18 weeks

Another year older! 31. Baby has been moving alot, probably cause of all the choccies!!

U/s booked for 19th of October.

20 weeks

well october 19 is finally here... off to my u/s in about 5 hours. I'm picking my girls up from school on the way so they can see little bro or sis!! and get their own photo. My husband won't be there so we'll be phoning him about babies health and sex .... he's hoping for a boy so I hope he'll be just as happy with a little girl. Will post tonight with the news :-)

19th october. U/S

I was at my u/s for about an hour and my little one was moving non stop!!! ......untill it came time to check for little boy or girl bits and he/she curled into fetal position and would not budge hehehe. I told my husband it was his fault for hoping soooooo loudly for a boy, this little baby is teaching him a lesson in unconditional love and patience :-)

The u/s technician did say that she was leaning towards it being a girl but could not confirm that lean!!!!!!!

She spent a long time looking at my little ones heart, about 30 mins, which concerned me a little, I have a Dr appt. on the 24th to discuss any concerns though.

My little one was 4 days bigger than EDD and its heart rate was 146. :-)

My daughters came in to the u/s and couldn't stop saying " our babies soooo cute!"

28 Weeks

In the last week I have put on another 2 pounds!!! Making my total weight gain to date a....drum roll please..... a whoping 24 pounds!! ........healthy baby....and VERY healthy mummy :D

At the end of this week hubby and I will be in the same state thank god! we havn't seen each other since I was 23 weeks so I can't wait! Bubs has been pretty active, mainly at night and early hours of the morning, been constantly on the loo as my eager little one has already dropped..... I'm sure it's from all the walking I do. I have already experienced some strong BH cxc's, I barely noticed them with my last two so this is all new. Feeling well apart from a non pregnancy related ear infection that just doesn't want to go away :(

xx

Delayed Cord Clamping (interesting article!!!)
The Third Stage Maze highlights concerns about the practise of immediate clamping of the umbilical cord as part of the active management of third stage. The evidence in favour of delayed cord clamping to allow placental transfusion of the baby immediately after birth is compelling. The WHO officially endorsed the practise of delayed cord clamping6 in 1996 and in February 2002 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists withdrew its directive for immediate cord clamping (Bulletin 216).

Delayed cord clamping provides physiological benefits to the baby, and psychological and emotional benefits to the mother. These factors should compel caregivers to honour the sanctity of the mother/baby union during the moments that the newborn is between two worlds and the mother is seeing and experiencing her child for the first time. Unnecessary interference should be avoided. However, many obstetric and midwifery practitioners feel very uncomfortable about deviating from the familiar practise pathway of active management, and continue to clamp and cut the baby’s umbilical cord immediately after birth.
Delayed cord clamping allows the baby to receive his or her full blood volume and optimal iron stores (Prendiville and Ellbourne, 1989, Inch, 1983). This may be as much as 40% circulating volume and is important in maintaining haematocrit levels (Yao & Lind, 1974). Early cord clamping deprives the baby of 75-125mls of transfused blood. (Bristol Trial, 1988, and Hinchingbrooke Trial 1998).

With delayed cord clamping the placenta is less bulky, and more readily expelled (Dunn et al. 1966). Delayed cord clamping allows the baby’s lifeline to continue to supply oxygenated blood, facilitating perfusion of the lungs, and supporting the baby’s transition to breathing for himself without incurring oxygen deprivation. The baby is less likely to require resuscitation after birth, and less likely to have idiopathic respiratory distress. (The term Ideopathic Respiratory Distress describes breathing difficulties for no apparent reason, and is believed to be linked to interference with the delicate and complex changes in the baby’s heart and circulatory systems - Dunn, 1989; Inch, 1983)

Delayed cord clamping reduces the risk of feto-maternal transfusion, which is especially important for Rh negative mothers. (Lapido, 1971; Rogers et al, 1998). Delayed cord clamping reduces the risk of infection in both the mother and the baby because the mother has reduced clot formation if the maternal end of the cord is not clamped, and the baby has less stagnant blood left in the cord stump. Clots and stagnant blood provide an ideal environment for infection. The cord may separate more rapidly postnatally if cord clamping is delayed (Sleep, 1993).