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[Briony's Pregnancy of Aliana] This BabyBlog is about our daughter, Aliana Ivy Hymers, born 26/10/12. This BabyBlog attempts to describe everything right from the beginning of Briony's pregnancy, through to Aliana's birth and coming home.
[Before Week Zero] The past year and a half has been really enjoyable with our first child Majandra, and we've planned all along that we'd definitely have a second child. That time is now, so we have started the routine of plotting Briony's temperature to get her cycle dates sorted out. Majandra is quite obsessed with the thermometer and has been copying Briony - press the button then put it in her mouth. Then repeat. And repeat again. [Week Zero to Week Four] 27/01/12-23/02/12 We'd tried to conceive once already and that time didn't give any success, so we tried again. This time had to work else we were going to wait a couple of months as we didn't really want a "Christmas Baby". Luckily, it worked and the pregnancy kit had two blue lines. So therefore, we've just found out we're pregnant, so we're officially at week-four-and-a-half. And of course at this early stage, we keep the good news to ourselves. [Week Five to Week Ten] 24/02/12-05/04/12 Some of the things happening to Briony are similar to last time. The biggest difference is this time she seems to have some more severe morning sickness. She's certainly not terrible, but it's definitely worse than last time. She's also commented that she's feeling bigger a lot earlier, something that a few people have actually said is quite normal as the body is already "stretchy" from the first pregnancy. Briony's gone off Chocolate, same as last time. She's gone off tea. And she can't brush her teeth without gagging. That's about all I have to report ... I think with Majandra running around and leeching all our free time away, I'm perhaps a little less observant this time around. Not that I'm not excited - I am! But last time was just Briony and I and while we thought life was busy back then actually life wasn't busy at all! [Week Eleven and Week Twelve] 06/04/12-19/04/12 Briony's getting a little bigger in the belly and some of her clothes are a bit tight. She's been eating crackers at work and while her workmakes don't officially know yet, I'm guessing they're suspecting something. We went for Briony's 12-week scan, and did the ultrasound thing. Just like last time, Briony had to drink a full litre of water before the scan and she was busting for the toilet. She was actually a bit too full as the lady doing the scan had to ask her twice to go and do a small wee and then come back. After the second toilet trip we got to see some good pictures on the screen, although again I couldn't give 100% attention as Majandra was fidgeting on my lap (the positive of this is that a fidget is better than a tantrum!). So how about some pictures from around the 12-week mark .... [Week Thirteen to Week Nineteen] 20/04/12-07/06/12 Briony's been complaining that her pelvis hurts, the same pain as she was experiencing after Majandra was born. That can't be a good thing, so I've suggested that she visit the physiotherapist fairly regularly. Briony's also been fairly tired, which is of course to be expected. Apart from that, the only other items to report are that Briony's Pregnancy Balls are out, and she's back on the chocolate like there's no tomorrow. Half a block gone in one night! [Week Twenty] 08/06/12-14/06/12 This time last week we went for Briony's 20 week scan. This was done at the Repatriation Hospital at Daw Park which is in a convenient spot not too far from work and not too far from home. I rode my bike from work, and somehow even though it was broad daylight and I had my flashing lights on, a black 4WD still pulled out right in front of me. The scan went pretty much as expected, just having a look around and getting some images of the face, nose, arms, legs etc. Majandra was quite tired and didn't make much noise during the scan. The lady doing the scan commented that the baby was in quite a good position and she'd like to try a 3D scan. She changed the attachment on the machine and ran it over Briony's belly again, and the 3D scan showed up on screen. It's not like you can actually make out the baby's facial features or anything, but it's interesting all the same and nice of her to do this for free (I think normally they charge quite a lot!). We also got a DVD of the scan which was nice, we weren't given a DVD for any of Majandra's scans. Briony's still munching on the chocolate, she's been a little queasy at times but overall things are going fairly well. Of course there's still another 20 weeks to go. What about the news from the scan? Well, it's a girl! Briony and I are both happy for boy or girl provided he or she is healthy. But of course having one girl I think we'd both secretly been thinking a boy would be nice. In hindsight though just yesterday some of Briony's mum friends were talking about boys and girls and we now think perhaps two girls is a good thing as they'd get along and play better together. Until they get older that is, and start fighting! And while Briony hasn't yet put them on, the maternity clothes and stretchy pants have emerged from the wardrobe. [Week Twenty-One] 15/06/12-21/06/12 This week Briony found a Steelcraft Strider 3 for sale on Gumtree. We'd been looking at the Strider but hadn't yet bought