tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3846998348228626322024-03-13T06:00:17.424-07:00Watching You Growa UK based vegan parenting & lifestyle blogFionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comBlogger703125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-57607911574740816652021-08-29T02:31:00.007-07:002021-08-29T02:31:48.369-07:00And Now You Are Five<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kaSej0zzAfs/YStT4T8s9dI/AAAAAAAC-ao/qQNRbkL1n1A48mI476QARSeVGFFfW05ogCLcBGAsYHQ/s1528/IMG_8755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="1528" height="310" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kaSej0zzAfs/YStT4T8s9dI/AAAAAAAC-ao/qQNRbkL1n1A48mI476QARSeVGFFfW05ogCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h310/IMG_8755.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And now you are five. </span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-96ea513e-7fff-b74d-71ae-11ed1e4cb7ce"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My phone keeps sending my photos to reminds me of days gone by. The chubby cheeks you were sporting last year, the blonde bowl cut from the year before, and the chubby little legs you were graced with as a toddler. It all seems so long ago now you are five.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You have grown tall and stretched upwards towards the sun. Your hair is long and knot-free (a miracle). You fight against holding my hands unless we are by the busiest of roads. You want to run ahead, moving as fast as your legs will let you. Your knees are always grazed and bruised from trips and stumbles as you race ahead. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You want to do everything your big sister can do; you already can’t wait to be nine. You chatter non-stop, telling me about your day and your dreams and your memories. Nothing gets forgotten. You love recounting stories from your past, repeating stories I’ve told you about when you were younger. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are a force to be reckoned with. Your nursery teacher once asked me if you ruled the roost, and I suppose you do. Your big sister sometimes tries to resist you to teach you a lesson, but she can’t stand it when you’re upset, so she usually gives in. Your little sister is besotted with you; even as you drag her about the room, she smiles happily because she loves having fun with you. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You love fiercely and seek out physical contact. You are usually sat on or against us, clambering over your sisters to claim the best seat. You hug your best friend tightly and hold her hand whenever you can. You are forever cuddling or sitting on your favourite staff members at school. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are happiest with others, though you do like to play make-believe games by yourself. You can play for hours with your sister, disappearing for whole afternoons, lost in an imagined world of seas and baddies and spies. You like playing board games and doing arts and crafts, and running around letting off steam. You love books and read every day, we share the responsibility of bedtime stories these days, and you often read to your little sister during the day. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, let us see what five brings.</span></p></span></span>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-30684120715970189942021-08-14T00:29:00.000-07:002021-08-14T00:29:06.153-07:00Working with Quorn<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NAUDW_RXBic/YRdwj3UUZYI/AAAAAAAC9Yo/HOL3x-XLPoc-Fa3_is5inTSt9WGLKo7gwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1109/IMG_8160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1109" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NAUDW_RXBic/YRdwj3UUZYI/AAAAAAAC9Yo/HOL3x-XLPoc-Fa3_is5inTSt9WGLKo7gwCLcBGAsYHQ/w299-h400/IMG_8160.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Quorn asked me to write a guest post for their website as part of their summer eating campaign. I wanted to share it here because I was proud to have been invited to take part in this campaign. I eat a lot of Quorn and have ever since I became vegetarian as a child. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You can find the post on Quorn's website: <a href="https://www.quorn.co.uk/news/10-tips-for-the-perfect-vegan-family-summer-picnic">10 Tips For The Perfect Vegan Family Summer Picnic By Watching You Grow</a></span></p>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-46793149799344220272021-07-04T03:12:00.001-07:002021-07-04T03:12:06.231-07:00To My Pandemic Baby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iAyqd4zVvJE/YOGJNwvPihI/AAAAAAAC6Fg/eTqXD4QBFZISpcg9WwM9b2k-ayApP5VigCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ACS_1898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1896" data-original-width="2048" height="592" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iAyqd4zVvJE/YOGJNwvPihI/AAAAAAAC6Fg/eTqXD4QBFZISpcg9WwM9b2k-ayApP5VigCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h592/ACS_1898.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was six months pregnant when the pandemic hit. I remember feeling nervous when it arrived in London and started to spread. I cancelled plans that involved busy trains and decided to stay closer to home. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The country locked down. Children were sent home from school. The final week of school, I felt guilty about sending the girls in, I knew I should be keeping them at home, but I needed the time to prepare for the lockdown and the new baby. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I tidied and organised. I ordered workbooks and craft materials. I took a hypnobirthing course. I wrote lists and ticked things off, and tried to get prepared for the unknown. Nobody knew how long the lockdown would last. Some people thought schools would reopen by Easter, but I thought they would stay closed until September. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The final months of pregnancy were not as I had expected. I would wake early and take Ebony out for our one hour of exercise of the day; that's all we were allowed. We would walk a 6km circular route that took an hour at six months pregnant but more like an hour and a half by the end of the pregnancy. I would arrive home as Laurie started work, and I'd have a bath to ease my aching hips.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The rest of the day was spent in the garden, collecting new freckles and reading books. The girls splashed in the paddling pool or did workbooks in the treehouse, or painted on the picnic table. It felt like a gift, those extra months of the kids before becoming a family of five. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You were born in early July in an eerily quiet hospital where we seemed to be the only patients. The midwives wore masks covering their faces, their welcoming smiles evident only from the noses up. Healthcare workers touched you with gloved hands, only when needed; there is no time to cuddle babies in a pandemic. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Restrictions eased just a little. Grandparents came to see you in the garden. They squinted at you from a distance of 2 metres, longing for newborn cuddles. Then, restrictions tightened again, we lived in a covid hotspot, and the numbers kept going up. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">More restrictions, more emergency laws passed and more school closures. Self-isolations, grumbling children sent home from school, days to kill at home over winter. You spent a lot of time getting to know your sisters when they would otherwise have been at school, but you do not know your grandparents very well. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You don't yet know the chaos and joy of playgroup. The excited screeches of other children and the frustration of having toys yanked out of your hands by unknown toddlers. Instead, you have discovered the world from the safety of a sling. Cradled high on my chest, peering out at people on our daily walks. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If I'd lived through this isolation the first time, I'd have been lost. I wouldn't have known how to parent or what to do with you. You're lucky I've been through this before. You have big sisters there to play with. You've benefitted from Laurie working at home, and you've been able to spend so much longer getting to know him. This year, which could have been terrible, has been a gift. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm sorry that your first year has been so slow. I'm sorry you haven't had many visitors and that most people have only ever seen you on screens. I'm sorry you don't reach out for grandparent cuddles or have a gang of baby friends to fight with. I'm sorry your first birthday was small and filled with umbrellas in a rainy garden on a miserable day, though you didn't seem to mind. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In fact, you don't seem to be unhappy at all. You are just the excited, happy little explorer I always hoped you would be. So perhaps those overpriced baby groups where they rub you down with soft fabrics and sing trademarked songs at you aren't important after all. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Perhaps all babies really need is to feel loved and be cared for. Perhaps they're not bothered about day trips or holidays, or coffee mornings. Maybe for babies, being stuck at home is just fine, at least for a little bit. Maybe these pandemic babies have had a good start in life, with their basic needs met. Maybe they have benefitted from the world slowing down just as much as the rest of us have. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy first birthday, Ettie. I hope you have enjoyed this year as much as I have. </span></p>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-62862301239338397582021-03-07T01:04:00.002-08:002021-03-07T01:06:42.000-08:00Back to School (Again)<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vmG3dvvSfvY/YESWy9EZDrI/AAAAAAACyZQ/FG7RTaQjcssZubV3wstZlWIsoddG3GqzACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/06087191-A37C-49B8-A488-458694DAB5B4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vmG3dvvSfvY/YESWy9EZDrI/AAAAAAACyZQ/FG7RTaQjcssZubV3wstZlWIsoddG3GqzACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/06087191-A37C-49B8-A488-458694DAB5B4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ba26aa05-7fff-9449-40b9-d5c106b0dcd0"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Schools go back tomorrow, apparently for good this time. I think there will be a few bubble closures before it’s all truly over, but hopefully, the schools will stay open from now. I have mixed feelings about this. I can see that it’s good for schools to reopen; I know some kids will have had a tough time at home and that many people are feeling burnt out, but I’ll be sad to return to an almost-empty house tomorrow. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve loved having the kids at home this year. I know I’m in a lucky position in that I’m self-employed and can focus on the kids and not try to juggle a stupid number of commitments. I know that not everybody has been able to do that. And please don’t think I’m claiming to be some kind of earth mother. I’m not. I have cried in the kitchen and wailed that I can’t go on like this anymore. I have silently prayed to the covid gods for schools to reopen just so that I can hear silence, instead of arguing, once again. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We didn’t get home from school. We didn’t go to the class zooms or upload daily work to the class dojo. My children have most played and argued. They have done bits of work. Ebony has done a maths exercise every day and some English. We haven't done the work set by the school. I can’t cope with the printing or the screen time, so we just used workbooks. Ember has learned to read, but she hasn’t perfected her cursive writing. She hasn't learnt how to negotiate the complex social side of the school. I think they’ll be fine, and I hope that they have enjoyed our time hanging out at home over the past twelve months. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This past year has been such a strange time. Stressful, anxiety-inducing, unchartered, but the lockdowns have felt like a gift in some ways. I’ve had the opportunity to spend extra time with my children, and I feel very grateful for that. We’ve learnt how to slow down and how to simplify life. We haven’t been rushing around or trying to please other people. It has been all about us. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’ve figured out how to live in harmony, how to read each other’s moods, and how to hold space for each other during moments of sadness. In the past, a crying child was always a challenge; I must stop them from feeling sad. Now, I know it’s ok to feel sad. It’s ok to cry because you miss your friends or worry about going back to school, and I don’t need to say or do anything to minimise those feelings; I just need to be there while they feel them. This is probably the lockdown achievement I’m most proud of.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think Ettie will miss her sisters when they return to school tomorrow. She is used to a noisy house and lots of chaos. It will be strange to have her all to myself. I will be missing two babysitters, which will certainly be noticeable when I want to get anything done. I’m glad we were able to have this time as a family while Ettie was young. It has been nice for her to get to know her sisters properly and be so involved in the baby stage. I hope, though, that she will enjoy waking from naps naturally rather than being jolted awake by the sound of another sibling argument. </span> </p></span></span>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-13555282133629981152020-11-15T05:03:00.002-08:002020-11-15T05:03:25.097-08:005 Best & Worst Things About Having a Baby in Lockdown<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-whQ2IIQJ-a4/X7EmuE2TtMI/AAAAAAACqfY/41cB_ImLm34sMajRQL-Qk90kg2BAkaHRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ACS_1448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fiona wearing a mask in the birth centre" border="0" data-original-height="1938" data-original-width="2048" height="606" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-whQ2IIQJ-a4/X7EmuE2TtMI/AAAAAAACqfY/41cB_ImLm34sMajRQL-Qk90kg2BAkaHRgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h606/ACS_1448.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ettie was born in July, in the middle of a global pandemic, and while I wouldn’t recommend this timing as ideal for a stress-free pregnancy, I do think there were some positives. Ettie wasn’t my first baby and, if she was, I think I would feel completely different. I think I would have struggled with isolation if she was my first because I wouldn’t have had existing mum friends around me to offer support and listen to me moan. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This list is a personal one based on my circumstances, and it won’t apply to everyone. Probably a lot of the things I class as benefits won’t apply to other people, but equally, there will be things I found difficult that perhaps other people wouldn’t have struggled with. I don’t live near to my parents, and I have missed them a lot this year. I would have loved to have been able to walk past their house regularly and wave at them through the window so they could see Ettie growing bigger (and me, during my pregnancy), but alas, it’s not possible for us. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now the disclaimers are out of the way; I am going to move onto the actual post. So, pregnancy and birth and babycare in a pandemic. What a headfuck. If you think your anxiety has been out of control during the pandemic, you should try being pregnant. It was stressful. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are five of the best things about having a baby in lockdown:</span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Being cocooned </span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was six months pregnant when England went into lockdown. At the time, nobody knew how long it would last or what it meant for the future. I knew I wouldn’t be re-entering society until after the baby was born, however. Even when discussions started about when to re-open schools, I had decided I would be keeping my older children home until after the summer holidays. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I stopped working pretty soon after lockdown because it wasn’t possible to juggle childcare and two working parents, and my job is flexible enough that I was able to stop. I know how lucky that makes me and that most people didn’t have a choice. I stopped working by April and then spent the new few months merely being pregnant and not homeschooling my kids. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I would wake up early every day and take my eight-year-old out on a long walk. We walked for an hour and a half each morning (started as an hour, but by the end of pregnancy, I was sloooow). It was lovely to spend that time with her, listening to her chat absolute shit about Harry Potter and her future career as a librarian and her dream garden. When we got home, I would sit in the bath trying to pretend I wasn’t dying from the walk (my poor pelvis). Then, slowly, I would get dressed and ready for the day. We spent most of our time in the garden. Me, reading a book, lying on my Holo (a lilo with a bump hole - pregnant women, you need this). The kids, completely feral, running wild in the garden.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was in charge of feeding the kids, which was a fulltime job, but aside from that, I had very little to do. I was just pregnant, and it felt like a real luxury to be able to focus on that and take a break from real life. After the birth, I continued in this lockdown cocoon until the kids went back to school in September. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">No ‘Still pregnant?’ comments</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a woman who gestates for approximately 87 years with each pregnancy, I liked not seeing people. I don’t care who you are; I don’t want to hear your thoughts on the size of my bump or how long I’ve been pregnant. With my previous pregnancies, I have endured plenty of “Is it twins?!” and “Still pregnant then?” comments. This pregnancy, I only got one comment from one old man on one of my early morning walks with Ebony. I can handle one comment; I can’t handle weeks worth of comments. If I’d been on the school run in June, I’d have had to endure countless “Have you tried curry?” comments and the rage would have been difficult to manage, so for that reason alone, I’m glad I was on lockdown. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It’s not fun going so far past your due date, but it felt manageable because the lack of other people’s opinions gave me space to relax and endure those final weeks of pregnancy (I was going to say enjoy but who am I kidding). </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Laurie was around</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If somebody had asked me a year ago whether I would like Laurie to work from home fulltime, I would have said no. Then felt stressed that they were asking for a reason. Then rung Laurie to check he definitely wasn’t planning on working remotely anytime soon. But actually, having Laurie at home this year has been amazing. For me. Probably not for his clients and colleagues who have had to listen to our four-year-old screaming during meetings.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When I was pregnant and uncomfortable, Laurie could jiggle his work schedule to give me a break in the day. He started taking the kids out on a lunchtime bike ride every day. When I couldn’t sleep, he took the kids out for 7 am walks so that I could catch up on sleep. When I was 87 years pregnant and emotional, he could take over the parenting while I sat in the dark and pretending I trusted my body and everything was Fine. When I had hospital appointments at short notice, he could drive me there and look after the kids. Everything was more manageable with him at home.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And now, with three kids in the morning, his being home takes the stress out of the school run. Life just feels so much easier with an extra pair of hands around to help out. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">No visitors</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It’s lovely when people want to come and visit your new baby. But, it’s also tiring and can be overwhelming in the early days. I had said right at the start of the pregnancy, long before anybody ate the bat, that I didn’t want to have any visitors for the first two weeks after the birth. After Ember’s birth, I felt very vulnerable and having visitors was just too much, and I didn’t want the stress of that again. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Having a baby in lockdown means you can’t have visitors anyway. And, of course, there is a sad side to that, but in a completely selfish way, it was nice to have time to bond as a family of five. It’s tough when you’ve just had a baby. Physically, it takes weeks to heal even after a positive birth. Emotionally, your hormones are all over the place, and you feel insane. You are tired and overwhelmed and worried you will always feel this way. It’s not a good time to have people visit. I think we should all take it upon ourselves to leave new parents alone for the first few weeks so that they can bond with their babies and feel sane before they re-enter society. