Pregnancy diaries || Week 23 & 24 - Working away from home

Week 23

Again, lots of movement this week. I spent a good amount of time away from home at a work training event where everyone was fussing over me and my baby bump. I took some nice long baths in the hotel and ate way too much food. Even with the long baths and early nights I definitely needed to catch up on sleep when I got home.

Week 24

This was another week away from home, where I was staying on a Marae as part of my work place diversity and cultural understanding training. This again meant eating way too much excellent food, combined with long days and sleeping communally in the Wharenui. I was pretty exhausted at the end of it.

I have been feeling a tonne of movement throughout the day but she calms down at night time. Her kicks are getting a lot stronger, to the point where my whole bump moves when she kicks, although it is only noticeable to me most of the time. Her favourite spot is my right rib cage just under my boob, so we will see how that area goes as she gets stronger. Chris is getting to feel her kicks a lot more now too which feels great.

I bought some new dresses off ASOS and of the ten which arrived, three could actually fit my massive boobs. The ones that a kept I like a lot and are very comfortable. Which is a top priority these days.

Still no heartburn, headaches or constipation but I am starting to get a bit of hip and back cramp when I have been sitting or lying for too long. Although this does go away shortly after I get moving.

My boobs are leaking?!? Apparently it's completely normal but it came as a bit of a surprise. I was sitting around after a shower, looked down at my breast and a drop of milk was hanging off the end of my nipple (TMI?). I have also noticed the occasional wet patch on my t-shirts when I wake up in the mornings too, so that would explain it.

How far along?: 24 weeks

Gender?: Girl

Maternity clothes?: Yes and I love them. Bought some new dresses which I know I will get a lot of wear out of.

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: In

Sleep?: Some nights are good, others not so much. In general I am more tired though.

Best Moment of the week?:Finding some new dresses I love

Worst Moment of the week?: Sleeping in a room full of people, some of whom snore like a tractor

Miss anything?: A cold glass of wine

Movement?: YES! Lots of movement for most of the day.

Cravings?: Dumplings and Hot Cross Buns.

Queasy or sick?:No

Looking forward to?: My bump getting bigger

Mood/emotional state?: Wonderful, for the most part I'm very happy

Pregnancy diaries || Week 22 - Anatomy scan and gender reveal

Week 22

I have been feeling lots of baby movements and kicks while I am at work. I guess it's because I'm sitting and restricting his or her space. When I get home to show Chris, it all goes quiet; they must be sleeping.
I am still sleeping well, although my hips get sore from always sleeping on my side. I have tried sleeping with a pillow between my legs but that makes it harder to move around, which leads to worse hip pain. So either way, I can't win. I have been sleeping reasonably well despite needing to pee three or more times during the night. But then I am able to go straight back to sleep afterwards. I have been feeling increasingly tired and think that I should talk to my midwife about my pre-natal vitamins as I might be lacking in something. Oh, and I am super gassy.

We finally had our anatomy scan this week.... IT'S A GIRL!!! We are so thrilled to know a little more about our baby GIRL! Gosh, that feels good to say. Our ultrasound appointment was meant to take up to 40 minutes but our technician had checked everything in only 20 minutes and was happy with everything that she saw, saying that it "all looks perfect". All organs, fingers and toes doing what they should. She finishing the appointment by revealing the gender to us and was pretty confident that she had it right. We are so pleased that we have a daughter and can now embrace calling our baby "she" and "her" rather than "it".

I threw up for the first time in ages and attributed it to morning sickness, so I took the day off work, slept until lunchtime and then realised that it must be a stomach bug or something that I ate because it was more than just spew. yuck. I have been noticing a bit of pain when I have been sitting or lying for too long but it quickly goes away when I have been walking for a bit. I have also been noticing over the last few weeks that my hair doesn't need washing as much as it used to. I used to wash it every second day and as it is very fine, and by the end of the second day it looked limp and greasy. Not that it is dry now, it actually looks very healthy, it just doesn't get greasy so quickly. Which is a trait that I hope sticks around. Bonus! My feet are not swollen yet but they do occasionally get hot and veiny.

How far along?: 22 weeks

Gender?:IT'S A GIRL!!!

Maternity clothes?: Yes but just maternity jeans and shorts at the moment.

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: In

Sleep?: Not bad, but need to pee a lot during the night.

Best Moment of the week?: Finding out our baby is a girl!