one as I guess it's not needed at the moment and at over $600 we figured this could wait a bit. However we saw this one online and it looked to be in really good condition and they were asking just over $400. So after work Briony picked me up and we went to get the pram. On the way we stopped at the 24x7 bakery in North Adelaide for a pasty. We were at the counter ordering and Majandra saw the display cabinet full of donuts and other goodies, and she stood there pointing and saying "cake, cake, cake, cake" over and over. So we ordered a donut too, cut off a chunk for Majandra and she happily munched away. The pram we bought is definitely in good condition, I think perhaps it just needs a new front wheel as there is a slight bulge in the tyre. No big deal and for $200-odd saving I think we did quite well. [Week Twenty-Two to Week Twenty-Five] 22/06/12-19/07/12 Briony's belly is starting to look like a proper pregnant belly now. Her clothes are causing some trouble as the normal pants are too tight but the maternity pants are too loose. A couple more weeks will fix that :) Briony's also finally twigged that in another 10-15 weeks we're going to have another baby. I've been telling her for weeks and weeks that I need to move out of Majandra's bedroom, well actually Majandra move to a new room and that means a series of other jobs. First we need to sort and clear the spare room downstairs which is full of excess stuff. Once that's done I can shampoo the carpet then move the computers downstairs. Once that's done we can get a wardrobe built in what was the computer room, shampoo the carpet and then Majandra can go in there. I knew from the start this whole process would take 10-12 weeks, Briony's finally realised and is starting to panic. I don't dare say "I told you so" ... I'm not sure exactly how much Majandra understands, but we've told her there is a baby in mum's belly. Majandra now likes to touch the belly, rub the belly and kiss the belly. I'm sure she can't possibly understand that there is an actualy baby in there ... or can she? Also, Briony's pelvis isn't getting any better :( [Week Twenty-Six to Week Thirty] 20/07/12-23/08/12 Briony has been a little worse for wear over past weeks. I think the pregancy is making her tired, plus the day to day cleaning up after Majandra is making her more tired. Her pelvis is making her sore, and at night her legs are hurting. She's not getting much sleep and it's slowly wearing her down. But, with only 10 weeks to go the end is in sight! In my previous entry I made mention of Majandra moving into her proper bedroom and all the additional work that needs to be done before this can happen. That work actually turned into moving desks, buying a new desk, cleaning up toys, shampooing carpet, moving a power point, filling a hole in the wall and then painting the entire of Majandra's new room. I'm glad it's done! Majandra absolutely loves Briony's belly - she's always touching it and kissing it. Briony and I think Majandra is going to really love the new baby. Briony's also had to go for quite a few visits to various doctors at the hospital. Her itching has been bad, and of course after Majandra's birth having to be induced 3 weeks early they appear to be watching Briony with a lot more scrutiny. No great drama, but it's a bit draining for Briony having to constantly go to the hospital, particularly dragging Majandra along. [Week Thirty-one to Week Thirty-Three] 24/08/12-13/09/12 Briony's belly is getting bigger every day (no kidding), and it's also really hard. Last night she commented that her belly feels like "a shelf". Her legs are causing her a lot of discomfort too. I thought it was just occasional cramps hence why I rub her legs before bed. But it's actually something she refers to as "restless leg" which means no matter what she does her legs aren't comfortable. This means she tosses and turns in bed and can't sleep properly. We've also had a little bit of stress over the last few weeks. With Majandra being only 2.47Kg at birth, Briony is being watched a lot more closely this time around. We think it's a litle unnecessary as it seems the opinion is that 2.47Kg means there is something wrong, as opposed to the fact that Briony (and I) are not big people in the first place. So Briony went for a scan at Flinders as requested, and it was all a big drama that Briony's weight was not high enough, her fundal height (size of the uterus) was not high enough and the doctor started talking about the baby not growing properly. They made Briony go back a week later for another scan so they could compare growth from last week. After this scan, there was more talk of the baby not growing, and it was even suggested Briony might have to have the baby at 34 weeks, presumably via Caesarian. None of this news was particularly pleasing to hear. The only good news was that they asked Briony to come back in another week's time for another growth scan. This time around, the doctor just said there are no problems, everything is fine, and come back in two weeks. That was quite a relief, but I'm not holding my breath until after the next scan which is in 7 days from now. Briony's also been given some tablets for her itching, which seem to have really helped. Of course now the restless leg is just as bad as the itching was, so if it's not one thing it's something else! Briony's latest ailment is a sore coccyx, which is causing her