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The sense of community</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I quite like that I had a baby during the pandemic, partly because of the reasons mentioned above, but also because it’s a little bit different. I have a special face mask in her memory box, which I wore to the hospital for her birth. I think having a baby during lockdown has been strange and while there are definitely downsides, it’s also pretty special. I can see myself as a grandma telling stories about when I had my baby in lockdown. The hours spent in an online Ocado queue will be like the stories my grandparents told me about ration books. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It’s also been nice to see the community coming together, not just for vulnerable people at risk of the pandemic, but also for new parents. In the village I live in, mums have organised walks for new parents so they can meet up and talk. There’s a socially distanced baby group in the church. There’s a WhatsApp group for local mums with babies (and ones for dads). Yes, some parents have found it harder to access proper services (my Health Visitor just didn’t show up to our appointment, so my only contact with her has been over the phone), but it’s been nice to see mums supporting each other to fill that void. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s not all been positive, though. Some things have been pretty crap. </span><b style="font-size: 13.3333px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are five of the worst things about having a baby in lockdown:</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Extra anxiety</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I think everybody felt anxious in March. There was an awful period where nobody knew what was going to happen. It was tense during those weeks; I was obsessively checking the news and death stats on my phone all day long. My screentime was about eight hours a day the week before lockdown. My eyes can’t cope with that level of screen use, and I had many headaches. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Pregnancy heightened this anxiety. I wanted a home birth and home birth services across the country were getting cancelled, and I spent a lot of time worrying about that. I was afraid that if the kids or Laurie came down with symptoms, then I would end up having to give birth alone. I was worried about everything. It wasn’t fun, and it wasn’t easy to find reassurance to any of my worries because nobody knew what was going to happen. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Attending appointments alone and trying to have serious conversations through masks</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Masks aren’t fun, are they? The first time I wore a mask was for a routine midwife appointment, and when I tried to talk, I ended up yelling, which was funny but also awkward and embarrassing. At that midwife appointment, it took a long time to find the baby’s heartbeat. I was lying on the bed, under a bright light, trying to breathe through a mask, while the room was way too silent, and it wasn’t pleasant. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What was more difficult, however, was trying to speak to doctors through a mask. It’s also worth noting that you have to attend all these hospital appointments alone. I would have been heartbroken if Laurie couldn’t attend the earlier scans with me, and while he did miss out on the later scans I had during pregnancy, I wasn’t too bothered about this because we weren’t supposed to have them anyway. Attending the Antenatal Day Unit alone was a terrifying prospect, but I actually found it ok. I seem to cry more if Laurie is there, so going alone meant I cried less (still managed to ugly cry once though, go me) which I was ok with. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Masks, however, made it all feel quite stressful. I found it difficult making myself heard (this feels silly to say now because I’ve gotten so used to wearing masks, but at the time, it felt challenging). I had one very frustrating conversation with a doctor, and although I think it would have been stressful regardless, I don’t think the mask helped. I guess I rely on facial expressions a lot during conversations, so not having that element made it a lot more stressful. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">No visitors</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I talked about the benefits above, but there are downsides to not having visitors. I was looking through old photos the other day and found some photos of my first child as a baby grinning at my mum, and it made me cry. It’s heartbreaking that Ettie doesn’t know who any of her grandparents are. Sadly, she hasn’t had regular contact with them or the cuddles that my other children had enjoyed by this age. It’s hard not living near my parents because it means they haven’t been able to see Ettie grow and she’s already changed so much. I’m glad we live in a time of smartphones and social media, but it in no way makes up for being there in person. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On a selfish note, I missed my mum visiting in the early days because it meant our kitchen was a mess. My parents make my life easier. When I have a newborn baby, they appear with fresh fruit and homemade soup and by the time they leave, the house is less chaotic, my kids are happy, and my load feels lighter. I missed that a lot, especially in the early weeks. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are also lots of friends who haven’t met Ettie, and that feels weird. Quite a few of my faraway friends have had babies this year, and we haven’t been able to introduce them. I know this year would have looked very different without coronavirus. It’s been weird to have a year of minimal socialising, and I am so looking forward to things returning to normal again.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">No baby mates</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I know, babies don’t really have friends, but also the do. I miss the days of going to the pub and plonking the babies down on the pub sofa and pretending they were best friends. I miss lying all the babies down next to each other at baby group. I miss watching them interact, even though it is inevitably scratchy and drooly. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am lucky to live a few doors away from a baby group that has found a way to continue in a socially-distanced capacity. That baby group is over-subscribed (as I’m sure you can imagine) because of the limit on numbers. However, the woman who runs it is lovely and is going above and beyond to make sure mums are still able to find the support they need (I think she might be an actual angel). We sit on mats and can’t move around the room, the babies don’t get to interact, but it’s a nice play to go and chat with other mums, and it has been a life-saver. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am so glad Ettie wasn’t my first baby and that I already know plenty of mums I can meet up with for walks. When I had my first baby, I didn’t know anybody in my local area, and not many of my friends had children so I would have struggled so much with loneliness if we’d been in lockdown. I feel for all the first time mums trying to navigate parenthood for the first time this year. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Her baby book is a little sorry</span></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is definitely a market for pandemic-specific baby groups because the regular ones don’t work very well. There’s a big focus on visitors and cuddles and things that just weren’t possible in 2020. I would prefer a place to stick the facemask from her birth, and photographs of loved ones waving through windows, and perhaps maps of the many, many, many walks I took her on when there was nowhere else to go. Instead, the baby book is like a collection of what should have been—the special occasions and the family meetups and baby showers that were not to be this year. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To all those of you who have welcomed babies this year, I hope you have found some positives to take the edge off. It has certainly been a strange time to have a baby. </span></span></p>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-31978512818405610672020-10-24T04:00:00.002-07:002020-10-24T04:00:48.590-07:00Maternity Leave Lockdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vdsocY_w_CQ/X5QIyEwfC7I/AAAAAAACooo/dxzYQ792o_Ugy6mkz3_xnddggXS5tNE8gCPcBGAsYHg/s3024/ACS_1372%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="3024" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vdsocY_w_CQ/X5QIyEwfC7I/AAAAAAACooo/dxzYQ792o_Ugy6mkz3_xnddggXS5tNE8gCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h434/ACS_1372%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ettie is three months old now. I don’t know how that’s possible, but there it is. It feels like she has always been here. The pregnancy feels like a distant memory now. I was thinking recently how strange this year has been, and how I’ve barely written so there will be no record of how I felt during this time. I don’t know whether that matters, but it seemed strange to live through such a strange time and not have written about it. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I wrote that first paragraph a month ago, I am really struggling for time at the moment. Sitting down at my laptop isn’t easy and on the rare occasions I manage it, it’s usually because I have something specific to do. I often find myself trapped on the sofa under a sleeping baby, but that’s not a great position for typing so I’ve been using that time to read books. I like reading books so this has been lovely and I’ve read lots about birth and motherhood. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I think the past month has felt harder pandemic-wise. I was ok being in lockdown when I was pregnant. I felt pretty safe cocooned at home with my family, knowing we were keeping ourselves safe. I may have been the strictest person, in fact, I was so terrified that one of us would come down with symptoms and it would me stop me having a home birth. We got all our shopping online because I just didn’t want to take any risks, which seems a bit silly now but nevermind. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Having a new baby in lockdown was ok, too. We didn’t have to worry about visitors and that was quite nice to just spend that time as a family of five (so many) getting to know each other. There are so many hormonal changes happening in those early weeks, it’s actually quite ridiculous how much socialising new mums are expected to do. I wasn’t struggling with breastfeeding or anything so the reduced support didn’t bother me personally. I felt really looked after by my lovely midwife and I didn’t feel like the pandemic had caused me to miss out on any care of anything. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But now, I guess now that the protective bubble doesn’t feel quite so necessary, it feels more restrictive. Ettie doesn’t feel like a vulnerable newborn anymore, and I miss my parents. It’s hard not being able to see them or my faraway friends. I find all the uncertainty around the guidelines and laws and restrictions quite unsettling. I wish there an end date, I think a lot of people are feeling that. I totally understand why the rules are there and I’m certainly not breaking them, but I think mentally it feels harder now than it did in the summer. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I spend a lot of time walking with Ettie in the sling. My mum bought me a big babywearing coat to keep us both warm and it’s just lovely. It’s like wearing a big hug and I love it. I wish I’d bought one two babies ago instead of waiting till Ettie. I bought myself some walking shoes, too, which means I can stomp down the canal even when it’s very wet and the path is covered in giant puddles. Every morning, I drop the older two at school and then go for a big walk around where I live. It’s beautiful at this time of year. But I get back home at about half-past ten in the morning and then there’s really much to do until I pick the kids up again. There aren’t many baby groups, I can’t meet friends in cafes, it just feels very different from my previous maternity leaves. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I go for walks with other mums some days. Other times I end up going for a few walks by myself just to fill the time. I’m not sure Ettie will ever learn things like rolling over or crawling because she spends so much time in the sling. I hope the babywearing coat and the walking shoes will mean we can keep walking every day even when it’s wintery and cold because otherwise, it’s going to feel like a very long winter. This has certainly been a strange year to have a baby, and I’m very glad this wasn’t my first (or only) maternity leave. </span></span></p>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-57866623677197884152020-08-06T16:30:00.002-07:002020-08-07T01:32:43.241-07:00Ettie's Birth Story: The Birth We've Been Waiting For<div class="separator"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iuLu8H_eDL4/Xyxh1U9b6jI/AAAAAAACkaI/sOYR-KqnxkE7ZYyGdleLGNcEdJoFvgghwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1528/IMG_2356.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1528" height="335" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iuLu8H_eDL4/Xyxh1U9b6jI/AAAAAAACkaI/sOYR-KqnxkE7ZYyGdleLGNcEdJoFvgghwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h335/IMG_2356.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-61552621-7fff-62dd-7b5d-41005b981d6d"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the third and final instalment of my birth story (catch up on <a href="https://www.watchingyougrow.co.uk/2020/08/etties-birth-story-bit-of-background.html">part one</a> and <a href="https://www.watchingyougrow.co.uk/2020/08/etties-birth-story-so-many-hospital.html">part two</a>) and I promise this chapter features a birth. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On Wednesday, I was 43 weeks pregnant. It was also July and my June baby was nowhere to be seen. I headed back to the hospital for another scan and more monitoring. The scan showed a further reduction in fluid (89mm to 84mm if I remember correctly, which I might not). Then I went back to the ADU to meet with the consultant. She asked what I wanted to do now and I said I would give myself until Friday and, if it hadn’t happened by then, I would go in for an induction. She looked relieved. I had another examination and some CTG monitoring and then went back home for more tense and angry bouncing on my birth ball. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had been having tightenings for a few weeks, sometimes for a few hours at a time, but they would always taper off without becoming anything exciting. On Thursday, I had plenty of these tightenings throughout the afternoon and evening, and I was really hopeful that things were starting to happen (hopeful/out of my mind desperate). Laurie went to a supermarket to buy last minute things for the birth/baby. The kids packed a suitcase so they’d be ready to go and stay with my parents when I went into the hospital. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was still hopeful that I might go into labour naturally, but I knew I needed to mentally prepare myself for the possibility of induction. I’d been told they would probably just break my waters, so I wanted to know if I’d be able to be in the birth centre and in the pool if that was successful. I had many other questions too. But when I spoke to a midwife from the hospital on the phone, she basically just said she didn’t know to every question and then told me to ring back if I thought of any more questions and I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic because she hadn’t answered any of them so far. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next morning, I woke up early (shocker) and had a bloody show (this happened the day before Ember was born so I was now feeling hopeful). My tightenings had gotten stronger though still weren’t regular or contractions, but I felt positive things were heading in the right direction. My parents came and picked up the girls who were ridiculously excited to see their grandparents for the first time since February. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After they left, I ate half a tub of Ben & Jerry’s while feeling very sorry for myself. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We watched some television and I told Laurie that I didn’t want to go to the hospital and I was thinking of staying home instead. He looked thrilled. I imagine his thought process was something along the lines of “why did I marry this”. He said it was my choice because he knows all about feminism, but what if it didn’t happen by tomorrow, at what point would I stop giving it more time. At half-past eleven, my phone rang. It was Sarah, the stand-in community midwife I’d met at an antenatal appointment a few months earlier, she said she would meet me on the birth centre in an hour. I can’t explain how relieved I felt when it was someone I'd already met on the other end of the phone. I'd really liked Sarah when I met her, she was very pro home birth and I'd actually said to Laurie after I'd met her that I'd hoped she'd be on call the night I went into labour. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t know whether Sarah came with me because she knew how much I wanted a home birth and felt bad for me. Or whether the entire home birth team were terrified of having to attend the home birth of a Guinness World Record Breaking length pregnancy and she offered to come with me so that I would go to hospital. If it was the latter, it was a wise move, because I really don’t know whether I’d have gone that day if it hadn’t been her on the other end of the phone. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We packed our stuff and then made our way to the hospital. Sarah had told me to eat something before going to the hospital but I felt too anxious, so I sent Laurie off to M&S to get some food after he’d dropped me at the hospital. I’d assumed he couldn’t come in with me straight away because of COVID, but apparently, he could have. I wasn’t too bothered though, there is a much higher risk of me crying when Laurie is there so figuring out what was going to happen by myself was actually ok. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I went up to the birth centre to find Sarah. I spent hours on the birth centre when I was in labour with Ember and I thought I would find it quite awful to be back there, but it was ok. I was taken to the same room where I had spent hours not giving birth to Ember. It was about 1pm by the time I got there. Laurie got some food from M&S and then waited in the car for me to call him up. This took a long time, I am a terrible wife. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had previously been told that I’d been going to have my membranes ruptured (ARM) and that there was a good chance this would be all I needed to start labour. On the day, however, the consultant suggested starting with a pessary. Unbeknownst to me, the midwife who had examined me two days previously had downgraded my Bishop Score to a 6, and I think the consultant felt a pessary was my best chance at avoiding the hormone drip. As soon as they start intervening, you’re on the clock, and the pessary would give me some more time. If I opted for the pessary, they would put that in then leave me for six hours before checking me again. I wasn’t that keen on that idea, I was already tired and I just wanted to hurry things along. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wanted to see what my cervix was doing before making a decision, but this meant they needed to have everything ready and waiting so it could all be done during the same examination. It took a bit of time to get everything ready, and I was placed on the CTG monitor to get a trace of the baby in the meantime. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was 3pm by the time I had the examination, I don’t know how two hours had passed or what I’d been doing in that time. Laurie was still sitting in the car because I’d wanted to get this part over with alone and hadn’t realised it would take quite so long. The midwife had the pessary and the amnihook ready. Upon examination, my cervix was 5cm dilated, 50% effaced and anterior. We decided to go with the amnihook and the midwife attempted to rupture the membranes. This took an awkwardly long time, I guess the membranes were thick. Eventually, it worked and my waters broke.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was still on the CTG monitor so the baby could be monitored throughout and after the procedure. This meant I had to stay on the bed which was essentially now a puddle. My socks were very wet. The Head of the home birth team popped in to see me, which was great timing because I had no knickers on and that’s how I usually like to receive guests. She told me Sarah had volunteered to go with me that day (isn’t that so lovely). </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Laurie came up with his bag of M&S food and all the hospital bags we had packed (I overpacked). I had to stay on the monitor for a while longer. Eventually, I was taken off the monitor and advised to eat something and move around. I had a couscous salad and drank lots of water. We mostly spent this time taking photos of ourselves in facemasks because that’s what people did in the summer of 2020. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By 4pm, I was sitting on a birth ball. I’d started using the Freya App (it costs £2.99 and you need it if you are about to have a baby. Trust me, it will be the best money you’ve ever spent) to time my tightenings. They were irregular but they were definitely ramping up so I was hopeful things were starting to happen. I was feeling pretty sick after eating, I felt hot and sweaty and shaky. This is not how you want to feel in labour, but I didn’t really want to take any anti-sickness medication because that had made me throw up last time. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I got changed into some cooler clothes. Cooler in temperature, not in style. I’d asked Laurie to get me a plain baggy nightie on his shopping trip but he could only find Winnie The Pooh ones and I’m really not that kind of woman. So I’d packed swimwear for the pool, and then a long strappy top for the birth. I figured I’d need something to wear with it so I’d found a black skirt which was fitted and maybe an odd choice for birthwear. It looked like I was wearing a bodycon dress. But I was very hot and it was cool so I was ok with it. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At some point, the Head of the home birth team came to see us again. She told me she hadn’t dared to drink all week in case I went into labour and they didn’t have enough midwives, she’d put herself unofficially on call for me (isn’t that so lovely? Aren’t the home birth team in Stockport actually just the best midwives in the world?). Before she left, she told me my midwife would be leaving soon because her working day had already finished.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was still very hot. Laurie had opened all of the windows and put a fan on for me, and I sat there sweating in my fake bodycon dress while he shivered in a jumper. It was just the two of us in the room and he was kneeling in front of me so that I could break his fingers or whatever during surges. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soon after 5pm, my midwife returned to say it had been two hours since she had broken my waters. Usually, after two hours, they would progress to the hormone drip if you weren’t in established labour, but I now had until 7pm. It is no fun to be on a deadline for something you cannot control. I felt quite stressed when she said I only had another two hours. If I needed the drip it would mean goodbye birth centre, goodbye water birth. She also mentioned that she’d be leaving soon but I think I looked so terrified that she felt guilted into staying (I hope it wasn't her wedding anniversary or anything). Laurie told the midwife that he’d been timing my contractions and thought I was in labour now, but I told her I wasn’t. Laurie thinks this made him look mental, but I just couldn’t cope with being told I wasn’t so best to do the nay-saying myself.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I went to the toilet to pee and that seemed to make my tightenings stronger (I don’t know if that is a thing). I can remember leaning on the toilet wall (probably not the cleanest wall) and breathing through it. The Freya App counts your breathing for you (in for four, out for eight). It’s such a simple idea but it’s honestly just amazing. I went back into the room and the midwife appeared to monitor the baby’s heart rate but I don’t really remember. It seems I mostly labour with my eyes clamped shut which is probably weird. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I saw a big green mat in the corner of the room and asked Laurie to get it for me. I knelt upon it and leant over the birth ball and stayed there until pretty much the end of the labour. My midwife said she could fill the birth pool if I wanted but I was so worried about it slowing things down that I told her not to just yet. She mentioned that the pools take a while to fill but I decided we shouldn’t do it just yet. I was still feeling sick and sweaty and hot and shaky, so the midwife suggested I could try the anti-sickness pill (rather than the injection that I’d had previously) and went off to get a prescription from the consultant. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She returned with the pill which seemed to work really fast. I managed to eat some grapes whilst kneeling and leaning over the birth ball. The contractions were more regular now, definitely at least 3 in 10, and they were lasting at least a minute each time. Some of them were much longer though so they never seemed to follow an exact pattern. I felt like the contractions were close together and pretty intense, so I was focusing on the Freya App and my breathing. I’d changed my mind about the pool by this point so Sarah started filling it and then left us to it. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At some point, Sarah came back into the room. I think she might have wanted to monitor the baby’s heart rate again but I don’t think I was in a very accessible position. She sat on a chair behind Laurie. At this point, I felt everything open up. I don’t know if it was my bones moving to allow the baby through or whether it was the baby making her way down, but I’d never felt that sensation in my two previous births. I remember thinking “Was that…? No, it can’t have been, it’s too soon.” I didn’t say anything out loud about it (I am a weird secretive person). </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The rest of the story is not glamorous, but I’m going to put it on the internet anyway because that is what I do. I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom, for a number two. Well, to be completely honest, I thought I was already doing a number two. I have no idea what that was, but I was convinced. I told Laurie what I thought was happening and he told the midwife in a very weird and humiliating game of Chinese Whispers. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I made my way to the bathroom. For this particular birth centre room, the bathroom is not in the birth room, it’s a separate room in the corridor just outside (this is great because it means you’re walking around half-naked in a corridor, isn’t that what all women want during labour?). I locked the door and walked across the room to the toilet (it’s a big bathroom). As I sat down on the toilet, it occurred to me that I should not have locked the door. Then a contraction started, I switched my contraction timer on (it was 6:05pm) and then realised I was pushing. What a terrible shit this is, I thought to myself, while sweating on the toilet. After some intense involuntary pushing, I wondered where the hell the poo was. I had a quick check and, well, there was no poo. Oh dear, I thought, and then I reached down between my legs and realised the baby was there. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I stood up just as the baby was crowning, I felt the burning sensation of the head being born, and put my hand on her head as she came out. I also made what Laurie has since described as “a really weird noise”. It was not the mooing he had heard in previous births, but a more surprised noise. He was, at this point, waiting outside the bathroom door with a clean pair of knickers for his wife who he mistakenly thought had shat herself.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Are you ok?” He asked, probably imagining me weeping with embarrassment as I tried to scrub skid marks from my soiled underwear. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It’s the baby, the baby’s coming!” I yelled in a not-at-all cool, calm or collected voice. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Laurie ran to tell the midwife who said something along the lines of “Oh!” She was much calmer than us. He ran back to the bathroom and unlocked it from the outside (what a hero) and, as the door opened, he was greeted with the sight of me, panicked, and half of his baby. He ran into the room just as her body was born and he managed to catch her. She was very slippery and covered in vernix. She cried straight away and Laurie told me we had another daughter. The midwife was right behind Laurie and she untangled the baby from the umbilical cord (it was looped around the baby’s tummy) before passing her up to me. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I felt completely amazing. I couldn’t believe it had happened so fast and so easily, I was completely overwhelmed with joy and gratitude and whatever the word is for feeling like the most impressive woman alive. And relieved the baby hadn’t landed in the toilet. I was so pleased that I got to be the first person to touch her, and that Laurie had been the second. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I entered that bathroom feeling like a woman who had just soiled herself in public, but I left it feeling like if there was an award for birthing, I would surely win it. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">When we walked out of the bathroom, there was another midwife in the corridor (see how there are people wandering around so your nudity does not go unnoticed during toilet trips in this particular birth centre room) and she asked if everything was ok. My midwife told her we’d just had the baby in the toilet and the new midwife asked if she wanted a hand. My midwife said we were ok, before opening the door to the birth centre room and realising it was completely unsuitable for a newborn baby. Every window was open wide and the fan was on and the whole room felt more like a snow blizzard than the kind of place you might take a newborn. She called the other midwife back and they ran around closing windows and finding blankets to pile on top of me and Ettie. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My notes say that Ettie was born at 6:10pm, and by 6:14pm she was having her first feed snuggled up on the bed in the birth centre. Laurie took some photos at quarter past and I look so ridiculously proud. She was finally here and she was fine and she was perfect. I had the injection to deliver the placenta so that happened quickly. I felt more aware of my blood loss this time, I don’t know if that was because Dr Kenickie had kept banging on about the risk of PPH or whether it was because a fast birth doesn’t leave you quite so numb down there. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At 7:30pm, I handed Ettie over to Laurie for his first cuddle, so I could have some stitches. This was not pleasant, giving birth is ok but stitches are terrible. I didn’t have any pain relief for the birth but had gas and air for the stitches (and still kept getting told off for tensing). Just before 9pm, my midwife gave us a science lesson where she showed us the placenta. At the time, this was fascinating and my placenta was a thing of wonder, but now the photos on my phone make me feel nauseous. The placenta was gritty but she said it didn’t necessarily look like the placenta of a post-term woman. She said I was the most pregnant woman she’d ever looked after but it was not the oldest looking placenta she’d ever encountered. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shortly after the impromptu placenta TED Talk, Sarah left, hours after her shift should have finished. I was so grateful to her for staying with me and for volunteering to be there with me in the first place. I felt so supported and well cared for. My birth plan was vague, it pretty much just said I wanted to be left alone and to maybe catch my own baby, and that’s exactly how it went. Being pregnant for 43 weeks and 2 days is truly terrible, but the end was made more bearable by knowing that there was a team of midwives rooting for me. I couldn’t love the Stockport Home Birth Team more if I tried, they are all wonderful, but especially my midwives. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the midwife had gone home, I went for a shower and changed into some clean clothes which I immediately bled all over (really, what is the point?). They were my last clothes so I then had to leave the hospital covered in bloodstains which was great and very stylish. Also, they were not clothes but pyjama pants and they were pale yellow so the blood was very noticeable and not at all discrete. If I had been an Instagram photo, I would have been taken down for breaking community guidelines. We had to wait in the hospital for what felt like forever after the birth and, in hindsight, I wish we’d just discharged ourselves and left earlier. But sometime after midnight we eventually carried Ettie through our front door. </span></p></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zzao7i4djPQ/XyxiSEXL4MI/AAAAAAACkaQ/s9jUUJxoR8sFeFV_m3W1qMLc11R70GKNACLcBGAsYHQ/s828/IMG_2353.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="828" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zzao7i4djPQ/XyxiSEXL4MI/AAAAAAACkaQ/s9jUUJxoR8sFeFV_m3W1qMLc11R70GKNACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_2353.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-69653720805347897372020-08-06T08:16:00.003-07:002020-08-06T08:16:27.824-07:00Ettie's Birth Story: So Many Hospital Visits<div class="separator"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BjB-gcQ-kiQ/XywecCcyGkI/AAAAAAACkS4/rjqTnMEsEZ8ZeqKgm9uzh360PyaAQk9IgCLcBGAsYHQ/s828/IMG_2324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="828" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BjB-gcQ-kiQ/XywecCcyGkI/AAAAAAACkS4/rjqTnMEsEZ8ZeqKgm9uzh360PyaAQk9IgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_2324.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-c1470343-7fff-ae69-bb73-7221f4f05dae"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thanks for joining me for the second instalment of this long and tedious birth story (<a href="https://www.watchingyougrow.co.uk/2020/08/etties-birth-story-bit-of-background.html">the first part is here</a>, if you missed it). </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I can’t quite remember when all of the following things happened (lockdown problems), but hopefully I have the weeks correct. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At my 38 week appointment, my midwife couldn’t determine the baby’s position, and it took a really long time to find the heartbeat. I wasn’t overly worried because the baby had been moving around as normal not long before, but also it was the first time I’d worn a face mask and I was lying on my back under a bright light for a long time and I did feel like maybe I was about to die of stress. She found a heartbeat eventually but wasn’t sure whether the baby was in an oblique lie so she rang the Antenatal Day Unit (ADU) to make me an appointment for a mini scan to check the baby’s position. She said, “I’ll make you an appointment to see me at 40 weeks on the off chance that everything is fine with the scan.” This did not fill me with confidence.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We didn’t have much time to get to the hospital so it was a bit of a rush to get the kids ready and in the car. On the way there, I made the mistake of googling ‘oblique lie’ and found posts saying ‘Take your hospital bag because they’ll want to do a section so you won’t be going home lol.’ Reader, I did not lol. I ugly cried again, but silently because the kids were in the back of the car. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A consultant came to see me and scanned my bump (with a scanner that she probably borrowed from a history museum, it was not fancy). The baby was head down and happy. Because of Ember’s size (4.7kg which translates to ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE), the consultant suggested I have a scan at 40 weeks to check the size of this baby. She said if the baby was below the 97th percentile, she wouldn’t worry because I got Ember out just fine ( she wasn’t there at the birth and I feel like 'just fine' was overselling that traumatic experience), but if the baby was over the 97th percentile then they might want to talk about intervention. I agreed to have a scan at 40 weeks and then I went on my way, relieved that the baby was head down. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At my 40 week appointment, the midwife found static growth when measuring the fundal height measurement (this means the baby hadn’t grown since the week before). I was once again referred for a scan, though this time it was a full scan in the ultrasound department. My scan was the following Monday, so I was 40+5 by the time I was scanned. I was really worried that the scan would find polyhydramnios (this means excess fluid and was the diagnosis that stopped me having a home birth last time) or a giant baby. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ultrasound technician did not find a giant baby, in fact, it seemed that this baby was destined to be my smallest yet. She did, however, find that I had too much fluid (polyhydramnios). However, it was only a mild case, so it wasn’t as worrying a diagnosis as it had been last pregnancy. I was found to have a deepest pool of 9.4cm of fluid this time (with Ember, it was classed as severe which means the deepest pool was at least 16cm, I think). I wasn’t particularly worried about the fluid because it seemed borderline-ish, and I was relieved that the scan didn’t find a giant baby (although I still thought that’s what I was having because I did not trust the scan). The sonographer didn't seem too worried about the excess fluid so I was sent home after the scan.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My next appointment was with another stand-in midwife when I was 41+2. She was very pro-home birth and was talking about how lovely the birth would be. Then she touched my bump and found that the baby was ballotable (this means the head was free in my pelvis, I know this because I googled it after I left). With this and the polyhydramnios diagnosis, she felt I needed to be seen by a doctor at the hospital. “It’s such a shame, you’d have had a lovely home birth,” she said. This did not fill me with confidence. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am in no way medical or intelligent, but for those interested: the risk with polyhydramnios is that the excess fluid means the baby bobs about rather than becoming fixed in the pelvis. This is concerning because if your waters go when your baby isn’t head down, the cord can prolapse which can be a serious medical emergency. So a ballotable head and polyhydramnios didn’t sound like a great mix.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I went back to the ADU and waited to see a doctor. When the doctor came, he said he was offering me induction because of the polyhydramnios. I told him I’d rather not be induced, and he said: “You know we’ll be inducing you in like two days anyway, right? That’s what we do with women who go over.” As though I had no say in the matter whatsoever. When he said this, he was leaning against the wall with one knee bent and his foot flat against the wall, his mask hanging under his chin, more like one of the T-birds from Grease than a medical doctor. Obvs they didn't have face masks in Grease, but if they had, Kenickie would definitely have had his under his chin and not covering his mouth and nose). </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I tried explaining that I wanted a home birth and he said that wouldn’t be safe. He said there was a risk of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and so I’d be better in hospital. I tried to ask about the severity of the polyhydramnios but he didn’t really answer my question. Or any of my other questions. He said if I went into labour over the weekend, I needed to head straight to the hospital and have the baby there. He told me to go back on Sunday for monitoring and to be booked in for an induction. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was 5pm on Friday by the time I was free to go and I felt worried that if I went into labour that weekend, I wasn’t going to get the birth I wanted. I decided to try and find a senior midwife to speak to before I left the hospital to see if we could put together a plan. What I should have done was taken ten minutes to think about what I was going to say and talk myself down from panic mode. Instead, what I did was stumbled into clinic, found a senior midwife, and immediately began to ugly cry at her. So, that was great. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Luckily, the mask hid most of my crying face, so the midwife was only subjected to my ugly eyes. But also I made some pretty intense weeping noises that will never leave me. The midwife I found was the same midwife I had ugly cried on when I was told I couldn’t have a home birth with Ember. I don’t know if she recognised me and my ugly eyes and intense weeping noises. I didn’t tell her I recognised her, I basically didn’t tell her anything on account of all the crying. I managed to say I wanted a home birth and I think that was the only coherent thing I said. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Luckily, midwives are very good at pretending that you aren’t being mental and they are skilled at ignoring weird crying noises, so she passed me a tissue and wrote a new plan for me. The plan was that if my contractions started, they would send a community midwife out to me to check the position of the baby and, if all was well, support the home birth. If my waters went first, however, I was to go to the hospital to check there was no cord prolapse and that baby was in a good position, and then, if all was well, I could go home. I stopped crying, thanked her a lot, and went home.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next day, I spoke to my obstetrician friend for some advice. I recommend you all get yourselves an obstetrician friend, especially if you have stubborn babies who are trying to force you to be pregnant forever. I wanted to know whether or not a home birth was safe, and I decided that if this particular obstetrician told me it was unsafe, then I would know it really was. And I would likely take the news better from her because I already trusted her opinion. And it would be via the phone so she wouldn’t see my cry face if it was bad news. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speaking to her was so helpful. By the end of the call, I felt reassured and informed and ready to advocate for my wishes at my next hospital appointment. I was back at Stepping Hill Hospital that Sunday, I was 40+10 and I had a CTG scan to monitor the baby. The midwife confirmed that the plan I’d put into place with the midwife on Friday was still the plan and I left feeling happy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I didn’t have to go back to the hospital until I was 42 weeks. Going overdue isn’t fun, but I didn’t feel too stressed about it. Ember was born at 42+3 so I figured this baby was likely to be late as well. Obviously, I would have loved to have been wrong, but I wasn’t going to start panicking until I’d gotten to that point. That Wednesday, at 42 weeks, I went back to the hospital for monitoring. I met with a consultant who was lovely and nothing like Kenickie from Grease. She listened to what I wanted and respected my choices and didn't wear a leather jacket or have a car with daggers hanging out of the wheels. She was happy for me to birth at home and for me to continue down the expectant management route instead of being induced. It makes such a difference to speak to a doctor who listens to you. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The consultant wanted me to have another scan (it had been a week since my last one) and to continue with the regular CTG monitoring, both of which I was happy to do. I headed down to the ultrasound department, admittedly a little worried that the scan would show further increased fluid levels and that I’d end up having to give birth in the hospital again. I needn’t have worried though, the fluid measurements had actually gone down (from 94mm to 89mm) and everything looked ok. I agreed to go back for further CTG monitoring that Friday. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At each visit to the hospital, I was having examinations and my Bishop Score was very slowly climbing up which felt like a positive thing. When I went back that Friday (at 42+2), the midwife said my cervix was favourable and the CTG monitoring was fine so I left feeling positive. I was convinced the baby would be born that weekend just as Ember had been. I was, of course, wrong. The weekend came and went with no baby. I was still ok on Sunday, but by Monday morning, I was beginning to lose hope. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I trudged back to the hospital on Monday morning at 42 weeks and 5 days pregnant. The CTG scan took a little longer than usual because the baby was in a sleep cycle for the first 20 minutes, but after that, there were plenty of accelerations and movements and the trace looked fine. The consultant came back to see me and I said I was happy to keep waiting for a few more days so she asked me to go back on Wednesday for further monitoring and a scan. I had another examination and this time my Bishop Score was 8 (things were headed in the right direction so I was feeling positive). </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While I was in the hospital, the head of the home birth team came to visit me. She was really lovely, as you might expect. She told me the midwife who examined me on Friday had been convinced it would happen over the weekend so all the on-call midwives had been ready and raring to go. I asked if they got many women going post-term and she said I was the record. This was not reassuring to hear. I knew I was in the minority but hadn’t realised I was so extreme. I asked at what point I would no longer be allowed a home birth (I was now 40+19) and she said it wasn’t about being allowed. It was my choice and they would support me. So I asked at what point they would no longer recommend home birth and she said 40+12 (so, like, a week ago) and then an awkward silence filled the room. She talked about hypnobirthing and home births and lots of other positive things, then told me she was on call that night so would see me at my home birth in a few hours. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I went home and relaxed for the rest of the day and then I went into labour. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just kidding. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I still did not go into labour. And how relaxed can you really be at 42 weeks and five days pregnant? Not very. It is not relaxing to know your baby is taking extra time to grow, especially when your previous baby was an actual giant. But, I tried my best. I listened to my birth playlist a lot (it was 1 hour 10 long which was optimistic considering my previous labour was 15 hours) and I watched time-lapses of flowers opening (judge me all you will, but if you’ve never been 42 weeks and 5 days pregnant you have no idea the levels of desperation it is possible to reach. If a midwife had told me voting Tory would induce labour, I would have done it).</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Needless to say, the flower time-lapses did not work. The hypnobirthing visualisations did not work. My stupid massive baby was stuck or stubborn or just a terrible person. Laurie had finished work when I was 42 weeks pregnant, so he was looking after Ebony and Ember which freed me up to spend all my time wondering why the fuck I was still pregnant. Sleep had become a distant memory. I spent most nights lying in bed waiting to go into labour (this doesn’t work) and then every morning I would wake up at 4am and feel overwhelmed with misery that I was still bastard pregnant. I couldn’t ever get back to sleep so I would go downstairs and bounce on my birth ball (this also did not work) whilst listening to my birth playlist and, often, crying. It was a great week. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I apologise for the sheer length of this post. Probably you won't read this bit because you will have died of old age before you reach this final paragraph. I promise that the next post will include a wonderful birth.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The photo is from when I was 42 weeks and 6 days pregnant, it's the last proper bump shot I have because it just got too depressing after that.</i></span></p></span></span></div>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-87804399343385306492020-08-05T13:56:00.000-07:002020-08-05T13:56:24.203-07:00Ettie's Birth Story: A Bit of Background<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sx4IC96TeAs/XysbuC_Nr7I/AAAAAAACkK8/sx_1SRUqxTUOmh-AnbBzebtP7ecMxabeQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ACS_1283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1809" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sx4IC96TeAs/XysbuC_Nr7I/AAAAAAACkK8/sx_1SRUqxTUOmh-AnbBzebtP7ecMxabeQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/ACS_1283.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-183cca83-7fff-1dfa-4570-0d2de17d2332"><font face="verdana"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />I haven’t written anything here for a long time. Blogging while heavily pregnant during lockdown wasn’t an option. Firstly, I had nothing to say because we were at home all of the time and secondly, I had no opportunity because the kids were with me All The Time. There was no headspace for writing inspiration, at all. I let the pregnancy updates fall by the wayside because each week blended into the next and the only change seemed to be that I got bigger and more heavily pregnant. This would not make for very interesting reading. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The pregnancy was fine, albeit long, so there wasn’t much of interest to report. I had a cold for four whole weeks and that was probably the most exciting thing to happen. Things did start to get more complicated towards the end, however, and I feel like I need to include all of that in my birth story so that it is the complete unabridged version. It’s going to be long, sorry, but the birth was short so that might make up for it (did that hook you in?). </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was hoping to have a home birth. That sounds casual. I was not. I had my heart set (like concrete) on one. I had Ebony at home, in 2012, and it was wonderful. It was calm and private and I was left feeling empowered and invincible. I didn’t shut up about it for years. Then, almost four years ago, I had Ember in hospital and, without wanting to sound dramatic, the experience left me feeling emotionally raw. It was not private or calm, and I did not feel empowered when it was over. I felt like I had survived something terrible, which is definitely dramatic but I cannot help the melodrama. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This time, I was desperate to give birth in the safety of my own home. I wanted the baby to be born in a birth pool in our front room (of our mid-terraced house which is arguably less private than a delivery suite) under twinkling lights. I wanted Ebony and Ember to be at the birth, I wanted them to be able to meet their new sibling straight away. I wanted to be able to eat my own food, move around my own house, and, basically, feel like the boss during my labour. I wanted to be in control of the space and to feel safe and relaxed. I wanted to be tucked up in my own bed a couple of hours later. But, the best-laid plans, and all that. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First of all, Coronavirus arrived to scupper my plans. Home births were being cancelled across the country as soon a Coronavirus became a thing. Every day, it seemed more and more trusts were cancelling home births and telling women they needed to give birth in hospitals instead. I asked my midwife about it early on (in the days before masks, remember those glorious days when everyone had mouths?) and she said she thought Stockport would keep offering home births because they have a dedicated home birth team and they had plenty of midwives. I wanted to feel reassured but I mostly still felt really anxious about it. The thought of not getting a home birth again was awful. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other trusts kept pulling their home birth services, I was watching them drop like flies as women shared their frustrations on Facebook home birth groups. All of Stockport’s neighbouring trusts suspended their services and I was convinced Stockport was likely to go the same way. My regular midwife was on leave at my next appointment, but I told her stand-in about my concerns and she was really reassuring and told me she’d had all her babies at home. A few days later, however, Stockport NHS Trust announced that they were suspending the home birth service with immediate effect. I may have ugly cried. For a long time. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was late April and I wasn’t due until June, but everything about Coronavirus was so uncertain at that point and I was worried home births wouldn’t be reinstated in time. I emailed a few Independent Midwives to enquire about availability and costs. They cost a lot, it turns out, but I was seriously considering it just so I could stay home. If you’ve had a home birth, you’ll understand why. It’s nice staying home. It’s completely different from a hospital setting. I messaged the stand-in midwife to ask if she thought the service would be reinstated before June (high maintenance, me? Maybe). She replied and told me that ambulance delays were to blame for the suspension but that if women still wanted to birth at home, and they had enough midwives on call, then those births could go ahead. I may have ugly cried again, but this time with relief (that I didn’t have to empty the bank account to pay for an Independent Midwife).</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At my next appointment, I told my regular midwife that I would still like to go ahead with the home birth. When I was 36+6, she dropped off the home birth box and I signed some forms to confirm I understood the ambulance service couldn’t guarantee a fast response. With the home birth box in the corner of the living room, it started to feel real. We got the house in order, practised setting up the hot tub, and bought all the extra bits we needed for the birth (hose pipe, tap connector etc). We got into the habit of making sure the house was spotless before bed every night (we really aren’t usually those people) just in case. I felt ready for this home birth.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To be continued...</span></div></font></span></div>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-89768323835460002452020-07-20T03:19:00.003-07:002020-07-20T03:20:25.129-07:005 Thoughtful Gifts for New Mums<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nbNpvk4J8kk/XxVvkZHpMdI/AAAAAAACjNk/N-QsL5iGktYVwn1RYpvFs8n6Sf9oftpBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/annie-spratt-tODXQIEAh9M-unsplash%2B%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nbNpvk4J8kk/XxVvkZHpMdI/AAAAAAACjNk/N-QsL5iGktYVwn1RYpvFs8n6Sf9oftpBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/annie-spratt-tODXQIEAh9M-unsplash%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is a collaborative post.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As a new mum, I can say with absolute certainty that we love gifts. And cards. I was surprised by how many thoughtful cards and <a href="https://www.ukgifts.co.uk/">perfect gifts</a> we were sent when Ettie was born, especially considering the country is still in the midst of a pandemic. It was nice to know people were thinking of us and excited to meet Ettie when life returns to normal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It can be difficult to know what a new mum needs. The things you'd usually buy her may not seem like great gifts when she has a baby to care for. Any kind of hobby might be taking a backseat, at least for the fourth trimester. Personally, however, I would argue that these gifts are fine. She might not get around to reading the book or picking up that craft project immediately, but it will keep until she has the time to invest in herself once again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are some thoughtful gift ideas for new mums:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>1. All the sweet things</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have been sent postal cupcakes, letterbox brownies, and had a homemade lemon drizzle cake appear on my doorstep as if by magic. For somebody who ate a diabetic diet for the second half of my pregnancy, I can confirm that sugary foods are very much appreciated. Breastfeeding is tough and it's nice to have cake to contribute to the much-needed 500 extra calories per day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Pamper products</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">New mums deserve to feel good about themselves. They've just done something wonderful and they probably feel like they've been run over by a train. They need bath bombs and nail varnish and nice face cream. They need facemasks and bubble bath and perfume. Any kind of pamper product is likely to be appreciated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Pyjamas</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Make it clear that you think it's perfectly acceptable for new mums to wear pyjamas all day long by treating her to a brand new pair. There are few things in life better than new pyjamas, especially when you are sore and bleeding. This is the perfect gift to nurture a new mum and encourage her to get some much-needed rest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>4. Groceries</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pop to a supermarket and pick up a few essentials for your friend. Some fresh fruit to snack on is a great idea. Think of foods she can easily eat with one hand, especially things she can snack on while breastfeeding. Grab a fresh pizza or something they could eat for dinner or lunch. Picking up some supermarket basics could save your friends a trip to the shop which will make their life a little easier and allow them to enjoy their newborn bubble for a little longer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>5. Vouchers </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think all new mums go through a mini-identity crisis during the fourth trimester. It's hard work when your maternity clothes are too big and your pre-pregnancy clothes are too small. The jeggings you used to wear give you a squishy overhang, but your maternity tops are weirdly baggy all of a sudden. This identity crisis combined with the 3am night-feed leads to late night shopping. Sending a gift voucher to her favourite shop is a great way to a) encourage her new dangerous nighttime hobby and b) treat her a new item of clothing. Just be sure to tell her the voucher is for her, not the baby (otherwise you know it will get spent on another adorable sleepsuit). </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you don't have much money to spend, fear not, your time is valuable, too. Help your friend out by doing the washing up, cleaning the kitchen worktops, or offer to hold the baby while your friend gets some rest or takes a shower. Basically, anything you can do to make the new mum's life a little easier will be perfect. </span>
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@anniespratt?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Annie Spratt</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/bouquet?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-57769916020718079932020-04-04T08:01:00.000-07:002020-04-04T08:01:11.200-07:00Books I Read in March<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;">This month, I bought new books. Many new books, because I did well at not buying new books last month (I realise this makes no sense). I also read a little less, I think because I have been feeling sleepier some evenings and so haven't had the brainpower to concentrate. This post contains affiliate links, you won't be charged extra if you click the links to purchase your books, but I will get a tiny sum each time you do.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;">Here are the books I read in March:</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vURKgYBWdf8/Xmd7-C-rm3I/AAAAAAACd8M/frAc_SuYv4gUlPHSveHbxFV56p2mP6qmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-03-10%2Bat%2B11.37.15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="452" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vURKgYBWdf8/Xmd7-C-rm3I/AAAAAAACd8M/frAc_SuYv4gUlPHSveHbxFV56p2mP6qmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-03-10%2Bat%2B11.37.15.png" width="128" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1472154665/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1472154665&linkId=f7eef450aba8e3169431e89227c83ec7">Where The Crawdads Sing</a></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1472154665/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1472154665&linkId=f7eef450aba8e3169431e89227c83ec7">by Delia Owens</a></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I kept seeing people talking about this book online, so I bought a copy. I'd just been to the hospital and since I can't reward myself with cake right now, I rewarded myself with a book. I really enjoyed this book, I found myself completely immersed in Kya's world. Based in the marshlands of Carolina, the story follows Kya who has to grow up and survive with little help. Delia Owens is a wildlife scientist, so there is plenty of nature facts hidden in the story. It's a coming-of-age survival story about our disconnection with the natural world. I loved it and found myself thinking about it often in the days after I'd read it. I also stayed up way too late to finish it which I think is a good sign. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jW3ARhDFySI/Xm9gXRfmrAI/AAAAAAACeCw/vyrvzlZ-RpQJkHc24u_34K0mAeOl4bD9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-03-16%2Bat%2B11.11.00.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="458" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jW3ARhDFySI/Xm9gXRfmrAI/AAAAAAACeCw/vyrvzlZ-RpQJkHc24u_34K0mAeOl4bD9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-03-16%2Bat%2B11.11.00.png" width="131" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241984998/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0241984998&linkId=3f508f30f6b81bfb9142430ae4e2e836">Girl, Women, Other</a></i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241984998/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0241984998&linkId=3f508f30f6b81bfb9142430ae4e2e836">by Bernadine Evaristo</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">I've been waiting to read this book for months. Laurie ordered it months ago but the paperback version so we had to wait for that to be released (why, Laurie??). It arrived when he was away so I decided to read it first (never live with me, I am a terrible human). This book won the Booker Prize and I've seen so many people talking about how good it was. I wasn't disappointed. It tells the stories of 12 women and their lives in Britain. The characters link together, but the book doesn't follow a typical narrative. Each woman has her own chapter and this tells her entire story, though some of the women link together as you progress through the book. It's unlike anything I've read before and I really loved it, I think every reader will have their own favourites in the book (I liked the grandma character best of all). </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8yK3vTtAyUE/Xm9gcI7GltI/AAAAAAACeC0/GTtFQGBydRQJXe72T88YkMFSj-6DPHTxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-03-16%2Bat%2B11.15.22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="451" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8yK3vTtAyUE/Xm9gcI7GltI/AAAAAAACeC0/GTtFQGBydRQJXe72T88YkMFSj-6DPHTxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-03-16%2Bat%2B11.15.22.png" width="131" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1471155242/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1471155242&linkId=5af57bd93a5ad0e022bd54b0b91cea0e">Mothering Sunday</a></i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1471155242/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1471155242&linkId=5af57bd93a5ad0e022bd54b0b91cea0e">by Graham Swift</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">I saw this book as part of a Mother's Day display in Waterstones and decided to read it. It's set in 1924 and follow's the story of a maid, Jane Fairchild. As was the custom in those days, Jane was given Mothering Sunday off work to spend with her mother, although she didn't have a mother to spend the day with. The story follows her on that fateful day and how it would come to change her life. The book is well-written and the writing style reminded me of a Richard Yates story. The writing is beautiful yet to the point, there is no waffle. It's a short book, but I enjoyed reading it and was keen to keep turning the pages to discover what was to happen next. It wasn't one of my favourites from the month, however.