Showing posts with label aged 42. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aged 42. Show all posts

Friday, 20 November 2015

Third Trimester Tiredness and Pregnant at Aged 42

I am in shock at how very tired I am. During the first trimester I was in bed by 21:15 nearly every night and kept telling the husband "don't worry I will have loads of energy in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters" just.like.last.time.... Yes, it turned out to be true of the 2nd trimester but now that I am in the 3rd, I am 30 weeks but looking like I am 40 weeks and if I am honest I am struggling. It's another large baby and just as with Aaron, my bump is measuring +2. For anyone who says "those bump measurements are notoriously innaccurate" at the 4d scan they measured the baby's head circumference, abdomen circumference and femur length and I think all of those measurements put my new baby girl on the 94th growth percentile. Again, a duplicate of her brother.

Just like with Aaron my bump is all out in front, very large, and no extra weight anywhere else on my body, not even around the face and no swollen ankles yet either. Despite the change in gender, the only difference seems to be that with Aaron I had no morning sickness whereas this time it was from week 6 to week 14.

The limited number of blogs and vlogs I have done are purely due to how tired I am, and how little get up and go I have. So so so so so many thinks I was MEANT to do this week.

If I was one of those organised Mums who already had a nursery set up (from about 25 weeks on) then it wouldn't be a problem. I could carry on watching 2-3 Xmas movies a day (as has become my habit) except I have done nothing and have bought nothing. Ooooops. We don't even know what we've done with the screws to the cot. And if we don't find them soon, I will have to be contacting Cosatto to ask if there is such a thing as them being able to post them to us....... eeek.

I've just decided to tweet them and see if they can help:



Hmmm, turns out he is going to HAVE to find them as Cosatto have already replied to me, as below. 



I've already phoned the number and got a blow by blow account. Blow (1) THAT cot is discontinued blow (2) we no longer use the factory that made it (3) we don't really do many cots any more and (4) we ran out of that spare part half way through this year and as we don't use that factory anymore won't be getting anymore in *cries*......... looks for hubby!!!

I filed EVERYTHING to do with baby when I was expecting Aaron, so I just abandoned this post for a second, while I went through everything trying to ascertain the model name/number of the cot, but guess what I found... the paperwork for our travel system. I've been beating myself up that I had one in place (during my last pregnancy) much sooner last time, but yet the paperwork tells me I ordered it on 26th May... that was cutting it fine considering Aaron's due date was 7th June. He was 8 days late and born on 15th June. I actually paid full price, up front, for a buggy at the February baby show, but a couple of months later got cold feet about how much I'd spent and got a refund. I then spent the next few months researching buggies (alongside working really long hours) even joining Which, temporarily, so I could read all of the technical reviews on buggies. I ended up going for a travel system that lasted me for 2.5 years. I never upgraded to a stroller, and just always used our buggy. Aaron was out of it at 2 and onto a scooter, then a balance bike and then straight to a proper bike never a stabilizer in sight. We used to walk about a minimum of 20 miles a week so he always had to have some sort of wheels (I don't drive) and we'll be the same again as now I walk about 30 miles a week.

I don't even know where my wrap is, and I was big into baby wearing last time, carrying Aaron until he was a year and a half old. Yes I used the buggy too, but living in a flat, the wrap was invaluable for getting him up the stairs when I had shopping in both arms. It was also invaluable when hanging washing on the line or bringing it in. I would even chop vegetables amongst many other chores whilst "wearing" him. It was a life saver as there are often times when they don't want to be put down and it is so so nurturing for them to hear out heartbeat and of course share our warmth. A wrap means at least you can be mobile and not tied to the sofa. I must find mine from the Aaron days, although I am longing for a We Made Me one this time.

Even though I say I have not bought anything, yet, thanks to HushCush and Nature's Purest, I do have baby's nursing pillow and first baby grow :-)

Just need to work out what else I need.

I haven't had my camera much in my hand of late, so don't really have any photos to share with you. Friday 13th November I wore a onesie for Children In Need movie night at school and I looked enormous in it. I'd intended to get one of my fellow PTA mums to get a snap for me, and would be including it here, but it was so busy getting everything just right, I never did get chance to pass my camera to someone. Haven't had chance to get hubby to take a recent bump shot either. I know! Pregnant blogger fail alert!

