So here we are, 30 weeks! As you may have noticed my bump has been growing and I’ve been attempting to document this in bump watch. Admittedly, I was a little late to the party and have only been documenting on this blog since 26 weeks…I’ve since managed to go find my old photos in Dropbox and backdating them to show my bump watch from positive test to where I am today! Go me! Though the photos aren’t the best quality as they were taken on a rubbish camera phone but still the record is now there.
This weeks original picture was photo bombed by the toddler terror so I took 2!
Photobombed
I digress, as I mentioned last week my blood pressure was throwing out some wonky numbers which had both me and my doctor a little concerned. The main advice I’ve followed since has been increase your fluid. I’ve been drinking so much I feel like I spend all my time either chugging water down or weeing it out! However I am pleased to report that as of my last appointment at a little over 29 weeks my blood pressure was normal enough not to go bezerk on the monitoring with the doctors and to allow me to monitor at home and email in my results weekly. However I did have to give up some blood for testing, ouch! On both my arm and my wallet, I think I misunderstood how much the NHS did for me during my last pregnancy when they ran the pre-e bloods every 4 weeks.
I also came away from my appointment with grave warnings about all the symptoms of pre-eclampsia and if I get any mean get my ass to the doctor again!
Now just in case anyone else out there is wondering what my doctor classes as high risk warning signs for pre-eclampsia they are as follows:
1. Swelling
2. Persistent headaches
3. Raised blood pressure (which apparently is much harder to diagnose in someone who is chronically hypertensive than someone who has a normal blood pressure range)
4. Pain in the upper right quadrant (basically your liver area)
5. Increased nausea and vomiting
6. Change in fetal movement
Any of the above happens and off I shall be trotting to the doctors!
On a lighter note, whilst on my 4th wee of the hour sat in the doctors waiting room I had time to reflect on the glamour that is pregnancy and how being pregnant has changed my life even when I didn’t expect it too!
1. My bras are stained
Pregnancy, in my case, means bigger boobs. And given that I breast fed the terror for 11 months prior to getting pregnant they could have done with the boost! However I had forgotten that bigger boobs means they “thrust” out and create a gap in my top. Perfect for food dropping down and landing on my bra. Delightful.
2. Food on my clothes
Same principle as above, a big bump, while handy to rest my dinner on does kind of get in the way and more often than not food falls off the fork somewhere between my plate and my mouth.
Maybe that is also because I am busy trying to shovel it in at the same time….
3. Heartburn and Gaviscon love
I get this quite badly. Probably not helped by the fact I also have developed a love of chilli con carne this pregnancy. I am the one you see chugging down the gaviscon bottle and can always be counted on to have some chewable gaviscon in each and every handbag I own.
No one warned me about this. They said you only get heartburn if you have a baby with a lot of hair, I was expecting a bald baby with the toddler terror (mainly because I was bald until I was 2), OK OK he was born with a full head of (strawberry) blonde hair so maybe this baby will not be hair challenged. I hope so. At least then the heartburn will be worth it!
4. Carpal tunnel syndrome
Again, something I had never heard of pre-pregnant. Ahh lovely blissful ignorance. Now? I spend my mornings with my arms above my head doing the twinkle twinkle dance moves to get the pins and needles to go away
5. My rings don’t fit on my sausage fingers
I have been cursed blessed with massive hands. My fingers are already massive. And pregnancy has just increased the problem I am close to ring off time if I don’t want them stuck. And I feel naked without them. I also feel judged, don’t know why as I am sure people aren’t looking and thinking ooh look at her all knocked up without a ring on her finger but I do feel a bit like that!
6. Vomiting in public places
Like the park. I am thankful to Dubai’s cleanliness and lovely toilets even in parks…
Ahh the glamour of pregnancy and next week is 31 Weeks; what are your moments?
