Early Waking

Wow, it's one thing after another with these babies isn't it!!!

My new issue is now early waking. From about 8 weeks my daughter slept through the night, which is very fortunate. She went down about 9.00pm and woke around 7.00am. That then changed to going down around 7.00pm and still waking around 7.00am. Which was heaven after all the frantic feeding of the early days.

Unfortunately things have now changed again. Maria is consistently waking earlier and earlier. First it changed to 6.30am then 6.00am and now anywhere between 5.00 and 5.30. Grreaaatttt.... I have tried:

1) Putting her down later. Didn't work.
2) Introducing a dream feed at 10.30pm - that makes no difference either.
3) Tiring her out in the day with lots of outings and visiting. Nope that didn't work.
4) Limiting her daytime sleep to strictly no more than 3 hours. Nahhhhh....
5) Making sure she settles herself to sleep (see posting 'Should a baby be left to cry?') No, No, No.

What is worse is that even after I have fed her she still doesn't want to go back to sleep! It's official my daughter doesn't want to sleep unless it purely on her terms!

Any ideas as to how to get her to sleep 'til 7.00am are greatly appreciated!

Should a baby be left to cry?

My daughter is now three and a half months old and is currently rocked to sleep on nearly every occasion.

Having spoken to other mums and reading books such as Gina Ford Contented Baby I have come to realise this approach may cause me problems in the future. Unfortunately my daughter doesn't like to sleep. She will have a good moan about it - even in the pram when I am out and about (passers by saying 'arhhh, she's hungry' which really annoys me cos she isn't!). If I try to put her in her cot when she is dozy or not completely asleep she will normally cry until I pick her up again then she falls asleep. She has slept through the night from 6 weeks so I didn't think I was doing anything wrong. Until now...

She is starting to wake in the night and is not settling herself back to sleep. She may be hungry which seems to be the case but it has highlighted the problem of me only being able to get her to sleep by rocking.

Health visitors and Gina recommend putting your baby down in their cot when their eyes are flicking and they are dozy. Then if they cry (and you are sure they aren't crying for food, winding or nappy) then allow them to until they fall asleep (but not letting them cry for more than 5-10 mins). I never liked the idea of that but now it is becoming apparent that a) my back can't take the rocking anymore and b) she needs to learn to settle herself (especially if she wakes in the night and it isn't for food).

So what is right? I think it is all a question of choices. I love rocking my baby to sleep but I can't do it forever! I may have to limit the amount of time I rock her now... as hard as it is for me and her!

Feedback on Pliko Pramette... so far!

I thought I should give a bit of feedback on my Mamas and Papas Pliko Pramette.

So far I have used the pram and the Primo Vaggio car seat. I feel that the car seat is a) too heavy b) too upright for my baby (i.e she pukes every time I put her in it) and c) does not adequately shelter her from the weather when I use it as an infant carrier. Additionally fitting it in my car and threading the seat belt through the back of the chair is really awkward... oh and clipping the handle in place is difficult too. So all in all not impressed with the car seat. A lot of my fellow mums all seem to have a 'Maxi-Cosi', and they do look cosi too! Although I am not sure of the age they can be used until. The Primo Vaggio can be used until your child is 9kg (approx one and a half stone).

As for the pram - I use it an awful lot and nothing has broken! It is good in the shops as the wheels spin any direction, it is light and looks cool! On the down side the pram seems to dip at the head end (my mum continually complains!). I have checked the manual many times and it is not a construction error on my part. It just dips!?! Also it is not very cushioned so I have to place a blanket under my baby. Another negative it the pram has to be converted to the pushchair to collapse down which is awkward when sticking it in the car.

So if you are considering buying the Pliko Pramette make sure you consider these negatives... by the way a friend of mine bought a Bugaboo and complains about that too so maybe moaning is a mum thing!

Gotta go - screaming child!

Wow... 3 months old!

So I have been totally useless at blogging since the arrival of my beautiful daughter Maria. Free time is scarce and when I do have it I often like to pass the time washing up (that was a joke by the way).

Today I have mislaid my phone and unable to text friends in my spare ten mins therefore I have come to my blog to do a well needed blog entry!

Last weekend just passed we went to a wedding and took Maria. It was her first weekend away and I have to say she was very very good considering how old she is. The problem really was with her parents! It took us all day Friday to pack. When you pack for a three month old you literally have to pack everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink. The car was packed with everything from Calpol to Cheeky Monkey (Maria's fav toy... or is that daddies?).

We hit the road missing the rush hour traffic by a full five minutes. Yay. As soon as we got to the end of our road we were sitting in traffic. The traffic continued on the M25 and then to the M40. Four hours later, after a feed and freshen up in Macdonalds (not just Maria) we arrived in Ettington near Stratford on Avon. Maria's routine was completely shot to pieces but at least the journey was cry less as she slept most of the way. Peace comes at strange times!

The wedding went well and the only thing I forgot was the washing up liquid to wash up Maria's bottles. Minor thing. We had to drive half an hour to find civilisation (a shop that is) and found some good 'ol Fairy Liquid. I am glad we travelled up early in the end, even if it was a bit of a mission.

Right, Miss Maria is stirring and I am not even dressed yet so best I stop wasting time on this!

I will try and update a bit more regularly now as Maria's Gran is in Egypt and will want regular updates on her grand daughters progress!

Also Net, if you read this today, thanks for lending me your dress! Will talk soon xx

Apologies for the delay in postings!

OH MY GOD... parenting is seriously HARD work. This is why I still haven't written the all important 'birth posting' yet... I just can't seem to find the time.

Fear not though, I have started it and will post as soon as my child decides to unlatch herself from my breast. Sorry to be honest but its the truth!

So, posting on the birth to follow (kinda) shortly... if you want a bit of info in the mean time go to my husbands blog at www.firetop.co.uk.

