Update on my change in diet

I have been very badly neglecting this blog. I have been so tired and felt like I've had next to no energy. I am slowly getting better though.

I've had to dramatically adjust my diet to keep my blood sugars low. I ended up with lots of ketones in my water which according to my diabetic midwife was from my body going into starvation mode so I have to eat a little more whilst still keeping my blood sugars within my limits. Its hard and I have had the odd spike in them once or twice every couple of days but this is the best diet I have ever been on as I can't cheat as I know it is not just me who will be affected by the results of my overeating.

I spent the first week getting really stressed out when I got a high blood sugar reading but am starting to relax a bit now as the stress is no good for baby either. I am keeping a food diary which is helping as then if I get a high I can look at what I've eaten and try and figure out where I went wrong. Normally means I had too many carbs. I don't even pretend to understand all of it though so have stopped stressing as I'm eating a million times more healthily than I was and am doing the best I can for myself and our baby girl.

I have been spending lots of time this week worrying about labour. I had 2 really good labours with my other 2 and they were big babies too (10lb 7 and 9lb 7) but I just don't know what's going to happen this time round. I am almost certain I will be induced at 38 weeks (7.5 weeks to go!!) but am worried I will end up with a caesarean if she's bigger than Josh was. I am petrified of the thought of one but on the other hand I will do whatever is necessary to make sure our baby is ok so if that means a caesarean then so be it.

I have another appointment with the obstetric consultant tomorrow and am also seeing my diabetic midwife and diabetic nurse. I have loads of appointments lined up for every week between now and having the baby which is reassuring that I'm being monitored so closely. I have my next scan in 2 weeks which will be interesting to see how she's grown.

Also, can't remember if I've mentioned it before but we have finally come up with baby's name - Gabrielle Victoria K____(our surname)

An update from my appointments today

I had my growth scan this morning and Gabrielle is already one large baby weighing 3lb 12oz at 28+4. (I thought they were wrong at the 4d scan when they said she'd be around 8lb at birth lol!!) Thankfully everything is ok with her and the fluid around her is normal (apparantly you can sometimes end up with excess fluid around her because of gestational diabetes)

We had a busy appointment afterwards and I am being looked after by a diabetic midwife, diabetic nurse, diabetic consultant, obstetric consultant and a dietician so was at the hospital over 3 hours getting sorted out.

I feel better about it all now. I have to try and keep my blood sugars between 4 and 6 when fasting and less than 7.8 2 hours after eating. I have to test 4 times a day with a little pen thing that pricks my finger then I squeeze some blood out onto the end of a tab connected to the meter. After lunch my sugars were 7.2 and after tea they were 5.9!! I am so pleased that my blood sugars were both under the limit, especially the one after my tea which was lovely and consisted of half plate of salad, small jacket potato spread with bertolli spread, small portion of chicken breast) so I can have that again another day.

I am not allowed to snack between meals which I know is my biggest weakness and I will find that hardest. I can have a yogurt or fruit straight after a meal as a desert but not as a snack midway through the afternoon/evening which I find very strange. I surprised myself though by feeling very satisfied after my tea and still am so have skipped the yogurt.

I have to test my sugars 4 times a day sometimes before eating and other times 2 hours after eating and they have to stay within set limits so hopefully I can control it through diet alone.

I will be induced no later than 38 weeks due to Gabrielle's size and at the moment there is no reason why I have to have a caesarean which was really worrying me but if they try to induce me and it doesn't work or she gets distressed then I would end up with one. Hopefully it will work being induced first time as it did with dd and I will be doing all the old wives tales to try and get her out without being induced if possible.

I have another scan in 4 weeks and then will have fortnightly scans to keep an eye on her. I also have to go in for her heartbeat monitoring regularly from 34 weeks and they will check my kidney function then too.

I feel happy now that I know we will be monitored closely and I have appointments practically every week to keep an eye on things.

Hopefully everything will be ok and the gestational diabetes should disappear as soon as I give birth and Gabrielle will have her blood sugars tested within 3-4 hours after being born to make sure her sugars aren't too low. It means I'm now more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future but this has given me a kick up the bum to take care of my diet and lose the weight and get myself in better shape.

