35 Weeks Pregnant

So as of Thursday I was/am 35 weeks pregnant. I'm so glad I'm near the end though now. At the moment we are expierencing the hottest weather ever! So hot I'm writing this at 19:15 and it is 27.3 degrees still. To say I am coping would be a massive understatement because I don't feel like I'm coping at all! I feel all stupid because I don't look pregnant and I'm struggling so much in the heat! The symptoms I'm expierencing don't help me either but you would have thought oh she's used to them by now. Yeah I am but these odd new ones I'm not. So the symptoms this week are:

Heartburn

Indigestion

Swollen feet

Headache/Migraine (which won't go away with pain killers)

Pins and needles in my back and toes

Pain in tummy which I can't tell difference to if it's baby moving or pain

Lower backache 

Come on princess mummy's getting fed up now 

Hospital Bag

I've half packed my hospital bag today but really need to finish it off! I really don't know what I need to take for myself and I know I should google it but everything else just seems to be getting in the way. It's either to hot to do it or I say I don't have old clothes to use and everything but I really should sort it out even if it means going and getting bits and pieces to put in it. I have all the baby's stuff though so that's the most important but if it's still this hot she won't need her blanket at all!! 

Bad day

Well today has been a bad day for me the weather is really upsetting me along with the fact I'm drinking loads but hardly peeing doesn't help sorry for too much info there. I'm starting to hurt everyday from the moment I get up to the moment I fall asleep. It's been worse the last few days. I'm constantly getting pain in my tummy and now I can only just about tell what's baby's moving and what's pain! Surely that's not right? So I'm currently lay down in my room while I write this because I've just hit my limit. I have a headache but I can't sleep because I'm feeling so stressed and so so hot. 

Today we was supposed to do loads of things. Have they been done? No. Only the shopping has been done which is lovely isn't it! All because the boys decided playing with the shed and putting stuff in it would be more fun! I'm just cheesed off but for now I'm going to play a game and try relax! 

Blog soon bloggers 

Oh no!!!!

  I know I'm a moaner but omg!!!! I have my first end of pregnancy symptom!! Other than the pains I've been getting. I have a swollen foot! Yes one!!! Not both but one!!! Agh!!! The end is near!! 

Hospital Stay - Saturday

  By now I was starting to get fed up of being in the same place with nothing being done but today the nursing staff were brilliant. Kept me informed and even let me go off the ward with my parents and John. I had been stuck on the ward for 2 days other than going to the QE for the scan so I really was pleased to get some fresh air. It was the constant unknown that got to me. I went down to the garden for some fresh air. It really did help. Not much happened on Saturday to be honest. The staff were lovely and other than going out for some fresh air I spent the day on the ward. Me and H played Monopoly on the iPad and just chilled.. On the night I couldn't face the hospital food so we ordered some food from a local take away. It was just a nice chilled day, and I was happy because I was kept in the loop about what was going on with my care and why they felt I needed so much monitoring. I went to sleep happy that night. 

Hospital Stay - Friday

   This morning I wasn't in the best of moods due to not getting much sleep. I refused breakfast and a drink as I just wanted to sleep. The midwife came to do my obs and listen to baby and she also gave me the clexane. I wasn't happy as they didn't have the dose I needed so I ended up with 2 needles at last nights dose and this mornings. She said about putting me on the monitor to monitor baby for a bit. I didn't mind them monitoring baby as it just meant I could lie down and do nothing. All I was waiting for was the scan anyway. I was told that the transport to take me over the road to the QE would be arriving about 1pm. Eventually I got up and put the stockings on as I had took them off to sleep else I would have been up all night they was driving me that crazy. I didn't even bother getting dressed. I just stayed in my pj's. When the transport arrived I just put my slippers on and went over in my pjs. I was expecting to go to a ultrasound department or something but I didn't. I ended up in nuclear medicine which confused me. I wasn't quite sure why I was in nuclear medicine until I was called into the room for my scan. 

