Apr 7 2014

39 Weeks: The Secret Fourth Trimester

Posted on April 7, 2014 by admin

I made a promise to myself last night that I’d keep this post as light-hearted as possible. I suspect anyone reading this will have started wanting to throttle me a few months ago. That, or you’ve stopped believing I’m even pregnant! It feels like (and reads like) I’ve been pregnant for a year now and I’m constantly having to contain my jealousy when I see all my friends sharing ‘welcome to the world baby’ statuses on Facebook. I swear some of these people announced their pregnancies after me…

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve tweeted about my labour when in reality I don’t even know what I should be looking out for in the first place. At 39 weeks I can confirm I’m getting regular pressure on my bladder and my pelvic floor, and plenty of tightenings higher up in my abdomen - but are these really something to be getting excited about? I don’t know. I didn’t experience one contraction with Dexter so I have nothing to compare them against.

The general consensus seem to be that if you are unsure whether you are in labour, you probably aren’t. This is the rule of thumb filtered down to thousands of mums-to-be by midwives everywhere (and irritatingly validated by mums-in-the-know in the natural labour brigade). It sounds about right on the face of it, but it doesn’t stop me wanting to jab my own thumbs somewhere unpleasant in their smug faces. After-all, midwives are the gatekeepers of early labour… the ones who have access to the drugs that can induce us… the ones who no doubt have million tricks they could share that will guarantee our spot in the delivery room this evening, but won’t give them up.

Bed Rest 39 Weeks 39 Weeks: The Secret Fourth Trimester

The truth is, I’ve had a really shitty time of it these past few weeks. There was some confusion as to whether my waters had gone with two separate consultants proffering different opinions. Both times (once in week 37, and another in 38) I felt the equivalent of a champagne glass full of fluid leave my body involuntarily - there had been no pressure on bladder immediately before. This got my hopes up as I began to think they’d have to hurry-up the labour or intervene due to risk of infection… but nope.

The one thing both consultants agreed upon on was that Operation #GetBabyOut would have to stop immediately. I’d weakened my pelvic floor muscles by exercising too excessively (and aggressively) and they would need time to recover before D Day.

I’ve had mixed success with this challenge. Lazing around on bed rest just doesn’t seem to compute with me. Like most mums to be I have some serious nesting to be getting on with, and anything that brings me closer to that inevitable pop of my waters beats the hell out of laying in bed watching Tipping Point. As my consultants have made it crystal clear they won’t induce me due to the problems I had with Dexter’s birth, I often find myself staring at the clock ever-conscious that the longer this goes on, the more likely I am to meet my baby on an operating table.

It was during this time that @MamaBabyBliss sent me an article that sums up perfectly how I’m feeling at the moment. It’s the musings of US midwife Jana Studelska about labour anxiety and the later stages of pregnancy. You can read the full article here but I’ve ~~nicked~~ quoted the best bits here if you’re simply not up to anymore pregnancy reading at the moment:

It’s time to hurry up and wait. Not a comfortable place to be, but wholly necessary…. I tell these beautiful, round, swollen, weepy women to go with it and be okay there. Feel it, think it, don’t push it away.

What we don’t have is reverence or relevance—or even a working understanding of the vulnerability and openness a woman experiences at this time. Our language and culture fails us. This surely explains why many women find this time so complicated and tricky. But whether we recognize it or not, these last days of pregnancy are a distinct biologic and psychological event, essential to the birth of a mother.

Okay it’s a bit Kumbaya for my usual self, but it seems to resonate with the pregnant me. These last few weeks, days, hours are the ultimate test for some pregnant women. It’s entirely possible to lose your mind to grief, frustration, fear and excitement. These emotional responses won’t let up, not even for a second, not even in your sleep. Not every woman will go to this place (I didn’t with Dexter) but I’ve been sat here for a few weeks now. It feels like purgatory. I will admit though that this article made me feel better. I was able to imagine this time as a sort of secret fourth trimester; a special club reserved for the true warriors of motherhood.

