Week 27 Official Pregnancy stuff

27 weeks pregnant - Between your burgeoning belly and your aching back, it isn't easy to stand up.never mind stand up straight. Your little one's brain continues its rapid growth . Don't forget to share music, conversation, and even books with your baby! Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. Your baby's hearing continues to develop, he or she may start to recognize your voice. Lungs continue to grow and prepare for functioning outside of the womb . Each day in the womb greatly increases survival rates! This week not only can the baby breathe but also practice yawning ! Boredom already ?

Baby measures average 14.4 inches (36.6cm) and 1.9 pound (875gm) . Your baby's skin is very wrinkled from floating in water. This will stay this way until a few weeks after birth as your newborn fills out into a baby. Although take heart in the fact that your baby's looks are assuming the looks that they will have at birth! Baby is close to the 2 pound mark (900 grams).

From now until about 36 weeks, it's normal for you to gain weight at a slightly faster rate. If, however, you are gaining more weight than necessary and your doctor seems concerned, try to follow the servings outlined below, choosing healthy, low-fat foods. Don't forget to consider portion size. Remember that one serving of meat is about the size of a pack of cards. Be honest.

• Milk and dairy products: three servings or more.
• Whole grains: at least five servings. Try a slice of wholegrain bread.
• Vegetables: three or more servings.
• Fruit group: at least two servings. Try an apple instead of 1/2 cup of juice - more filling and better for you.
• Meat and substitutes: two to three servings. Three ounces of fish can be a lean way to equal a serving.
• NO alcohol !!!!
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How your life's changing:

Your body is gearing up for the final lap, so you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They're carrying extra weight, after all. They may also be aggravated by sluggish circulation and compressed nerves caused by your growing uterus. (As your uterus expands, it puts pressure on the blood vessels that return blood from your legs to your heart and on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs.) Unfortunately, the cramps are likely to get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. When a cramp strikes, stretching the calf muscle (by straightening your leg and then gently flexing your toes back toward your shins) should give you some relief. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.

11th November - Swelling up like a puffball , a trip to hospital and needing comfy shoes!

Beginning somewhere around this stage of pregnancy, nearly three-quarters of pregnant women start to experience mild swelling of the extremities, particularly of the feet and ankles (but also your hands, as you may have noticed when you last tried to take off your rings). I look & feel as if someone has stuck a pump up me and well... pumped. Marshmallow man - ghostbuster style ! Its called edema. Swelling occurs when fluids accumulate in your body tissues as a result of increased blood flow and pressure of your growing uterus on the pelvic veins and your vena cava (the large vein on the right side of your body that returns blood from your lower limbs to the heart).

Mild swelling sure isn't swell (especially when you try to squeeze into your shoes at the end of the day, when puffiness is at its peak), but it is completely normal. If your swelling seems to be more than mild, talk to your practitioner. Excessive swelling can be one sign of preeclampsia. There are other symptoms for preeclampsia like headaches etc which is why I ended up in hospital this week. I started off with a headache that would not go away and then ended up in hospital. I made the mistake of getting the book out and reading about headaches and scared myself into believeing i might actually have preeclampsia. I phoned the out of hours doctor and was told to drive up and see him. He checked my blood pressure and said it was 100/ 80. very high for me !! When he phoned maternity they asked him to send me up.

It was 3am and they wanted to do some tests. In the end they gave me a bed and said I should try and get some sleep while they waited for the results. I was still there when breakfast came round. I had a panic phone call from Caroline who said a nurse woke her up to tell her I was inhospital and she drove over to see me before work. Basically I was given a ticking off for doing too much & told to put my feet up & rest more. Stop trying to be wonder woman basically !

