37+3 Belly Pic

Forgot to add this week's belly pic - not much different I don't think.

Terrified!

Last night I started getting some really strong BH contractions - they were regular *boohoo*. They were coming about every 3 minutes, and lasting over a minute - by far the most painful I have had so far this pregnancy. Bub was moving during the BH as well, and my goodness that hurt! I was so scared that they were real contractions - I just thought - I'm not ready yet! I haven't finished packing my bags! I haven't moved Charlotte into her room yet! I haven't done *this* and *that* and *this* LOL. So I got up, put my laptop away, and got ready for bed. I had another couple of tightenings once in bed, but they fizzled out and I got to sleep pretty quickly *phew*. Getting a few tonight - but not regular like last night.

So this morning I worked out all of the things I wanted to get from the shops - those things I have been putting off 'for another day'. And - I had a very successful day! I managed to get everything I wanted! BUT it took sooo long! Charlotte was having little naps in the car, and when we got to our local shops, she was still asleep. I didn't have the pram in the car, and I didn't want to wake her - so I did something I should NOT have done! I carried her! 8 months pregnant - pelvic trouble - exhausted already - carrying a 14-15kg toddler, the entire length of the shopping centre and then some. Thankfully I didn't have too much trouble tonight - wasn't hurting as much as I thought I would LOL.

I think we will stay home tomorrow. I plan on cooking some meatloaf to have tomorrow night and then freeze some of it. Also some lasagne to freeze.

Have heaps of washing to do - have to wash Charlotte's big girl bedding, bub's bedding, and all of those annoying small loads that I keep putting off - the 'wash separately before use' types.

Also want to finish packing hospital bags! Mainly bub's clothes.

There is still one window of curtains in Charlotte's room to be sewn - so that has to be done sometime. Oh and a pram liner!

When can I slow down? Can't wait until everything is done and I can just relax - take it easy - play with Charlotte and enjoy her while I can!

How strange

I actually lost a bit of weight since yesterday! Only 3kg above starting weight this morning! No idea why - but I am happy for it to happen again, and again, and again! LOL

Currently getting some big movements and pressure on my cervix! The movements now are more pushing and less jabbing - poor bub must be getting pretty squished in there!

Darn Maccas ads - all I can think of now is I want some salty chips and some nuggets... hmmm I do have a Maccas less than a km away, and it's 24 hours... hmmm... nah, couldn't be bothered! LOL. So so very tired.

What? 37 Weeks!?!

How did that happen? 37 weeks? *gasps* 3 weeks to go (hopefully - atleast!)

Tired. Sore. Exhausted. That about sums me up! Pelvis is still very very sore, tailbone is sore, tummy is sore, feet are sore. Getting more strong BH now - but still - nothing regular.

Weight - err about err 3.7kg gain now I think - yucko! Might end up gaining 10kgs yet LOL.

It's only 2 weeks until Mum and Dad come up now! Give or take a day or 2! Can't wait! Ray is thinking of finishing work a week before I am due as well - just in case I go early.

Packed some more stuff for Hospital tonight. Just have to decide what clothes to take for bub, and put in a few other small bits and pieces. Also have to check all cameras and phones - make sure they are charged and have memory space etc.

So tired. Will finish there. Need sleeeeep.

More nesting!

Ewww I feel sick - just scoffed down some of that new tiramisu chocolate - bleurgh. On that note...

As of this morning the scales say I have gained 3.5kgs - the scales MUST be broken LOL. Actually the last few days I have noticed a tiny bit of swelling in my fingers and ankles (nowhere near cankles yet though!) - so hoping that has something to do with the weight gain (because it's not the lollies and chocolates bwahahaha).

I spent all day today clearing out our laundry/storage room! Yep, alllll day! Almost the entire floor was covered in boxes and bags and prams and everything else - and has been for weeks - I couldn't even get to the clothes lines properly to hang our clothes out - so have been relying on the dryer a bit - whoops.

I did way too much lifting and carrying and bending and sweeping etc - caused quite a few strong BH. There were a few heavy containers and boxes that I wanted to put into the garage, and I am too impatient to wait until Ray can do it, so I used one of the prams as a trolley LOL Just lifted the container on, wheeled it out - too easy!

So, it still looks a bit of a mess - and there are heaps of bags and boxes of stuff we are giving mum and dad - so once they take (some of) that (will need a couple of trips! LOL), it will look better. Can actually see the floor now! And get to the clothes lines!

