34 Weeks Pregnant - Bump Diary

ALL ABOUT BABY BEE

Baby Bee's size: He is the size of a COCONUT.

Baby Bee's development: He measures around 45cm in length and weighs around 4.5/5lbs now. His brain is working enthusiastically forming all of the millions of complex connections needed for learning in the outside world. At this stage he is able to recognise and react to familiar voices and simple songs.

If he were born this week he would be able to process food on his own as the digestive enzymes in his tummy are now working.

ALL ABOUT MUMMY

How far along? 34 Weeks.

Maternity clothes? No new items.

Stretch marks? 1 new stretchmark, so 5 in total now. My tummy is beginning to feel very tight and like it is stretched to full capacity. 

Sleep? I'm beginning to forget what this thing called 'sleep' actually is. Night times are NOT fun for me at the moment as i'm in so much discomfort and cannot find a comfortable position when lying down so lucky if i can manage a couple of hours sleep. I'm also suffering with a horrid cold a chest infection which is affecting my breathing and disturbing sleep even more than usual as nose is permanently bunged up and my bump/chest hurt when i cough. Baby Bee is putting pressure on my lower pelvis and bladder area so i'm also making more frequent trips to the loo.

Best moment this fortnight: Hearing Baby Bee's heartbeat at the midwife appointment and being told that he's moved into a head down position. On the downside i had a telling off for my blood pressure being too high and my iron levels too low so now taking daily iron supplements that have been prescribed by the GP.

Miss anything? My feet! lol! I tried to paint my toenails the other day and it turned into some form of karate style ninja warrior mission! Suffice to say, i ended up with nail varnish everywhere and toes partially painted.

Movement: Feeling less kicks but more somersaults/wriggling motions which at times can actually be quite painful and comfortable as space in there becomes quite limited. I do like watching my tummy move around in funny positions though as he wriggles about or stretches an arm/foot out.

Food cravings: No.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Sickness has fluctuated quite a bit this past fortnight, i have days with none and then days where i being sick from the moment i wake up until the moment i go to bed. 

Gender: It's a boy.

Labour signs: Intense feelings of pressure in my lower abdomen/pelvic area as Baby Bee begins to descend.

Belly button in or out? In

Symptoms: Fatigue, frequent peeing, exhaustion, lower pelvic pressure, heartburn, shortness of breath and memory loss.

Happy or moody most of the time: It's definitely not been a good fortnight mood wise as pregnancy symptoms combined with a cold and chest infection have completely knocked me for six and left me feeling drained and exhausted.

Looking forward to: Ordering the new double pushchair for Riley and Baby Bee. Also need to pack his hospital bag as i still haven't got round to doing this yet and i now have some gorgeous newborn items to put in there that i won in the Matilda Mae Memorial Auction from The Essential One.

Here is the bump at 34 weeks:

Love Vikki xxx

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32 Weeks Pregnant - Bump Diary

ALL ABOUT BABY BEE

Baby Bee's size: He is the size of a SQUASH.

Baby Bee's development: He measures around 43cm in length and weighs around 3.75/4lbs now. As he continues to grow, he's taking up a lot of space in my uterus and things are feeling even more cramped. He's also getting ready for his descent and is likely to be in the head-down position now.

During the next seven weeks he will gain between a third and a half of birth weight whilst fattening up for survival outside the womb. Toenails, fingernails and real hair have formed and his skin is becoming soft and smooth.

ALL ABOUT MUMMY

How far along? 32 Weeks.

Maternity clothes? No new items.

Stretch marks? No new stretchmarks since last update and still applying lotions daily.

Sleep? Sleep has become virtually non-existent and i find myself tossing and turning all night which is greatly affecting my mood and energy levels throughout the day. I struggle to find a comfortable position when lying down in bed because of lower back pain and due to my uterus pushing up on my diaphragm i experience shortness of breath and heartburn at night so have resorted to propping myself up with pillows.

Best moment this fortnight: Dressing  the bump up in a gorgeous maxi dress to celebrate my brother's 18th birthday. Also packed my hospital bag and now just got Baby Bee's to do.

Miss anything? Nope!

Movement: Still lots of movement throughout the day but he seems most active first thing in the morning and last thing at night. 

Food cravings: No.