Maria Madison Peskett - Welcome to the World!

On Sunday 2nd July at approximately 11am whilst making bacon sandwiches and applying brown sauce to them my waters broke. No it wasn't a gush - more like incontinence!

I called up to Matt who was thrilled as waiting around for 'something to happen' was proving to be quite boring for us both. I telephoned the hospital who surprisingly asked me to visit the hospital for a check up. I was surprised by this as I know that normally they just tell you to stay at home and wait for the contractions to start but they said as they weren't busy to come to the day unit for a check up.

When we arrived at the day unit it was confirmed that my waters had broken and they also told me that my baby's head was not engaged. Doh. I had been aware of this previously but had been hoping this was quite normal and would change once my waters broke. No such luck. I was told I had to stay in for observation which was not good news... it didn't fit with my 'vision' that I had unintentionally started to create.

The following two days was spent on Burstow ward waiting for a spot on the delivery suite to become free so I could be induced. It was a tiring two days as it was spent in a noisy ward with crying babies, slamming doors and emergency buzzers. Additionally I had been experiencing tightenings throughout both nights which I had hoped was labour... lol - I now know those tightenings were nothing compared to the real thing which is a shame as I was thinking I was well hard and had a really high pain threshold... as if!

Finally on the third day I was found a bed in the delivery suite and told I was to be induced. Baby's head still wasn't engaged and I had been informed that this normally resulted in a cesarean section. Great, after all my fears it looked like my worse nightmare could again be a reality. I cried. I was knackered after not sleeping for two nights and now I was to face labour with only two pieces of dried toast in my tummy! Eak - I was told I couldn't eat because of the possibility of Cesarean. Great. I had packed tonnes of my favourite sweets and chocolate to see me through labour and now I had to watch Matt eating it all! GGGRRRRRRR!!!

As I recollect the events leading up to the birth of Maria I realise that I have started to 'bury' a lot of what happened that day as it was not the experience I had wanted. I think child birth is such a lottery... it can go easy as pie or as difficult as dog sh8t (is there such a term!?). I was a bit unlucky.

You may have read my husbands blog entry of the birth (www.firetop.co.uk) so I will just summarise and say that it was a difficult birth and one that had no relation to my birthing plan that you are told to write (a stupid idea if you ask me). The midwife actually laughed at my Fairy-Tale-Birthing-Plan... the only part I was able to keep to was bouncing on the birthing ball!

As my labour was 'managed' (I was being induced with a drip) I was offered an epidural from the start to which I declined. I laboured for 6 hours with just the gas and air as pain relief. Gas and air is a bit like getting drunk or stoned... it's OK and I felt it helped me through the contractions (it could even be described as a bit of a distraction from the pain).

After six hours it was discovered that I had not dilated at all and my waters actually hadn't brocken (yay to the NHS!). At this point they were brocken and I was labouring again but was told it was looking like a C-section. The contractions were becoming very strong so I accepted the offer of an epidural mainly so that I could be concious should I need an emergency cesearean. I am glad I did as that is what I ended up having.

The epidural was FANTASTIC! As in it completely kills the pain of the contractions, for me the pain was it being administered. The pain was excruciating and I screamed out for the first time since being in labour! Looking back we think that the needle had been inserted in my spine before the anesthetic had kicked in (yay to the NHS!).

After another three hours labouring a new doctor came into the suite and decided to up my syntoxin levels stupidly high which resulted in my womb hyper-stimulating (through having to many contractions). This starved oxygen to my baby therefore her heart beat being lost.

The next half hour was probably the worst of my life. Alarm bells rang, people ran around me madly doing all sorts of stuff to me (all of which I couldn't feel as the epidural numbs you) all in preparation for my emergency c-section. Matt and I looked at each other both with tears in our eyes as the midwives and doctors gathered around me frantically searching for my baby's heartbeat. Luckily it came back and the rest is history!

Being a mum is time consuming and darn hard work hence it's taken me nearly a month to write this posting! I could go into loads more detail but I wouldn't want to put anyone off! Just make sure if you want children you are prepared to loose your life for a while! It will be worth it though...

:-)

One Week To Go... How I Spend My Time

Over the past week I have mainly been filling my time with social engagements involving eating. What I try and do is plan one activity/arrangement a day (no more, no less). This enables me to have the enthusiasm to get out of bed and dressed. Sad hey!?

So last Wednesday I went to Bumps 'n' Babes. This is another NCT arranged event which, you guessed it, involves eating. What happens, as the title hints to, is a group of NCT'ers gather with their baby or bump and eat, drink and talk about parenthood. When I arrived at 2.00pm on Wednesday afternoon in Viva in Dorking I was the only one there! Luckily I spotted a friend who happened to be there and before long a few of the members of my NCT group luckily turned up as arranged. It was strange to see the 'before and after' of it all... little babies being fed and us fatties staring in disbelief at the future to come. I did enjoy it though - especially the banoffee pie ;-)

Later on in the week I saw my boss for lunch (see, food again). It was nice to hear about my work place but I naturally feel quite distanced from that life at the moment. I can't really say I am missing it yet, but I know I will.

Something else I like to do a lot more of these days is sssssss......sleep (ah-ha, bet you were wondering what 'S' word I was going to say there!). I am being told to rest as much as possible at the moment as A) you won't get much time to rest once 'Bob' arrives and B) I have read that a well rested mum has an easier labour than a tired one. Makes sense really.

