Induction Day

Hello lovelies,

So today is my induction date. A date I hoped I'd never have to keep! My due date was August 9th, and hoped baby would be here by August 12th when I had my next hospital appointment. But here we are 9 days late, and heading for an induction this evening.

I've been feeling mixed emotions about it. While the older generation think its great that we mums now know everything thats happening at each stage in pregnancy and labour, sometimes its not the best... As there are a million horror stories for each good story.

Being induced was the LAST thing i wanted to happen, as I know several people who had horrible induced births. Also, any information given by the hospital or healthcare advisors include 'what can go wrong' with being induced. Its easy to focus on that part! Of course, there are lots of people who also say that they had a quick and easy induced birth.

The hardest thing about having a date and time for induction is waiting for it! This week has felt like the longest of my life, waiting for each day to go by and getting excited at each and every twinge or movement thinking I was going into labour myself. It has been exhausting! I have been counting down the hours, feeling like i have so much to do, but not wanting to do anything at the same time.

I know that each labour is different and all I can do is wait and see how mine goes. If anyone is interested in hearing my labour and delivery story, please do let me know in the comments below/ facebook or instagram.

PLease send me your prayers and good luck <3 Stay tuned to my Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat for more frequent updates.

Faceboook HERE Instagram HERE and Snapchat username at 'Connikav'

Last night cuddling this little one from the inside in our own bed. Will spend tonight in the hospital beginning my induction and will hopefully have my baby girl in my arms tomorrow. Feeling nervous, anxious, excited and overwhelmed all at once! Having a date and time to count down to makes things harder, each hour feels like a lifetime, and each hour can be filled with overthinking and worrying about each little detail of what might come. The scariest part is the unknown! Having wonderful family and friends around make it easier, keeping me and my mind busy. I'm looking forward to this entire new part of my life and new little addition to my family ❤

Leg Swelling

Hello lovelies,

Hope all you pregnant princesses are keeping well.

This is a quick post with a few tips I have picked up on how to deal with the leg swelling which is all too common in pregnancy, especially the third trimester. As you know, if you read my blog, I got sunburned on my legs last month and due to that I got quite swollen and painful legs, ended up in the hospital and sent on my way with a few tips to help ease it. Whoops!

Who knew that your skin becomes crazy sensitive when pregnant?

Anyway, first things first; its super important when pregnant to remember to rest and put your legs UP! Up high! Ideally your legs should be above heart level and supported the length of the leg- by that, I mean to not have your ankles resting on a table and nothing under the rest of your legs- this gives a 'bowed' effect to the back of your knees and leads to other issues. Personally, I found that lying down with my legs up on the wall worked best as they are extremly elevated, supported, and it doesnt take too long for this to reduce swelling. I also like to lay in bed with pillows under my legs, not all night, but for the hour im on my phone before going to sleep (we all do it) is the perfect amount of time.

Ideally, try to avoid crossing your legs/ ankles as Im doing here, tut tut!

Secondly, a big one; Drinking water! I know we're all tired of hearing this one, but theres a good reason for it. Our bodies are made up 50-65% water, which is HUGE! We need to keep these water supplies replenished or we'll get dehydrated and start holding onto water which means bloating and swelling. Drinking enough can help to alleviate swelling overnight by hydrating muscles and flushing body waste.

Water also helps to regulate body temperature, which came in handy for me when I got sunburned and my body temperature was all over the place

And finally, Keep moving! Its so important to keep yourself moving during pregnancy, as I talked about in previous posts the hormone relaxin is at work causing our body functions to slow down by 30%, which includes waste removal from the body. Lucky us, huh? If youre unable to get out for a walk or are working in a sedentary job, simple stretches and movements can be just as helpful. So when youre sitting at your desk, or in front of the telly, you can still help prevent and reduce swelling by bending and stretching your feet 30 times, and opening and closing your fists 30 times. You can also circle and rotate your ankles and wrists 10 times each direction. This just helps to get the blood pumping and keeps the joints mobile.

Even after a few hours of standing, your legs can swell. You can easily tell you're swollen if you've been wearing socks. Just fab!

