19 Weeks: Muscle Manipulation and Stretch Marks

       

I’ve made it to the end of 19 weeks and I have my scan tomorrow, marking the half-way point! I am feeling good, partly due to the weekly yoga sessions, the massage and the muscle manipulator and partly due to the appearance of Cadbury’s Cream Eggs in the shops. It did cross my mind to take a picture of my Cream Egg yesterday morning (Eggs for breakfast – that’s perfectly acceptable – right?!) but then I just ate it.

The muscle manipulator taught me a lot - the reason for my pre-pregnancy backache which has caused me a lot of pain in the past is my psoas, which I had never heard of before. The reason for my visit was the fear of the backache returning during pregnancy and not being able to take the usual medication that breaks the cycle of muscle spasm. I finally decided to do something about it and I’m really glad, I now feel that there’s hope! I also learnt that my pelvis is in the correct position; very solid and stable.

Pregnancy has made me learn things about my body that I never knew I needed to know. I thought I was fairly well educated in human biology and had read enough books pre-conception to know the most important things. This week I learnt not to do breast stroke – well I’ve spent the past 4.5 months compromising my pelvis this way and I had no idea.

I have had tiny stretch marks appearing which has had me using huge amounts of body butter and oil for the past few days, at least there’s nothing on my tummy yet, I have a feeling I may not escape pregnancy without a few battle scars, but I knew that was likely before I make the decision to have kids.

17 Weeks–Guessing Games, Babymoon Flights and Biscuits

 

I can’t believe we’ve reached the end of 17 weeks already! I am starting to have a real bump now and for the first time someone has tried to guess whether I’m having a boy or a girl – come on people, you have a 50:50 chance of getting it right! Apparently I’m carrying high for this early so it’s going to be a boy?!

In other news I visited the midwife this week and everything is at a fairly average height for my dates, which sounds more realistic to me! Anyway it amuses me, but maybe I should tone down the sarcasm a bit “Yeah we’re pretty sure we know what’s in there, the ultrasound was pretty clear, it looks like a human baby”.

This week has been pretty good; it started off with a very relaxing weekend, a little shopping and a lot of lounging about. I have had some serious biscuit binges this week including buying a 6 pack of chocolate and cereal bars and eating all 5 in one afternoon. I blame it on the cold weather!

I haven’t had a sudden burst of energy now I’m in the second trimester but I am glad to be having a break from the sickness, I still don’t go anywhere without a large zip lock bag for emergencies though! Pregnancy is not glamorous all the time.

This week we booked flights for our Babymoon - which all sounds very American! We are going to Toronto for 10days, I am tagging this onto a work trip and I am looking forward to it so much, it will cover some of weeks 22-24 and will probably be my last long haul flight for some time, I am going to focus on relaxing and having lots of romantic meals with my boy.

16 Weeks–More Snow and Wrapping Up Warm

 

I love the winter time and this week had a proper snowy winter feel to it. I love wrapping up in layers and wearing boots over my favourite pink/red maternity jeans. It’s also a great excuse to spare 10minutes whilst the car warms up having coffee and croissants.

I feel like I’m starting to look pregnant from a side on view now, some outfits are more subtle and others are really obvious.

My nausea seems to be gone now although I still have to avoid acidy foods first things in the morning, favouring decaff coffee or milky tea over my old winter favourite of hot orange juice.

I’m really enjoying my Wednesday Yoga classes, it’s such a great opportunity to talk to other pregnant girls and be able to ask the teacher who is a midwife about anything. It’s also a really nice relaxing break mid-week, sometimes (always) I’m really struggling by Friday at work and I doubt I’d make it as far as I do each week without taking the two hours out.

I am really enjoying sleeping at the moment, as soon as I get home and eat dinner I am ready to sleep. I’m making the most of it while I have the time and I can still sleep relatively well.

We have been talking about names already, we are pretty much there with a girl’s name but I’m finding boys names so much harder, which is strange because we have been referring to the baby as a ‘he’ even though we have no idea. There’s no pressure, plenty of time to decide these things still and it’s always funny using those random baby name generators. I would like to pick names that mean something to us though, but maybe we’ll get desperate in the later stages!