It is impossible for me to sleep right through the night now (it is true what they say that your body gets you ready for sleepless nights!). I usually attempt to get to sleep at 11.30 ish but this is normally not the case as I have to have at least three journeys to the toilet to empty my bladder before I can even attempt sleep. This means I lay there wide awake and listen to my X-box addicted husband playing 'Lost Planet' until I get moody and go downstairs and just have a random moan at him for no real reason apart from I can't sleep. Yeah, I know, it's mean! He is used to it! At this early hour of the morning (normally 1.30ish) he usually decides to come to bed too and that strangely helps me to sleep. Then it's interrupted sleep all night long until about 10.00 when my belly grumbles and 'Bob' must get the fright of his life as I bet it's a lot louder in there! So due to the very interrupted sleep pattern I have another 1-2 hours sleep at some point during the day.

Today I wandered around Waitrose in a little bubble of contentment as everyone around me seemed in such a rush. It is a nice thing to experience... not having a time limit, not really having much of a shopping list (not one that requires a trolley anyway!), not worrying about how fattening everything is that is being put in my trolley. My only real concern was not to get anything too heavy as I can't carry it. Then I got home, ate and slept.

So there you have it, just in case you were wondering what I am up to... ;-)

All Twelve Of Us

Here is a photo of my NCT group, I am the one in orange. I wonder who pops first!!??

From left to right there is Amy, Paula, Robyn-Anne (who kindly took this photo), Me, Louise and Nicola.

By the way those white socks I am wearing... they were purely to keep my feet warm...

The Nursery

On Sunday (yeah, I know, late posting) Matt and I went to Ikea to get the last few bits for the nursery.

I was quite impressed with myself for getting round the whole place stopping only once for chocolate! Whilst there we bought the red armchair (shown in the pic) and some chest of drawers for all of Bobs clothes.

Not much more to say on this posting really. I just wanted to show off the curtains my mum made and the nice decorating my dad did!

37 Weeks, Fat Foot-itus

Today is a momentous day! If 'Bob' was to come today he wouldn't be classed as premature. The 37 to 40 week slot of pregnancy is considered a safe time as Bob is fully developed and his/her lungs are strong now.

To mark this momentous day I have now become a member of the fat foot-itus club. That is to say that I have one right fat foot most days now. Apparently it is quite common to swell at this stage of pregnancy (I am carrying nearly 3 stone more than usual) and this is called Edima. Also my fingers feel like sausages in the morning and ache. Nice.

Sleeping is getting worse these days. I have to swap the side I am sleeping on about once every two hours now (and normally coincide this with a toilet break). This is because my circulation seems to be shot to pieces and I get a dead leg, arm, hand (or other body part). Poor Matt, it doesn't result in the best nights sleep...

On the plus side it won't be long now until Matt and I are parents, poor child...

;-)

NCT Nearly New Sale, North Holmwood

Early Saturday morning my husband (or should I say hung over husband) and I went to North Holmwood Village Hall for a Nearly New Sale of everything baby related.

We arrived early (9.45... early enough I say), as recommended to do so by friends, and stood in a queue of about 20 mothers, mothers to be, miserable husbands and eager grandmothers. Matt and I marvelled (or was that moaned!?) at how much our life had changed in the last year! Here we were in a baby sale queue on a Sat morning when ordinarily we would of both been sleeping off our hangovers in bed, only to be woken by our grumbling bellies or the cats running a riot. Which I prefer I can not say ;-)

I was a little apprehensive about the sale. I imagined a jumble sale-esque scenario with rude (sometimes smelly) people shoving you aside to get to a not so attractive cheap item before you do. My mum would often drag me to jumble sales when I was a kid and to say I have been mentally scared by the experiences is an understatement.

This sale, I am pleased to say, did not resemble the jumble sales of my past.

As the doors opened on my old first school hall (yeah, ironic hey!?) and the mothers poured in, the scene greeting me was most appealing. Orderly tables, nice people and best of all... NO SMELL!!!!

I managed to find lots of really good stuff. I got a Baby Bjorn carrier (usually about £50, bought for £10), chair gate (£4), activity centre (£3... Net, will talk to you about this!), unused bottles and a steriliser (£5) to mention a few. All of which saved me a bomb. I have all the practical equipment I essentially need now so note to people who may want to buy Bob an arrival present, clothes or toys would be appreciated please. Cheeky? Me?!

Stoolball Watching...

Today I went to my Stoolball (www.stoolball.co.uk for those of you who don't know what it is) teams annual tournament that I would usually be playing in. It was quite bizarre being on the sidelines basking in the sun watching. I wouldn't say it was all that unpleasant either! Of course I missed the team camaraderie, the buzz of getting a catch or hitting a four but not having any pressure, just sitting watching was a welcome change.

My team didn't win this year (which is unusual - honestly!) but I look forward to getting back into it next year... maybe bizarrely with Matt at the sidelines and Bob waddling around next to him!? I remember watching my mum playing stoolball when I was a little girl... I wonder if my child will play too!? Or if the game will still be going then. It seems to be struggling a little these days.

Whilst at the tournament I knew of three other pregnant women there, all due in July! I seem to be quite small comparatively in size but then I am quite small anyway. I don't feel small! I have to say I am looking forward to being able to move quickly and sleep on my front again.

Bob must be getting frustrated these days with the lack of space as I am feeling a lot of movement. I realise Bob likes moving the position of his/her bum from the right side to left. I know this because my bump bulges slightly more on the side where the bum is located. I also know that today Bob's head was breech (i.e. head under my chest rather than head down towards my cervix) because I could feel hiccups high up. These really energetic movements are quite painful, I get the urge to go to the toilet (as s/he pushes on my bladder) then breathlessness (as s/he squashes my lungs) and ultimately discomfort as the arms and legs move with the torso. Very strange.

Thank God for food that's what I say... now where is that left over chocolate cake...

:-)

Placenta Previa - Not a Problem!

Last Wednesday I had the third, all important scan to see if my placenta had moved away from my cervix to enable me to have a natural birth and not a cesarean.

Luckily I am among the majority whose placenta had moved up and away! Apparently something like 95% of women who have a low placenta at their second 26 week scan don't have the issue at their next 35 week scan. Yipee!!!