some discomfort. She's booked in fopr the physio to see if it can be relieved, however the earliest appointment she could get is two weeks from now. She's been to this physio before and I told her to keep going regularly, but I don't think Briony gets the concept of 'preventative maintenance'. [Week Thirty-Four] 14/09/12-20/09/12 Briony has started itching a little bit this week, even though she's taking the tablets. Her restless (aching) leg is also hurting her a bit and this means she's not sleeping well. Her belly is looking quite huge and it's looking like her belly button may disappear this time. We're still to decide on a name for the baby, we'll probably decide on the last day or something! Not much else to report this week. Oh, we got a few more pages of the "Majandra's First Year" book done. We're up to the page that has a photo of her at two months old. We're so slack. [Week Thirty-Five to Week Thirty-Six] 21/09/12-04/10/12 The weekend just gone we went away to Port Augusta. It was the Teddy Bear's Picnic special day on the Pichi Richi Railway and since it was a long weekend too we decided it was worth our while to get away. Briony didn't enjoy the drive, as her sore coccyx/bum was causing her some discomfort. She is 36 weeks pregnant after all! Apart from the driving though, everything was fine with the trip and Briony even slept fairly well in the single bed. Yesterday was Briony's last day at work too. I'd suggested she give up a few weeks ago but she decided to persist and push it out a bit longer, I guess we could use the extra money. Now she's finished though, it'll be good if she can rest and relax a bit at home, and perhaps even take a quick nap on those days that Majandra is at child care. The belly keeps getting bigger, and Briony commented last night that she just feels this baby is bigger than Majandra was. I guess we'll find out in 3 weeks or so!! [Week Thirty-Seven to Week Thirty-Eight] 05/10/12-18/10/12 Briony had a visit to the hospital just after I'd written the last entry. The first two doctors she saw told her that everything was fine and her bile acids were low and they believe she's OK to go all the way to full term. The final assessment was done by an ostectrician at the hospital, who unfortunately back flipped and told Briony she would need to be induced at 38 weeks and one day. That's one week exactly from now. While we were both hoping for a fully natural and spontaneous labour, we now know it's not to be. Of course we both knew an early induced delivery was quite likley, and also given they were originally taling about 34 weeks, we both agree 38 weeks is an acceptable outcome :) Of course the other part of it is that Briony's big, tired, uncomfortable and pretty much had enough. So while the outcome isn't exactly as hoped, Briony will probably be quite relieved when it's all done. We've got most stuff at home fairly ready, with some newborn clothes and nappies ready to go. There's not really a whole lot more we can do straight away ... [Week Thirty-Nine] 19/10/12-25/10/12 Briony was scheduled to be induced last week (19th October). Both of us had really hoped to kep going a bit longer and we were reassured that both medical doctors at Flinders Hospital had suggested that all was OK, it was only that other obstetrician that had booked Briony for 38 weeks. Briony felt she'd been pushed into the 38 week induction unnecessarily, so she went back top the hospital for a second opnion. The doctors decided they would not let her go to full term, but they would let her go for another week - this takes us to 39 weeks and one day. That's as close to full term as we need to go - we're happy with that. We took the opportunity this weekend just gone to visit Belair National Park with the camera and tripod and get some photos. We spent a bit more time there compared to last time and we ended up with some fairly good photographs. Last night I also had the opportunity to feel "the Alien" which is something I completely missed with Majandra was wasn't something I'd felt this pregnancy either. The Alien is Briony's description of when the baby turns and moves and wriggles inside her belly in a really big way. So rather than just a little kick or something, it's more of a full body movement. Last night I was watching a movie whilst folding laundry while Briony was in bed. Briony then appeared at the doorway and proceeded to lay on the couch and expose her belly. She wanted me to feel the hiccups. At first there were just a few normal hiccups from the baby buthen I felt then there was a big kick or a punch or something. Then I felt something press against my hand and move around. Next thing the baby was moving its entire body around and it felt so strange. I removed my hand and I could clearly see the bumps in Briony's belly where the baby was moving. I wonder how well Briony slept with all that movement happening? That's about all I think I'll get to write for this blog. Today is Tuesday which means two more days until Briony gets the gels, and then I guess the birth will happen on Friday. I think we're about as ready as we're going to be! Next : Briony's Labour, and Aliana's Birth or, back to Aliana Index Last modified: Wednesday, 01-Aug-2018 13:25:37 ACST Site created by Callan Davies / CRUZN 2007-2010 Some content protected. Other content free for your use. Contact the Webmaster |
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