Worst Moment of the week?: Feeling sick

Miss anything?: A cold glass of rosé

Movement?: YES! Lots of movement for most of the day.

Cravings?: Dumplings and Hot Cross Buns.

Queasy or sick?: Just the once

Looking forward to?:My bump getting bigger

Mood/emotional state?: Wonderful, for the most part I'm very happy

Pregnancy diaries || Week 20 & 21 - Baby's first kick

Week 20

I have been feeling so much more movement from our baby this week. It started with me feeling harder and more frequent kicks earlier in the week and then by Friday I felt baby's first proper kick from the outside. It was quite a shock to be fair, I hadn't expected it to be so forceful. Our baby has strong legs! I was so excited, and then later that evening Chris held his hand on my belly while we were watching a movie and he felt it kick too! It was such a special moment and I am thrilled to be able to share more of the process with him. We both had tears in our eyes being able to experience this together. I think this pregnancy and becoming parents has become more real for him now that he can feel the baby rather than just me telling him that it's moving. From Friday onward baby has stepped it up a notch and is moving, wiggling, squirming, kicking all over the show.

I have been craving Chinese dumplings ever since Chinese New Year (16th Feb) so we have started making them at home, and they are delicious!

How far along?: 20 weeks

Gender?: Unknown, but we might get to find out next week! If baby cooperates...Eeeek!

Maternity clothes?: Yes but just maternity jeans and shorts at the moment.

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: In

Sleep?: Not bad, but need to pee a lot during the night.

Best Moment of the week?: Chris feeling the baby kick for the first time.

Worst Moment of the week?: None that I can remember

Miss anything?: Not really

Movement?: YES! It has been a dramatic increase this week

Cravings or aversions?: Craving dumplings and orange juice

Queasy or sick?: No.

Looking forward to?: Our anatomy scan next week

Mood/emotional state?: Happy and excited

Week 21

We are meant to be having our gender/anatomy scan this week and I can't wait! I am desperate to know more about this little baby, gender included. Not that it matters either way, but saying he/she feels much better than it/the baby. Chris would prefer a surprise at the birth but isn't worried, either way he will be happy. The deal we came to was that if we can find out the gender at this scan then we will. Which is not a guarantee, as some babies are shy and keep their legs closed, so we might not be able to see anything for sure. If that happens then I am happy to wait until birth and won't go getting additional scans just to satisfy my curiosity. Even though I am going crazy with wonder.

I have been feeling a tonne more movement this week and my work mates are starting to comment on my bump as it is becoming more obvious, even in my loose work blouses it now shows. I have had a mole in the depths of my belly button since childhood, and now it is almost on the surface, so that is a pretty decent indicator of how stretched my naval has become. It shouldn't be too long before my belly button "pops". Chris is constantly commenting on how soft and smooth my skin has become and I haven't really been using any lotion so I guess it's all pregnancy related. Not bad as far as pregnancy symptoms go. I haven't had a single pimple yet either.

We went for a long 30km urban bike ride with our adventure group this weekend. I did a lot better than I was expecting considering that my exercise levels have dropped right off since the morning sickness hit all those weeks ago. Sure, I still go for evening walks, but nothing like I used to. I don't have the energy anymore. It was a wonderful day out with one exception. Near the end of the ride I hit a sharp curb wrong, lost my balance and came off my bike. My mummy instincts kicked in and I completely went into protection mode and sheltered my bump from the fall. This in turn lead to me sacrificing my hands and knees which are heavily skinned now as it happened on concrete. The baby was moving a tonne before and after the incident so I assume all is still well with little one.

We went to the Chinese Lantern festival which was lovely and then to the Incubus concert the next day (baby's second rock concert). So it was a rather busy week for a 21 week preggo.

Wahhh! Our anatomy scan got cancelled on the Monday which was hugely frustrating as they only told us when we arrived at our appointment and so wasted a morning off work etc. So it has been re-scheduled for next Monday now. I am SO gutted.

I am feeling really well otherwise, with no insomnia, no swelling, no heart burn, no constipation, and no head or back aches. The only unusual symptom I have noticed is that I do get a bit of bleeding gums when I brush my teeth but they are still healthy, so I guess it's just an increase in my blood pressure/having more blood in my body.

How far along?: 21 weeks

Gender?: Unknown, but we might finally get to find out next week!

Maternity clothes?: Yes but just maternity jeans and shorts at the moment.

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: In

Sleep?: Not bad, but need to pee a lot during the night.