The relief of knowing that I was not going to get chopped open was a big one. It was a strange feeling thinking that I might not have experienced labour... I kinda felt like half a woman! I know that childbirth is going to be initially more painful than a cesarean but it's something I want to experience and strangely feel lucky to be able to. Yeah I know, talk to me after to see how much I laugh at that statement after knowing about the pain!

The ironic thing thing is I still obviously could have a c-section... but at least I will have tried a normal birth. If there is such a thing!

It was nice seeing Bob at such a late stage of pregnancy (as most people only have two scans, the latest being at 26 weeks). I was very keen still to not find out the sex and the woman was very good at concealing it, which miffed my husband! Bob has my nose (ha ha! doomed!) and has very scary octopus looking eyes... I think its a girl but the rest of my family think its a boy. Time will tell... and their isn't much of that left now, five weeks to be exact! Eak!

Maternity Leave Begins

I have now begun my Maternity Leave. I believe it was the right time to stop working as sitting at my desk for more than two hours caused great discomfort (well Bob's leg to stick into my ribs). Now I am home I can't really do all the things I want to. So generally I am useless at work and useless at home, which is quite depressing!

One of the main things I wanted to accomplish in my time off before baby arrives was paint jungle animals on my nursery walls, which I have now completed. It looks fab! (If I do say so myself!). But now the jobs on my list are a bit difficult for me to do... like clear out the cupboards and go to the tip. Going down the town is an effort - and is time consuming as I walk (or is that waddle) slowly!

One of the things I can still do very successfully is eat. So as I sit here typing I have a comforting pack of Minstrels to my right... hmmm... they taste good at the moment...

Another thing I can do quite well is buy online. I can surf and spend money 'til my hearts content. Although naturally that is quite a dangerous thing to do as the bank account isn't as full as usual with me on Maternity Leave!

So now I think I will do a Tesco shop online, its easier than getting in the car and driving there. Shop, shop, shop, lol... til I drop!

33 Weeks – Blood Show Scare

On Wednesday as I prepared to do the huge pile of washing up in the kitchen before Matt got back from work I went to use the toilet before commencement... a strange thing to tell the world I hear you say but when I went I discovered a small amount of blood.

No words can really express the panic or the speed of thoughts that went through my head upon seeing that blood. I am 33 weeks (7 weeks to go!!!) and am no way prepared to have the baby now! (although my hospital bag was packed!) I was thinking what I might have done to cause this, how Bob was, not to panic, and now the washing up wasn't going to get done... bizarre thinking. I cried and grabbed my pink papers to phone the mid-wife.

On the front of my pink papers I was confronted with ten numbers and didn't know which f**king one to call!!! Can't they make them simpler!? In the end I opted for the delivery suite at East Surrey hospital. The woman I spoke to was very helpful and patient (as initially I couldn't talk through the tears). She told me to get some transport and come up to get checked out.

My mum picked me up and after calling my husband to tell him what was happening I was on my way to the hospital. Thank god for my mum being local as my husbands new employment didn't seem too happy at him leaving to see me. How nice of them.

Thankfully Bob had been kicking all the way to the hospital which stabilised my sanity. Upon arriving at the hospital a lovely friendly mid-wife told me how common it was and not to worry. They hooked me up to the baby heart beat machine and monitored Bob for half an hour. In which time Bob was well awake and kicking like mad. Only a good thing I was told.

After knowing that Bob was fine we waited A LONG TIME to see a doctor. I didn't mind though as I knew baby was OK it was just that the doctor was busy. She finally arrived and I told her the details including my suspected Placenta Previa which Matt and I were thinking could be the reason for the show of blood. She proceeded to examine me internally (yeah, nice) and told me she couldn't see any problems which was SO good to hear. These things can happen it can be a burst blood vessel or something not serious like that. Luckily it wasn't my mucus plug.

The whole experience scared me a lot. Its made me slow down on the house preparation front. That morning I had been putting up shelves and feeling invincible. Not now - I am going to take it easy now. No more parachuting and gymnastics ;-)

32 weeks, Packing My Hospital Bag

Last week my mum and I hit the town (with the attached list) to prepare my hospital bag. There are lots of sites that tell you to prepare your bag at completely different times. Some two weeks before some two months! I opted for the 32 weeks.

I compiled the list from various web sites found all over the place and the list given to me by the NCT class. It is a long list and I doubt you absolutely need it all but I like to be prepared! (Although the handheld mirror to see the crown of your baby being born I will give a miss... I would rather use the mirror to check my how my hair looks!)

If you can't be bothered to get all your individual bits and pieces for your bag then I would recommend Mothercare's ready-to-go Hospital Bag costing £49.99. When I looked at this (and stole its recommendations for content) I thought it was a bit pricey but after buying all the bits separately I spent well over a hundred! A little excessive maybe but I really wanted that giraffe blanket ;-) Additionally when you do buy separates you get more of everything...

My mum and I went all over the place for various bits and pieces. With each purchase a little more of my femininity was lost... nipple cream, HUGE knickers, maternity towels.... hmmmm... sexy lady! When I returned home and showed my husband my purchases its no surprise that he didn't get too excited!

Anyway, go to Q&S or Primark or somewhere cheap and cheerful for your knickers and dressing gowns. Also try Superdrug for your nappies, towels etc as its cheaper than Mothercare.

Hope someone finds this useful!

:-)

Strange dreams are made of these...

Since being pregnant my dreams are, as you might expect, mainly baby related. They vary from odd to damn scary! For instance here are a few examples:

The Cactus Dream
The other week after the East Surrey Hospital Tour I dreamt I was giving birth to a cactus. I remember looking down between my legs to see a cactus, beautifully green with sharp needles pointing out in every direction.
My Synopsis: Pretty obvious really – I am worried about the pain!!!!!

