...and he is making me queasy. Been feeling a lot more movement over the last week or so. Had been getting worried prior to seeing the midwife at 24 weeks but now he seems to be moving about quite regularly. What does it feel like? Well, for me its like wind and I totally agree with the 'gut rumbling' sensation below:
http://www.naturallyhealthylifestyles.com/fetalmove.html says "It is difficult to describe what those first movements feel like if you have never had the opportunity to experience them before. Many women liken them to mild twitches or the popping of bubbles, and as many would agree, these movements are unlike any other they have previously experienced, although it may initially be assumed that these sensations are just gut rumblings. If you experience these flutters for two or three days in a row, you can be pretty sure that it is fetal movement.
Fetal movement has long been considered a symptom of a normal healthy pregnancy, as it does offer the mother some consolation that all is well. There will most probably be times when you fail to notice movement, but before becoming too anxious, it is important to remember that each baby is different and the number of times he moves could change from day to day. Because of this variation, it is difficult to establish what would be normal, although as the pregnancy progresses, most babies do to tend to settle into a pattern of regular activity. After the fifth month, fetal movement will become more noticeable, and can often be felt from the outer side of your abdomen. These movements will become more vigorous with time, but as you near full-term they tend to weaken, probably because there is less room in the womb for movement as your baby grows bigger.
Fetal activity usually reaches a peak during the night, with many mothers reporting that their unborn babies are at their most active between 10pm and 2am. This rise in movement can probably be attributed to the evening meal, as glucose can trigger foetal movement, or the fact that during the day your baby was constantly rocked by your movement, and at night when you relax he is no longer lulled to rest.
The average foetal sleep cycle can vary from 20 minutes to two hours, especially after a period of great activity, and a decrease in movement may just indicate that your baby is having a longer sleep. A long period of low or no activity could indicate foetal distress, as your baby will move less in an attempt to conserve energy, especially if he is receiving a reduced supply of oxygen."
Sunday, 1 February 2009
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Baby Brain and the Dangers of the Bump
Yesterday I swear I went to the Coop and then came out having only bought half of the things I wanted, so I then went to the Spa and I am being served when I suddenly remembered the biscuits.... While we were out on my birthday meal with friends, I mentioned that the previous week I had told The Bull I was off to the Library when in fact I was off to the Forum Shopping Centre. Everyone laughed, but one of my friends then told of how she turned up at the vets for her ante-natal clinic. She walked in and up to the reception before realising she was in the wrong place – and the ante-natal clinic was actually on the other side of town!!
Last week I got a text from The Bulls brother to warn me about the dangers of ironing with a bump as his wife had had a rather nasty accident……When I visited another friend she told me about when she burnt her bump on the oven!! Ouch!
Last week I got a text from The Bulls brother to warn me about the dangers of ironing with a bump as his wife had had a rather nasty accident……When I visited another friend she told me about when she burnt her bump on the oven!! Ouch!
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
More about NOT Being Scared....
After my last couple of posts the latest email from Ingrid Bacci www.ingridbacci.com was a bit of a coincidence. She says:
"Every time we listen to the voice of fear, we damage our lives in the present and limit our potential for the future. If, however, we recognize that fear is our greatest enemy, and we learn to challenge, conquer and transcend it, we become free to genuinely create the lives we want. No matter what specific form it takes, fear is always fear of the unknown. In addition, fear is always fear of something that does not exist at the time we fear it. In the moment that we feel the fear, we are afraid of something that does not exist. It has not happened! But the consequence is that we destroy our peace of mind in the NOW. Even worse, fear increases the likelihood that the event we fear will happen. Worry about our health creates ill health.
People who worry tend to say that reality justifies their worries, and that they are only being realistic. But that is incorrect. Being realistic has nothing to do with being fear-based or worrying. For example, worrying about our health is quite different from being practical and resourceful about maintaining good health. In fact, if I obsess about my health, I am likely to undermine my health no matter how healthily I eat. If, one the other hand, I recognize that I am capable of influencing my health, and I am resourceful and do what is necessary in terms of nutrition, then I will improve my health without undermining it by my negative emotions. The same goes for all aspects of life.
