Our day out at The Baby Show!

Friday we headed to The Baby Show at Earls Court. I didn't go on my own, I took Xander and my pregnant friend Iwona. I went to the show in the capacity of a registered show blogger and was lucky enough to win a ticket with NCTBaby for my friend!

In an ideal world I would have braved driving, but the thought of driving in inner city London feels me with dread so instead we went by train. We opted to do the route overground and avoid the tube and the journey there was quite straightforward. Going from Farnborough Main station we changed at Clapham Junction and got off at Brompton West and walked just a few minutes to Earls Court. This was our first trip out on the train and I was surprised how accommodating the train staff and fellow commuters were to help us, with people offering to help us on and off trains with the buggy.
As it was Xander's first trip in a train I had to document it with a pic:

On arrival we presented Iwona's ticket and then I registered at the Press Office for my bloggers pack and wristband (which allowed is entry into the exhibitors lounge) and then began browsing the show.
We found lots of bargains and quickly started loading up the basket under the pushchair and bags!! (See my previous blogpost for suggested retailers) and also booked for the baby first aid session ran by The Red Cross. We also had the opportunity to hear Professor Robert Winston lecture on child development which was really interesting (he's a particular favourite of mine, I love The Child Of Our Time documentaries and show them to my students in my Sociology lessons!) so it was a real experience to see him in the flesh!:

About 1pm we was ready for some lunch and so took advantage of my Press wristband and entered the exhibitors lounge which was less busy for a cold drink and some food.

Something quite exciting was going on there: a series of pitches from up and coming baby companies to a panel of judges including Tom Pellereau (winner of The Apprentice 2011) We was lucky enough to get to meet him and even have a cheeky pic taken with him!:

After this we headed back to the show and attended the pre booked free first aid session. I thoroughly recommend this. The session was really well done and interactive, allowing you the opportunity to practice on dolls techniques to assist when a child is choking, CPR techniques and how to deal with burns. I feel we learnt a lot in such a short space of time and feel I could confidently use the procedures in case of an emergency with Xander. (Xander was so well behaved throughout the half hour presentation) In fact he was brilliantly smiley and happy throughout the whole day!)

After the session we headed back to do more shopping! I also had the opportunity to meet with several retailers that I have tweeted with regularly! It was lovely to put a face to (often sometimes crazy) Twitter aliases aswell as make some new contacts!

Our final highlight was the opportunity to meet and speak with Annabel Karmel who gave me some wonderful advice regarding weaning Xander given the possibility that he may also be a celiac and require a gluten free diet.

We left right at the end of the show, but could have easily stayed longer we had such an enjoyable day. However by leaving at that time we hit the awful commuter traffic. The journey home was completely chaotic. For some reason the direct train from Clapham Junction to Farnborough Main was cancelled meaning we had to take several trains to get home and getting on and off a busy train again and again with a loaded buggy was exhausting. But it was completely worth it for such an enjoyable day!!

Baby Show. Ready to go??

Today I visited The Baby Show with Xander and my pregnant friend Iwona in tow! We had a fantastic day!!

So here's my advice of how to prepare for your visit to the show and things to do whilst you're there:

1) I packed our changing bag full to the brim and it was completely unnecessary as I didn't use ANY of it! The changing area was fully equipped with nappies and wipes! A smaller nappy bag means more space for your shopping!
2) Make sure you pick up your freebies as soon as you enter the show! (free mum & me wipes and pack of decaffeinated Yorkshire Tea!
3) Before you go to The Baby Show go onto their website and print of the vouchers to claim your free MAM UK bottle and Nurture BreastLike Bottle!
4) Sign up as VIP at the MaByLand stall to receive your free wrist rattle!
5) Sign up to the Avent mailing list and get a pack of two dummy's!
6) Enter all the competitions!!
7) If you're going as a group don't be afraid to ask retailers if will do a group deal!
8) When you arrive check out the schedule of speakers so you don't miss them! They were brilliant today - you're in for a treat!
9) Try and book onto The Red Cross baby first aid course! Very worth while!
10) Pay £2 and pick up your pinkMade For Mums goodie bag! Excellent value for money!

Retailers you MUST visit whilst you're there:

Bibee Dresses: Launching at The Baby Show they offer a fantastic clothing solution for pregnant and breastfeeding mums and have a brilliant show offer for you!

Tutti Bambini: Had fantastic deals!! Bargain nursery furniture, toys and bedding!

Baby Rug: Get ready for the cold weather with their extreme baby rug! The perfect solution for keeping your baby warm whilst in a carseat or whilst baby wearing!

Buggle Snuggle: Check out their super snuggle fleeces for use in carseats and pushchairs!

Funky Box: Lovely, stylish and practical storage solution for your wetwipes!

