The halfway point is within reach – I’m 19 weeks pregnant (20 on Tuesday!) and things are great, if slightly stiff/achey/heartburn-y.

I’ve felt really good this week – I think Baby A had a bit of a growth spurt between 16-18 weeks as I felt about as exhausted as I did in the first trimester, but she’s settled down (for now) and I have tons of energy. My enthusiasm for tidying the house/sorting my wardrobe/going for long country walks is only dampened by a bout of hideous sciatica, which has left me a bit sofa-bound this weekend. I’m not very good at resting but it really is quite painful to walk about when I’ve been overdoing it, so I’m trying to take it easy and having twice-weekly chiropractor sessions which mostly involves massaging my right butt cheek. Lovely.

T-shirt, Topshop | Jeans, Topshop | Jacket, J.Crew | Bag, Longchamp | Trainers, Adidas | Sunglasses, Celine via Pretavoir

We’ve got our 20 week scan on Wednesday, which I’m super excited and also quite nervous about. This is the scan to check that Baby A is developing as she should be, with checks to rule out any problems with her growth. A healthy 20 week scan is the last big hurdle in the first half of pregnancy (let’s not talk about the actual birth at this point) and I’m just hoping everything is ok so we can move onto the next bit. Fingers very, very firmly crossed.

This week Rob has sorted out our spare room ready for its nursery transformation. We’re thinking of painting some of kind (chic and stylish) mural on the walls – I’ve gathered some ideas together on Pinterest, so let me know if you see anything similar!

As well as the scan, next week I’m also going to see Queen Bey in Manchester… I’m a little concerned about standing up all night and may take a camping chair with me (I hear it’s what all the kids do these days), but I can’t wait to see the show. Baby’s first Beyoncé – oh yeah!

It’s been a turbulent week for the world but over here in the pregnancy bubble, things are far less horrifying. It’s all quite joyful, actually.

18 weeks has seen the vague swooshing turn into more defined movement, and I’m now feeling little ‘pops’ which I’m guessing are kicks. Kicks! From my baby! Who is growing inside me! When you think about it properly, it’s pretty mind-blowing.

My bump seems to be about the same size as last week, and body-wise not a lot has changed. The hormones are running riot, however – my skin is in total meltdown (although my hair is thick and swishy, so I guess that balances out?) and I’m ready to weep at any given moment. Here’s a list of things that have made me cry over the last few days (apart from the obvious):

• Thinking about that Nationwide advert where the man leaves his scarf on the bus
• A small child running gleefully through Co-op
• Microsoft Excel
• Slicing open an avocado only to discover it was brown inside

We’ve started sorting out the house ready for our new arrival – I’ve already decided to sell half our worldly possessions at a car boot sale next weekend and am now trying to work out how to squeeze a dishwasher into the kitchen.

I’ve been thinking a lot about bringing our baby into the world and the values we’ll pass along. Right now it feels so important to share compassion and love; to instil a sense of respect for others; to go about life with an inquisitive mind and an open heart. I’ve held tightly to these things over the last few days and knowing I can pass them along to my child is a great sense of comfort during uncertain times.

Be kind to each other, now more than ever. When people are divided and the future looks unfamiliar, it’s all we can do.

PS – It’s a girl! <3

Hello 17 weeks! In the grand scheme of pregnancy, 17 weeks is no time at all (there are 40+ in total so yeah… not even half way there yet) but in actuality, I feel like I’ve been pregnant for at least a decade. Everyone tells me the first 20 weeks really drag, then after the 20 week scan everything moves at warp speed. I’m looking forward to the warp speed stage because even though I love being pregnant, I’m very impatient and would quite like to meet my baby now, thanks very much.

Week 17 has been pretty kind to me – we had a scan on Tuesday and found out the sex, which I might ~reveal~ at some point (although probably not by shooting a box with a rifle, tbh). Baby Allison is happy and healthy, kicking about and waving his/her arms like a mini cheerleader – it’s very odd that I can’t feel all that activity because the little bean really was going for it in there. Although in the last few days I have felt some odd flutters… someone described it as a ‘snooker ball swooshing about in your lower stomach’ which is spot on. So I think that could be it!

