Pregnancy Diet?

The 20 week scan was fabulous, we got to see our little baby again and it was amazing at how much it had grown. I was shocked by how detailed the scan was, you could see all the tiny little bones which make up the spine, the heart chambers and the brain. This is now so real, its actually a little person growing inside of me. I was also very amazed that I weigh less now than I did when I first found out I was pregnant, Pregnancy diet?

Baby is wriggling around lots, it seems to only settle down in the morning but moves constantly other than that. Its a nice reassurance though that baby is doing well.

Unfortunately I haven't had a very good few weeks. The morning sickness came back and on top of that I was constantly dizzy and felt as though I was going to collapse. Lots of tests and all came back clear. The Dr gave me strict orders to rest (which could be the worst thing anyone could say to me), and carry on making sure I am eating and drinking enough. But I have done as I am told and now starting to feel better and looking forward to going back to work on Monday. I'll be 23 weeks!!! And only 11 weeks left at work, one of which I am on holiday. This pregnancy really is flying past, its making me wonder if everything will be ready in time for baby's arrival.

An expected outcome

I received my 2 month follow up Rheumy appointment through the post yesterday as they couldn't book it when I was there the other day. 3rd April 2013, hmmmm??? Now my maths may not be the best, but I do know that more than 6 months away rather than 2 months. An expected outcome I suppose following the disastrous appointment. So I had the hassle today of calling to sort that out.

I seem to have had a unwanted return of my morning sickness, spending the majority of yesterday bent over the toilet. Luckily today the vomiting had stopped but the nausea has stayed around all day. I was not expecting this, I thought I had seen the back of it; fingers crossed it doesn't hang around for too long. 20 weeks left and I don't want to spend those with my head over the toilet. And just when I'd started really enjoying being pregnant!

OK I'm not too hot on law, but not impressed today when I tried to purchase tickets to a Peter Andre concert on 15th December. It was going to be my gift to my best friend for her 30th birthday, so absolutely gutted by the result. I have been trying to get tickets since July. The venue have been appalling at getting back to me. They returned my call once at which point I asked if it was a seated event or standing event. I was told it was standing at which point I asked if they have disabled facilities as not only do I have arthritis and could not stand for the length of a concert but at the time I will also be 34 weeks pregnant. He told me they have a raised disabled section towards the back but he would need to check what was available with the venue organiser and would get back to me. He didn't. Throughout August I was calling every few days to get an answer, I left voicemails every time as there was no answer, and as of today my call had still not been returned. So I have called again and was told due to health and safety as it is a standing event they cannot provide any seating. So in actual fact they will not accommodate for the disabled. Absolutely gutted, I feel I have let my best friend down! It really does suck having this disease. I know I would probably need to sit down anyway due to how pregnant I will be, but it would be the same if I wasn't pregnant. I feel so disappointed, surely there should be some law in force to prevent this obvious disregard for equal opportunity?

Another great REASSURANCE from the NHS

Today I had my rheumatology appointment.

I had been thrilled at my last appointment to be told i wouldnt need to be seen again until after the baby had been born; which was fine by me as I had been managing well. It was sad however as Dr C said it was the last time i'd be seeing him as he had a job elsewhere. He had been looking after me since my arthritis was first suspected. Unfortunately, a week after this appointment my arthritis started flaring - the main problem being in my hips and not being able to put weight on them but also swelling and pain in my lower limbs and hands. I wasn't expecting an easy pregnancy but I was hoping i'd be one of the lucky ones whose arthritis would go into remission for this time. Still i'm plodding on. Its been six weeks since the flare started and things have become much easier again, however joints keep playing up intermittently and are quite stiff. Just trying to keep mobile.

So back to the appointment today, I have been stewing over it the last couple of days; as i was a bit nervous about seeing my new consultant for the first time as well as it being the chance to ask some important questions about certain aspects to consider, now, at the birth and after. After sitting in traffic longer than I expected I reached my appointment with a minute to spare, and my pregnant bladder desperate to be emptied. I dont know why I was expecting to be seen on time.

I was called in by Dr S, not in the usual fashion 'Mrs Grant' or 'Charlotte' or 'Charlotte Grant' but instead 'Grant, Charlotte' which I didnt really appreciate and to be honest wasnt a good starting point. Next I see the Dr pick up my records at the same time I am entering his room. So he has no clue about me, OK. So when he asked me how I was doing I thought I'd help him out a bit by responding 'Dr C didnt want to see until after having my baby as I was managing well when I saw him but a week later I started flaring.' Nope, obviously this was not enough as I was next asked 'How olds the baby?' ARGHHH!! NO, I'm 20 weeks pregnant, obviously he just thought I was a fat cow. So I correct him and explain the flare and where I have been experiencing symptoms. Obviously, sods law I was having one of my better days today so hard for him to see. He carried out an examination and at least could see the pain my left hip is causing me. He therefore decided to refer me to a physio, which I am happy with, as obviously drugs carry too many risks in pregnancy so anything else I can do to help is a bonus.

