ALEX & THE ELEPHANT

It was a bit of a rough ride with an emergency Caeserean and a 5 weeks premature baby but it was all worth it in the end!

THINK I FOUND A NEW FRIEND!

Finally - someone who understands how I feel!

WEEK 33 AND I FEEL LIKE A BALLOON!

I've been a bit lazy with my posts recently so I thought I'd better catch up. Unfortunately I've swelled up like a ballon and my hands and feet are like something from a cartoon at the moment. None of my shoes fit so flip flops are my only option. I'm lucky that it's summer but that could be a problem when it rains.

My blood pressure is also up so I've been put on "bed rest". Bed rest might sound like fun but it's anything but when you're trying to get a college project finished for a deadline. Still, I'd rather be "resting" at home than in hospital for the next few months so I'm trying to take it a bit easier.

BABY BRAIN

Tales of the Expectant, the web series no pregnant woman can afford to miss, is now on YouTube! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

TALES OF THE EXPECTANT- WEB SERIES PILOT ON THE WAY!!!

26 WEEKS AND STILL STANDING.

Was on the Luas last week and was pretty disappointed that not one person offered me a seat. I’m almost 6 months pregnant now so the women who my bump was nearly touching were bound to have noticed, in spite of how attentive they were pretending to be to their mobile phones.

A guy who wrote into the Metro last week did make a good point when he said “I’d rather see a pregnant woman stand than make a fat woman cry” but I think it was pretty obvious by now that it’s more than just a food baby.

24 WEEKS & ALREADY KEEPING US ON OUR TOES

Went for our 24 week scan last week and had a worrying moment when they could locate the blood flow through the heart valves. Had a nerve wracking hour's wait before going back for a second scan by a consultant. Even though we knew there was probably nothing to worry about, we did what every parent does and worried anyway. Thankfully the found what they were looking for and everything's fine. It gave us a taste of the worries that lie ahead. We're definitely feeling more like parents now!

I FEEL LIKE A FOOTBALL!

24 WEEKS & 4 DAYS
Delighted to report that the baby’s been kicking like mad for the last few weeks. I’m really happy about that because I was worrying a bit while waiting to feel the first kick. Today I watched my stomach as it kicked and I could even see movement. Really looking forward to my next scan tomorrow. Hopefully we’ll be able to see even more this time. :o)

GLOWING SKIN? I DON’T THINK SO! (BELIEVE ME, YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE A PHOTO)

23 WEEKS & 2 DAYS
I was really looking forward to the glowing complexion that all the books promised I would have during pregnancy but instead the exact opposite has happened. I certainly am glowing – but with the worst spots I’ve ever had in my life (and believe me, I’ve had some bad ones). Instead of feeling like a mum to be, I’m feeling like a teenager again and not in a good way:o(

BABYMOON

22 WEEKS & 4 DAYS
Aploogies for the recent lack of posts. I was away on “babymoon” for a few days. I’ve always hated that term, until it was my turn to have one.

It will probably be our last trip abroad for quite some time so we decided to make the most of it and headed to Rome, which was somewhere we’d always wanted to go.

Since we were only going for 4 nights we decided to just take hand luggage. It was so easy, light and hassle-free that it makes me wonder why we ever checked a bag in before. Unbelievably, even packing the minimum, I still ended up with clothes I didn’t wear.

TYPICAL - I FINALLY LEARN HOW TO TRAVEL LIGHT
ON THE LAST TRIP I'LL EVER BE ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH PACKING SO LITTLE!

Rome is an incredible city but I did find it a bit overwhelming - there are so many amazing sights all in one spot that it’s hard to fully appreciate them individually.

I thought I’d miss the usual holiday nights out on the tear but not drinking didn’t bother me at all. I had one glass of wine on the trip and didn’t fancy any more. It was a bit quieter than our usual weekends away but getting out of bed early was no problem and it seemed like we had way more time than usual to chill so I feel really relaxed after it.

The food was great. I’m not normally a pasta fan but this pasta was in a different league so I definitely enjoyed it.

OUR TOP RIP-OFF WAS A €12 ICE CREAM
Beware of the fancy cones with chocolate and nut around the edge! I asked for 2 scoops of ice cream in one of those cones and was told it was “special”. What they didn’t tell me was that they were going to stick cream, sprinkles, 10 pieces of wafer and streamers into the top of it and charge me €12. I was too mortified to argue. It’s right up there with the “large” beer we paid €16 for in Paris!

I found myself paying much more attention to people with kids and checking how they seemed to be enjoying their holidays with kids in tow. For the most part they seemed happy and contented so that was reassuring.

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT NEXT TIME WE GO AWAY WE'LL HAVE A THIRD PERSON WITH US!

Hopefully it won’t be too long before we’re confident enough to travel with a baby.

