Book vs real life: 21 weeks pregnant

October 19, 2016

 

 

What a week… I’ve been feeling like a neglectful mother due to a few big work projects and a photoshoot (I have really missed Phoebe, only making it home for her bedtime on a couple of occasions and hardly seeing her on Friday), but hey ho – gotta bring home the facon. That’s fake bacon for any non-Dubai dwellers.

 

I also had a really rotten stomach bug, which has knocked me a bit. Spending a day throwing up wasn’t fun (especially at the weekend – what a waste), but it’s all the more worrying when pregnant. Thankfully it passed within 24 hours, and I’m fully crediting a Pink Lemonade Lucozade that has been in the fridge for over a year, waiting to save the hungover day. It served a higher purpose, however, and can be found at Choithrams for anyone suffering from either sickness or a rough morning after.

 

Somewhere amid the madness we squeezed in the ‘big’ scan, where the doctor looks at all of the organs in detail – including the, erm, genitalia. And it’s a girl! You can read more here.

 

Confession time: while the doctor is the best in the biz, and highly recommended for high-risk pregnancies and births, I wasn’t a massive fan of us being called ‘mummy’ and ‘daddy’. Is it just me or is that a little, well, creepy? Our names are right there in the folder…

 

Anyway, moving on. At 21 weeks I’m officially over halfway there. Hurrah. I’m still feeling fairly high energy (aside from the stomach bug incident) and really enjoyed prenatal reformer Pilates last week, so plan to go back again tomorrow. Even though all the other women looked like models with small cantaloupes up their tank tops, while I felt like a pudding.

 

This week Bounty shares what’s going on inside this bump, as well as what I should add to my to-do list…

 

The book says…

 

At week 21 the average baby will measure around 27cm long and weigh around 360g but this will vary from baby to baby. They’re starting to gain weight now, and laying down some fat, which will give them that adorable chubby newborn appearance the moment you first set eyes on them!

 

I say…

 

Please pile on the chub, little one, because you weren’t looking too cute at the last scan.

 

 

The book says…

 

Amazingly your baby will now already have taste buds and can taste a variety of different flavours depending on what you’re eating and what’s entering the amniotic fluid. They will be swallowing this fluid now as they practice their technique.

 

I say…

 

Yes, yes, yes. Broccoli broccoli broccoli, not tonnes of toast. Got it. What I STILL don’t get, however, is the swallowing amniotic fluid thing. Are babies like fish? Why can’t anyone explain this to me?

 

 

The book says…

You might be thinking of booking your antenatal classes around now, if you have decided to attend them. Lots of women make friends for life at their antenatal group. Apart from the socialising, you’ll also learn about pain relief in labour, breathing techniques and your options in delivery at your classes.

 

 

I say…

We did antenatal classes at Healthbay Poly Clinic and I’d really recommend them to any first-time mums – if I’m being totally honest, I wanted my husband to come along so he could fully appreciate what I was going through/was about to endure. Basically, I wanted more credit. As a bonus, the midwives were brilliant, and the snacks included Spinneys cookies and boxes of apple juice.

 

Who’s in your class, however, is luck of the draw; you might get a load of duds, or you might make real friends that you’ll continue to see post-birth. Unlike the UK where NCT classes are organised by postcode, in Dubai attendees can be from all over the city, which can make meet-ups with newborns a bit tricky, but even a Whatsapp group of mums in the same boat as you can make a massive difference.

 

The book says…

 

Some mums-to-be like to sit and read story books or sing nursery rhymes to their bumps, or play them certain music – you might even find that there are tunes which make your baby mega active!

Talking and reading to your unborn baby is something that dads can get involved in to, and is a lovely way to bond before birth.

 

I say…

 

Sing nursery rhymes? This makes me cringe. If my baby is soaking up sounds then she’s hearing Robyn’s Dancing On My Own on repeat, and me yelling at morons on The Apprentice. As for her dad reading to her, I seriously doubt The Silk Roads: A New History of the World will be up her Jebel Ali.

 

 

Conclusion…

The biggest win of the week was discovering Seraphine’s leggings, which I’m wearing for exercise, lounging and out raving (jokes). They were Dhs65 from the Festival City store or you can buy online here. You might love them more than your firstborn.

 

 

You might also like… Team blue or pink? The gender reveal

 

 


5 responses to “Book vs real life: 21 weeks pregnant”

  1. So many things I love in this post – Pink Lemonade, Yes!! Spinneys cookies, Yes!! Up her Jebel Ali, bah ha ha ha! Glad you are feeling better, I’m on day 4 and have now put my back out too! sods law!

  2. laurie says:

    Sorry for the unrelated comment, but I just have to ask: how do you watch the apprentice here ?!
    We have a VPN but recently BBC iplayer has blocked it which is a pain, I miss the apprentice and GBBO so much 🙁

    • Helen Farmer says:

      I use a VPN called My Private Network – BBC doesn’t like it much, but if you keep persisting it does! I have to open new windows, refresh loads etc. Re GBBO – it’s on YouTube…

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