Its tough though at the end of the day you are not ill its just pregnancy. Its kind of frustrating when you get to this stage & you feel like you should be able to function normally but your body wont keep up. My energy has crashed & I look like a blimp ! To aid swell relief I was advised to avoid sitting or standing for a long time (no long sessions on computer!), try to get some pregnancy-appropriate exercise, such as walking or swimming, and when resting, do so with feet elevated . Drink lots of water ! Restricting fluid intake will not decrease swelling, but making sure to get your eight glasses daily may. And also try to look on the bright side: First of all, pretty soon my belly will be so big, I won't even be able to see how swollen your feet are. Second, edema is a temporary condition - apparently you deflate completely soon after you give birth. Anyway for now I have decided its time to hang up the wonder woman cape - those glittery knickers were getting a bit tight anyway !

Suffering from swelling when prenant

Swelling, or edema, is a very common discomfort of pregnancy. It's estimated that about 75% of women will experience this excessive accumulation of fluid around the legs and ankles at some point during pregnancy. Here are some helpful hints on dealing with normal swelling in pregnancy:

• Try rest. When the weather is warm, or you've been standing on your feet for awhile, or even just at the end of your day, you may notice that your feet feel tight, your shoes don't fit, or just a general puffiness. In general swelling is nothing to be alarmed about. Most women report that swelling subsides after a good night's rest, or several hours lying down.
• What you take in counts. If you'd like to take a more active approach in treating edema, there are a couple of things you can do to help relieve the symptoms.
• The first, and probably one of the best and most important, is to drink a lot of water. While it doesn't seem like it makes sense to get rid of fluids by taking in more, the extra fluids will help flush out your system of waste products which may have increased swelling. You really need at least 8 eight ounce glasses of water a day. The best tip I have for accomplishing this is to fill up a container to carry around and empty it by the end of the day.
• The truth about salt. While many people believe that swelling is caused by excessive amounts of salt in the diet, the opposite is also true. Limiting the amount of salt you take in can cause swelling as well. As with all things, moderation is the key to balance.
• Try water or hydrotherapy. A new study out last fall suggests that even beyond the once told water immersion, water aerobics can help with swelling. Being in a pool of water helps the body shed the excess fluids through the kidneys, while supporting the pregnant uterus.

Here are some other basic tips to help reduce swelling and related discomforts:

• Put your feet up when possible. At work, it helps to keep a stool or pile of books under your desk. At home, lie on your left side when possible.
• Don't cross your legs or ankles while sitting.
• Stretch your legs frequently while sitting: Stretch your leg out, heel first, and gently flex your foot to stretch your calf muscles. Rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes.
•  Take regular breaks from sitting or standing. A short walk every so often will help keep your blood circulating.
• Wear comfortable shoes that stretch to accommodate the swelling. Slip on types work best. (Clarks !)
• Don't wear socks or stockings that have tight bands around the ankles or calves.
• Try waist-high maternity support stockings. Put them on before you get out of bed in the morning so blood doesn't have a chance to pool around your ankles.
• Drink plenty of water. Surprisingly, this helps your body retain less water.
• Exercise regularly, especially by walking, swimming, or riding an exercise bike. Or try a water aerobics class — immersion in water may temporarily help reduce swelling, particularly if the water level is up near your shoulders.
• Eat well, and avoid junk food.
• Try not to let pregnancy swelling get you down. The sight of your swollen ankles will probably add to your feeling of ungainliness, but edema is a temporary condition that will pass soon after you give birth. Don't wear elastic topped socks or knee-hi pantyhose.

When Swelling is Not Normal

When swelling is sudden or extreme, or found in not only the legs and feet, but face and hands, it can be something serious. You should report this type of swelling to your midwife or doctor immediately. You should also report swelling that does not go away after many hours of rest. If you're at a higher risk for complications that include swelling like preecclampsia your practitioner should have explained what you are looking for and when it needs to be reported.

Whenever you're concerned about your swelling or other medical questions, never hesitate to talk to your doctor or midwife.

N.B - note added in March 2007. Zachary is 1.

I did have preeclampsia!!

