13 weeks...

I'm not going mad, fear not. 

I just had an ultrasound. Nugget is very jumpy and full of beans, just what we liked to see. The heartbeat was 171bpm which, according to some means it's now pointing towards a boy (the faster the heart rate, the more likely it's a boy though most doctors won't claim this until the third trimester! This also does not mean you are right though Husband).

The shocking news is that I'm not at 11 weeks 1 day like I thought but I am 13 weeks tomorrow! Which puts us in a bit more of an urgent position to have our nuchal scan next week instead of the week after. It also means that our due date will be the day after my cousins wedding...eeek! Well. Who knew?!

The baby is in the right hand side of my womb which is great news (more space!) and is 7cm long! Their legs look very long which is amusing as I really do not have such. Their fathers' child.

Photos to come.

Third labour...

I don't really know whether to class this as my third labour or not...I'm going to say yes because I had to endure the contractions, the waters breaking etc. It was about 10 hours in total. So, I saw an article on Bounty.com while I was looking up our 11 week wonder called, 'Are 3rd Labours Harder?', so I looked. And I am very pleased with the majority of the responses to this as 95% of them are a resounding NO!

11 weeks...

Being in double digits makes it feel even more official! I do love it. This week our baby is starting to suck her thumb for comfort! How sweet is that!? The baby is about 4cm long right now and has all her parts, from tooth buds to toenails and her fingers and toes have fully separated. Nugget is busy kicking and stretching. Her movements are so fluid they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as the body grows and becomes more refined. 

I bought Josiah some Pringles today as they're half price in Sainsburys and as most of you know, he loves to trough those things. Well. As most of you know, so do I and we love the sour cream and onion ones. Except today, as we were walking around Sainsburys' I kept getting whiffs of the Pringles as Josiah was eating them and I had to ring John to distract me from heaving all round the shop. It's quite sad though my waistline probably doesn't think so. This is the only food item I've gone off. I've gone off all drinks (aside from fresh orange juice) including water. It has taken me a week to decide what I want to drink and when I finally got it, it made me sick. It's pants really. Still, I'm doing well with my water!!

Peace....

I mentioned before that God has given both John and I immense peace through this pregnancy. This, sadly, doesn't mean that I am immune from sometimes looking too much on Google/getting medical opinions from various people and therefore working myself into a stressful frenzy. In fact, this week, I convinced myself of the worst so much, I booked a private scan for today. But, lo and behold, God, as He has a tendency to do has given me a fresh batch of faith and confidence in His power and now I feel full of peace and quiet all over again, mentally slapping myself for forgetting just how much He carried us through such a difficult time, so why would I now not be full of faith?! 

Silly woman.

10 weeks...

We're getting there! Two weeks to go until we begin the second trimester. Or unless you are writing the Bounty pack book that I just got in my pack, three weeks and six days. Stoopid.

This is a link to a fantastic website which I have directed you to previously. It has all the weeks videoed in utero. Astonishing really. Apparently, between 9 and 10 weeks, there is a growth spurt which increases the baby's body weight by a whopping 75%.

Measuring 2.7-3.5cm our baby has reached the point this week beyond which most birth defects that can affect major organs would occur. From now on Nugget's main occupation will be growing and gaining weight. He currently weighs 3-4g! Yet he can exercise his arms and legs already and all the webbing has gone from his fingers. His eyelids are now formed, although they'll soon fuse shut and remain that way until some time between weeks 25 and 27. His sexual organs are now complete, as are his ears and upper lip. 

It's weird knowing that it's already a boy or a girl. Fascinating.

Booking Appointment...

It was a little different this time around. I saw two wonderful midwives who were absolutely fantastic, and made me feel so at ease. I feel very posh because I have a consultant who will see me through this pregnancy as well as a midwife who will be the same all the way through too, so no chopping and changing. Mrs Omar, who was the consultant that performed my ERPC and saw me through my post-natal-ness previously, will be examining me at 16 weeks and checking all is going as it should be. She will scan to see how my uterus is looking and where the baby is growing. The very interesting thing I found out today was this: when I was in labour with Josiah, he was sideways and didn't turn until the very last minute (literally, he only turned when I was 10cm dilated!) This was purely because of the shape of my uterus, so he couldn't turn because there wasn't space! I'm going to ask for a copy of my notes because there seems to be a lot of interesting stuff going on in that big fat file! Anyway. As I said before our 12 week scan is at Queen Mary's in Sidcup - this is because they've changed contracts. I feel a bit sad that we're not going to Kings anymore but onwards and upwards yadda yadda.

Oh and also, apparently I'm 10 weeks tomorrow not Thursday! It just keeps getting better!

Not again...

It appears I'm prone to infections in pregnancy! Weird as I never had one at any point with Josiah. But I'm told that every subsequent pregnancy can heighten the risk even more of contracting them. Who knew.

It's annoying having to be aware of checking constantly and booking doctors appointments purely to be swabbed, but it's certainly a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things I guess.

Anyway, I am about to be off for my booking appointment so I shall leave it there. I love booking appointments; it always seems to make it more official!

Emmanuel...

Monday 26th September would have been the due date of baby Emmanuel. I don't want to dwell too much on this but it feels appropriate to make a small mention. While I wouldn't wish what we went through on anyone, I am thankful and grateful to God for bringing us through that time, for surrounding us with our wonderful family and friends who blessed us so much and who gave us so much encouragement, who allowed us to cry, shout or laugh if we wanted to and who never ceased to stop praying. 

