I’m SO pleased to be finally blogging this today. I’ve hit my third trimester-finally! It feels like my second trimester (more on that here) has gone on forever! So I’m really pleased to have hit 28 weeks and thought I would share with you a little update on how things have been going, both in terms of my
How I’ve Been Feeling
On the whole, I’ve felt pretty
So I am getting by on a Rennie a day for now until I see my (IBD) consultant in a few weeks. There’s no real pattern to it in terms of diet-it just strikes suddenly (usually in the middle of the night or the evening). But yes, those of you that suffer from reflux all the time-wow, you have my complete sympathy!
My only craving is FIZZY POP! For someone who only ever drank water previously, I can’t get enough of the stuff! And it has to be ICE cold! I know cravings usually reveal nutrition issues so I have NO idea what that means to be honest! Sugar? Energy?
I also just feel pretty shattered and quite achy as the bump has been growing; which I imagine is to be expected! I’m so so grateful I work from home because I can’t imagine what it would have been like still teaching whilst feeling so drained!
Despite low energy, my vitamin levels (like my vitamin D and Iron) are still really high! So I was pleased with that!
A Crohn’s Update
Just as I was so pleased to finally feel on board with my IBD team-my consultant went off sick. I was gutted and ended up having to change hospitals to Good Hope Hospital in order to be seen quickly (since I was supposed to be seen every 4 weeks and my new appointment that came through for Heartlands was in June!!)
I was a bit anxious to change hospitals but I must say the doctor was fantastic and I think I’ll be sticking with Good Hope for the time being (since there’s no return date for my Heartland’s consultant yet anyway). I saw a great doctor at Good Hope and guess what? She read my notes BEFORE I went it! This has literally never happened to me before and despite only meeting me that day, she knew everything about my history! So 10/10 in my book!
We agreed to stop Humira and I did my last injection 3 weeks ago (at 25 weeks; since after 26 weeks it’s thought that the medicine crosses over to the placenta).
I must admit: for someone who isn’t always happy taking medication, I was sad to stop it! It had
I know that I’d probably be just as worried the other way around, and if I’d have stopped on it I’d be worrying about it crossing the placenta when I injected (note: It doesn’t harm the baby but it can mean their immune system isn’t as strong when they’re born so they can’t have all their live vaccines). At the end of the day, I had to go with my doctor’s guidance but it is at the back of my mind a bit!
Overall, three weeks since my last injection, I still wouldn’t say I’ve noticed any real changes. I’ve definitely become more conscious of every slight symptom (WHAT IF IT’S A FLARE!) but on the whole, my stomach has remained pretty calm and I’ve still enjoyed eating a much more varied diet! I’ve kept up with my Symprove probiotic (you can read my blog post on how I have got on with that here) and think that has helped in that respect too.
Bump Update!
I’ve put on two stone since the start of my pregnancy which I was pretty pleased with (As I struggle to gain weight usually!) My growth scans started at 27 weeks so I’ve had my first and my second is at 31 weeks. The growth scan showed he was exactly where he should be so I’m pleased with that (although I’ll probably still worry until the next one).
One really good thing is that he is a really active baby so far, so when I’ve been worrying about stopping my medicine; feeling him doing somersaults has helped a lot! I think because I was quite thin before I fell pregnant, I can feel and see his movements much more prominently (I might have just made that theory up but I think it makes sense!).
Other than that, not much too much to report! I still don’t know much about my Cesarean but I’ve spoken to a few medical professionals now who think I have a fair case to ask for extra adaptations-like a side room to myself and possibly my partner staying overnight; should my IBD loom as soon as baby is born and I’m left dashing to the loo on the ward! So I’m going to put that properly to my pregnancy consultant next time I see them and fingers crossed that will help. I’ll keep you updated as I know it would be a big weight of my mind to know I could have someone supporting me in hospital if I needed it.
A note on pregnancy and mental health
I’ve blogged briefly about my anxiety in the past and I think it’s really important to mention it here too! Being pregnant is such an anxious time and I don’t think many people really talk about the mental health aspect of things!
Overall, I am fine most of the
I opened up on my Instagram a few weeks ago after a bit of a wobble and lots of you very kindly told me you felt exactly the same! I’ve booked some antenatal classes now (in the hope of meeting nice mom friends and making me feel like I have some grasp on what I’m doing!) which start in a few weeks and I’ve found a few meditation apps for pregnancy that I’m going to make a more conscious effort to try! It’s just very much one of those ‘one day at a time’ things for me!
Well that’s my 3rd trimester update, but I hope to blog again when I’m a bit further along and know more about my Cesarean plans. I hope you’ve found it useful and if you have any questions at all-just ask!
