Thursday, August 28, 2008

Week 25 To 26

Thursday, 25+0
We got back from Valencia yesterday evening. It was a long drive, but didn't seem as bad as the way up. The baby has been a little quieter the last couple of days, so I didn't get as many kicks during the car journey, although she did jab me in the ribs a few times! I think she may be having another growth spurt or has changed position. She woke me up at 2am Wednesday morning with a dose of the hiccups which felt very strange. I've been checking her heartbeat which I always do when she's quieter and it's a strong and regular 145bpm. She seems to have days when her activity slows down and the kicks are milder and less frequent and then she comes back with a vengeance the next day. I've been told that as long as I feel some movement every day then not to worry. Sometimes easier said than done though!

I received the results of my glucose tolerance test yesterday and that is all clear for diabetes risk. Apparently my iron levels are a little low though so I'll need to take some extra supplements.

Just editing my post to add that the strong kicking has started up once again! I'm sitting here with my left hand side twitching right out and kicks that make me jump!

Sunday, 25+3
Nothing much to report in the last few days. The baby is still kicking strongly. We had a bit of a play around with a flash light last night as she is at the point where she can respond to light. Chris flashed the light around over my tummy and she squirmed around and kicked up a storm! I've been feeling quite tired the last couple of days but I'm not sure if it's still because of the heat or low iron levels. I've had two days of the iron supplements now so maybe they'll start to kick in soon and increase my energy. I also felt a touch fluey recently but it seems to have come to nothing again.

Here are a few bump pictures taken today.

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Thursday, August 21, 2008

Week 24 To 25

Thursday, 24+0
Finally I've reached the 24 week mark where the baby is deemed as viable if she were to be born now. My next goal is to make it to week 30! She has been very active the last couple of days. Yesterday afternoon we were sitting by the pool watching my tummy dance about. It was very odd to see! We're off on holiday tomorrow for a week to Alicante and Valencia so I doubt I'll be posting until next Thursday.

Saturday, 24+2
We're in Alicante at the moment and having a break from the sun. There's currently a huge black rain cloud over our resort and the temperature is quite cool. The baby was very active on the 6 hour car journey yesterday and I was thinking car journeys sent them to sleep! I spent the last hour very uncomfortable with a foot stuck in my ribs. As I type at the moment she is dancing around. Obviously the cooler temperature brings her to life!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Week 23 To 24

Thursday, 23+0
I'm almost at the magical 24 week mark! It is one of my milestones to reach as they say if the baby was born at 24 weeks it has a good chance (44%) of surviving. Obviously I want her to stay put, but it is kind of reassuring. At the moment her chance of survival would only be 16% so it's amazing the difference a week makes on their growth and development.

Anyway, I've had a difficult time the last couple of days. Tuesday afternoon I started getting an odd pain, well more of an ache, above my uterus in the stomach area. It just kind of came and went on and off. It wasn't painful as such, more annoying. When I woke up yesterday the pain seemed to be a bit stronger but I couldn't decide whether it was muscular, as it seemed to get worse when I moved around or changed position from sitting to standing, or whether it was a problem in the stomach. The baby had been giving me a few strong kicks to that area the night before and also with a bit of rapid growth in my tummy I wondered if it was organs being squashed up. As the day went on I found a pattern to the pain. It always got worse as I ate, or just after eating. It then turned into a gnawing pain like when I get a stomach ulcer which I'm all too familiar with.

I called a private midwife as my doctor is away on holiday and she said to take some gaviscon to ease the pain. Problem is they don't sell it here in Spain and I'm not sure what a good alternative is, especially one safe to take in pregnancy. The pain went on and I found more and more that it was very much like my stomach ulcer pain. I ate lunch and within 10 minutes my stomach felt empty and hungry again which is always a symptom when I get an ulcer. I had some medication left from my last ulcer at the beginning of the pregnancy so I checked it was ok to take one and took half in the afternoon and the other half before bed. I slept so well and so far today not a hint of the ache or pain! I always respond very quickly to this medication, usually within 12-24 hours. I've managed to eat breakfast with no problems and haven't had the slightest twinge afterwards. I'm very relieved to say the least! At least I now know what was causing it and how to combat it in future. I have an appointment with my doctor on Tuesday for the glucose tolerance test and a growth scan so I'll mention it to him to see if he recommends taking a maintenance dose of the medication to prevent further incidences or just to take a pill as and when necessary. I've just been listening to the baby on the doppler and she's happily kicking away with a strong little heartbeat!

