The end is in sight Week 39 - 40

With trepidation I went to the consultant for my 39 week check - last time she informed me that due to my age there was a cut off point that Beanie could not be late. I had tried the acupuncture and the famous Aubergine Parmigiana (see below) and going on long walks in anticipation of this assumed deadline. The first thing she said as I entered her office was 'So do you want to have your baby now?' what a way to start the appointment, I had visions of her whipping out her scalpel before I had said hello.

Despite that introduction as my blood pressure is fine and she has relaxed the three line whip the c-section and so the pressure is off - I have to see the midwife at 40 weeks and the consultant again at 41 weeks. I have read up on all the ways to get babies to get a move on and no, I will not try Castor oil and I do not believe that pineapple will do the trick and if you read the NICE guidelines (yawn) not surprisingly they do not advocate any alternative induction methods. However, there are so many sites discussing natural induction processes, I had to have a good read and I found this page interesting. I have cherry picked ideas that suit me, so arranged to hike up a beautiful local hill that seems to have brought on the labour of many a neighbouring Mum.

The phone calls and emails have started. Messages from friends and family checking on me and Beanie's progress. Last time around I told everybody the due date for the 42 week mark to avoid all the premature calls.

What Beanie is up to?
 Before I start a reminder that only 5% of babies are born on the due date - so think of it more as a guess date.  Beanie should be fully cooked and around 7lb / just over 50cm long, but whether he is ready to make an appearance, now that is still a mystery. Earlier this week at 39 1/2 we weeks while my cervix was central  the cervix was still closed so a fair way off.

The consultant is renowned for being straight talking, and has told me when you are over 40 the risk of stillbirth is the same for me at 40 weeks is the same as for the baby of 35 year old at 42 weeks so I have to monitor Beanie carefully. One midwife told me, if in doubt, to lie on my side and drink iced water (without spilling) and here is advice on How to Monitor Movements from the Count the Kicks charity. I have a scan booked for 41weeks as at this point they start monitoring things very carefully.

I'm watching out for all kinds of indications of the onset of labour, noting that waters breaking is critical as it can open Beanie up to infection once they have broken - this could come in a whoosh or a trickle. If I remember from last time there was a surprising amount of fluid, which reminds me, keep up those pelvic floors they must be working overtime!

Apparently I have more puff soon - as Beanie moves down there should be more room in my abdomen for me to breath. The Hubster reminded me of that when I almost keeled over after a 10 pace run - so that has not happened yet.

What I ate

Labor-inducing Eggplant Parmesan

Here is the precise recipe for the infamous dish. I have tried it in the interests of this blog, nothing here convinces me – at most evidence would indicate that the herbs and spices may help induce but I can find nothing else except folklore to substantiate its mythical properties. It took so blimin long to make that the only inducing type properties may but the amount of time you spend standing in the kitchen gently (or frustratedly) going between the counter dipping endless slices of aubergine and the frying pan. Once accomplished I have to say that it is probably the least favourate recipe that I have featured in this blog, I felt that I was undergoing an aubergine endurance test – and I actually like aubergine. It makes a huge quantity, when I heated it up I decanted what I needed into a smaller dish covered it with foil and warmed it slowly in an warm oven for about 40 mins - it tasted better that way, but it is barely an eco-recipe!

Once upon a time in a small restaurant in Georgia....here follows the recipe verbatim with my comments in italics.

Nearly 300 baby pictures decorate Scalini's old-fashioned Italian restaurant in Cobb County, Ga. All of the babies pictured on the Italian restaurant wall were born after their mothers ate the Scalini's eggplant parmigiana. The $9.95 plate of breaded eggplant smothered in cheese and thick marinara sauce is "guaranteed" to induce labor, the restaurant claims.
The eggplant legend began not long after the restaurant opened 23 years ago. "Two or three years after we began, a few people had just mentioned to us they came in when they were pregnant, and ate this eggplant and had a baby a short time after that," said John Bogino, who runs the restaurant with his son, Bobby Bogino. "One person told another, and it just grew by itself by leaps and bounds." To date, more than 300 of the pregnant women customers who ordered the eggplant have given birth within 48 hours, and the restaurant dubs them the "eggplant babies." If it doesn't work in two days, the moms-to-be get a gift certificate for another meal. We make no promises, but the restaurant has graciously shared the recipe.

Eggplant Parmigiana Alla Scalini's
Ingredients
3 medium sized eggplants – aubergine :)
1 cup flour – 140g but I did this by eye just adding to a bowl as required
6 eggs, beaten – I managed with only 4
4 cups fine Italian bread crumbs, seasoned -About 5 slices of standard sliced bread blitzed in a food processor
Olive oil for sauteing
8 cups of marinara sauce (recipe below)
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese – 50g
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese - 50g
1 1/2 pounds of mozzarella cheese, shredded - 680g
2 cups of ricotta cheese – About 500g



