33 Week Pregnancy Update

So I am now doing an update a week as I feel that with only about 4 weeks left I want to share as much with you all as I can and I love the idea of being able to revisit these posts in the future. Since my last update my bump has dropped a little and I am definitely feeling a LOT of pressure and sometimes extreme discomfort low down. When I saw the midwife she said that the baby was certainly still head down and that from my symptoms and how the baby felt that it was likely that he/she had now moved down and locked in to position- which was just a little crazy to hear!

I have more energy than I have done for the past couple of weeks and have found myself out and about a lot more, running errands, seeing friends and preparing all our new arrival’s bits. I have even managed to get through a couple of days without a nap (or 3)- which is miraculous!

Even though we are almost in mid July we haven’t really had any properly warm summer days yet, but the few episodes of heat I have experienced have left me a hot mess! I don’t cope well with heat at the best of times and I do actually dread the possibility of the weather getting really warm in the coming weeks! I have bought two portable clip on fans to go on to the baby’s buggy, but let’s be honest, I think they will more than likely be aimed at me… teaching the baby the value of sharing early!

My next big scan is just under 2 weeks away now and although time is going very quickly, I still feel like its a while away! I am feeling really prepared, in that we have everything ready for the little ones arrival, but mentally I am feeling slightly anxious! The idea of the birth doesn’t worry or scare me one bit really, but the idea of complications do and I’m trying my hardest just to think positively.

Finally, something really exciting is that I am now working with Little Green Sheep as one of their Snüz Momma’s! Little Green Sheep sell beautifully made products; shaped by simple, honest and organic ingredients, and are produced in an ethical and appropriate way. I will be working closely with them and reviewing their beautiful SnüzPod , organic mattress and bedding for when the baby’s here as well as lots of other bits. As I mentioned in my last update, I am a huge fan of the idea of co-sleeping and the SnüzPod gives you that exact option but with the safety of having a zip down mesh wall so that the baby can’t roll out and you can’t roll in.

Weight: 5.5 lbs over pre-pregnancy weight the last time I was weighed at 32 weeks.

Gender: A lot of you have asked over social media whether we know the gender. We do. I took P for a surprise gender reveal scan at 17 weeks for his birthday and it was one of the most magical days and moments so far. We had decided that we were going to find out at the 20 week scan any way as the first trimester had been so hard emotionally and physically (blog here) that we both felt it would be a real treat to know. As side from a few people, we are probably going to keep it quiet as I’d love it to be a surprise for you  guys too! Feel free to guess though!

Symptoms / feelings:  

Pressure- my biggest symptom in the last week has been intense pressure in my bottom and in my bladder and lower. The baby’s head is so far down now that any little movement can be really uncomfortable. It makes no difference if I’m sitting, standing or lying down and I just have to breath through the moments.

Breathing- Some of you have asked whether I have found breathing / catching my breath hard. I have been very lucky in that I haven’t had any problems with breathing throughout pregnancy. I think I must have a huge torso with loads of space as I haven’t been out of breath once. There’s still time to change though.

Discharge- still getting quite a lot and it’s very mucus-like but nothing to worry about. My midwife checked (!) and she said it’s very healthy and inevitable given how far along I am. She said it wasn’t anything to worry about, however, if it was to be tinged with blood or if it was a colour like green or yellow then I would need to go to the dr for a swab and to be checked for infection. Obviously I was worried it could be my mucous plug, but having Googled images (gross I know, but helpful non the less) and spoken to the midwife it is certainly not!

Blood pressure: My blood pressure is generally around 118/70 which the Drs are pleased with and it’s a steady number for me. So long as it doesn’t drastically change then I have nothing to worry about. I have a blood pressure meter so I check it every couple of days just to monitor as I am well in the window now for getting pre-eclampsia.

Back pain: Still getting back pain which isn’t very nice but it’s inevitable at this stage. It’s mostly on my left hand side and feels a bit like a blunt knife being stabbed in to it. It can be very uncomfortable when I’m driving especially.

Sickness: Nothing!

Cravings: Nothing!

Scans: I haven’t had anything since my 32 week scan. My next scan is on my 36th week. I have had a diabetic nurse appointment and seen my midwife though and everything so far is very well.

Bump: Bump is dropping but getting so big now! I don’t actually feel as big as I look in the photos though, so I’m clearly deluded at how huge I actually am! I get quite a lot of pains underneath the bump and I’ve also started to get a few around the sides too.

Also, I don’t know whether it’s the area I live in or what but I keep being stopped in supermarkets by random women wanting to touch my bump, it’s bizarre! I don’t mind, but it can be a little bit weird.

Baby Movement: I am getting a lot of movement and it’s getting more and more uncomfortable especially as the baby’s head is low down and the pressure’s sometimes very strong. I also get shooting pains up through my bottom from time to time too which is a shocking pain but comes in waves.

Stretch marks: None.

HBA1C: 5.0%.

Belly button in or out? I don’t think my belly button really knows what it wants to do. Sometimes it’s flat and sometimes it’s a slit that looks like it will pop out with the right, well placed kick! I think it will probably pop out in the next 3 weeks or so! It’s a little odd-looking but it’s perfect to me!