The Ice Cream Dilemma Dream:
So for some reason I was in a Petrol Station Garage shop desperately seeking Ben & Jerrys Cookie Dough Ice Cream. I can remember how anxious I was to find some and how upset I was as I peered into the freezer to find they had run out! Serious stuff I hear you say... I then dealt with my despair by eating as much chocolate I could find as possible. I wasn't happy about the substitute though...
My Synopsis: I am eating too much... erm... and food is taking the place of sex!

The Breast Feeding Dream:
I was in our house but it was larger (oh if only!) and I had been asleep for two days after having a Cesarean. Upon wakening I found that Matt and his dad had given 'Bob' SMA carton milk instead of waking me up to breast feed. I inconsolably cried my eyes out!
My Synopsis: Again pretty obvious - I am anxious about whether my baby will breast feed and hope that it isn't out of my control!

NCT Antenatal Class No.2

Last Wednesday I went to the second NCT Antenatal class.

The evening was VERY informative and talked mainly about labour, the various stages and generally what to expect.

Again I was frustrated not knowing if I was going to experience all of it but even so it was good to know why you are in pain and what exactly your poor child (and poor you!) have to go through. The biggest eye opener for me was what it is the contractions actually do... with each contraction the uterus moves further and further apart. The uterus is the only muscle in your body that doesn't contract - once stretched it stays stretched. It ends up being the largest muscle in your body post child birth.

I enjoyed the evening more than the first week mainly because it was a lot more informative and not so nerve wracking. We also met the dog this week who casually wandered in during the class. He lovingly introduced himself to everyone with a sniff and stayed longer with those people who gave him a bit of attention. Namely me!

First NCT Antenatal Class

Last Wednesday the 2nd of May saw the commencement of my Antenatal classes held in Holmbury, Surrey.

The class was pretty much how I expected it to be. There were 6 couples (all older than us, this is Surrey after all), all seated in a horse shoe shape in a ladies large front room. It was quite a strange experience in so much that here were a group of people you have NOTHING in common with except the fact you are all starting families and yet you are all meant to get on. Nothing different to starting a new job I suppose but there was something very uncomfortable about it... maybe it was just the pressure of having to make new friends. Everyone seemed very nice after all.

The first exercise was saying who you were, when your baby is due, where you plan to have it and what you call your 'bump'... an ice breaker I suppose. I am the earliest due - 2nd July but there was a baby also due on the 3rd July. Everyone else was due later on in the month. We then progressed on to what we want out of the course and then a quiz on the female pregnant body parts. Guys versus girls... it was a draw. Surprisingly...

As my third, 34 week scan approaches (in two weeks time) I am becoming anxious to find out whether I am having a natural birth or a C-section. Until then I keep thinking that me doing all my pelvic floor exercises (and even attentively listening to the NCT class info) is a waste of time. I do want a natural birth but knowing when your child is coming and what exactly to expect is also a bonus. It's just my sport I worry about... 10 weeks I have to wait after a cesarean you know. Only 6 weeks with a natural birth. Plus my figure... it will be tougher after a cesarean. Hey ho - what will be will be!

I am going to pack/buy my hospital bag contents today - again some of it depends on what kind of birth I have but good to be prepared. I laughed yesterday when my friend said she would of had hers packed in week 6!

'Bob' kicks A LOT now. I don't think 'kick' is actually the right terminology. Its more like moves. It's amazing and annoying all in the same breath. The movements almost wind me but there is no mistaking there is a little person wriggling around inside you. I try to imagine what he/she looks like. They have hair now and are fully developed... the next 8 weeks are all about putting fat on and strengthening the lungs. Weird to think even if they were born now they would be normal. But hey 'Bob' that's not an invitation to come early, stay right where you are please!

Tour of East Surrey Hospital Maternity Unit

Tonight Matt and I did our tour of The East Surrey Hospital Maternity Unit.

Last week I booked us in for the 8pm tour by calling the Antenatal Day Unit telephone number (01737 231726) on the front of my pink pregnancy papers. We got there nice and early which was a good idea as I hadn't really been told on the phone where to meet up! We wandered around for a bit without success but luckily my bump telepathy kicked in and we soon located a crowd of bumps in the Antenatal reception area.

The tour started ten minutes late (I suppose running to a schedule must be difficult in a Maternity Unit!) and was hosted by a very nice grandmother-esque lady who proceeded to tell us about the facilities at East Surrey and showed us around.

Like all hospitals I have heard some good stories and of course some bad ones. My main concern and what I was most interested in during the tour was the Birthing Pool as I want to have a water birth. I had heard recently from the NCT lady that the likelihood of the pool being available (as there's only one) AND that a trained mid-wife would be available was low. I asked the tour guide about this and she said that if you tell the staff when you phone in that you want a water birth they will make sure that a water birth trained midwife will be available. That is good but... what if they aren't available, I think to myself... or what if they are on holiday in the Maldives...? Or doing their weekly shop...? On recollection I should of asked how MANY of their midwifes ARE trained. Doh.

The tour was good and very useful. My man found it a bit boring and strung out (probably like most of the other men present) but I would recommend it to all first time mums as there were things I was told about that I never knew... like for instance that all women give birth in private rooms. I didn't know this but now I think about it, it makes sense!

At the weekend we are taking a tour at The Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford to compare. I am all set up to use East Surrey but apparently it is very easy to transfer if you want to. We'll have to wait and see...

Aqua Natal @ Dorking Leisure Centre

On Thursday at 10.30am I ventured to the Aqua Natal at Dorking Leisure Centre.

I had visited the Aqua Natal once before (and wrote about it on my March 22nd post) and found it cancelled, as Rona the instructor was ill. This time I was more fortunate as not only was Rona there but my new found friend 'Francesca' was there too! We had arranged to meet up at Aqua Natal after meeting at the Early Pregnancy NCT class the week before.

