38 Weeks Pregnant

38 Weeks and I am officially more pregnant than I have ever been! This post is also a few days late so due date is getting even closer! Here is what I hope to be my last bump shot, although who knows, I may be back with week 40!

On the Inside

After 37 weeks of health and happiness, the tiredness is really kicking in and if I don't have a quiet sit down and put my feet up during Dylan's nap time then I really know about it by his bed time! Saying that I have not been particularly sensible and have been carrying on with my normal active lifestyle.  I worked a 9 hour shift on my feet this weekend waitressing and much to the bloke's dismay this did not start off labour!

I am getting a lot of aches and pains low down, probably due to Squish having been engaged for the last 4 weeks.  I am finding a bath before bed makes me feel so much better though, although sleep is not easy and I wake up so many times in the night for no reason.  My bladder is still coping and I don't need to get out of bed in the night, but I wake up uncomfortable and restless.

I saw my midwife this week who confirmed that my blood tests were all fine and that I should head to the Midwife Led Unit when labour starts.  All seems well and he said he would be suprised if I made it to my 40 week appointment.  I had a tour today of the MLU and it looks lovely and relaxing in there so I am getting quite excited about the birth! (Is this normal?)

On the Outside

Bump is big.

Bump is very big and very round - most of my maternity tops are no longer covering my tummy so it is all about long long tops and dresses now to keep me warm.  I have turned to some floaty summer beach dresses I bought in my previous pregnancy and am teaming them with leggings and cardigans as they are so comfy.  Unfortunately my maternity coat no longer does up round my tummy so it is all about thick scarfs hanging down.

Stretch marks are rapidly increasing and no cream seems to be slowing them down although I keep applying them to keep bump soft and smooth.  I do look like I am smuggling a beach ball under my clothes although I am nowhere near as big as I was with Dylan.  

I am feeling much more ready now as Squish's room is carpeted and furnished and I have started putting some of his teeny tiny clothes away.  The crib sheets are in the washing machine as I type and my hospital bags are packed .  The bloke is desperate to have this week off work as he is on early morning starts so I am convinced Squish will wait until the weekend to arrive - you know what their timing is like!  

The end is now in sight and I am going to miss pregnancy so much but the excitement that I will soon meet the little man I have been growing for nine months is huge! It is all a waiting game now although I have had no signs that labour is imminent - watch this space for a 40 weeks pregnant post or a birth announcement sometime soon! 

Read more ⇨

Maternity Wear in the Third Trimester

The first trimester was about loose tops and hiding the slowly expanding tummy.  The second Trimester was about adapting normal clothes to fit your new figure, but the third trimester is well and truly about maternity wear and comfort for me.  I am running out of things to stretch and other than my trusty leggings and cardigans I am mostly in maternity to accomodate my growing bump.  I thought I would share with you a few of the things I have been wearing.

Nothing is more important than comfort at the moment and I am not one to wear tops with leggings so I am loving oversized jumpers that keep me covered up.  I team them with leggings and boots and feel snug and warm and still comfortable enough to crawl around on the floor brumming cars with the toddler.  I love this oversized maternity jumper from Mamas and Papas and it brightens up my winter wardrobe.

I love to show off my bump in fitted tops and I love this one from Yummy Mummy Maternity as it is just about long enough to wear with leggings and also goes great with jeans.  I wear it with a big knitted cardigan to keep me warm and covered

It is not long until baby Squish will make an appearance so anything that will take me through the nursing stage is a great buy now too.  I love this breastfeeding top as it is suitable for maternity and afterwards as there are openings for discreet feeding.  The top is nice and stretchy and a great investment at any point in pregnancy and is from More4Mums

On the rare occasion I leave the house without child, I like to dress up a bit more and I love wearing a plain black vest with my skinny jeans and jazzing it up with some fun jewellery.  I have a few maternity vests now as they are so much more flattering and comfortable and don't rise up as I move around.  I think I may save them for after baby too as they have plenty of growing room for when I eat a huge sunday roast!

