Week 36/37 - Last Week at Work

Cardigan - H&M
Top - H&M

Last week was my last at work. It was pretty busy! I think it was a combination of the time of year and the fact there were jobs that needed doing before I left. I nearly had a melt down on Thursday, didn't know whether to get mad or have a cry. So I took myself off to calm down and felt much better! I was hoping the stress wouldn't bring on an early labour, it didn't :)

Friday was my last day, a lovely sunny day. It felt like the last day of term before the Summer holidays. My friends treated me to a yummy pic-nic lunch and some lovely presents for Baby Bond; a door bouncer and cot mobile. Baby also got a little bear comforter and a sleep suit and I got a little box of chocolates from some students and a Sanctuary bath set.

I will miss everyone, but I know I will see them often. Any excuse for coffee and a catch up and I'm sure I'll be there!

Mine and Baby's lovely leaving gifts

On Tuesday I had a midwife appointment. All is still good; head down, but not yet engaged and heart beat strong. Although I think Thursday night baby may have shifted a bit and moved back up a little as felt a bit uncomfortable, but seems OK today! I am feeling generally a little more uncomfortable as the baby has less and less room to move. But I think I have 'got away' with things pretty easy (so far; famous last words...)

I now have 2 and half weeks until my due date - let the nesting begin!!

Have a lovely weekend.

Amy xx

Week 35/36 - Sleep!

Dress - Primark

This week I turned 36 weeks pregnant, just a few days until I can give birth at the birth centre. So baby just needs to stay put a few more days! I also only have one week left at work now. I can't believe how quickly it has all gone the past few weeks.

Starting to get a bit more uncomfortable now. The bump doesn't seem to grow, but I can definitely feel the baby getting bigger as the bump is feeling a lot tighter. I am pretty good at work during the day. Just waddling down the corridors slower, sitting when I need to and getting others to bend for me if I need to pick things up!

In the afternoons I am feeling a little tired, but by the time I'm home I feel pretty good again and at 10pm-ish I'm not really feeling tired, until the end of the week. It's the evenings when I start to feel more uncomfortable. The bump feels pretty heavy and tight. It feels like my skin is stretching and needs moisture, so I whack on some moisturiser and it feels a little better. The baby is still trying to move quite a bit but now it has less room to move I can feel each movement and sometimes when you get a foot in the side, or bum under the ribs it can be uncomfortable, that only lasts a few moments. I am still fascinated watching my belly move!

Sleep
Most things I am reading about this stage of pregnancy say how you should be getting as much sleep as possible. I am not finding this particularly easy. As I said above, I feel a little tired at work in the afternoons, but I can't just have a nap! This may change once I'm on maternity leave but I am not a 'nap lover', I tend to feel worse afterwards, we will see how that one goes! 

Once I am home I no longer feel tired and there are things to do; dinner to be made, housework to be done and showers to be taken. Don't get me wrong, Paul and I share most jobs as we are both at work during the day, so neither of us want to be doing all the jobs. But I just can't sit still when things need to be done. Having said that, I am doing things slower and resting when I need to. But all the talk about resting and sleeping just seems a waste of time. I'd rather stay as active as possible; I think that's why I am still feeling good and have good energy levels.

When it gets to bed time I am not particularly tired, so have maybe been staying up 'later than I should'. Once in bed though I drop off quickly, only waking to go to the loo about 2-3 times a night!

I know once the baby is here I will need to try and nap when the baby does and I will probably be begging for sleep, but my thoughts are; I can't stock up on it now for when I need it so, for now, I will continue to go with the flow and sleep when it feels right to do so. Even if I went to bed early, I wouldn't sleep anyway so what's the point!!

Weddings
Over the next few months we have few weddings/receptions to go to. One before the baby, this weekend, 1 when I don't know if I'll have had the baby and 2 quite soon after baby is born in August.

This presented me with a fashion dilemma; what to wear?! I didn't want to buy a 'posh' maternity dress as the likelihood would be I'd only need it once so the hunt for a suitable outfit began. I thought maxi dress was probably the way to go so concentrated my shopping in that area. After visiting a few shops I found a lovely maxi in Forever 21. It has an 'elasticated' waist with a tie belt to cover this up and is an olive green colour. Not normally a colour I'd go for, but thought a change would be good. 