I hope this will help some of you who are suffering with swollen legs and hands. Anyone out-swelled their wedding bands yet? Im still wearing mine thankfully, but they do get a bit stuck at night time.

If there are any topics or posts you'd like to see me write about, please leave a comment below, or on my Facebook pageHERE.

Dont forget to follow me on Instagram too for more regular up to date posts HERE

Chat to you soon, Conni xoxo

Massage during Pregnancy

Hay lovelies,

Hope youre all keeping well, and you mamas-to-be are minding those beautiful bumps.

Im now 33 weeks pregnant and I certainly feel every bit of it, some days more than others. Picking things up off the floor has proven to be a challenge, and socks? Forget about them haha!

A couple of weeks ago I got badly sunburned on my legs and they swelled up pretty badly. It was very painful and uncomfortable, but a trip to the maternity department proved that it was nothing to worry about and just a result of the sun, thankfully! It was great to go straight to the maternity department, and not have to waste several hours in A&E, and the midwives were very friendly and helpful. I was recommended to keep my legs raised, and apply buttermilk to the area... Im not entirely sure why buttermilk, but it worked a treat. My poor legs are still peeling from the experience, but the swelling has gone down and I only have the usual evening-time swollen pregnant legs.

So to help the swelling and pain, I decided to treat myself to a full body massage.

I headed to Kayleigh, from That Skinny Girl, at The River Spa in the Knightsbrook Hotel in Trim. After a swim, I went for my massage, followed by a nice snooze (or snore..) in the relaxation room. It was heavenly! Just what I needed. So, as a massage therapist myself, who is trained in pregnancy massage, here are 10 benefits of massage during pregnancy:

1. Better Sleep/// Its no secret, that massage helps us to relax and sleep better. Win-win!

2. Reduced back and joint pain/// With the ever growing pressure of baby on our back and joints, massage is a great way to relieve, or at least reduce this

3. Improved circulation///

4. Reduced oedema/// A main reason for me wanting to get a massage; with improved circulation comes reduced oedema. Manual lymph drainage helps the body to eliminate excess fluid and swelling in the body. This was a big factor in reducing my swollen legs after the sunburn.

5. Reduced headaches/// Massage helps to recuce muscle tension. Headaches can be common during pregnancy, and tense muscles are a major cause of headaches. By stretching and massaging shoulder and neck muscles, the muscle tension is reduced= less headaches

6. Reduced stress and anxiety/// Taking time out for ourselves to relax and unwind is great for the head

7. Moisturising/// Skin can change during pregnancy, and as it is stretching its really important to keep it nourished. I love to keep the oils on my skin after a massage as long as possible for maximum absorbtion and lubrication.

8. Increased oxygen in the blood/// Good for mum and baby.

9. Aids digestion/// Due to increased blood circulation and elimination of toxins from the body, the effectiveness of the digestive system is also increased. And since pregnancy can cause constipation, massage is helpful.

10. Bonding/// Taking time out for you and you baby helps you to bond. We often become too busy with our daily lives to take an hour out of our day to think of the beautiful life growing inside, but a massage is the perfect opportunity for this.

Why not treat yourself to a massage before baby arrives?

Dont forget to follow me on facebook HERE and on Instagram HERE

Until next time, Conni xoxo

Iron and pregnancy

Hello lovelies,

I mentioned in my last post that I had been experiencing tiredness again since entering the 3rd trimester, thinking it was totally normal and i just had to deal with it.

But, at a hospital check up it was discovered that I'm actually anaemic! This means that im low in iron. Low iron levels during pregnancy can lead to several problems including pre-term delivery and low birth weight. Not everyone gets symptoms but luckily I did and have been able to correct it.

I began by feeling extremely tired, all the time. Even after a nights sleep, Id wake up feeling like it was past my bedtime! I also had dizzy spells and shortness of breath, teamed with really fast and hard heart beats (heart palpitations, or tachycardia I discovered this is called). My gorgeously long and strong nails, only since pregnancy, also became weak and began breaking. It was only once I mentioned that i had felt dizzy that my iron levels were re-checked and they were low!

As I hadnt been taking a prenatal vitamin, as those things give awful constipation (sorry for the TMI) this meant I was not getting enough iron in my diet to produce enough red blood cells... which means less oxygen being carried around my body. This explained the heart palpitations, shortness of breath and dizzy spells.

