What To Expect
- Fatigue
- Growing feet
- Mood swings
Your Baby This Week
Your baby is the size of a bottle of water, weighs well over a kg and is 23cm long.
by Tracey Quinn
Dear Diary
It's been another busy week and I have a feeling that it's a tale of things to come. For months now we've been anguishing over the meningitis B vaccine. We've been back and forth and have changed our minds repeatedly but finally this week we made a decision.
Billy is almost five years old which means he is not entitled to the vaccine as part of the standard vaccination schedule. Our new arrival, however, will be entitled to it. When it came down to it, I just couldn't live with the fact that only one of my babies would be vaccinated against a serious condition.
It was one of those times where you just have to make a decision and stick to it. It wasn't a black and white thing for me because I know just as many people who haven't had their child vaccinated. I feel like we made the right decision for our family though. We weighed it all up and took into consideration the cost, risks and logistics.
I was nervous about taking Billy to the doctor because he hasn't had an injection since he was a baby and I had to tell him where we were going. He was very anxious about it but in the end, he was an absolute hero. He winced for a second but there were no tears and he was thrilled with his treat afterwards. We have to return in a couple of weeks for the second dose.
I did something really exciting at the weekend too. I was invited to attend a breastfeeding preparation class which is something I never did before I had Billy. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it here before but I never planned to breastfeed Billy so I was more shocked than anyone to discover that I would love it. So much so that we would go on to have this breastfeeding relationship for two full years. I absolutely adored it!
Nicola O' Byrne is a highly respected Lactation Consultant and I was so thrilled to be invited to her class last Saturday. She's used a couple of my photographs in her classes, so the invitation was a bit of a "thank you". I cannot tell you how much I got from the class. Just because I've breastfed before does not make me an expert and I learned so much about how I can be a little bit more prepared this time around. It was such a gorgeous morning and the hours absolutely flew by. I'm raging I didn't think to bring Peter, but I've shared all the tips and tricks with him.
I just cannot wait to feed my tiny baby and I already feel a lot more prepared this time. I'll be picking up the silver breast shields that come so highly recommend and I'll be making very few plans for those first few weeks because I want to focus on lots of skin to skin and feeding to get off to a good start. I really recommend Nicola's class!
In terms of symptoms, I'm feeling really tired this week and I think it's because I've been constantly on the go. I am not great at sitting still and next week I'm hoping to have a slower week because this is the point where I just know I need to be a little bit kinder to my body.
A Partner’s Perspective
At the consultant's suggestion, we're making a hospital plan – we need two plans. One for the hospital we're booked into and another for emergencies.
Either way, bags are packed and ready to go. I've given up drinking alcohol on weekends in case I need to drive anywhere – all part of the plan.
Our Midwife’s Advice
Your baby's eyes can work well, with the pupils being able to dilate or constrict depending on the light.
As the weeks progress you are going to feel more and more tired. Also, your sleep will be more broken between baby moving, needing to pee, not being comfortable or the dreaded "restless legs syndrome".
This is another discomfort of pregnancy. It means exactly what it says; your legs are restless, and you need to keep wiggling and moving. It's very irritating but other than the tiredness it causes, totally harmless.
Like Tracey, now is a great time to start doing your research on how you will feed your baby. I need to be honest and say as a midwife, I am a huge breastfeeding advocate. No doubt you have been inundated with information and phrases such as "breast is best".
But hold fire; more than anything I am a woman and mother advocate and utterly support any mother in whatever way they decide is best for their baby and family, and absolutely respect her choice. That said, I really would encourage you to go to a breastfeeding information class, just to understand the benefits and the realities. And if you are reluctant, fair enough, but maybe just make a deal that you will give it a go?
Unfortunately, in Ireland, our rates of breastfeeding are much lower than our European cousins. I could write a book on why this is but safe to say, our boobs in general work the same. Whether you have small, medium or large the vast majority of women could feed their babies; however, most of our mothers' didn't feed us and most of our grandmothers didn't feed our mothers so we are two generations lacking in knowledge, advice and support.
My own breastfeeding journey, despite all my knowledge and determination, was really tough. It's hard going but when you get into it, it is possible that it makes your journey so much easier. There are some amazing supports where you can access information and get the right type of people to help you. So I get it, whatever your decision, there is ZERO judgements from me. But just imagine, if it did go ok and you kept breastfeeding... what would that look and feel like?
Our Wellness Tip of the Week
If you're suffering from heartburn, eat several small meals per day. Avoid spicy foods and don't lie down straight after eating.