Preggo Updates – 28 Weeks

Posted in Pregnancy and Baby.

Hi 28 weeks! What developments have you brought, I wonder?

28 weeks pregnant blog post

Top, ASOS | Cardigan, Madewell | Jeans, Topshop | Trainers, Nike | Sunglasses, Céline

… Well, not a lot tbh. Not that I can see or feel, anyway! Week 28 has absolutely flown by and I seriously can’t believe I’m only a week and a bit away from the big 30. That’s only 7 weeks from full-term and 10 weeks from the full 40! Remember when I was 14 weeks with a teeny little bump? Lol.

I had my 28w midwife appointment on Tuesday and all is well – Baby A is measuring spot on at 28cm (apparently a cm for every week is the perfect ratio), my wee is top notch and my blood pressure is the same as always. My actual blood is an unknown as after two attempts with the needle I almost fainted and had to tap out. I’m going back tomorrow for another go at it – think free-flowing thoughts, people!

North Yorkshire Moors scenery

This weekend we’ve been staying in a gorgeous cottage in the North Yorkshire Moors with our pals Matt and Lil and their 6-month old twin girls. The twins are absolutely brilliant babies – so smiley and giggly and full of chat. They’re also excellent practice for me and Rob, so we did a lot of eating one-handed and bouncing on laps and distracting with funny faces. It’s been a blast.

Body-wise, walking is still a bit of a struggle which is bumming me out a bit – I know I’ve been really lucky to have such a straightforward pregnancy and as long as Baby A is ok, it’s all good… but I really don’t want to be housebound! At the moment it’s only really a problem if I’ve overdone it – my hips seize up and my back aches and I’m just generally not very mobile. So it’s all about the slow and steady life for me.

Of course, I’m heading into three of the busiest weeks of my career possibly ever, we’ve got the nursery to decorate and a new kitchen fit to organise then we’re heading off to Croatia where I’d quite like to explore Dubrovnik and pretend I’m in Game of Thrones. Lol ok cool.

Trip to North Yorkshire Moors

Seriously though, I am listening to my body and letting it take the lead over my brain (which always, always wants to be out and about no matter how rough I’m feeling). I don’t believe pregnancy should involve wrapping yourself in cotton wool (unless medically prescribed!) but I do think many of us have a tendency to ‘just keep going’ when it’s really not what’s best for us.

If my body tells me to take it easy, I’m gonna try my best to do just that. And similarly, if I’m feeling good, I want to take advantage and keep active. I’m reading The Good Birth Companion by Nicole Croft which promotes the importance of listening to yourself, trusting your instincts and letting your ‘animalistic mind’ lead over your intellectual brain. It all sounds a bit ridiculous but it really does make sense to me – I’m so headstrong and don’t like to be held back by anything, not least achey hips. But I’m learning to listen to those aches and pains as signals that I need to take it steady, and I think by tuning out my million-mile-an-hour brain, I can do that more easily.

I’ve just started exploring this approach to pregnancy and think it’s something that could really help me right through to birth and beyond. I don’t like spiritual stuff and I’m happy to hand over to medical intervention if it’s needed, but I like the idea that my body knows what it’s doing and if I put my trust in it, it’ll see me through. If you have any recommendations for thinking/reading around this subject, let me know in the comments!

3 Comments

Lizzie

I highly highly recommend hypnobirthing – I was terrified of giving birth but it changed my mindset completely and I had my first baby at home in January with no pain relief at all, and it was genuinely an incredible experience. I completely agree with letting your body guide you – I knew if I overthought birth I would freeze up, so being at home, in my known surroundings was perfect for me. Good luck!

Reply
Sam

In terms of getting your blood taken, make sure you’ve drunk loads of water before to go in. This makes your veins easier to access and your blood easier to take as its flowing with greater pressure. At least, that’s what they’ve told me when I’ve donated….

Reply

Leave a comment