Directions
1. After you wash the eggplant, slice them into 1/4-inch thick slices. [slicing them thin about ½ cm or 5mm really does make a difference, don't be tempted to slice thicker otherwise the end result is inedible stodge, did I mention this recipe is faff?] You may choose to peel the eggplant before you slice it. However, you may want to leave the skin on since it contains a lot of vitamins.
2. Place the eggplant slices on a layer of paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with another layer of paper towels and hold it down with something heavy to drain the excess moisture. Let them sit for about an hour.
3. Working with one slice of eggplant at a time, dust with flour, dip in beaten eggs, then coat well with breadcrumbs.
4. Saute in preheated olive oil on both sides until golden brown. [Keep the heat to medium so they start to cook rather than just browning the surface]
5. In [a large] baking dish, alternate layers of marinara sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta, Parmesan and Romano cheeses, until you fill the baking dish, about 1/8 inch from the top.
Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese, and bake for 25 minutes in a 375 degree [190 degree C] oven. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Scalini's Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons of chopped garlic
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
8 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)- 4 large cans
`150g 1 cup onions, chopped -1 largish onion
1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley- About 30g or a small supermarket packet of fresh parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
1/8 cup of fresh chopped sweet basil – A small handful
Pinch of thyme
Pinch of rosemary
One teaspoon salt
One teaspoon black pepper

Directions
1. Lightly saute the onions in olive oil in large pot for a few minutes.
2. Add garlic and saute another minute.
3. Add tomatoes and bring sauce to a boil, then turn heat low.
4. Add remaining ingredients, stir, cover and let simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Week 27-30: Ironing out the bumps

Baa Humbug! Got the results for my blood tests and I am border line anaemic. My Mum just replied that from early pregnancy she was highly anaemic every day and my mother and sister in law confirmed that they were both on high dose iron supplements. Looking up can see that pregnant women need 27mg iron a day, compared with 14.8 mg that women regularly require - which is almost double.

If I have been low on iron the low energy and the craving instant energy and caramel now seems to make sense. I have been trying to be so healthy, but ultimately I have been letting myself down in two areas: to a lesser degree occasionally skipping supper because I am too tired, but my worst failing has been breakfast; I have been focusing on making packed lunches rather than eating myself - I have ended up by eating the trimmings of the Pickle's sandwiches rather than eating something wholesome.

I have been busy finding a high iron breakfast that works for me - not only is the iron essential to me but vital for Beanie - and also upping my Vitamin C intake (fruit juice with my Iron Power Granola) to help me absorb the iron.

The other thing I have been focusing on has been what I need to get organised for Beanie. Having started sorting out things a month or so ago I don't feel as if it is all getting on top of me.  Next weekend I buy the Pickle a new chest of drawers (I will  not buy one in pink! stomping my foot) so that I can move the changing unit into what will be Beanie's room.

I won't be rushing to get his room ready yet, apart from having the changing unit set up. It is recommended that you sleep with your baby in your room for the first six months, so there is not rush as yet. Likewise I am not placing a bulk order for everything that I could ever possibly need at this stage. As a first time Mum it is easy to read the endless 'baby lists' and buy everything well before the due date - but is everything necessary? Certainly, not everything is essential from day one and if budgets are stretched you can hold off buying many things until after the first month.

With the Pickle I had great fun making things, I designed the chest of drawers with a detachable changing unit which my FiL made up, I made changing mats, I bought a beautifully soft organic bed and bath sheets that I cut down and edged until I had the cutest and softest range of hooded towels, bath mittens and sheets that matched the decor. Totally unnecessary, but for me it was both fun and relatively frugal.

Preparing a baby's room and going shopping for things should be fun - and can be kept to most budgets. My lists are partly to help me organise myself and partly to highlight that being a good parent is not dependent on buying a coordinated version of everything that a department store nursery consultant can possibly list. Having thought this through I now have a smaller list on my pin board of things that I should be able to comfortably organise in the next month.

Baby Preparation List - I kept this separate from this blog entry as it is quite long...

What Beanie is up to?
Wow, Beanie is almost cooked - his lungs and digestive tract are almost developed and his heartbeat is getting so strong that it can be heard with a stethoscope and the Hubster, if he could ever find the right place, may be able to hear it by putting his ear against my bump. He (Beanie not the Hubster) has established sleep patterns, the bad news is that they do not coincide with mine - he seems to like to hear the dawn chorus which, at about 4.30, is a bit early for me.
He is almost 3lb and just under 40cm long - which is why I am delighted that I now have my uber-bump band so that I can still do my hour long walks.

Apart from looking quite big - my big news is that I am ready for the onset of the Braxton Hicks, or fake contractions, that are helping my body get prepared. Have I had mood swings, often associated with this stage of pregnancy? I could not possibly comment!


What I am cooking?
Checking the list of iron rich foods, and knowing that breakfast is where I really fall down I have come up with a recipe that tastes good and is full of iron. I have been eating it dry for breakfast and as a snack throughout the day. I have also experimented with different ways of cooking it, either to make a straight forward granola or a tray bake.

Iron Rich Granola
500g oats - jumbo oats have great texture if you can get hold of them
125g butter
150ml honey
1 tbsp light tahini
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Handfuls to taste of the following:
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Nuts - almonds, cashews, hazel
Chopped dried apricots (prunes, raisins and dried figs are also iron rich, but I like dried apricots)

Melt butter with honey, tahini and cocoa powder.Fold in the oats, vanilla, cinnamon and seeds and nuts.

