Throwback Thursday The Countdown to Labour part1 Antenatal Class

This weeks TBT is a post from my previous blog. July 2011

Monday was my fourth iron infusion and our first antenatal class. Ashley came with me to the infusion after that I went to get us some dinner before the class. I bumped into a few of my work friends whilst I was there. It was really good to see them as I've been missing them and feeling very unsocial at points whilst I've been away.

What I expected

Our class had a lovely young midwife called Rebecca running it who I'd met before in the Maternity Assessment Center. It was not how I expected, not like the one's I'd seen in the movies with women sat between their partners legs practicing breathing techniques. I think they had separate 'Active Birth' classes for that which I'd been misinformed about.
Instead the first class was a talk through of labour and giving birth, what exactly happens in each stage, how to deal with the situation, when to get in touch with the hospital, pain relief options and so on.

                                                                                                                                                                   

Doesn't look fun

I knew roughly what I needed to about the stages but it was good to go through it in more detail and feel more prepared.
The one thing I hadn't ever thought so much about though, is the part after your cervix is fully dilated....when you've got past that pain, you then have to fit this baby through your birth canal! Whenever I'd thought about the terrifying prospect of giving birth before pregnancy, I always just related the cervix and the birth canal together, thinking they both widened and opened up. I suppose I'd just never thought about it properly. So talking about the actual giving birth, the 'pushing the baby out' part of labour in the class and solidifying the idea into my head, I did feel that fear coming back. It just seems physically impossible to me!

The main thing that got to me in the class besides that was talking about epidurals. Dear god I am NOT having one of those! I know you can never predict what will happen but the thought of that huge needle...and mainly the location where it goes (....it could so easily paralyze you if it was done wrong) are what put me off! My naivety again became apparent to myself as I didn't realise a needle is left in to control and keep the dosage going. Whilst the midwife was talking through this my blood pressure was dropping and I came close to passing out. My very real needle phobia took over. You would think I'd be long over them by now but no!

After the talk she took us to see the Delivery Suite rooms. There were two types, one being a bit more homely with a separate room with a massive bath, which I would prefer if I get to choose when the time comes.

Giving birth - a scary thought?

Its funny, since becoming pregnant my feelings towards giving birth have changed a lot. Previously I had a morbid fear of child birth, I used to think that I couldn't do it and I would have to have a C - section and if not definitely an epidural.  Now they are the LAST two things I want!
During most of this pregnancy the thought of giving birth hadn't scared me at all. I think I was so in love with this new life I'd created and the excitement about meeting her, the worry and fear didn't factor in anymore.  You make the connection and your focus changes.
 I have to say though, now that I'm counting down the final days until my due date (9 days left at the time of writing) I am getting a bit nervous. I still partly can't imagine/believe it's actually going to happen, but with the back pains and what I assume are braxton hicks that I have been getting the past couple days it is starting to feel more real. 

Clinica Tissue oil and vitamin E cream Review

Whilst pregnant with G and for a few months afterwards I entered A LOT of pregnancy and baby competitions. I managed to win quite a few (I probably entered about 200!!) 
Out of the a couple I won when pregnant, two were for Clinica products; one run by Bizzie Babies Facebook Page and the other by Mumstreet.co.uk.
Here is the review I wrote whilst pregnant and trying it out.

The prize from the former was a 200ml bottle of Clinica's tissue oil and the latter, which was sent by Clinica itself, was a 200ml bottle of tissue oil and two tubes of their vitamin E cream.

My mumstreet.co.uk prize

I was obviously keen to try out the tissue oil due to being pregnant so it was a great product to win, but not only that, I have sensitive skin. 
It's less problematic than when I was younger but I also suffer from dry skin. In general it just needs a bit of extra TLC, so I was very pleased to receive the vitamin E cream.

The Clinica packaging stands out to me, clearly labeling the uses of the product on the front of the Vitamin E cream (and the side for the tissue oil) and it's active ingredients.
It may not be attractive but this is the kind of labeling and packaging that I'd go for now I'm older. I prefer the facts over a pretty design and knowing the product is going to do what I need it to so I won't be wasting money.

Currently it's only on sale via their website Clinica.