Ruby and Ginger: Buy your Cosy Car Seat cover and matching accessories! They have some fab deals especially for The Baby Show.

Gumigem: Buy jewellery for mum that is designed to look amazing and help your baby through the teething process.

The Cozy Shop: Seriously the cutest, most snuggly blankets, cushions, bibs and toys for your little one!

They're are hundreds more fab retailers but these are ones that caught my eye!!

Whatever you do try to get yourself to The Baby Show this weekend for some brilliant deals and a fab day out!!

(I will post a more personal blogpost in the next day or so about the baby show, our journey there and back, what we did, who we met etc!)

The Third Trimester

The final 12 weeks seemed to drag! I tried to stay busy and worked right up to the end of summer term but I was literally on countdown and it always seems longer when you're counting down doesn't it? I felt like I was a small child counting down til Christmas!

My husband and family were brilliant in helping me cope with my impatience by organising little events throughout the final trimester for me to look forward to! All my family contributed towards a 3D scan of baby Tiddlywink - we went initially at 28 weeks but unfortunately the baby was lying awkwardly which meant we was unable to see the face so we rebooked and went back at 30 weeks (blogpost to follow) At 32 weeks hubby took me on a babymoon to Bath, at 36 weeks my sister and two best friends organised a baby shower for me and at 38 weeks I finished work.

Then I was at home ... Twiddling my thumbs. Waiting for Baby Tiddlywink. Those last two weeks until due date killed me because I knew there was a possibility that I may have to add two more additional weeks on. Also I was petrified of going into labour alone so didn't leave the house unless I was with someone.

On my due date there was still no sign of our little one. My sisters and brother popped around to visit and seeing how fed up I was suggested we all went for a curry to pass the evening. We went out and had a lovely meal. My sister dropped me off at my house about 9pm, hubby was still at work and my dad called asking how I was. I chatted to him for awhile, complaining that there was no sign of baby. I spent the rest of the evening knitting the final patch of the blanket I was making and watching the BBC documentary Midwifes (don't ask me why - I'm mad!) and waited for hubby to come home from his late shift. I was almost through the whole hour long programme when I realised I'd had a couple of twinges. Could this be it?! I called hubby up told him that it could be starting. I wasn't completely sure. He walked through the door at 11.20 and my waters broke at 11.30pm. This was it! Our baby was on its way!!

The Second Trimester (Part 2)

The second half of the second trimester wasn't as enjoyable! On a high from the 20 week scan and finding out we was having a boy, all of a sudden things dramatically changed.

The weekend after the scan was mothers day. I agreed to babysit my 10 year old sister and my brother overnight so my mum could have a night off. We had a really enjoyable night but the next morning I woke up and felt terrible. The room was spinning, I was dizzy and I couldn't stop being sick. Hubby didn't know what to do, and I was scared. In the end hubby called up my mum who rushed over and insisted he took me to hospital.

Fortunately it turned out I had a virus but it had caused me to be severely dehydrated and I ended up in hospital for four days hooked up on a drip. The only advantage of being in there was that I got to hear baby's heartbeat two or three times a day!

I saw this illness as a sign that I needed to slow down a bit. Work had been hectic and stressful. I needed to slow down the pace. Easier said than done being a teacher work is non-stop, but I made sure I had my breaks, a good lunch and went home on time.

Pregnant ladies, remember the most important thing is you and your baby. Don't take on too much and look after yourself. It's really important! I fell into the trap of thinking because I felt great in myself (compared to the first trimester) I could push it, but it's really not worth it. Take care.

I would love you to share your second trimester stories. Please feel free to leave a comment below

The 20 Week Scan!

We went for our 20 week scan a day after my birthday (13th March) To me it was the most perfect birthday gift!!

We had another early appointment (9am) but unlike the 12 week scan we both had to go into work afterwards.

On the drive to the hospital we discussed whether or not we wanted to know the sex of the baby. I desperately wanted to, but hubby expressed that he'd like a surprise. We had always said that we'd only find out if both of us wanted to know so surprise it was.

We arrived early, parked up, paid for the scan pics in advance and waited. We was called in and the scan began! We had an agency sonographer, she explained that a member of staff had called in sick. She told us to bare with her as she was unfamiliar with the machine etc.

She placed the jelly on my belly and up flicked baby tiddlywink on the screen!! She asked us we wanted to know the sex, we both said no and then she began showing us every little part of our baby. We couldn't believe the development in just 8 weeks! Little fingers and toes! So cute!

Next she had to check organs. Neither me or hubby could believe how clear the images were. All was going well with the scan until she went to check the heart.