So back to the Aqua Natal class... it cost £2.50 and was interesting. It lasted half an hour and was a little laid back for my liking but very focused on you and your baby. I found the funniest bit when we were doing our pelvic floor exercises at the side of the pool... to any innocent onlooker it would have appeared that we were just doing nothing but hanging on to the side for ten minutes! Of course it was all going on below the surface, lol... in more ways than one ;-)

I think I will go again as I like being in the water (and am considering a water birth) and can easily do some lengths afterwards to use up a bit more energy. Also the group seemed friendlier this time round so it's good for socialising!

Question is - can I drag my lazy a*se out of bed in the morning for it again!?

Early Pregnancy NCT Class

On Thursday my friend and I went to the NCT Early Pregnancy class in North Holmwood, near Dorking, Surrey.

It was typical that my husband couldn't make the class, he had a meeting with a client that evening that had been arranged for ages. This resulted in me taking my already very baby knowledgeable best friend along. She was worried that the group may think we were gay so happily announced upon arrival that we weren't... and added 'not that there is a problem in being gay' ... lol.

The one off evening class was attended by four other pregnant ladies and was hosted by a very friendly NCT lady named Christine. It began with us all picking three topics from the written list displayed. The list contained: Pregnancy Gripes, Paternity & Maternity Leave and Where To Have Your Baby. I can't remember all the subjects on this list but I was primarily interested in 'Where To Have Your Baby'. Unfortunately this was not one of the shortlisted subjects but it was touched on at the end of the evening.

The class was really useful. Not only did I enjoy meeting up with other mums-to-be but the information given was really useful. The best thing for me was being able to easily talk up about individual experiences and issues. I know I can talk to the mid-wife about anything but I always seem to forget what I want to ask her or just feel like there isn't enough time to ask. Apparently this isn't the case with every ones mid-wifes.

The NCT group also had a library facility which I thought was mighty handy! The books I currently have are all pregnancy books and as the time to drop is approaching fast (nice terminology that - my mum complains every time I say it!) I am increasingly interested in baby info so borrowed one more specific to caring for your new born in the first three months.

One of the most interesting parts of the evening for me was when we touched on where to have your baby. I expressed my interest in having Bob in a birthing pool at East Surrey Hospital but was informed that there was only one and the likelihood of it being available to use being very very slim. This is apparently due to a) availability and b) the small chance of having a mid-wife that is trained to use it! I haven't done my tour of East Surrey Hospital yet but will be asking questions about this as I may opt for changing the place of birth to Guildford or a birthing centre such as Crowborough...

The evening cost £12.50 and was well worth it. Next is my Antenatal Classes which start on May 2nd - the day before the 28th birthday. Thank God it wasn't on my birthday as that isn't my idea of a birthday evening to remember!

Eak – it's a new born!

Yesterday Matt and I visited his Dad and Step Mum's new born child at Worthing hospital.

Little T (as I will call him) was born on Thursday 5th of April at 10.30AM through cesarean section and is gorgeous. I was strangely anxious about seeing him for various reasons. Firstly as I didn't want to hear his mother's story of the childbirth, and also because Matt and I were going to have a glimpse of the very near future... and if we didn't like what we saw... well, tough sh*t!

Thankfully 'mum' didn't go into too much detail about the birth, she also commented that she would easily 'do it again'! Couldn't of been that bad then I say! I mean - there are already experiences in my life that I would quite happily say I wouldn't do again. For instance - chili sauce on a kebab, therefore I equate that childbirth is fine. Lol, watch this space!

It was strange being in a hospital with new borns all around me. As I watched Matt's step mum in bed with cards, presents and baby nestled around her I visualised myself in her position (I have never been in a hospital bed before, nor had any kind of operation). Would I be happy with everyone holding Bob? Will I be sitting there with a scar across my belly like mum? Will it be Bob or Bobbi!?

Ultimately seeing little T and mummy was great - I am now able to visualise the maternity ward, the bed, where Bob is going too sleep for the first few days. Oh and my husband can hold a baby as you can see in the pic - so that's a bonus! Although he did seem more interested in the poster on the wall exclaiming 'breastfeeding drop in' sessions. He wanted to know if it was open to everyone...

Nursery Material

For the past week I have been concentrating on getting the nursery sorted... and have been a bit lax on the blogging front. Sorry!

Our soon to be nursery used to be our office/study so now our dining room has been converted into a dinningstudy. It isn't ideal but it's easier than moving (next time we move it will be to a house we buy rather than rent - that's the plan anyway!). Recently my husband and I have spent most of our free time lugging furniture around the house. Or in my case observing Matt lugging furniture around the house... far easier!

I have found some nice nursery material to have my curtains made by my fab mum. It is white canvas with prints of jungle animals on it. In particular a giraffe! They are beginning to be the theme. Poor child. We are going to give him/her a complex about being tall at this rate! Or short... I do have a few jockeys in my family on my mums side.

I found the material in a local (expensive) material shop and fell in love with it. I knew I wanted something bright with giraffes but had struggled to find anything online that was contemporary whilst still being bright. The style seems to be very neutral at the moment, which is good for your front room but not for a nursery I say! The material was £10.25 in the shop and being the bargain hunter that I am I found it online at www.kidsfabrics.co.uk for £8.25. Its called 'Roar primary'. Lets hope it turns up at some point soon...!

The Joys of Pregnancy

There has to be some, hasn't there? I read one pregnant woman's top 6 and they included 'pull-up jeans' and 'eating'... I would have to agree on both counts but here are my Top Ten Joys of Pregnancy:

1) FOOD, FOOD and more FOOD!
I love it, it tastes better than usual and I find it incredibly difficult to eat too much and can't get bloated. Result.