Gestational Diabetes

28+4

I've had a phone call yesterday afternoon from the Diabetic Midwife. I had my Glucose Tolerance Test yesterday morning and it turns out my results are raised. I have to go this morning to the diabetic clinic at the hospital to see diabetic midwife, dietician and my consultant. They have also arranged a growth scan for this morning too.

I am completely in shock about it. I had no inkling that it would come back positive as I've had no glucose in my urine or anything. I have had 2 previous large babies but after having the gtt test with Ellie and that being negative I assumed I just naturally had larger babies. My bmi is high but I am just completely shocked by it.

The diabetic midwife sounds lovely though and everything will be explained to me today and I will have to do fingerprick test to test my blood sugars I presume everyday or even a few times a day, not sure yet.

I will be induced at 38 weeks and baby will have to have her blood sugars monitored. I am worried that she'll have to go to special care and I won't be able to be with her. Not sure if this will be the case or not.

I've been looking in the cupboard at what we have in. I have no idea what sort of things I can eat. I suppose that will all get sorted today and we'll have to go to Asda on the way back from the hospital.

I'll try and update again when I get back later and try and take it all in.

Back from my scan!!

I went for my scan this morning and baby decided that it was the perfect time to curl into a ball and play hide and seek!!

I had to go for a walk to encourage baby to move (definitely not easy with a bursting full bladder!) and wriggled my bump about a bit.

Went back in and baby had moved slightly but was still playing games so I had to turn onto 1 side then the other and the sonographer eventually got all the measurements and everything looks ok.

She *thinks* we are having a baby girl. She said she wouldn't put money on it but dh and I think we saw the hamburger. I will keep hold of the boy's clothes I've bought just in case though lol!!

We have a 4d scan at the beginning of November so hopefully that will confirm it if our little cheeky minx plays ball!!

So glad that everything was ok though. I think this baby has a cheeky character already lol!!

Dh felt baby kick!!

This morning at 2.30am Vic felt baby kick for the first time and they did quite a few nice big kicks.

I'd been getting a bit worried about not feeling many kicks and not feeling them everyday but I was reassured by the nice kicks I got in the early hours.

I have another scan at 11.20am this morning and am feeling much better about it that everything will be ok with himher. Hopefully they will be in a good position and we will find out if we have a him or a her lol!!

Right had better go and start drinking my water and will update again later this afternoon after my scan.

23 Weeks Pregnant!!

You are now 23 weeks pregnant (or in your 24th week if that's how you prefer to count it).

Your baby now weighs a little more than 500g and measures about 28.9cm from crown to heel. His hearing is well established and he can make out a distorted version of your voice, the beating of your heart and your stomach rumblings. Loud noises your baby has often heard in the uterus (womb), such as the barking of a dog or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother him when he is born.

Some studies seem to indicate that unborn babies prefer classical music, so put on a CD of relaxing music by Bach or Mozart for his enjoyment – and yours!

In addition to advances in your baby's hearing, his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing. He's swallowing but he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth.

If your baby were to be born now, he would have a small chance of survival (about 16 per cent) with the right care. Every day in the uterus makes a difference at this stage. If he was born at 24 weeks his chance of survival would rise to 44 per cent.

As for you, you may feel clumsy now that your centre of gravity has shifted. Your gums may bleed when you brush your teeth and your belly button, once an "innie", may now stick out. Don't worry. It'll revert to its pre-baby state soon after you give birth.

You may notice some bleeding when you brush your teeth - a common pregnancy complaint (along with nosebleeds). Pregnancy hormones can make your gums swell and become inflamed, which leads to frequent bleeding, especially when you clean your teeth. What to do? Brush and floss regularly but gently and follow our other self help suggestions. Although you may want to avoid disturbing your gums, it's crucial to practise good dental hygiene during pregnancy to avoid gum disease.

Most women don't have many antenatal appointments, so see if your partner can spare the time to come along when one is scheduled. Not only will he be able to hear first-hand how things are going, he can get his own questions answered too.

Feeling more movement

22+1

I'm feeling much less tired now than my last entry and also more positive about everything as I've suddenly started feeling more movement and bigger kicks.

Ellie felt himher kick for the first time last night and the look on her face was a picture, one of shock followed by excitement. We were upstairs in our bed so ran downstairs to dh and of course baby stopped right away lol.

