Jen's Pregnancy Diary: Week 17

Storm Ophelia hit at the beginning of Week 17 of my pregnancy.  In Dublin we were all fairly ok. In our estate it certainly just seemed like a normal Irish winter day (windy and raining, but nothing to write home about). However, many parts of the country were badly affected. Up to 400,000 homes were left without power and 3 people lost their lives. Checking in during the storm, we were grateful that our doulas and clients all remained safe and well. 

I received an appointment this week for a GTT test. This is a Glucose Tolerance Test to screen for Gestational Diabetes. You can read more about this test in my blog post here. I was given a test date for 28th December, with instructions to eat my normal diet the few days before the test!! WHO EATS THEIR NORMAL DIET OVER CHRISTMAS ARGH!!!????!!! 

I called and changed it and have now been booked for the week before Christmas, much better for me and my chocolate diet! Hopefully all will be clear as the only risk factors I have are that I am over 25 and my second baby was over 9lbs. I am healthy otherwise and have no pre diabetes markers in my blood  (I was tested before getting pregnant). 

This week I brought my father in law to an oncology appointment. He will need more surgery to remove the rest of the tumour from his throat and possibly more biopsies but overall the prognosis seems good. The oncologist seems to feel it is totally treatable and hopefully with some TLC this will all be sorted soon. 

My belly is gradually expanding and I love it. It is so nice to have a pregnant belly and feel all the flutters from baby. I am starting to feel much better in general. I am having crazy dreams that are causing me to have unsettled sleeps but this is just all the hormones settling in my system. 

At the christening of my friend Julie's little boy - Senan. Julie is third from the left holding the star of the show. 

I am up early this morning as I woke at 6am and could not settle back to sleep. I have answered a few emails and I am relaxing on the sofa in a quiet house.  The kids are still asleep and Paul is gone to work. It is lovely to sit and blog while chilling out. Later today my friend has her baby's Christening in Howth Church and then the after party, which will be in her new house. They have recently finished a huge renovation and extension, so it will be like a house warming too. I’m excited for a day spent with friends and switching off from work. Paul will come up to the party once he is home from work, around 6pm. As we will have the kids we will most likely head home early enough and leave the group to enjoy a few drinks and party the night away ;) 

Until next time....Jen xx

Week 17: What Is Happening To Your Baby:

Week 17: Your Baby is the size of a Pear this week 

• Your baby is about the size of a pear this week
• Your baby's sweat glands are beginning to develop
• Your baby's fingerprints are forming this week
• Their hearing is improving and they may enjoy you playing music to them
• You might be able to feel your baby hiccoughing this week

Week 17: What Might Be Happening To Your Body:

• You may find you have dry eyes. You can ask in the chemist for some lubricating drops to see if they will lessen the discomfort
• You will have increased bodily fluids (excess mucous, sweat and vaginal discharge will be noticeable). 
• You  may be experiencing heartburn and indigestion.
• Some women will start to get stretch marks at this stage. There is no cream that will get rid of them (no matter what the bottle might promise). You can help minimise them by staying hydrated and moisturising every day. Cold pressed Sunflower Oil with some Calendula, RosehipSeed Oil or Avocado oil added is fantastic for your skin and doesn't cost the earth. Alternatively try the Nourishing Bump Body Butter from Essencia Aromatherapy, or ???? from Lisa Heeny. Both are hand blended ????

Week 17: Pregnancy Tip

Heartburn can occur when the valve between the stomach and oesophagus is unable to prevent the acid from your stomach from passing back to the oesophagus. This can happen due to the increase in the hormone progesterone in your body which can cause the valve to relax - thus increasing the frequency you suffer heartburn. Your growing baby and uterus also contributes to it (as everything in the space around your belly gets squashed together. 

To help prevent it, or to minimise it occurring, it can help to eat more frequently during the day but make your meals smaller.  Avoid lying down after eating and avoid greasy, spicy or fatty foods, as well as fizzy drinks and caffeine. Increasing your intake of fluids can help. And try not to eat at least 3 hours before going to bed. 

