20 WEEKS UPDATE

A diary entry of life so far.

9 WEEKS FEEDING AND SLEEPING

Boring diary about feeding and sleeping routines.

8 WEEK UPDATE

Summary diary videos for the past 8 weeks.

WARD TO HOME

Going from the ward to getting home.



On the ward, Ellis had his first ever bath.



I tried to rest but it was difficult as we were having problems with getting Ellis to put weight on. I had to express for 25 minutes, then feed him when he woke up for 20 minutes, then call the midwife and she would top him up with what I had expressed. I would then have to go and express again. I was just constantly feeding or expressing, all day and night. It was exhausting.



We were kept in the hospital for a long time due to Ellis loosing so much weight (11.8%) and my scar was very bruised.

On Wayne and Nic's wedding Day, Mum came to stay with us and I did a short video of Ellis hiccuping which is really cute.



Here is a video of us arriving home.

ELLIS WILLIAM GEORGE - 7LB 13 1/2OZ - 22:21PM

Ellis arrives!

Video entry explaining the start of the operation, my funny story of having my epidural. The video cuts off but don't worry, I continue in the following entry.



I then continue with the rest of the operation and how I felt when I first met him.



A short video inside the theatre while I am being stiched up - nice!



Straight after I was put back into a delivery room so that I could wait for a bed on a ward. Rob was still with me and we did a video of Ellis' first ever feed and talked about how we were feeling etc.



Next entry talks about staying in the delivery room and then going to the ward.

CONTRACTIONS!

I am now over my due date by 6 days. I have had irregular contractions since the early hours of Saturday morning. I am really shattered.

Due to the fact that my waters have broken, I have to go to Southmead hospital for observations. They take a swab to check for infection, a wee test and monitor Flump and I for about an hour or so. The worst part about all that was the car journey. Having contractions while in a car was awful.

I tried to eat and Rob and I just chilled out really, waiting to go home again. Oh how I wish we had asked for a scan!

I tried as much as I could to stay on my feet, even went for a walk around the neighbourhood but we were too far away from a toilet so had to go back home.



Then in the evening the contractions kicked up a gear and after monitoring the contractions for about an hour, I told Rob to ring the midwife.

While we were waiting for her to arrive I sat on my ball in front of Feet of Flames which was really relaxing. The contractions were okay. I was dealing with them well and Rob was there to help me when I needed it.

The camcorder had been set up to capture the home birth and I have taken clips from the 1 hour 40 minute long video for you to see.







Once the midwife arrived, baby and I were checked out and the labour continued until I had an internal (not shown), and I was then transported to hospital.

I have done it in several parts and towards the end you need to have the volume up to listen to what is being said in the kitchen. I have tried to break it down as much as possible.















After the birth I did video entries of everything that had happened.

Entry 1 - from waters breaking to active labour.



Entry 2 - from active labour to being told we would have to go in to hospital.



Entry 3 - from ambulance ride to operating theatre.

EARLY LABOUR

Well I am now in labour, very early stages.

DUE DATE PHOTO

FED UP OF SHOPPING - 39 WEEKS, 1 DAY

Diary 29 and we are almost at the end of the pregnancy. I have split the diary video into 2 parts as it is quite a long one.

Part one, we are all ready, finally. I'm fed up of shopping and in complete denial about the size that I have become.

Part two, the stretch marks are getting worse! I am worrying about what to wear to a wedding that is going to happen 10 days after my due date.

Feeling rather needy and emotional too. The whole thing is very over whelming and now that I am not at work, I have loads of time to think about it.

39 WEEKS PHOTO

GETTING HUGE - 38 WEEKS

Wow, I am getting huge as you can see, but I am still loving it.

HEAD ENGAGED? - 37 WEEKS, 3 DAYS

Diary 27 and the head is engaged. Everything seems to be progressing normally and I am starting to get all the home birth and hospital bag ready.

Baby's room is getting ready too. Curtains are up, which my Mum kindly helped me with and the furniture will be arriving soon.

NO SMOKING - 36 WEEKS

Video 26, and the smoking ban has come into force - excellent!

Ive started nesting and the swelling in my legs is now staying.

35 WEEKS PHOTO

PARTNER WORKSHOP - 34 WEEKS, 1 DAY

Diary 25, and I have started to go swimming. My blood pressure is still slightly raised so I might not be able to have a home birth. We did a partner workship at the active labour class and I talk about how important the 3rd stage of labour is.

If you listen carefully I have also discovered a new breed of dog - a Yorkshire Russell. We finally have a name, Ellis.

NAPPY DEBATE - 33 WEEKS, 4 DAYS

Diary 24 and I am getting really big now. Rob and I have had a discussion about what type of nappies to use and my blood pressure has just started to rise.

PELVIS PROBLEMS - 32 WEEKS, 1 DAY

Diary 23, we are still having trouble picking furniture for Flump's room and my pelvis is now so painful that I am having to slow down. That means no line dancing or swimming.

At the active labour class we tried out TENS machines which was really good fun.

STRETCH MARKS - 30 WEEKS, 1 DAY

Diary number 22 is about how big I am getting and along with that comes aches, pains and the dreaded stretch marks!

Also I talk about my active labour class, comparing it to the antenatal group, along with vivid dreams and choosing a name.

30 WEEKS PHOTO

HEARTBEAT 2 - 28 WEEKS, 3 DAYS

We heard the heartbeat again and got a better video this time.

HARD WORK - 28 WEEKS

Diary number 21 and I talk about my active labour class, swelling legs and how I am not doing too well at work.

25 WEEKS PHOTO

HALF WAY - 20 WEEKS, 3 DAYS

Diary number 20 and I am just over half way. Time is flying by. Rob has now felt it move and I explain all the different aches and pains that are going on.

20 week scan happened yesterday and I know I don't sound excited about it but I was, honest.

20 WEEKS PHOTO

CATCH-UP CONTINUED - 17 WEEKS, 6 DAYS

Diary 19 is broken down as the videos are long and I was also disturbed a couple of times, once by the phone and then once by Rob.

Part One - I continue to try and get caught up by talking about the last bit of the scan, the fact that I am now showing and when I was 16 weeks, I felt Flump move for the first time.



Part 2 - I talk about buying clothes with Mum for a wedding.

Part 3 - Talking about my relationship with Rob and how we spent the day together. Yet again I talk about my ever expanding boobs and how sore they are. There is also the big "dummy debate"

Part 4 - Chicken Pocks scare, milk in the cupboard story, dreams and the dreaded cramps.

CATCH-UP - 16 WEEKS, 3 DAYS

Diary 18 - There was a huge gap in diary entries. I am not sure how that happened. Probably because Christmas happened and it was all too exciting.

I did my best to get caught up, but it means a lot of long videos.

28th Dec - First Midwife appointment

29th Dec - Met up with Pam and Rob from Canada

10th Jan - First scan

The video cuts off at the end but I do carry on eventually on diary number 19.

16 WEEKS PHOTO

HEARTBEAT - 15 WEEKS, 2 DAYS

Our first time we heard Flump's heartbeat.

12 WEEKS PHOTO

MARBLES? - 11 WEEKS, 5 DAYS

Since being pregnant I totally lost my marbles and my memory. I would say strange things and forget stuff the minute I was told.

One story I have, (which you will later hear in video diary 19 part 4) is about me making some cereal and putting the milk back in the cupboard. Rob thought it was so funny that he took a picture.