Hopefully dh and Josh will feel himher this week too. I'm getting some nice kicks now as I type but I can guarantee that by the time I got upstairs and back into bed with dh they would have stopped lol.

I'm off to the Next 2 day sale to have a look once I've took dh to work. I was really hoping that I would know what we were having by now so I could buy something for himher but we don't. I am about 80% certain now that we're having a boy and will be quite shocked I think if at the scan it turns out we are having a girl. I'll still be over the moon though as I don't mind what we have I would just quite like to find out so I can call himher by their proper name which at the moment stand at Poppy or Toby. I really like Suzy for a girl too but no one else does and I know I would hate it if people shortened it to Sue (no offence to any Sue's).

Had a bit of a nightmare day yesterday. Josh has had a cough and a cold for the last few days and it went to his chest setting his asthma off so I took him off to the Walk In Centre hoping to avoid the need to go to hospital. They gave him a nebulizer which helped a little but his Oxygen Sats were still very low so we ended up being sent off to hospital in an ambulance. We had to wait ages to see a doctor who eventually just prescribed him some steroids and told me to give him 10 puffs of his puffer.

He was still quite wheezy when we came home but seemed a bit better when he sat still. Had better go and wake him soon to give him his steroid drink before I drop him off with my dad whilst I take dh to work and me, my mum and Ellie go to Next.

I really hope this baby doesn't have asthma as I hate watching Josh struggling for breath. I think I will make an appointment to have his inhalers reviewed as once he gets a bad do his inhalers are useless and it ends up with him on a nebulizer.

Right better go and see how he is and wake the others up.

22 Weeks Pregnant

You are now 22 weeks pregnant (or in your 23rd week if that's how you prefer to count it).

The baby now weighs almost 430g, measures about 27.8cm long from crown to heel, and is proportioned like a newborn, albeit a thinner version since her baby fat hasn't yet developed.

Although she's getting heavier every day, her skin still appears wrinkled and translucent because she needs to gain more weight. Her lips are distinct and her eyes are formed, though the the coloured part (the iris) still lacks pigment. The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily.

Even this early, the first signs of teeth appear in the form of tooth buds beneath her gum line. Before you know it, your baby will be born, and soon after, her first teeth will come through.

At this point, you'll probably notice a steady gain in weight - about 225g/half a pound each week. You may also notice that your appetite's increasing. It's okay to give in to an occasional yearning for ice cream, but try to find a healthy substitute if you constantly long for junk food.

Sometimes it's difficult to look much beyond the birth but it's worth finding out about babies before you hold your own. For example, you may be surprised at what a newborn looks like or you may need a crash course in changing nappies.

You may have noticed some changes down below. It's common in pregnancy to have an increased vaginal discharge as the result of increased blood flow in that part of the body. Needing to go to the loo a lot is another side-effect of pregnancy but don't forget that you are also more susceptible to urinary tract infections too - see your GP or midwife if you suspect a bout of cystitis. You may also experience bleeding from the back passage, particularly if you have developed haemorrhoids.

Where has my energy gone?

21+4

I am so tired at the moment. For about the last week I feel as though my energy has completely deserted me.

I am getting increasingly worried about our next scan on Friday 2nd October. Hopefully the baby will have moved into a better position so they can get the measurements and checks done that they need. Dh is worried and that is making me even more worried as he normally doesn't let anything bother him.

What's worrying me the most is I haven't felt any big movements at all with this baby and I was feeling lots of movements when I was this stage with dd. I am feeling a couple of small kicks a day over the last few days but yesterday I didn't feel anything.

I hope they move today and I feel something. I will be doing my best to relax this afternoon and have a lie down as that's usually when I feel them but last night I got nothing.

I worry what will happen if we go for the scan and baby is in the same position. At the moment I think it is. What will happen then. Will they just keep sending me for scans til they get what they want. I need the reassurance too that everything is ok. Even if there is a problem I would rather know so we can prepare ourselves to deal with it.

Himher (our nickname for the baby) I really hope you are ok in there. Mummy and daddy love you so much already and want you to grow big and strong. Mummy would love it if you could give some bigger kicks from time to time. Love you xxxx

21 Weeks Today

21 weeks today!!

