Pregnancy: Week 32 with baby number two

In the last few weeks I’ve definitely started feeling pregnant at all times rather than just when I try to bend over, and apparently I look more pregnant too as a couple of people have said ‘not long to go now then?’ and other similar things… my last update was at  28 weeks if you wanted to read it.

Appointments
I’ve not had a MW appointment since my last update, and I think I next see her at 35 weeks, and I realised today I have no idea where my maternity notes are at the moment… I did have a GTT blood test though at 29 weeks. I found out after my glucose tolerance test (needed because I have poly-cystic ovarian syndrome) that my iron levels were really low, although my glucose was fine! I’ve been prescribed iron tablets but my energy levels are still suffering. The one upside to this is that I’m managing to get back to sleep fairly quickly after night time toilet trips! I have an appointment in early March to book a C section date too, which will probably be around 39 weeks.

Body
Apart from the obvious expanding bump I seem to be more or less the same, boobs the same size and no (new) stretch marks yet. I have a couple of red marks (like burst blood vessels just under the skin) and a skin tag or two on my neck that appeared last pregnancy that have come back but I think skin changes are fairly normal in pregnancy. My hair is growing at a rate of knots and my nails too, although they’re not as strong as they were and I’ve had so many breakages I’ve filed them right down so I can attempt to get them all the same length! The restless legs seem to have disappeared which is nice! I feel achey and stiff in the mornings, and then again by about 3pm too although this is worse on work days as I’m sitting down a fair amount so seem to seize up!

Food
The ice craving I had in my first pregnancy is back, and if you have the pleasure of eating out with me you’ll see me surreptitiously scooping ice out of my glass and chomping on it. This craving makes sense though as its common in women with a low iron count. This weekend just gone I had a nasty 24 hour sickness bug, which left me weak and feeble, but thankfully it had nothing on the week long norovirus I had before Christmas, and I didn’t pass it to anyone else!

Movements/Baby
The hiccups have started! I love feeling the bump hiccup, I remember it well with Athena too! Still lots of other movement still so I assume he’s got plenty of space to roll about for the moment! According to one of the apps he’s around 17 inches long and around the size of a head of lettuce…

Other things
I seem to have reached the clumsy stage of pregnancy, which is probably not helped by being tired all the time! This week just gone I have managed to bruise the bump on the edge of my laptop, walk into every door handle in our house and then fell over in the street scraping my knee and twisting my ankle. So not only am I waddling I am now limping too! I also seem to be incapable of remaining sleeping on one side these days and often wake up on my back and pretty stiff, even though I am sleeping with my lovely pregnancy pillow and another pillow behind my back.

Exercise
Because I had last week off work, and next week too (using up annual leave that I can’t carry over) and therefore walking less I’ve started to do some pregnancy yoga a few times a week. I really love the Mama Baby Bliss CD as I can work at my own pace, along with the illustrated booklet. Each session leaves me feeling more relaxed and much less achey, especially the hip openers. I’m lucky that I’m fairly flexible from years of dance training so am able to stretch myself in many of the poses and feel a sense of accomplishment once I’m done! Oh and I can a still reach my toenails to paint them too (well, if I pull my foot up onto the opposite side and peer round the bump!)

Feelings
Perfectly happy,  but kind of wishing the last few weeks would speed up so we can meet this little person… but also relishing the last few weeks of one on one time with Athena too. Emotionally I’ve always been a bit of a stone so I’m not bursting into tears at random things or anything like that, perhaps my hormones are a bit out of whack but I’ve never really been like that anyway! I do seem to have less patience, but then I’m not a very patient person anyway!

The worst symptom of all…
Nope, not piles or a weak bladder (not had either thankfully!) but THE CONSTANT BLOCKED NOSE. I have had a blocked nose since I found out I was pregnant, and it is just really getting on my nerves now. Sam even claims I was snoring for the first time ever one night last week! I just can’t clear my nose, I’ve tried squirting things up it, drinking lots of water, steaming, nothing works. I just have to wait till baby arrives and hope it goes away! I remember being a bit snotty last pregnancy but nothing like this! Sleeping sort of propped up does kind of help with being able to breathe properly in my sleep but is obviously not that comfortable!

Things to think about:

• A c section recovery belt. I didn’t use one last time but think it would be beneficial!
• Packing a hospital bag, or at least writing a list of what to go in it!
• Doing a major spring clean before baby arrives! Aka nesting… in fact I have a list of jobs to do, but not the urge to do them… yet!

So there we go, week 32 is half over and baby will be here within 8 weeks minimum, as my section date won’t be after my due date!