 Clinica tissue oil:  

As the packaging and website tell you, it "contains a blend of natural oils, which soothe and nourish the skin and nails."

It can be used for:

• Ageing Skin
• Blemished skin
• Treatment and prevention of stretch marks
• Skin containing scar tissue
• Before and after pregnancy massage oil
• After sun treatment
• Dry, dehydrated skin conditions
• Moisturizing/therapeutic bath oil
• To assist in refining the skins natural oils and moisture

Extra info:

• The oil is rich in Vitamin E, Evening primrose oil, Almond oil and coconut oil extracts
• Its a non greasy & non staining formula
• It's safe for all ages

So its not only useful for pregnant women to care for their skin whilst its under a lot of strain, but it can be used for those who perhaps have had operations and accidents, those with skin conditions (i.e eczema which I had as a child) and those just wanting to take good care of their skin.

It contains the all important ingredient of Vitamin E, found in many good skincare products, the benefits of which can be read about here: Healthy Skincare and evening primrose oil, which among its many medicinal benefits is great for the skin.

My BizzieBaby Prize

  

When using the product I found it to have a pleasant fragrance and only a few drops were needed to cover and massage into the areas you are treating, and with a bottle this size it means it won't run out too quick even with every day use. Which is handy as it advises you to use it morning and evening. I have used my first bottle a few times and as you can see, there is still plenty of the product left.

I've been lucky and don't seem to have any stretch marks apart from one on the top of my thigh, and a few old ones have become a bit more prominent from when I was on steroidal treatment for an illness, but without this my skin does become dry, tight and itchy due to it being stretched too much, so I have no doubt this oil is helping my skin stay in a better condition. Its a quick relief from the irritation and its long term affects are protecting my skins components and helping me avoid any further skin damage.

The 200ml bottle retails at £10.80, with a smaller option of 60ml also available at the price of £5.40.

Clinica Vitamin E Cream:

From their site, a 100g tube of this cream retails at only £3, which is a great price for such a beneficial product, and I received 2 of these. If buying myself I would go for the even better value of the 500g Jar which is only £4.80 ......five times the amount for less than £2 more.

Again the clearly labelled packaging tells you all you need to know, that its is " B5 and Evening Primrose enriched".

Ideal for: 

• Dry skin
• Sun Damaged skin
• Scars
• Stretch marks
• Wrinkles
• Ageing Skin

On the back: The cream "is a specially developed hypo-allergic formulation for dry, damaged and ageing skin. Vitamin E is not only responsible for repairing damaged skin and enhancing elasticity, but also as a potent anti oxidant. /with regular use, your skin will have the ultimate anti-oxidant protection". 

So again this isn't just useful for during and after pregnancy, its great to take care of your skin if it needs that extra bit of TLC if you're not a teenager anymore, which sadly I'm not. I struggle to deal with the fact I'm 25 now but hopefully I won't have to struggle looking after my skin now I have these products. 

As I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy I'm pretty sure my tummy is as stretched as it can be (so knowing my luck even thought I think I've escaped without stretch marks, they are all going to turn up in these last 3 weeks). I have also developed some dry skin by my belly button, and this cream has been great to settle it down, stop the the itching and soreness and keep the area well moisturized. I'm also extremely prone to sunburn, and although I'm sensible and usually remember to put my sun cream on, this is great for extra protection and recovery after you have been out in the sun.

Its also non greasy and easily absorbed into the skin. 

                                        

After I'd written this review the next time I used the oil I did suffer a reaction to it. My skin became extremely itchy and I couldn't stop scratching my bump! This resulted in something what would fit in well in a horror film. As your skin is so stretched and tight when you scratch it leaves blood like brusies.
However I used the vitamin E cream and it soothed and calmed my skin down. 
I

Throw Back Thursday - My anomaly scan, half way through my pregnancy journey

This week for Throwback Thursday I thought I'd do a post from my old blog. One from my pregnancy. So I hope no one gets confused as I'm not currently pregnant. Hopefully I will be again at some point in the future when in a better situation so I can give my little girl a sibling. For now however here is my post from when I'd had my anomaly scans whilst pregnant with G.



