Kate Lyons, 29 from Highgate, North London is now thirty weeks pregnant with her first child, due to be born in late July this year. Kate is the producer for Vanessa Feltz’s Radio Show which is on during midmorning on BBC London 94.9 FM.

Week 30

How many weeks pregnant are you now? 

I’m now thirty weeks into my pregnancy, the last few weeks have flown by!

What symptoms have you had during this past month? 

I’ve started to get breathless in the morning when I’m busy getting ready for work. Also, I’m getting heartburn now which isn’t nice. I’ve been told to drink milk before bed to help stop it but I’m not a huge milk fan.   

How much has your body changed during the last month? 

My shape has really changed now. In the last few weeks I’ve noticed that I’ve started filling out at the sides! It’s getting harder to bend down and get up from the sofa in the evenings.

Have you got any stretch marks yet? 

None as of yet! I’m still slapping on the cream everyday. I’ve gone so many bottles already. I’m sure they’ll appear soon though…I hear they are unavoidable.

Have you had any new cravings for food/ drinks? 

I’m craving sparkling water quite a bit (which I guess isn’t a bad thing) and ham sandwiches often pop into my head but mostly it’s just any food. I’m still cramming in my ‘five a day’ but eating more carbohydrates and sugar than I did before I was pregnant.

Are you feeling nervous now the big day is beginning to get a little closer? 

I’m nervous now I only have seven weeks left at work.  It feels surreal that I’ll be leaving BBC London for at least nine months. I’m so excited to meet the little person inside of me, I’m not that nervous about the actual birth at the moment. I want to try and stay calm and put all my pregnancy yoga exercises to good use.

What else have you done since we last spoke in terms of planning for the arrival? 

We have still got to buy the buggy and pack my hospital bag but we’re quite organised other than that. The nursery is almost finished and I bought the steriliser, bottle warmer and bottles last weekend along with MORE clothes. Our friends and family have given us things like baby slings and car seats so we’ve been really lucky.  

How did you celebrate the Royal Wedding? 

I was producing The Vanessa Feltz show down at Hyde Park. It was the biggest Royal Wedding Party with over 40,000 people there.  It such a fantastic experience! Vanessa and the team were broadcasting live from the top of a big red bus looking across the whole of the park.  The crowd were able to watch the wedding on a big screen and just after the newlyweds left the church, several huge confetti cannons were left off which was an amazing sight.  I wouldn’t have wanted to watch it anywhere else.

What did you think of Catherine’s dress? (we know it’s not pregnancy related but we all watched it didn’t we?) 

Her dress was just stunning. When we saw Kate for the first time getting into the car with her father the majority of the ladies around me shed a tear or two! I was still looking at the pictures for days after.

Have you had any appointments recently? If so how did they go and what happened? 

Early on in my pregnancy I found out that my blood type is rhesus negative so I have had to have Anti D injections at twenty eight weeks. I have also had to have blood tests to check my iron levels which were actually very low so I’m now taking Ferrous Sulphate twice a day.  

How are your feet? Are you still able to wear high heels or are you now in comfy shoes? 

My feet have been fine. They haven’t swollen yet and I can still get into my heels….although I can’t actually walk very far in them .

Have you added any further items to your maternity wardrobe? 

I’ve got a lovely pair of jeans from Mamas & Papas which I tend to live in when I’m at home. I have also bought a few maternity vests from Topshop and H&M but I really haven’t bought very much for me at all. Every time I go shopping I just want to buy baby bits!

Have you made a decision now upon the pram? If so which one and when are you getting this?

Yes we’re getting the Bugaboo Cameleon in dark blue. Although it seams that every Mum in North London  has one, we’ve done quite a bit of research and think it’s the best travel system for us. We’ve already got the Maxi Cosi car seat and the Isofix from a friend so that’s all ready to put into the car in the next few weeks.   

Have you tried any of the ‘old wifes’ methods to find out the gender of your bump?

Yes we’ve tried attaching my wedding ring to a piece of string and dangling the ring over my tummy but the outcome is different every time we try it. I have looked at quite a few old wives tales on the internet and some are very far fetched!

How is your hair? Have you found that it is growing quicker and is thicker? 

My hair has always grown pretty quickly but during my second trimester is did get a lot thicker. My hairdresser told me that won’t last though and some will begin to fall out when I’ve had the baby! 

How are the babies movements now? 

The baby doesn’t stop moving! It wakes me up quite a bit in the night especially if I turn onto my side. I can feel little feet kicking my ribs telling me to turn back round.  Also as soon as I’ve eaten and lay back on the sofa the baby becomes very active. We can sometimes work out which part of its body is where. It’s such a great feeling but can hurt a bit too.

Are you managing to sleep throughout the night? 

No! I can’t remember the last time I had a good night sleep. It takes so long to get comfortable and then once I am I need to get up to go to the bathroom..again! 

Have you made use of any particular maternity products?

My friend gave me two bump bands which I love. I’m using them all the time. They’re comfortable and fit so well. I’m yet to buy a pregnancy pillow but I think I may well have to invest in one soon to help me sleep.

How do you feel with your bump? If someone mentions it what is your reaction? 

I absolutely love my bump (even though it feels like it’s getting bigger every second). Lots of people, some I don’t even know very well, want to touch my tummy but I actually don’t mind at all. It must be a natural reaction people have when they see pregnant women. Once I give birth I think it’ll feel odd not to have a bump anymore.  One of my friends has just had her baby and says she misses feeling her baby kick.

How are you emotionally? Can you make it through a soppy movie without tissues? 

I’ve generally been ok emotionally but there have been a couple of occasions where I’ve felt I wanted to cry for no reason at all. I’m sure once the baby has arrived I’ll be an emotional wreck and won’t be able to sit through an episode of Eastenders!

Have you had any Braxton Hicks yet? 

Yes! Last weekend. I was away for my friend Anna’s hen weekend in Bath. All the hens were out having fun in a bar when I suddenly didn’t feel well. I went back to the house we were staying in along with another friend to go to sleep. Before I knew it I’d been sick and was having heart palpitations. The girls called an ambulance and I was taken to hospital. I started having contractions which lasted for about an hour. The team at the hospital were great and monitored me until they had stopped. They said it was just Braxton Hicks. Needless-to-say, I won’t be going on anymore hen weekends before July!

Have you considered having a 3D/4D scan?

Yes, We’ve been talking about it quite a bit. They are expensive but I hear they are totally worth it. My friends sister is due a few weeks before me and just had a 4D scan. They brought the DVD home for all the family to watch. It must be wonderful to be able to see your baby so clearly inside you.

How are you coming along with your birth plan? 

I’m hoping to give birth in the birthing centre at the Whittington Hospital. The rooms are more like hotels with big double beds and TV’s on the wall. They also have large birthing pools in the rooms too which is really where I’d like spend most of my labour. The birthing centre is midwife lead though so if I want an epidural or need to see a doctor I’ll have to head up to the labour ward. I’m not ruling out an epidural. I think I’ll wait and see what my pain threshold is like!

 

Mums Baby Magazine would like to thank Kate for her time and wish her well in her pregnancy. We will be catching up with Kate shortly and keeping you updated with the latest on her pregnancy journey.