Tuesday, 24 September 2019

PREGNANCY: 8 Month Update - Low-Lying Placenta, Anaemia and Surprise Special Moments

PREGNANCY: 8 Month Update - Low-Lying Placenta, Anaemia and Surprise Special Moments
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I can barely believe that I'm sat here writing an 8 month pregnancy update and the first one since the first trimester - where has the time gone? Pregnancy with two children running around, starting school, reaching milestones, needing attention etc. doesn't leave very much time to actually sit back and focus on the pregnancy itself. It's to be expected I guess; long gone have those days of my first pregnancy where I could enjoy a relaxing bath in peace, book in for pregnancy massages and have an uninterrupted conversation with my husband about baby names! The tiredness is certainly more intense third time around, but there have also been quite a few unexpected aspects to this third pregnancy that have made it so special in its own way. As soon as you have other children pregnancy isn't just about you, it's about sharing the experience as a family and that has been truly incredible this time around. 

So, how have I been feeling for the past 5-6 months? On the whole I've been feeling really good; the mental struggle of the first trimester passed by around 19 weeks and since then it's been the building excitement that I've been able to focus on. My main ongoing issue is my back and nerve pain down my leg, which has made moving around particularly tricky. I struggle to sit in certain positions, getting up hurts and walking for any distance feels like my back is being ripped apart. I'm sure part of the problem is that I've been pregnant so many times consecutively over the past five years that I simply don't have much core strength left. This is something I need to work on once I've given birth because I've never felt so weak and it's not a nice feeling. My back pain has meant I've had no choice but to adapt how I play/parent Isabella and Poppy, for instance sitting on the floor to play games isn't an option at the moment and doing physical jobs around the house takes me quite a bit longer. It has been frustrating on occasions because such a simple task seems like an almost impossible one with the pain, but the end is insight now and I know it will all be worth it in the end. 
There still haven't been any major cravings this pregnancy, although I certainly have a sweeter tooth than before. Usually I'm not a sweets person at all, but this pregnancy I've been loving those long filled laces covered in sugar you find at the funfair. It has to be the sugar covered ones, nothing else will do! I do also need to up the iron within my diet because when I had my bloods done at 34 weeks pregnant it came back that I'm now anaemic, so have been taking Blueiron Liquid Iron for Pregnancy. It does help to explain why I've been feeling quite so tired recently, so I guess I'm quite relieved there's an explanation. Hopefully my iron levels will return to normal by the time the baby arrives, which could be anytime.

On my 20 week scan it showed that my placenta was low-lying, so I was automatically booked in for another scan at 34 weeks to check it's position. I'm so happy to report that my placenta has now moved and I've been given the all clear for whichever birth I choose. They did say that 9 out of 10 placentas move by 34 weeks, but it was still something that had been playing on my mind so relieved is certainly the word. We also had it confirmed for the third time that we're expecting a boy, which again was a relief as we've now sold, donated or put away all of the baby girls clothes we had. 
The baby boy's nursery is also pretty much done and by 'done' I mean that we moved the cot into a different position and we have put down a new rug. Luckily, despite knowing we were having a girl when I was expecting Isabella we opted to decorate the nursery neutral colours so it has suited all three babies over the years. I still am contemplating getting some wall stickers to jazz up one of the walls and maybe adding a new row of hooks, but nothing too extreme. Personally, I find the most exciting part of getting the nursery ready is washing and putting away all of the teeny tiny clothes. We have been using the Bio-D Non-Bio Laundry Liquid from Abel & Cole to wash the baby's clothes because it is fragrance-free, uses ethically sourced ingredients and the packaging is 100% recyclable too. It's so gentle on the skin, which will be perfect for when he arrives and gets all snuggled up in his tiny clothes.

Looking at the little vests/babygrows that Isabella and Poppy fitted in many moons ago brings back so many happy memories. There are also a lot of new baby clothes due to expecting a boy this time, which is something I really missed when preparing for Poppy's arrival. Her wardrobe was filled with hand-me-downs, which saved so much money but there's something extra special about brand new clothes for little newborns. 
Talking of clothing, this baby has a wardrobe filled and ready to take him through to his first birthday...what can I say? The summer sales drew me in and I ended up getting a lot of 6-9 months and 9-12 months ready for next year; I can't resist a bargain. I have also been doing a fair amount of shopping on eBay for him, which is something I have to admit I didn't do at all with the girls. I have been so impressed at the range of clothing items you can pick up on eBay and they are so often in immaculate condition. I've even picked up some babygrows from Next that are still in store for only a few pounds; who can say no to that? If you're also expecting a little one then I'd highly recommend checking out eBay for a good old bargain and reusing clothes helps the environment too; it's win, win. 

