Hi D Ho and welcome to my 28 week pregnancy update. Baby is now about 2.25 lbs and about the size of an aubergine (or egg plant in the US). Week 28 also officially marks the start of the third trimester.
This week has been a real pregnancy focused week. To start with I was back with my GP for a routine check up, all is well with baby but I’m a bit run down so she felt it was best that I take a few days off to rest. So home I tottered for a good old afternoon nap and thats where I stayed for most of Thursday and Friday. You might remember from last weeks post – Week 27 and the January Blues I was finding the first week back after Christmas tough going so I really think this extra rest did me the world of good.
This week I started pregnancy pilates classes, this was my first real pregnancy exercise class and it was a million miles away from life in bootcamp. I was told to bring a yoga mat, a blanket and a pillow so off I headed with all my equipment for a nap and in typical Emma style arrived 5 minutes late (mortified as the class had already started).
We started off with some stretches and were soon given a set of 1.25 KG pink dumbbells which did make me wonder if I was going to get any “real” workout out of the class. There was a lot of stoping and starting and talking about birth and labour but rest assured we soon got into the real exercise. I found the class a lot less high intensity or weight focused than what I’m used too but there were still plenty of hard bits. At one point in particular we had to lie down facing the ceiling and push ourselves up onto our hands and feet to make ourselves into a “table” which was really difficult. I was struggling with this so the instructor came along to help me and told me its ok – I probably have very little upper body strength! I felt like going hey Missus I do bootcamp three times a week and telling her where to shove her wimpy 1.25 KG weights!
Anyway at the end we did get our nap five minutes to ourselves where we didn’t have to do anything, go anywhere or think about anything. This was really nice, we were all curled up in our blankets while the instructor came along to each of us and placed some kind of oil on our temples while whispering something magical in a strange language. I did leave feeling refreshed and for the first time in a long time I had completed an exercise session without a single squat!
At the weekend I met up with my Doula Bairbre for lunch and a catch up. It was great to have a good chat and get to know her a bit better. She got me thinking about writing my birth plan which made me think about what changes we might want to make from our last birth plan – after all the “very nice midwife” (said through gritted teeth) who induced me last time did tell me that I was going to get everything that I didn’t want done to me when she read my birth plan (great way to calm a stressed out pregnant lady but she was right) so maybe its time for a re-vamp! We also got to swap stories about how attitudes of different medical professionals can really influence the outcome of your birth. Its really great to know that you have someone with you who knows what they are talking about, has loads of little tips and tricks and is on your side!
Finally there was a gentle birth meet up in Galway on Sunday morning also hosted by my Doula Bairbre. It was really great to spend sometime with some like minded mothers and mothers to be. One amazing mum shared her birth story with us telling us how she stood up for herself time and time again throughout the labour to ensure she got the birth she wanted using the latest evidence based care recomendations to make informed decisions instead of blindly flowing hospital protocol. One of the funniest parts had to be where she was told she would have to get up on the bed for the consultant to deliver her (last time we all checked it was the mother who delivers the baby)! In the end she stood her ground staying where she felt comfortable and when the consultant arrived they had no issues with her chosen location – it was only the midwives following protocol! It was a really empowering story of a woman who was calm, confident and in control.
Another wonderful lady told us how she was sorry that her birth had only lasted four hours from start to finish as she had looked forward to it and enjoyed the experience so much – wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all had births like that – I think it really goes to show the power of the gentle birth program!
So thats me all geared up for the last trimester – time to really start getting my mind focused and prepared for birth. This week I want to really refocus on listening to the Gentle Birth tracks, reading the book that goes with it and returning to my mindfulness challenge of 10 minutes each day – lets see how it goes!
Heres a little picture of Little Man and I taken this weekend for cuteness sake, he’s 23 months old now – not long till the big 2 so its time to start birthday party planning! We are trying to figure out what to get him for his birthday as its so close to Christmas, so he got a good run around some of the children’s shops this weekend – let me know if you have any good suggestions!
Anyway thats all my updates for now – thanks for reading this weeks pregnancy update – chat you soon!
Maverick Mammy 
Lovely read I’m relaxed just reading it so your definitely doing something right. Enjoy the last trimester it all goes so quick and I know we often wish away the aches pains and general uncomfortable feeling but I miss my pregnant belly and feeling of baba inside. Wooden train track is a great present x
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Thanks Gemma, it’s crazy alright how quickly you miss being pregnant, when I was pregnant with my first baby I used to chat way to my bump when ever I was on my own, after he was born I remember going to the bathroom and chatting to myself and then realising that baby wasn’t in my tummy anymore and I was just a crazy woman talking to herself! Going to enjoy all the chats this time round for as long as I can 🙂
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I enjoyed reading your post. I hope the third trimester is good for you. Ha Ha! I wish i’d had a four hour birth my labour took 3 days.