I have already half filled the boot with rubbish, and there is another pile in the laundry ready to go - so another 2 or 3 trips to the tip on the weekend.

I am SO exhausted and sore and achey - going to head to bed.

Nesting much?!?

I spent almost 2 hours in the kitchen tonight - from about 9pm - cooking! After having Charlotte, I would either forget to eat lunch, or eat something really bad - so want to cook some meals for my lunch, and also our dinners.

Tonight I cooked some taco mince and mince chow mein, then froze in single serves - these will be for my lunches when I want something more than sandwiches! And cooked up a huge batch of spaghetti bolognaise mince and froze in single serves for the 3 of us for dinners. I will also cook some stir fry for me, and a few more dinners - lasagne, meatloaf, shepherds pie etc. I will also have some silverside and roast beef in the freezer (uncooked) to throw in the slow cooker - too easy!

Oh and I made some milo biscuits a couple of weeks ago - cooked about a 1/3 of the mix, and froze the rest of the dough in a roll. Then a few days later, sliced some rounds, baked them - yummo! So going to freeze some rolls of biscuit dough for snacks (not so healthy!)

Well, that's just the cooking! I have also been through just about every cupboard in every room of the house - cleaning all the junk out. Just this past weekend we filled our car boot - 7 times - and drove out to the tip to dump it all. That was a LOT of rubbish! And that isn't including the loads we took the weekend before, and the loads that will be going this coming weekend!

It feels so good getting rid of so much junk - but the house has been such a mess while doing all of this! And I haven't been keeping on top of the normal housework and washing and ironing etc because of it all. Ray has a long weekend this weekend, so hopefully by Monday, we will have most of the house back to normal.

Then I can work on packing my Hospital bags, getting last minute things ready for bub, and moving Charlotte into her big girl bed!

And THEN for the last couple of weeks before bub comes, I just want to keep up with normal washing etc, spend lots of time playing with Charlotte, and relaxing!

*sigh* I'm exhausted.

36 Weeks

This time last pregnancy, I was getting regular BH contractions everyday, and thinking - will bub arrive soon?

This time - no regular BH! Yay! (so far)

I have been getting some BAD SPD pain though - especially if I over-do it - too much shopping/walking/lifting leaves me hobbling and in a lot of pain by the end of the day. Even bub moving today gave me sharp pains in my pelvis. Oh, and driving in the car - the bumps were not so nice on my pelvis.

Have also been getting some sharp pains in my cervix, and quite a bit of pressure - REALLY hoping this bub doesn't decide to come early. I am hoping to go over actually - ever heard a pregnant woman say that? LOL. I want the house ready, my bags packed, Charlotte moved into her big girl bed, and Mum and Dad here - before bub arrives!

I think bub may have moved into a posterior position - I really hope not - but tonight by belly seems a different shape, and have got some back pain in my tailbone. I don't want another posterior labour!

Weight Gain & Belly Pics

As of this morning I have gained 2.1kg *insert crying smiley here!*. BUT according to the ultrasound, bub already weighs more than that - so I guess it's not too bad! The weight just seems to be coming on no matter what I do now.

32 Weeks ...... 35 Weeks


I think I am actually looking pregnant now! Yay! My bump seems to have dropped a bit now.

This is 34+4 Weeks with Charlotte:



So quite different!

Ultrasound - It's a...

Baby! Bwahahaha - for those of you who don't know what the sonographer's guess was at 20 weeks, well, there is only another 5-6 weeks until you find out hehehehe. But for future reference, the guess today was the same as 20 weeks. The ultrasound wasn't very clear at all, so hard to get some measurements, and hard to get a clear pic of the sex.

The technical stuff:

The baby is in Cephalic LOA position - this is a good thing!

Cephalic presentation
The baby is in a head down position, the most usual position to be born.

LOA or LOP
Describes the position of the baby in the uterus. The L stands for left, O stands for occipito, the part of the baby that will be born first (usually the back of the head), A for anterior or towards the front and P for posterior or towards the back. So LOA means the baby is lying on the mother's left, the back of his head is coming first and his back is turned towards the front of the mother or, if LOP, towards the back of the mother.

Average ultrasound age is 35 weeks 4 days - also good, am 35 weeks today.

Head circumference is measuring just over a week ahead - no suprises there - both Ray and I have big heads LOL. Femur length is measuring almost 2 weeks ahead - don't ask where it get's it's long legs from - no idea! Other measurements are slightly behind.