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IPXdRgic9uY/XoicyKHsB1I/AAAAAAACedk/u_GenzsjO4ETrLHBXgI768hWcpAjAVZxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-04-04%2Bat%2B15.42.03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="466" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IPXdRgic9uY/XoicyKHsB1I/AAAAAAACedk/u_GenzsjO4ETrLHBXgI768hWcpAjAVZxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-04-04%2Bat%2B15.42.03.png" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0099497999/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0099497999&linkId=90d0f65ed4b5f93f0e28e033f491faa4"><b><i>The View from Castle Rock</i><br />by Alice Munro</b></a><br />I've never read anything by Alice Munro before but have seen countless people talking about how wonderful her writing is, so I have had this on my wishlist for ages. In hindsight, it's probably not a great book to start with. It's a fictional book based on snippets of information she found out about her ancestors. I think I probably would have got more out of it if I'd been familiar with her writing and known more about her as a person. It was an interesting book and I liked the writing, but I wasn't particularly blown away by the stories. I've ordered another of her books so I can explore her fiction properly. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSX2hcGE_tw/XoigpXpDPnI/AAAAAAACedw/bjeXv44mfwgbqdee_EU6bF8iVjzF46qXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-04-04%2Bat%2B15.53.33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="446" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSX2hcGE_tw/XoigpXpDPnI/AAAAAAACedw/bjeXv44mfwgbqdee_EU6bF8iVjzF46qXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-04-04%2Bat%2B15.53.33.png" width="126" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1911558021/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1911558021&linkId=f67f30d3ddd1ce9e02ff2199349ed1a0"><i><b>The Hypnobirthing Book</b></i><br /><b>by Katharine Graves</b></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">I listened to this book on Audible, no physical pages were turned. I just think it's better to admit that outright. Before the schools closed, I spent my daily walks listening to pregnancy audiobooks and focusing on the impending birth. Now I spend them playing Harry Potter A-Z with Ebony which is lovely but very different. I had booked a session with a KGH Hypnobirthing teacher and I wanted to listen to this book first so I'd be able to make best use of the session. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">Katharine Graves doesn't read the audiobook, she only appears to narrate the visualisations. For some reason, they chose a man to read the book. I don't really like taking pregnancy advice from a man so I found this quite jarring. Also, there's a lot of 'KGH Hypnobirthing' branding throughout the book which I found a little much. And some of the advice is bordering on dangerous, it's quite anti-healthcare professional and I'm not sure that's helpful. By all means, asks questions and play an active role in your care, but I didn't like the approach taken in this book which felt very them v us. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yniQxjKu4SA/XoiguUYW7sI/AAAAAAACed0/m21B-hvZuiMHrUJ0BEicMNpJ8rZ07kzvACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-04-04%2Bat%2B15.53.58.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="510" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yniQxjKu4SA/XoiguUYW7sI/AAAAAAACed0/m21B-hvZuiMHrUJ0BEicMNpJ8rZ07kzvACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-04-04%2Bat%2B15.53.58.png" width="145" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/178504186X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=178504186X&linkId=b8f4ea1b2787bab9aa11410628788afb">Your Baby, Your Birth</a></i><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/178504186X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=178504186X&linkId=b8f4ea1b2787bab9aa11410628788afb">by Hollie de Cruz</a></b><br />This was another hypnobirthing audiobook I listened to and I loved it. Hollie de Cruz has a nicer voice and is not a middle-aged man so I much preferred getting my pregnancy advice from her. She has a softer approach and focuses on the fact that birth doesn't need to be perfect. I really liked her book and found the visualisations helpful. I listen to the daily affirmations in the bath and I'm finding them really useful. They're definitely helping me to feel more positive about things, even in the middle of a pandemic. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">If you're expecting a baby, I would definitely recommend Hollie's book. It's really positive and features lots of lovely birth stories that will help to build your confidence before birth. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KKjpGUY_D8c/XoihEHnWtlI/AAAAAAACeeA/OaS7eHHw86Ei1BQQT9Pm-L7JeKdtrJ0iACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-04-04%2Bat%2B15.59.12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="458" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KKjpGUY_D8c/XoihEHnWtlI/AAAAAAACeeA/OaS7eHHw86Ei1BQQT9Pm-L7JeKdtrJ0iACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-04-04%2Bat%2B15.59.12.png" width="131" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0008313105/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0008313105&linkId=ddc8db018145fb80cc27e6aae54952a8"><b><i>Give Birth Like A Feminist</i></b></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0008313105/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0008313105&linkId=ddc8db018145fb80cc27e6aae54952a8">by Milli Hill</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">This was another audiobook I worked through on my morning walks. I've wanted to read this ever since it came out but, if I'm honest, the title put me off. I wrongly thought it would push an agenda or end up making women feel worse about their births. So many women already carry guilt about birth and motherhood, and I was worried that this book would add to that. I can safely say, I misjudged it. That's not what this book is about at all. It's about birth and feminism, and that's it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">Hill makes a point of saying that all births can be feminist, and there's no such thing as a right way to give birth. She talks about how birth has been left out of feminist discussions for too long and the impact this is having on birth practices. I found this book fascinating. I really enjoyed reading it, if you're a birth geek like me, I strongly recommend it. I will say, however, it's perhaps not a great book to read during pregnancy, especially if you're already feeling anxious about birth. Perhaps save this one for when you're done having babies. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">-- </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">Those were the only books I read last month. I also started two books I couldn't quite get into so hopefully, I will finish those at some point in the future, or not. It is hard to get lost in a book during lockdown, I find. Is anybody else struggling with escapism at the moment? I find myself staring at my phone instead of reading books, which I feel crappy about. I don't seem to have much concentration at the moment, but I'm sure that's true of lots of us. </span></span></div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-17904769798529405172020-03-27T06:30:00.000-07:002020-03-27T06:30:06.227-07:00Pregnant in a Pandemic: Too Many Worries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8oftH78WjdM/Xn3_jXCeXfI/AAAAAAACeWQ/sjbeaqh8wn8WeFjPfZSY3YcEv97Ci6DEACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ACS_1230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8oftH78WjdM/Xn3_jXCeXfI/AAAAAAACeWQ/sjbeaqh8wn8WeFjPfZSY3YcEv97Ci6DEACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/ACS_1230.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, life got a little weird, didn't it? It feels crazy that a few short weeks ago, my biggest concern was whether or not to have the Glucose Tolerance Test. That feels like a whole other pregnancy now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, in case you were wondering, it is weird to be pregnant during a pandemic. I'm grateful this isn't my first pregnancy because I would definitely have felt much more anxious then. This must be a stressful time to be expecting your first baby, the news is full of fear and official advice keeps changing so it feels like hard work keeping up with what is safe to do during pregnancy. First pregnancies are daunting enough without a global health crisis. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pre-pandemic, I was doing really well at staying calm and focusing on the pregnancy. I was walking every day, I had reduced the amount I was working, and I was just trying to stay on top of general life to avoid stress. It felt like I had found a good rhythm. That rhythm is no more. And there's little chance of avoiding stress when it slaps me straight in the face every time I glance at my phone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Schools have closed now (you knew that right) which means I've got Ebony and Ember at home with me all day. I'm enjoying it, having them home is lovely, but it's disrupted my routine. I can't work in the week anymore (but you're blogging now, couldn't you just work instead? Ssssh), which means I'm going to have to cram all of my work into the weekend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And my morning walks with hypnobirthing audiobooks look a little different now. I have to get up early and Ebony comes with me and she makes me play A-Z of Harry Potter character names pretty much the whole way. It's lovely, but it's not a chance to focus on the birth. And Ebony gets a stitch every morning even though we walk at a snail pace. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The baby is due in June, and I think it's likely the schools will stay closed until September. So, there will be no time to properly prepare for the birth or listen to my hypnobirthing, and I will probably spend my due date asking the kids not to argue. It's fine, it's just not what I imagined. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm unsure how this is all going to impact on the birth. Lots of trusts are pausing home birth services because of staffing issues or pressure on the ambulance service. As of yet, Stockport is still offering home births and are expecting an increase in demand thanks to coronavirus, but who knows what will be happening in another 11 weeks time. Will we be at the peak of the virus then? If so, a home birth could be out of the question. That fills me with dread so I'm trying to push it out of my head for the time being. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then there's the question of how this will affect things after the baby is born. Will vulnerable people still be self-isolating at home? The thought of my parents not meeting their new grandchild is truly awful to me. But again, there is no point worrying about that for now, because it's impossible to predict how things will be in three months. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the time being, I'm just trying to take it easy. I'm trying not to get stressed out (easier said than done). I'm going for my morning walk with Ebony, and other than that I am keeping my feet firmly planted at home. I haven't been to a shop in weeks, and I'm fake coughing every time somebody breaks the 2-metre rule on my walks (they move pretty sharpish if you do this). I'm trying to find time to relax every day (much-needed after all the bickering). I'm continuing to eat well and avoid sugary foods. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm trying to focus on the fact that a lot of this is out of my control. All I can do is my best. I want this to be a period of time the kids look back on fondly, I want them to remember the long summer we spent at home together, hiding from the world. I don't want them to remember it as the summer they spent with a heavily pregnant woman who had daily breakdowns. </span>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-70979401010111974062020-03-17T04:09:00.002-07:002020-03-17T04:09:44.063-07:005 Things I'm Going To Do During The Coronavirus Pandemic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nEIBzk_FJLk/XnCv2B_tUCI/AAAAAAACeEU/GvUasAQanecG4X6B3sYGqmSX_otEVMB8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/A6A7F6FB-06CF-4D3A-A5D7-16BF3AA707CE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1600" height="404" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nEIBzk_FJLk/XnCv2B_tUCI/AAAAAAACeEU/GvUasAQanecG4X6B3sYGqmSX_otEVMB8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/A6A7F6FB-06CF-4D3A-A5D7-16BF3AA707CE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The UK coronavirus panic has been playing out in the media for a couple of weeks now. Last night, they included pregnant women in the list of vulnerable people for the first time, and I think that's made me feel more nervous about it all. I don't like to be a vulnerable person. </span></span></div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nobody knows what will happen over the next few months. I'm not too fond of uncertainty. I like to have a plan. I don't know when the schools will close or how being classed as vulnerable will impact me. I am worried about a million different things, and worrying about them all doesn't help to make any of them less worrying. So, instead, I decided to make a plan. It's not detailed, and it's not an hourly breakdown of how to spend your day at home with children, it's just a list of points I want to focus on during the next few months. Here are the handful of ways I'm planning to take control of the chaos caused by the coronavirus pandemic:</span></span></div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Not freak out my kids</span></strong></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is not a good time to be an adult. Massive global catastrophes are much more manageable when you're a child and are not in charge of:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">a. </strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">making decisions to keep your family safe</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">b.</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> buying the snacks</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">c.</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> two siblings who love to argue loudly at 6 am (used to be 6:30, but then the stupid birds started singing)</span></span></div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't want to be the adult who has to do all of those things. And if I am the adult who has to do all of those things, I want to do them with the help of a trusted and competent government (back slaps for everyone who thought a vote for Boris was a good idea), but, alas, that is not what I have. The media is full of panic; my social media stream is full of panic, hell, even my dreams are filled with anxiety. Last night, I dreamt we had to go on lockdown with another family, and we all had to share a room (can you imagine). </span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think it's important to think about how kids are experiencing what is happening. They aren't subjected to the constant Facebook stream of people giving out terrible and misinformed medical advice, and they aren't obsessively checking the BBC News site, so to them, it is less invasive. However, they're still very much aware of it. There are playground rumours, and they know schools might close soon. I've tried to be honest with my eight-year-old when talking about why Coronavirus is serious, but also to focus on the fact that we're taking precautions and doing what we can. </span></span></div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If your kids see you panicking, they will panic. If they can sense your stress levels rising, theirs will rise. Yes, this is a very stressful time, and there is a lot of uncertainty, but it's important to show our kids how to handle stress and anxiety. We need to show them that we can cope with whatever life throws our way. </span></span></div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Worry about my parents</span></strong></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My parents got old, I don't know when it happened, but they did. They're not over 70, but my dad is heading that way, and he has heart problems that leave him in the vulnerable person category. So, I will be spending the next few months worrying about him, I suspect. We won't be seeing them anytime soon, because it's too risky. However, he did do a big shop at Asda yesterday, so I'm not convinced he has the hang of self-isolating just yet. Hopefully, he will continue to improve his self-isolating skills until he is actually self-isolating, and then I can stop worrying. I will also be worrying about my grandma, who thinks self-isolating is something you can do while getting a bus into town to meet your mate Pauline at a cafe. I hope that with enough exasperation from the whole family, she will eventually stop doing these things. </span></span></div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Slow down</span></strong></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If (when) the schools close, I am going to look on the bright side and embrace the slower mornings. I love the school holidays when I'm not required to ask anybody to put their shoes on fifty times before 9 am. I know that I am in a privileged position that the school closure won't be horrifically stressful for me. I will do my work at the weekends and look after the kids in the week. We don't need to depend on elderly grandparents or worry about alternative childcare, and it probably won't affect my earnings (because they are so tiny to begin with, you understand). </span></span></div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I plan to go for a walk every day (ideally before Laurie starts work so I can go alone and listen to my hypnobirthing books and pretend the world isn't crumbling around me) so I can get some exercise. I'm going to keep eating the low glycemic diet, which will be way more depressing when the kids are next to me eating popcorn or crisps. I'm going to plant some vegetables with the kids and hopefully remember to water them. I'm going to sort out the garden. I'm going to keep reading every day and try to distract myself from the news. I'm going to follow Ebony's and Ember's lead. If they want to do their workbooks or dig out a book of science experiments to try, then we'll do that. But if they want to build with Lego and play board games, then we'll do that. I'm not a teacher, and this is not a school. If the schools close, I'll see that time as extra (very limited and samey) summer holidays, not as me trying to replace the school.</span></span></div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Limit my phone</span></strong></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am feeling anxious at the moment. I keep checking my phone to see if the guidelines for pregnant women have been updated. Am I really expected to stay home in isolation for the next 12 weeks? I keep checking Twitter because it's reassuring (in the short-term) to see other people feeling anxious as me. But none of it is helping. I'm not feeling calmer or finding out more information because of my endless scrolling. Instead, I'm overwhelming myself and emphasising the fact that nobody knows what's going to happen. I'm going to wean myself off my phone. If the kids are off school, I'll leave it out of sight, so I'm not tempted to check it obsessively for news. </span></span></div>