 

    When I was called in for my scan and I entered the room I had a consent form shoved at me and was asked to sign it. It just confused me even more so I asked why even though I felt backed into a corner to sign it. The reason was because they wanted to breathe in radioactive gas so they could see my lungs on the scanner and then after that I would be given a radioactive dye so my blood circulation would show up. After all this I was told that there would be a risk to my baby by having the radioactive gas and dye. I felt even more bewildered but I signed the forms and went ahead because I felt I had to. I had the scan and then went back to the women's hospital where I was told that someone would look at my scan today and give me the results. I can happily say that didn't happen. They messed me around all day and I was so upset, I ended up in tears while talking to my mum and dad on the phone. Even in tears when I spoke to John. Just seemed that everything warranted tears especially when they all popped home and john facetimed me so I could see my babies. I was a blubbering mess. Do you think a doctor turned up? No. Visiting time came at 7pm and still no doctor, I'd got so upset and annoyed. 

  8pm came and visiting had ended they wanted to get my family to leave but I was so glad when my dad had told them that no one was leaving until we all saw a doctor to find out what was going on. Today was the luckiest day for me really weren't it at 8:15 the doctor came to tell me they hadn't looked at my scan and I'd be there for the weekend, because there was no one available over the weekend to look at it. After all this my dad had words and was able to get my fan brought up because it was so hot aswell and had spoken to them about turning out the light right outside the cubicle window.. Once my fan had been brought up about 9pm I settled down and had a shower, settled in bed and then waited for the Wngland match to come on. 

Hospital Stay - Thursday

  I got onto the ante-natal ward about midday, which was when H had to go because he'd been up all night at work and then come to mine for the scan. Then all the waiting for a bed that I found out once I was on the ward had been available since 2am that morning. How do I know that? The other ladies in the bay told me. When I got to the ward the staff were quite nice offered me something to eat which I refused as I wasn't hungry. I had to be fitted for stockings which as you can guess are lovely. Not! Well it's something that needed to be done especially as they was treating me for a suspected blood clot.

    After about a hour on the ward a midwife came to tell me they'd booked the scan of my lungs for tomorrow and arranged transport as I had to go over the road to the QE for my scan. There wasn't much they could do that day really it was just obs and waiting. I was told I had to have clexane injections to thin my blood. I knew I should of cared but I really just didn't. I was too scared to care, to worried about my daughter even though nothing was wrong with her and just so upset. It's the first time in hospital I've had to stay on my own because all my admissions have been as a child so my mums always been with me.

Mum had to leave in the afternoon as she needed to come home because the dog had been left in the house without going for his walk even though he'd been for a walk in the morning and let out when mum had popped home to pick up some stuff for me while I was in ante-natal waiting for the bed to be available. I was sat there on my own and I was in good spirits. I just muddled through it and visiting time came and my mum,dad and H came and they brought me some more stuff from home and a few little snacks to eat. I loved seeing them and dad was just a clown like normal, that cheered me up. Until they left when visiting ended.. I've never felt so alone, I had the clexane injection and from the time they left at 8 until about 1am I just cried. I knew crying wasn't going to get me anywhere but I couldn't help it I was alone in hospital for the first time and it felt so scary. The midwife wasn't listening to the fact that the stockings were making my legs itchy and sore which just made me feel worse. I'd also been in pain with the right side of my chest all day but now at night it haut felt so much more. About 1am I had pain relief and I think the combination of pain relief and tiring myself out from crying just knocked me out that night.

29 Week Appointment - Growth Scan

  So this is like 3 weeks late now but least it's being done. My blog has been neglected lately which I apologise for, however a lot has been happening in my life and around in my family.

  I went for my 29 week growth scan on Thursday 12 June and wow what happened never even crossed my mind!! I thought I'd have my scan and then just go home after seeing the consultant I was so wrong. I got up early as my appointment was at 9:10 for my scan and had to make sure the dog had been sorted before H got here to take us for the scan and I woke up not wanting to get up, maybe I had a feeling that something wasn't going to go right, however I got up and sorted, helped my mum around the house and when H turned up he had some breakfast and a drink before leaving to go to the hospital.

