beautyconstellation

Week 22 Pregnancy Update

Your baby now weighs almost 430g, measures about 28cm long from crown to heel and is about the size of an Aubergine. Your baby's legs aren't curled up so tightly to her tummy now. This means she can be measured from the top of her head to her heels, instead of her bottom. She is proportioned like a newborn, albeit a thinner version since her baby fat hasn't yet developed.

I'm feeling rather festive this week and have been really enjoying welcoming in December!

How far along?
22 weeks + 5 days

Total weight gain?

Not weighed myself but I did measure my bump, it's currently 87cm at the widest point. Still able to disguise bump reasonably well, I feel like it's just about starting to look I'm pregnant rather than bloated! Will be showcasing little bump in all it's glory soon in everything clingy I can find.

Dodgy changing room photographs whilst on the hunt for new maternity jeans.

Maternity clothes?
Some lovely Zara non maternity items, I could probably do with another pair of maternity jeans to be honest because my Topshop Joni's look terrible now. I definitely need to look into purchasing some new underwear too, all my bras are now incredibly uncomfortable; they feel like some kind of torture device.

Stretch marks?

No sign. Using my Clarins oil alongside the Secret Saviours system, I've only just started using Secret Saviours so I'll have to keep you updated!

Sleep?
I've actually not felt quite as tired as I have in previous weeks. I've been able to get a few good sleeps in, feeling much more uncomfortable when I'm in bed on my side though and having to turn in my sleep is a pain in the backside to be honest!

Best moment this week?
I've returned back to work, hurrah! Everything was getting a bit tedious at home and I really enjoy having something to keep me occupied.
I've finally started to put a serious dent into my Christmas shopping. Had an evening of retail therapy with my Mum in Liverpool city centre, it was a little manic as our shopping trip happened to coincide with the annual visit of the Coca Cola truck (*Holidaaays are comingggg*) . We spent about an hour in Jo Malone sniffing all the lovely scents, as soon as me, Liam and bump move into our new home I'll be purchasing the Pomegranate Noir candle. It smells divine! We also paid a visit to the beauty mecca that is Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar - be still my beating heart <3

Worst moment this week?

Last week was difficult, my Nan passed away in November and it was her funeral last week - hence why I've jumped from 20 to 22 weeks. I just didn't fancy blogging.
I've also been back at the hospital with complications after only being back at work for a week. All is well with baby bump though, he/she had a lovely strong heartbeat and was completely unphased.

Miss anything?

I would quite enjoy a glass of mulled cider, substituting the cider with mince pies but they're not quite the same!

Movement?

I've been getting what I feel are real kicks now! Feeling lots of wiggles and bumps all over the place, they've recently started above my belly button too now which is quite an odd sensation.

Food cravings?

No cravings, I'm not really drawn to any food at the moment - which is making it difficult to decide what I want to eat a lot of the time. I am particularly partial to green olives at the moment, I wouldn't say I crave them as such because I enjoy them all the time!

Anything making you feel sick or queasy?
I've been suffering with really bad heartburn. If that old wives tale is true, then I'm due to give birth to a baby that closely resembles Chewbacca.

Gender?
Surprise!

Symptoms?

Heartburn, leg cramps and lower back pain are out in full force!

Belly button in or out?

In. I was resting my hand on my belly button earlier and got a firm 'kick' from behind it. It's probably the strangest feeling on the entire planet, completely alien like.

Happy or moody?

Happy, generally. I have my moody moments though.

Looking forward to?
Christmas, the move and wrapping all my gifts. I seriously love wrapping presents.

01:34
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Zara Winter Wardrobe Update

Fashion

06:37
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Week 20 Pregnancy Update

20 Week Scan

"Your baby is the size of a mango and now measures 10 inches from head to heel. They are growing bigger and stronger every day. Key senses are still forming, eventually enabling them to smell, see, hear, touch and taste.
You are officially at the halfway stage and you will feel those flutters and kicks any day now."

How far along?

20 weeks +2 days

Total weight gain?

