Is This The Cure For My Pregnancy Stretch Marks?

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I have reviewed a new oil that claims it can reduce stretch marks and scars, and potentially avoid more appearing during your pregnancy.

I have written it up on my parenting blog, so to read it click here.

If you want to buy this oil. click here, and as a special present to you lovely readers, you can have 35% off any SAAF product until the end of June 2013:- Just use the code 'TOTS35' at the checkout!

Confessions of a Single Parent Pessimist: The New Blog

I have finally gotten around to starting the next chapter of this blog, which I have called, 'Confessions of a Single Parent Pessimist'.

This is a blog about my experiences and feelings of my life as a single parent to my beautiful little man, Chunk. I became a single parent when Chunk was 6 weeks old, and have done literally everything (financially, emotionally and practically) for him ever since, and am still alive to tell the tale!

Apologies!

Hello all,
This post is to apologise for my laziness in actually completing the birth story still!
The main reason, is because my little man's dad walked out on us when he was 6 weeks old, to become a drug addict (it's like something out of Eastenders!) and he has not paid a single penny towards raising this beautiful boy.

We attempted supervised contact, but unfortunately, he was inconsistent, and even stole money from my purse, so I have removed him from his life altogether.

I know some people don't agree with the theory, but I truly believe if I have to be the sole parent, providing for this child emotionally, practically and financially, why should that man think he has the right to come in and see him when he wants but not take any responsibility?

Mother's Day,aka MY DUE DATE and he's still not here :(

Well today is officially my due date, and also Mothering Sunday.
I have been counting down to this day for 9 months now, and I cannot describe how gutted I am that he has not turned up.

It would have been the perfect very first Mother's Day gift: my first child.
What hasnt helped, is that I have stupidly believed that he would be earlier than his due date, because everyone around me for the last couple of months have said that there is no way I would get to the due date as he is way too big a baby!

Midwife Appoinment: 39 Weeks

I had my week 39 midwife appointment yesterday, and it’s safe to say it scared the life out of me. It was the most beneficial appointment I have ever had, because for once it lasted more than 5 minutes and we got a lot of things done, but at the same time it has given me a lot to think about. I wish she had been my midwife a lot earlier on, as I might have got a lot more support!

Firstly, I am now officially a beached whale, and it is SO hard to try and do simple things, such as get off a chair, get in or out of bed and even bend over the sink to clean my teeth. I have had enough of being pregnant now, as I feel like I’m going to break anything I sit on and I just want to be able to roll around in my bed pain-free!

My Third Antenatal Class: Breastfeeding

This was the fun class where we had to bring in teddies to practice on. At first the midwife talked about the importance of breastfeeding, for both mum and baby, and she explained that we no longer have the natural instinct of how to breastfeed, due to evolution. She said that is why so many women struggle to do it these days, and that persistence is the key.

Breastfeeding can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and osteoporosis for the mother, as well as suck her uterus back into place quicker and help burn 500 calories a day. It reduces the risks of asthma, other allergies and being overweight for the baby. It also contains all the correct nutrients the baby needs to set up their immune system.

My Second Antenatal Class: Pain Relief

To be honest this session didn’t really do very much for me, but I think this might be because I have already talked to lots of people and read on pregnancy forums and websites about the many pain relief methods.

The midwife started by talking through a basic labour scenario, and then would give different incidences that would result in different birthing methods having to be used. This included looking at using ventousse or forceps if the baby was finding it hard to turn in the canal, and she said this can include the doctor having to cut you (episiotomy). She said that these days episiotomies are not done very often, because it is known that tearing naturally heals a lot quicker than being cut.

My Third Trimester

I thought I would write this now, seeing as today I am officially 37 weeks pregnant and therefore baby is fully cooked. I cannot believe I am finally able to say that; in some ways it has felt like such a long journey (especially during the nasty first trimester!) but since hitting this final tri, it has flown by.

The main things I have noticed in this final tri, is the sheer DISCOMFORT of it!

My First Antenatal Class: Labour

Had the first antenatal class yesterday. Apparently the one session that they felt was sifficient 9 months ago when my sister was pregnant, is no longer good enough, so they now do three classes.

The first is about labour. I took The Bloke to this, because I was hoping they would talk about what he needs to be doing to help me whilst I'm in the biggest agony of my life.
He was quite reluctant to go, but when I reminded him that he won't need to go to the other two (pain relief and breastfeeding), and it would save him from being HUGELY nagged at, he soon shut up.

34 Week / Growth Scan

Had my 34 week growth scan last week (6th Feb) and yet again the little boy chose to hide and not perform!