Best Moment of the week?: Doing normal things like the Lantern festival and music concerts. I'm glad I am feeling well enough to do the things I enjoy.

Worst Moment of the week?: Falling off my bike and having the ultrasound appointment cancel at the last moment.

Miss anything?: Sushi, it's a very popular lunch option in my office so I constantly want it while at work.

Movement?: YES! Lots of movement for most of the day.

Cravings?: Dumplings! Orange juice and Hot Cross Buns.

Queasy or sick?: No.

Looking forward to?: Our anatomy scan next week... finally!

Mood/emotional state?: All of the emotions. Happy, scared, frustrated and excited.

Pregnancy diaries || Week 18 & 19 - Moving house

Week 18 & 19

We moved into our new two bedroom home on the 13th February so my life has now become unpacking for the foreseeable future. Chris was very courteous and made sure that I didn't overdo myself or lift anything too heavy. The house feels great and finally, FINALLY, I'm not too hot.
As of week 19 I have felt my first few kicks, although they are still light and you can't feel them from the outside yet. Otherwise I have been feeling more flutters and pops from baby moving around.

How far along?: 19 weeks

Gender?: Unknown, we are still trying to decide if we will find out or not.

Maternity clothes?: Yes but just maternity jeans and shorts at the moment

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: In

Sleep?: Good but interrupted with needing to go to the bathroom, but I fall back asleep the moment my head hits the pillow

Best Moment of the week?: Moving into our new family home

Worst Moment of the week?: Packing and unpacking

Miss anything?: Fitting into my bras

Movement?: Yes, little kicks, flutters and pops

Cravings or aversions?: Anything cold and refreshing, specifically L&P Fruju Iceblocks, Corn chips and dumplings thanks to Chinese New Year.

Queasy or sick?: No.

Looking forward to?: Settling into our new space.

Mood/emotional state?: Happy and excited

Pregnancy diaries || Week 16 & 17 - Feeling movement and Getting bigger

Week 16 & 17

The weeks are starting to get away from me at this point so I don't have anything specific written down for week 16 but it was quite similar to 17 anyway, so let's group them together shall we? 

I have started feeling the beginnings of baby movements, which is so exciting and comforting to know that everything is going well in-between midwife appointments. What I can feel, is a mix of flutters and popping sensations but I only notice them when I am staying still.

I finally caved and went to get fitted for a new bra and holey moley! I have been a 12E for years without changing sizes, but in less than half of my pregnancy I have grown to a 12G!! WTF?! I knew they were bigger but I wasn't expecting that. No wonder my old bras were so uncomfortable. I ended up getting a larger bra without underwires, as this is what was recommended for pregnancy and breast feeding mothers. I will need to get fitted again before the end of pregnancy and upgrade to some nursing bras.

It has been so excruciatingly hot in our one bedroom penthouse apartment lately. I have been dreading going home from work, to the hot sweltering sauna that it has become this summer. I have also become a big fan of iceblocks as they are the only things that tide me over until the sun goes down.

We went to the Foo Fighters concert outside in the rain at Mt Smart Stadium. I was feeling a lot of flutters and popping sensations in respond to the loud music. I think the vibrations from the music must have got the baby dancing. No obvious kicks yet though.

We are moving house soon so I have been spending my evenings and weekends packing our belongings into boxes. We came back from the UK with only minimal positions, and yet in just over a year we now have enough to fill a house. I'm sure this will only be exaggerated when baby comes along but I'm OK with that.

How far along?: 17 weeks

Gender?: Unknown

Maternity clothes?: Yes and now with a new bra size, life is much more comfortable.

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: In

Sleep?: Good but interrupted with needing to go to the bathroom

Best Moment of the week?: Telling more people about being pregnant and going to babies first music concert (Foo Fighters)

Worst Moment of the week?: Being hot and bothered

Miss anything?:Fitting into my bras

Movement?: Yes, and it's the best feeling ever. Little flutters and popping sensations that let me know all is well with our baby

Cravings or aversions?: Craving L&P Fruju Iceblocks and ice cold drinks, not really put off by anything now.

Queasy or sick?: No.

Looking forward to?: Moving into our new home.

Mood/emotional state?: Happy and excited

Pregnancy diaries || Week 14 & 15 - Getting back to normal

Week 14

Welcome to the second trimester baby!! This is meant to be the best part.
I started telling a few of my work colleagues, some of whom had "ah hah!" moments while others had no idea.
I am also noticing that I have to pee so much more frequently this week and always have to wake at least once each night to use the toilet. Morning sickness still occasionally rears its head, but most days are much better this week.