Maternity clothes: I am still wearing a lot of my pre-pregnancy clothes with a stretch (obviously!) and then just lots of loose dresses and long vest tops over maternity jeans with pretty cardigans. I am also still wearing all my shoes. I would like to treat myself to some espadrilles before the birth but they aren’t a necessity! I have also bought a couple of crop top bras which I am going to wear for breast-feeding, they are soft cotton with a stretch and have cups too (good padding incase there’s any leakage!). The top I am wearing in the photos is a non-maternity top from Free People. It’s one I have had for a while and must have sold out so I have linked two similar tops here , here and here.

Exercise: Ha….none

Blood sugars: My blood sugars have been really good for the last couple of weeks. I am sticking to a very low carb intake and I am not finding that I have any resistance really. Of course, I am taking considerably more insulin than I was during early pregnancy, but I am not having to over compensate and my sugars aren’t spiking which is so comforting. My diabetes / sugar levels are being so good and I am so proud of myself as even though pregnancy itself hasn’t been the easiest road, I have certainly not let my diabetes rule me or hold me back at any stage. If anything I think being T1d has actually helped me to maintain optimum health throughout my pregnancy as I am so aware of how important it is to stay on top of it.

Medication: Other than my insulin I am taking 75mg Aspirin a day (which is prescribed to help reduce chances of pre-eclamsia), I am also taking a calcium / vit D tablet (Adcal) and a pregnancy vitamin tablet once a day.

Baby buys: As I mentioned above, I feel very honoured to share with you all that I am now part of the Snuz Momma team. We now have a SnuzPod co sleeper, along with gorgeous bedding, an organic mattress, waterproof mattress protector and a few other goodies. This baby really doesn’t know how lucky they are! I will be sharing a big review later in the year once my little one has had a good “snooze” in it (!! clever, I know).

We have also bought a beautiful baby changing unit from a charity furniture shop which I have thoroughly cleaned and re painted. It looks like new and was a quarter of the original price.

Hospital bag: For those wanting to know, I will do a separate post on this but for now here’s a few of the bits I’ve popped in.

For me: 3 nighties (2 with buttons down the front and 1 with singlet straps to just pull down for easy breastfeeding access). Antiseptic wipes, energy bars, almonds, 2 x toothbrushes (for J and I), lavender soap, hair bands, facial wipes, flip flops, intimate wipes (to stay fresh!), deodorant, big knickers, maternity pads for after birth, hand-held fan, cards, camera, lavender oil, iPad, notebook, insulin pods, insulin injections (just in case), test strips, fruit pastilles for hypos. Oh and a going home outfit!

For the babe: I bought a beautiful new born outfit starter selection from Marks and Spencer (similar here or here) which is basically everything they will need for their hospital stay (hopefully!). I have some knitted selection of booties, a hat and jumper / cardigan from my very clever Mum! I also have water wipes, muslin squares, a cellular blanket, scratch mittens and nappies (although, the hospital will provide these until we leave).

For my husband: Coconut oil- so that he can massage me! We have been taught lots of techniques in our NCT class and the benefits of massaging. (Un)luckily for him I adore being massaged at any given opportunity so I will be milking it for as long as possible and I’m making him practice at every opportunity!  I also have a change of clothes for him, another good tip we learnt in NCT.

Courses: We are almost at the end of out NCT course (National Childbirth Trust) now. It’s been amazing and we have both learnt so much. The one piece of advice I would give to any expectant Mummy / Daddy would be to do it! There are mixed reviews out there, but so long as you go in with an open mind then what you learn is invaluable. Our teacher has been brilliant and incredibly engaging, which I am sure helps a huge amount. The information and support you get is really reassuring and has made us feel much calmer about the birth and post-partum.

Concerns: People have asked if I have a birth plan. I don’t have an actual birth plan as such. I have ideas of what I would like but I also am very realistic in that I am Type one Diabetic, I will inevitably have to be induced at 38 weeks (should the baby not come naturally beforehand) and this will either work or it won’t. I am not going to be disappointed if it all ends in a C Section because so long as I have our healthy and happy little bundle safely in my arms, I won’t be dwelling on how they got here. Of course, I would love to have a perfectly straight forward natural birth with limited pain relief (a TENS machine and gas and air maybe), but at the same time, if mine or my baby’s life were to be compromised in any way then I’ll do whatever’s best.

The only thing I am 100% adamant on is that I will maintain full control of my diabetes and my insulin pump throughout the duration of my hospital stay. I have heard so many stories about women having their pumps taken off them etc and then ending up with sugars all over the place. I understand if you are to be put under general anaesthetic, but for me, so long as I am compos mentis then I want to have full control. I will be checking my own sugars way more frequently then any nurse would have time to do and if I see a number that I do not like (hi / lo) then I will correct or treat accordingly. I have come this far in the pregnancy without any medical intervention on my diabetes so I am determined (and stubborn) to see it through to the end.

As always, thank you for your lovely comments, support and for reading! Feel free to ask me any questions and I’ll answer in my next blog.

Emma, bump and a very close to popping belly button….xx