Fear is an addiction. Addictions are habit forming. We act as though we need them, and at the same time they wreak havoc in our lives. Fear does exactly that. And as with all addictions, it takes discipline and perseverance to let go of fear."
"Every time we listen to the voice of fear, we damage our lives in the present and limit our potential for the future. If, however, we recognize that fear is our greatest enemy, and we learn to challenge, conquer and transcend it, we become free to genuinely create the lives we want. No matter what specific form it takes, fear is always fear of the unknown. In addition, fear is always fear of something that does not exist at the time we fear it. In the moment that we feel the fear, we are afraid of something that does not exist. It has not happened! But the consequence is that we destroy our peace of mind in the NOW. Even worse, fear increases the likelihood that the event we fear will happen. Worry about our health creates ill health.
People who worry tend to say that reality justifies their worries, and that they are only being realistic. But that is incorrect. Being realistic has nothing to do with being fear-based or worrying. For example, worrying about our health is quite different from being practical and resourceful about maintaining good health. In fact, if I obsess about my health, I am likely to undermine my health no matter how healthily I eat. If, one the other hand, I recognize that I am capable of influencing my health, and I am resourceful and do what is necessary in terms of nutrition, then I will improve my health without undermining it by my negative emotions. The same goes for all aspects of life.
Fear is an addiction. Addictions are habit forming. We act as though we need them, and at the same time they wreak havoc in our lives. Fear does exactly that. And as with all addictions, it takes discipline and perseverance to let go of fear."
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Following on from yesterdays post and the need to feel safe rather than scared.... I recently re-read a book I bought a couple of years ago: Feeling Safe: How to be strong and positive in a changing world by William Bloom, Piatkus 2006. To summarise the relevant points:
The enduring experience of safety is anchored and sustained by the chemistry of well being. To experience safety and security is to feel physical relaxation and well being. Eat well and get enough sleep and exercise to keep your nervous system strong.
Physical movement and other direct forms of physical pleasure (massage, warm bath) can bypass your psychological state and trigger your internal opiates, creating a biological well being that can directly affect your mood in a very positive and beneficial way.
Do not worry and radiate negative energy. It attracts what you do not want.
You must have a pleasurable life in order to feel safe. Connection to the good things of life brings hope and wisdom. Connect back with nature, the universe, with the good things in life. Surround yourself with things that give you pleasure – photos, postcards, images etc.
In a stressful situation, withdraw your attention from external events. This will inhibit the production of adrenalin and cortisol. Breathe softly and very deeply into yourself and allow your chest and stomach to sink. Let your body know that you are still in charge. Watch what is happening to yourself and you will immediately feel things coming back under control. Imagine a protective bubble around yourself.
The enduring experience of safety is anchored and sustained by the chemistry of well being. To experience safety and security is to feel physical relaxation and well being. Eat well and get enough sleep and exercise to keep your nervous system strong.
Physical movement and other direct forms of physical pleasure (massage, warm bath) can bypass your psychological state and trigger your internal opiates, creating a biological well being that can directly affect your mood in a very positive and beneficial way.
Do not worry and radiate negative energy. It attracts what you do not want.
You must have a pleasurable life in order to feel safe. Connection to the good things of life brings hope and wisdom. Connect back with nature, the universe, with the good things in life. Surround yourself with things that give you pleasure – photos, postcards, images etc.
In a stressful situation, withdraw your attention from external events. This will inhibit the production of adrenalin and cortisol. Breathe softly and very deeply into yourself and allow your chest and stomach to sink. Let your body know that you are still in charge. Watch what is happening to yourself and you will immediately feel things coming back under control. Imagine a protective bubble around yourself.
