I am 38 weeks now and really ready to have this baby! Husband is away until Thursday but after that I am going to be doing everything I can to make her come out! Last weekend a walk around IKEA and a pizza packed with jalapeños brought nothing but tummy cramps but hoping this weekend she’s ready.

I have been fortunate to have a really good pregnancy but I am starting to get worried about what size she might be and the whole birth thing. I am also getting uncomfortable and getting lots of pains and twinges. Its a bit scary having Husband so far away this week but he assures me his phone is attached to him night and day and he is ready to speed up here as soon as I call.

Its not surprising I am feeling uncomfortable. My baby is now around the size of a pumpkin…there is no getting away from it that a pumpkin is pretty big:

Evenings are the worst but I have found both rocking and bouncing on my birthing ball helps. My skin has been a bit itchy again this week and I have been having lots of warm baths with Clary sage oil to help relax and sooth it.

The girls are being really sweet about the baby and really seem to understand whats happening. Rosie keeps telling me the baby is going to sit next to Poppy in the car and which room is hers. They both keep telling me she will come out soon, although they seem to think my tummy is going to just pop which is a bit funny.

The baby centre UK says:

Your baby is now ready to greet the world. At this stage, your baby is still building a layer of fat to help her control her body temperature after she’s born. All your baby’s organs are well developed, though her lungs will be the last to reach full maturity.

From this week onwards, the amount of amniotic fluid in your uterus gradually starts to decrease, although your body will continue to make fluid until your baby’s born.

I am still eating lots of salt and vinegar snack a jacks and ice cubes. I am getting through around 12kg of ice cubes a week at the moment! The crunching is very satisfactory as well as refreshing. I am finding  I have been getting a bit of indigestion though this week and there is not as much room for a full meal. I am tending to eat much smaller amounts than usual.

Overall I am doing ok but am ready to meet my little girl. I feel like the whole family are ready for her now and we just want her here.

Watch this space!

Karen x

Okay so I have made it to 35 weeks and feel heavily pregnant now. I am starting to get fed up of having a bump and am ready to have her, although I would like to move in the new house first so she had best stay put for a few more weeks.

She is apparently the size of a coconut about now – all I can say is it must be a pretty big coconut -my tummy would suggest she is much bigger so I am not sure that can be right!

According to the Babycentre UK:

Your baby now weighs about 2.4kg and measures around 46cm from head to toe. His elbows, feet or head may protrude from your stomach when he stretches and squirms about. Soon, as the wall of your uterus (womb) and your belly stretch thinner and let in more light, your baby will begin to develop daily activity cycles.

This week, your little one is sporting full-length fingernails and toenails and has a fully developed pair of kidneys. His liver can also process some waste products.

Apart from feeling like a whale I am generally ok. I am pretty uncomfortable which makes sleeping more difficult and I am getting more tired but I guess that’s normal. The baby had been sidewards for a few weeks but was head down on Friday. She is quite wiggly though and does keep moving around.  You can see my stomach changing shape all the time.

The itchiness has practically gone now and I think the cream I was trialling has really helped with this. It is a huge relief as it was getting me down a bit.

I have a busy few weeks coming up now so she needs to stay put a while longer but I am praying she wont be overdue. Both girls had to be induced – Poppy at 2 weeks and Rosie at 1 week. I had a pretty traumatic time with Rosie and am therefore quite scared about going through it all again but I do know I want it to happen naturally whilst Husband is with me.

I am really interested in having a water birth so fingers crossed it all works out. I know as soon as we get to the new house I will be contacting the local surgery and getting myself a midwife appointment as well as organising a look around the hospital. I have been told it only opened last year so is all shiny and new.

Well thats it for now.

Karen x

Wow, 16 weeks already. Its going pretty quickly.

Apparently my baby is now the size of an avocado:

He or she almost 10cm long already and weighs about 100g.

This is another little video to show you how my little one should be developing:

Fingers crossed everything is ok.

I am feeling ok.  Not great, just ok. Generally I am fine but I have been having quite  a bit of indigestion and queasiness. I am also extremely tired. Its probably been worse this week because I have had a bit of a cold. Sneezing and coughing is not great when you are 16 weeks pregnant either!!

I have been trying to eat as best as I can, but its not easy when everything makes me feel sick. Eating little and often like mid morning and afternoon snacks seems to help . I am also making sure I drink plenty and of course am taking my vitamins.

Still not obviously pregnant I feel bigger and have treated myself to some new maternity jeans and leggings. I do need a bit of a bigger bump though as they are a little big right now but I am sure they wont be for long.

I did watch One Born Every Minute the other night and it terrified me! I know I have been through it twice before but Rosie’s birth was pretty traumatic and I am quite scared about actually giving birth again. With two babies going overdue, weighing 9.5Ibs each I am really hoping this one is early and much smaller!

Overall I am pretty happy with the way things are going. If I could just get rid of the indigestion and queasiness I might even start glowing and that would be nice.

Karen x

I cannot believe I am 14 weeks and in my second trimester already.

I have found this amazing little video to show you how my baby is growing.  Everything is apparently in place now, he or she is the size of a peach and can pull all sorts of faces:

I am supposed to be feeling at my best now but this has actually been the first week I have felt a little dodgy. I have had extreme tiredness, have been starving constantly and have also felt a little queasy at times.  I have noticed though that if I have a little snack with the girls around 3.30pm then it helps.

My waist is starting to disappear now and I have a teeny tiny bump…well actually it looks like I have been eating a few too many biscuits rather than a bump. My size 12 jeans are now a little tight so I have stopped wearing them. I am at that annoying stage where you just feel a bit fat but my size 14s are still way to big. Luckily I have a few skirts and dresses that are comfortable and make me feel pretty.

I have looked at the huge pile of maternity clothes my Sister has given me back recently. With the two of us having four pregnancies between us the bag has got bigger. However I have noticed a few things I want to treat myself to.

I think I need a nice new pair of indigo skinny jeans that will fit me from now until the end.

I would like a new denim skirt, my non maternity one still fits well but when I grow out of it, the maternity one we have is pretty old and faded now.

I would also like some navy blue leggings and some tights.

That should be enough to carry me through as we have quite a few tops, skirts and dresses.

All in all I am feeling good. I have found I have been wanting a few more carby things this week like bread and crackers and I have also been eating a lot of cherries too. I am making sure I drink lots of water , put my feet up when I can and take my vitamins.

Karen x