I put off getting a winter coat for as long as I could but there is no escaping the fact it is getting pretty damn cold out there!  I am so happy with my lovely black maternity coat as it is flattering, comfortable and most importantly warm and will last until the little guy arrives.  I usually avoid black coats and have quite a selection of colourful ones but as I cannot justify more than one maternity coat, black is the best option as it really does match everything!

There are a few of my maternity outfits that I am wearing in the third trimester.  I am trying my hardest not to buy anything else now as there is only 10 weeks until baby arrives but there are some lovely bits out there!

Disclaimer:  Some of the clothes mentioned were sent to me free of charge, but some were also paid for.  All views and opinions are my own and I only endorse products that I am happy with and honestly wear.

Read more ⇨

The Mad Blog Awards

II may not have been there as a finalist but getting to mingle with fantastic bloggers and dress up was not an opportunity to be missed so I was delighted to win a ticket.  The Mads took place in a swanky hotel in central London and there were people on call to do our hair and make up before the big event.  I was very impressed that the girls from Regis managed to curl my hair, and that they stayed in! This is a first and I am hoping that with the samples they gave me I can recreate the look at home

The awards were preceded by a delicious three course meal where I got to catch up with one of my favourite bloggers, Kate from Makeshift Mummy.  There were some fantastic winners including the brilliant Mamasaurus, and the wonderful Coombe Mill but all the finalists have such fantastic blogs that my google reader is now very full! 

Tiffany Rose, a company selling gorgeous maternity dresses provided me with an outfit to wear and I felt so elegant, despite having a rather large bump.  The dress was stunning and beautifully made, perfectly flattering for pregnancy and I had a lot of compliments.  Now I could really do with some more invitations to glamorous events before February so I get to wear it again!  

The Liberty gown is a gorgeous two layer deep blackberry coloured dress, floor length even with 5 inch heels on (and I am 5 foot 9)!  There is a removable sash that helps show off the bump and the cowl neckline hangs beautifully.  I absolutely loved wearing it and felt very glamorous! 

Before I had to run off to catch the last train home (next time I am definitely booking a hotel!), there was just enough time to climb aboard a giant red stag in the hotel lobby with fellow pregnant blogger Katie from Mummy Daddy Me.  Surrounded by cushions it was far too inviting and I know for sure we were not the only ones making the most of the photo opportunity!  

 Congratulations to all the nominees, finalists and winners of this year's event, and thanks to the wonderful orgnaisers!  I would love to go back again next year!

Read more ⇨

Crave Maternity Review

During my first pregnancy I put off buying maternity clothes until I had stretched many of my normal clothes beyond repair.  This time it was not an option as my tummy seemed to expand before I had even announced my news and I still had all my clothes from the previous summer in the back of the wardrobe.  This pregnancy I will be biggest over the winter however and so I have quite a bit of maternity shopping ahead of me!

Crave were kind enough to offer me some of their products and I picked some skinny jeans as well as a black tunic top  I loved them as soon as they arrived.  The material felt soft and thick enough for the winter and they looked stylish and well fitted.  I don't like the idea of losing my style just because I am pregnant so love finding pieces I would wear normally.  

I love the jeans and find that even after a couple of days wear they are still a nice skinny fit.  The stretch is in small panels on the side meaning wearing them after the baby, it is not noticeable that they are maternity.  They are priced at £75 which I think is great value for superb, comfy jeans.  They are a staple in my wardrobe and I know they will last until the end of the pregnancy.  

The top is easy to wear and I plan on teaming it with leggings in the autumn and the skinny jeans when it gets cooler.  Black is so versatile and I think it would be easy to dress up with tights, small heels and some colourful jewellery too.  Again, it looks good with a tiny bump but has plenty of space for my expanding waistline giving the flexibility to wear through pregnancy.

I am really impressed with both items and they are forming the staples of my winter pregnancy wardrobe.  I have been eyeing up several other pieces too and think this maternity dress would be so easy to dress up or down! 

Disclaimer:  I was provided with these items for the purpose of the review but all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Read more ⇨