  On the way to the hospital H kept falling asleep which didn't surprise me but scared me as he was driving! I don't hold much hope for our next appointment which again is a morning appointment. With my appointment being a morning one, they don't have much time to run behind which was good because we was seen pretty much 5 minutes after my scan appointment, was lovely to see my little girl on the screen and be told everything was ok with her. They printed off a photo for me to keep which was lucky as I'd been told they don't do that anymore. After my scan I just had to wait to see my consultant. I went through ante-natal and saw my consultant and asked him to sign my form for my maternity grant. I then decided to ask him about a pain I was having in my right lung area. He checked me over and then told me he needed to speak to my consultant as I was seeing one of his team. When he came back in he didn't look happy but who is when they have to give someone bad news. Although he checked my chest and lungs he had said I needed to be admitted and that I would be treated for a suspected blood clot on my lung. I was so scared and then I just had to wait to be transferred to the ward.

25 Weeks - Glucose Tolerance Test

  So at 25 weeks I had my GTT. Now if your going to ask what a GTT is it means Glucose Tolerance Test. It's a test done on pregnant women to test the amount of glucose in the blood and how well your body is working at getting rid of Glucose. The test is done to see if pregnant women are at risk of developing Gestational Diabetes. If you have gestational diabetes the main concern is that your unborn baby will grow larger and make a natural delivery more complicated and harder.

  They normally arrange a GTT for between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. I had mine at 25 weeks. I had to be up and at the hospital by 9am, so that I could have blood taken and then drink this glucose drink which was orangey but horrid. Then it was just waiting. Waiting, and more waiting. I had 2 hours to pass till they took the others bloods and time just seemed to drag. I listened to my music, played on my phone, read some of my book. In the end I ended up on facebook and a game killing my iPhone battery.

  I felt kind of sick towards the end and I just had to keep willing myself to get through it because I knew if I was sick then I'd have to come back for another GTT and I really didn't want to because for me it was bad enough getting up early for it once never mind twice. When my little miss is here I won't mind being up early because I'll have a reason to get up then. I'll have a beautiful little girl to wake up too. After what seemed like forever they called me to have my second set of bloods and then I could go home. I just had to wait until Thursday tea time. If they called me by then it meant that my result was positive and I had to go back to find out what would happen. However if they didn't call it meant my result was fine and I hadn't developed Gestational Diabetes.

Now since the beginning of my pregnancy I've been adamant that something is going to go wrong for me. Call it a gut feeling. When I first fell pregnant I had a gut feeling I was having a girl and I was right. So my gut feeling had to be right this time. I was sure that this is what would go wrong. I just knew it in my head. I was lucky I guess. I had no phone call I even phoned them on Friday morning and my result was fine I could finally relax and look forward to seeing my little miss at my growth scan.

22 Weeks Scan

   On April 28th I had my 20 week scan at 22 weeks. I was so looking forward to seeing my princess again. Sat in the waiting area of the scan department there was this young lady who already had a child so was obviously her 2nd child. Well she had her mum and sister with her also. Anyway they got called in and her mum went with her while her sister went outside for a fag. Obviously time passes and I still hadn't been called in for my scan. Next thing I saw and heard were one the things I feared the most throughout my whole pregnancy. I saw this woman's mom and sister in tears. Then I turned away and her mum must've phoned someone in their family because I heard her say that her daughters baby had died in the womb.

   After hearing that I was on edge the whole time I was waiting for someone to call my name. It felt like a complete lifetime. I know it must've only been half an hour more of waiting before they called me, just felt like forever. They called me into the scan room and I was still on edge. Even when the sonographer was putting the gel on my stomach until I saw her little heartbeat I couldn't be put at ease. Finally there we saw it her little heart beating. They asked if I knew the sex of my baby in case we saw her girly bits on the screen and I didn't want to know but I said we already knew and they confirmed for me she's a girly. Was lovely to see her again on the screen wiggling away and kicking out. We also saw her yawn and hiccup which was lovely. The sonographer even printed a face on view of my little girl.