Anything making you queasy or sick? The 'all day' sickness has come back with a vengeance and i'm definitely experiencing a loss of appetite and dizzy spells, so trying to make up for it with daily vitamin supplements and increasing my fluids.

Gender: It's a boy.

Labour signs: One episode of braxton hicks this fortnight. Also enlarged and leaking breasts.

Belly button in or out? In

Symptoms: Braxton hicks, tiredness, heartburn, tender breasts, pelvic pain, frequent urination, shortness of breath and general discomfort.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy the majority of the time but i have had numerous hormonal outbursts and moody spells this fortnight which i'm putting down to the severe lack of sleep.

Looking forward to: An appointment with the midwife on Tuesday and packing Baby Bee's hospital bag.

Here is the bump at 32 weeks:

Love Vikki xxx

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30 Weeks Pregnant - Bump Diary

ALL ABOUT BABY BEE

Baby Bee's size: He is the size of a LARGE CABBAGE.

Baby Bee's development: He measures around 39cm from top to toe and weighs around 3lbs now. The formation of white fat cells under the skin is causing him to have surges of energy and he can hear a lot more from the outside now so may respond to this with extra kicks.

He's floating in about a pint and a half of amniotic fluid and still has some room to move around until reaching his final position with head facing down. On an ultrasound i would be able to see him open and close his eyes at this point.

ALL ABOUT MUMMY

How far along? 30 weeks. I actually made it, Riley was born at 30+1 but there are no signs of a preterm labour this time around so Baby Bee must be quite content inside mummy's tummy for now.

Maternity clothes? No new items.

Stretch marks? I'm still using Bio Oil and Palmers Massage Cream daily but i have had two more stretch marks appear on my lower tummy, so that's 4 in total now. I'm not actually as bothered by them as i thought i would be and am embracing the fact that they're a sign of the little person i'm growing in there.

Sleep? My sleep is still very disturbed at night, with regular trips to the loo and hours spent staring at the ceiling. 

Best moment this fortnight: Seeing Baby Bee again at the growth scan last week and being informed that the anomalies discovered on the 20 week scan had gone and the placenta had moved out of a low lying position. Yippee! I also got to see him opening and closing his eyes throughout the ultrasound which was pretty cool.

Miss anything? Nope!

Movement: Still lots of movement throughout the day but he seems most active first thing in the morning and last thing at night. 

Food cravings: No.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No.

Gender: It's a boy.

Labour signs: None. 

Belly button in or out? In

Symptoms: Tiredness, heartburn, tender breasts, pelvic pain, frequent urination, shortness of breath and general discomfort.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy most of the time although feeling slightly emotional and anxious about the rest of my pregnancy and labour especially as Riley was born at 30 weeks. Not only is everything is new to me now but i'm constantly aware of the fact that i could have another premature baby and go into labour at any given time. The slightest twinge, ache or pain sends me in to 'panic' mode.

Looking forward to: Celebrating the fact i've reached this 30 week milestone and doing everything i can from here on out to keep Baby Bee baking for as long as possible!

Here is the bump at 30 weeks:

Love Vikki xxx

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Last Minute Father's Day Inspiration

Father's Day is that one day in the year when we get to honour the 'superhero' fathers and grandfathers in our lives, thanking them for all that they do, all that they have done and for generally being there for us in our times of need. However, it is a busy time of year for most (even more so for me as i prepare for the arrival of Baby Bee) and i would be lying if i said that a severe case of baby brain hadn't made me completely forget that Father's Day was in fact tomorrow. So how do you turn things around when Father's Day has completely slipped your mind? Here is some Father's Day Inspiration for those of you, who like me, may have left things until the very last minute:

For The Foodie Dads:
Sneak out of bed early and treat him to breakfast in bed or take a trip to your supermarket and purchase items to create a beautiful hamper full of his favourite food and drink. These are both ideas that the little ones can get involved with and add their personal touch too as well.

For The Outdoorsy Dads:
Take a trip to the park with the kids and have a picnic, feed the ducks or go for a family walk together. You could even visit a local attraction like a National Trust site, a castle or the zoo.

For The Gaming Dads:
Plan some snacks, stock up on drinks, dig out your favourite board games and have a family games night - it could turn out to be one of the most memorable Father's Days you ever have and could even become a family tradition. If your dad's a man that's more in to his video games than board games, then purchase some new games that the whole family can get involved with or take him back to his youth by firing up the NES and getting to grips with retro games like Super Mario all over again.