Our little one had been very still through the scan and the sonographer had reassured us everything was ok, but she was unable to see the four heart chambers clear enough to confirm this. She said she needed the baby to move and so sent us for a walk and told me to drink a sugary drink and come back in ten minutes or so.

We did exactly that and ten minutes later we was waiting outside the scan room waiting to be called back in. We waited, and waited for almost 15 minutes more. In the mean time we'd seen the sonographer walking up and down the corridor to another office and talking to other staff.

By this point I was beside myself, convinced that there was something wrong with our baby. Maybe she'd seen something on the scan? The baby had been very still? My hubby tried to console me, to convince me all was well but I could tell he was nervous too.

We was eventually called back in. Jelly on tummy ... Here we go again. There was baby tiddlywink and right there and then movement!! A little arm stretched upwards and then our baby popped its thumb straight in It's mouth! I was suddenly reassured and breathed a sigh of relief!

The sonographer was able to take all the measurements she needed and began finishing up the scan by recording these on the screen. She was just packing up when out of the blue hubby asked if she'd noticed if our baby was a boy or a girl. She said she'd avoided that area on the grounds that we didn't want to know. Hubby asked of it was too late to change his mind!

We found out that day we was having a little boy. A perfect but lazy little boy!! Best birthday present ever!!

(My next pregnancy blogpost will be about my second half of my second trimester - which was quite eventful!)

So, what was your 20 week scan like? Did you choose to find out the sex of your baby or wait for a surprise? I'd love you to share your experiences. Please leave a comment xxx

The Second Trimester (Part 1)

So, back to the story of my pregnancy. Many claim that the second trimester is much more friendly than the first and on the whole i would have to agree that's accurate. I had hardly any morning sickness and was generally sleeping well... to start with! My second trimester was a bit Jekyll and Hyde. For this reason I've decided to divide my second trimester story into two posts:

The most exciting development for me in the second trimester was watching my bump grow!! The early bump just looked like i had eaten way too much over christmas! But that first time someone asks you when your baby is due because you have a real baby bump is a special moment! My bump grew quite quickly and there was lots of jokes that it was going to be a big baby... although this didn't really bother me as the labour still seemed a long way away.

At 16 weeks we went for our midwife appointment where we heard our baby's heartbeat for the first time. I could have listened to that noise all day! A welcomed reassurance that baby tiddlywink was growing well, seeing that we wasn't yet experiencing any movements.

We started planning for baby's arrival, planning the nursery, researching and buying the essentials (pushchair, car seat, Moses basket and cot) I loved wandering around all the baby shops and buying teeny tiny clothes!

The next big milestone to head towards was our 20 week scan which we had on the 13th March...

(My next pregnancy post will be about our 20 week scan)

Let me know about your second trimester experiences. Did your morning sickness go? Did you feel well?

The 12 Week Scan!

At 9am on the 17th January we was sitting in the waiting area of the hospital for our 12 week scan.

The weeks leading up to this momentous event had been very busy (with Christmas, Hubby's birthday and January exams taking up a lot of my time) yet at the same time they had dragged. Waking up everyday feeling extremely sick had taken its toll. Although in a way I was grateful for the sickness as at least it was an indication I was pregnant! At 12 weeks there's hardly any bump to speak of, no movements and you'd be hard pushed to find a heartbeat with a doppler especially if you are not medically trained. But today was the day we would see the beginnings of an actual baby!

The scan we had been to at six weeks was special but there was little to be seen just a tiny flashing dot, but this scan astounded me! You could see every little part of Baby Tiddlywink! The sonographer took all the measurements and did the calculations to indicate whether our baby was at risk of being down syndrome, all came back fine and we was given the date of the 31st July as our due date.

We was sent away with six different pics of our precious little one to gaze at. Here's our favourite one, with a little leg kicking up!

A little tip though with scan pics. They don't age well. The paper they use is not acid free. Store them in an airtight box wrapped in acid free paper to preserve them. Make sure you get some copies of them. I'm wary of putting them through the photocopier, scanning is best or take a picture of the original using a digital camera.

We both decided to take the complete day off of work that day. We was keen to do the rounds and notify family and close friends in person. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE social media sites like Twitter and Facebook but didn't want people to find out that way. I wanted to tell them and see their reaction and happiness firsthand!

For the rest of that day I couldn't stop staring at the little black and white photo of our little one tucked up all snug inside me!!

The Truth About The First Trimester...

I had such an idealised view of pregnancy. I couldn't wait for people to tell me I was 'glowing' and how well I looked! Well I'm sorry to disappoint any currently pregnant women who are still early on in their pregnancy ... This is NOT the case, well not in my experience anyway!!