Option 1 - For standard Granola
Spread the mix (excluding the apricots) across two lightly greased baking trays and cook for 20  mins at 180' - checking and stirring carefully every five minutes. When it is golden brown it is ready.  Take out of the oven and continue to gently stir until it is cool - leaving it to cool like this stops it from going soggy. When it is cool add the chopped apricots and pop into an airtight container.

Option 2 - For a tray bake
Add in the chopped apricots (but not raisins as they go horrid) and preheat the oven to 250'. Spoon onto two greased baking tray and pop into the hot oven, immediately turn the oven down to 100' and cook for about 1hour 30 mins. Take out the oven and cool then break into rough shards and store in an airtight container.

Week 23-24 The Heart burn weeks*!

I'm loving the kicks, which is just as well as I have started to wake up at night and can just put my hands on my bump and feel content that he is 'cooking' well. I really feel as if I am blooming now - although now that I have some energy I have to be careful not to over do it.

Heartburn is a killer though. This pregnancy should be sponsored my Caramel Snack a Jacks - caramel has been my major craving and Snack a Jacks are the least bad option for me, given half a chance I would be grazing on them constantly to abate the heartburn. I don't like Gaviscon / Rennie, so I have been trying to follow advice and steer clear of fatty, fried, acid, spicy foods, tomatoes or chocolate. In desperation I have started making home made rye crispbreads (recipe below), so that I can nibble them instead of the caramel rice crackers.

The highlight of the past few weeks was meeting up with the girls. As we met while studying for a Masters we are not identikit school leavers but we are hugely different in many ways not least age - so this meet up was extraordinary: three of us were pregnant, and the last friend was in a great new relationship thinking of adopting dogs before too long. It was interesting (amongst MANY other things) to hear how three intelligent Mums-to-be take health warnings and advice and how it affects us all - none of us drunk alcohol at the meal (see our virgin punch below) but there were varying attitudes to total abstinence, ditto tuna and a variety of general prohibitions. I seem to err on the side of caution, but as the Hubster says I am an admin case following the birth of the Pickle and I am over 40.

With the start of the glorious weather I have started to 'wear in' my new funky flip flops and ballerina pumps. My style resolutions for the next few months (not medically recommended):
- Wear my highest heals and most gorgeous shoes before my feet resemble Shrek's.
- Wear my favourite dresses while they still fit. I'm planning to breast feed and lifting up the hem of my dress to access a boob is not a good look - so I want to wear my dresses while I can.
- Deck myself like a Christmas tree. Rings get uncomfortable as pop date draws and near and long earrings are a big no, no when it comes to little fingers (unless you like to have your ears lovingly yanked).
- If all else fails on the style stakes, remember that it is tradition to receive an eternity ring from your beloved for a first born, so why not scale up the hints for the siblings :)


What is Beanie up to?
At 24 weeks Beanie is officially 'viable' in other words; thanks to the wonders of modern medicine he now stands a good chance of surviving if born now and he weighs over a pound! Beanie's ears are quite developed so we are musing as to what noises he will now recognised after birth: the cat's purr, the dog's bark, the clatter of fingers on keyboard and the Pickle's giggle?

Beanie is so busy growing he may be zapping your brains, preggy brain may be setting in (I could not possibly comment). It seems the least bad symptom that could be expected, watch out for cramp, heartburn (did I mention that), head aches and back pain.

Midwives start to watch out for Pre-eclampsia  (I know the symptoms, I had them all with the Pickle, yet we still lived happily ever after as we were so well looked after thanks to a great doctor and the Royal Berks Hospital). Chat to your midwife about what to look out for, it is fine if you are well looked after like us, but untended it is not pleasant. What may seem more serious (but is all good) is if your womb muscles start to stretch so you get a stitch like sensation -  it is not the Braxton Hicks yet!



What we ate and drank for lunch

Virgin Punch or Mock Mock Champagne
I am fed up of elderflower cordial, truly fed up. I hate most other sugary soft drinks and anything that I had once liked now seems so tedious. While on holiday I chanced across a bar that served delicious virgin cocktails - so here is a version that worked well for us - it is based on Mock Champagne from 'The Texan Experience' book,  but I misread it the first time I made it and my version was more to my taste.

A few spoons of sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup grapefruit juice
1 cup of orange juice
2 cups of ginger ale
A slug of Grenadine syrup (optional) to taste - or to colour :)

Start by mixing the sugar into the water - stir well. Then add the rest of the ingredients. If you are making for just you, make up to to the point at which you add the ginger ale, chill the fruit and water mix and just mix with an equal measure of ginger ale as required. Enjoy!


Rye Crispbread
This is a good one for heartburn - if you are trying to keep to keep to the little and often theory (although I have been so fed up of heartburn I have been off my food when I have not been entertaining, which is rather out of character).

250g bread flour - strong white or I use a 1/2 and 1/2 white / wholemeal mix)
200g wholemeal rye flour
100g chilled and cubed butter
200ml milk
A choice of flavourings, either added to the flour or sprinkled on top (not all together):
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp Za'atar (sesame seed and herb mix)
1 tsp cumin and a pinch of salt
2 tsp Dukkah
2 tsp Beetroot powder (yes, I was baking with the Pickle, a pink obsessed toddler, and this went down very well).

