Courtney’s pregnancy diary: Week 33

With a bit more than six weeks left until the baby is due, it’s safe to say I’m on the home stretch! I’m beginning to find myself in that very familiar ‘nesting phase’ of organization, tidying, planning, last-minute purchases, etc. Just this week I brought our moses basket out of storage because I want to replace the mattress and have it all ready for when the baby arrives. Just seeing the moses basket in our bedroom is making it all feel real. Soon there will be a baby lying next to my bed!


I’m still feeling pretty well, albeit a bit more tired and certainly a bit more heavy. I’m starting to feel pressure and the occasional cramping pains, especially if I’ve been on my feet all day (which is quite difficult to avoid when you’ve got two little boys to chase after)! It feels like the baby is already quite low in position, but I think this is pretty normal for a third baby. In any case, these cramps and twinges are all a sign that the birth is not far away.

Now, if only I could decide on a name for the baby I would be one step further to being fully prepared…


-Courtney

Courtney’s pregnancy diary: Week 31

I’m afraid I’m becoming a bit redundant with my weekly pregnancy updates, but this past week was another uneventful one. I suppose this is a good thing, as I’m still feeling really good, still have plenty of energy, and still getting enough rest in the evenings. And, thanks to my two other munchkins keeping me busy, I even sometimes forget I’m pregnant entirely… Until I bend over to grab something off the floor, or bump into the wall with my bulging bump! The growing belly is definitely a constant reminder.


My husband and I are starting to think about baby names, which is more difficult this pregnancy because we don’t know the sex of the baby. (Previously, we knew we were having a boy, so it was easier to focus!) These days I am constantly scanning street signs, studying the newspaper, reading (and re-reading) baby name books, etc. We still haven’t come up with anything we love. Thankfully we still have two months to go…

-Courtney

Courtney’s pregnancy diary: Week 30

I’m 30 weeks pregnant today, and I’ve just had a visit with my midwife this morning. Have I mentioned how much I love my midwife? She comes to me for all appointments, so I never need to leave my house. I usually make tea and we have a nice visit while she takes my blood pressure, listens to the baby, takes all the measurements, etc. Having a private midwife is especially handy when you have other children, because you don’t have to drag them along to the GP, or arrange for childcare. It’s also nice because she is the same midwife who we used for the first two labours/births, so she is familiar and she knows my body, etc. It’s a wonderful luxury.

The visit went well, and everything seems to be right on track. The baby is growing, and already positioned with his/her head quite low. I’m starting to feel the affect on my bladder, as I now have to make frequent trips to the bathroom, both during the day and throughout the night! I suppose there’s only so much room in there, so everything gets a bit squeezed. Apart from this, however, I feel great so I should really ‘count my lucky stars’ as the saying goes. I’m just trying to get my head round how quickly this pregnancy is going, and how I only have 10 weeks left!! Yikes!

- Courtney

Courtney’s pregnancy diary: Week 28

I’m writing this week from Amsterdam where I’ve been for the past 5 days, staying with my friend, Esther, and her family. (Esther also writes for Babyccino!) I thought I’d take advantage of my son’s half-term break from school and spend a week in one of my favorite cities. Esther has two kids who are the same ages as mine, so it has been fun for the kids… and of course wild (and somewhat exhausting) for the parents! Trying to get four kids out of the house is quite a task!

This week marks the beginning of the 3^rd trimester for me. Less than 12 weeks to go now, which is crazy. I’m starting to feel a bit more tired lately, but I’m hoping it’s the traveling and not a new reality… though I know it’s inevitable that I’ll soon be exhausted and enormous! I think I’ve also felt a few Braxton Hicks contractions lately, especially after being really active. I don’t remembering having them in my previous pregnancies, but I think they say that these painless contractions can become more noticeable in subsequent pregnancies. For me it is yet another reminder of what’s to come in 12 short weeks.

-Courtney

Courtney’s pregnancy diary: Week 26

Brrrrrr… It’s cold outside! And can you believe the snow? We bundled up our boys early on Monday morning and walked to the Heath to join the swarms of other Londoners enjoying the snow. It was unbelievable how many people were there – you could literally hear the roar of the crowd before you even got there. People were sledding on every slope in the Heath, and with every version of a sled you could find: lids of recycling bins, plastic bin bags, estate agent signs, cardboard, etc. How innovative the Brits are!

My boys loved the snow, but I’m personally tired of it! I know it’s wishful thinking, but I was hoping the few sunny (and slightly warm) days last week were an indication of an early spring! I’m ready for warmer weather already!