I have been so tired since having our scan I really feel as if all my energy has drained away.

I am also having moments of illogical thoughts where I start worrying that there maybe something wrong with bubba. We love himher so much already and I really hope everything is ok at my next scan in 2 weeks time.

My logical side tells me it was just because baby was in a bad position and that if they suspected a problem we would be going back for another scan sooner.

I haven't been sleeping great since. I think if I felt bigger movements or had seen baby move more on the scan I would feel happier.

I did feel 2 nice kicks last night in the area where bubba was for the scan and they were the biggest I had felt so far. Then bubs went quiet again. I really hope they start moving lots soon and doing somersaults as it will reassure me a lot that everything is ok.

I need to think positively I think as its doing me no good at all thinking about possible problems. I just want to know that everything is ok though.

I took a bump picture yesterday so here it is:

Me at 20+6

21 Weeks

You are now 21 weeks pregnant (or in your 22nd week if that's how you prefer to count it).

Your baby now weighs about 360g. Up until now he has been measured from crown to rump but from this point on the measurement will be from crown to heel – and this week he is about 26.7cm long. Your baby’s eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed, and he can now blink. If you’re having a boy, testes will descend from the pelvis into the scrotum in the coming weeks.

Your baby can now hear your conversations. If you talk, read, or sing to your baby, expect him to hear you. Some studies have found that newborns will suck more vigorously when read to from a book they heard frequently in the uterus (womb). If you want to try, pick a book now and read it out loud. Make sure you won't mind reading it over and over once your baby is here. It may be your baby's favourite bedtime story for a long time after birth.

You're probably feeling quite comfortable these days. This, in fact, may be the most enjoyable time in your pregnancy. You're not too big yet, and the usual aches and pains associated with pregnancy like nausea, frequent urination, and fatigue are for the most part gone. Relax and enjoy it while you can. The third trimester is just around the corner and with it comes mild discomfort from carrying a baby that is nearly full-term.

It's hard to be graceful when you're pregnant so don't be surprised if you find yourself getting more clumsy these days. You're carrying more weight, your centre of gravity has changed with your growing uterus, and your fingers, toes, and other joints are all loosening, thanks to the effect of pregnancy hormones. Try to watch where you're going, and if you haven't already done so, say goodbye to high heels. They make keeping your balance more difficult, and can cause backaches.

Just how much weight you will gain by the end of pregnancy may be preying on your mind. Doctors are much more relaxed about weight gain in pregnancy now. Take the same approach and give yourself a break. It's also best not to worry immediately about losing weight after you've had your baby as your body can take anything from a few months to a year to recover nutrients used up during pregnancy.

Had my scan

I went for my scan and was so glad it was at 9am as I was really nervous but straight away we saw the baby and heartbeat which helped put me at ease.

Baby was rather curled up so I ended up being tilted with my head downwards and feet up as the sonographer tried to coax baby into moving. Apparantly it has lots of space to play in but it seems to like this little pocket it was in and wasn't going to budge. Baby did move their arms and legs a little whilst I was having the scan but no big movements.

They couldn't get all the measurements and checks they wanted done as baby was in an awkward position so I have to go back for another scan 2 weeks on Friday when I'll be 23 weeks. They need to check the Spine, Renal and Arms. I'm not worried too much about it as she said from what she could see everything looks fine but they need to check these things and baby wasn't co-operating so I have to go back which is fine by me as I get a chance to see bubba again.

There was no chance of being able to tell what sex the baby was because of the position it was in but as long as they are healthy that is the most important thing.

Hopefully baby will be in a better position at the next scan so they can get all the measurements.

They have a big tummy though as on the stomach chart in my notes she's put a cross above the highest line on my chart for my gestation. I think its a centile chart and if so baby is above the highest centile so looks like this one's going to be a big baby too.

I got 3 scan pictures anyway which I shall add now.

Half Way There!!

I have my 20 week scan on Wednesday and am really looking forward to it. I really hope everything is ok with the baby. I have been feeling what I think are proper kicks this week as opposed to rolls but they are still not as strong as I remember they were already when I was pregnant with Ellie.