I'd just finished hosting a Stampin' Up! Demo for some friends and family on a Saturday afternoon (see www.craftythinker.blogspot.com for details) and literally every attendee commented on how pale and tired I looked. After they had all left I sat down and thought 'hey, I am pretty tired' and then it clicked 'I'm pregnant!'. I had a couple of cheap supermarket brand pregnancy tests upstairs (brought just in case) and did one: it came out positive! I did the other (just to check) Positive! And then just to be sure i jumped in my car and drove to Tesco brought a Clear Blue Digital (a posh one, with a week indicator on it) Yep most definitely pregnant 3+ weeks! I couldn't wait for hubby to get home from work. The poor man barely stepped through the door when I jumped into his arms and told him the news! His response: shock! 'I didn't know it would happen so fast' was his reply. I have to admit neither did I but we was happy!!

I confirmed the pregnancy with my GP, again (sorry early pregnant ladies/ prospective pregnant ladies) a disappointing experience. You go in all excited, you expect them to do tests and ask tonnes of questions but no... instead my GP asked if I'd done a pregnancy test, was it positive? And then when was my last period. Gave me a potential due date and sent me away with the number of the midwife team to make my booking appointment! Talk about taking the wind out of my sails!

I called the midwife the next day, she was unsure with the dates and especially after hearing that my hubby has a history of twins in the family insisted that I went for a dating scan. She was absolutely lovely and thorough. Finally someone who showed an interest! She told me to call her back when we had a due date to book in our booking appointment!

Two days later hubby and I set off for the hospital. We was going to see our baby. Oh my god! (I have to admit I did another pregnancy test that morning just to avoid embarrassment/ disappointment.) We got there early and sat nervously. We was called in and told to pull my waistband of my skirt down and get up on the bed. Jelly on tummy, right this is it! We're going to see Baby Tiddlywink... But after a couple of minutes of staring at the screen nothing?! 'Oh no!' I looked at my hubby for support and then we both looked at the sonographer dreading the worse. She just calmly said 'You must still be quite early on in your pregnancy. We'll have to do an internal scan.' I looked at my hubby, face clearly full of dread! He didn't know what to say except 'Do you want me to leave the room'. I knew he had to be with me, I told him to stay. The internal scan wasn't as traumatic as i thought at all in all honesty and was completely worth it when I saw the flashing dot that was our baby! A tip though ladies: if going for an early dating scan wear a skirt, less embarrassing all round! We left the hospital with beaming smiles! So excited about what the future held.

We decided not to tell anyone about the pregnancy straight away, although almost instantly one of my best friends guessed. We was out on a girly date when all of a sudden she said 'Your boobs look big, oh my god ... You're pregnant!' It was lovely to have a confidant to share my excitement with!!

The excitement was short lived when the morning sickness arrived! I'm not sure why they call I morning sickness, for me it was morning, noon and night sickness. Work was unbearable. I'm a teacher. I teach 16-19 year olds and I'm on my feet all day. My classroom was the furthest away from a toilet and the nearest loo was a student one! I resorted to a bucket in my office! Oh the glamour!

At 8 weeks, with Christmas fast approaching I eventually went to the doctors. I just couldn't stop being sick. She prescribed me some anti sickness tablets that worked a charm! Within 48 hours I felt human again! Which was just as well as we had already committed to a Christmas themed fancy-dress party the day before Christmas Eve. (Mind you finding a fancy dress costume to hide my tiny bump was a challenge, but i succeeded!)

We had planned to tell our parents at 12 weeks after our scan, but on Christmas Eve I spoke to my Mum on the phone. She was all excited about us coming over the next day. I'm a celiac and have to follow a gluten free diet and bless her she was listing all the lovely food she brought in to accommodate my diet, prawns, cheese, pâté ... Basically everything I couldn't eat. I came off the phone knowing I'd have to tell my parents otherwise they'd guess anyway that I wasn't eating my favourite foods!!

Christmas was fab! I told my parents in secret! Asking them not to share with my extended family until after the 12 week scan. My mum grinned like a Cheshire cat all day and I was treated like royalty!! My dad was equally excited. The hardest part was hiding the fact I wasn't drinking! Possible covers: designated driver, recovering from yesterdays hangover, stomach bug ... i used them all. I'm an honest person and even these white lies played on my conscience, but it's protocol to keep the secret for the first 12 weeks and that's what we did.

A couple of weeks later (on my hubby's birthday) we had our booking appointment. Be prepared ladies, it's a bloody long appointment and you feel like you're playing a game of Mr & Mrs! You need to know not only your medical history but also that of every Tom, Dick and Harry in your family!! Our midwife Amelia was lovely, we left excited and with the date of our 12 week scan!!

(Next post will be about our 12 week scan)

So, what was your first trimester like? Any amusing stories? Any tips for mummies experiencing the first trimester at the mo? I'd love you to share. Please leave a comment!