For The Sporty Dads:
 You could visit a golf club and have a round of 'crazy golf' or 'pitch and putt' with the kids, go swimming at your local leisure centre or take a ball to the recreation ground and have a kick about.

For The Gardening Dads:
Take a trip to your local garden centre and stock up on some seasonal plants, flowers, seeds, accessories or any other products that dad might use in the garden. If he's usually the one to tend to the garden all year round, surprise him by having the kids mow the lawn or encourage them to spend some quality time with him tending to vegetables/flowers or planting new seeds -  it's a great learning experience and fun for them too.

No matter what you decide to do, just remember that it's the thought that counts and enjoy spending some quality time with the men in your life!

Love Vikki xxx

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Wetting Yourself Laughing - It's Not All Fun And Games (Guest Post)

Guest Post written by Sophie Turner.

We’ve all heard the expressions and, if we admit it (come on now; you’re in a safe place), we’ve all had a ‘whoops’ moment where that saying becomes all too much of a reality.

But why does this happen?

When I say incontinence you think: babies, old people and pregnant women right? Wrong, but don’t worry; I did too. Just to put things into context for you, I’m a young 20-something, have not had children and really have not given any thought to pelvic health until recently. Since making my 'oh so optimistic' New Year’s resolutions I have become an avid fitness enthusiast and I have begun to hear the term 'pelvic floor' more and more.

What are these muscles I found so hard to focus on? Why did it hurt to laugh the day after yoga class? Quite simply, your pelvic floor is an integral part of your core muscles and strength. 

The next time this taboo topic came to my attention was whilst shamelessly watching Geordie Shore (don’t judge me). I admired the courage it took for the women involved to face this, lets admit it, embarrassing topic head on and I made it my mission to find answers.

Having a strong pelvic floor isn’t all about resolving/preventing incontinence issues though. I have also found some tasty advantages to doing a few simple pelvic floor exercises a day. They can help flatten your tummy, get you some abs and improve orgasms! Got your attention yet? It certainly had mine by this point…

So, girl’s night came about and, after a glass of wine, I put my professor’s hat on and got my girls talking. Story after story of red-faced ‘whoops’ moments came pouring out between giggles. They all had a tale to tell, but not one solution between them. It seemed I was not alone in my ignorance to the importance of pelvic health. There’s so much good information available out there, found with just a quick search on 'pelvic

health'. A little bit of research goes a long way!

Now here’s some homework for you: GET TALKING. It only takes one person’s confession to get the ball rolling and this isn’t a topic that you should be embarrassed about, or scared to tackle. With a few simple Kegel exercises, or use of pelvic strengthening products like Neen, everyday you’ll have a strong pelvic floor and firm tummy in no time!

Author Bio: Sophie Turner is a twenty something year old with a passion for life, aesthetically speaking she's a magpie drawn to pretty things: Beauty, Fashion, Interior design, and most importantly food (dessert is her weakness). She would describe herself as well traveled and as an advocate for healthy living, She is at her happiest traveling, collecting pretty things from across the globe whilst gaining and sharing interesting life knowledge.

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Family Film Night With Coca Cola

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.

As most will know Mr B works away Monday to Friday (sometimes even Saturday), meaning Riley and I see very little of him, so making time for each other as well as having 'quality' time together as a family at the weekends is very important. After a busy week at work for Mr B and a stressful week at home for me with a poorly boy, by the time Saturday came round we were both too exhausted to contemplate anything adventurous and didn't want to drag Riley out when he was under the weather so decided that a chilled out 'film night' was in order.

We popped to Tesco which is our nearest supermarket and headed straight for the DVD aisle. They had some great offers on and there was a huge range of kids DVD's to choose from, from as little as £3. Riley had no hesitation in choosing 'A Turtle's Tale' and insisted on carrying it around the entire supermarket.

With the DVD firmly chosen we moved on to nibbles and drink - and as a pregnant mama, any excuse to divulge in some fizzy pop or junk food is perfectly acceptable by me. Neither myself or Mr B drink tea or coffee and with Baby Bee baking nicely in my tummy alcohol is definitely off the menu, so Coca Cola is a firm favourite in our house. Although the 2ltr bottles we wanted weren't on offer, the 24-packs of cans were half price and the 8-packs of cans were on a BOGOF (Buy One Get One Free) so we took advantage of the BOGOF and got some bottles of Cherry Coke too.