I have to say that something that has surprised me more than anything this pregnancy has been how magical it has been sharing it with Isabella. She is now four years old, so understands a lot more about me being pregnant and what is to come. It has been a joy sharing all of the little moments with her, while educating her about how wonderful women's bodies are as they change, adapt and create this tiny little human. She has been full of questions along the way and is always so interested to find out what's happened at the latest midwife appointment or scan. At her request I have been recording the heartbeat at each midwife appointment, so that she can hear it after school and it's the little things like that which I hadn't been expecting but are just the most wonderful moments.


The need to start nesting has certainly kicked in now, so the whole house has been getting a deep clean! As with washing the baby's clothes we've been using the very gentle, ethical and cruelty-free cleaning range from Bio-D, which you can order from Abel & Cole. Bio-D offer an affordable hypoallergenic, eco responsible detergents using plant-derived and renewably sourced ingredients where possible. They never test on animals, create GM free products, and are approved by The Vegan Society, Naturewatch Trust and The World Wildlife Foundation. The perfect responsible range of cleaning products that is also affordable too - win, win.

The first (and most used) item from the Bio-D range that we have been enjoying using is the Concentrated Washing Up Liquid (£1.95). It is gentle enough that anyone with strong allergies can use it, is UK made and biodegradable, not to mention very effective at cleaning the dishes. It makes washing up a breeze, which suits me well as standing still for long periods of time does get uncomfortable after a well. I've also been loving the All Purpose Sanitiser Spray (£2.80) for cleaning all of the hard surfaces in our house; it's so easy to use, is non-toxic and therefore ideal for preparing for a newborn. They also do a Home & Garden Sanitiser (£2.65), which is an eco-friendly option for cleaning the patios, paths, decking, driveways etc. Then we move onto the least glamorous cleaning job has to be cleaning to the toilet, doesn't it? I've been using the Bio-D Concentrated Toilet Cleaner (£2.35) because it is chlorine-free and removes discolouration/limescale that even toxic brands can't. Nesting is such a wonderful part of pregnancy and has to be one of the only times I love cleaning the house from top to bottom!
I think that is everything to report on for now and at almost 37 weeks now I can't imagine much is going to change before the baby arrives. I am starting to feel a bit nervous about going into labour, simply because I've never gone into labour naturally. I've been induced twice (first time because my waters broke and second time because I went so overdue), so haven't had to suddenly find childcare for the children or rush to hospital whilst having contractions. The hospital we're going to is almost 40 minutes away too, so lets home everything goes smoothly and I don't end up giving birth on the side of the road!

Feel free to leave a comment - I love reading every single one :)

Helen x
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9 comments

  1. Not long to go now. I hope everything goes smoothly for you!

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  2. So lovely to hear how magical it's been sharing the experience with Isabella now she's four. The Bio D range looks really good I'm off to investigate further!

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  3. Glad to hear your placenta has moved now. Wishing you all the best for the safe arrival of your baby boy, I'm sure your girls are going to love having a baby brother to cuddle soon.

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  4. What an exciting time for you! Glad to hear things are going well. I like the sound of the Bio D range, I definitely want to support more eco-friendly companies that really try to put only good stuff in their products.

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  5. How exciting! I bet you can't wait to meet your little one. The Bio D range sounds great. I always worry about using harsh chemicals, but I this sounds perfect.

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  6. Not long to go now, how exciting! My eldest was also 4 when my younger son was born, and he was so interested and involved. He was also very protective of me, e.g. we would get upset if I ran too fast because he was worried the baby would get bounced around too much. Bless.

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  7. It’s so exciting to read that you’re going to have a baby boy I’m sure the Bio products will be gentle for his skin.

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  8. Aw what an exciting time in your life. I bet you cannot wait...I hope all goes well for you. The bio D range sounds fab too xx

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