I'll leave you with some pictures.

Take my breath away

  Well everyone says there's moments in life that are so amazing or spectacular that it takes their breath away. Well today I've experienced a new meaning to this! Literally having my breath took away by walking. Walking of all things! Like seriously? Well yes.

It's starting to look like my little monkey is making her stamp and pushing my diaphragm up and it's making it hard to breathe. I can't even walk as fast! A little old dear walked from the bus stop to the bottom of my road before I even got to my house and I live half way down it! I was at the top of the road when I saw her at the bottom and turning the corner. I was shocked at how slow I've become no wonder my dad powered off when we was on holiday in great yarmouth! 

So yes baby girl you are taking my breath away very literally so will you stop leaning against my ribs or something and just move! Please? If not I'll think about re-naming you with a name that means monkey! 

Insomnia

I have trouble sleeping every night but it seems tonight more than most and I'm not sure why. All I do know is that it feels like I constantly need to pee or that I'm crushing a hip whichever side I lie on. I've tried getting comfy with a pillow and it just isn't helping. I feel like I want to cry. I've got another 11 weeks of this and when I do get up to pee it's for the minuscule amount when it feels like I'm fit to burst!

My little miss keeps moving as well which doesn't seem to be helping. Argh. Even when I've been to the bathroom the minute I leave I feel like I need to go again! I don't think it's my night tonight. Then again I've noticed another thing that's been annoying me the last few nights. Is that the bottom of my tummy has been hot and itchy. It's only been happening the last few nights but it's so annoying!! 

Well I'm going to love and leave you all as it's 20 past midnight and I have to be up early to sign on for the very last time tomorrow. Well today as on Monday I phone up to change my benefits over!

Night night mummies, daddies, babies, fellow bloggers. I'm signing out. 

16 Weeks - Gender Scan

  Well we couldn't really wait much longer so we booked a gender scan and such an amazing experience it was. I got to take my mum and dad with me as well so they got to see our little monkey. It was amazing we also got a sneek peak at our baby in 4D but we couldn't see much as all our baby showed us was her back..
She also likes lying on her head so I will leave you know with 2 of the photos from seeing our little princess.. Our pink bump..

16 weeks

    My 16 week appointment has got to be the best appointment I've had and that's because I heard my baby's heartbeat for the very first time. Just me and my mum as H works nights so has said he'd only make the scans. I got my booking bloods back which were good except I was told that I'm borderline anemic. But still the best part was hearing her heart beat. I was on such a high after that.

    I was told the next time I saw the midwife would be at 24 weeks due to having shared care and at 20 weeks I will be seeing the consultant at the hospital. Not much to say about that day other than it went quickly.

12 Weeks - Part 2

So I left my scan feeling quite disheartened. I was staying at my boyfriends the week of my scan and as we go on I will mention my boyfriend who is my babys dad and I'm aware I've given him 2 names so far in my blog. His name is John, however I may refer to him as H (family nickname for him). Now I've cleared that up I can get on with my post.

  I left my scan feeling quite disheartened but happy that I got to see my baby and know that her heartbeat was present. I spent that Monday at home with my mum till I went back to John's on the night time. Tuesday came and I was feeling a little bit better but what happened that morning I didn't expect. The hospital called me to say they had an appointment on Thursday I could have. So of course I said yes and then rang mum to tell her what they had said and would she come with me. I couldn't wait till Thursday came, but I kept myself busy.