2) No 'time of the month'
No cramps, no PMT and no embarrassing trips to the work toilet mid-morning clutching your hand bag. I hate that - you may as well be wearing a sign saying 'I AM ON!'. What's worse is my office is a male dominated zone.

3) Your relationship blossoms (even more!)
Having only recently got married that alone is a great relationship bonding experience but then to be having a baby... well lets just say love can't get sweeter!

4) Not doing the cat litter
Poor husband, all poos and wees in the cat litter box have to be cleared by him. Shame.

5) Not putting the rubbish out
Poor husband, all heavy rubbish bags have to be taken out by him. Shame.

6) Knowing that you have created a miracle (and I thought we were just getting it on!)
Yeah I know its a bit sad but when/if you experience being pregnant you will know what I mean. This isn't evolution - it's a miracle!

7) Have I mentioned FOOD...?

8) No hangovers
Maybe I am scrapping the barrel a bit here as we all know having no hangovers is naturally the result of having no alcohol. Its still nice to be bright and breezy on a morning like today whilst my husband is recovering in bed after a few 'bullets' last night. Shame.

9) Every one is pleased to see you
It's a bit like being famous for ten months. Everyone wants to know how its all going and you are never without conversation.

10) Monkeys
I can't think of anymore so Monkeys is just random babbling to fill out this posting...

Review of Premonition

OK, so it got totally blasted on every review I have read online but I thought 'Premonition' was OK and watchable and also resulted in a bit of discussion between my friend and I. Yeah there was a lot going on that never really had any impact on the story and it also built up in places that it didn't really have to. Oh it raining hard outside... cue the scary build up music... erm, why?

So tonight I realised that there is a life outside of my world of baby preparation!

I went to the cinema with my friend. I haven't been to the cinema with a girlfriend since Titanic! lol... I had to be careful that I didn't cuddle up to her! It was nice to not think about baby for a while (even though Bob was kicking alot while I watched it). It was also nice to have a meal after in Frankie and Bennies. But most of all it was nice to have a break from the norm with a mate. A note to myself for the future - regularly go places you haven't been before and don't always take the husband. Sorry babe ;-)

Sleepless Nights

The last two nights Bob has woken me (and my husband) up at 4.00am and practiced his/her kickboxing. Very impressive it is too... I just wish it didn't last until 7.30am.

Apparently at this point in a pregnancy baby is experiencing it's last throws of aerobics as soon there isn't enough room - also it can be moving into a head down position. Lets hope Bob has found his/her position AND STOPS WAKING ME UP AT 4.00AM!!! I don't think it helps I have had a bit of a cold and can't seem to breath properly. Joy.

I received an email from the PA to the MD last week asking me when I would work until. I intend to work until a month before I am due (so until the 3rd of June or thereabouts).
If my evenings continue to be as sleepless as the last two I am not sure I will keep to my plan. My husband has even taken to sleeping in the other room in an attempt to get some sleep. Wish I could too!

On a plus note, the nursery is starting to take form! Matt and I had an energetic weekend moving the whole house around. Now my dining room is a study come dinning room. It was that or move out to a bigger house. This appeared the easier option.

Right, time for bed. I may be up blogging around 4.00am ;-)

Got the pram!

I ordered my Pliko pram from www.babys-mart.co.uk last week. If I had purchased it through mamasandpapas it would have cost us £450 but after checking it on Kelkoo I found babysmart and saved myself £70! Result!

Matt and I spent approximately an hour setting it up and changing it from Stroller to Pram to Infant Carrier. (What a way to spend Friday night! How times have changed, lol.) It was a bit krypton factoresque but I am sure I will be a dab hand in no time at all. The instructions weren't the best in the world either.

I like the polker dot design though...

A Taste of What's to Come...

Over the past couple of days (my 'off' days as I currently work a part time week... bliss) I have had a little taste of motherhood.

Yesterday I visited my cousin who has a a newborn (well three months now) and also a toddler of about a 1yr. I was holding Micheal (3 months) while mum was out getting his bottle ready. He cried. He cried VERY loudly. I can handle this I thought... can't I?! This is a taste of what's to come...

Then today I helped my 6yr old cousin (it's at this point you may realise I have quite a large family) to make an Easter bonnet for a school competition. I prefer this age to 3 months but gee whiz she was hard work. Firstly we had to buy nearly every possible type of fluffy chick to go on the hat and then there are the bunnies, flowers, twigs, a nest etc... it was a BIG job and in the end I was absolutely kn*ckered! A taste of what's to come I thought to myself again!

I don't think my fatigue was helped today by the fact I went to Aqua Fit this morning at my local leisure centre.

I have been swimming on the odd occasion during my pregnancy and I always seem to go, just by chance, around the time of the Aqua Natal class. This week I decided to actually attend as I have a real desire to talk to other mothers-to-be at the moment. So I woke up earlier than I wanted to and rushed down to Dorking Leisure Centre for a 10.30 start to the Aqua Natal class. It was just my luck that on this occasion 'Rona' the class instructor was off ill. Great. Not wanting to waste the effort I had put in to get there I did 20 lengths - lapping the other pregnant ladies who were mainly chatting. I wanted to chat too but I knew no one and no one seemed to want to know me! I felt like the new kid in the school playground! Every time I seemed to bob up for air whilst I swam I heard one of the women say 'cesarean' or another hot topic pregnancy related word.

Just as I was about to get out of the pool to go home I remembered that another Aqua fitness class was about to start. This one was called Aqua Fit and was run by what looked like Chris Akabussi! I asked the instructor if I could join in as the Aqua Natal hadn't happened and he said it would be fine as long as I didn't kick too high. The class was really good and Chris often paid me individual attention when the activity was not ideal for me. One hour later and I was spent. I tried to have a sleep in the afternoon in preparation for the Easter Bonnet making but just as my head hit the pillow 'Bob' decided it was time for his own 'Aqua Fit' class and continued to bounce and kick continually. Revenge is sweet Bob must of been thinking - no nap was had.

