Its been my birthday this week - the big 40 - without alcohol!!
I must thank all my friends and family for all the lovely pressies and for making it such a good few days. Of course a lot of the talk was about babies. On Thursday (my actual birthday) I went out with the family and this included my cousins girlfriend who is due at the beginning of February. I had also invited my dads brother (and my aunt) and my dads sister and it was nice to talk about what my dad would have thought. I never knew that I was born on my dads dads birthday (William). If he had still been alive he would have been 117 years old - which makes my 40 seem rather insignificant!!
Then on Saturday night I went out with friends for a Chinese. I must admit that the date itself doesn't seem to have affected me too badly - you should have seen me on my 21st - its still the pregnancy that is the main focus of my worry.... However, I have had a fantastic few days; lots of cards, pressies, badges and cake!! Its no wonder I am so big!!
Sunday, 18 January 2009
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Snoring and Not Sleeping
I don't think I have slept a full night through since becoming pregnant. This is due to a combination of panic / nightmares, needing to go to the loo and more recently; snoring!!
Why have I started to snore? Apparently, as you enter your second trimester you may find yourself snoring for the first time in your life. However, there's a good chance that you'll stop snoring after your baby is born. The cause of your midnight melodies is swollen nasal passages. During pregnancy, an increase in progesterone may cause the soft tissues of the nasal passages to swell and partially block the airways. Another possible explanation is that if your airways are naturally narrow or if you have extra tissue in the back of your throat, any pregnancy-induced swelling or fluid retention can block your airways. According to a sleep survey, about 30 per cent of mums-to-be start to snore during this time.
What can I do about it? You can help control your snoring by sleeping on your side rather than on your back and by wearing a nasal strip to keep your nostrils wide open (available at most chemists). http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/sleep/snoring/
Further searching found information on a recent survey that found a clear link between a pregnant woman's weight and her likelihood of snoring. Additionally the pregnant women who snored had a greater neck circumference than the non-snorers. What was of particular interest to the Edinburgh team was the upper airway narrowing during pregnancy. Douglas explained: "this narrowing is caused by a physical phenomenon connected to increased weight and distention of the abdomen during pregnancy". Fat is deposited in the soft tissue of the neck and around the upper airways, which increases neck size and narrows the airway. In pregnant women blood pressure rises as the airway becomes narrower. This discovery indicates that pregnant snorers have an increased risk of pre-eclampsia.
http://www.britishsnoring.co.uk/snoring/snoring_during_pregnancy.php
Why have I started to snore? Apparently, as you enter your second trimester you may find yourself snoring for the first time in your life. However, there's a good chance that you'll stop snoring after your baby is born. The cause of your midnight melodies is swollen nasal passages. During pregnancy, an increase in progesterone may cause the soft tissues of the nasal passages to swell and partially block the airways. Another possible explanation is that if your airways are naturally narrow or if you have extra tissue in the back of your throat, any pregnancy-induced swelling or fluid retention can block your airways. According to a sleep survey, about 30 per cent of mums-to-be start to snore during this time.
What can I do about it? You can help control your snoring by sleeping on your side rather than on your back and by wearing a nasal strip to keep your nostrils wide open (available at most chemists). http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/sleep/snoring/
Further searching found information on a recent survey that found a clear link between a pregnant woman's weight and her likelihood of snoring. Additionally the pregnant women who snored had a greater neck circumference than the non-snorers. What was of particular interest to the Edinburgh team was the upper airway narrowing during pregnancy. Douglas explained: "this narrowing is caused by a physical phenomenon connected to increased weight and distention of the abdomen during pregnancy". Fat is deposited in the soft tissue of the neck and around the upper airways, which increases neck size and narrows the airway. In pregnant women blood pressure rises as the airway becomes narrower. This discovery indicates that pregnant snorers have an increased risk of pre-eclampsia.
http://www.britishsnoring.co.uk/snoring/snoring_during_pregnancy.php
Friday, 9 January 2009
23 Weeks Today
How do you feel in month six? by Lucy Dimbylow
http://ukfamily.co.uk/ages-stages/pregnancy-birth/second-trimester/pregnancy-guides/week-22.html
How your baby is growing?