Heat the oven to 230'C.
With the tips of your fingers  rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the milk little by little and mix in with a palate knife until it mixes into a dough.
Taking batches of the dough, piece by piece roll out to  a thickness of about 2-3mm (to make things easier I roll out directly onto baking parchment) meanwhile, cover the remaining dough with a clean damp cloth so that it does not dry out.
Place on a baking tray, score lines in it (where you want to snap it later) and prick all over with a fork. When I was entertaining I did one large round crispbread on a pizza tray as it looks really impressive. I cook each baking trays as I go along (it will be about 3 trays), it takes from about 6 mins. It can burn easily so watch out, sometimes it can take up to 5 mins longer for it to go golden brown in places.

Fruit Brulee
This is a real cheat's recipe - ideal for Mums-to- be who entertain. It would be fair to say that I have never seen such a clean dish that once served a pud!

400g rhubarb (a standard pack)
Orange juice
Stem ginger in syrup
1 tub best quality bought custard
1 small tub Greek yogurt
Sugar - I use unrefined caster sugar (the off white stuff)

Toss the rhubarb in the orange so that it is well covered but not too much excess, add a couple of balls or finely chopped stem ginger and a desert spoon of the syrup. Place in a pretty baking dish then pop in a medium over for about 30 mins until it is all lovely and soft. Allow to cool. Taste, it may need a little sugar, but not too much as it needs to provide a good contrast to the sweet topping.
Mix the custard and yogurt together then pour over the cooled fruit. Sprinkle liberally with sugar then caramelise with a blow torch or under a preheated hot grill. Either way, watch carefully so that it does not burn and be extra careful not to burn yourself (you know what they say about clumsiness in pregnant women).

* Sorry, the title is misleading it may be the long heartburn months...

Week 20-22 Hello Bump you are getting big

After a rather gloomy trip to the consultant last week, we had a scan this week. We thought that Beanie was likely in great working order so we decided to take the Pickle along. Being a girly girl she was very keen for a sister, so we thought that we ought to find out now if she is going to have a sister or brother; then all we have to look out for at the birth is sibling rivalry not disappointment. Once the Pickle knows, everybody knows so I can confirm we are having a boy! Not only are we having a boy but so far it looks as if we are having a very healthy boy. Yippeeee!!

Before the Pickle was born we went to Copenhagen as a farewell to our independence - as we waltzed happily towards life with a longed for baby. Back then, halfway through the weekend the Pickle made an appearance and I had to go emergency maternity wear shopping. Well, this time around we went off to Paris where I lived 20 years ago before five* becomes six*.

The focus was 'Granny's' 70th Birthday. We had four days of me marching around tour guiding and planning - always cut short for a few blissful hours a day in Parc Monceau playing with the Pickle. It was fairly arduous, but rewarding for us all. We bought the Pickle a scrap book, glue and craft scissors so that she could draw and stick in pictures to make a memory book when we stopped at cafes. Even so after four days it was heaven to escape the Granny circus and go for real family time at Disneyland Paris. Would I recommend it? Well, the Pickle would and I enjoyed seeing the park swathed in cherry blossom, but it did feel like one huge retail opportunity or Butlins with gold cards. It was a wonderful chance to enjoy time with the Pickle ahead of what will be a busy time when Beanie comes along.

True to form, Beanie made an appearance. Before I looked as if I had a few too many pies, by my return there was no disguising the fact that I'm pregnant. They say that pregnancies show earlier second time around, and Beanie made an appearance at 21 weeks compared with the Pickle's 23.

With the scan started us thinking of names. I got two books from the library, and I have been scouring the Internet. Of all the sites I like the Bounty Baby Names - a great time waster! I have been asked if the Pickle is helping choose the name and the answer is no! When I ask her for input I like to act on it - and I am not going to ask  just her suggestions to be overlooked (although I do know the power of careful suggestion). Any ideas for names is strictly between the Hubster and me until we have made up our minds firmly made up.

Time Line

Maternity shopping! Still half way through the pregnancy so I am trying not to buy too wintry clothes when Beanie will be born in the height of the summer. I also found some great tops that go from maternity to breastfeeding without buying too many extra clothes. A few bump bands are great to avoid that hideous fleshy gap La Fee Noir have a greater selection than available at the standard high street store.

Beanie is making himself felt - kicks at ten to the dozen and pressure on my diaphragm so I am getting short of puff. For one friend this has been combined with anaemia - which strikes me as doubly unfair!

I have seen him so that I know that he looks like a real baby now - waving and sucking his thumb. Beanie’s eye will still be closed to help protect against wandering hands and toes but he can stilltell between light and dark though - how amazing is that? He is now up to 27cm long - yes, almost the length of a school ruler. No wonder it shows!


What to cook.
The hunger has really started - and with it the err...need for fibre (and loads of water to drink). Here is a great easy recipe that has been great for my current needs - it is also a little unusual so feels more fun than my standard veg or minestrone soups.

Armenian Soup

3 tablespoons of washed red lentils
5 large dried apricots
1 large potatoes chopped
2pt veg stock
Juice half a lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
3tbsp chopped fresh herbs parsley/chives/coriander/mint (I like parsley and chives)
Salt and pepper to taste

Place in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 30 mins. Cool then blitz until smooth.