It's been a tough week or so. What with hormones on top of mourning, it's been a bit hairy! I've been feeling quite guilty for grieving over Emmanuel as much as I have while I am carrying our new gift from the Lord and I'm struggling to understand that it's OK to do so. He has his timings and we can really see His hand over this pregnancy and this time. I've been really surprised at how emotional I have been about this as I hadn't even thought about the dates, it just all came on very suddenly. But then God has given us this time to grieve and heal. When Nugget makes his or her appearance, we will be healed, revitalised parents who can give testimony to God for his goodness.

We are thankful for the time we had with Emmanuel and, of course, will always love and cherish him...now we can be excited that he is with Christ and praising Him!

Aiden Naude...

Our friends Louis & Jeanre have just had their little baby boy, bang on dates! Aiden Naude 

came into the world this morning at 3:43am, weighing 3.82kg (which John and I reckon is in the 

early 8lbs). He looks just like Zavier did when he was first born. We pray God's blessings upon 

them at this brilliant time and are so thrilled for them.

Maternity clothes...

I've been wearing maternity clothes for a few weeks mainly due to comfort for my ever expanding waistline (three pregnancies in less than three years apparently does that. Imagine.) but today I wore my white linen trousers (which I fitted in fine on Sunday) and it was a real struggle trying to do them up! I appreciate baby has a growth spurt about now but really. All good signs I guess!

9 weeks...

So aside from tiredness, I am feeling superb! Sickness has virtually disappeared. Although I am very, very stuffy which has been pretty grim. My colleague is about ten weeks ahead of me and said she has only just got rid of her stuffiness so...I can only hope! Doctors have stopped giving psuedoephedrine (which is in Sudafed) to pregnant lasses so that's out the window and saline spray just ain't happening. So I am working my way through about three loo rolls a week just on my nose. Had my first pregnancy migraine yesterday; that wasn't pretty. Thought I'd gone blind.

Nuggets' webbed fingers are well formed now, and her toes are beginning to take shape. She even has her own unique fingerprints already. Ankle and wrist joints are developing, too, as well as sexual organs. Our baby measures around 2.3cm from crown to rump and is beginning to resemble a human more and more closely. She currently weighs around 2g. Now that our baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain. And the bits that make them a boy or a girl are starting to form too! It is terribly exciting.

12 week scan...

We got the date for our scan today: Monday 10th October at 9am so if you could remember that date in your prayers we would be grateful. Not that we're expecting anything other than very exciting things! But we want to make sure the appointment is covered because, well, that's what God wants too.

And weirdly, instead of being at Kings as usual, we've been sent to Queen Mary's in Sidcup. So that shall be interesting. And a rip off too, instead of £1.50 per scan they charge £3. I mean, seriously.

Guess what...

I've gone off tea!! Well, I really thought this day would never come.

Hormones...

I have been very hormonal in this pregnancy. As in VERY. I'm grateful John finds it amusing but the smallest things really bug me! Like at work; I'm the No.7 gal so I was trying to sort out the new plan for the make-up and skin care. It wouldn't fit like it should and I got so frustrated I yelled at our security guard who was making 'helpful' suggestions. He then laughed because it was a complete overreaction. But you catch my drift. It's like a whole other pregnant-zilla takes over!

Due date...

Officially, the baby's due date is Thursday 19th April 2012. 


Just in time for Allsorts...HA!


Oh and also, I am convinced this little one is a baby girl. Guesses on a postcard!

8 weeks...

This has been the LONGEST 7 weeks of my life! Well, not quite. But it's taken ages to get to where we are now it seems. Today is a milestone at 8 weeks because 70% of miscarriages happen within the first 7 weeks - following that the chances lessen each week. So bless God for that! This time also marks the end of the embryonic period.

Many changes take place in our nugget now, who currently measures about 1.6cm. His embryonic tail is just about gone, and all his organs, muscles and nerves are beginning to function. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. Nugget's hands now bend at the wrist, and his feet are starting to lose their webbed appearance. His eyelids cover more of his eyes and tastebuds are forming on his tongue. I found this incredible link to videos in utero. It really makes you marvel at God's creation: 8 week baby.

Enjoy!

Morning sickness...

Apparently, what I complained about in my last two pregnancies wasn't morning sickness at all. It was just hunger pangs that made me feel icky. It appears that morning sickness is what I am experiencing this time around; a feeling of motion sickness. It's horrendous. Not all the time, some days are better than others, it comes and goes in waves but I kind of wish I could have the hunger pangs back please!

Telling family...

So, now all our immediate family know they have a new grandchild/great grandchild/niece/nephew on the way. Apart from the kiddies, that would be a wait for them. Talk about longing it out.

I have to admit, it wasn't at all how I imagined this pregnancy to be announced! My family just guessed. Literally. Apart from the Dad's, but they don't have mothers/sisters/grandma intuition. Apparently, all my sisters and both mum's do! Oooh. Part of the reason for my SIL's guesswork was my eagerness on this blog as I updated the profile not realising it updated on ALL of my blogs.

Still, our desire to have another was no secret so nobody was surprised but they were very happy!

I love it!