Labour...

I've been thinking a lot about this labour and although am feeling very excited, I'm also feeling quite apprehensive because a large part of me is convinced I'm going to end up having a caesarean. Now, they're not all bad and if I need it, I need it. We have friends who just swear by them but I really, really, really want a natural birth (never thought I'd hear myself say that!). The caesarean thing is not least because of the healing afterwards, but because I want that feeling of 'he's finally here!!'. And I actually really enjoyed labour with Josiah. Not that I was probably thinking that at the time! But it's the excitement of it. 

The day I went into labour with Josiah, Debbie & I went to Mothercare to pick up a baby bath. A newborn baby was there and was screaming the place down which made me feel like contractions were starting. They stopped about twenty minutes after we got out! I had heard that could happen so we made a hasty exit so I wouldn't go into labour in the shop!! I had a headache that started after that which lasted all day, I popped a couple of paracetamol, had a nap, tried everything to get rid of it and nothing worked. I lasted 40 weeks without a headache! I rang the labour ward as I was worried about pre-eclampsia and they told me to ring back in two hours if it hadn't stopped. Lo and behold, that appeared to be the start of labour because that night the contractions started for real!

Cannot wait to see how this one turns out....

22 & 23 weeks...

I haven't updated recently because...well, I forgot, quite honestly. Not doing well in the brain department recently. It appears I currently just had thin air inbetween my ears!

By 23 weeks, Nugget The Boy is about 500g  (just over 1lb!). But who knows with this one. My kids don't follow the norm with regards to size. Ha! About the length of a ruler (crown to rump), his hearing is established and around now he may be able to make out a distorted version of our voices, the beating of my heart and my stomach rumblings. Pleasant thought. He reacts more to deeper voices (aka Daddy). When our little one is born, loud noises he has heard in the womb (washing machines, Hoovers etc) may not bother him. I know the hoover and hair dryer used to send Josiah to sleep instantly. It was BRILLIANT. One morning, I was trying to get him to sleep but annoyingly left it 'til he was overtired and he couldn't settle, even though he was frantically rubbing his eyes etc. So I switched on the hair dryer and he was asleep within seconds. In addition to advances in our baby's hearing, his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing. And as he gets bigger we may be able to see him squirm underneath! In fact, this morning, i turned over in bed and it appeared that he was turning round or something like that because a limb of sorts (maybe even a head or a bottom!) suddenly stuck out! It was the weirdest thing and caused John to exclaim, 'but that isn't supposed to happen for weeks!'. Certainly brought back memories of lying in the bath when I was expecting Jo and seeing many different limbs being poked through my tummy.

21 weeks...

And I feel great! Had a bit of a fright on Saturday morning as I hadn't felt the baby move since Thursday night. I've been feeling movements for a good few weeks now and every day at that, so I knew it was unusual. My midwife told me to just pop into the PRUH so they could listen out for the heartbeat, which initially they couldn't find. Cue slight panic. They changed the doppler, and still couldn't find it. Cue more panic. Then they found it and it kept disappearing. It was appearing then disappearing exactly like the last time I was in hospital so I felt a bit sick then! So the midwife called a doctor in who grabbed a scanner and came to find Nugget. And lo and behold, there he was, fine and dandy, kicking away, heartbeat going strong and stretching his limbs all of the shop. The way my placenta is positioned means sometimes, the baby kicks into that instead so I can't necessarily feel it. The disappearing heartbeat was just because he's so active and not yet as big as he would be.

The wonderful thing now is that he is moving constantly. Or rather I'm feeling him move constantly! Which is very reassuring. Also have noticed since yesterday this child has an incredible amount of hiccups. I remember with Josiah, I actually used to really worry about the amount of hiccups he had and the length of time too. Amusing. While I'm sitting here, Nugget is pounding my insides and I am all warm and fuzzy! On average the baby is roughly, in total, about 30cm long. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed and his fingernails now cover his fingertips. He's now at the fun stage where he can hear everything we say! Now is the time to start favourite stories and songs!

Going through an immense insecurity patch. Don't even ask. Absolutely crazy paranoid about everything. So glad I have such a fabulous husband to pat me on the head and say 'yes dear' when I need it!