34 week midwife appointment...

It was so much fun this one! Now funnily enough, I have the same midwife as one of my friends who is in her first pregnancy and very nervous. I couldn't wish for a better midwife for her, she is fabulous! She's the same one who I initially had in my pregnancy with Emmanuel and who terrified Josiah by growling at him when he spun her chair around. This time, he thinks she hilarious!

Yesterday, after talking the hind leg off a donkey in the waiting room to anyone who would listen, Jo & I were called in to see Hazel. When we arrived in the doctors office, Josiah instructed her to let mummy lie on the bed so we could hear baby. And didn't let up until she did. Literally. 'Mummy on bed, baby!'. When the moment finally arrived to hear the heartbeat, Josiah sat on the chair with his hands on his knees giddy with excitement. It was the most precious moment! Hazel asked him if he could hear the baby and he grinned and proudly told her 'yes!'. Baby is 2/5 engaged which I was told is very unusual in subsequent pregnancies as they tend to engage very last minute. So we have a good boy inside it appears! To be fair, I did wonder if that was the case, it's felt like he's been trying to come down my thigh for the last week or so!


I'm going for a liver enzymes test tomorrow thanks to a very itchy rash on my tummy. Kind of look like insect bites in various places. I think it's completely fine, I'm not at all worried. Mum panicked (which, for her to do about something medical is highly unusual!) because four of her colleagues daughters are all due around the same time as me and have all had to be induced due to a condition called obstetric cholestasis (or something). It's basically where the bile in your liver leaks out or something. I don't know. Harmful to the baby of course, hence the induction. And symptoms are itchy palms and/or feet or abdomen. So there we are! Quick biology lesson for you! I don't think that's what it is at all, I think it's just stretching or whatnot but the midwife wanted to 'double check' she said. Fair do's. So tomorrow is my liver test and iron count. 

Quite pregnant...

I don't appear to have updated this blog in a long while. I've been alternating between sleeping in the afternoons with Josiah or feeling so rough I want to curl up and die. Not literally obviously, that would be a bit much. 

As the title says, I'm quite pregnant now. Quite ready for Junior to make his appearance, Quite fed up of only sleeping four hours per night and my hips/legs being so painful I regret getting down to do a floor puzzle with Josiah! You get the picture.

Still, I am really loving carrying this little one. If he was born at any point before 37 weeks, he may well have difficulty feeding (something to do with their sucking reflex). In the meantime, he's busy weeing into the amniotic fluid, sometimes up to a pint I hear! The placenta reaches maturity at this stage and now starts to age. It's not a pretty product at the best of times.But it still supports the baby until I go over my due date. which I'm seriously hoping will NOT happen. No, no. Interestingly, the baby can tell when I move into a bright room/dark room now and will wriggle around accordingly. He does seem all limbs this one though the scan reports have always followed his big brothers curve with regards to averages! I.e. large head, large tummy, short legs!! Bless our boys.

Things that go bump in the night...

Like my second child. In fact, he kicked so hard the other night it was actually in my dream. Weirdness! He is most certainly making funky moves and doesn't appear to fit as snugly as his brother did BUT that could well just be me not remembering what my first pregnancy was like. This beautiful child is all arms and legs! I'm not complaining, God knows I need this. And it is wonderful to feel and see him move at all hours. When I was expecting Josiah, he used to have periods of wakefulness and then some time when he was clearly fast asleep. This little pickle doesn't appear to ever be tired. I wonder what he'll be like...I am completely fascinated by this thought.

Norty...

I had some pate and toast this morning...I've also had brie this pregnancy. I was told that a lady in Morrisons worked her way through the cheese counter when she was expecting so I don't feel all that bad now! I imagine if I get listeria, so will Elle who also indulged with me.

30 weeks...

I have 70 days to go or 10 weeks left! Oh wowza. Weirdness.