I am trying not to let it worry me but it is a little and I will be very relieved to have my scan on Wednesday and know that our baby is ok. I also hope to find out if we have blue or pink bundle but more importantly I want to make sure our baby is ok. Only 4 more sleeps to go!!

I finally got the results of my triple test back and my downs result was 1 in 52,000 so that's excellant (I think at my age the risk is 1 in 800) and I'm also classed as low risk for Spina Bifida too. The result though had it been high would have made no difference to this pregnancy as this baby is so loved and wanted already but at least we could prepare ourselves if that was the case.

20 Weeks Pregnant

You are now 20 weeks pregnant (or in your 21st week if that's how you prefer to count it).

Your baby measures about 16.5cm from crown to rump and is steadily gaining weight. A whitish coat of a slick, fatty substance called vernix caseosa begins to cover your baby, protecting her skin during its long immersion in amniotic fluid. It also eases delivery. Your baby's swallowing more this week, good practice for the digestive system. After your baby takes in amniotic fluid, her body absorbs the water in the liquid and moves the rest into the large bowel.

You may want to look into an antenatal class if you haven't done so already. Whether you are a first-time mum or want a refresher course, you will benefit from a structured class. No matter what the philosophy behind it, an antenatal class can help prepare you for the rigours of labour and birth. You should plan to have completed the classes by 37 weeks, when you'll be considered full-term and labour could start at any time.

Be extra vigilant about getting enough iron. Your baby needs it to make red blood cells, among other things. In fact, it's almost impossible for you to get too much from food alone without overeating. Iron-rich foods include lean red meat, poultry, fish, lentils, spinach, and iron-fortified cereals. See our eating well guide to round up everything you need to know.

Out of breath? Most women start to feel a bit like Thomas the Tank Engine, huffing and puffing up a short flight of stairs. Some breathlessness is normal and may get a little worse as your expanding uterus pushes up against your lungs, but tell your midwife if it gets out of hand. Also, make sure you're getting enough iron. Your baby needs it to make red blood cells, among other things. It's almost impossible to get too much from food alone, as long as you're not overeating. Iron-rich foods include lean red meat, poultry, fish, lentils, spinach, and iron-fortified cereals. Don't take supplements though, unless they're prescribed by your doctor.

Although pregnancy might sometimes feel like a one-woman show, it doesn't have to be that way. If your partner is going to be your labour partner, he'll want to know how he can help and how he can communicate your wishes to the professionals.

19 Weeks Pregnant

You are now 19 weeks pregnant (or in your 20th week if that's how you prefer to count it).

Congratulations - You're halfway there! The top of your uterus (womb) now reaches your belly button and will grow about a centimetre a week. Your baby measures about 14.2cm long from crown to rump and weighs about 240g.

She is swallowing amniotic fluid, and her kidneys continue to make urine. Hair on her scalp is sprouting too.

Sensory development reaches its peak this week. The nerve cells serving each of the senses – taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch – are developing in their specialised areas of the brain.

Nerve cell production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and make more complex connections. If you're carrying a baby girl, she already has roughly six million eggs in her ovaries. By the time she's born, she'll have about a million.

You may have felt the kicking and somersaulting of your growing baby. At times, you might find that she is so mobile that you can't sleep. The next 10 weeks or so will be your baby's busiest and most active time, until the uterus gets too crowded.

Your uterus has grown well into your abdomen - the top of it probably reaches your belly button. From now on it will grow at about a centimetre per week. You may also notice some aching in your lower abdomen. It's nothing to be alarmed about - it's just the stretching of your muscles and ligaments supporting your bump.

Many pregnant women worry that they won't be able to cope with the pain of labour and childbirth. Some women consider an elective caesarean to avoid the problem completely, but this isn't necessarily a good idea as the risks with a caesarean delivery are much higher than with a normal delivery and there will still be pain involved, albeit after the birth. There are many effective forms of pain relief available in maternity units. You could try some natural methods of pain relief first, including labouring in a birthing pool, which can help women cope with the pain of labour without any drugs at all. The more you find out about what is available or what you can try, the more in control you will feel and the less worried you will be.

Getting a good night's sleep when you're pregnant can be difficult, particularly if you have heartburn or indigestion. If that's the case then food will be the last thing on your mind, but some pregnant women wake up in the night with hunger pangs and have to have a midnight feast before they can get back to sleep. Another cause of disrupted nights may be your partner's elbow in your side because pregnancy can cause nasal congestion resulting in - yes, you guessed it - snoring.