  I got up early on Thursday morning as we had to go and get my mum from home before we went to the hospital for my scan. When we got to the hospital I booked in and then we just had to wait, wait and wait. Now there's something about hospitals which means after a while my mum has to go out for some fresh air because they make her incredibly hot. Looking back on it now I know I should have sent John after her when they called me as they called me in while she was outside but I was torn I didn't know what to do. So I just went in. I handed over my notes again and then got asked why I was there for a scan because my baby won't have grown much. I didn't have an answer, I just looked bewildered. She said she'd scan me anyway and see if she could see anything so that's what she did. The pictures we got the baby were so clear. I regret not having my mum in there with me I really do even though there's nothing I can do to change it now. She was able to take all the measurements she needed and printed off the pictures we had paid for. It then meant I had to go for my bloods.

 As I left the scan room I saw my mum sitting there in the waiting room but she said it was ok that she had missed me going in because she needed air. It was only after I found out she was disappointed that she'd missed it and it did really upset me. I went round to the clinic to have my bloods taken. I had to take a ticket and then go wait for the number to come up on the screen. H came with me when it was time for me to have my bloods. We found out I have deep veins which is why the community staff couldn't get blood. The nurse taking the blood didn't scratch me she jabbed me. After my bloods we left and my mum was happy to have her own copy of the scan.

12 Weeks - Part One

  So I've been for my 12 week scan and the troubles we had when I was there. I went with a full bladder as they tell you to. Typical community center though and were is the waiting room? Yep your correct... right outside the toilets. Midwives were in the room right next to me all they seemed to be doing was chatting away there was no-one else there except for me. 

  They called me in and started asking me questions. Asking me for forms. I was so confused and just had to tell them all the forms I had been given were inside my red plastic wallet that I'd been keeping my pregnancy notes in. They didn't seem impressed. It wasn't my fault. They weighed me and then asked me to take a seat back outside to wait for the sonographer that was at the clinic. My one question is why are midwives never on time? Is it a perk of there job? Do they like being late? Just wondered like as there either late or uncontactable. The sonographer called me, my mum and babys dad into the room she was going to perform the scan in and so off we went. She took my notes off me and I lay on this bed while she got the jelly and ultrasound probe ready. She started scanning me and kept clicking away, then all of a sudden with no warning she pressed the probe down with both hands into my lower stomach. OUCH! The only thing I could think and then while still pushing down hard she tried to snap some pictures and take the measurements she needed to. Now this is just me but I think that they should tell you if they think the problem could be your bladder being too full, but no not this one. She huffed and she puffed until she said she couldn't see anything clearly enough to do everything she needed to. Only then did she suggest doing the urine sample and emptying my bladder before trying again. 

   Off I went and did as she said then went back into the room and the same thing as before but she could see baby better and she pointed out my little monkeys heartbeat which was a huge relief to all of us. She still couldn't take any mesurements so she referred me to the hospital for 2 weeks later and sent me to have my bloods done. I went off with a scan of my baby round to have my bloods done to find that after 3 attempts they couldn't get blood either so when my scan date came through I had to also have my blood taken. 

  I left that appointment feeling a bit disheartened really because even though I left with a picture of my baby it was a blurred picture and I hadn't really got to see her.

  

The Booking Appointment

  All I had to do now was wait for the booking appointment with the midwife. I didn't have to wait that long really but it seemed like forever because she was on annual leave and then never got back to me for a week and when she finally called I was relieved because I had my scan booked for the following week. I was very nervous I wouldn't have notes in time and then the community centre would turn me away so I wouldn't be able to see my baby.

   The midwife was supposed to be at my house for my booking appointment at 10 in the morning. Now foolishly and stupidly thought she would be, especially after my mum said she'd stay as long as she needed to. All because I was nervous. I was worried the midwife would say something about my dog. Well 20 past 10 came and no-one had come. Which meant my mum had to leave for work and I was on my own. God my nerves we're making my brain trip. 

   I sat waiting with the tv on and as I got up to check out the window I saw a car pulling up with a women in a nurses uniform pulling up. So I thought yeah this is her. I went to the hallway door to open it so I could stand in the porch and re door wouldn't open. Crap. The door was working only half an hour ago. I panicked. I kept trying the door and it wouldn't work. The only option I had was the side door into the living room... 