Finally weighed myself. I'm now exactly 59kg, this is definitely the heaviest I've ever been.

Maternity clothes?

No new clothes, still getting by with my pre-pregnancy wardrobe and the odd few maternity bits. I've noticed that my black Topshop Joni maternity jeans are starting to fade slightly, they're more grey than black now which is rather annoying.

Stretch marks?

No sign as of yet. I've finished using my Re-Gen cream, I wouldn't say I loved it but I have enjoyed using it. Liam picked it up for me, I think it was around £5-6. It definitely made my skin feel beautifully soft and moisturised, I would even go as far as saying that it's improved the overall appearance of my skin. The only downsides with this product for me are: the smell (strong herbal/medical scent) and I personally prefer a more 'luxe' looking packaging. I may go back to it though, it is a bargain price.
Currently using my Clarins body oil and I've purchased some Mama Mio products to try out.

Sleep?

Feeling desperately tired all the time now, I genuinely feel as though I could sleep through the whole day - I don't, obviously, I just wish that I could! Sleep in the evening is still broken and uncomfortable. I'm a front sleeper normally and so all other sleeping positions feel unnatural to me. Considering purchasing a pregnancy pillow to try and ease the discomfort if anyone has any recommendations?

Best moment this week?
I have a few.
First up is this view of the 'Weeping Window' installation outside St. George's Hall in Liverpool city centre.

My sister's 21st Birthday meal up in Leeds. Everything we ate was delicious and I treated myself to a delightfully fruity non-alcoholic cocktail made with fresh passion fruit, mint and lychee. All seven of us gorged ourselves on tasty Thai treats, the cherry on top of a fabulous evening involved my sister being serenaded by the restaurant's kitchen staff and the obligatory birthday caterpillar cake!

Saving the best until last...
We had our 20 week scan on Monday. It's so amazing seeing little bump up on the screen kicking away. Here's a side by side shot of my 13 week scan alongside my 20 week scan, little one has grown an awful lot. It's no wonder I feel tired really!

Worst moment this week?
Although my 20 week scan was incredible and it was so exciting seeing my little bumplet yawn, wave and stretch on the screen, the sonographer discovered that baby has a 'duplex kidney' on their left side.
I feel really apprehensive of the possible health ramifications this could cause for baby once he/she is born. I made the mistake of googling duplex kidney and now I'm anxious my baby may have to face potential operations and long term use of antibiotics. Obviously that would be the worst case scenario, apparently they're a relatively common abnormality and depending on how extensive the duplication is it may not bother baby at all. Hoping that everything turns out as uncomplicated as possible *happy thoughts*.

I had my Echocardiogram (fancy was of saying ultrasound of my heart!) and my 24 hr ECG monitor fitted this week. The ECG was really irritating and towards the end of the day it started to make my neck ache. Should hopefully receive my results back in a few weeks but my next consultant appointment isn't until 28 weeks.

We're still not in our new home. The mortgage advisor misspelt my first name on one of the applications (it had been corrected for her 3 times, Katie not Katy) and it's caused a delay. Just hoping to be in before Christmas now.

Miss anything?

Not really.

Movement?

Still just wiggles. I feel like there may be faint kicks, it almost feels like popping bubbles but they're just not strong enough to tell. I keep grabbing Liam's hand to see if he can feel anything but they're just too weak.

Food cravings?

No cravings at all actually. How odd.

Anything making you feel sick or queasy?

Not that I can recall. I have been getting migraines again so the only nausea I've had has been caused by them and codeine.

Gender?
Still a surprise, although we will be finding out on the 24th December.

Symptoms?

Heartburn. Excessive heartburn. I've been munching on Rennie's and chugging on Gaviscon like nobody's business.

Belly button in or out?

Happy or moody?

Happy overall. I have had a few down days though and I'm still not back at work which is causing me a tremendous amount of frustration.

Looking forward to?
The next 20 weeks. I'm officially past the halfway point now, wow!

