Pregnancy Blog :: Week 15

This week I felt the very first little wiggles from inside. Almost every evening since Wednesday I've been able to feel those telltale little 'butterflies' of movement. At one point I even exclaimed "ooh" and Mr. B. gave me a funny look.

The bump is now starting to show and an otherwise lovely lady from work remarked on how huge it was for just 15 weeks. Thanks.

Lara is very slowly beginning to get her head around the talk of a baby. She has gone from totally blanking me when I suggest that there is a baby growing in my tummy to now shouting "hello" into my naval and saying she can hear it crying!

I'm beginning to notice the exhaustion kicking in but my body seems to save it all up for the weekend. It's really annoying because I like spending my weekends with Lara and at present I'm so tired that I end up taking naps in the afternoon at the weekends. During the working week though I seem fine - it just doesn't seem fair that my colleagues get my quality time.

This coming week I have my first appointment with my consultant - a totally new experience for me. I have been referred for consultant-lead care this time due to my complex delivery last time and due to the unpleasant lasting side effects that child birth has left me with (the details of which I'm sure you don't want to know... especially if you've never given birth before).

Folic Acid : When & Why ?

Earlier in the year when we decided to start trying for another child I started taking folic acid tablets straight away. I knew from my first pregnancy that I should take them during the early stages of pregnancy but until I met my new doctor, I hadn't realised you were actively recommended to take folic acid before attempting to get pregnant.

My GP advised taking folic acid tablets as soon as we started trying to conceive - in fact he said for a couple of months before that.

A recent survey by Holland & Barrett found that many women are starting to take folic acid supplements too late. The research revealed that 53% did not understand the need to take folic acid three months before conception as recommended, with 13% thinking they could wait until they were pregnant and 23% not believing that it would deliver any value at all.

Kate Butler, Holland & Barrett’s nutritionist, says:

“It’s important to take folic acid before becoming pregnant so levels build up because problems can develop within weeks of conception. Women need about 400 mcg a day, which they can get through taking a supplement or eating foods such as green, leafy vegetables, fruits likes oranges and bananas, and organ meats such as chicken liver.”

Folic acid is a vitamin (also known as B9) that helps the body to produce and reproduce cells - naturally our bodies aren't that good at storing folic acid and many UK adults don't eat enough of the foods that provide it in order to keep their levels high enough. This is why folic acid is added to a number of foods such as sliced bread and (as i discovered during my first pregnancy) milkshake flavouring!

In the very early stages of pregnancy, women need even high levels of folic acid than normal. The main reason for this is in the prevention of neural tube defects such as spina bifida in the foetus but it is also believed to reduce the risk of a premature delivery, especially when taken before conception.

I spoke to Angela Chalmers, Boots Parenting Club Pharmacist, about the reason why GPs recommend that you take a folic acid supplement as soon as you find out you are pregnant, or decide to start trying for a baby. Angela explained that the neural tube in the spine develops during the very early stages of pregnancy (before 28 days). Where the neural tube fails to close and the vertabrae of the spine fail to lock around the spinal cord, this can leave a small gap in the spine which can cause a cyst to form. This can cause paralysis and loss of control over the brain. Angela told me that there is strong evidence to show that women who take folic acid during pregnancy have a greatly reduced risk of giving birth to a child with a neural tube defect such as spina bifida.

For most mums, the recommended dose of folic acid during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is 400mg but your GP will tell you if you need to take a stronger dose.

You can find out more about the reasons for taking folic acid before and during pregnancy at www.gofolic.co.uk

My Family Holiday Essentials

We have taken a few UK trips this year with our toddler Lara and we are planning at least one more trip this year in the run-up to Christmas. There are a few things I have learned about traveling with a toddler that are different to going on holiday with a baby.

When Lara was 1, I wrote a list of travel essentials for when traveling with babies so I've decided to update my list with a few bits and bobs I can't live without now I have a toddler instead.

1. Dream Tubes
   I featured the Dream Tubes on mellow mummy some time ago and they have really come into their own now. When we are staying away from home we ALWAYS pack them in our suitcase as hotel beds can be very high off the ground for a toddler. The Dream Tubes take up hardly any space in our suitcase and take only a few minutes to inflate; they provide us with peace of mind when Lara is sleeping in a bed that is not her own. You can buy a set for about £40 on Amazon
   


2. Booster Seat
   Earlier this year I featured some essentials for eating out with babies and toddlers and established that a travel booster seat makes eating out a lot easier than trying to squeeze into a highchair or cope with a toddler who can barely see over the edge of the table. We take our booster seat everywhere.
   


3. Ipod Apps
   OK, so maybe Lara is a bit spoiled to be allowed to use my Ipod but on the last two trips we have made, I have been thankful for the Ipod and the apps I have downloaded for her to play with. Most recently, Lara stayed in the same hotel room as us which is tricky at bedtime when we want to watch TV and we want her to chill out - being unable to take enough bedtime story books to last the full holiday, I also took the IPod and each evening she would wind down with her favourite apps and when she was ready, she simply switched it off and tucked herself into bed!
   


4. Backpack
   I guess this one kinda depends on what kind of holiday or trip you are planning. On our recent trip to Hereford we couldn't have done without it. A toddler who is old enough to walk but too young to cope with long distances or steep hills really benefits from a baby/toddler carrier. You can see our video of the Kiddy Adventure Pack and see what we made of it but I think its perfect for trips where a buggy isn't appropriate.
   


5. Shampoo / Body Wash
   For some people this might not be an essential but we always choose to take our own on holiday because of Lara's sensitive skin. On the few occasions when we have either forgotten, or else decided to save the suitcase space and used the stuff that the hotel provides, Lara's skin has really suffered.
   


6. Bibs
   Lara still wears a bib to eat and most pelican bibs are too bulky to pack enough. Our bibs are by Bibetta and we discovered them soon after Lara started weaning. They are so compact that I can fill the suitcase full of them!
   


7. Crayons and Paper
   Ideal for whiling away the boring bits between the fun bits! Some of Lara's best masterpieces have been scrawled while waiting for our evening's entertainment.