At 22 weeks, your baby now has the proportions of a newborn, although he's still got a lot of weight to gain before the birth. His skin still looks wrinkled because he has only one per cent body fat. His eyes have now formed, too, although the iris isn't coloured yet. His pancreas, which will help regulate his hormones, is under development, too.
Your baby's brain is developing fast, and his brainwave patterns are now similar to a newborn's – he's developing the very beginnings of conscious thought. Scientists believe that at this stage, unborn babies already have a primitive memory, and some even think that they can dream. Certainly, he can already distinguish between your voice and your other half's.
What's happening to you
Physically, you're getting steadily bigger. Your uterus will now measure 22cm from the top of your pubic bone, and you'll probably have gained at least 6kg (a stone). From now on, you can expect to gain around half a pound a week, but try to keep your cravings under control – putting on too much weight at this stage puts you at greater risk of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.
The second trimester is often described as the honeymoon period, because you should be feeling fit and well.
Wow! Did you know...
At 22 weeks, your baby has hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, but they don't contain any pigment yet – they're pure white.
http://ukfamily.co.uk/ages-stages/pregnancy-birth/second-trimester/pregnancy-guides/week-22.html
How your baby is growing?
At 22 weeks, your baby now has the proportions of a newborn, although he's still got a lot of weight to gain before the birth. His skin still looks wrinkled because he has only one per cent body fat. His eyes have now formed, too, although the iris isn't coloured yet. His pancreas, which will help regulate his hormones, is under development, too.
Your baby's brain is developing fast, and his brainwave patterns are now similar to a newborn's – he's developing the very beginnings of conscious thought. Scientists believe that at this stage, unborn babies already have a primitive memory, and some even think that they can dream. Certainly, he can already distinguish between your voice and your other half's.
What's happening to you
Physically, you're getting steadily bigger. Your uterus will now measure 22cm from the top of your pubic bone, and you'll probably have gained at least 6kg (a stone). From now on, you can expect to gain around half a pound a week, but try to keep your cravings under control – putting on too much weight at this stage puts you at greater risk of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.
The second trimester is often described as the honeymoon period, because you should be feeling fit and well.
Wow! Did you know...
At 22 weeks, your baby has hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, but they don't contain any pigment yet – they're pure white.
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
2 Stone Heavier Already...
Weighed myself this morning for the first time post-Christmas and I have already gained 2 stone since becoming pregnant. BabyCentre at: http://www.babycentre.co.uk/tools/weightgain?_requestid=5328117 has a useful tool for calculating how much you should gain. It estimated I should gain 1 Stone 6 pounds in total!! Oh my god - its no wonder I feel so knackered all the time!! Had a bit of a search on the Internet and found this advice:
The expected weight gain in pregnancy is between 10 kg and 12.5 kg, and in most cases the vast proportion of this is gained in the last 20 weeks. This does vary enormously, and many women do find that they eat more than usual in the early months in response to nausea. The fact that you have gained more weight than expected by this stage in pregnancy is not anything to worry about. It would however be sensible to try to avoid excessive weight gain over the coming months. The answer does lie in eating sensibly (regular small meals and plenty of fruit and vegetables) and drinking plenty of water. Try to include small amounts of meat, fish, eggs, and pulses, and avoid high calorie convenience foods. If you need to snack between meals choose fruit or raw vegetables, or if you're really hungry, bread without butter. You do need to ensure that you have enough calcium. Skimmed milk contains more calcium, pint for pint, than full fat milk, and a pint of skimmed milk daily is a good addition to the diet of a pregnant woman. You don't mention whether you are exercising at all. It is certainly wise to try to keep fit in pregnancy. Although it's not a good idea to take up an energetic activity for the first time, even someone who has been relatively inactive would benefit from some swimming and walking on a regular basis. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/weightandnutrition/204703.html
Obvious really I know and I know I need to increase my exercise - no more junk food for me (and baby)!