I love Coca Cola's latest 'Share A Coke' marketing campaign in which they've replaced their iconic logo on some of their bottles with 150 of Great Britain's most popular names, so we can share a coke with our friends, family and loved ones. Unfortunately Vikki doesn't appear on any of them, nor does Riley or Mr B's name but we did grab some 2 ltr bottles with 'friends' and 'family' written on them to give our film night a more personal feel. You can find out more about their campaign here.

For nibbles we chose some toffee popcorn, sensations crisps, nuts, nachos, cocktail sausages, fried chicken straws and sausage rolls. We avoided the sweets and confectionery aisle (much to my disappointment) as we wanted to stick to snacks that we could all enjoy and in my eyes, Riley's still far too young to be eating sweets.

When we arrived back home from the supermarket, Daddy unpacked the shopping and got everything ready whilst i bathed Riley and got him changed for bed. Then we all cosied up in the living room to watch the film and although Riley was unwell, it was so lovely to see him sat up enjoying his plate of food looking proud as punch as he was eating exactly the same as us.

It made a really nice change for us all to be sat down together enjoying a film, rather than the usual at that time of evening where Riley's watching In The Night Garden before bed, Daddy's playing on his phone and Mummy's working on the laptop. Too often these days we get distracted by technology so it was lovely to spend some real quality time together as a family with no distractions. Riley giggled throughout the film, as did we and it's definitely something we will be doing more often from now on.

For more photos from our 'Family Film Night With Coca Cola' check out my Google + album here.

How do you spend quality time together? Do you enjoy 'Film Nights' together as a family?

Love Vikki xxx

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Baby Shower vs Welcoming Party

I was reading an article this morning about how actress Jessica Alba had treated an expectant mother to her dream baby shower last week, by hosting an intimate event in Los Angeles. The Hollywood beauty launched a competition in honour of America's Mother's Day to host a baby show for four deserving expectant mothers whose lifestyle's mirrored the mission of Alba's eco-friendly venture, The Honest Company.

Image via VUE

Though traditionally perceived to be an American tradition, according to a recent survey, the baby shower phenomenon has hit the UK with more and more of us expecting mums having parties to allow friends and family to shower our unborn babies with gifts. An estimated two thirds of pregnant women now have plans for a baby shower before the nine months is up, myself included in this statistic. When i was pregnant with Riley my sister organised a baby shower for me (in secret) to take place when i was 32 weeks pregnant, unfortunately as he decided to put in an early appearance at 30 weeks, the date of my baby shower came and went.

Now that i'm pregnant again i've been debating whether or not to have a baby shower before Baby Bee is born. Whilst some would deem it to be a waste of time and money, i think it provides the perfect opportunity to get together with friends, share advice/parenting tips and of course eat lots of cake! Often i feel guilty at the thought of throwing such a party where friends are expected to turn up with armfuls of presents, but the simple fact is, whether you choose to throw a baby shower or not, EVERYONE loves buying for babies and the gifts don't have to cost an arm and a leg.

Image via Mumzworld

An alternative we've been thinking about is to have a 'Welcoming Party' once Baby Bee is home. He's due in July so it would be the perfect time to have a BBQ in the garden and invite friends and family over to welcome him into the world. Riley's homecoming was by no means traumatic, but it was a very surreal and scary time, and after 6 weeks in the NICU, although people were desperate to meet him, all we wanted was time to adjust to being a family and enjoy having our baby boy to ourselves. We kept visitors to an absolute minimum and made no fuss at all. Something i actually feel incredibly guilty about, but at the time all i could concentrate on was nurturing him and keeping him safe from harm.

Image via Etsy

This time around, my pregnancy *touch wood* is going very well and i want to do things properly as i may never get the chance to again. It's an opportunity for us to celebrate both Riley and Baby Bee being born into the world and share that moment with the ones we love. So, whatever we decide to do, you can expect some baby shower/welcome party inspiration posts to be coming up on the blog shortly.

Did you have a baby shower or welcoming party for you baby? Have you attended a friend's baby shower/welcoming party? Do you think they're a good idea or a waste of money?

I'd love to know your thoughts!

Love Vikki xxx

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