Pregnancy wise, there’s nothing really new with me. I’m still enjoying the ‘easy’ phase of pregnancy it seems -- I’m still sleeping okay, my bump is big but not yet obtrusive, and I still seem to have plenty of energy. I’m enjoying it because I know it doesn’t last! I don’t want to jinx myself, but it seems I feel better this pregnancy than the previous two!

-Courtney

Courtney’s pregnancy diary: Week 25

This week was somewhat quiet and uneventful. No major changes physically, no appointment with my midwife, no big news…

But I have been thinking lately about my birthing options, and still haven’t decided what to do!! Should I opt for a home birth, or should I choose and register myself at a hospital?? I know I have a few months to decide, but the time will go quickly and I’ll probably be undecided up until the moment!

Let me give you some history… For both my previous pregnancies I chose to use a private midwife for all my antenatal/birthing/postnatal care. I liked the comfort of seeing the same midwife for all my appointments, and I loved the more relaxed and homeopathic methods that a midwife uses in comparison to many private doctors. Both times I had hoped to have my baby at home (I had visions of dim light, candles, music, my own bed, my own bathroom, etc.), but unfortunately both my babies were born in the hospital, one with an epidural and the second completely naturally. My labours were both extremely long and very painful. Both times my body took a really, really long time to dilate to the full ten centimeters, and despite what people had told me, my second labour took even longer than the first.

So, while I still love the idea of having a baby in the comfort of my own home, I’m also afraid that a third labour will be just as long, just as painful, and will result in the same way – at the hospital. Maybe this time I should just head directly to the hospital from the start, ask for an epidural, and enjoy a less painful and dramatic birth. (It would be nice to avoid a late-night, last-minute, traumatic drive to the hospital!) But then again, perhaps the third time will be the charm? What to do… what to do?!

- Courtney

Courtney’s pregnancy diary: Week 24

Today as I’m writing, I’m sitting at my desk looking out at (partly) blue skies and sunshine, and it honestly makes such a difference in my mood! We also took advantage of the sunny weekend with long walks in the Heath, which always makes me feel really energized! So at the moment I’m feeling really good, both physically and mentally. I like this period of pregnancy when energy levels are up and you’re not too physically burdened by a big bump!


The baby’s kicks are starting to get stronger and stronger, even to the point where they wake me up at night. I don’t mind though – I like the occasional reminders of a little life inside me. My oldest son, Easton, can feel the baby kicking, which is quite fun for him. He’s at the age (3_) where they start to understand pregnancy and babies, so he is getting excited about the idea. I think he’ll be a really good big brother, or at least I’m hoping so! I’m sort of hoping (fingers crossed) that because I have two boys who are really close, they won’t be as affected by a new baby in the house. Hopefully they’ll distract one another enough that I won’t have to deal with sibling jealousy and displacement this time around. Wishful thinking maybe… but I have to tell myself these things in order to get my head round the idea of having three little kids!


- Courtney

Courtney’s pregnancy diary: Week 23

I’ve just returned from a nice long holiday in the states, and it is back to business as usual for me. Back to our normal routine, back to school for my oldest son, back to work for my husband, back to the never ending pile of laundry… ugggh! Time flew by while on holiday and I can’t believe I’m 23 weeks pregnant already. Only four months to go!


Today we had our 20-week fetal anomaly scan at the Fetal Medicine Centre. The scan went really well and the baby looks perfectly healthy! Unlike with our previous pregnancies, we didn’t find out the sex of the baby this time. I just don’t want to know. It’s an interesting feeling when you already have two children, especially two boys. Everyone assumes that I would, of course, hope for a girl this time, which isn’t the case at all. I honestly, honestly don’t care. I know that no matter what the baby is, I will love it all the same. From the minute he or she is born, it will feel like that was the baby I was meant to have, and he or she will fit perfectly into our family. So, despite the demand from friends and family to find out the sex of the baby, this third baby will be a surprise!



Article by: Courtney

Courtney’s pregnancy diary: Week 20

I’m 20 weeks pregnant this week, so I’m half way there! It’s a bit scary because these past 20 weeks have flown by, so I know the next will also. I’m enjoying this part of the pregnancy because I still have plenty of energy, and my belly isn’t too big to be uncomfortable yet. I would normally be scheduled for a 20-week scan at this time, but because I’m away on holiday for the next couple weeks the scan is postponed until then. I’m definitely eager to see another scan of this baby!


I know the baby is getting bigger because my belly is growing, and the baby’s kicks are getting stronger and stronger. Even my husband can feel the kicks, which is nice for him because it’s a physical reminder of baby number three…


We’re enjoying the remainder of our winter holiday with family, friends and lots of food! I hope you all are too!