The expected weight gain in pregnancy is between 10 kg and 12.5 kg, and in most cases the vast proportion of this is gained in the last 20 weeks. This does vary enormously, and many women do find that they eat more than usual in the early months in response to nausea. The fact that you have gained more weight than expected by this stage in pregnancy is not anything to worry about. It would however be sensible to try to avoid excessive weight gain over the coming months. The answer does lie in eating sensibly (regular small meals and plenty of fruit and vegetables) and drinking plenty of water. Try to include small amounts of meat, fish, eggs, and pulses, and avoid high calorie convenience foods. If you need to snack between meals choose fruit or raw vegetables, or if you're really hungry, bread without butter. You do need to ensure that you have enough calcium. Skimmed milk contains more calcium, pint for pint, than full fat milk, and a pint of skimmed milk daily is a good addition to the diet of a pregnant woman. You don't mention whether you are exercising at all. It is certainly wise to try to keep fit in pregnancy. Although it's not a good idea to take up an energetic activity for the first time, even someone who has been relatively inactive would benefit from some swimming and walking on a regular basis. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/weightandnutrition/204703.html
Obvious really I know and I know I need to increase my exercise - no more junk food for me (and baby)!
Sunday, 4 January 2009
Top 10 Names of 2008
GIRLS
1. Olivia
2. Ruby
3. Grace
4. Emily
5. Jessica
6. Sophie
7. Chloe
8. Lily
9. Mia
10. Lucy
BOYS
1. Jack
2. Oliver
3. Harry
4. Charlie
5. Alfie
6. Thomas
7. Joshua
8. Daniel
9. James
10. William
1. Olivia
2. Ruby
3. Grace
4. Emily
5. Jessica
6. Sophie
7. Chloe
8. Lily
9. Mia
10. Lucy
BOYS
1. Jack
2. Oliver
3. Harry
4. Charlie
5. Alfie
6. Thomas
7. Joshua
8. Daniel
9. James
10. William
Thursday, 1 January 2009
Happy New Year - Cyst Update
Still full of cold but at least I have been able to go back to work this week which certainly improves my mental state as it gives me something to think about - other than the huge bump that looms out in front of me!!
During the scan they were able to see that my cyst had reduced from 6.5cm (22/10) to 5.7cm (23/12). This means that it looks like I will more than likely have a 'natural' birth. Getting more scared by the day.....
While we are on the subject of my cyst (and my complaint) I don't think I mentioned that I asked for access to my medical records and was told it would cost:
A&E Notes ₤15
Notes from one or more other departments ₤30
All Health Records ₤45
Health Records / Copy X Rays ₤50
Copy X Rays ₤50
At the moment therefore I have decided to leave the complaint. I shall wait and see what happens in the next few months.....
During the scan they were able to see that my cyst had reduced from 6.5cm (22/10) to 5.7cm (23/12). This means that it looks like I will more than likely have a 'natural' birth. Getting more scared by the day.....
While we are on the subject of my cyst (and my complaint) I don't think I mentioned that I asked for access to my medical records and was told it would cost:
A&E Notes ₤15
Notes from one or more other departments ₤30
All Health Records ₤45
Health Records / Copy X Rays ₤50
Copy X Rays ₤50
At the moment therefore I have decided to leave the complaint. I shall wait and see what happens in the next few months.....
Saturday, 27 December 2008
Week Twenty / Twenty One
Congratulations – You’re Halfway!
You
May feel aches in your abdomen as the ligaments on either side of the uterus stretch as your baby grows.
Can feel the top of your growing uterus in your abdomen – it may reach to your belly button by now.
May still be a bit absent-minded.
Could notice some backache.
Might get occasional leg cramps.
Could be kept awake at night by your active baby.
Your baby
Measures about 16.4cm.
Is developing the nerves in the brain that serve the senses – sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch.
Is doing somersaults – making the most of the space before it gets too cramped in there!
Is developing eyebrows and lashes.
Is swallowing, getting the digestive system working.
from Your Pregnancy www.bounty.com
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