Saturday, 24 January 2009
The truth about pregnancy.....
Keep getting a bit traumatised about being pregnant and things that could go wrong. Thanks to The Times who published an article in their Body and Soul supplement last week which said:
"In a week of gloom there was one cheerier piece of news: the risk of epidurals, anaesthetic injections into the area around the spine, is lower than that previously stated. In fact, according to research from Bath's Royal United Hospital, it is ten times less. Epidurals are used in surgical procedures but also to kill pain in mothers giving birth, when the risk of permanent harm is less than 1 in 80,000. In the past many mothers may have been put off having this effective form of pain relief because risks have been overstated.
These headlines were particularly welcome because there is practically no other area of health where risk of any sort assumes such significance. Pregnant women are risk magnets, attracting every sort of scare about potential damage to their babies at a time of their lives when they are most fearful, for themselves and for the new life they carry. Not only are food scares (too much liver, too much fish, etc) aimed squarely at mums-to-be, but there are also horror stories about the maternity services. The irony is that the perception of risks may be more harmful than the actual risks.
For example, home birth has regularly been claimed to be too risky, and women who have wanted home births have been generally obstructed, demeaned and made to feel irresponsible by doctors in particular. In reality, for normal pregnancy, home birth appears to be safe, as Charlotte Church demonstrated conclusively this week as she had her second baby at home. And a home environment may even offer a small reduction in risk as far as infection is concerned.
You would think from the headlines that Britain wasn't a very safe place to have a baby. In the past couple of months we have seen stories about negligence payments for maternity claims topping £1 billion and about the chronic shortage of midwives. This in addition to the endless succession of stories on bad births that we are all exposed to - just a couple of weeks ago, for instance, a woman in Edinburgh gave birth in a bathroom by herself.
But the headlines do not reflect reality. Negligence claims, for example, relate to events that occurred a decade ago and involve the few, not the many. Evidence from the confidential inquiry into maternal deaths (and Britain keeps scrupulous records in comparison with some other European countries) make it clear that Britain is one of the safest places to have a baby, with a perinatal mortality rate standing at 7 per 100,000 and falling. Compare that with the US, where the comparable rate is 15 to 20 per 100,000.
And as for the bad-birth stories, let's be honest, the good ones aren't that interesting, are they? The Commission for Healthcare Audit report on maternity services in 2007 recorded that nine out of ten women rated their care in labour and childbirth as good or better. It would be a tragedy if headlines persuaded women otherwise."
"In a week of gloom there was one cheerier piece of news: the risk of epidurals, anaesthetic injections into the area around the spine, is lower than that previously stated. In fact, according to research from Bath's Royal United Hospital, it is ten times less. Epidurals are used in surgical procedures but also to kill pain in mothers giving birth, when the risk of permanent harm is less than 1 in 80,000. In the past many mothers may have been put off having this effective form of pain relief because risks have been overstated.
These headlines were particularly welcome because there is practically no other area of health where risk of any sort assumes such significance. Pregnant women are risk magnets, attracting every sort of scare about potential damage to their babies at a time of their lives when they are most fearful, for themselves and for the new life they carry. Not only are food scares (too much liver, too much fish, etc) aimed squarely at mums-to-be, but there are also horror stories about the maternity services. The irony is that the perception of risks may be more harmful than the actual risks.
For example, home birth has regularly been claimed to be too risky, and women who have wanted home births have been generally obstructed, demeaned and made to feel irresponsible by doctors in particular. In reality, for normal pregnancy, home birth appears to be safe, as Charlotte Church demonstrated conclusively this week as she had her second baby at home. And a home environment may even offer a small reduction in risk as far as infection is concerned.
You would think from the headlines that Britain wasn't a very safe place to have a baby. In the past couple of months we have seen stories about negligence payments for maternity claims topping £1 billion and about the chronic shortage of midwives. This in addition to the endless succession of stories on bad births that we are all exposed to - just a couple of weeks ago, for instance, a woman in Edinburgh gave birth in a bathroom by herself.