39 weeks 39 Weeks: The Secret Fourth Trimester

So I’ve decided not to blog anymore about this pregnancy now. Don’t worry, I haven’t gone all ‘inner peace’ or ‘tie-dye knickers’ on you all, I just have nothing left of any value to say about it. It sucks, I hate it, I don’t think I’ll ever put myself through this again. I’ll see you all on the other side - whether I find a footbridge, jump in a canoe, or take my chances swimming across - I’ll tell you how I did it when I get there and not as I’m doing it.

This one goes out to my fellow bump buddies - particularly those who find themselves rubbing their swollen tummies a little too forcibly as they’re watching One Born Every Minute, or adding little unnecessary bounces to their step as they walk up the stairs. I FEEL YOUR PAIN!

Feb 11 2014

30 Weeks Pregnant - Homicidal Thoughts

Posted on February 11, 2014 by admin

So I’m 30 weeks pregnant and three-quarters of the way through! It’s been a fairly eventful week with falls, arguments, deranged cleaning and much more besides.

The nesting instinct has definitely kicked in and I’ve been busy redistributing clutter throughout the house. I’ve also turned into the ultimate slave-driver and am regularly demanding Craig get on his hands and knees with the floor wipes. There’s a snagging list of small jobs to do and a further list of what is still needed for Mini Madam, which are helpfully displayed next to the list of potential names in the downstairs loo. With all three lists on A3 paper blu-tac’ed to the wall, the loo now resembles Cameron’s reputation management team’s office.

Speaking of Craig… well he’s been doing my brain in this week. Irritatingly, his pregnancy app of choice is Bump Watch. Yesterday he came running into the bedroom brandishing his iPhone “Gem, Gem, Gem! Great news. Read this. Explains why you’ve been such a moody cow!” - thrusting it in my hands to read. With a massive grin on his face he watched me read the following:

“… For many women, as your due date approaches, it’s a common and very normal time to feel more emotional than usual. You’ll experience more frequent mood-swings, and very likely some anxiety over the baby and the new responsibilities that lie ahead”

Great. The love of my life now feels he has unbridled justification for getting on my wick, watching my temples pulse, then excusing the whole thing by putting my subsequent outburst ‘down to my hormones’. All this, thanks to the pregnancy app that I insisted he download in the first place.

Honestly. Some men experience ‘Couvade Syndrome’ (sympathy pains) when their partners fall pregnant, but my man seems to have taken on a more ambitious role - he’s regressed to the mental age of a 5-year-old. He’ll sing ridiculous songs, laugh hysterically at his own jokes, and whimper at me constantly. It’s like having two children at home at the moment! I’m seriously repressing the urge to slam his head in the fridge door over and over again.

On a more serious note, I also had a nasty fall this week. Having walked into the lounge and found my little dare-devil dancing on the dining room table, I scooped him up and attempted to deposit him on the comparative safety of the sofa. Tripping over his toy garage, I managed to fling Dexter onto the sofa before landing pretty awkwardly on Bump. It hurt like hell.

For the next hour I did nothing short of panic. I got all the emergency numbers out, crawled into bed and waited for something dramatic to happen. But aside from some strong (but not painful) contractions and lots of kicking, Mini Madam seemed fine. The only strange thing was a tumbling sensation as though the fall had rejigged things in there and given her the freedom to break on through to the other side of my belly. I can’t be sure but I have a strange feeling she might have turned around! Imagine that. If so, we’ll find out in the first week of March and we could be in for the much-wanted natural birth plan after all.

Physically, I’ve also been getting incredibly short of breath this week. Just climbing the stairs leaves me panting like Paula Radcliffe. This is apparently normal as my uterus is pushing upwards into my diaphragm, and in turn into my lungs, but it doesn’t make it any less irritating knowing there’s a reason for it. I can also really feel baby bearing down in-between my legs which is making my waddle ten times more pronounced than it already is. Whoever said that all pregnant women possess a sense of beauty is very wrong, very wrong indeed.

Feb 2 2014

Introducing the Snoozle Maternity Slide Sheet!