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Thanks Angela, here’s hoping for a four our birth too! Three days is a really long time – you must have been wrecked by the time baby came along!
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Good luck with the pregnancy. I hope everything goes well.
John
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Thanks John!
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enjoy your last trimester as much as you can, you’re nearly there! I’d had enough by this point and really regret not cutting myself some slack.
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Thanks Mum in a Nutshell, sometimes it’s hard to take the time to just enjoy it isn’t it! Looking forward to planning a few spa days soon!
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How exciting, I loved being pregnant and reading these updates makes me so broody x
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Thanks Freddieandi! Pregnancy is such a special time, I love reading other people’s updates too!
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Can I just begin by saying your son is adorable, I love his hair! I never knew doula’s were available in Ireland, all my care is through CUMH, I’m so naive when it comes to all these things even though I’m on my second pregnancy. I would love to try a pregnancy pilates class too, those light weights would be perfect for my unfit self! 🙂
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Thanks Fi, I never really knew much about doulas either before I discovered the gentle birth program but just knowing she’s going to be there, knowing the type of birth I want really helps put me at ease! It’s really worth looking into hiring a doula if it’s something your interested in. The pregnancy Pilates classes are great too, I thought I was fairly fit til I started these, it’s amazing how the use a completely different set of muscles 🙂
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That woman rocks, I am so glad that she stood her ground and carried out the birth exactly how she wanted to without following the advice of people who don’t know her body like she does! I hope that your gentle birth program goes well!
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Thanks Anna, you know it’s amazing how much modern standard low risk births are”managed” by care professionals rather than simply letting a women’s bodies do what they are designed to do. Women really need to be empowered to realise that they don’t give up all their rights once they enter a hospital and that they too have a choice during their care.
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Oh how exciting – the gentle birth method sounds wonderful. I had a hypnobirth with Pickle and it was incredible. Kaz x
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Thanks Kaz, it’s great to hear of more people successfully using hypnobirthing, hopefully it will work well for me too in the big day!
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Aww hope you enjoy your third trimester! I’m 36 weeks now and I’m finding the last part a massive struggle! It’s my third pregnancy though and my other children are 2 and 10 months, so it’s difficult!!
You have the same age gap I had with my first two and it was lovely!! Such a special time!
I’m so intrigued by doulas, I did look into it myself but sadly there don’t seem to be many around who deal with c section births.Quite a shame as there seems a lot of snobbish around it when there’s no reason mums going through a c section would be any less likely to need a doulas support.
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Congrats on your pregnancy Hayley! I’m finding it a lot harder alright having one other child in the house, you just can’t take it as easy and mind yourself as much – it must be tough going with two! Sorry you couldn’t find a suitable doula either – I totally agree that c section Mums need support too, my little man was born by emcs after 16 hours of labour and the c section itself was really tough 😦 Should be no reason for snobbery, Mums need lots if support no matter how they give birth!
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Happy third trimester 🙂 week 28 is going to be a series of scans, tests, injections and check ups for me. Although I like the sound of yours much better. Will have to see if there is a pregnancy pilates near me! xx
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Thanks mudpiefridays, really enjoying the pregnancy Pilates so far – it’s great to get a class in that lets you focus on your pregnancy and your baby for a little, it’s really enjoyable if you can find one near you to try!
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Seems we are in a similar position – I am 33 weeks pregnant and my little boy is 20 months! Good on you going to pilates, I am too lazy to find any pregnancy classes near me haha..
My labour and delivery was under 2 hours all together last time so I am hoping for that again. It was a lovely calm experience even though it went so quickly.
Wishing you a happy and healthy final trimester 🙂
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Congrats Ellen, we really are in similar positions 🙂 can’t believe you were done in 2 hours last time – here’s hoping for that for both of this time round! Best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy!
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Pregnancy is wonderful isn’t it. I did pregnancy yoga and got a lot from it. It sounds like you are doing everything to get ready for labour, so fingers crossed for a straightforward birth for you.
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Thanks Zena, I had a really tough time with baby #1 and found the c section really painful and the recovery long and hard so really trying to do everything in my power to set myself up for a natural birth this time – fingers crossed!
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