With this dress I can wear it again after the baby is here, so may be a good outfit for some of the other weddings. With the other weddings I think I will just have to see what size I am at the time and what I feel most comfortable in. I have a few maxi skirts and dresses that I can wear.

The key will be the accessorising! What did you wear to special occasions when you were pregnant?

Dress - Forever 21
Necklace and Earrings - H&M
Bag - New Look
Shoes - H&M

Have a good week, thanks for reading.

Week 34/35 - Friday the 13th!!!

Maternity Top - H&M

The end of this week saw Friday the 13th! I was a little worried that, even though 5 weeks early, Baby Bond may have decided to make an appearance. Not because of any traditional Friday 13th superstitions, but, for Paul and I it is a lucky day. A few of our milestones have happened on this date, so I wasn't putting it passed our baby not to turn up. This feeling was heightened by the fact that Thursday afternoon I had some persistent 'stitches' and twinges at the bottom of the bump. Luckily all passed without Baby Bond making an appearance. I can put the twinges down to being at work, on one of the hottest days of the year, and just needing to take it easier. Possibly Braxton Hicks? I've had twinges and stitches on the days since, normally around a similar time in the afternoon.

Overall this week has been quite tiring. Monday started off with me feeling stressed about work; just wanting to make sure all loose ends are tied and I get get my hand-over done. I don't want to be leaving earlier than expected without things being left in a good position. But I need to remind myself that if that happens, there isn't much I can do about it and I just need to do the best I can, my priorities now need to shift. Only two weeks to go.

On Tuesday I had a midwife appointment. Everything is going well and baby's head is currently down; so it's a bum I keep getting shoved under my ribs! The baby could change position but with 5 weeks to go that's fine, it still has time to move back, that is probably unlikely to happen.

I am now feeling a lot more connected to the baby and really feeling the bond growing. I guess a new batch of hormones has been released to prepare me for the imminent arrival! It's wriggling lots still, although sometimes uncomfortably so, but I am loving that. Now getting really excited to meet it, see what it looks like and find out what it is!

Yesterday my wonderful friends threw me a lovely afternoon tea baby shower, which was held at my mum's house. We had a few games; pin the dummy on the baby, baby bingo and guess the baby food flavour (which were all quite gross!) I didn't really want presents as I wanted the shower to be more of a get together before the baby arrives. But the girls got me a sterilising kit and my mum and sister got a cute owl piggy bank and owl cushion for the baby's room, Baby Bon'd cousin Emelia got some lovely little books. There was also lots of yummy cake!

Thanks for reading, hope you all have a lovely week.

Amy x

Week 33/34: What's in My Hospital Bags?

I can't quite believe my due date is now only 6 weeks away, and only 3 weeks left at work! This week has been a bit quiet on the baby front. Just feeling heavy and more worn out. Being back at work has tired me out, but it's the weekend and I survived! I just can't get in the habit of getting more sleep yet, I know that needs to change so I can stock up!

Yesterday I had my risk assessment at the birth centre. As the centre is midwife led they only take women who have had no complications in pregnancy and are considered low risk. It's basically a look through my notes and a couple of swabs to see if I have MRSA! Sounds worse than it is, literally a couple of cotton buds up the nose! I 'passed' the risk assessment and so can go to the birth centre, but only if I go into labour when I am full term; between 37 and 42 weeks.

As this week has been rather quiet I thought it was the perfect opportunity to share with you what I have packed in my hospital bags...

I think I was kidding myself with the thought of only needing to pack a few essentials for myself and baby for when the time comes to head off to hospital! I feel like I've had to pack for a weekend away, or short break! Not only have I got a bag for me and a bag for baby, but Paul also has a bag (as dads can stay at the birth centre) and a 'spares' bag for the car. Along with car seat, pillows, food etc!

I seem to have done this early, but as I had a week off for half term it seemed a good opportunity to get organised. Most of the lists of what to pack that I found online, in magazines and leaflets from the birth centre had pretty much the same thing on them. Below is what I personally have and will be packing. What have you got in your bags?