Optional - stir through some baby spinach leaves or watercress to add a little extra green.

**  I have two wonderful step children who have grown up and left home - but they are still an important and loved part of the family.

Almost halfway:Week 18 - 19

Had an appointment with the Consultant this week - there was lots of teeth sucking, "Ooo you had pre-eclampsia...and 4 attempts at induction....and...." enough! I forgot about then birth after about a week of sleepless nights, then I was just dumb and happy - yes, very happy, I had a healthy baby which was the aim of the whole giving birth thingy. Anyway, I am relieved that I am been given the option of a natural birth this time - although the odds are that in the end I may have to have another C-section. Besides as I am over 40 the stats are against me and they will not let me go beyond term.

I loved the myth based gender predictor I told you about last time made me think what other old wives tales effect our pregnancy. What do we believe but is not backed up science? Science certainly changes, when I was pregnant with the Pickle peanuts were forbidden, but now provided we have no family allergy history we can eat peanuts to our hearts content. As for theories of child rearing - there is an informed decision to fit your persuasion.

Have you started to read up on what to expect when bump becomes a baby? So which  book to read? I linked to an earlier blog where I chat about the some of the books I read. It is so funny that books can polarise parents, some books go advocate strict routine, some seem to offer more hazy advice. Allegiances seem to be made over parenting styles - the controlled crying disciples drift away the continuum parents. Well, vive la difference! There is a book out there that will reinforce your natural prejudice so just keep searching until you find an approach that makes sense to you. Just don't get carried away, your way is not only way and it is not a personal affront if others do not follow your lead.

I have heard that there are no prohibition on eating soft cheeses in France, in America you can't at ham or 'deli meats' and the views on eating spicy food varies dramatically according where in the world you live. Leah Hardy wrote about this back in 2004 in the Times. Then there is local advice that can be confusing, we should be eating at least two portions of oily fish a week - but then no way should be eat more than two portions, we read else where.

In Asian countries the advice is to avoid pineapple - I started to research this more when I starting playing around with recipes for this week. So the advice ranges from avoiding it altogether to avoiding just fresh fruit as canned fruit does not contain the 'dangerous' enzyme. The enzyme is said to relax the uterus in a similar way that semen affects us when we have sex during pregnancy. Hence the myths when we reach our due date we get frisky and eat pineapples.

What do you believe? I would love to hear myths or other nuggets of advice. Do you know what other countries recommend to pregnant Mums?


I'm off to France in a few weeks for a major family celebration - what should I expect? Is it true that they may find the prohibition on eating soft cheeses strange?

No doubt you will have taken advice and have common sense - but as a reference point you may be interested in reading NHS healthy eating advice for pregnant women or Centre for Pregnancy Nutrition at the University of Sheffield

Timeline
Hello Beanie - you have started to be very active kicking away in quiet moments and measure up to 20cm which is even longer than my hand. Beanie now sleeps and wakes at regular times, has got its protective covering (or Vernix Caseosa) and  has started to exercise its lungs and practice breathing techniques in preparation for the outside world.

Like most Mums, I have started to feel really hungry - fortunately it has not struck in the middle of the night. The rice cakes, carrot sticks and hummus have made a reappearance for when the munchies strike - er, and other treats I am not so proud of. When you see the midwife you may want to ask for the current advice on heartburn as it is likely to start from now - I was lucky that it kicked in later with the Pickle and a cup of Horlicks before bed did the trick for me.


What to cook?
This started off as an experiment as  I peppers, pineapple and fish in the fridge and very little else. The recipe was a winner with everybody including the Pickle so I have tweaked it for you. If you have not had your oily fish this week you can replace the white fish with salmon. I hope that you enjoy it, it tastes delicious and is a great way of using up vegetables.
.
Sweet and Sour Fish

Fillet of white fish (or firm tofu)
For the Sauce:
A small onion cut into thin slices
A love of garlic
An inch of ginger, finely grated
1 or 2 tablespoons of honey
1 or 2 tablespoons of malt vinegar
Up to 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
A hearty squirt of tomato puree
A dash of Worcester Sauce
(Chili powder to taste - up to 1 teaspoon)

Rice

Flour and extra sprinkling of chili or cayenne for dusting
A selection of fruit and vegetables that can include:
Pineapple (fresh or canned)
Red peppers
Nectarine
Baby sweet corn
Carrots
Bamboo shoots

First start by preparing the sweet and sour sauce. Saute the onions then add the garlic, the sliced peppers - then add the rest of the ingredients, you can add a little then top up the flavours to taste. Add the rest of the fruit and veg and cook through. If you are cooking for little ones you can leave out the chili until you have served up for the little one (or that is what we did).
Next check that the fillets of fish have no bones in them - cut to individual portion sizes, then dip into the spices flour. Cook in oil / butter over a medium heat for about 5 mins on either side, watch carefully the cooking time will vary with the thickness of the cut. Meanwhile cook up the rice.