  I went out to meet my midwife and explain the door wasn't working an she's have to come through the side door. I felt like such an idiot. Even though she had no problem with it, I can tell you I did. I sat there feeling like a right numpty. I don't even know what I was worried about. All that happened was the midwife asked me lots of questions about my family. About my baby's dad's family. Then just lots of information about when I will have appointments, what they will be for and information leaflets on all types of things. One thing that caught my eye was a leaflet from Anthony Nolan. 

The Second Scan - 7 weeks

  As you may start to realise there is a lot to get through bearing in mind I only have 11 weeks and 3 days left till my due date. So as you can see and have seen you've been informed of what happened when we found out and when I had my first scan and as your reading this you know this is about my second scan. I'm going to catch you up with this pregnancy as quick as I can posting mainly about the scans and midwife visits until I get to 28 weeks which is this week. Then I'll keep you updated as much as I can but there's lots of changes going on here and it may be a bit hard. Here goes....

  I had the letter through for my second scan, for the second week of January. So I was going to be able to see my little baby again only 2 weeks after seeing nothing on the ultrasound screen. I was excited yet nervous again. But all went well and we saw our little bean who we now know is a little girl for the very first time. To see that little heart beating away was a huge relief. Here is the first glimpse of my little miracle....

The First Scan - 5 Weeks

    That next day I received the phone call for the time of my scan. Looking back on it now I think as if it hurt that much just having back pain. I called the baby's dad to tell him what time the scan was and he said that he'd be over just before to pick me up and so he was. The journey to the hospital felt like the longest journey I've ever been on. Not knowing what was going to happen. All the worst possible scenarios were running through my mind. My gut just told me it wasn't meant to be.

   Everything seemed to take forever. Even sitting in the scan department that afternoon. It seemed like every minute was an hour not knowing. Just thinking what's going to happen next. Am I going to be ok? Is this life inside of me ok? Finally I got called through for my scan and I was so nervous. I remember looking at the screen and seeing nothing. I don't even know what I was looking for, but in my head I saw nothing. The sonographer was turning things and moving the ultrasound probe. All that was in my head was that I'd lost the baby.

   After what seemed like forever she said my Fallopian tubes were normal and that there was a yolk sac, and it was where it was supposed to be. So the back pain wasn't anything to do with the baby. Well that's what I thought. She re-booked me for another scan in 2 weeks to see how things we're developing and to find out if my pregnancy was a viable pregnancy. So there It was ok we couldn't see anything or make sense of anything but she could and that's what mattered. That's the beginning to my little monkeys journey. A journey which is going to end sometime in September or even August. A very unexpected start to 2014.

 

A catch up

    So for everyone who knows me they know I'm 28 weeks pregnant with a little girl. I found out I was pregnant just after a Christmas break to go and see my boyfriends parents as they work away. They was working in Portsmouth at the time. We went for a few days after Christmas and while I was away and the day we came back I was in such pain with the right hand side of my back. So much it brought me to tears.

    My dad said it was best to go to the hospital and that's exactly what we did. We went to A&E. Now finding out your pregnant at home is going to be a shock enough especially when you wasn't expecting it. So finding out in A&E wasn't exactly ideal. Well not for me anyway. After hours of waiting in A&E they transferred me to the women's hospital as they wanted to rule out an eptopic pregnancy. So yeah I've just been told i'm pregnant and now there telling me the pain I'm experiencing could mean I'm loosing the baby.

   I waited to be told that the scanner on the ward they put me on was dodgy so the consultant wouldn't be able to have a clear picture of what was going on. I had two options let them scan me that night or come home and go back for a scan in the morning. All I wanted to do was to come home but I was in so much pain. I was lucky as they sorted the pain for a few hours, so I came home. That night was the worst night ever pain wise I woke a few times feeling like I couldn't move, breathe, I couldn't even call for help.