Estimated foetal weight is 2686g, which is on the 57th percentile (based on previous scan)

The placenta is anterior and non-praevia.

The volume of amniotic fluid is normal. AFI 20cm (normal range 5-20cm) - So top of the range - this would explain why I feel huge and breathless LOL.

So - to sum it up - all good and 'average' - just the way we like it! :)

And, here is a photo of our little one's gorgeous face - looking more like a baby, and less like a skeleton!

Seeing bubba in the morning!

So excited! Can't wait! Will update - hopefully with photos, tomorrow.

34 weeks! Cheerin'

Had my 34 week GP appointment today. He asked if I had any complaints - I just said pelvic pain, that's about it. Blood pressure was ok - 120/80. Urine clear. No swelling. Bub's heartbeat fine. Felt my uterus 'getting big now!'. I mentioned having trouble finding bub's heartbeat yesterday on the doppler, so thought it might be posterior - he said he can't tell where bub is lying.

I then asked for a referral for the ultrasound, and said I have come to beg you for one! (my female GP is on 1 year leave, and she would always roll her eyes at me when I asked for the early ultrasounds!) And he said 'yep, I have no problem with giving you a referral, only medicare doesn't cover it, and you will have to pay for it' I said 'yep, totally understand and I am fine with that'. Then he said 'actually, you really should have an ultrasound to find out which way bub is lying, in case we have to try and get baby into better position' (so if bub is breech etc). So he wrote a referral out with fancy words meaning - too much fat to feel through! hahaha. He asked if it was ok that he put this, and I should be able to claim on medicare. I couldn't care less hahaha. Finally something positive about being a BIG pregnant woman - get to see bub again, hopefully find out sex, and get to claim the scan on medicare!

Now, back to complaining! I mentioned above about pelvic pain. My goodness - it has been bad the last few days. Like this morning, it was crazy busy in town, and I couldn't get a park near the medical centre, so had to park on the other side of the block, up a bit of a hill. I was running late, so I was walking pretty fast down this hill. Then after seeing the doc, I had to walk back up this little hill - I walked fast - why? No idea. So by the time I got home, my pelvis was aching. And it just got worse throughout the day - had to get changed to go out to the tip - putting pants on is painful. Getting in and out of the car is painful. Then we go to get some groceries - Ray parks a few hundred miles from the entrance (slight exaggeration). Lifting Charlotte out of the car hurt. Hobble around the shops, then work out we have to go to the other shop before home - more walking. Then all the way back to the car. To add to the pelvic pain - I was getting BAD braxton hicks contractions, and walking through them hurt like crazy!!! On the drive home I started feeling very sick - I don't know why, but think maybe I just didn't eat enough for lunch. When we got home I let Ray unpack the car, and I sat down. Sitting on the hard kitchen chair hurt, so Charlotte and I went and laid on the bed watching Hi 5 for a while. I got up feeling WORSE! Even more stiff and sore!

*sigh* How many more weeks do I have to go?

So excited!

Ever since our 19 week ultrasound - where they couldn't tell us for sure whether bub is a boy or girl - I have been wanting a gender determination ultrasound, but Ray just thought it was a waste of money! (so yeah, ok, maybe LOL)

Then today when we were talking about baby names, he says that we should get an ultrasound done to find out for sure! It has been bugging him, and he feels he will be much more at ease if we know. I am the same - with Charlotte I knew 100% that she was a girl, and it was so great knowing.

So I rang around today to find out if our local ultrasound place did gender determination, and they said yes! But we will be out of pocket $100, and they can't guarantee we will find out. I rang a couple of places, as we needed to make a time that DH could make - one was booked out for weeks, the other was quite a drive away and didn't do Saturdays. I called our local again to see if they did ultrasounds on Saturdays - they do! The receptionist said they are usually booked out weeks in advance - but they have had a cancellation! Woohoo! So Saturday the 12th is when we will *hopefully* find out whether Charlotte will be getting a brother or sister!

BUT now I have to talk my GP into giving me a referral! GP is booked out tomorrow, so I will see him for my 34 week appointment on Sunday. Then the next pregnancy appointment will be 36 weeks at the Hospital.

Car Seat

Thought I would add this pic here - you can see bub's car seat is in and ready awww.



And I shouldn't panic about my weight - this morning I was 400g lighter than yesterday - then I ate HEAPS today LOL So will probably gain again tomorrow. Obsessed much?