I'm getting into this now: Week 16 - 17

I have just spent the weekend with my Mum - she kept on querying why we had told anyone about the pregnancy "so early" (er, 14 weeks?)   and every time the phone went she seemed to take great relish in repeating how a friend of hers had gone on an emergency mission to help a daughter who had suffered a bad miscarriage. Well, she does mean well (honestly) - even so, I am delighted that to counter this I am starting to regain my energy and really enjoy the pregnancy; I could rebuff her gloom knowing that at this stage the chance of miscarriage has dropped to just 3%. It is not as if I have not been excited by the pregnancy thus far, but I have been so exhausted that I have just been focusing on just getting by.

I had my next midwife's appointment and all is going well and even the midwife had no suggestions on how to regain my energy - then suddenly it was back of its own accord. It was great to hear Beanie's heartbeat, so I am slightly regretting my decision to turn down a free second hand foetal heart monitor, even if the NHS recommends against them.

I have also bought some maternity jeans, when I was pregnant with the Pickle I did not show till later so my only maternity clothes are cool linen outfits which are not much use. Also, I rediscovered the bliss of a well fitting maternity bra - underwires are not recommended for us pregnant ladies.

What do you call your bump? The Pickle was called Twinkle until she was born (at the 7 week scan her heart beat looked like a twinkling star) and now I am carrying a 'Beanie'. We have a friend who called their little girl Pip after the Bump name - but I promise we are working on an alternative to Beanie for our baby. Are you going to find if you are expecting a girl or a boy? I found this site that offers a hysterical Gender Predictor that seems to amalgamate every known old wives' tale.


Timeline - What Beanie and I are up to...
Beanie is now around 16cm long - the length of  pen - and body is growing bigger so that it looks more in proportion with the head (so no more looking like an alien). The face starts to look more human with hair starting to grow and buds that will form into teeth.

I thought that I felt Beanie a few weeks ago and the concensus is that we start to feel something from about 16 weeks, although some claim sensations earlier and most people from about 18 weeks. We may start to feel hot and sweaty as our metabolisims soaring and start snoring or snuffling as pregnancy can cause nasal congestion or even less glamourous thrush - fortunately my only symptom on this front is a bunged up nose, so pass me the tissues!
Aparently my uterus is rising, which is a posh way of saying I look pregnant now.

What I am Cooking
Now that I have regainned a little energy I am ready to cook, the Hubster loves Asian fusion food so I have been testing out a few recipes that are big on impact but relatively low on effort if you have a hand blender or other kitchen blitzer. I have included both a meat and a vegetarian option - we love both, but not together as that would be too much effort and too much to eat!

 Thai Chicken Cakes (serves 2)
2 chicken thigh fillets
1 crust of bread
----- Vegetarian  ingredients -------
1 egg
About an inch of fresh ginger
A small onion or 2 salad onions
1/2 red chili (or to taste, less or more)
1 desert spoon fish sauce
1/2 lemon grass stalk, or an equivalent squeeze of lazy lemon grass

Start by blitzing the crust of bread on a blender to make bread crumbs, add the lemon grass, garlic, chili and onions and blitz again. Next add the chicken, fish sauce and blitz until the chicken is minced. If you can be  bothered whisk up the egg separately and add slowly so that it does not get too sloppy - you may only require 1/2 an egg. Next shape the small patties about 3cm big, having wet hands makes this SO much easier. Fry for about 3 mins on either side and serve with vegetables and noodles.

Sweetcorn Pancakes (serves 2 - 3)
1 small can of sweetcorn
3/4 mug of self-raising flour (this is preggy food so I don't bother measuring)
A slash of milk
Vegetarian ingredients as above
A small handful of coriander (optional - I don't bother with this)

Blitz all the vegetarian ingredients, including the whole egg. Stir on the flour and the sweetcorn - if the mixture is too solid add a splash of milk, normally about a tablespoon, but this will depend on exactly how much flour you added. With my experimentation I didn't need to be too precise. Heat up some oil in a frying pan, then carefully spoon  a dollop from a full tablespoon directly into the pan. Cook over a medium heat for a few mins on either side.

Noodles with vegetables
This is quick and easy specially for Mums- to- be. It is very loosely based on a recipe from my fave Rick Stein Far Eastern book - but he may decapitate me with a blunt spoon for suggesting that this sluts version has anything to do with his more complicated original.

Egg noodles
Chopped vegetables - bok choi, carrots, peas, sweetcorn (if not making the pancakes)
Dark soy sauce
A desert spoon of tomato ketchup
Sweet chili sauce
Hot chili sauce (optional)

Start by cooking the noodles as per the instructions, ideally steam the vegetables above the pan of noodles but worst case scenario you can always pop the vegetables in with the noodles for the last couple of minutes. Stir in the sauces and mix altogether.

Serve up the noodles and place the pancakes / chicken cakes on top.

Cravings?
Have you been having any cravings? Is there anything that you are yearning for? Let me know and I will see if I can include something especially for you.
Also what are you calling your bump? I'd love to know.
xx

Well on the way: Week 14 - 15

Emotional? Pass the next box of tissues please! The good news is I am regaining my energy - okay, it is early days and this still involved drifting off to sleep at 4.30 when reading with the Pickle. Thank goodness the Hubster was working from home, so she toddled off to see him so they sat side by side on their own laptops 'working' until the end of the working day.