I'm sat here with my sweet affectionate little cat all cuddled up on my knee.....just wishing she'd blooming move! I really need to switch positions because of my horrible back ache.
Although I know my biology and have a degree, it turns out there's a lot you just don't know about pregnancy until you go through it yourself. Like for example the hormones soften your spine and make you more prone to getting achey.

I have quite a few ups and downs already and I am only 23 weeks 6 days. I was really starting to think I hated this processwhole pregnancy lark until a few weeks ago when I finally felt my baby move.

I thought I'd felt something a few days previous, but then ruled it out as my stomach doing strange things, but as I sat at work doing some data entry, chatting to a colleague, I experienced what felt like a little kick, then another knock, then some kind of wriggling movement and another kick!
At first I didn't say anything to anyone I was just in amazement and sat there with a massive smile on my face, almost laughing as I carried on typing and every now and then over the next ten minutes I would feel my baby move about.
Since then I have been able to feel the movements and that day it just pushed all the naff pregnancy experiences so far into the background and made me remember its all worth it.

My lovely sis got me one of these soon after to keep my mind at rest.

I left telling many of my friends for a while, because I found the majority of my first half of pregnancy pretty scary. It's a good job I was ignorant to the life growing inside me for the first ten weeks or I would have been a nervous wreck. I am a bit of a worrier in the first place but to make things worse my antenatal care was all over the place because of moving house and incompetent staff. Add that to a pre existing medical condition and you have a stressed young lady! I had to fight to get my blood tests done at the anti natal clinic and try and sort many things out by myself with no midwife to guide me. Finally I got a new one at my new GP's, I'm not sure how good she is, but when she used a doppler and let me know my baby was ok by letting me hear my babies heart beat for the first time, she was my hero. It was such a relief that I ended up posting on facebook.....and that is how many of my friends found out, besides the lucky few who had known pretty much from the start.

 One of my worries about how my baby was doing was due to my lack of bump ....sometimes it seemed like one, but my period of awful pregnancy bloating was usually the cause and my stomach would be mostly flat without it. I knew people developed differently but seeing my friend Taz's bump at work and seeing Mel's progress online with her lovely bump, I got a bit paranoid, despite my sister telling me she'd been the same and didn't show at all at 17 weeks. Then three weeks later this popped out of nowhere:

             
 I finally had a baby bump!


 Its grown rapidly since then so I really need to take some new pics so I've got something to remember it by.

My baby is very lively and moves about alot. It always makes me smile when I feel it, especially a few days ago when in the bath there was a kick and I saw my belly move. I was sat laughing to myself as I watched it happen

I was a happy bunny =) but not as happy as the day I had my anatomy scan, two weeks ago this Thursday.

I was so excited that morning, I felt like it was my birthday or Christmas and I only got a few last minute niggles as Ash and I were sat in the ultra sound waiting area before the sonographer called us in.
Seeing my baby on the screen was amazing but also a little scary as she was doing the measurements ( or attempting to when my baby kept wriggling off ....she's an active one apparently) and zooming in at everything. When she finally told me everything was just fine I felt a heavy weight just lift, the stress just evaporated from me. Then we got shown our babies tiny feet and and arms and hands and as she zoomed in on the face, our baby was yawning. Baby then stretched and we saw it's arms and tiny hands going up to it's face, it was magical, I felt so unbelievably happy and amazed.

Then, as I'd decided several weeks before I wanted to know if it was a girl or a boy (although I really didn't mind by this point as I was so blown away) it was time to find out the gender.
I think baby was getting a bit tired or maybe just a bit shy as after lots of prodding and shaking he or she still wouldn't open their legs. The sonographer was lovely though and told me to go for a wee and it would be less pressurised and maybe we'd get a result then. However after more gentle wriggling of the babies legs it was still a no show. She didn't give up on us and told me to sit up to let baby move about and she'd go write up the notes and try again. Ash talked to my stomach in the hope baby would be listening =)
Baby must have been as on the final try the sonographer managed it and we heard the news that baby is a GIRL.

 And here she is: 

 

  

I started my baby shopping after this, but that along with everything else will have to wait for another post.