Read my page about preeclampsia here!

My swelling was in the end diagnosed as preecclampsia which should not be taken lightly. Preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading global cause of maternal and infant illness and death. By conservative estimates, these disorders are responsible for 76,000 deaths each year.

The give away for me was going into labour prematurely. This was an enormous shock and something that for a while shook my world apart. (Read our story here) I had a baby in an incubator I was living in hospital and both of us had just fought for our lives. We had won I might add but it was tough going and some months on the havoc that preeclampsia played on my body is still eveident. It took 12 months for my body to start functioning normally again and I sometimes still suffer from swelling.

The consultant at Worcester hospital told me that my widwife, Gp, consultant and staff that had seen me in bangor should have picked up the signs and diagnosed me earlier. There is no promise that I still would not have gone into labour so early but it might have given me a few more weeks. Crucial weeks for a baby. I often wonder wether some of the added stress I had contributed to the symptoms - preeclampsia is aftera ll a hypertension disorder. The consultant told me there was nothing I could have done and that it was as much my age as anything else.

My advice to any woman who at this stage starts to suffer like I did from excessive swelling, headaches, lack of sleep or anything that troublkes you is really push to be checked over thoroughly and start to take it easy. I am fortunate that in the end everything worked out fine and every day I thank my lucky stars when I read about babies born at 31, 32, 33, 34 weeks who have really serious health problems.

Sunday 14th November - Lunch out with the girls and wonder woman gives up - for a while! 28 weeks pregnant!

Wonder woman flies home ! Ok basically after a ticking off at the hospital about doing too much I have made the decision to go home to Mum & Dad's for Christmas a bit earlier than planned. Time to put my feet up and take the opportunity to relax. As I keep being reminded I won't have chance to do much relaxing after baby is born so hey make the most of it now.! I met up with my friend Eirien and a few others at the 'Fat Cat' in Bangor for a late lunch just to see everyone & make sure I get to say goodbye to & hand out my Xmas Cards etc. It will probably be after baby comes that I will see them next so its nice to catch up. Because my mobile phone contract has expired & I don't have a new one there are a few people I haven't managed to get hold of but I will try to catch them when I can. If not next time they see me I will probably be minus huge bump & plus one small creature. Weird huh !

Week 28 bump - impressive eh!

I am actually looking forward to going home and relaxing. Earlier than expected but Dad agreed to pick me up next weekend. I can sit around and let everyone be my slaves while I enjoy the last 3 months of being pregnant. It will also mean I have time to start making my plans and lists too. I need a birth plan. I need to organise a hospital bag. Get some baby stuff organised, make sure I have nappies, wipes, clothes etc and most importantly organise our living space. Put the cot up etc etc. A nursery !!!! SHOPPING !!!!

Wednesday 17th November - Operation Christmas Child

I do a christmas box every year for Operation Christmas Child. Its normally something advertised around the University and they collect the boxes at the libraries over the counter. Basically you fill a medium sized show box with some things that will go through Samaritans across the world to children in foreign countries. Last year they took shoe boxes to Sudan, Afghanistan, Liberia, and more than 90 other countries around the world. Its a christian run organization and I think its a nice idea. You choose whether the box is for a boy or a girl & what age band. Then you fill it with the types of things they recommend. There is also a short list of things you are not allowed to put in like perishables & anything military related or with english words that they can't read.

I chose this year to send a box for a boy aged 5-8. This is what I put in my box. Woolly hat & gloves, two toy matchbox cars, tennis ball, dragon shaped toothbrush, cherry flavoured toothpaste, soap & shampoo, colouring crayons and a colouring pad.

You can visit the operation christmas child web site to get more information by following this link. http://www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC_Index.asp

When baby grows up I will try to do this every year so that I teach him how important it is to think about other people around the world who might not be as lucky as he is to have a Mummy who will always make sure he has a woolly hat to wear and a christmas box to open.