Thursday 31 October 2013

Follow Up Speech Assessment - 20 Months Old

When C was 16 months old we took her for a Speech and Language Assessment at our local Children's Centre.  It was not the fact she was not saying the five or so words you would expect from a child her age, but more that she was not doing the usual babbling.  No Mamama, Dadadas, Bababas etc.  The only sounds she would make were guttural throat sounds, nothing that required her to use her mouth and tongue.  I was worried that without these essential building blocks that most children develop at 9-12 months then she had nothing to build on.  The upshot of that appointment was that they agreed with my concerns and would reassess in 4 months time to see what, if any, improvement she had made in that time and decide on a course of action.  

....So here we are 4 months later....

Wednesday 30 October 2013

A Monster Baby Shower

Last weekend C and I attended a toddler Halloween party arranged with our group of friends from one of the baby groups I attended.  As a group we did one last year too, when C was 9 months old.  Now the majority of the Mummies are back at work, we look forward to occasions like these where we can get together on a weekend and have a catch up.

I am the first of the group to be expecting baby no. 2, however two of the other Mummies are pregnant, one of them due just 2 weeks after me.

                                                                                                                Halloween 2012 (left) and 2013 (right)

36 Weeks Pregnant - Uncharted Territory

This week I am 36 weeks pregnant.  This is an especially important milestone for me as C arrived at 35 weeks and 5 days gestation.  I have never made it to 36 weeks before.  Although extemely relieved to be here (preterm labour is no fun), it did make last week a bit of an anticlimax as I couldn't help but wonder if this baby was going to make a similarly early appearance!

I am definately bigger this time around but do not have the same hip problems I had when pregnant with C. Aside from the increasing tiredness and generally imobility, I am feeling pretty good.  Labour does not feel imminent... but then it didn't with C.  I was enjoying a perfectly normal afternoon until my waters broke.

Sunday 27 October 2013

Preparing your pet for a new baby

I have been lucky enough to be invited to write a guest blog post for Wriggly Rascals in response to a post from reader Erica who has concerns about introducing her pet to her new baby when he/she arrives.

For many of us, our pets are part of our family.  Some would even go as far as to call them our surrogate children.  I have always loved animals but struggling to conceive increased my need to surround myself and when I did eventually fall pregnant I had amassed 4 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 1 rabbit and 10 chickens.  They gave me something to focus on and the cats especially were my babies.

Like Erica, when I did eventually fall pregnant, I did worry about the effect it would have on my animals.  In my case particularly my cats.  Not only would they not have my undivided attention going forward but their quiet kitty pad was about to be turned upside down!


About Wriggly Rascals

Wriggly Rascals was set up by Shona Motherwell, a frustrated mum of twins Mhairi and Archie to get mums together to share pregnancy, baby and toddler advice via quick surveys to get the facts about what other mums do. Our mums pass on loads of great tips to mums who have asked for help. If you would like some advice, get in touch at www.wrigglyrascals.com

Tuesday 8 October 2013

33 Weeks Pregnant - PCOS, Pregnancy and Diet Part II

When I was pregnant with C I was advised that because of my PCOS I was at increased risk of getting Gestational Diabetes (GD).  I therefore was very conscious of what I ate throughout that pregnancy and did extensive research and experimentation into what food combinations I could and could not eat.  I summarised my findings in a blog post at the time.

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Pre-Natal Anxiety - Coping With Being a Mummy of 2

I am getting increasingly anxious about blue bumps arrival.
Only 7/8 weeks to go officially.... or as little as 3 if C is anything to go by!
At 32 weeks pregnant I am starting to find days at home with a young toddler a challenge.
The fault is not hers, I am just not as mobile as I want to be and I tire easily.
Getting out of my seat to help her with a task takes effort.
Sitting on the floor to play is uncomfortable.
Simple tasks like preparing meals and washing clothes are exhausting
and keeping my eyes open past 2pm is a struggle.
I find myself hoping the last few weeks of this pregnancy pass quickly...
...but then I think about the new challenges that will bring and I am terrified.