10:29
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Week 19 Pregnancy Update

19 weeks

'Your baby now weighs more that your placenta, but doesn't yet have much in the way of body fat. They’ll measure around 14cm long, weigh 240g and will be about the size of a mango. Although they’re still small, it’s possible you might start to feel small movements from your baby as they continue to develop.

Your baby’s arms and legs are now in proportion and moving with more limb control as the cartilage begins hardening to bone.

Their skin is now losing its translucent look and beginning to develop pigment which will determine their skin tone. They will now also be covered in Vernix Caseosa, a thin waxy like substance that helps protects your babies skin from the amniotic fluid.

It’s also possible begin to develop hair on their scalp, although it’ll be white and pigment free as hair colour is yet to be determined. '

How far along?

19 weeks +3 days

Total weight gain?
Tummy has definitely 'popped' a bit more this week so I'm guessing there has been weight gain, but alas I have no scales. Still able to fit in some size 6-8 pre-pregnancy clothes, so I can't have gotten that big. To me I'm starting to feel much bigger but others are still slow to notice. I'm anticipating a rather huge growth spurt any day now...

Maternity clothes?
No new clothes, and my tummy still hasn't grown enough to fit into my stripey Topshop dress. Currently scouring Ebay for some bargain maternity buys. I want something nice to wear for our Anniversary, Christmas parties, my Birthday and New Year but I'm trying to be a little bit more sensible with my money - no more frivelous spending, unless it's on baby clothes, then it's acceptable! I want to save all my spending on 'new mummy treats' when I'm skinny again.

Stretch marks?
No sign as of yet. Using Clarins 'Contour Body Treatment Oil' as that's what I was recommended at the counter, in hindsight it looks like the 'Tonic Body Treatment Oil' is a much more relevant product. Just a tad irritated at the Clarins counter assistant.

Sleep?

Cannot get enough. Constantly tired still, and waking at regular intervals with cramps and aches. Turning over is painful, I'm dreading sleep when I'm further along.

Best moment this week?

I managed to get a little creative this week. Me and Liam have come to an agreement, whilst I wasn't sure if I wanted to know our baby's gender and he really, really did, we've decided on waiting until Christmas Eve to find out. I don't want to spoil it too much so I'll do a full post after Christmas to let you know how we managed to keep the gender a secret.

We went on a little afternoon lunch date for healthy smoothies, hummus, pitta and carrot sticks. Delicious!

Worst moment this week?

Having another hard week. Things were tough with a family member passing away this week, I'd rather not talk about it at the moment. I'm still signed off work, feeling nervous for my heart scan and ECG monitor fitting on Monday.

Miss anything?
Missing the ability to be able to stand or sit comfortably, I've been in a lot of discomfort and have been experiencing a significant amount of pressure. The only conclusion I can come to regarding why this is happening to me is that my baby is in fact made of lead.

Movement?

Not as much wiggling as last week. I think I may have felt some shuffles and bumps but it's not been strong enough for anyone else to feel yet.

Food cravings?
For the first time since discovering I was pregnant I've actually wanted to eat chocolate. I'd been experiencing a lot of nausea and completely gone off most sweet things (most savoury too come to think of it!) so it was rather nice to have a munch on a Galaxy bar. It was a cookies and cream one in case you're wondering. I'm also able to eat full meals again!

Anything making you feel sick or queasy?

Liam bought a freshly cooked pork joint in our local Morrison's, as soon as I got into the car the smell literally knocked me backwards. I'm sure it was a perfectly nice piece of meat but I just couldn't be near it. That smell. Urghhhh, it's making me nauseous just thinking about it.

Gender?

It's a surprise.

Symptoms?

Cramping and stretching pains, aching boobs (I swear they're triple their normal size) and heartburn. Coping with the heartburn with multiple bottles of Gaviscon.

Belly button in or out?

Happy or moody?

Generally happy with a few lacklustre days.

Looking forward to?
After I've had my heart checks (echocardiogram and ECG) on Monday (16th November) I get to head on over to the antenatal unit and see my little one wiggling away for my 20 week scan - so excited!
Also purchased another journal to use alongside my Baby B Pregnancy Journal, it's from Orla Kiely and is pretty beautiful. It will be a more edited down version of my B.B journal and it has lots more space for photos!