I say little, but he has really grown over the last four weeks that I feel him a lot more, and most movements are actually quite painful (especially the feet under my ribcage!).

I had been told a few days before by the midwife that he is now 3/5's engaged, so he is head down- SCARY!

Back Pain...SUCKS!

Unfortunately this may be a ranty, moany post, because my back has been in a lot of pain during this third trimester, and I am starting to go slightly crazy!

I have been getting shooting pains on the right side of my body (the right butt cheek, leg and lower back) on and off for the whole pregnancy, but as baby (and I) have been getting bigger, the pain has been worse and more constant.

I went to the midwife, who referred me for physio, which I have now had three sessions of. It is a physiotherapist who only works with pregnant women, which is reassuring, but as you can imagine I did wait a couple of months before she saw me!

My Second Trimester

Week 12-16

If you have read my earlier post about my first trimester, you will know how awful those three months were for me. I kept holding onto the thought that by week 12 I might feel normal, while trying to ignore that some people had told me the sickness and tiredness could last the whole pregnancy for some women! Apparently on average, the nasty symptoms ease off by week 16, and thankfully mine started to go at week 14. I began to get some energy back, and then the nausea started to reduce so that I was no longer having it all day every day. By week 16 I felt a lot better.

My 20 AND 22 Week Scans

On Halloween of all days, was my 20 week scan.
I was incredibly nervous, because I was hoping to find out the sex so didn't want the little one to have their legs crossed!

I had a student scanner and an experienced one overseeing what she was doing. I was initially shocked by how much harder they press on the second scan, and at a couple of points I felt like if they pressed any harder my bowels would explode!

Pregnancy Yoga DVD- My Review

Prenatal Yoga with Desi Bartlett

I got this as part of my 4-DVD fitness set, and it involves a 45 minute session aimed to relax you whilst also toning the body- both things that I desperately need at the moment!

The session begins with meditation and breathing techniques, before it goes onto a section designed to strengthen the body and increase your energy and stamina, which of course helps with the scary upcoming labour!

Baby On A Budget

One of the biggest stress factors for me so far in this pregnancy has been the finances.

If I had known my workplace had such an awful maternity policy, I may have spent a few more months saving up before I put this bun in the oven!

But rather than wallowing in self pity, I have been trying to be proactive by finding ways to save money in the lead up to my baby arriving, alongside buying the necessary baby equipment.

I thought I would share some of the money-saving tips I have found so far in case they could be useful for you too, so here goes:

Old Wives Tale Test

There are a lot of old wives' tales out their to predict baby gender, the internet is full of crazy ones! I have seen Chinese prediction charts based on the mother's age and when the baby is due, others about the cravings you have, shape of your bump and pendulum tests, and a hell of a lot more!

Flu Jab: Yes or No?

For weeks I have been debating whether or not to have the flu jab as the risks have always seemed unclear to me. The jab is always recommended for pregnant women, as we are deemed the 'high risk category'. This is apparently because pregnancy lowers your immune system, so if you have the flu, you can have far more serious side effects from it, which can even include death.

I am asthmatic, so have had the flu jab yearly for many years now, but the jab now contains bodies to protect against swine flu, and I have always been quite dubious about this.

Pregnancy Workout DVD - My Review

Prenatal Fitness Fix with Erin O’ Brien.

Three months of eating stodgy rubbish and lying on my sofa has taken its toll.  I look seven months pregnant instead of four, and none of that is baby bump!

So after having a very lazy first trimester, I have decided to attempt to do some fitness in my second stage to try and slow down my weight gain. After a good look on good old Amazon, I managed to find a pregnancy box set with very good feedback, called The Complete Pregnancy Workout.

The Heartbeat

After spending the last week worrying myself sick that I have somehow suffocated the baby by the squashed positions I sit and sleep in (plus being paranoid about my stomach fat squashing bubba), I was sooooooooooo relieved to get the chance to hear the heartbeat today.

The midwife did the usual checks (blood pressure, urine, checked my notes etc) before getting me to lay down and have that lovely, cold gunk applied to the bottom of my tummy.

For about a minute she searched and searched near my groin for a heartbeat. The longer it took, the more nervous I got, and at one point I heard a beat, but she told me that was my own heartbeat.

The 12 Week Scan

I thought I would write about my first ever scan that took place a couple of weeks ago, as so far it has been the best experience of my rollercoaster pregnancy.

That particular day was my worst ever in terms of sickness, as from 6am to 2pm, I could not even keep down two sips of water and I felt so drained and unwell from the dehydration it was ridiculous. So it was not the start of the day that I had been dreaming about for the last 12 weeks!