My baby in 3D

After our babymoon, our next big milestone before baby's arrival was a 3D/4D scan.

We didn't know many people who had gone for this but after googling some 3D pics and given that this is our first baby and we are just mega excited, we thought we would book in for it.

We decided to use a local 3D scanning company based in Glasgow called Baby Scanning.  They are based in Ingram House on Ingram Street and to my surprise it was a relatively small set up, with just a small reception/waiting area and another little room where the scans take place.  Not at all the clinical set up I had imagined.  

They recommend you see them from 24 weeks onwards if you are looking to get a good look at baby as it's just the right size and stage of development.  We took advantage of a deal on their website which included 6 A4 3D pictures of our baby, a 4D DVD of our baby and at least half an hour scanning time.  In the end we got a little more than that.

I was asked to arrive with a full bladder, which is actually quite hard to do when you already constantly feel like you want to run pee every 15 minutes.  I knew as long as no one made me laugh, cry, cough, or generally pee myself, i'd be fine!  Anyway, once settled in the room, we were seen to by 2 lovely girls who ran the scanning session.

So on our first go on the scanning table - yes, I had more than one attempt at this - the baby was not in the correct position to see properly, although at this stage we did get a glimpse of baby, the cord covered most of baby's face.  Even at such short glance of seeing my baby, it was quite overwhelming.  At this point, I was asked to empty my bladder (praise be!) so they could try again.... but still the baby was being a little awkward and wasn't in an ideal position.  I was advised to go away, have some hot chocolate and cake before coming back a second time (you don't have to tell me twice when it comes to cake!).

On our second attempt, baby was in an even worse position!! They had me doing jumping jacks and shaking my hips about like Shakira but baby still wouldn't play ball.  At this point they offered me to either go for a walk and come back a third time or to make another appointment - I chose to go for a walk.

After a bit of shopping - i'm sure that excited baby, if he/she is anything like mum and dad - we returned for a third time and thankfully, baby was in a better position to see.  It was still not ideal as the cord did get in the way from time to time and if baby didn't have hands over his/her face, it was feet covering the face! Seriously, baby ... camera shy, much?

Baby Read

Baby Read

After 3 lengthy attempts, we were able to leave with our DVD and photos of our future baby.  All we have done since is analyse the pics to figure out who baby might look like but of course it really is still pretty hard to tell although I can totally see my husband's resemblance :)  The lovely girls at the baby scanning centre actually gave us a further discount because of all the hassle trying to see the baby, which was really lovely considering it wasn't their fault.

Baby Scanning have centres based in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Fife and Dundee.

Parisian Babymoon

It's been over a month since my Valentine's babymoon in Paris so I thought I would share some snaps we took while away.  

Although we arrived in Paris on Valentine's Day, I can't say I found the city to be as romantic as everyone tells me it is.  In fact, I failed to see where much of the city lived up to the hype but in saying that I still loved it and would definitely visit again.  We stayed in Le Marais district where we had a playing ground of cool shops, bars and restaurants.  I would definitely recommend this area to anyone visiting. 

The weekend became a bit of a tick box exercise at times as we had so little time to spend there but wanted to see and do so much.  Of course, I had time for a french pharmacy haul but I may need to divulge the contents of that haul in another post. 

For now, I will leave you with some of our photos, which for the record have been massively pared down as we took so many.  It was just fantastic to fit in one last city break before the baby gets here, especially to a city we hadn't seen together. 

Pram-a-rama

One of the most overwhelming, dauntless tasks as a parent to be is choosing the right pram for you and your lifestyle.

I had a list of requirements for my pram and before I went shopping I had an idea in my head what I wanted already.

* I knew the famous Bugaboo was out for me, as an attractive a pram as it is, it's just too low for my bad back, so height was important.
* A cupholder was a must.  Sounds ridiculous but ever since I had to forego a cupholder in my car, it has been an ultimate pet hate for me.
* It had to have an option of front and rear facing.
* Had to be lightweight enough for me to humph in and out of my car boot.
* Suitable for summer walks and days out with my newborn

It became clear it was a travel system I was looking for, rather than just a pram or buggy, so the search began.

The best tip I got from other parents was to go and see, touch, feel and road test (within reason) as many prams as you can.  So off, husband and I went to the Pram Centre in Glasgow which stocks pretty much every pram brand you can imagine and then some so we could have a proper informative pram testing session.  The staff at the Pram Centre really know their stuff, so getting a demonstration of each pram before we tried for ourselves was essential and very helpful.  After our visit, we had narrowed it down to 3 prams/travel systems:

UPPA BABY VISTA

Why I liked the Uppa Baby Vista:
* Forward and Rear facing options
* Sturdy build I felt confident in
* Good manoeuvrability
* Good basket space underneath
* Nice high seat/bassinet height so no bad backs lifting baby in and out
* It's an attractive pram

Why I didn't like the Uppa Baby Vista:
* There was something about the material that I didn't like.  Personal preference but it reminded me of a school bag although I am sure it is super durable
* No cupholder!
* Felt a little heavy to push around
* Looked similar to other prams (stupid reason)