How far along?: 14 weeks

Gender?: Unknown

Maternity clothes?: Yes, and they are amazing.

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: In

Sleep?: Good but interrupted

Best Moment of the week?: Telling more people about being pregnant

Worst Moment of the week?: Keeping my pregnancy a secret when I want to tell the world

Miss anything?: Not feeling sick

Movement?: No

Cravings or aversions?: No cravings but can't stand mushrooms. Chocolate has gained its appeal again.

Queasy or sick?: I'm actually mostly okay now. Thank goodness.

Looking forward to?: Telling more people

Mood/emotional state?: Happy and excited 

Week 15 

I announced to the rest of the office that I was expecting a baby, by adding an additional question to our daily newspaper quiz. "Which Auckland office staff member is expecting a baby in July 2018?" Which was read allowed to the entire office and had everyone guessing before the answer was revealed. No one guessed it was me (who didn't already know) but they were all very excited when it was revealed. Unexpectedly, it turns out there are actually three pregnant women in our office. One due in June, me in July and another in August. The others had just kept the news quiet or only told a few people.

How far along?: 15 weeks

Gender?: Unknown

Maternity clothes?: Yes, and they are amazing.

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: In

Sleep?: Good but interrupted with needing to go to the bathroom

Best Moment of the week?: Telling more people about being pregnant and finding out about other expecting work colleagues

Worst Moment of the week?: None that I can remember

Miss anything?:Fitting into my bras

Movement?: No

Cravings or aversions?: Not really craving anything special

Queasy or sick?: No.

Looking forward to?: Getting more maternity clothes soon

Mood/emotional state?: Happy and excited

Pregnancy diaries || Week 12 & 13 - First ultrasound scan

Week 12

Week 12 started on Christmas day and our baby is now the size of an apricot, which are delicious but are horrible to throw up! (too acidic)
I'm still getting a bit of morning sickness every few days, but generally having 2-3 good days in between. We told more of our friends who were all very excited for us.

How far along?: 12 weeks

Gender?: Unknown

Maternity clothes?: Nope, but getting closer to needing them

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: In

Sleep?: Sleeping all the time, anywhere, anyhow

Best Moment of the week?: Telling more of our close friends and Skyping Chris's family

Worst Moment of the week?: Having a weird relationship with food, as nothing appeals

Miss anything?: Not feeling sick

Movement?: No

Cravings?: No

Queasy or sick?: Yes, but mostly just throwing up in the mornings now.

Looking forward to?: Our first Ultrasound

Mood/emotional state?: Happy and excited

Week 13

We got to see our baby! We had our first ultrasound to check our due date and scanning for Nuchal Translucency (NT) which can help predict if your baby will have down syndrome or not by measuring the width of the spine. We were both surprised at how developed our baby was, it looked like a real baby (funnily enough) as opposed to an alien or a mass of cells which we had kind of pictured previously. Our baby was swallowing amniotic fluid, bouncing, turning and waving at us. It was an experience I will never forget and made my pregnancy feel so much more tangible. There is no denying it, there is definitely a little baby in there. The due date got adjusted from 9th July to the 11th of July after doing the measurements. We also found out that I have an anterior placenta (anchored at the front of my womb) which means that I may not feel the baby until a little later than other pregnancies.

Here is a quick recording of the first ultrasound. Absolutely amazing to see!

I went to my cousins baby shower and told my extended family about our baby. Emma (my cousin) was so thrilled when she figured out what I had actually said. "Our babies will only be 6 months apart" it took her a few moments but then it clicked, haha. "What did you mean when you said?..." We ended up talking and sharing our pregnancy symptoms well into the afternoon.

How far along?: 12-13 weeks (after the due date adjustment)

Gender?: Unknown

Maternity clothes?: I caved and got some under-bump maternity jeans. Ahhh.. finally something comfortable.

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: In

Sleep?: Sleeping well but need a lot of it

Best Moment of the week?: Seeing our baby. This is really happening!

Worst Moment of the week?: Keeping my pregnancy a secret when I want to tell the world

Miss anything?: Not feeling sick

Movement?: No

Cravings or aversions?: No cravings but can't stand chocolate or mushrooms

Queasy or sick?: Yes, but mostly just throwing up in the mornings now.

Looking forward to?: Telling more people

Mood/emotional state?: Happy and excited