Finally the Bump is Getting Annoying

Over the past three months, when I have seen friends and family I have been constantly asked 'How are you feeling?' and 'How is it all going?'. I have responded quite honestly with 'Absolutely fine'. Until now...

I have to say this week everything seems to be changing. Both Monday & Tuesday morning was an effort to get up for work after not sleeping well (as I now can't sleep in my usual face down position). Additionally I think my belly has just about overtaken my boobs and now protrudes further... I could go on... Rising from bed now incurs a 'Euegh' sound as I wrench myself up and I think I got my first stretch mark this week (or was it a sheet crease?). All this is resulting in a Moody Sue! Never I nice thing.

Tonight Matt and I went to Tesco to do our monthly shop. I was drawn to anything with purple coloured packaging as this is 'chocolate colour' in my world. I didn't really enjoy an experience that I usually do enjoy, which is a shame. This was because I was getting tired and couldn't help with packing or moving any of the shopping so it all seemed to take longer!

Yesterday I received a call from an NCT lady named Christine who was holding a mid-pregnancy gathering this week and asked if I would like to attend, which I do. Unfortunately now it is looking like there isn't enough people going so so is being cancelled. Shame - I was looking forward to seeing other bumps! My Antenatal course is due to start at the beginning of May. That seems like AGES away at the moment. If my bump is annoying now what am I going to be like then!

Right, sleep now...

National Childbirth Trust

Today I filled in my NCT antenatal forms, albeit a bit late.

A lot of my friends have raved about NCT groups in my area, mainly because of the friends they met during the course who they have kept in touch with. I knew I wanted to do NCT rather than traditional NHS antenatal courses from the start but unfortunately no one really told me when to apply. I thought the classes stated at about 30 weeks but apparently its earlier just in case you are premature.

In an ideal world I would have thought my mid-wife would of told me when I needed to apply for antenatal classes but no such luck. In fact so far my mid-wife (or wives as I have had two) have been nice but in a rush... so busy in fact that they haven't even just asked 'How are you?'. Why the NHS is laying people off rather than employing more is beyond me. Guess I need to have a word with Tony Blair.

Back to NCT. The first step I took to get in touch with my local group was going on to www.nct.org.uk and find my local groups telephone number. The site isn't the best to navigate around and I was a little disappointed that there wasn't an email address and again I couldn't find any information on WHEN I needed to apply for my classes. Maybe I just wasn't looking properly...

The local NCT lady I spoke to on the phone was really lovely and friendly. She congratulated me on my pregnancy and sent me the forms promptly for me to fill in. The pack sent was a little unstructured, but had lots of useful information on the local events and what NCT were all about. The cost of my course is £175 - a lot considering it can be free but I am sure it will be worth it. Well watch this space and I will tell you!

One little note if you are thinking about doing NCT. The cost includes a membership fee which apparently is not obligatory (it is in small print) . I have chosen to be a member as I am not really sure what I will miss out on if I don't become one but it costs £25 (or about that) so if you are a bit strapped for cash then that could be one way to save some money.

I went to Bingo tonight with mum for Mothers Day. I was hoping to win for once to buy a full furniture range for Bob (that's babies name until born by the way) from Mamas & Papas. No such luck... £30 down and I ate a 'Big Eat' packet of crisps and Bassets Jelly Babies. I wish I could control my eating!!!!!!

24 Weeks Pregnant: Better Late Than Never

So... my husband has a blog, his friends have blogs and tonight I searched for other pregnant women's blogs and to my surprise couldn't find any!!! (already using too many '!' - that will become a habit). It was at this point I decided to start my own (late) pregnancy blog.

When I say I couldn't find ANY pregnancy blogs I am lying. I found one (http://www.emmasdiary.co.uk) but the postings were weekly and although I started to enjoy reading it I (bigheadedly - is there such a word?!) thought I could write a better one.

So here goes!

I am 24 weeks pregnant, I am 27, female (obviously), married, live in Surrey (that's all the info I can give on that one, I don't want to be sniffed out by freaks... erm), am a Graphic Designer and am at a really exciting stage of my life expecting my first child!

Unfortunately I am starting this blog late - I wish I had thought of it earlier. I have had the morning sickness, the anxiety, the heart palpitation's and shock! (although some mornings I am still in shock - good shock though). I am now experiencing the growth, wriggles and thinking about the birth. Eak!

I have so much to write - it's hard to know where to start! But as this is a blog I shall describe my day...

By now - 24 weeks 4 days, I have heard a few scary birth stories (why do mums enjoy telling first timers about those?) which have included a few premature birth stories. One friend described their son arriving at 30 weeks. It was at this point I thought 'sh*t' (can you swear on a blog?) - my husband and I haven't prepared... well... anything! We have a little baby suit which was a gift from Matt's (husband's name by the way) step mum and dad but that's about it. Hardly enough to be a super mum is it!? So in preparation today we went shopping, going to Mothercare and Mamas & Papas in Staines (as we were in the area). We were impressed with the Mamas & Papas shop and assistance but Mothercare was a bit naff. (My husbands blog goes into more detail on this if you are interested www.firetop.co.uk).

One of the things I could really do with at this stage of my pregnancy is a list of what I need as a first time mum. I have read magazines, looked online and read information books but I can't seem to find this info. Today I did! Inside the Mamas & Papas catalogue is a rather in depth list (obviously as they want to sell a lot of the items on the list!). They also have them online here.

I have concluded from our shopping visit today that two of the first things - and most expensive things we need is a cot/bed and a pram/pushchair. We are looking at the Pliko Pramette and the Eloise cot/bed.

OK, it is at this point of the evening (or more like morning) that I am realising how time consuming blogging is. I am getting tired now - I am pregnant after all! Time for bed.

Night night!