Have a great week 

Amy xx

Week 32/33 - Feeling Heavy/Time for a Skincare Change

Top - 'Old' H&M
Maternity Shorts - H&M 

I think this week must be another transitional phase for me and baby. I am feeling more worn out doing, not so strenuous, tasks and the bump is feeling much heavier now. Bending down just to pick something up, or to put socks/shoes on is a bit of a mission; so I am getting help where I can. Paul is doing a great job as my sock putter-onner! Sleep is also starting to get uncomfortable. I haven't used a cushion under the bump regularly, but this week it has been a much more comfortable way to sleep and I feel like I'm sleeping better.

Night time trips to the loo have also increased; even though, for me, these trips never stopped I have definitely noticed an increase. Even in day-time trips. The worst being when you feel you absolutely must go that second, only to find out the baby is just sitting on your bladder and you don't really need to go at all!

That being said, I am still trying to remain as active as possible as I think I'd feel worse if I was resting all the time. I have rested and chilled quite a bit this week, with it being half term. But I've also met up with friends and family. I need to keep my energy levels up to feel good for my last 4 weeks at work, whilst taking it steady. Then, once I am on maternity leave, I can slow down a bit more.

I had the whooping cough jab this week, which I wasn't looking forward to (does anyone look forward to jabs?!). I am fine with jabs and just think of something else whilst it's happening; I was more concerned about what came after. I had heard that it was a bad one and made your arm feel dead for the rest of the day. That was not the case for me; my arm was a little sore and tender, but nothing you would not expect.

I've been doing a bit of nesting this week, whilst I've had the chance. Tidying the house and finding new homes for things. I also decided it was a good time to pack my hospital bag. I've been putting bits together for a while now that I know I'll need, from lists found in magazines/the internet, but I've now bagged it and done a list of what I still need to pack! I plan to do a blog in the next few weeks on what I have in my bag.

All the sorting made me want to stock up on toiletries and make-up. I know I probably won't get out to do a 'proper' shop for a few weeks after Baby Bond is born, so I took the opportunity to do a big Boots.co.uk order. I am very excited for this parcel to arrive! It's just my usual bits and pieces, but I love getting parcels, who doesn't?! I have decided to try a new eye cream though. I normally go for the Boots own brand Vitamin E cream, which seems to do the job I want it to. However, I do feel like my dark circles are getting a little darker (and will be even darker in a few weeks!) so I've decided to give the Boots Botanics Radiant Youth Hydrating Eye Cream a go. On offer at £5.99 

I also decided I want to try some new skincare products. I have had the same routine and products for about 11 years and thought my skin could do with a change, as it itself has no doubt changed in that time. I have been using Garnier's Pure A/Active products; the exfoliating wash, toner and shine control moisturiser. My skin definately doesn't seem as oily and shiny as it used to, but it is still prone to breakouts and I would say is combination: slightly oily t-zone and normal everywhere else.

It was a total minefield, I didn't know where to start! I asked my sister for some advice, (fayesfix), she has more knowledge on the skincare subject than me. She uses a REN cleanser and so I thought I'd give this a go. Searching for through only REN products narrowed down the search quite a bit, but what to pick? I went on REN's own website to have a look at their products and what they offer. I wasn't sure if I needed a toner, as I have been using one for years I didn't feel comfortable with the idea of not using one! Luckily, the range I decided to go for does have a toner. I am going to stick with my current moisturiser and see how I get on.

After much deliberation I chose the Clarimatte range of products. 
Website quote: 

Combination skin is characterised by: oily and shiny skin epecially on the T–zone; congested skin; prone to open pores; 

blackheads and a few whiteheads; dull skin; dry cheeks and jawline.

normalize itself through the help of ground breaking as well as tried and tested bio actives.

Our Combination skin range is a one of our bestselling ranges and is true to the philosophy of encouraging skin to 

The ideal solution for combination skin is a range that carefully balances the skin, avoiding the  “strip – oil attack” cycle that causes combination skin to swing continually from one extreme to another.

I bought them via the Look Fantastic website, I found a 20% off voucher and they do free delivery. I have gone for the Clarifying Toner and the T-Zone Control Cleansing Gel. The products are more than I would normally pay, but it's worth a try, if I don't like them, or don't really see a difference in my skin, I will go back to my Garnier products. Hopefully they will last a while, and everyone needs a treat, even mummies-to-be!

Have a good week.

Amy x