For relief eating some yoghurt after a meal can help some women, and drinking Ginger Tea. Many women swear by Gaviscon. Do check with your Health Care Provider and see what medication might be safe to take during your pregnancy as not all will be safe for pregnancy.  

Jen's Pregnancy Diary: Week 13

Well this week I was back doing the job I love. I was working with 3 different families and then on Sunday I spoke at the Baby Wearing Ireland, Wear a Hug Fair. It was a great day and I was honoured to speak as part of their expert panel. There were lots of people to catch up with too. Over all it was a fantastic day full of chatting with new or expecting parents and catching up with old friends. 

With the other women on the expert panel at the Wear A Fair - BabyWearing Consultant Olwen Row from Born To Be Carried and Lactation Consultant Mairead Murphy from Better Breastfeeding. It was so lovely to catch up with them. 

I have been feeling pretty rough this week. My sickness seems to be getting worse again. Perhaps it is the shock of being back at work (LOL!).  I am lucky to have many friends in the maternity field so I made a few calls and spoke with some HCPs about the sickness. One new drug that seems to be up and coming in Cariban. It is for severe morning/all day sickness and has been used in Australia and USA for many years. It is still new here so I plan to speak with the hospital staff next week at my booking appointment. 

I have taken to driving with a big plastic bowl beside me in the car. I have had a few hairy moments where I could feel I was about to get sick but was in 3 lane traffic with no where to pull in – so the bowl has saved me a few times! 

On Friday I nearly rang my husband to collect me  when I was half way home as I wasn’t sure I could drive any more. After 20 minutes of driving I had stopped 4 times to get sick. I managed to pull myself together and get home. I literally crawled into bed and conked out for 2 hours!

I have decided to pull back a bit on my work load. I absolutely love what I do and I am so lucky to have amazing clients who make me excited to go to work every day. However, I spend my working day minding everyone else and ensuring they are ok. It is time I do the same for myself and baba. So next week I will be working my last night shift for probably a year or two! I can’t believe it. It does seem surreal. 

I managed this week to pop all my pre-pregnancy clothes into black bags and up into the attic. I am firmly out of them now. I am in leggings next size up and some baggy tops from Pennys. I also have a few items I bought that are maternity. To my frustration Paul couldn’t find my bag of maternity clothes from Seth & Leon so I may have to buy some more as I go along. 

Anyway....Until next time... Jen x

Week 13: What Is Happening To Your Baby: 

Photo by Ernest Porzi on Unsplash

• Your baby is the size of a lemon
• They may be able to suck their thumb from this week
• Tiny fingerprints are forming on your baby's fingers
• The part of your baby's brain responsible for solving problems and memory is starting to form this week 
• If you are having a boy his testicles are now formed and his penis is growing
• If you are having a girl, her ovaries are now developed (and contain all her millions of eggs). 

 

 

 

 

Week 13: What Might Be Happening With Your Body:

• Woo hoo!!! You have made it through the first trimester.
• You may be noticing an increase in vaginal discharge which will increase throughout your pregnancy due to the increase in the levels of oestrogen in the body. It is there to protect your birth canal from infection. 
• Your clothes will be definitely getting too tight now. 
• You might find your energy levels and appetite increasing.
• You might find your sex drive increased. 

Pregnancy Tip: 

You may still be suffering from nausea and vomiting at this stage of your pregnancy. It may just be lingering for a bit longer than the first trimester. For some women it can last a few weeks into the second trimester. There is a chance, however - especially if the nausea and vomiting are still very severe at this point - that you may have a condition called hyperememsis. This is a complication of pregnancy that involves severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss and dehydration. If you suspect you might have this,  it can help to talk to others for support. There is a fantastic group on Facebook here. If you think you may be vomiting excessively do talk to your GP and Healthcare Provider and see if they can provide anything to help.