That's one of the reasons I hung fire on writing this post, as I only like to put blog posts together when I have the photos to go with them. 9 times out of 10 it's always photos that prompt blog posts.

Back to what I need to get for baby number two. In case I have problems breastfeeding again, one of these is definitely on my shopping list:

I suppose if I go in to premature labour without having sourced a buggy, I can always baby wear for the first few weeks but I don't fancy my chances considering I will be post-op as I have a planned C-section and the school run covers 30 miles a week. I do still have Aaron's travel system, but it is black and knackered. The wheels were never ever changed and they cover many many miles. I'd love something fancy for my little Princess, so best get cracking picking one and getting my tired old life sorted out.

In terms of eating, in the first trimester I used to crave salad and quiches. All healthy stuff. Huge portions, huge appetite, eating 6 times a day. Whereas now, I can quite happily have porridge for lunch and just graze at dinner time. My stomach doesn't have much space now and I have really bad heartburn. I like to think my Pregnacare supplements are picking up the slack, as I have the Pregnacare MAXIMUM ones and have taken them throughout my pregnancy.

I'd really love to do a pregnancy Vlog as I had planned on doing one every week throughout my pregnancy, but with this pregnancy tiredness that has descended I just don't imagine how I could be photogenic, watchable or natural on camera. But perhaps I should just film real life. Tired, 42 year old me.

Perhaps I will try and get the energy to wash and straighten my hair tomorrow and do one.

Ah tomorrow, that reminds me, we are getting a new washing machine. Hooorrrraaaah. So that is what I will be busy playing with when everyone else is at Mumsnet Blogfest. I have been to all 3: 2012, 2013 and 2014 and I normally write really good blog posts about the conference - with one of them even winning me a competition (a 3 night stay at Featherdown Farm), but sometimes you have to know your limits and I just knew I don't have the energy for it this time. I'll have to stay off social media or I will be gutted.

With regards to my tiredness, Aaron has been FABULOUS at understanding. Last Friday when we got back from Movie night, the only energetic thing we did, was set up his new (review) ScaleXtric. Then Saturday and Sunday, both days we had a PJ day, and he must have been tired too, as my active boy did not object at all.

In the evenings he's been happy to do low energy things like colouring in, except as you can see he makes me join in too:
Bye for now, I need to put my feet up before the school run ;-) I'm serious!

I am back to add on another bit.

Yesterday a Mum on the school run asked me if I wanted any girl's clothes to which I said "yes please". She already had them with her, all boxed up on the school run this morning, so we transferred them from her car to hubby's. She's given me 5 carrier bags and 2 nappie boxes of gorgeous girl's baby clothes. So, all of a sudden it is all feeling a bit more real. Whoooops!

Liska xxx
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Friday, 6 November 2015

Happy to Be Pregnant! 28 Weeks Pregnant Aged 42

I'm so very happy to be pregnant and thought I'd write about this and remind myself about this after an incredibly frustrating evening (more on that later).

This was me a few weeks ago, below, at 25 weeks' pregnant - currently I am 28 weeks. You can see me on Instagram at 27 weeks here.
So, what's happening? Well last week at 27 weeks I had my glucose tolerance test. This is something you have to have if you are at risk of gestational diabetes OR like me, have a high BMI.

They book you for the 1st appointment of the day, as you are nil by mouth for 12 hours before and this is easiest on a pregnant lady if the bulk of it is as she sleeps.

I am scared of needles, so despite having the same thing in 2010 with Aaron, I Googled it and was relieved to see on a NetMums thread that it is just a finger prick blood test.

But, you can't believe everything you read online. Nope! She took blood the proper and normal way and thank God hubby had accompanied me.

I then had to consume a glucose drink, which I collected on prescription just before my appointment (annoyed that the chemist opened at 08:34 instead of 08:30 meaning my blood was taken at 08:40 and I have a thing about punctuality so hadn't wanted to keep the nurse waiting).

She then took my second lot of blood at 10:40 so  it was the exact 2 hours.

That day I was like a pin cushion with a plaster on both my left AND right arms. Blood from left arm at 08:40 and right arm at 10:40. 

