23 weeks

Your baby now weighs a little over 500 grams and measures about 29 centimetres from crown to heel. Her hearing is well established and she can make out a distorted version of your voice, the beating of your heart and your stomach rumblings. Loud noises often heard in utero, such as the barking of a dog next door or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother your child when she hears them outside the womb.

Numerous studies seem to indicate that the unborn prefer classical music, especially Vivaldi. Play The Four Seasons for your child and pay attention to her movements. Does she quieten down during adagio sections and speed up for the allegro portions? You may have a budding conductor in your womb.
I don't know why this photo is so small!

I have been pretty hopeless with this blog! I always have ideas as to what I want to put up, but because I always access the internet on my Iphone (and have NO idea how to blog using my Iphone).

I will try to do a better job next week!

This week Ri was pretty sick, since August last year he has had about 4 bouts of random non-stop vomitting. It seems like a bit much for a normal 25 year old, so I've set up an appointment for him to see MY GP (I don't trust his GP).

So I've had Ri home during the day with me for two days, not as much fun as you'd think considering he mainly slept.

He has developed a new game with Pook's (bubs) this week. When she kicks his hand, he pokes her (lightly) and she'll usually boot him right back, and they'll have a back and forth for a little while. He says he is training her to reliably kick so he can teach her to kick maltesers.

He is going to be a great dad.

As for me? I've been pretty good this week! My itchy skin is getting better, I don't think my bump is that big yet. It's getting a little bit more difficult to get comfy at night. I'm getting full quicker and have to make an effort to eat smaller meals more frequently.

We have our first antenatal class tomorrow. Yikes!

22 weeks

Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn. His lips are becoming more distinct and his eyes have developed; though the iris still lacks pigment, his eyebrows and eyelids are in place. His pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily and the first signs of teeth are showing beneath his gum line. Before you know it, your baby will be smiling at you

It's been another busy week! We're looking at putting in an offer for a house this week (we don't think they will accept... but they are dreaming if they think they'll get much more with the market the way it is right now!)

I had my first appointment with a physio to start building up my strength and stamina.

We made a big effort to catch up with friends and family on the weekend.

Ri went out and bought our pram (a teal stokke - LOVE), a high chair, some bottles and a baby monitor.

I really would like the Stokke change table, but it's $1000 and you can get change tables from IKEA for $70, so Ri's plan is to buy the IKEA one and modified it to make it more like the Stokke one (higher).

I had a weird thing happen with my belly this week! I felt huge on Saturday and then woke up one Sunday to find that my bump has all but disappeared! (she changed positions apparently!)
I think the bump size has gone back to where it was on Saturday. So many people said to me that I was only going to get bigger from here on out that it was such a surprize to see it gone!
Even with my copy of 'what to expect' I am still getting a lot of surprizes!

Everyone says not to go out and buy stuff yourself as you will get heaps of stuff at the baby shower/when the baby arrives, so I've been doing my best not to buy things.

I was very happy to get this hello kitty onesie from a work mate this week!

I canNOT wait for the baby shower!

Maybe I should start planning it!

A date has been set for it in May.

All I know is that I want a LOT of pink! And balloons! And cupcakes!
I'll have to start researching inspiration!

21 weeks

The fetus now weighs about 360 grams. Up until now she has been measured from crown to rump but from this point on the measurement will be from crown to heel. And from crown to heel she is approximately 27 centimetres long. The eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed and the fingernails cover the fingertips.

Your baby can now hear your conversations. If you talk, read, or sing to your baby, expect her to hear you. Some studies have found that newborns will suck more vigorously when read to from a book they heard frequently in utero. If you want to try, pick a book now and read it out loud. Make sure you won't mind reading it over and over once the baby is here. It may be your baby's favourite bedtime story for a long time after birth.

In the last week or so I have POPPED! I was lying back on the couch on the weekend and looking at me made Ri go 'woah! when did that happen? You've really POPPED!'
Thank you hunny, even though I know you're not calling ME fat it still has a weird feeling to it when people start saying I'm looking 'big' or 'round.'
Here are the things that I have been thinking about in the last week.
Naming: Her nicknames are Pookey, Kookey or KiKi, she pretty much does have a people name, but I want to wait until she is born before I call her by that name. I've stopped telling people our top 3 favourite names as I got sick of other peoples opinions! One name in particular has been picked on a lot!
Kicking: She's been pretty consistent since that first kick last month, earlier last week she settled down a lot over two days, to the point where I was getting a little bit worried! So I had a rolo and a can of pepsi max with dinner and sure enough she started dancing around with all the sugar. She doesn't do a lot of repetitive moments, I find that she wakes up, has a couple of rolls, a couple of punchs and a few kicks and then falls back to sleep. I feel a bit of pressure changing now and then too and assume she's stretching.
Medications/Skin: My skin has been slowly recovering from that really itchy bumpy thing that I had going on a few weeks ago. I suspected it was a reaction to aspirin and last night I took it for the second night in a row after having about two weeks off only to experience what I call a 'thumping blood pressure headache.' My heart felt like it was thumping loud and fast in my chest and I couldn't sleep because all I could hear was my heart. I won't be taking it again tonight.
Buying stuff: I've bought her a lil dress and a bodysuit with a zip, mum seems to think that I'm going nuts and buying way too much, but I thought I was being restrained!
Maternity clothes: I have bought some black pants, some socks, a nighty, a bump belt and some (uh-hum) larger underpants.