Shy Baby

18 +2

I'm so disappointed baby was in a bad position but the scan place were brill and didn't charge me for the scan and have offered me a 4D scan for £35 when I'm 26 weeks!! Hopefully we can find out what we are having at our hospital scan 2 wks on Wednesday!!

Hoping for a scan today!!

18 +2

Today we are off to Fleetwood to the Bump and Baby exhibition. There is a company there offering scans for £35. You can't prebook you have to turn up and register and they will give you a time to go back. I'm so excited and really hope we can find out what colour bump we have!! Hopefully bubba will have their legs well and truely open!!

I am so nervous too and just want to make sure everything is ok with our baby. I could hardly sleep last night for thinking about it all. Dh is working unfortunately so am taking my mum and the kids with me.

We have kindof decided on names, Poppy for a girl and Toby for a boy. They are the only names we all agree on. As the kids are 10 and 7 we are giving them a say too in the name which does complicate things trying to please everyone but we want them to feel involved in the pregnancy.

Right best go get ready and will update again later after the scan.

18 Weeks

You are now 18 weeks pregnant (or in your 19th week if that's how you prefer to count it).

This week, you officially begin your fifth month of pregnancy. Your baby may have reached 15 cm from crown to rump by now, and he can both feel and hear. Admittedly at the moment, all he can hear is your heartbeat and the flow of your digestive system but soon he'll be able to detect noise outside the womb and identify your voice.

You're just a week away from the half-way mark. Pregnancy care is much more relaxed than it used to be, so you're unlikely to see your midwife or doctor often unless you need extra attention. But don't chew over things alone if you're feeling anxious.

However, in the next few weeks you'll probably have an anomaly scan, to check your baby's organs. Seeing your baby curled up inside you - or kicking or rolling - is immensely moving so take your partner with you if you can. If your pregnancy is problem-free, this may be your last opportunity to buy a scan photo for your baby's album. In a very small percentage of cases though, the scan shows up problems. If this happens to you and you want to talk about whether to continue with your pregnancy, you can contact Antenatal Results and Choices in the Organisations A-Z.

Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now. Treat yourself to a new pair of shoes also in a bigger size, your feet will swell along with your body, and pick a low heel for extra stability as your bump grows.

A long catch up!!

17 +2

I have been utterly rubbish at updating so far. I have been so tired and lacking in energy this last few weeks. I've also been getting rubbish nights sleep through going to the loo 4 times a night and taking 30 mins to an hour to drop off again each time.

It makes me really hormonal and teary some days but I am just so thankful to actually be pregnant that even when it seems everything is getting thrown at me I am still so excited about this baby.

I'm trying to rest a bit more and finding that I can't shop like I used to as my pelvis and back really start to ache after about 15 mins of standing up and walking round. This is probably a godsend for dh as I can't spend as much money lol!! Oh well there's always online shopping lol!!

I've already decided that it will be too much for me to traipse round the shops for xmas pressies and hope to get most of the stuff online and had better start it in the next couple of weeks.

When I was 15 weeks I felt the baby move for the first time. I still don't feel them every day but if I sit quietly and really relax then I can feel a couple of movements maybe every other day.

On Monday I started with a large cyst/boil just under my left breast at the top of my abdominal wall (ha what abdominal wall!! Mine's just a layer of fat lol!!) and it became very painful and I ended up seeing the doctor on Wednesday morning being sent up to the hospital. I was so anxious as a General Anaesthetic was mentioned and I really didn't want one as I was worried it would affect the baby.

Thankfully once I got there and the surgeon had a look he decided to give it a go doing a laceration and drainage under Local Anaesthetic but warned me if it didn't work then I would have to have a general.

Luckily they managed to numb it ok and get all the horrible gunk out. I've been having to go and have it dressed every day since and the dressings hurt more than the actual procedure itself. It's still an open wound and apparently it will close up itself eventually but for now it means going daily to see the practice nurse and to the Walk in Centre at weekends. Hopefully it will heal quickly and not get infected.