I'm feeling very pregnant now. This boy child within me is moving constantly which is highly lovely, albeit sometimes slightly uncomfortable. I believe he has now turned around so is head down or just grown so big it feels different when he kicks! But I'm definitely feeling kicks under my ribs rather than a head shoved underneath!

He is about 40cm top to toe and currently won't be able to feel temperature or pain yet as his nerve endings are still maturing. Something I never knew. It's so strange to think we're going to have TWO children. Thankfully, Josiah is completely fascinated by the idea of a baby in my tummy and always wants to involve the baby in what he's doing. Which is just lovely and very reassuring. I have been very emotional this week, very, very emotional I mean. Daft stuff. Hormones.

Today at the prayer meeting, I was praying for my boys and started praying for the Holy Spirit. As I did so, the baby (who was very quiet for a majority of the time beforehand) suddenly sprang into action and created the most incredible shapes in my tummy, as soon as I finished he stopped. I love that this one loves God just as much as his big brother.

Hospital Bag...

Last night, I had really bad cramps during the evening which came and went, so naturally I was a little freaked that the baby might possibly arrive sooner than intended. While that would be lovely, I would like to bake him for a little while longer. I mentioned this at my 28 week appointment this morning and the midwife blamed it on stretching. Neither John nor myself are in the habit of taking on board what midwives say after our experience with Emmanuel, but I decided that as they had pretty much gone today then that must be it. No apparent infection or anything so that's good! Been a good run so far! Ha ha.

So my hospital bag is now in the process of being packed, just incase! I was kindly given vouchers for Boots from my work to spend on baby stuff so the nursery is now packed with nappies, bottles and such like and Mummy bits for the hospital. Now in my bag of course. We have to remember to take my notes and the bag with us to Debbie & Mike's wedding otherwise we are in a bit of a quandry should I go into labour there!

Oh, and he's still breech. There's a shock. Now been told it's 36 weeks that they start to panic should he not move, instead of 32. Plenty of time!

GTT...

I had my glucose tolerance test today. Not yesterday, despite what my brain was telling me. Honestly, what a ditz! Could happen to anyone I suppose but really. For those who don't know, I turned up at the hospital after a military style operation (ish) to get Josiah to Allsorts et cetera et cetera only to find it was actually for today. So today, my fabulous FIL came to look after his second grandson and I sauntered off into the cold morning. 

So I arrived, had an initial blood test (apparently, my veins have returned to their normal state finally! After Emmanuel, all my veins had totally collapsed and it was impossible to get any blood whatsoever from my arms. Even for months afterwards, including my blood tests at the beginning of this pregnancy! But they are back. With avengance) then had to drink this nasty gloopy stuff which tasted pretty much like very cheap orange juice, waited an hour, came and had some more blood taken, waited another hour and then had my last lot of blood taken. A very boring story I'm afraid but very glad it's over and done with now! I get the results in 3-4 working days though knowing the PRUH phlebotomy, I'll leave it about 8 working days. Not like they do any of the work for goodness sakes, have they never seen House?

Clearly not.

29 weeks...

So our scrummy little boy no.2 is weighing just over 2lbs right now! And it feels like it. I feel SO immensely uncomfortable, but I'm not entirely sure if he changed position last night. I was on my side for most of the night, then rolled onto my back to find his bum sticking in the air! But it could've been his head...who knows!? It easily could've been either. Especially with the genes of his father and brother. 

I am getting very excited about having a house full of boys (including the Daddy Man). I especially look forward to the time when the boys are playing up and I can say, 'BOYS! ENOUGH!'. Always wanted to do that.

I've had no leg cramps and no pregnancy complaints to moan about, aside from the fact I'm really uncomfortable currently! And my lower back/hips/thighs (I can't tell where the pain is!!). We have a nice healthy baby (who's head, I noticed in all my scan reports is slightly above average. My mother thinks this is  hilariously funny.) who kicks for England (I imagine his father hopes this is literal) and already brings much joy to our family. There isn't a day which goes by without Josiah giving my ginormous bump a very loving cuddle and kiss.