I'm hoping to do another post tomorrow updating how we've started adapting its and pieces to help me when she's born.

18 weeks

Image is from babycentre.co.uk, and the next bit of text (about the developement of bubs) is from 3dpregnancy.parentconnection.com.
Your baby's ears are now facing forward and are completely formed so she can actually hear you talking now. You don't need to abandon your potty mouth just yet, but you might want to start thinking about it! Other highlights this week:

This week is also the beginning of ossification. And while that sounds like some long and involved paperwork you'll have to fill out, it's really a fancy medical term for the hardening of your baby's miniature bones. And that's a good thing.

Your baby's nerves are making more and more complex connections. Her sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing are all developing. A substance called myelin, which makes nerve connections travel faster, is now coating your baby's nerves.

Your baby now weighs between 5 and 7 ounces and is about 5½ inches long—about the size of a pickle from the corner deli. (You're familiar with pickles, right? Your regular accompaniment to a big bowl of ice cream?)
I am 18 weeks tomorrow and right now we are so busy! Aside from all the baby related running around and appointments we are currently looking for a house to BUY! We had thought we found the one last week, but unfortunately the pushy owners put it on the renters market and leased it out for a YEAR starting this week. And who is going to buy a house they can't touch for 12 months? I really REALLY want to be able to bring bubs home to OUR place and not mum's house.
We bought baby a Mose's basket on the weekend (photos of which are just above and just below this block of text). I just really wanted to have something baby in the house. A small hint around the house that a baby is on the way.


I have two appointments this week, one of which was today. I went to see my Orthopedic Surgeon today about natural child birth and bilateral hip and knee replacements. I had assumed from the start that the doctors would have one look at my arthritis and say C-section that I had not prepared myself for the idea of natural child birth. Now it seems like it is becoming MY choice and I don't know which way to vote. With my chronic lower back pain maybe a C-section would be best? Does it make me a bad person for not even trying?
I'll let you know what I decide!
This is yesterdays bump shot, 17w5d.



About three days ago I felt some flutters that I am sure was Bubs. I've been feeling them everyday since a few times a day. I can't wait for that first big kick!

Our baby

This will be my first post that I will tag as a 'pregnancy' one, so it'll be more lighthearted and about the baby.
Let me introduce you to him/her!
First of all isn't that just the cutest ultra-sound shot?
My husband, Ri says that they have my nose and his chin.
Most people seem to think he/she will be a girl. But I have to say that I dont mind either way.
I haven't felt him/her move as yet but I do try and sit very still at night in the hopes that I will feel that very first flutter.

Well this should be interesting

Hello. My name is Tori and this is my pregnancy blog.

My husband is insistent that I should keep a pregnancy blog because he thinks it could be a good resource for other people.
You see I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) since I was 2. It was diagnosed back in 1987. And doesn’t that make me feel old to type!
The RA is in every joint, with the exception of my hips and knees which were replaced 9 and 7 years ago respectively.
So this blog will be about two things the pregnancy and how arthritis impacts on my experience.
I am due in July, I’m approximately 15 weeks pregnant tomorrow, so I’ve known for a couple of months.

I guess the big question is where to begin?
I guess my first big worry with pregnancy and arthritis was if we’d even be able to fall pregnant in the first place. With a life time in the X-Ray department I was (I think understandably) concerned that my eggs had been ‘fried’ and that it would be a long hard journey to conception.
All I’ll say on that matter is that I was (thankfully) very wrong! There were no troubles at all in that department and I am so very lucky/grateful to be able to say that journey was non-existent.

We were very surprised indeed to find out that I was pregnant 3 days after returning for our honeymoon (Paris or Phuket is the answer to the question that I get asked after saying it’s a honeymoon baby... either Paris or Phuket).

We saw my GP asap and I tell you the first five minutes after telling him were quite scary! I don’t think he was convinced that our little embryo would be viable because I was still taking Enbrel at that stage. Luckily he got on to my Rheumatologist who was very upbeat about the whole thing and was not as worried about the impact on Enbrel. I think research is currently showing that is does minimal damage to the baby in the womb. (PHEW).
This was at five weeks, and my GP had me stop pretty much whatever I was still taking for pain or my arthritis (which was only Enbrel at that stage) and I was left on Nexium, Keflex and Celebrex. Plus pregnancy vitamins and calcium with vitamin D.
I stayed off Enbrel until week 12 of the pregnancy at which point I just could no longer take the pain. I was trying to work full time, was exhausted from lack of sleep due to pain and I felt I just had to take the risk and hope the emerging literature is right on the issue!

My two big pain killers of choice before pregnancy were Valium and Endone. I current am only taking Panadol, which you can imagine does close to nothing for my pain. The other thing I enjoyed for pain relief was a nice hot bath, which I have stopped doing as well.

I find pregnancy books and websites very annoying! There are a complete lack of solutions or compromises for pregnant women! When I went to look up what to do instead of having a hot bath there is nothing! When I looked up hot packs, all the advice ‘What to Expect’ would give me was ‘don’t risk it.’
I have full faith that my body can regulate the heat of a heat pack on my neck before it reaches the baby.
I guess there is a point when all you can do is use your best judgement. It seems that no one wants to be the one to tell pregnant women to do something radical like using a heat pack.

What I’ll do with the blog I think is two types of posts, ‘pregnancy’ and ‘arthritis’ posts. The arthritis ones will probably be very dull for those without arthritis!

Wish me luck.