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<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. Sign up to Disney Plus</span></strong></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yep, that's my grand plan. I can't spend months stuck watching the shit on Netflix and Amazon, so when they close the schools, I'm pushing the boat out and signing up to Disney Plus. Judge me all you want, but I will happily watch Moana every week rather than spend hours scrolling through the utter crap we usually watch. It's £50 for the year, and I'll be saving that just by being stuck at home forevermore, so you can't talk me out of it. Disney, take my money, I just need an hour of peace.</span> </span></div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-88453137306294730882020-03-10T03:04:00.001-07:002020-03-10T03:04:57.203-07:00Pregnancy Update: 26 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7MxL-fUB3Bc/XmdmNeToyZI/AAAAAAACd8A/sKpTqkV1GH8lPov1LBjzCBqBZB7eF8cFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/brad-preece-Jg5oHl6NDEE-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7MxL-fUB3Bc/XmdmNeToyZI/AAAAAAACd8A/sKpTqkV1GH8lPov1LBjzCBqBZB7eF8cFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/brad-preece-Jg5oHl6NDEE-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At 26 weeks, the baby is the size of a bowling pin. That doesn't sound too bad, does it? Bowling pins are streamlined and quite narrow. Why must we end up with bowling balls to birth by the end of pregnancy?! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week has flown by in a haze of poorly kids and bad weather. Ember was off school on Friday with a temperature. She spent the whole day asleep on me, which was no good for my pelvis or back, and then woke up at 3pm completely fine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Saturday, we met some friends for a woodland walk. I like woodland walks, but my hips do not. The ground was muddy and there was a lot of uneven paths involved in the (very short) walk (which took ages because of all the children). I spent about half an hour perched on a stone slab which the kids played in a river, and my hips did not thank me for. I was fine on the walk, but decided to go home another way to avoid the uneven ground. Then I had a long bath, because that is pretty much all I do now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I spent most of Sunday working. I have a birth ball in my office, so I'm supposed to sit on that, but it's actually too tall and it's hard to write when sitting on it. So I spent the day on my office chair, instead. By the time Laurie and the kids got home, I was walking weird and it felt as though my pelvis had completely given up. But it was fine after... (all together now) a bath. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ebony was off school yesterday so we went for a short walk together after dropping Ember at nursery. We spent the day watching movies and it was lovely. Today, both kids are back in school, so I've been doing a little work. I was supposed to go for a walk this morning but the sound of the rain this morning put me off. Also, Tuesday's I am back and forth to school, nursery and drama so I will easily do my 10,000 steps without having to go for a special walk. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been listening to my hypnobirthing book on Audible. For some reason, they chose a man to narrate it which is really annoying. I do not want to take my hypnobirthing advice from a man, thank you very much. And he does not have a very soothing voice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have successfully completed another week of my low glycemic diet, so I've been eating it for three weeks now. I feel good and have plenty of energy to get me through the day. Our local Sainsbury's has run out of sourdough though today, so I feel I am in for a terrible day. I couldn't give bread up completely, so I switched to sourdough which is low on the glycemic index (or so Google tells me). We even made pizza with a gram flour base. It was more like a pancake, Ebony was horrified, I probably won't make it again, but it was a nice change from curries and roasted veg. It was not a pizza though. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you want to read more about my pelvis (why wouldn't you?), <a href="https://www.watchingyougrow.co.uk/2020/03/pregnancy-update-25-weeks.html">read last week's update here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@brxdpreece?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Brad Preece</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/bowling?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-87837573652016939892020-03-03T03:33:00.003-08:002020-03-03T03:33:39.053-08:00Pregnancy Update: 25 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q8bAofYXigw/Xl5AeRbNPmI/AAAAAAACd3g/qSdUOTRyzj4LWktSiKUB1oU_RAKmINoSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/gary-bendig-5x7PmmHanG4-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q8bAofYXigw/Xl5AeRbNPmI/AAAAAAACd3g/qSdUOTRyzj4LWktSiKUB1oU_RAKmINoSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/gary-bendig-5x7PmmHanG4-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">People keep telling me I've popped now. I'm pretty sure that's code for holy shit that must be a massive baby in there. Luckily, nobody has said 'you can't have long to go now' to me because I think that is the worst. People were saying that to me from early on with Ember (who was the size of an adult elephant at birth). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I didn't attend my Oral Glucose Tolerance Test on Friday (the midwife cancelled it for me, I didn't waste £150 of NHS money by being a no-show, calm down). I still feel this was the right choice to make (you can read about it in last week's posts, <a href="https://www.watchingyougrow.co.uk/2020/02/pregnancy-update-24-weeks.html">Pregnancy Update: 24 Weeks</a>). I've been eating a low glycemic diet, which means plenty of home-cooked whole foods. I've been eating really well so I'm feeling good about that. And I haven't felt bothered by it, it's only for the next four months or so, then I will be mainlining Jokerz like there's no tomorrow (Jokerz are the vegan equivalent to Snickers and they are excellent but pricey). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I went to watch Ebony perform in a show on Friday night and this proved too much for my pelvis. Those tiny uncomfortable chairs were no good for me and, by the end of the night, I was in pain. The pain persisted for the rest of the weekend which was no fun whatsoever. I spent Sunday sorting out the house which probably worsened things, and the effort didn't pay off because it's now Tuesday and my house looks like a rubbish tip. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm going to try and go for more walks this month. I think I only managed nine last months thanks to half-term and All The Storms. I find I am much too good at talking myself out of going. I didn't go on Sunday because I convinced myself to tidy up, instead. And I really didn't want to go yesterday but I did eventually manage to force myself out of the door (although Laurie saw me leaving the house and said I looked angry the whole way down the street). I had the nicest walk yesterday. The sun was shining and the paths were dry (ish) so I walked down the canal which I haven't done it ages. All the ducks are back, too, so spring must be on the way. This morning, however, it rained my whole walk so I got home drenched and miserable after stomping next to traffic the whole time. Canals need all-weather walkways, this would be so much nicer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More sunshine, please.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@kris_ricepees?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Gary Bendig</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/duck?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-48896223258871000382020-03-02T03:26:00.000-08:002020-03-02T03:26:53.947-08:00Books I Read in February<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uvwm7RJiEsQ/XlztceclhEI/AAAAAAACdwc/0a7TNhnixV83BxpNk0Isegv8vvvNA9nxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uvwm7RJiEsQ/XlztceclhEI/AAAAAAACdwc/0a7TNhnixV83BxpNk0Isegv8vvvNA9nxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6691.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I liked keeping track of the books I read last month so this is now officially an ongoing thing. I still have plenty of books to get through, so my hope is that I will make it through February without buying any new books. This is tough though because I do love to buy books. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This post contains affiliate links, you won't be charged any extra if you choose to use any of these links to purchase your books, but I will get a teeny tiny sum each time you do.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are my February reads listed in the order I read them:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0008300674/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0008300674&linkId=a5df2917e751db769d0406a35f4ecb1c">Vox</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0008300674/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0008300674&linkId=a5df2917e751db769d0406a35f4ecb1c">by Christina Dalcher</a></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you're a fan of feminist dystopian literature, then this book is a must-read. It's set in the US, under a strict Christian government who want women to stay home and run their homes without complaint. There's a word quota and women and girls are only allowed a limited number of words per day. The book launches straight into this dystopian world and, at first, I found it difficult to enjoy. It made me feel stressed and anxious whenever I was reading it until I got into the story. Then I loved it. I stayed up very late last night because I wanted to know what happened and I didn't want to have to stop reading. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AgXNuwXM2OA/Xk0LLTZ3-CI/AAAAAAACdnk/6nsiZcjHcKMarER4m8ETTGRCyGUf4ejLACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-02-19%2Bat%2B10.14.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="475" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AgXNuwXM2OA/Xk0LLTZ3-CI/AAAAAAACdnk/6nsiZcjHcKMarER4m8ETTGRCyGUf4ejLACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-02-19%2Bat%2B10.14.48.png" width="135" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571338755/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0571338755&linkId=d2d28a68f0716e09f7e4a74382d27725">The Milkman</a></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571338755/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0571338755&linkId=d2d28a68f0716e09f7e4a74382d27725">by Anna Burns</a></i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This book took me quite a while to read. It's set in Ireland during the troubles and is the story of a young woman and how she fits within the community. The writing style is unusual and it took me a really long time to get into. I was probably way past the halfway mark before I found myself committing to the stories and the characters. This book won The Booker Prize in 2018, so it's obviously well-loved, but I found it a slog at first. By the end, I was hooked, but getting into it felt a little too much like hard work for me. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1405937181/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1405937181&linkId=08962f4f562b0172b9a09569c053fd32">The Salt Path</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1405937181/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1405937181&linkId=08962f4f562b0172b9a09569c053fd32">by Raynor Winn</a></i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I loved this book. I think everybody should read it. Laurie read it last year and loved it, so it's been sat on my reading pile for quite a while. When I eventually picked it up, he said he wasn't sure I would like it. He was wrong. It's such a good read. It's about a middle-aged couple who lose everything and then decide to walk the South West Coast Path which stretches for 630 miles. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">They have no home to go back to and very little money to survive on. It's not fiction, this is a memoir, and it's utterly inspiring. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can't even imagine having the strength of character to do something so physically challenging while trying to deal with all of those emotions and grief. I loved following Ray and Moth's adventures as they walked all those miles. I cried when the book ended because I was sad it was over (I am pregnant though, so not of rational mind). You should definitely read this book (and then let me know what you think). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1844087875/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1844087875&linkId=54a9b42b348163fabd55526a9e910515">Madd Addam</a></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1844087875/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1844087875&linkId=54a9b42b348163fabd55526a9e910515">by Margaret Atwood</a></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Madd Addam is the final book in Atwood's <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0349004064/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0349004064&linkId=7ad9b0830a53a8699cc71e3579592e10">Oryx & Crake Trilogy</a>. I read the first two books last year. I had perhaps left it a little too long before starting the third because I found I'd forgotten who everyone was when I first started reading. I really loved this trilogy, it was everything you would hope for from Atwood. The future she created was horrifying and terrifying and worryingly possible. The trilogy is dark and twisted, as Atwood's best books always are. If you're a fan of Margaret Atwood, this trilogy is definitely worth getting lost in. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0755362721/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0755362721&linkId=e5811774ab1f19502835c04f0eaec540">Catching Babies</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0755362721/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0755362721&linkId=e5811774ab1f19502835c04f0eaec540">by Sheena Byrom </a></i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Pregnancy is finally starting to dictate my reading choices. I've had this book for a while after finding it in a charity shop. I like Sheena Byrom a lot. She's a midwife who has focused her career on facilitating women-centred care. And she's from Clitheroe so she sounds like all my mum's family. This book is written as though Sheena Byrom is sat with you telling you the story of her life. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Sheena started her midwifery training in the 1970s and it was fascinating to hear about how much birth has changed since then. Luckily, the days of shaves, enemas and routine episiotomies are behind us, though there is still work to be done. Sheena is now retired, but I follow her adventures on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sheena_byrom/?hl=en">Instagram</a> and she is always speaking at conferences and midwifery events around the world. I loved reading about her work with teenage mums in Blackburn, and about the first water birth she ever attended and hearing her tales about challenging the systems and procedures in her workplaces. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">This book was never going to win any awards for best writing (it's ghostwritten and really does feel like a chat over a cup of tea), but it's a fascinating read. I really loved learning about Sheena's work and how she managed to influence local midwifery practices. It's inspiring to hear that one small cog can influence the direction of the machine.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sk96ZQeg1aI/XlO3kJjeckI/AAAAAAACdr8/BHi6UCXYvvgS_Yz1rOeoJdEza-bCe-E5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-02-24%2Bat%2B11.45.34.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="466" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sk96ZQeg1aI/XlO3kJjeckI/AAAAAAACdr8/BHi6UCXYvvgS_Yz1rOeoJdEza-bCe-E5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-02-24%2Bat%2B11.45.34.png" width="133" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1509880364/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1509880364&linkId=df9415a7b4e83e59e5916a7323e18da9">Gotta Get Theroux This</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1509880364/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1509880364&linkId=df9415a7b4e83e59e5916a7323e18da9">by Louis Theroux</a></i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Firstly, I did not read this book, I listened to it on Audible which feels like cheating (I don't know why). But listening to books like this on Audible is excellent because the author narrates them. Louis Theroux is much funnier than me and he can pronounce all of the words in his book (I probably couldn't). Also, he does a lot of accents and voices, so I feel like he is probably gifted at reading bedtime stories. In particular, I loved his impressions of Christine Hamilton and of his wife during arguments. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The memoir follows Louis's life and career. I liked learning about Louis' life and listening to the chapters about his work reminded me of the programmes I had seen. It was interesting hearing how he fell into his line of work and how he struggled with imposter syndrome and often lacked confidence in himself. I used to watch the Weird Weekends documentaries back when I lived in Bristol in my early 20s, so listening to him discuss those shows made me feel nostalgic for those times. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1509843981/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1509843981&linkId=dc0f1b66e79b54573abb508c9714bbdf">The End We Start From</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1509843981/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1509843981&linkId=dc0f1b66e79b54573abb508c9714bbdf">by Megan Hunger</a></b></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">This book has been sitting on my 'to read' shelf for quite some time. My friend bought it me based solely on the cover (it was very pretty). I let Ebony choose which book I should read next and she selected this one (again, based solely on the cover). It's a short book, I read it in an evening, but I really enjoyed it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The writing style is quite unusual, instead of chapters filled with details, the book consists of snippets of information. The story follows a new family as they flee from a large-scale flood and the resulting chaos in London. The narrator tells us more about her newborn baby than she does about the events happening around her, as though focusing on her new role is helping her to ignore the danger surrounding her. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I really liked the unusual writing style and the way this story is told. It could have been a longer and more detailed book, but I loved that it wasn't. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RRVUubo-HpM/XlUGUR_Zc6I/AAAAAAACdss/4kC1yfLcZlorWddLb6uLndNd9-e9PaqQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/51CzEX2wtcL._SX316_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RRVUubo-HpM/XlUGUR_Zc6I/AAAAAAACdss/4kC1yfLcZlorWddLb6uLndNd9-e9PaqQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/51CzEX2wtcL._SX316_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GSCV314/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00GSCV314&linkId=01fcee15b5a6d36c2da6328e4581971e">Barrel Fever</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GSCV314/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00GSCV314&linkId=01fcee15b5a6d36c2da6328e4581971e">by David Sedaris</a></i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I like David Sedaris a lot, I haven't ever come across a book of his that I haven't enjoyed. His books are usually about his life, they are collections of funny stories dating all the way back to his childhood. His writing is concise and witty and never fails to make me laugh. <i>Barrel Fever</i> is slightly different from his other books, this is a collection of short stories and a section of essays about his life. The short stories are funny and brilliant, I think my favourite was the homophobia newsletter. I also loved the essays about his life, particularly the Santaland Diaries about his time working as a holiday elf. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XsD-2tNWkbo/Xlzr5c0dloI/AAAAAAACdv4/dpwxbVx2WkEk38rhZcgBgECLHjNc6JiIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-03-02%2Bat%2B11.14.37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="478" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XsD-2tNWkbo/Xlzr5c0dloI/AAAAAAACdv4/dpwxbVx2WkEk38rhZcgBgECLHjNc6JiIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-03-02%2Bat%2B11.14.37.png" width="135" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1912417189/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1912417189&linkId=76aac1d0257f223c7d738f12dd498eaa">The Deepest Breath</a></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1912417189/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1912417189&linkId=76aac1d0257f223c7d738f12dd498eaa">by Meg Grehan</a></i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had a hospital appointment one day and because I couldn't follow it with cakes, I followed it with books. Laurie and I went to Waterstones and bought a book each and chose one for Ebony and one for Ember. This was the book we chose for Ebony. It's about an 11-year-old girl figuring out that she likes girls, and it's beautiful. It's written in such a lovely style, it's really easy to read. I read it straight away and cried my eyes out. Same-sex relationships are underrepresented in children's books, tv and films. I am yet to see same-sex characters falling in love in a children's film or tv show (if you've found one, send me a recommendation). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's insanely depressing that it has taken until 2020 for a book like this to exist. But, it's perfect and beautifully written and I hope that every school library in the country has a copy. You should all buy this for your children (and your school libraries). </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GvWOTEURBVU/Xlzr_Ct6H_I/AAAAAAACdv8/bUW8GsD3gF4K04uco1DOmzqRb_PdUfGRwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-03-02%2Bat%2B11.17.13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="478" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GvWOTEURBVU/Xlzr_Ct6H_I/AAAAAAACdv8/bUW8GsD3gF4K04uco1DOmzqRb_PdUfGRwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-03-02%2Bat%2B11.17.13.png" width="136" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0755390970/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0755390970&linkId=09a523228bfd383ef0c7c7c90088f7be">Tin Man</a></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0755390970/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0755390970&linkId=09a523228bfd383ef0c7c7c90088f7be">by Sarah Winman</a></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I found this book in a charity shop a while ago and gave it to Laurie as a gift (last of the big spenders). He finally read it and insisted that I read it, too, because he loved it so much. I read it in two sitting and can see why he liked it so much. It's emotional and heartbreaking and it made me cry more than once. I loved the characters and trying to figure out what they all meant to one another. I'm now keen to read some of Winman's other books. </span></span></div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-44623879833860843292020-02-28T03:16:00.000-08:002020-02-28T03:16:10.927-08:00Taylor Shaw & The Reappearing Vegan Options<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lh4EaMIMO24/Xlj2XCe5hEI/AAAAAAACduw/jGizwRXkVcQFBFe_d_STgkXfXVZqqLy-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/jon-tyson-ZA9PHAnVP5g-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lh4EaMIMO24/Xlj2XCe5hEI/AAAAAAACduw/jGizwRXkVcQFBFe_d_STgkXfXVZqqLy-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/jon-tyson-ZA9PHAnVP5g-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Three years ago, I wrote an article entitled <i><a href="https://metro.co.uk/2017/07/27/how-i-secured-vegan-free-school-meals-for-my-daughter-6807719/">How I secured vegan free school meals for my daughter</a> </i>for The Metro (this was during my very brief stint as Unofficial Spokesparent for Vegan Families). Then, a year later, <a href="https://www.watchingyougrow.co.uk/2018/07/taylor-shaw-vanishing-vegan-options.html">I wrote an update on my blog</a> because the vegan school dinners my daughter had been enjoying were suddenly no more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My daughter's school is catered for by Taylor Shaw catering company. They seem to do catering for quite a lot of schools. I know this because I've spoken to parents of vegan children at some of the other schools. The company made the decision to stop providing vegan options because, according to them, they didn't need to. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With Ember due to start reception in September, I'd started to worry about the lack of vegan options available. She's already one of the youngest in her year, and I think a hot dinner helps them get through the day. So, I'd been planning to get in touch with Taylor Shaw again to ask more questions about their policy of not providing vegan options. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It seems a little outdated, considering the growing popularity of veganism. Many schools are introducing vegan options as a way of reducing their carbon footprint, and this is something supported by pupils who are keen to make environmentally-friendly choices. Many of the vegetarian options would be easy to veganise, so it felt unfair that the catering company were refusing to make small changes that would make their food more accessible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Primary schools put a lot of focus on inclusivity, empathy and celebrating differences, so it felt at odds to have a lunchtime ritual that failed to meet these standards. Even on special days (bizarrely, America Day is a thing at my daughter's school, where all the kids eat unhealthy food and celebrate a country governed by a man who likes to 'grab pussy'), they make no effort to offer vegan options.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, it was more than a little irking in Veganuary (the month formerly known as January) when I saw the following tweet by Taylor Shaw catering:</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ew54XmAxKxk/XljyVZBJtBI/AAAAAAACduk/I7hMP2tw-5M_jq0vr-2ZqEbloT0aExfwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-02-28%2Bat%2B10.47.37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="1198" height="248" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ew54XmAxKxk/XljyVZBJtBI/AAAAAAACduk/I7hMP2tw-5M_jq0vr-2ZqEbloT0aExfwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screenshot%2B2020-02-28%2Bat%2B10.47.37.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I mean, if that's not a bare-faced attempt at jumping on the vegan publicity bandwagon, I don't know what is. 'Hey, try some vegan food, no, not at school, lol, we won't provide it.' I got strain from eye-rolling so hard. I tweeted them back to ask whether this signalled the introduction of vegan food to their menu. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I received an email in response explaining that yes, the company would be introducing a vegan menu during the summer term. Obviously, it isn't the summer term yet, so I don't know whether this will actually happen, but I very much hope that it will. I'm excited to see the meal choices and for my then four-year-old to be able to enjoy a hot dinner with her friends each day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't know what inspired this change of heart from Taylor Shaw, but I have a sneaking suspicion it might have something to do with the <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/business/the-vegan-society-guidelines-employers-jordi-casamitjana-ethical-veganism-1848920">recent discrimination court case</a>. The court ruled that veganism is a belief protected by law and that vegans should not be discriminated against. Whatever the reason for the introduction of vegan options, I'm just happy to see things changing for the better. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@jontyson?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Jon Tyson</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/school-vegan?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-8301423666823553472020-02-25T07:09:00.001-08:002020-02-25T07:09:30.133-08:00Pregnancy Update: 24 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7hTbHNesb8s/XlU4kMyWf-I/AAAAAAACds4/SAEAaqN-YLc498SRP6vCQyzT5XbJdwBdgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/04D1C45E-ADDA-481E-B232-63E155ED20E9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7hTbHNesb8s/XlU4kMyWf-I/AAAAAAACds4/SAEAaqN-YLc498SRP6vCQyzT5XbJdwBdgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/04D1C45E-ADDA-481E-B232-63E155ED20E9.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week 24 has been all about gestational diabetes for me. I don't have it, or not that I know of anyway, but I had an appointment for the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) coming up so it was on my mind. After having one perfect home birth and one imperfect hospital birth, I'm keen to try and avoid all things medical this time, if I can. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The only risk factor I have for gestational diabetes is Ember's eye-watering birth weight. Yes, she was massive (the size of a large elephant), but she was also very late (17 days, don't you know). If she'd been born on time (wouldn't that have been nice), she would have been under the weight limit and I wouldn't need the glucose tolerance test at all. It all felt kind of arbitrary, and I've been obsessing over it for weeks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">AIMS (Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services) have a book about gestational diabetes which I was keen to read before making up my mind. I like to research. The lovely doulas from <a href="http://greatermanchesterdoulas.com/ourstory">Greater Manchester Doulas</a> very kindly leant me a copy of the book so I could make an informed choice. I found the book really helpful and it gave me the confidence to discuss the test with my midwife at my 24-week appointment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By this point, I'd already decided I was probably going to decline the test (unless my wonderful midwife managed to convince me otherwise). From my research, I'd already figured out that a gestational diabetes diagnosis would make everyone panic that was my baby was going to be huge. [Spoiler: it probably is. I think I just make big babies.] I'd then be offered growth scans and possibly an induction, both of which I would refuse, so really, what was the point in the test? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At my appointment, I mentioned to the midwife that I was thinking of cancelling the test. She smiled wryly like she had perhaps been expecting me to say this. She said that if glucose showed up in my urine test at my appointments then I should have it, and I was happy to agree to that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the meantime, I've decided to eat a low glycemic diet so that even if I did have gestational diabetes (which I don't), my blood sugars would be regulated. So, for the rest of the pregnancy, I'll be eating a vegan low glycemic diet. This means no sugar, no white bread, no pasta, no white rice. Basically, all of the best foods are off-limits. I'm ok with this though. Even on Pancake Day which I truly feel shows my commitment to the cause. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My 24-week appointment fell in half-term so I took the kids with me. Ember told the midwife all about the giant pond in our garden (it was a lawn, it's now a puddle) and how she'd just finished her last piece of Christmas chocolate. And she suggested that maybe the baby would come out that day and then seemed disappointed when the midwife said not. It took the midwife a while to find the heartbeat (always terrifying) and Ember suggested that perhaps that was because the baby didn't really like the midwife. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I spent most of my 24th week of pregnancy in a bad mood in the bath. It's possible I am hormonal, or hungry. I couldn't go walking all week because of half-term and I don't think this helped. When I did finally get to go after a week off, my pelvis was not happy. I think the key is to never stop walking and then it's ok. I will be making this my mantra for the rest of the pregnancy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you missed last week's update, find it at <a href="https://www.watchingyougrow.co.uk/2020/02/pregnancy-update-23-weeks.html">Pregnancy Update: 23 Weeks</a>.</span></div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-1773310221558692532020-02-22T04:59:00.000-08:002020-02-22T04:59:00.606-08:00Pregnancy Update: 23 Weeks<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--VaJQ_w8CpA/XlEld8zVaII/AAAAAAACdqM/XyZi79YaIwUzvL4XnOwy0FPCKH7Hy88vwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_4594.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--VaJQ_w8CpA/XlEld8zVaII/AAAAAAACdqM/XyZi79YaIwUzvL4XnOwy0FPCKH7Hy88vwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_4594.PNG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week 23 has been tiring, but I think that's probably more to do with life than pregnancy. Laurie had an assignment due in for his masters so he has been working on that every spare minute. This is, of course, totally FINE. And, even better, there's another one due in two weeks time so there will be no rest for the wicked. You probably think Laurie is the wicked because he is trapped writing essays, but no, I am the wicked because I am pregnant and tired and really would love to not do ALL of the childcare and house stuff. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I took the kids down to London for a day over the school holidays. We went with my family and visited the Tutankhamen Exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery. If you're worried about seeing the exhibition in London and it not feeling very Egyptian, fear not, because they have made the Saatchi Gallery approximately 50 degrees inside so you can really appreciate that exotic experience (but with your coat on, so, even better). Ebony really enjoyed it because she's been learning about the Egyptians at school. Ember really didn't because 1) she hasn't 2) she doesn't like to stand in a line for three hours and 3) she doesn't like London. She concluded our expensive day out by explaining that she just likes Romiley and will be staying home in the future, not going to London. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After London, we went to Bedford to celebrate my Grannys' 100th birthday. Then we drove all the way home and had to keep stopping so I could pee. Pregnancy is really not suited to long journeys. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pregnancy-wise, this week has been pretty non-descript. The baby has started punching or kicking me in the bladder without warning so this is lots of fun, especially on long car journeys. I have felt tired and heavy and like I have the back of a 100-year-old. I have spent a lot of time in the bath and have given up picking things up off the floor. If they fall, they're gone now. I will retrieve them in June. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.watchingyougrow.co.uk/2020/02/pregnancy-update-22-weeks.html">If you missed my 22 weeks update, you can find it here</a>.</span></div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-74799952284807945032020-02-11T01:56:00.001-08:002020-02-11T01:56:55.159-08:00Pregnancy Update: 22 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PuLvsx4LGNo/XkJ6Tnx2trI/AAAAAAACdY4/OwqXYSIeNTA8laKiAwKNPA-XkfnsGTmtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/8B75DD2D-4EEA-49A0-94C5-761EE3208A23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1177" data-original-width="1476" height="510" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PuLvsx4LGNo/XkJ6Tnx2trI/AAAAAAACdY4/OwqXYSIeNTA8laKiAwKNPA-XkfnsGTmtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/8B75DD2D-4EEA-49A0-94C5-761EE3208A23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I'm 22 weeks, I finally feel safe thinking of myself as halfway through. Ember was born at 42+3 (<a href="https://www.watchingyougrow.co.uk/2016/08/dear-baby-42-2.html">you can read about that here</a>), so 20 weeks really isn't halfway through to me. Obviously, I'm hoping this baby will arrive promptly, the thought of going overdue again is quite horrifying. You don't know waiting until you've gone overdue. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week 22 has felt pretty uncomfortable if I'm honest. I think I'm getting to that stretching stage of pregnancy where your bump hurts for no apparent reason. I've spent a few evenings in the bath trying to ease my stretched ligaments. In my last update, I said that I'd run out of bath bombs and the very next day some arrived anonymously in the post. I have no idea who sent them but I cried when I opened the parcel, what a lovely thing to do. So I have been working my way through the thoughtful bath stuff and getting plenty of early nights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I do not cope well with lack of sleep generally, but it's definitely worse during pregnancy. I am going to bed at the same time as the kids most nights, reading for a little bit (ok, sometimes a lot) and then trying to get as much sleep as possible. But, also, I have to pee approximately 8,000 times a night so the amount of sleep I get is limited. Like, last night, I was in bed for 12 hours and I got 7.5 hours of sleep (which I realise is pretty damn good). I worry that all this time lying down will not help with the baby's position. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been going on lots of walks and trying to stay active. I go most days after dropping the kids at school in the morning, which gets it out of the way and is a good way to start the day. I decided to not go during the storm though because the thought of getting hailed on really didn't appeal to me. I've also been trying to sort the house out, and moving furniture and mopping even though I know I shouldn't. I do pay for it later in the day, but it's nothing a bath won't ease. And if I was waiting for Laurie to do these jobs then they wouldn't get done because he is currently spending all of his spare time working on an assignment for his masters. My top life tip would be not to do a masters when you have a grumpy pregnant wife.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I like the second trimester a lot. I am enjoying the break in symptoms, I did not like the first trimester at all. I do dread the third though, it's so slow and you're so heavy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.watchingyougrow.co.uk/2020/02/pregnancy-update-21-weeks.html">You can read last week's pregnancy update here</a>.</span></div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-68829542178930666202020-02-06T02:00:00.000-08:002020-02-06T02:00:59.206-08:00Vegan Valentine's Day Gift Guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. Have you ever seen anything so wonderful as <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6091&awinaffid=281971&clickref=If+You+Wanna+Be+My+Lover+Vegan+Art+Print&p=%5B%5Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.etsy.com%252Fuk%252Flisting%252F676270092%252Fif-you-wanna-be-my-lover-vegan-art-print%253Fref%253Dshop_home_active_56%2526frs%253D1%5D%5D">this vegan art print</a>? I think not. It is perfect in every way. You can purchase this Spice Girls inspired print for <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6091&awinaffid=281971&clickref=If+You+Wanna+Be+My+Lover+Vegan+Art+Print&p=%5B%5Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.etsy.com%252Fuk%252Flisting%252F676270092%252Fif-you-wanna-be-my-lover-vegan-art-print%253Fref%253Dshop_home_active_56%2526frs%253D1%5D%5D">£3.50 from Etsy</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Aim high, right? I would never in a million years give or receive something this expensive for Valentine's Day, but hey, you might so I'm including it. I love this <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=1203&awinaffid=281971&clickref=&p=%5B%5Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.johnlewis.com%252Fmatt-nat-vintage-collection-kintla-vegan-short-handle-grab-bag-chilli%252Fp4851275%5D%5D">Matt & Nat vegan bag, £140 from John Lewis</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. If you'd rather avoid buying flowers that will quickly perish, you could opt for a plant, instead. You can get this <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=964&awinaffid=281971&clickref=&p=%5B%5Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.serenataflowers.com%252Fen%252Fuk%252Fplants%252Fnext-day-delivery%252Fproduct%252F110171%252Fred-potted-rose%253FrefPageId%253D243044%2526refDivId%253D5%25257Ccategory-list%5D%5D">potted red rose plant delivered for just £19.99 from Serenata Flowers</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. In case you were wondering, bath stuff is the way to my heart. The Dirty Vegans products smell amazing, so I had to include this <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6091&awinaffid=281971&clickref=&p=%5B%5Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.etsy.com%252Fuk%252Flisting%252F662225624%252Fvegan-gift-box-vegan-is-love-luxury%253Fref%253Dshop_home_active_8%2526frs%253D1%5D%5D">Vegan is Love gift box, £26.99 from Etsy</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5. I think this <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=3637&awinaffid=281971&clickref=&p=%5B%5Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.paperchase.com%252Fen_gb%252Fsale%252Fstationery%252Fmy-vegan-life-journal.html%5D%5D">vegan journal</a> is a must-have. It's a weekly food planner and shopping list, and it's currently in the sale so it's only <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=3637&awinaffid=281971&clickref=&p=%5B%5Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.paperchase.com%252Fen_gb%252Fsale%252Fstationery%252Fmy-vegan-life-journal.html%5D%5D">£7.50 from Paperchase</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">6. This <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=3651&awinaffid=281971&clickref=&p=%5B%5Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.ethicalsuperstore.com%252Fproducts%252Fnatural-collection-select%252Fstrawberry-cheesecake-swirl-star-lolly---60g%252F%5D%5D">vegan cheesecake swirl star lolly</a> is a cute bargain at only <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=3651&awinaffid=281971&clickref=&p=%5B%5Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.ethicalsuperstore.com%252Fproducts%252Fnatural-collection-select%252Fstrawberry-cheesecake-swirl-star-lolly---60g%252F%5D%5D">£1.99 from Ethical Superstore</a>.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to buy something through one of my links, you won't be charged extra but the company will pay me a teeny amount as a thank you. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How awesome is that Spice Girls print though, seriously? I really need it in my life. </span></div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-24613375107568172022020-02-04T02:03:00.000-08:002020-02-04T02:03:50.702-08:00Pregnancy Update: 21 Weeks<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K1O_9xP5PsQ/XjlBZ5j2aTI/AAAAAAACc3M/_gYjB8mToXQb4XXuB38dJcMmmvn7t9W8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ACS_1200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="1600" height="446" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K1O_9xP5PsQ/XjlBZ5j2aTI/AAAAAAACc3M/_gYjB8mToXQb4XXuB38dJcMmmvn7t9W8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/ACS_1200.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The weeks are going so fast, it's almost hard to differentiate between them. With being in a school routine, all the weeks kind of seem to melt into one. I have definitely noticed some pregnancy changes this week, however.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A week ago today, when I was 20+6, I had my 20-week anomaly scan at the hospital. I really wanted to take the kids with us but decided not to, in the end. I knew they'd love seeing the baby, but you can't predict how these are things are going to go, can you? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The sonographer was training a student during the scan, so she was going through everything she saw on the screen and explaining how to figure out which way to move the transducer to find the right shots of the baby. It's all about the angles, apparently. At one point, she found the feet and then turned the wand and two little footprints (kind of) appeared on the screen, which was sweet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the start of the scan, I was too scared to look at the screen in case she accidentally zoomed in on the baby's sex. I really didn't want to know. At one point, I thought I saw a burger on the screen and I thought the surprise was ruined, but then she told her student it was the heart or kidney or something. This was when I realised a career in sonography is probably not for me. Clearly, I do not have the necessary attention to detail. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The baby was moving for most of the scan, the sonographer struggled to get a face shot because the baby was facing towards my feet. It was nice to see the baby move on the screen, I have an anterior placenta so I can't always feel so many movements throughout the day (which is not reassuring). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The baby's movements are getting bigger and more noticeable, but I only feel them when I'm lying down still. With my other pregnancies, I've been able to feel more frequent movements. Anterior placentas suck. Ebony has felt the baby kicking a couple of times, and quite often asks me if the baby is awake to see if she can have another feel when I'm lying in bed. Ember pretends she can feel it too but I would bet my life savings (approximately nothing) that she can't. And she says things like, "The baby tried to hurt me. The baby isn't being kind to me. The baby is being a bit spicy today." So her as an older sister is clearly going to be fun. I fear she may be a bit of a spicy sibling, whatever that means.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My SPD or PGP or shit hips or whatever you want to call it is feeling a lot better at the moment. I'm not sure whether that's because my hormones are under control or because I've finally cracked pregnancy, but it's nice not feeling in pain so much. On days when it does play up, I have been having baths which I think helps. Although, I have now run out of Christmas bath bombs which feels terribly cruel when there are so many weeks of pregnancy left. I've been listening to my hypnobirthing affirmations in the bath which is relaxing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a cold over the weekend and felt really rubbish, but I mostly stayed in bed or in the bath and now I feel human again. Laurie was poorly too so the kids didn't have the most exciting of weekends. Although, he did take them on a big bike ride on Saturday which there's no way I could have done (which I think is proof that I was the illest). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you missed my 20 weeks pregnancy update, you can <a href="https://www.watchingyougrow.co.uk/2020/01/pregnancy-update-20-weeks.html">catch up here</a>.</span></div>
Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-29589041193611520422020-02-03T02:42:00.000-08:002020-02-03T02:42:20.222-08:00Books I Read in January<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pZhpvK9sxeE/Xjf4cTvGfAI/AAAAAAACc20/UcwMYSSRKMwBUNqKXheUcFQz0wWmROwjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/sharon-mccutcheon-eMP4sYPJ9x0-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pZhpvK9sxeE/Xjf4cTvGfAI/AAAAAAACc20/UcwMYSSRKMwBUNqKXheUcFQz0wWmROwjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/sharon-mccutcheon-eMP4sYPJ9x0-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Ok, this is a new post idea. I'm trying to read more books this year, so I decided to share what I've been reading here. I've been using the Good Reads app to track my reading. I set myself a challenge to read 26 books this year. I realise that's not many, but I am having a baby in June, so I think my reading is likely to suffer in the second half of the year because I'll be too tired to understand words. This post contains affiliate links, you won't be charged any extra if you choose to use any of these links to purchase your books, but I will get a teeny tiny sum each time you do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Here are my January reads:</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wUUYXUK_iaw/Xjf3eofaHsI/AAAAAAACc2I/hGJlBFqsgj0FT0MXIS7gEKwxaeXT6o7IQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-02-03%2Bat%2B10.33.01.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1224" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wUUYXUK_iaw/Xjf3eofaHsI/AAAAAAACc2I/hGJlBFqsgj0FT0MXIS7gEKwxaeXT6o7IQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screenshot%2B2020-02-03%2Bat%2B10.33.01.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1784741728/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1784741728&linkId=1078d5f22f4b3a0ecc56881262a6d197">Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men </a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1784741728/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1784741728&linkId=1078d5f22f4b3a0ecc56881262a6d197">by Caroline Criado-Perez</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Laurie bought me this for Christmas, and it was the first book I read in 2020. I loved it, in an I-am-so-angry kind of way. This book should be on the to-read pile of literally everybody. It's crazy to see how many ways women are ignored and how this impacts on women's health, safety and daily lives. Even if you think you already know lots about this subject, this book will contain new information you haven't heard before. I learnt so much reading this book. Buy it now!</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mIzTP0rb2PY/Xjf3emELwmI/AAAAAAACc2Q/WgRgSzn0KCQCh-t8csOFJ0fHtD9hAWCJwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-02-03%2Bat%2B10.34.06.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="702" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mIzTP0rb2PY/Xjf3emELwmI/AAAAAAACc2Q/WgRgSzn0KCQCh-t8csOFJ0fHtD9hAWCJwCEwYBhgL/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-02-03%2Bat%2B10.34.06.png" width="135" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07L5Z6JKZ/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07L5Z6JKZ&linkId=de86f8d0e0748a727fe3572699cdeec0">A Woman Is No Man</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07L5Z6JKZ/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07L5Z6JKZ&linkId=de86f8d0e0748a727fe3572699cdeec0">by Etaf Rum</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I got this book for Christmas, too. I hadn't heard of it before but was keen to read it. It's a debut novel and is simply fantastic. The story follows different generations of the same family as they deal with the problems facing women in conservative Palestinian-American families. The book is narrated by the various female characters and their different dreams, perspectives and challenges. I found myself unable to stop reading because I was desperate to know what happened next. I found myself completely immersed in their world, and I was sad to leave when the story was over.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y5quEiN5HfE/Xjf3fsQ3MnI/AAAAAAACc2U/n5dAms61QN4eJ1bs5iWlSI4roUpk2bAOgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-02-03%2Bat%2B10.34.37.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="454" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y5quEiN5HfE/Xjf3fsQ3MnI/AAAAAAACc2U/n5dAms61QN4eJ1bs5iWlSI4roUpk2bAOgCEwYBhgL/s200/Screenshot%2B2020-02-03%2Bat%2B10.34.37.png" width="128" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241207045/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0241207045&linkId=5cbdc4d48fbc790da00ddbadb11ae0c2">Spring</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241207045/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0241207045&linkId=5cbdc4d48fbc790da00ddbadb11ae0c2">by Ali Smith</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is actually Laurie's book, and he hasn't read it yet. I am a terrible person. In my defence, I am pregnant, and it was the closest book to me. Laurie was away for a couple of nights, and I knew I could read it fast. I treat books with the utmost respect, and so if I hadn't told him, he probably wouldn't even have realised that I stole his book's virginity from him. I was looking forward to reading this book because I enjoyed Autumn and Winter so much. Spring absolutely lived up to its predecessors. I love the way Smith writes, especially the rambling rants that appear throughout the book. I think she is so talented and has such an interesting of writing. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rw-pxHPehak/Xjf3fycl1sI/AAAAAAACc2Y/A_ERLxEKx2MGVJWK21ejt1Cei1ffxx0SQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-02-03%2Bat%2B10.35.12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1166" height="218" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rw-pxHPehak/Xjf3fycl1sI/AAAAAAACc2Y/A_ERLxEKx2MGVJWK21ejt1Cei1ffxx0SQCEwYBhgL/s320/Screenshot%2B2020-02-03%2Bat%2B10.35.12.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241983207/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0241983207&linkId=82c40cd63098cc43aa0eae70b34d7180">The Silence of the Girls</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241983207/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0241983207&linkId=82c40cd63098cc43aa0eae70b34d7180">by Pat Barker</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was another of Laurie's books, stolen before he'd had a chance to break the spine. Truly, I am a terrible wife. I didn't know anything about this book before I started reading. I never read the blurbs. For some reason, I thought this was going to be a feminist dystopian novel perhaps set in the future, I have no idea why. In fact, it is a book about Achilles, the Greek God, but told from a woman's perspective. The book is more about the lives of women living during the war. It's depressing, like the lives of women in wars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's not a book I would have chosen if I'd known the subject matter, Gods and myths and fantasy don't really appeal to me, but having said that, I really enjoyed this book. I found myself completely committed to the characters and their struggles throughout the story. I don't know anything about Greek mythology, but I didn't feel that this limited my enjoyment of the book. I liked the book a lot, and if you're into Greek mythology, then it's probably an even better read.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I3pmmOylrcY/Xjf3evfIhfI/AAAAAAACc2M/MbX-ebBWqvgi1hDT9qEnkfINzJyBGxC-ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-02-03%2Bat%2B10.32.28.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1212" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I3pmmOylrcY/Xjf3evfIhfI/AAAAAAACc2M/MbX-ebBWqvgi1hDT9qEnkfINzJyBGxC-ACEwYBhgL/s320/Screenshot%2B2020-02-03%2Bat%2B10.32.28.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571347029/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0571347029&linkId=382ea23342184ab3043a3d88ae2bc300">Unsheltered</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571347029/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0571347029&linkId=382ea23342184ab3043a3d88ae2bc300">by Barbara Kingsolver</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had decided not to buy any new books until I've read all the ones gathering dust on my bookshelf. I am terrible for buying books. I love books, but I have a lot I am yet to read. So I decided to work my way through those before buying any more. Then the very next day I bought this because I like to immediately fail all self-imposed challenges. And also because I loved <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571339794/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0571339794&linkId=e4d799b5afefd7f36f042ed827205355">The Poisonwood Bible</a> </i>by the same author so I couldn't not buy this. If you haven't yet read <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571339794/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0571339794&linkId=e4d799b5afefd7f36f042ed827205355">The Poisonwood Bible</a></i>, do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I didn't love this book as much as I loved </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571339794/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0571339794&linkId=e4d799b5afefd7f36f042ed827205355" style="font-style: italic;">The Poisonwood Bible</a>, but I should probably stop comparing them as they are different books. </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0571347029/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0571347029&linkId=382ea23342184ab3043a3d88ae2bc300">Unsheltered</a> is beautifully written, and the characters are immediately engaging and likeable, but it wasn't one of my favourite reads this month. It featured two stories based on characters living in the same place years apart. I loved the modern story and its characters, but I was less engaged with the story and characters from the past. This is a problem I have though, and it's why you won't find many classics on my read list, I seem to find it hard to engage with characters from times gone by. I still enjoyed the book, though, and one of the characters from the past story was particularly interesting because she was based on an inspiring woman. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Top Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@sharonmccutcheon?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Sharon McCutcheon</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/books?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a><br />
<br />Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-33523043924783394562020-01-29T02:44:00.000-08:002020-01-29T02:44:09.853-08:00Review: Let's Talk To Mummy's Tummy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHN3fdkm6XE/XjFhnarJALI/AAAAAAACcvI/nH2gbfBS9M4IaAyhwhdQERtgI5MARljdgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot%2B2020-01-29%2Bat%2B10.42.27.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="1144" height="410" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHN3fdkm6XE/XjFhnarJALI/AAAAAAACcvI/nH2gbfBS9M4IaAyhwhdQERtgI5MARljdgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screenshot%2B2020-01-29%2Bat%2B10.42.27.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1916487408/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1916487408&linkId=5c8903334eea49fac7edeeab3e79c33d">Let's Talk To Mummy's Tummy</a></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1916487408/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1916487408&linkId=5c8903334eea49fac7edeeab3e79c33d">by Helen Lacey</a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1916487408/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1916487408&linkId=5c8903334eea49fac7edeeab3e79c33d">illustrated by Carla Moreno </a></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ebony is eight years old, so I wanted a book that would show her how the baby was developing inside my bump. I knew she'd be curious during the pregnancy, and I wanted somewhere she could find answers to her questions. I searched high and low for a book that contained just the right amount of information. Some of the books looked too basic for an eight-year-old, and others contained way too much information because they were designed for adults. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end, I settled on </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1916487408/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1916487408&linkId=5c8903334eea49fac7edeeab3e79c33d">Let's Talk To Mummy's Tummy</a> </b></i><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1916487408/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1916487408&linkId=5c8903334eea49fac7edeeab3e79c33d">by Helen Lacey</a>. </i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you have a child who is about to become a big brother or sister, I strongly recommend this book. My eight and three-year-olds both love it and checking it has become a weekly routine. The information is simple enough for my three-year-old to understand (and repeat for the rest of the week), and my eight-year-old reads it to herself. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The book features lots of questions which are great conversation starters to help you and your child talk about the new arrived. The book asks how they are feeling about getting a new sibling, as well as prompting questions about when they were a baby in your tummy. Each page features a new question as well as information about how the baby is developing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each page is dedicated to a different week of the pregnancy, starting with week 12. We gave the girls this book when we'd had the scan and told them about the pregnancy. Each week gives them a fact about the baby's development, information about the size of the baby, and an illustrated image of a baby at that gestational age. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I really love the illustrations and colours in the book. The illustrations feature a diverse mix of families. The book suggests ways your child can bond with the baby both before and after birth. It's the perfect way to prepare your child for life after birth. The book talks about what the baby will eat, how it will wake in the night, and how your child can help to look after their new sibling. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It doesn't shy away from difficult topics and addresses big emotions your child may be feeling as they prepare for the birth. The book talks about how you will always love your child and the baby equally, which will be useful for prompting discussions around these difficult emotions as you transition to life as a bigger family. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm really glad I bought this book, it is perfect for preparing my girls to become big sisters. Sometimes we sit together and read the whole thing from cover-to-cover, and other times we simply dip into the relevant week to learn how the baby is developing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you have this book, and if so, what do you think of it? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1916487408/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1916487408&linkId=5c8903334eea49fac7edeeab3e79c33d">Let's Talk To Mummy's Tummy</a> </b></i></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1916487408/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=peamus-21&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1916487408&linkId=5c8903334eea49fac7edeeab3e79c33d">by Helen Lacey is available from Amazon for £14.99</a>. This is an affiliate link, if you use it, you won't pay any extra, but I will receive a very small sum from Amazon for sending you their way. </i>Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384699834822862632.post-82985121017379916372020-01-27T03:01:00.002-08:002020-01-27T03:01:31.718-08:00Pregnancy Update: 20 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These weeks are passing scarily fast now. The first trimester is so slow, as though time actually isn't moving, and then life speeds up for the rest of the pregnancy. At 20 weeks, the baby is the size of a paper aeroplane, according to the Ovia Pregnancy App.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week, I have mostly struggled to stay awake. My sister came round one evening so I stayed up till half-past ten (wild, I know) and I paid for it the next day. I seem to need a lot of sleep at the moment. It takes ages for me to get comfy in bed, and I keep waking up to pee. It doesn't help that there is a three-year-old squished up against me for half of the night. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Saturday, my parents came and watched the girls so that Laurie and I could escape to the cinema. It was nice to spend some time together. It doesn't feel like we've seen each other much lately, probably because I've been sleeping so much. We went to see <i>The Personal History of David Copperfield </i>which I loved. I had to pee twice during the film though, I think this baby is sat on my bladder. Then we went to Hillgate Cakery, the vegan cake shop in Stockport, and I had some chocolate fudge cake which was amazing. And hot chocolate. And then I worried about the gestational diabetes test I'm due to have next month. They want me to have it because Ember was such a big baby at birth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been trying to walk lots. After I drop the kids off at school and nursery, I do a 5km loop before going home. I looked for a pilates class but they're all in the afternoons or evenings when I either have Ember or will definitely be asleep. I don't know if it's the number of children I have or my age making me feel so sleepy, but the thought of going to pilates at 8:30pm is laughable to me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm due to have my 20-week scan tomorrow. Last time, we took Ebony and she held my hand throughout. This time, we've decided not to take the girls with us. I think I'm more nervous than I was last time, and I felt pretty nervous then. I do wish they could be there though. My next midwife appointment is during half-term so they'll be coming to that with me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday, Laurie went into the loft and brought down the rest of my maternity clothes. Despite assuring me they were already down, he had, in fact, left two bags up there, so I'm glad to finally have some clothes that fit me. It will be nice to not worry about accidentally flashing anyone my giant stomach. And I finally have my maternity pyjamas which are truly the comfiest thing ever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.watchingyougrow.co.uk/2020/01/pregnancy-update-19-weeks.html">If you missed my 19 weeks pregnancy update, you can catch up here</a>.</span></div>
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Fionahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563285469796804749noreply@blogger.com