Breech...

So this little pickle has been breech since 21 weeks. That's fine, as there's still plenty of time for him to turn. However, I plan NOT to have a C-Section so if he could turn in the next six weeks that would be marvellous, thanks Lord. Which in all likelihood he will, it's just I've been told it's a tad more difficult with my weird shaped womb so if he doesn't, they'll try to manipulate him round which hurts a LOT I've hurt. And I don't like things that hurt. I don't even like my blood sugar being tested and that's just a tiny prick on the finger.

Placental update...

The title amused me for some reason. Apparently, my sense of humour has gone down the pan in my pregnancy where primary school jokes have me in stitches for days. Oh well!

So we had a 28 week scan today (where Josiah saw his baby brother on the screen and said, 'ooooh, a baybee!' Precious.) just to check if the placenta had moved. I still have another one at 32 weeks, just incase it's changed position again but the good news is that it is at the top and at the back! Yay! No cutting open of my stomach thank you. There was an awesome moment where the sonographer looked at the front of the face and we saw the lips and nose in incredible detail. So much so you wonder why people pay for 3D scans. It was a-mazing. Didn't even know those 2D ones had so much detail! He has very cute pouty lips (Angelina Jolie - eat your heart out) and a nose just like his big brothers! 

Very grateful for yet another viewing of our precious child and also very grateful for our other precious child who was so excited to see him. 

Bald...

Over the festive period, Anna stroked my arm for some reason and pointed out it was very smooth. Very smooth indeed. Unbeknownst to me, it appears I have gone totally bald on an area of my right forearm! I'm hoping this is a pregnancy thing. But how strange and weird. I occasionally find myself stroking this area of my arm and agreeing with Miss Anna. 

That's my weird pregnancy story of the week!

26 weeks...

I've obviously 'known' I'm pregnant all along. But it's only just starting to seem real. Without wanting to sound too dramatic, it feels weird that I'm this far along! Almost like I'm not supposed to get past 18 weeks? That sounds ever so over the top considering that only happened once but it certainly puts you in a funny mindset very quickly. Anyway, very thankful and grateful and all those other happy things that I am 26 weeks and 2 days! And in a week and a half''s time I shall be going on A/L then going straight from that into maternity leave. WEIRD. It is still very early to be going on maternity leave but no way will my legs hold out for another month. This morning, I could barely get out of bed without whimpering and when I stood up, fell over. And I've been wearing flats so I can't blame them for damaging my back! Anyway. Nowhere near as bad as the last pregnancy, I'm thankful for that. I'm completely looking forward to starting my mat leave though; 10 solid weeks with my firstborn! Oh yes.

This week, Junior is all about busting funky moves. In fact, when I lie down in bed, the baby will be as still as anything then all of a sudden jump so hard my entire tummy moves sideways. A very active child this one, on the move constantly. You get told that your movement rocks the baby to sleep which is why they are always quiet and still when you walk. This child, no such luck. Wide awake 24 hours a day it seems. Not complaining. God knows I need that reassurance clearly!

After a month of having his eyelids sealed shut, our baby begins to open his eyes this week. His eyes are almost completely developed. The eyes are blue in the womb and may change colour later in life. This is true for all races because the pupils do not have their final color until a few months after birth. Interesting fact of the week. Though one virtually everyone knows. Josiah had a funny hazel colour for ages before his eyes turned to the lovely chocolatey brown they are now. Littlest Stevens will continue to put on layers of fat until he is born. He is still lean at this point of the pregnancy though. Other news; finger and toe nails continue to grow, blood vessels start to develop in the lungs to prepare the baby for life outside the uterus, the blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the baby. To those who know what a placenta looks like, that is a pretty disgusting fact. Even though it is still way too soon for our baby to be born yet, the chance of survival without severe abnormalities is now 70% provided it is born in a hospital. 

So all in all, it sounds like 26 weeks is a good week!