Sunday, 23+3
The baby is so active at the moment. Yesterday morning while lying in bed Chris watched my tummy as the baby moved across and the whole shape shifted. She woke me up in the night with some very strong kicks and she's been kicking away all morning. I haven't had any sign of the weird stomach pain again, so really not sure what it was. I'm still undecided as to whether it was indigestion/ulcer pain or the baby standing with her head pressing on something in the stomach area. She has since changed positions to lying across my tummy again and things feel much more comfortable.

Wednesday, 23+6
I've just been for the glucose tolerance test this morning to screen for gestational diabetes. They perform the test as a matter of course here in Spain. It's a fasting test where you don't eat or drink anything from midnight the night before, then have a blood sample taken. After the first sample you drink a cup of glucose-type syrup, wait one hour and have a second lot of blood taken. The idea is to see how well your body manages the glucose. I should get the results in a day or so.

I also had a growth scan and I'm pleased to say that the baby is measuring exactly on schedule, although her legs are still a week ahead! She was curled up in the strangest position today with her arms and legs over her head so we couldn't get a very clear look at her face, just a glimpse. She weighs an estimated 1lb 8oz and her heart rate is 145bpm. Everything appears to be going well. I've gained 1.2kgs in weight, making a total of 5 kgs (11.2 lbs) so far. Blood pressure and urine sample were both fine. Below are a couple of pictures taken this evening before heading out to dinner.

Bump 23+6

Bump 23+6

Friday, August 8, 2008

Week 22 To 23

Friday, 22+1
Chris' family are over visiting us at the moment so I haven't been able to keep up on here so often. I'm having a lovely relaxing time, but have found that my skin is so sensitive to the sun. I used SPF 30 on Wednesday and sat by the pool for 2 hours maximum. I burnt on my chest and shoulders, and I even reapplied the sun cream a second time. I guess pregnancy really does affect the skins sensitivity. I'm taking no chances today and using SPF 60! I haven't uncovered my tummy though as I'm not sure how good sun exposure is for the baby. I don't want to take any chances so I'll live with a white middle.

The baby has been a little quieter the last couple of days. I'm not sure if it's the heat, whether she's going through a growth spurt and saving energy or whether she's just changed position. I don't feel overly worried though as she will still give me a few kicks a day and she has a very strong heartbeat on the doppler. I've also been quite a bit busier than normal so the chances are I've just missed the times when she's moving around. I've read that if you drink a glass of icy cold water then a baby should start to move and kick almost immediately. So I tried it yesterday evening and it worked instantly!

Tuesday, 22+5
I woke up this morning not feeling the best, although I'm much better now. My tummy felt swollen and full and I couldn't even think about eating breakfast. I think I'd gotten a little constipated over the last couple of days. Not very glamorous I know, but sadly a common side effect of pregnancy. Everything is starting to get more and more cramped up inside and the digestive tract slows down. The larger the baby gets, the worse it gets!

I think she has gone through a real growth spurt over the past few days. I thought she was due for one as I was so hungry for a few days, eating everything in sight, and then I noticed that she was quieter on the kicking front for a few days. She is now back kicking with a vengeance and my tummy has grown by a whole inch in a week! I noticed last night when we went out for dinner that my linen trousers which fitted perfectly well exactly a week before, now stop short of doing up by about an inch. I am feeling kicks all over today. High kicks to my stomach, which are usually swiftly followed by heartburn, followed by low kicks to the abdomen. This morning I could see my tummy moving outwards where she was kicking so I guess she is getting to be a strong little lady!