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Skyn Eye Gels

eye mask

05:12
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Week 18 Pregnancy Update

18 weeks pregnant

Can you believe I'm nearly half way?

'At week 18, your baby will be about 14cm long, weighing around 200g and similar to a bell pepper in size.
Their nerves will now be forming a protective covering of myelin which is vital for their nervous system to develop and function properly after birth.
Your baby is using your tummy as quite a little activity gym by week 18 and doing a whole lot of kicking, rolling and tumbling around. Now that they have developed a grip, they will be grasping hold of their umbilical cord too – a built-in play thing!'

How far along?

18 weeks and 1 day

Total weight gain?
Not too sure as I haven't been weighing myself, the last weigh in I had was around 3 weeks ago and I was 57.1kg. I've noticed that my lower abdomen is definitely more pronounced compared to last week so I'm guessing the scales will have risen.

Maternity clothes?

No new maternity clothes. I'm still able to get by with some of my pre-pregnancy wardrobe mixed in with the few maternity items that I do have. I feel like most of the maternity items that I've tried on are much too big, they leave a baggy space where my bump should be!

Stretch marks?

No sign yet, phewww!

Sleep?
Still suffering from broken sleep, waking up at 3am and 5am with cramping pains. I've been assured by my doctor that this is round ligament pain and will hopefully pass when the baby has moved up past my belly button (but this could be weeks away! *sigh*). At the moment the pain is increased due to the baby finding a cosy spot very low in the pelvic area down to the left, when he/she moves the pain should decrease.

Best moment this week?
Finally starting to get a bump, although you can only really see said bump if I'm lying down on my back.

Went on a lovely trip with my Mum up to The Lakes. It was rainy and foggy, neither of us could walk very far, but it was lovely just to escape and immerse ourselves into the outdoors for a few hours.

Worst moment this week?

The pain. It hasn't really subsided, I just feel like I'm learning to manage it a bit better. I have medication to help now and I have been taking it, I just feel a bit guilty every time I need to have one. I know the baby is doing great and I wouldn't have been prescribed it if there were any side effects but I still get a little pang of conscience that I should be able to handle this myself, not using pharmaceuticals.

Miss anything?

I'm not going to lie, I did get a bit sulky on Halloween. I just felt a bit left out being home alone with gingerbread and Tim Burton films whilst everyone else was rather tipsy and gallivanting in fancy dress smothered in fake blood. I got over it pretty quickly though when I realised that I wouldn't have a soul destroying hangover to deal with the next morning. Ahhh, silver linings.

Movement?
Feeling little wiggles, especially when lying down on my back. Still no definitive 'kicks' though but with an anterior placenta it could take a while.

Food cravings?
Still no real cravings. I've not been able to eat full meals so I've just been having little nibbles throughout the day.

Anything making you feel sick or queasy?

I don't feel sick as such, I just seem to have a complete aversion to most things. Yesterday I bought in some brioche buns, Aberdeen Angus burgers, coleslaw, sweet potatoes, sour cream and some ripe avocados with the hopes of making a nice slap up meal for myself and Liam. I made some fabulous (if I do say so myself) smoked paprika sweet potato wedges with a sour cream and avocado dip, as I was cooking the burgers I realised I didn't want any of it. Instead a settled for half an avocado (literally just avocado on it's own!), a buttered crumpet and a mug of de-caff tea.

Gender?
We should find out at our 20 week scan on 16th November, it's not far off now!

Symptoms?
Lower back pain and abdominal cramping. Still feeling tired, I feel conned; I thought the second trimester was 'energising' ?!

Belly button in or out?
In, but it's looking a bit bigger than usual which is rather strange.

Happy or moody?

I'm enjoying a generally much happier week this week. Mainly been resting lots as I'm not to walk around too much.

Looking forward to?
Is it too early to say I'm excited for Christmas? Looking forward to moving into our new home, still no completion date as such but it can't be far off. Have a little peek at the view we get to look out on.