STOKKE XPLORY

Why I liked the Stokke Xplory:
* Height! I loved how close I would be to my baby if I were to choose this pram, it would also save my chiropractor visits! (this was the pram I had decided on in my head before I even started my search)
* I loved the quirky design while still remaining sleek
* Forward and rear facing seat
* Good size change bag attachment
* Adjustable handle bar

Why I didn't like the Stokke Xplory:
* No cupholder!! This came as an extra at a ridiculously expensive price
* It was pretty expensive, not just the initial outlay but every accessory you would want to go with the pram was so overpriced
* I didn't like the handle bar so much, felt difficult to manoeuvre in store
* Was lightweight but almost felt so light that it may blow over in a gale
* The dismantle procedure didn't seem as easy as others

ORBIT BABY G2

Why I liked the Orbit Baby G2:
* It has a cupholder - YAY!
* Forward, rear and side facing seat positions.  Basically this is one of the only prams where the seat rotates 360, especially good for if you are living the cafe/lunch lifestyle as a new mum :)
* Fabric was beautiful and all organic and eco friendly, as well as nice and gentle for baby
* Adjustable handle height
* Seat height was high enough for my needs
* Bassinet also comes with a rocker that can be used at home
* Transfer of toddler seat, car seat and bassinet is super easy
* One hand fold down
* Lightweight
* Compatible with maxi cosi car seat (although I think most prams may be nowadays)

Why I didn't like the Orbit Baby G2:
* It's not the most attractive pram although the design is very unusual/moon buggyish
* No undercarriage basket (although there is one now available but yet to come to the UK)
* Small changing bag attachment

So, can you guess which one I went for??

Well, judging by pro's against cons, you have probably guessed it was the Orbit Baby G2.  We managed to get a great deal from Peppermint Nursery which included a car seat and some extras.  I do occasionally sway on my decision and wish I had gone for the Stokke or Uppa Baby but ultimately, Orbit Baby was ticking the majority of my boxes, so we will soon find out if it lives up to expectation when baby arrives.  As a side note, the Orbit Baby G2  has now been superseded by an updated model, the G3.

Anyway, my tips to you when buying a pram/travel system?

* Road test even if it is only in store.  This means having a good push about with it - up and down stairs if possible.  Try folding down and back up again, lifting it for weight etc
* Check the prices of any added accessories you may need to purchase.  Buying a pram is expensive as it is and you really don't want to be shelling out a lot of money for beneficial extras further down the line
* Think about your lifestyle, do you have the luxury of a car or will you have to lift your pram on and off public transport?  Do you live in an urban or country setting? These factors make such a difference to choosing a pram.

In a few months time, hopefully I can update you on my Orbit Baby experience and let you know if I actually did make the right decision!

Baby's getting big!

I am now 22 weeks pregnant, over half way there!  That means I have quite a bit to catch up on blogging wise, whether it be my plans for dealing with labour or choosing a new pram.  Why don't I start with the exciting part for any expectant mum?  Baby scans :)

In the UK, most women have their first scan at 12 weeks, just as they are coming to the end of the first trimester.  I ended up with a scan at 8 weeks.

Shortly after I found out I was pregnant, I flew to Ireland to visit my friend and her family for the weekend.  What should have been a great weekend turned out to be filled with a bit of panic and anxiety.  On my first night, I started bleeding.  Although, I had no pain or other symptoms that might determine a miscarriage, I naturally worried for the rest of the weekend.  As soon as I got home, I booked an appointment at my doctors who referred me for an ultrasound immediately.

Thankfully, all was well and the bleeding I had is actually quite normal for mums around 7-8 weeks.  It is know as implantation bleeding.  Implantation is the attachment of the fertilised egg to the uterine lining.  It can cause slight bleeding and isn't anything to worry about but as far as my doctor was concerned it is always something to have checked just to be on the safe side.   Anyway, my scan went well and resulted in this little blob on the screen ... who at the time was still around the size of a sesame seed!

8 week scan 

The next scan happened at 12 weeks, which is standard scan to ensure all is going well in the initial stages.  At this point you get to really see your baby for the first time, although he/she may still look a little bit alien like.  My baby was moving around like a mini raver, clearly taking after his/her father! It was surreal to watch your baby move on screen yet still not feel it inside of you.

12 week scan 

At 20 weeks, I had my anomaly scan.  I found myself quite anxious through this scan despite how fascinating it is.  I couldn't relax until all measurements had taken place and the nurse was able to say everything is progressing as expected.  The best bit of this scan is not just getting to see the increased size and shape of your baby, but the detail of things like the heart and it's chambers and valves.  Such intricate detail is shown on the screen, it does leave you in awe of modern day medical technology!  This scan didn't photograph as well as the baby was moving about so much and kept holding his/her hands over it's face.  Rascal.

20 week scan

With that being the last of my scans, we have decided to also book a private 3D/4D scan as it really is so exciting to get a glimpse of your unborn baby.  We didn't think we could last another 4 months or so without getting to see him/her again so we are scheduled in for the beginning of March :)

Can't wait!