The baby kicked for the first time on the trip and hasn’t stopped since so that's pretty exciting.

Rome has A LOT of steps so that was a bit painful and I found myself getting tireder than usual so I decided to give the 500 steps up to the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica a miss this time but I did toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain so I’ll do it on my next visit.

Apple? Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily? Kyd? Moon Unit? Diva Muffin? Satchel? Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q? Or should we go for something more original?

We’ve started thinking about baby names, mostly for a girl because we’re convinced that’s what we’re having, and it’s tricky. The child’s going to be stuck with it for the rest of its life so it’s a pretty big deal.

People get really passionate in their opinions of baby names so we’ve decided that once we pick a name we won’t tell anyone until the baby’s born – that way they can’t disapprove (at least not to our faces).

PICKING A NAME IS A TRICKY BUSINESS:
1. Rule out all names you associate with anyone you don’t like.
2. Always keep the surname in mind.
3. Consider all possible nicknames.
4. Make sure it’s not too common.
5. Make sure it’s not too unusual.
6. It can't be “too old” for a baby or “too childish” when they grow up.
7. Don’t “steal” you friends’ favourite baby names.
8. Pick a name that you’d be happy to have.
9. Don’t ask anyone’s opinion (they’ll probably give it to you).
10. See what name suits the baby when it arrives.

MOST POPULAR BABY NAMES IN IRELAND 2009
(Central Statistics Office, 31 August 2009)
Here’s a list of the names topping the polls in Ireland last year in case anyone, like me, is in need of some inspiration.

BOYS
NAME COUNT
Jack 1,141
Sean 963
Conor 847
Daniel 819
James 733

GIRLS
NAME COUNT
Ava 685
Katie 663
Sarah 645
Emma 631
Emily 596

TAKE THE CELEB BABY NAMES QUIZ:
Which celerities are responsible for these outrageous names?

1. Apple & Moses
2. Coco
3. Pixie, Peaches & Fifi-Trikibelle
4. Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily
5. Brooklyn, Romeo & Cruz
6. Lourdes, Rocco, David Banda
7. Kyd
8. Moon Unit & Diva Muffin
9. Sparrow
10. Maddox, Pax, Shiloh Nouvel, Knox Leon & Vivienne Marcheline
11. Suri
12. Satchel
13. Sunday Rose
14. Prince Michael, Paris, Blanket
15. Memphis Eve, Jordan, Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q & John Abraham.

ANSWERS: 1. (Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin) 2. (Courtney Cox & David Arquette) 3. (Bob Geldoph & Paula Yates) 4. (Paula Yates & Michael Hutchence) 5. (David & Victoria Beckham) 6. (Madonna) 7. (David Duchovney) 8. (Frank Zappa) 9. (Nicole Richie) 10. (Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie) 11. (Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes) 12. (Woody Allen & Mia Farrow) 13. (Nicole Kidman) 14. (Michael Jackson) 15. Bono.

SCORES:
10-15 Tragic. You need to get out more.
6-10 Well done! You have demonstrated a healthy knowledge of useless information.
0-6 Where have you been hiding?

Oh no, I’ve just realised – it’s probably going to need a middle name too!

PREGNANCY WEB SERIES DUE SOON

Myself and a few friends from college are currently working on a pregnancy-related web series for mums-to-be. Inspired by real women’s pregnancy diaries, including my own, we hope that it will be a refreshing, entertaining and informative insight into the whole experience of pregnancy. We’re looking forward to sharing it with you in the coming months so keep an eye out...

IF YOUR JEANS DON'T FIT...CHEAT!

21 WEEKS & 4 DAYS

If you don’t feel ready to get into maternity jeans just yet, here’s a great tip to enable you to wear your normal jeans for longer.

Use an elastic band looped around your jeans button & button hole (hair elastics for pony tails are ideal). Low waist jeans are great as the waist sits neatly under your bump. You may be able to get away with wearing skinny jeans for longer than you think!

PINK PAINT OR BLUE?

21 WEEKS & 3 DAYS
We’ve decided not to find out the sex of the baby because it will probably be the biggest surprise we’re ever likely to get. But that doesn’t mean we can’t take a guess. There are plenty of old wives tales to help predict...

1. ARE YOU CARRYING YOUR BABY HIGH OR LOW?
(Low – Boy, High – Girl)
2. WHERE IS THE EXTRA WEIGHT?
(Around the Hips – Boy, Out Front – Girl)
3. RING TEST
Take a piece of thread and place your wedding band on it. Hold it over your belly and watch the motion.
(Circles – Boy, Side to Side – Girl)
4. DAD’S WEIGHT IS:
(Gaining Weight Too – Boy, Not Gaining Weight – Girl)
5. SHAPE OF MUM’S FACE:
(Long & Narrow – Boy, Fuller & Rounder – Girl,)
6. HEART RATE:
(Over 140bpm – Boy, Under 140bpm – Girl)
7. CRAVINGS
(Salty Food – Boy, Fruit & Orange Juice – Girl)
8. MORNING SICKNESS
(No Morning Sickness – Boy, Morning Sickness – Girl)
9. MUM’S BEAUTY
(More Beautiful – Boy, Less Beautiful – Girl)
10. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS?
71% of the time the mum to be knows what she’s having.