I was started on a new iron supplement called Ferrograd C, which personally has been working a treat. Its an iron supplement that also contains vitamin c to help the absorbtion of iron, and it also helps with maintaining regular bowels, thank goodness. No more iron-induced constipation! I was also reccomended to drink fresh orange juice with my meals, as the vitamin c in the juice would help with the absorbtion of iron in the meal. How clever?!

I also had low blood pressure due to the anaemia, so in order to keep this regulated, I must drink lots of water each day too. Its not advised to eat large meals, as there is a blood surge to the stomach to aid digestion after eating, causing the pressure to drop elsewhere in the body... Not that I can eat big meals anymore with my ever-growing uterus pressing on my tummy, so I prefer to have smaller more regular meals now anyway.

All this has really helped even out my iron levels, of course along with changing my diet to include more red meat and green leafies :)

Have any of you suffered with anaemia during pregnancy, and how did you deal with it?

Dont forget you can keep up to date with lifes goings-on and more pregnancy related stuff on my facebook page HERE and on Instagram HERE

Until next time, Conni x

Pregnancy Update

Hello lovelies,

Just wanted to post a little update about my pregnancy since I updated last.

So I have had quite a few hospital appointments since my last update. I passed my 3 hour glucose tolerance test which is great, so naturally I celebrated with some chocolate! I also recently had my 28 week check up, which revealed that baby is lying transverse breech. This means baby is flat on its back with head at one of my hips and legs at the other hip.

At this stage of pregnancy, it was hopeful that baby is in a better positon getting ready for birth. While there is still time for baby to turn, a C-Section is on the cards. But we'll know more at my next appointment check up at 32 weeks.

Sleep has become a major problem for me since hitting my 3rd trimester. I find it difficult to fall asleep, toss and turn all night, and wake several times to pee (I didnt miss that early pregnancy symptom. Devo its back!) I have also taken up snoring, much to my husbands dismay. And I dont mean cute snoring either, I mean full on roaring, wake-myself-up snoring. So attractive!

How come no one explained that while sex gets you here in the first place, pregnancy can be SO unsexy! Seriously!

Another early pregnancy symptom that has returned is tiredness. This could be due to the poor night-time sleep, but im finding myself needing naps in the afternoon and getting pretty emotional if I dont get one. Overtiredness perhaps!

My belly is getting pretty heavy to lug around with me, but have been enjoying long walks to keep active, as slow as i might be. Waddle much?!

Myself and the hubbers went to visit Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort last weekend and it was beautiful. We had such a great weekend away. We visited the beach, walked the golf course at the hotel and took a tour of Russborough House which was great.

We got dressed up and went out for dinner and a couple of Mocktails and a catch up, which we rarely get to do. It was so enjoyable. And SCORE, my Louboutins still fit! Hubby had to put them on and take them off, but still...

You can keep up to date with goings on on my Instagram and facebook Facebook here and Instagram here

Until next time, Conni x

Birth Plans- yes or no?

Hi guys,

So at last weeks yoga class we discussed birth plans. When suggested, my exact response was 'Do Irish people actually write these?' I always thought there was no point in writing one as no one can ever determine how their labour would go... I had visions of crazy women planning out each part of their labour like it was within their control; But then I realised that that isnt the point of a birth plan!

It is there to include anything that you feel strongly about with regards to your labour/ delivery/ aftercare, should you be unable to commumicate it at that time.

So, while birth plans are not a necessity, they can be useful. You also need to remember, that depending on how your labour progresses, your birth plan may not be possible.

10 things to consider when writing a Birth Plan:

1. Who do you want to be present; husband, partner, parent etc?

2. Pain relief preferance. Are you against having an epidural? Do you want to have an epidural as soon as is possible, or would you rather try all other methods of pain relief first?

3. Do you wish to be as mobile as possible or do you wish to stay in bed? Studies suggest that maintaining mobility during early stages of labour can help in the progression of labour, leading to less complications and less chance of having a caesarean section. Just think about it, gravity!