This week I also got sent some beautiful baby clothes from my client, La Redoute. I’ve been a bit cautious about buying any baby stuff until after the 20 week scan, but I’ll happily accept gorgeous gifts and the bundle from Laura (La Redoute’s social media manager) almost made me weep with joy. All the clothes are so beautiful – really soft and well-made in neutral whites and greys, which is perfect for us despite now knowing the sex. No ‘Mummy’s Little Prince’ or ‘Daddy’s Little Princess’ sleep suits over here!

Over the last few days, my bump has really shrunk – it had really popped out and was very prominent, especially after food, but it seems to have settled down a lot. I think the big bump was mostly bloating, which does subside as you move through your pregnancy. Weirdly I miss it a bit – I really loved having a proper, protruding bump… sure it’ll come back soon, though!

My final pregnancy challenge of the week was finding a dress for a wedding I’m going to in July. And what a challenge it was… seriously, maternity clothing is generally hideous. ESPECIALLY occasionwear. Does any pregnant woman want to look like a lace beachball tied up with a ribbon? I think not.

I’ve been checking ASOS Maternity daily and have ordered approximately ten thousand pounds worth of polyester ‘wiggle’ dresses… all of which have been returned. Then I spotted this beauty and snapped it right up, along with the shoes it was styled with. It’s a comfy jersey fabric but still looks ‘dressy’, the print is feminine without being cutesy and there’s no lace or ribbon in sight. I am slightly concerned about wearing the shoes at 22 weeks pregnant, but we’ll see how we go!

So, 17 weeks is almost done. I’ll be 18 weeks on Tuesday, drawing ever closer to that 20 week milestone. It’s exciting and nerve-wracking all at once but I can’t wait for the next stage. 18 weeks – let’s do this!

So, as pregnancy is pretty much all I think about these days, I’ve decided to start doing weekly updates on how things are going, exciting new developments and the things that are making me irrationally angry/weepy/an emotional wreck.

Let’s jump straight in at 16 weeks, shall we?

Dress, Topshop | Jacket, Primark | Sandals, Birkenstock | Bag, Catbird | Sunglasses, Céline Baby Audrey

16 weeks has been pretty fun, if a bit emotionally draining. I haven’t really felt like much has been happening until now – from finding out to about 13 weeks, I didn’t look even vaguely pregnant and once the first trimester symptoms subsided, I didn’t really feel pregnant either (apart from the gigantic boobs, of course).

At 14 weeks a little bump appeared, but this week it’s properly popped out. Like, one day it was just my normal belly and the next, BAM! There’s a baby in there and the whole world knows it.

I love, love, love my bump and find myself dressing to accentuate it – I love stretchy dresses and jersey maxi skirts, and I’ve been wearing my Baby on Board badge wherever I go despite hardly ever using public transport. Everyone is super nice to me when they spot the badge and/or the bump and I’ve already saved 60p on train station toilets, so I feel like I’m really winning with that.

I have been slightly panicking about the size of my bump, though… it’s really hard not to compare yourself to other pregnant people, and I do appear to have quite a large protrusion. It’s more to do with the size of the baby rather than the size of myself – will I give birth to a 15lb beast? Will my baby crawl out like an actual toddler?! Probably not, but these are the things that keep me up at 3am…

Skirt, New Look | Vest, New Look | Cardigan, Boden | Sandals, ASOS | Belt, Gap | Sunglasses, Céline Baby Audrey

Aside from the physical stuff, I’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster ride in the past week. I’m suffering from what I like to call Pregnancy Rage, which basically means at certain times, I hate everything and everyone. I am so easily irritated, I’m totally impatient and I have zero time for faff. I just want things to be DONE and I don’t understand why people are NOT DOING THEM.

I also had a complete breakdown the other night when Rob asked what I wanted for dinner and I didn’t know. I just looked at him, burst into tears and said ‘I don’t knoooooooooooow’. We went for Mexican in the end and it was totally delicious so all’s well that ends well, I guess.

The emotional stuff is weird for me because I’m a pretty level-headed, laidback kinda person, so to be assaulted by all these crazy ~feelings~ is very new and seems a bit… out of control? But it’s such a small part of the experience – most of the time I feel beyond delighted with the world, so I can deal with a few tearful episodes and bouts of anger. No biggie.

Next week I’ve got a check-up with my midwife and a private scan which I’m SO excited for – seeing that little baby (hopefully) wriggling about on the screen is one of the greatest joys and something I’ll treasure forever. Roll on 17 weeks!