On Thursday I had my 16 week midwife appointment. I had the blood test for down syndrome and spina bifida. We decided that we would rather know if our baby had any of these conditions so we could prepare ourselves and our children but we would carry on with the pregnancy as this baby is so wanted and longed for already. If there is anything shown on the blood test then we should know within 7-10 days so hear's to hoping we don't hear anything.

I got my other blood results back and my iron levels are good now at 11.5 so pleased about that. I am NOT Rubella Immune. I never am despite having the injections when I was supposed to at school and after having both the kids and it just doesn't seem to work on me. The midwife said I can have another jab after this little one is born but I am thinking of telling them what is the point as it obviously doesn't work on me!!

I was also weighed and was very surprised to find that I had lost 0.5kg according to their scales. I know it could just be their scales but for now I'm sticking with it lol!!

I took the kids to the midwife with me and we heard baby's heartbeat for the first time which they thought was fantastic and they loved it. It was really reassuring for me too after going through the procedure to remove the cyst on Wednesday. I am far more nervous this time round of things going wrong so was so pleased to hear our baby's heartbeat pumping away.

I really want to book a private scan for this week to see our baby but I think dh will need a bit of persuading. I will wait for him to have a really good day at work and ask him then so he will be more likely to say yes. We have our hospital scan on 16th September but I really want a scan now. I'm also itching to find out whether we are having a boy or a girl and check everything is ok.

With my other 2 I was fairly certain by 12 weeks what I thought we were having and I was right. This time I really am not sure whether this is a boy or a girl. I have moments of leaning towards it being one or the other but deep down I'm not sure. I really don't mind what we have though as I just feel so blessed to be having another baby after starting to doubt it would ever happen to us.

I will do an updated bump photo later this week as I have a huge bump already and its quite a high bump too.

I did a prediction from Madame Zaritska just for fun.

http://pregnancyandbaby.sheknows.com/pregnancy/baby/Madame-Zaritska-predicts-your-birth-experience-5.php

The day you deliver, outside will be rainy. Your baby will arrive in the early morning. After a labor lasting approximately 12 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 5 pounds, 1 ounces, and will be 17-1/2 inches long. This child will have dark amber eyes and fluffy red hair.

Can't see that being true in a million years as I have big babies and fast labours. Also my other 2 were born with dark brown hair. There is noone in the family even distantly with red hair!! So am taking this with a rather large pinch of salt lol!!

17 Weeks

You are now 17 weeks pregnant (or in your 18th week if that's how you prefer to count it).

Your baby is now nearly 11.1cm long from crown to rump and weighs about 140g. His skeleton is mostly rubbery cartilage, which will harden later. A protective substance called myelin slowly begins to wrap around the spinal cord (Visembryo 2006).

With the help of a special stethoscope, you can now hear your baby's heartbeat. There's almost nothing more comforting or exciting than hearing your baby's heartbeat galloping along. For times when boredom strikes and you feel as if you'll be pregnant forever, it can be a pleasant reminder of what will come at the end of 40 weeks of waiting.

Your expanding uterus (womb) where your baby is developing has shifted your centre of gravity and you've probably been feeling a bit off-kilter. Be careful and wear low-heeled shoes. Finding it hard to settle when you go to bed?

If you haven't had an amniocentesis yet and plan to, this week is a good time. One perk: you'll get a long look at your baby through the ultrasound scan used during this procedure.

First-time mums often start to feel their baby's movements around now. Many women report that the first sensations are fluttery or like butterflies in the stomach. Unfortunately, your partner won't be able to share in your excitement just yet - real kicking doesn't usually start for a month or so.

As your body gently expands, you may feel less than glamorous. Take some time to feel good about your changing body in the coming weeks. Even if you don't feel attractive, your partner probably still finds you a turn-on - some men find the roundness that pregnancy gives to women's figures very appealing. It's quite safe to have sex right up until your waters break, provided there is no medical reason not to, such as bleeding. Some women find that their libido increases during pregnancy while others go right off making love - it's quite normal either way.

You may also notice that the areola, the darkish area around your nipples, is getting larger as your breasts expand. It's a harmless side effect of pregnancy but it may last as long as 12 months after the birth. You may have noticed other skin changes such as the linea nigra and the mask of pregnancy; both of which will also fade after the baby is born.