-Courtney

Courtney’s pregnancy diary: Week 18

These past couple weeks have been really hectic for me! With anticipation of baby number three due in the spring, we decided we needed a bigger home (my two boys already share a room, and there’s no possible way of squeezing in a third)! So we spent all of last week moving house, which was a totally exhausting and overwhelming experience. It’s always a bigger task than you think it’s going to be, and we were so surprised by all the stuff we’ve accumulated over the years! Thankfully, we only moved to a house around the corner from the previous one, and thankfully we have gotten past the worst of it all and are starting to feel really cozy and settled into our new place.

However, I think the move was hard on my body. My lower back, which is always an issue during pregnancy, has started to ache more than ever before… And I’m not even half way through this pregnancy!! I’ve started sleeping with all sorts of pillows surrounding me, providing support for my growing belly.

I had a doctor’s check last week, and everything is going well. Despite the stress of the move, and then a subsequent stomach flu which struck our home, my blood pressure and everything else is completely normal.

I’m now looking forward to a month in the States with our family for the holidays! My pregnancy hormones are in full swing and I’m craving my mom’s Christmas sugar cookies!

-Courtney

Courtney’s pregnancy diary: Week 15

This week was an exciting one because I started to be able to feel the baby kicking. It feels like tiny butterflies flying inside me – a very faint feeling, probably only recognizable because I’ve been pregnant twice before so I know what to expect. It’s a wonderful little reminder of the life inside me; sometimes I feel as if I have a secret nobody else knows. It’s also nice to feel the baby because these days my life is crazy busy and I often forget about the pregnancy entirely, so these tiny kicks are a fun reminder that indeed I am pregnant, and it’s nice to slow down and acknowledge it.

People are starting to really comment on my pregnancy – I must be truly ‘showing’ if it is this obvious. Even my son’s teachers at his nursery were commenting today about my pregnant belly (and also about how I will have three small children all quite close in age)! Yikes! But, it’s like I’ve said before, my husband and I are from big families so we’re used to the chaos!

- Courtney

Courtneys Pregnancy Diary: Week 14

The past week was really rainy, and it’s beginning to get dark earlier and earlier. I think this weather is having an effect on my energy levels as I still feel quite tired and lethargic. I’m into the second trimester now, so I should be feeling a bit more energetic! On the bright side, I’m no longer feeling nauseous, and my headaches have finally stopped. I’m also starting to look a bit more pregnant, which is always nice (better to look pregnant than just bloated)!


My normal J-Brand skinny jeans are starting to get tight in the tummy, especially when I sit down, and I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to squeeze myself into them. I noticed today that Blossom sells cute J-Brand pregnancy skinny jeans and I could not be more excited to go and try them out! I feel like a good pair of jeans is one of the most essential maternity pieces, and thankfully there are some good options out there which are stylish yet comfortable at the same time.


Looks like I need a shopping trip! I hope the sun comes out so I’ll feel more motivated…

Courtneys Pregnacy Diary

Courtney Adamo is the renowned London writer from the success-blog Babyccino. She will update us weekly about her life, now expecting her third child. Starting from today.

Courtneys Pregnancy Diary: week 13

Having been pregnant twice before, I feel like an expert this time around. I knew, when I was so, so sick in the early weeks, that I would feel better eventually – it was just a matter of time. All the pregnancy symptoms have felt very familiar to me, and I find that I am much more relaxed this pregnancy, perhaps because I have less time to worry about things.

My husband and I also knew what to expect at our 12-week nuchal scan last week; we sort of felt like wise veterans sitting there in the waiting room at the Fetal Medicine Centre. The fact that this is our third baby, however, made no difference once we were inside the room having our scan. Both of us still cried, just like we did with our first baby and our second. It’s amazing to see your little baby inside you, with all ten fingers and toes, kicking around. It’s also so amazing how, at only 12 weeks, the baby is so developed. It didn’t matter that we had experienced this twice before, we were still overly emotional and still in awe.

It’s a wonderful feeling to know that everything is as it should be – perfect and healthy. After having been so sick for the first twelve weeks and finally feeling better, and then after seeing our healthy baby in the scan, I am finally feeling very excited!

Now that the first trimester is behind me, I can focus more on this baby. I know that it will not be easy (no baby is), but we have always wanted a big family. After all, I am one of five, and my husband is one of seven (yes, seven!), so a bit of chaos is normal for us. My two boys are also very excited about getting a new brother or sister! My oldest son keeps telling people he wants a sister, but for some reason, I think it’s another boy…

- Courtney