Invasion Of The Body Snatcher

So recently I have been referring to Noodle as "The Little Body Snatcher" (only in whispering of course, seeing as Noodle can apparently hear outside the womb from this week). At the moment it feels as though I'm not in control of anything to do with my body anymore. I crave the weirdest things (french fries dipped in ice cream), I have aversions to my favourite foods (scrambled eggs and yoghurts), I cry at the most stupid of things and I constantly need to nap.

I have no control over these at all and it's weird. It's almost like I'm on auto-pilot and just watching the world go by in a body that no longer belongs to me.

Oh, and not to forget the travel sickness, which I have never experienced in my puff before now. Simple trips on the bus are no longer simple, I have to plan ahead. Sick bag - check. Finding a discreet seat on the bus where I can barf without being glared at - not so easy. People are quite rude about it too. There's been a couple of times I've overheard someone saying "Ew" or "That's disgusting" or they give you a disgusted look. The first time someone did it, I got off the bus at the next stop and burst into tears. It's not like I can control it! The next time someone said something I turned around to them and shouted (yes, shouted, on a public bus) "I'm pregnant you twat, get a f***ing grip!". I was so angry I could've thrown my sick bag at him. So yes, untontrollable tears and angry outbursts, also part of the Little Body Snatcher's agenda.

On the plus side, I have felt a little bit of movement in the incubator chamber lately! No, it's not gas. It's weird to describe, kinda like when you hold a goldfish in your hand. Although the midwife has explained to me that my placenta is lying on the front of my uterus and it will take longer for me to feel Noodle move and kick, so I'm quite jealous of my co-worker, who is due 2 days before me, who can already feel big kicks and lots of movement. But I know it will happen when Noodle is bigger and can manage a bit more force behind those roundhouses. It is reassuring just now to feel little flutters and quite cute too :o)

Dabble With A Doppler?

Well today saw me taking a trip to the hospital for my Down Syndrome & Spina Bifida blood tests. The bus trip was uneventful although there were a couple of teenage girls at the front of the bus who were so loud I just wanted to throttle them.

Nurse listened to me today and only decided to take blood from my hand, although it's damn sore being taken from there! So I'm not a total pin cushion but I'll be bruised for the next couple weeks again :o(

But then I got to hop up on the bed and nurse got the fetal doppler out to check for the baby's heartbeat. "Now it may take a while to find it so don't panic, it's normal" warned nurse. "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" Nurse hit the sweet spot right away! I got to hear our little Noodle's heartbeat for the first time!! It was amazing, it just added another dimension to how I can love my baby. Seeing the heartbeat is one thing, that little flicker on a screen, but to hear it was even better :o)

So the question now is - to buy a doppler or not? You can rent them pretty cheap, about  £15 a month, and it means we can "drop-in" and have a listen to Noodle any time we want. It allows you to hear the baby kicking (if you prod them for a bit they kick at the microphone), hiccuping and the heartbeat, so I think it's a good thing as Scott will probably get a bit more involved with the pregnancy if he realises the baby can interact with you.

On the downside, I'll probably panic if I can't find a heartbeat one day, I know sometimes they baby can turn a certain way and it prevents you hearing it.

So. To dabble or not?

Show And Tell

Well today was an experience! I went to bed looking and feeling pretty normal and woke up with a rather lovely surprise - a proper little baby bump! It seems as though Noodle decided to pop out and show the world he/she is actually here and not just a figment of our imagination :)

If you had seen me yesterday you would have thought I'd just put on a little weight or was retaining some water, but over night my body has totally changed shape - my face is no longer puffy and any weight that showed on my back has suddenly all shifted around to the front to produce a nice round bump!

I have to say that going into work was quite something also, it was like taking a new toy to show and tell! All the girls noticed that I had "bumped out" overnight and none of them could resist giving the bump a little rub when they saw it (still don't know how I feel about being petted by everyone but I suppose it's going to keep happening until Noodle comes out, so I better get used to it!)

I can't say how happy I am today. I finally look pregnant as well as feeling it! Along with the new bump I started to notice that I can't bend, move or sit certain ways without feeling a twinge of something warning me that I might be about to crush a vital baby body part, so I've started acting more like a pregnant lady!