04:35
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Week 17 Pregnancy Update

17 weeks pregnant

I've not had much of a chance to update recently. Working full-time whilst growing a tiny baby inside you is pretty hard stuff, and I don't seem to be having the most straightforward of pregnancies either. So far I've been hospitalised twice, experienced debilitating pelvic cramps, severe migraines, developed a heart murmur (for which I'm currently waiting for an echocardiogram and a 24hour ECG) and I'm not even halfway through my second trimester!

How far along?
Currently writing this at 17 weeks and 1 day.

Total weight gain?
I think total weight gain has been minimal to be honest, haven't weighed myself recently. Last weighing was about 2 weeks ago and I was 57.1 kg. I'm usually somewhere between 50-54kg.

Maternity clothes?
Some Topshop Maternity Joni jeans in black. Picked them up in a size 8 about 3 weeks ago and I've been wearing them non-stop. All my pre-pregnancy jeans were quite high waisted and got uncomfortable to wear at about 14 weeks. In fact, the majority of my pre-pregnancy clothes are high waisted and just don't seem to fit and flatter me in any way. I don't wait to shell out buying lots of maternity clothes though, just hoping I can make it through Winter in my stretchy jeans and oversized jumpers. I have bought a pretty little striped Topshop maternity dress, will pop a post up when I have more of a bump to showcase it.

Stretch marks?
No sign yet, I don't really have too much of a bump yet though. I've been using 'Re-gen cream' that Liam picked up for me and it's felt quite moisturising. Apparently it's got similar ingredients to Bio-oil. I've also got a rather luxurious looking bottle of oil from Clarins that I'll be trying once I've finished the re-gen cream.

Sleep?
Lots of it. It's all been rather broken though. I've woken up each morning for that past 4 days at 2am, 3am and 5am with contractions and horrific cramping pains.

Best moment this week?
Had a reassurance scan whilst I was in hospital on 26/10/2015. Little one was wriggling around like crazy. He/she had their little legs up in the air, one bent at the knee the other straight parallel to their face, cheeky thing even gave us a little wave. I wish I'd thought to record it, I hadn't seen the baby move before and because I have an anterior placenta I'm not really able to feel too much. I was too in awe with what was happening on the screen.
Another exciting moment this week, our cotbed has arrived for our new home. Can't wait to get the nursery set up once we're in.

Had a lovely trip to Manchester with Liam, we had lunch at Hard Rock (his favourite) and picked up our first few baby bits. It all feels really real now and we're beyond excited.

Worst moment this week?
The pain. Experiencing contractions for the first time this week was completely unnerving and unexpected. TMI, I know, but the pressure down below is like nothing I've ever felt before. The hospital gave me codeine to help with the pain and my Doctor has given me it on prescription but I feel a bit anxious about taking it.

Miss anything?
Aerial hoop, I miss aerial hoop an insane amount but it's just not safe for me at the moment.

Movement?

Felt some little wiggles, no actually kicks really (although I'm sure I may have felt a little bump on Monday just above my pubic bone). Little one has taken to wiggling as high up as they can and resting just below my belly button, I get an alien like bump on my stomach - it's so strange! I'll spare you the photos of that!

Food cravings?

No real cravings.

Anything making you feel sick or queasy?

Meat, I've completely gone off meat and greasy food. I've been eating lots of bean burgers, fresh stir fry, falafel wraps with lots of humus and countless bowls of cereal!

Gender?
Still in the dark on this one, at our reassurance scan baby had their legs crossed and no matter what the Doctor tried little one wouldn't budge.

Symptoms?
Tired, irritable, hormonal and lots of lower back and tummy pain.

Belly button in or out?
In

Happy or moody?

Can I be both at the same time?

Looking forward to?
Moving into our new home. It's not far off now!

04:40
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Week 22 Pregnancy Update

Zara Winter Wardrobe Update

Week 20 Pregnancy Update

Week 19 Pregnancy Update

Skyn Eye Gels

Week 18 Pregnancy Update

Week 17 Pregnancy Update

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