At this stage your pregnancy we may start to show - first pregnancies tend to show later than subsequent pregnancies - although like everything to do with being human this will depend on the individual. My Mum is always proud to say that she did not show until she was 6 months pregnant. When I was pregnant with the Pickle we went away for a last pre-baby break when I was 21 weeks, at that point she suddenly decided to make a bold appearance over the course of the weekend, so I had to  go emergency maternity clothes shopping! This time around at 15 weeks I am fighting a loosing battle with waistbands and so it seems consoling to know that an uber-glam and svelte friend who is one week behind me has already bloomed  beyond the confines of her pre-pregnancy jeans.

Much more fun is knowing that at 15 weeks Beanie starts to hear me- so I can chat away to myself and it will not be considered insanity! I listened to loads of classical music when pregnant with the Pickle, then when she was born if she got fractious I could put on Classic FM and she would be soothed in seconds!

Time line - What Beanie and I are up to.
I am now into the second trimester at 14 weeks and Beanie is around 85mm and growing to around 100mm in week 15. Can you believe it, Beanie is growing eyebrows and may even be sucking his (or her) thumb.
Beanie's heart is now beating very rapidly and may be picked up by an ultrasound detector. But a note of caution, the NHS recommends against foetal heart monitor.
The placenta is fully supporting and nourishing Beanie. My womb is the size a grapefruit (eh?tart pres) so can press against against my bladder - which is great for keeping up the requirement to drink 8 glasses of water a day.

I have got my FW8 form for free prescriptions and dental treatment and booked a session at the dentist (a joy to look forward to).


What I am cooking?
I have been having major sweet cravings - but in an ideal world we don't want to eat for two as there is life and normal 'pre-pregnancy' clothes to be fitted back into (they reckon that we only need another 200 calories in the last three months). I tried 'healthy' muffins made from carrot and courgette,  researched so called healthy chocolate recipes and to be honest they just did not cut it. The muffins were a limp consolation prize and most so called healthy recipes are either so blimin complicated that they are beyond my preggy patience or they replace sugar with sugar alternatives which are normally not recommended either. So I finally come back to chocolate flapjacks. Then for good measure there is also a recipe for chocolate bread and butter pudding - pure unadulterated stodge and calories.

Chocolate flapjacks
Grease and line a standard (normally 18x27cm) baking tray and heat an oven to 160cm.
Peal and chop 2 cooking apples then cook in a saucepan with 25g butter until soft. Add another 125g butter, 150g demerara (or muscavado) sugar, 2 tbl spoons golden syrup (or a mixture of golden syrup and either honey or barley malt extract for slightly different sweet flavours) and 1/2 tea spoon of cinnamon. You can also add a handful of dried fruit, raisins, sultanas or  cranberries and a handful of nuts or seeds - we add sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Gently heat until the butter has melted and the sugar is starting to dissolve. Remove from the heat and add 225g porridge oats (or for a less chewy version replace a couple of tablespoons of oats with Ready Brek) and stir well.
Smooth down into the baking tray and bake in the pre-heated oven for 25 mins.
Sit down and have a lovely drink then when the flapjacks are cool melt 150g chocolate (we mix dark and milk chocolate) and spread on top - 150g is a thin layer, 200g if you want it thick. Cut into pieces before it gets too cold and enjoy!


Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
Okay, this is NOT healthy but it is yummy and I first made it from desperation when I had no pudding and only the store cupboard as inspiration.

Preheat an oven to 180'C and grease a 2pt baking dish. Butter a number of slices of bread (depending on the size of the loaf) and arrange in the baking dish until full and put on a baking tray to avoid spills later. Sprinkle with a handful of dark chocolate chips.
Measure out 275ml milk and top up with up to 60ml cream (as a Slummy Mummy I use whatever cream I have, single or double and have even done without the cream when I have run out). Add in drinking chocolate or cocoa powder and sugar to taste - for us a couple of table spoons. Whisk in 3 eggs an then carefully pour over bread and butter.
Cook for 30 - 40 minutes. Remember, us Mums to be need to have fully cooked eggs!

Over the first hurdle (week 12 - 13)

How are you feeling? Well the good news is that for most Mums to be the worst of the morning sickness and early exhaustion are about to be a thing of the past, so I should  regain your energy in time to cope with the weepy period. Yes, my hormone levels are increasing along with the size of Beanie. In fact, Beanie now looks like a mini human and is a full 8cm long weighing around 60g.

Most people start telling friends and colleagues about the pregnancy now as the threat of miscarriage is now greatly reduced. Have you checked your maternity rights? you may also want to find out what paternity leave is available too.

I have been checking out what is available for Mums to Be,.  The NCT classes are a great way to meet fellow Mums as well as to help prepare for the birth and the first months. In London there seem to be loads of great private practices that offer ante-natal classes as an alternative, I was recommended HypnoBirthing - and while I did not have a text book 'Hypnobirth' it did help me focus on something positive. But before you spend any money on courses, remember your local GP's surgery who may also run some for free.Our local surgery only runs sessions for first time Mums so I'm booking in the a refresher NCT course (complete with advice on sibling rivalry).

I am keeping up my brisk hour plus dog walks.  It is important to stay active, here is a great point of reference when considering the do's and don'ts of exercise. Check in your local area to see what is available, yoga and swimming are amongst those that are popular, Mumsnet and Netmums can be a great place to start your research (for what it is worth, I love the main Mumsnet for info, chatter and research but think that Netmums Local offer seems better in our area).