Aaron's half term workshop at school started at 10:30 so we rushed straight there which was a great antidote to how shooken up having injections makes me feel.

That was back on 28th October - they said I'd have the results in 5 days but haven't heard a dickie bird yet. Good thing is, with Aaron that was done in hospital whereas nowadays it's done in the GP's. That's local, really convenient, doesn't involve extravagant hospital parking fees AND we were allowed to go home in the intervening 2 hours. RESULT!

Except this week, fast forward a week, now 28 weeks and I had to go in on 5th November for my Anti-D injection, but this time to the Midwife Clinic (also local, also convenient), but I had no idea she was to take blood AGAIN.............. for someone needle phobic it was like gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh but thank God the hubby was with me again, as I'd booked it that way, due to the anti-D injection not knowing I'd get pricked/poked TWICE!!! Eeeek.

So she started preparing my arm for something and asked "which arm do you want it on?" to which I was like "but you've already done it" (I was thrilled with myself as I'd done my yoga mantra and had coped really well) to which she said "nooooo that was blood!". I said "why can't you use last week's two bloods from the GTT?" to which she said "oh that's gone to a different lab!". So she then picked an arm and said it has to be on the outside arm, the fleshy bit on your shoulder and I'd COMPLETELY forgotten that from 2010.

I chatted to hubby as she did it, thinking I could style it out as the blood was so easy but I actually screamed and she then admitted "yes it does sting" but actually, just like holiday injections, my arm actually still hurts now (just on that spot though, not the whole arm).

So I hope that is me done with all the needles now - until the spinal block of course *gulps*.

My next midwife appointment will be the first normal one in ages. She's only ever weighed me once, so no idea how I am doing on that score but she does
  • test my urine
  • take my blood pressure and
  • listen to baby's heartbeat
at every appointment.

Also, bar one, she's been my midwife at every appointment and I love that consistency/familiarity. Feel very blessed as it wasn't at all like that with my first pregnancy, where both the glucose tolerance test AND the anti-D were BOTH done at hospital.

Ironic I was aged 36 then, and am now 42, so presumably I'm higher risk now, but I feel like I am having a more relaxed less invasive pregnancy on a lot of levels.

Big difference this time is I have had a 4d scan (at 25 weeks) as the 20 weeks' NHS anomaly scan did not determine the gender.

I wanted to publish a Vlog and Blog about it, but despite getting our wonderful news that we are indeed having a girl, I was underwhelmed with the 4d scan so haven't felt authentic or able to write about it. Would I have one if I was ever pregnant again? Probably not, or if pushed, definitely somewhere else.

I haven't bought a stitch for baby yet and at 28 weeks am getting somewhat nervous about that fact, BUT I do have baby's first item of clothing as I was sent this (My First Friend Printed Sleepsuit) by Nature's Purest:
I love that it is made from 100% naturally coloured cotton and that the cuffs turnover to make scratch mitts. Something much needed for warmth too considering she'll be born in deep dark Winter.

I adore it and it's made it hit home how small she is going to be, especially compared to Aaron. Although I had to get 0-3 months, not newborn as this babby is measuring big, so like Aaron will not fit into newborn. Anyway the My First Friend sleepsuit does not come in newborn anyway. The uninformed think ALL babies go straight into newborn, but newborn really is for 7 pound babies and Aaron was 9lbs 10oz.

I have also been lucky enough to have been sent a HushCush feeding pillow, which can be used to nurse baby to you, conveniently and portably, be it bottle or breast.

 If you'd like to know more about the pillow, which is a brand new product, then you can watch the video that I filmed at The Baby Show.

So, there are two baby girl products in this house and I have shopping on my mind. First port of call is we must, we really must, build the cot. Just like with Aaron I am not going to use a moses basket as with big babies they just don't fit in it for long enough.

I'll have to be honest I am not giving this blog post my full attention as Eastenders is just too good tonight.

Oh P.S. the reason, at the outset of this post, that I said it's been a frustrating evening is because we spent the whole evening going to and from football even though it wasn't on. But it's because both of his football coaches were in a car crash so I am just relieved they are okay.
 
Bye for now, Liska xx
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