I had the questions I had pre-prepared as I wasnt expecting another visit between now and after the birth. So I start by trying to find out with him if the inflammation in my back will pose any problems or complications if an epidural or spinal block was needed in labour or in the event of a caesarean. He agreed this was a very valid question but couldnt understand why i'd have inflammation in my back. I explained that I suffer with pain in my back, especially the lower back and coccyx. He told me this was to be expected in pregnancy at which point I had to correct him saying my arthritis has always affected my back. He therefore checked a lumbar xray from 2010 and confirmed it should be fine. I was looking for more of a confident answer bearing in mind the situation of inflammation could very well have changed since 2010.

Next I went on to explain that I would like to go back on medication as soon as possible after the birth and therefore wanted to discuss this so it could be ready to start. I mentioned I didnt want to go back onto Methotrexate. No question was asked as to why, and I was shocked by the next thing which came out of his mouth. 'Well there's Leflunomide.' If you are a regular reader you may remember that this was the drug I was initially told I had to be off for a year before trying to conceive but when it came to it they had changed this and said 2 years, so I had to go through a wash out procedure and then wait ages for special blood tests to confirm it was out of my system. At this time I was told (and it was coroborated with information I was able to find on the internet) that this drug is no longer given to women of child bearing age. Not only am I definitely of child bearing age but the Dr didnt even establish if I was likely to have any more children. I told him I wouldnt be going back onto that either but it scared me that this was suggested so easily and makes me wonder how many other women which may want children are still having this prescribed to them. I think I will discuss my medication at my next appointment as I will be seen again in 2 months.

The last question was advice on whether i should let the obstetric consultant know about my recent flare up, as I saw her also when I was managing well and on that basis she had said she wouldnt need to see me again until 34 weeks. Dr S, said he see's no reason as its just 'a mild flare up'. Yes mild now! Not 6 weeks ago. I think I will ask this question at my 20 weeks scan next week instead.

So i'm given my follow up appointment sheet to take to reception and notice he had written my name as 'Charles Grant', so not only am I fat, not of child bearing age, but I am obviously also a MAN! At reception I had to ask if this was my new consultant as in all honesty I had expected a woman from what I had been told previously. The receptionist said that it was a locum I had just seen covering until my new consultant starts in November. I couldn't help but to respond 'Thank God.' If it had of been my new consultant, I would have been insisting on a change in consultant. My appointment in 2 months should be with my new consultant too so hopefully will find this more beneficial. I made sure to point out to the receptionist the error with my name, I wasnt going to let that go by unnoticed! So now I await my physio appointment to come through.

Not an over impressive day and a bit disheartening as I was expecting to come away with some answers. Now it will just be a waiting game until I can ask these questions to someone which can help and with any luck may be familiar with my notes first.

Bump Update

Bump is progressing well - I actually think its getting bigger everyday. Getting quite excited as next week we get to see baby again as we have the 20 week scan, cant believe we are nearly half way through.

I cant believe how exhausted I still am, I'm sure all I do is eat, work and sleep! Well sometimes sleep - its quite interrupted, cant quite get used to not sleeping on my back or tummy, and with the added discomfort of my arthritic pain in my hips I'm not getting many nights which I get to sleep through. At least I'm getting used to it now. Good preparation for 5 months time, lol!

Keep feeling what I think is flutters but I just want baby to really start kicking, just a bit of reassurance everyday that he is doing well.

Hello Bump!

Yes, a definite bump is visible now - so much so that I have actually had to go out and buy maternity clothes. Every change make this experience more real. I even think I have begun feeling the baby move, not kicks but little flutters. Its so exciting and even though my arthritis is still flaring the excitement of meeting our baby is keeping me going.

They say the second trimester is easier. It is in that my breasts aren't tender anymore and the sickness has worn off just cropping up on occasions, but I am still so tired. No amount of sleep seems enough! I was told the other day that I have now started ''glowing'', I don't see it personally but I'll keep an eye out for it.

So 15 weeks tomorrow and a midwife appointment this week, I'm hoping I will get to hear baby's heart beat for the first time.

13 Weeks and Flaring

Wednesday will mark a year from coming off all my drugs and I have coped really well, suffering only one flare about 4 weeks after coming off the drugs, that was until....
.... this week; 13 weeks pregnant and flaring. I have to say its hit me hard and quite unexpected. I had been coping so well and thought that I would sail through the rest of my pregnancy with no flares. Unfortunately the sudden change in weather brought with it my flare. With only paracetamol to help with the pain its been a very uncomfortable week. I haven't really moved from bed apart from the continuing trips to the toilet (pregnancy effect), and they take me a while to get up and moving.

