test that next morning with exactly the same results as the first one I was still left wondering. A visit to our surgery and 2 more tests showed the same thing again. The nurse rang me to say that 3 of them were looking at it and they have agreed that it is a positive.

We were over the moon but still at bit wary that we had only got faint lines. I did another test 2 weeks later and it was a dark line - AT LAST! I could finally believe it... or so I thought.