RESULT: IT'S A GIRL! :O)

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

21 WEEKS & 2 DAYS
Although generally quite open-minded, I have to admit to being ever so slightly appalled when one not-so-subtle family member (you know who you are!) upon hearing that I was pregnant wasted no time in passing on the joyful news that I was “up the spout”.

Pregnancy certainly has attracted its fair share of slang terms. Here’s a list of the ones I’ve encountered so far. I’d welcome any new additions (pardon the pun!).

On Stork Watch (my personal favourite)
Knocked Up
Peas In The Pod
Bun In The Oven
One In The Oven
With Child
In The Family Way
Preggers
Preggo
Impregnated
Sperminated (courtsey of Perez Hilton!)
Up The Duff
Up The Spout
Up The Pole
Wearing Her Apron High
Expecting
Updating The Family Tree
Mum-to-be

SOME THINGS CAN BE TRICKY WHEN YOU'RE PREGNANT...

I'm having trouble tying my shoelaces already so I can relate to this clip!

SPIDER VEINS & OTHER SCARY SIGHTINGS...

20 WEEKS & 2 DAYS
I was in the shower this morning and I looked down at my leg and noticed what looked like a very big and very nasty bruise. I didn’t remember hurting myself so I took a closer look and it was actually the worst bunch of varicose veins I’d ever seen. And it was on my leg! I’ve had the odd one before but nothing like this.

Apparently it’s quite common and many women develop varicose veins during pregnancy.

IN FACT, IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED THAT AS MANY
AS 40% OF ALL PREGNANT WOMEN
SUFFER FROM VARICOSE VEINS.
(OF COURSE I HAVE TO BE IN THAT 40%)

CONCENTRATE – HERE COMES THE SCIENCE BIT...
As your uterus grows, it puts pressure on the large vein on the right side of your body (the inferior vena cava, for the swots among you), which in turn increases pressure in the leg veins. Veins are the blood vessels that return blood from your extremities to your heart, so the blood in your leg veins is already working against gravity.

WHEN YOU’RE PREGNANT, THE AMOUNT OF BLOOD
IN YOUR BODY INCREASES BY UP TO 30%,
ADDING TO THE BURDEN ON YOUR VEINS.

17 WEEKS & CRAVINGS

IF YOU CRAVE THINGS YOU'RE DEFICIENT IN, I MUST HAVE A SERIOUS McDONALD'S DEFICIENCY!







WAVING "HELLO"
This was quite a cute scan. On the screen he/she was moving an arm up and down so it looked like waving.

0-19 WEEKS

I’m starting this blog a bit late as I’m now in my 19th week but you’re not missing much as the first 3 months or more could be summed up as “Ate something, felt sick”, “Didn’t eat, felt sick”, “Ate, felt sick”, “Didn’t eat...and you get the gist.

ALL-DAY-SICKNESS
Incidentally, I’m sure I share with many women an incomprehension of why morning sickness is called “morning” sickness. For me, it’s an all day thing and often all night too.

APPARENTLY MORNING/ALL-DAY-SICKNESS AFFECTS UP TO 3/4 OF ALL PREGNANT WOMEN SO I'M SURPRISED NO-ONE MENTIONS IT ALL THAT MUCH.

ALL-DAY-SICKNESS-CONSPIRACY?
I sense that there may be a conspiracy afoot. My theory is that women who have been pregnant have entered into a pact to not complain about all-day-sickness so as to not alarm future mothers, thus ensuring the continuity of the human race. Either that, or there are a lot of martyrs out there.

BIOLOGICALLY PROGRAMMED AMNESIA?
My other theory is that we’re biologically programmed to forget about how bad it was once it’s finished. This has been claimed about labour, hence why women are willing to go through it more than once. I’m no martyr but the memory of it is certainly fading for me as time passes so maybe there’s some truth in that. Anyway, I really shouldn’t complain – apparently all-day-sickness can continue throughout your whole pregnancy!

6 WEEKS AND COUNTING...

Hi. I’m pregnant for the first time and I’m pretty surprised by all the many twists and turns of the whole experience so I’ve decided to write a pregnancy blog.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
Before I became pregnant I would have expected that all pregnancies follow roughly the same pattern so if I read a book on it, I’d know what to expect but as time passes each week throws up new surprises and I’m beginning to realise that every pregnancy is different. I’m hoping that if I write about my experiences, other women will comment and share their experiences and we’ll all learn something new.