I noticed I was not quite right on Monday; our first wedding anniversary, when a few of my joints started niggling me. When I went to work Friday I had horrendous pain in my lower back with discomfort at other joints; the pain was so full on that I was overly hot and felt sick. Pain has a habit of doing this to me. Instead of powering through the whole day; which I probably would have done when I only had me to think about I went home to put my feet up and get some rest, hoping I would be fine the next day. Unfortunately not, I woke up Wednesday and my arthritis is in full swing; effecting all my joints with not only incruciating pain but swelling too. My little one has kept me going, I'm fed up of staring at the same 4 walls but I have to think about him/her.

Resting the rest of this week and over the weekend I am hoping will be enough. I want to be able to enjoy the rest of my pregnancy, not be in all this pain.

I'm off now for my next dose of paracetamol, fingers crossed this flare will go away as quick as it came on.

12 and a half weeks down, 27 and a half weeks to go!!!

Its been a long time, but not blogging is the only way I have been able to keep my mouth shut.
We are pregnant! cannot start to describe how excited we are. I found out on 22nd may, I couldn't believe my eyes when the little line appeared. 3 tests later I was convinced and could not stop smiling.

I got an appointment with the Dr the following day who estimated due date based on my last period as boxing day, this caught me a little of guard as from the clear blue test I was expecting an additional 4 weeks, a January baby not a Christmas baby. As expected due to my medical he said he needed to refer me to an obstetrician for a consultant led pregnancy and that I must book a midwife appointment ASAP.
Midwife appointment was a week later, had to let my manager know as I was feeling rough and had done for a few weeks.

The midwife appointment came and I was quite disappointed as I thought we would get to hear baby's heartbeat. Instead it was paperwork, peeing in a bottle and the midwife trying to get blood. I was glad I have some knowledge of what to expect etc, as considering its our first baby the midwife told us very little.

As soon as I got my scan appointment through I was on a countdown especially as, if the Dr is correct I would be 12 weeks and 2 days.

The scan approached quickly even with my painful growing boobs, the vomiting, the constant weeing, the poor night sleeps and worst of all the dizziness (to the point if feeling drunk where the room is spinning). In between which I was going on and off food.

By the week of the scan, comfortable in maternity day and sleep bra's and with the other symptoms subsiding I got even more excited, and it became even mote difficult to keep the secret. I'm glad we chose to share the news with close family and friends otherwise I might actually have gone insane. And I was really elated by how excited my parents and brothers were as well as the in-laws!

2 night's before the scan I couldn't sleep, I suddenly got nervous about the scan, worrying they wouldn't find a heartbeat, but I kept trying to counter that with the comments I'd had when suffering sickness etc.. saying it indicates a healthy pregnancy. Such mixed feelings!

As predicted the scan was very nerve racking. I sat in the tiny waiting room with hubby desperate for a wee and all of a sudden started crying; I was scared. This was not helped when i got seen and laid on the bed and couldn't see anything on the screen. Oh my god, nothings there, there isn't a baby!!!! But she reassured me when I questioned this saying I just wasn't as far along as the doctor had thought. She estimated I was 7 weeks 3 days - a due date of 28th January 2013. So much better for my baby not to have a birthday right on top of Christmas. I saw a smudge and a little movement, it was the heartbeat, just this little pulsing. I was overwhelmed!!! I'm gonna be a mummy!!!
Booked another scan in for 19th July when I will be 12+3, eek! We should see a proper baby then, hopefully I should feel much more at ease then too.

Between the two scans i continued to be absolutely exhausted and bursting to shout out my news to the world. Hormone changes have given me a bit of a reminder as to what it was like being a teenager, however this is worse. I have constantly been bursting into tears for no reason at all, one minute I can be laughing and the next crying like a baby.

I had my first antenatal appointment with the obstetric consultant as I have got to have a consultant led pregnancy. She went over what to expect from my conditions during the pregnancy and after; and that was about it.

Before I knew it I was 12 weeks and a few days away from the scan, cannot describe how excited I was, with just a hint of nervousness. At last the sick feeling is subsiding and generally feeling better, unfortunately due to the bad weather my arthritis isn't as good as it could be. At about 11 1/2 weeks  I started to show and my clothes became more and more snug, I only needed another week for it not to notice so nobody guessed - with any luck they may just think I'd put on a few pounds.

Scan day today...Eeeek!!!! Oh wow, how much baby has grown since the scan 5 weeks ago. This is what i was expecting to see back then! It was such an amazing experience seeing our little baby, and shocking at just how much it was moving. I really am going to be a mummy!!!! I cannot even start to explain how emotional this is! 12 weeks + 3 down, 27 weeks +4 to go until baby will be in our arms.