Have had the 'Dating Scan' - how emotional was that? A few tears were shed! There were also a raft of screening tests, but ever since a friend had a little boy with Down's Syndrome, so I do not have the heart to have the screening as I could not cope with having to make decisions based on difficult results.. Many hospital's ask for a cash contribution for the photos from your scan - after you have hunted in the bottom of your handbag for the change for parking will you have the cash left over? Enjoy, I hope that you find it a magical experience as you first get to see your mini baby!

Spinach Pie

This is what I have been craving, so I will share it with you. It is really easy to make, full of goodness (and folic acid) and a small slice is a great snack if you want to avoid biscuits.

1 large bag of well washed spinach - frozen is okay too if necessary.
1/2 medium tub of cottage cheese (150 to 200g)
1/2 a standard tub of curd or cream cheese (about 100g)
1/2 pack Feta cheese (about 100g) crumbled
2 eggs
Filo pastry
A few spoons of melted butter

Take the filo out of the fridge and allow to warm in its packaging while you prepare the filling. Cook the spinach, drain and squeeze out any extra liquid then chop. Start by lightly whisking the eggs with a fork, then add in the curd/ cream cheese, then add in the other ingredients. Grease an oven tray and heat the oven to around 180'c. Once you open the filo start avoid delays as you don't want it to dry out!
Take the first sheet and place off centre so about half hangs over the edge, brush with melted butter, then add another layer off centre in another direction and again brush with butter. Continue until you have filo hanging over all the edges. Pour the mixture into the middle (it is much easier if you squeezed out the spinach well and it is not too liquid) then fold the overhanging filo into the centre so that the pie is covered up - you may need to add another sheet to finish the centre. Quickly wrap up and unused filo pastry so that you can use it again (maybe for strudel?). Brush with a little more butter then pop into the oven and cook for about 20-25 mins, just tap it on top and if it feels firm, the eggs are cooked, and then it is done. Enjoy!
(The feta is a little salty, so let that be your reminder to keep drinking the 8 glasses of water that you need!)

Honest, there is nothing wrong with me (Week 8 - 11)

Still keeping it a secret? Have colleagues, friends and family noticed that you don't have the energy that you once had? How ironic that when you most feel in need of energy then the little boost that coffee offers is denied you? Be kind on yourself your body is hard at work, even if you appear to be clinically attached to the sofa. Just don't watch anything too challenging, you are a maelstrom of hormones and I find myself sobbing over the smallest things!

It is a toss up between appearing lazy or 'fessing up to your secret when faced with anything even mildly physically challenging. Okay, pregnancy is not an illness but still where does all your energy go?  On making lame excuses why you over react to simple things, covering for the fact that you aren't drinking caffeine or alcohol or just your general exhaustion? How many reasons can be for the lack of drinking? Detox, a virus, antibiotics or a hangover? Some friends seem to know just by looking at you - but then again that has probably been offered as a hopeful prognosis every time you feel off-colour.

If you are working start to check your contract and your staff handbook - find out when you need to inform your line manager / HR team and what benefits you receive. Some small companies may not have a maternity policy; I once worked somewhere where a colleague was in effect shown the door when she announced her pregnancy and just reading up on her Maternity Rights we could negotiate her a more acceptable outcome.

If the count down to pop date seems abstract at this stage you can count down to the end of the first trimester and then at least the veil of secrecy can be lifted.


Time line:
Beanie is now growing fast - although any sign of bump is more likely down to any cravings as he / she is around 16mm long.
First midwife appointment for the 'booking in' session - loads of questions and blood letting.  Blood is taken for a number of screening tests including blood group and , haemoglobin level, immunity to German measles (Rubella) as well as syphilis, hepatitis B and HIV could see no reason to refuse to allow any of the tests). In our area they seem to test for even  thalassaemia, so more blood letting even though it tends not to affect Mums from my ethnic origin, but I don't need the sickle cell anaemia test.
Filled out the vital FW8 form to give free prescriptions and dental treatment - always work asking for one of these babies.

Beanie is starting to look more like a recognisable foetus, with a face slowly forming. By 9 weeks hands and feet are will be recognisable - by week 10 the internal organs are building a pace too. By 11 weeks that little bean is now a 60mm foetus with organs (yes, ALL organs) developing away. Not long till the scan and I can sneak a peak!

What I am cooking?
I still need my folic acid so now you really should try and I am trying to maintain a healthy diet. Something quick and easy is always good - and this recipe takes just a few minutes.

Chickpea and Chorizo Stew

Chop some chorizo and fry in a minimal amount of oil - it does not need much when it starts to cook the fats will melt. After about five minutes stir in a little turmeric and cumin (and either paprika or flaked chili depending on your tastes) and cook the spices for a few minutes.
Add a can of chick peas and passata / chopped tomatoes and stir in. Next add a bag of well washed spinach, pop on a lid and cook until the chickpeas are warms through and the spinach is wilted down (check and stir every few minutes).
One pan, 10 minutes and loads of folic acid and protein. Perfect!
Serve with couscous or flat bread / pitta.
For as vegetarian option miss out the chorizo, instead saute a little garlic and sprinkle with feta before serving.