Posted on February 2, 2014 by admin

As I’ve thudded into the third trimester, I’ve all but given up on a proper night’s sleep. I’m now on my third brand of maternity pillow (finally settling on the Theraline - review HERE) and am up around fives times a night to empty my bladder. We’ve also now upgraded our double bed to a super king - this wasn’t even up for discussion, I just went ahead and ordered it at 4am after a particularly bad night a few weeks back. Craig’s face was an absolute picture when he came home and discovered I’d taken a sledgehammer to the bedside cabinets and bought smaller ones in their place. I simply couldn’t cope with another elbow in my face and now need at least the width of a double bed to myself to toss and turn in my sleep.

When I spotted that Snoozle were looking for pregnant women to road test their maternity slide sheet, I thought I’d give it a go. The website is full of claims it’s helped women with painful night-time maneuvers. It’s said to help with a zillion different pregnancy ailments including SPD and Sciatica (two things I’ve regularly whinged about during both of my pregnancies), and also non-pregnancy related arthritic pain or easing the discomfort of those recovering from back surgery.

So what is it?

It’s a 75×75″ ‘tube’ made from kind-to-skin cotton on the outer layer, and a satin inner fabric that is designed to slide comfortably with your every move. It’s incredibly simple, but often these are the very products that work the best. It’s a concept that’s worked a treat for Icelandic midwives for years and has now been recreated by Snoozle for all to benefit from.

The theory is that it makes your movements smoother and faster so you don’t need to put in as much effort when you toss and turn. This means you won’t use as many sore muscles and move as many painful joints. It’s ideal if you’re bed-sharing as it only goes on your side of the bed and is designed to be completely noiseless so as not to disturb your other half. Reportedly, it also makes rolling out of bed in the mornings that little bit easier.

086 Introducing the Snoozle Maternity Slide Sheet!

It’s highly recommended during child birth when you’re struggling to change position (don’t worry, it’s washable at up to 60 °c), and equally useful if you’ve had a c-section and are struggling to sit up in bed to breastfeed.

So what did I think?

First up - I love the simple packaging. It came in a really pretty box which is handy to tuck away in your hospital bag if you’ve bought two.

I was sent a pink Snoozle (but it is also available in blue or grey) - the design is as simple as I’ve suggested above but I’m really impressed with the quality. The logo is embroidered so it doesn’t irritate you when in contact with your skin, and the outer layer (that you sleep on) is soft to touch.

snoozle bed Introducing the Snoozle Maternity Slide Sheet!

You simply pop the sheet on the bed (on top of your regular bed sheet) with the satin trims beneath your shoulder and thighs. It’s very generously proportioned so you have plenty of room either side.

There’s no denying my movements were MUCH faster and smoother with the Snoozle. I’m also making far less noise when I toss and turn. I used to moan and whimper a bit as it was so painful. It’s also completely noiseless and hasn’t disturbed Craigy in the slightest. Having used it for the past 5 nights, I’m happy to report I feel much more rested in the mornings and my symptoms are better throughout the day as a result. If I have a bad day and Mini Madam pushes down on my sciatic nerve one too many times, I simply have a nap on my Snoozle and gain a few hours respite.

My only niggle (not a criticism of the product at all as this is completely unavoidable) is that after several turns from side to side, the Snoozle inevitably gets twisted underneath you. This shouldn’t wake you up at night, but does mean you’ll constantly have to straighten it out when you get back from every one of your many trips to the loo!

060 Introducing the Snoozle Maternity Slide Sheet!

But that’s it! I can’t think of anything that would prevent me recommending the Snoozle maternity slide sheet to anyone who is struggling with sleep in pregnancy. It’s had a huge impact for many mums-to-be and is only a tiny £24.00. In fact, so convinced is Snoozle’s founder Lilja that it’ll help you, she offers a full money-back guarantee if it doesn’t!

DISCLAIMER: I was provided with a Snoozle for the purposes of his review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Linking to Tried & Tested by the lovely Kate at Family Fever and Colette at We’re going on an adventure.