4. Do you have a preferance to a certain birthing position? Squatting, hands and knees, semi-reclined.

5. Do you want to use a birthing pool?

6. Do you want to listen to music during the labour?

7. Do you want your partner to cut the cord? Most hospitals will offer this, but often times if there has been an emergency delivery, it may be forgotten and the doctor or midwives will just cut the cord. If you feel strongly about it, write it down and they will do their best to carry this out.

8. Do you want 'delayed cord clamping'? This refers to the practice of not clamping or cutting the umbillical cord until after it has stopped pulsing or not before 1-3 minutes after birth, as babys blood circulation is still being transferred from the external circulatory system it has maintained in utero (umbilical cord and placenta) into the baby itself, unless the cord is clamped or cut before this transfer is complete.

9. In the event of caesarean section, do you have any requests? Sometimes, you are unable to carry out skin-to-skin after having a C-Section, but while you're being stitched, it is possible for your partner to do skin to skin when you cannot.

10. Do you want skin-to-skin after giving birth, and do you want to initiate first breast feed at this time?

The KEY to writing your birth plan is to keep it in short bullet points, and to be willing to go with the flow. As I said earlier, none of us know exactly how the labour will go, only baby will determine that, so keep in mind that while having a birth plan can be helpful, it is not always possible to carry out each point on your plan!

I will certainly write one up to bring with me, but I dont feel that it will be used. I have no idea what labour has in store for me, what the pain is like, what positions will make me feel most comfortable etc., It is my first baby after all!

All I know for sure, is that I'm getting more and more excited as time goes on to meet my little one and nursery preparations are well and truely underway. Keep up to date with me on Instagram @Theaverageirishmammy

The Average Irish Mammy

Until next time, Conni x

Pregnancy Yoga

At 15 weeks pregnant I began attending a pregnancy yoga class once per week in Trim, Co. Meath. I have loved every minute of every class and will definately be going to the mother and baby yoga classes once baby arrives!

The classes I have been attending are in Trim Castle Hotel each Wednesday at 7pm, and last for about 1 hour 20minutes, and is a 6 week course. 5 weeks of yoga classes, and 1 week of a couples class where the partner will join you to discuss being a birthing partner and to be shown different massage techniques to use on mammy during the labour.

The classes are held by mother and daughter yoga team Swan Lane Yoga, Carmel and Naomi Finnegan.

Carmel is a yoga and pregnancy yoga tutor, and Naomi is a midwife and pregnancy yoga tutor also. With Carmels experience and Naomis midwifery knowledge, the classes really focus on your pregnancy needs; stretching muscles which can become tight with the added pressure of baby, creating space in the chest cavity which can become a bit cramped during pregnancy, and my favourite, relaxation.

The classes usually begin with some centring- breathing and arm stretches to regulate the breathing, relax the body and prepare the mind for the class. While we do work the full body, each week, will focus on a different part of the body; such as legs and hips, shoulders, pelvic floor, hands and arms, etc. Then for about 15 minutes at the end of class, we all lay down on our mats for some guided meditation. Which, let me tell you, is the most relaxing thing ever. I had never used guided meditation until I did it with the ladies, and its just fantastic. Each week im finding myself able to relax easier and easier. It took some getting used to at first, trying to 'switch off', but now, I fall asleep almost straight away each time. Which, I can imagine will be invaluable to me during labour. I genuinely have an 'I can do this' attitude towards labour since beginning the class.

So if you're thinking of doing a pregnancy yoga class, my only advice is DO IT. You wont regret it!

Swan Lane Yoga Facebook Page Here Swan Lane Yoga Website Here

10 Benefits of Pregnancy Yoga:

1. Increase Strength and flexibility of muscles

2. Decrease stress and anxiety

3. Decrease back pain and headaches

4. Reduce shortness of breath

5. Improve sleep

6. Learning invaluable breathing techniques for use during labour

7. Lowers blood pressure

8. Being in a positive supportive environment, meeting other pregnant mums

9. Time to connect with your baby

10. Reduced oedema/ swelling

If you've attended pregnancy yoga classes and found them beneficial let me know.

Dont forget to follow me on Instagram and Facebook at The Average Irish Mammy

Chat soon, Conni x