But the headlines do not reflect reality. Negligence claims, for example, relate to events that occurred a decade ago and involve the few, not the many. Evidence from the confidential inquiry into maternal deaths (and Britain keeps scrupulous records in comparison with some other European countries) make it clear that Britain is one of the safest places to have a baby, with a perinatal mortality rate standing at 7 per 100,000 and falling. Compare that with the US, where the comparable rate is 15 to 20 per 100,000.
And as for the bad-birth stories, let's be honest, the good ones aren't that interesting, are they? The Commission for Healthcare Audit report on maternity services in 2007 recorded that nine out of ten women rated their care in labour and childbirth as good or better. It would be a tragedy if headlines persuaded women otherwise."
Friday, 23 January 2009
Blog Baby 10
Ella Nicole born to Emma and Cousin Anthony. Friday 23rd January - 2 weeks early - 12.05 lunchtime. Weighing 8lb 3ounces.
Got a text at 7pm on the 22nd to say 'Things have started! About 15mins in between contractions at the mo! x' then another at 9.40am this morning saying 'Emma in birthing pool' and then finally 'Ella was born at 12.05 all is amazing x'. The power of the mobile!!
Rang the Bulls brother and his wife to tell them - as they are due only 2 days after Ant and Emma were - but they think it will be another week yet. They asked me about names and what had we thought for a boy (they don't know their sex yet) but I said we didn't really know. We think of a name and then decide against it after a few days. We will start to seriously look at names in a few months I think......
Got a text at 7pm on the 22nd to say 'Things have started! About 15mins in between contractions at the mo! x' then another at 9.40am this morning saying 'Emma in birthing pool' and then finally 'Ella was born at 12.05 all is amazing x'. The power of the mobile!!
Rang the Bulls brother and his wife to tell them - as they are due only 2 days after Ant and Emma were - but they think it will be another week yet. They asked me about names and what had we thought for a boy (they don't know their sex yet) but I said we didn't really know. We think of a name and then decide against it after a few days. We will start to seriously look at names in a few months I think......
Visit to the Midwife
The day after my birthday I had a visit to the midwife. This was the first time I had met my actual midwife as she had been previously been off sick. She was lovely; really friendly and sociable and put any fears I may have had at ease (in so far as you can with me!). She said to contact her at any time with any worries and she would refer me to the hospital if at any time she felt there was a need. One of the main things she said – which was emphasised by my friends on Saturday night - was NOT to believe everything you read on the Internet. In fact, don’t even go there!!
The Bull came in with me and she asked whether or not I had felt it kick yet. I told her I was unsure of what I should be feeling and had thought I had felt ‘something’ but wasn’t totally sure if this was the baby. She showed us what to do and how hard we need to press down at the moment to be able to feel something. She said not to worry as she could feel him and suggested we tried in the bath as this was when baby would be relaxed in the warm water and more likely to move around. We were then able to listen to his heart beat and so this made my birthday week even better…. Especially when The Bull was able to feel the baby kick on Friday evening – just after I had a panic that my belly had gone ‘hard’ – which was actually the baby moving about as a few minutes later the ‘hardness’ was in a different place!
The Bull came in with me and she asked whether or not I had felt it kick yet. I told her I was unsure of what I should be feeling and had thought I had felt ‘something’ but wasn’t totally sure if this was the baby. She showed us what to do and how hard we need to press down at the moment to be able to feel something. She said not to worry as she could feel him and suggested we tried in the bath as this was when baby would be relaxed in the warm water and more likely to move around. We were then able to listen to his heart beat and so this made my birthday week even better…. Especially when The Bull was able to feel the baby kick on Friday evening – just after I had a panic that my belly had gone ‘hard’ – which was actually the baby moving about as a few minutes later the ‘hardness’ was in a different place!
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