15 Weeks–Maternity Wardrobe and Snow

It’s pretty worrying how happy I was to get some decent maternity jeans – it almost made me look forward to getting up for work early on Monday morning to wear them. Perhaps I can use that as an excuse for going to bed at 7.30pm, rather than the fact that my usual number of lengths at the swimming pool rendered me so exhausted I didn’t even have the energy to brush my teeth.

Back to the clothing, I spent a total of £220 on my complete maternity wardrobe – I hope that will see me through to July. Here’s the breakdown:

- H&M Grey Skinny, Mamma Jeans (£15)

- H&M Salmon Pink Skinny, Mamma Jeans (£15)

- H&M Two black tops, Mamma, one stripes, one spots (Total £30)

- H&M Two pack Mama long vest tops, one grey one green (£15)

- H&M Long great Mama jumper (£15)

- Marks and Spencer's – 4 non-wired comfy bras – fitted (Total £24)

- Gap – Long Pink and Red striped maternity top (£12)

- Gap – Grey maternity t-shirts – one vest sleeves, one capped sleeves (£20)

- Motherhood – Jersey dress black and green stripes (purchased in the US ~ £25)

- Motherhood – Grey and purple work dress (purchased in the US ~£20)

- Motherhood – 2 pairs of pregnancy tights, one patterned, one plain (purchased in the US ~£4)

- Mothercare – Red and white spots maternity tankini (£25)

Total cost for maternity wardrobe = £220

Maternity clothing is expensive in the UK and so much of it was rather frumpy, thank goodness for H&M and their clothes which look almost like what I would normally purchase.

Also this week it snowed, which made everything so pretty but also the road so slippy. I’m glad baby G is estimated for July – as far from the snow as possible!

Future Note to Self {Scotland September 2013}

I love to travel, I feel like I should add this disclaimer before I mention anything negative about travel. I appreciate that I’m very lucky to have the opportunities I have. Anyway that point to the side, onwards with the story.

Summer 2011 I travelled out to Texas – a common trip for me and a place I love to visit. The day before was one of those rare beautiful Scottish summer days. We went for a walk near our house to explore a new path we’d never been down.

I enjoyed this day in a bitter sweet way, for the next 10 days I would be away from home. As much as I enjoy when I am away, I realise more and more that I’ve found a partner that I want to explore new places with, even if it’s just 10 minutes walk from our front door.

This is interesting to me to look back on today (14/01/2013) – with disbelief that the weather was so nice, but mostly to think about how things will change as we welcome another family member into our lives this summer.

I’ll definitely remember how much I loved travelling at a minutes notice all over the world, but I hope I’ll also remember how much I missed being home with my wee family. It’s easy when things get tough or tiring to remember how nice it is to be in a hotel somewhere exotic with someone to change your sheets, do your laundry and cook your meals! But the people are what make me want to be home.

So to myself in September-ish when I would be in the USA, remember that you can never get this time back, but that you can travel to the US again in the future – perhaps with 2 companions.

What we want from a birthing centre {Scotland 2013}

 

This weekend we visited the place which is top of our list of birth locations. It seems early to be making these decisions at 15 weeks and to be honest we don’t need to make the decision yet at all, but it feels good to find somewhere which feels comfortable to us.

Before I went I tried to come up with a list of what we want and expect from the place we choose. This is the first time we’ve done this, so I’m sure our list is naïve but it’s our starting point.

1. Guaranteed access to birthing pool

2. Less than 1 hours’ drive from home

3. Encourage natural birth

4. Must have ‘rooming in’ after (rather than a baby nursery)

5. Must be clean!

6. A feeling of calm

7. Allow us to visit beforehand

8. Not too busy

9. No ‘hospital smell’

10. Allows food and hot drinks during labour

11. Less than 45mins from emergency hospital

12. Ward for extended stays has privacy and not really busy

We were really placed that the place we visited covered all of these criteria, in addition the birthing room, has a great, relaxing view over the water and we can have people to visit afterwards as often as we like. The staff were friendly and relaxed and asked us to come back again in a few months when we make our final decision.

I just have my fingers crossed to remain low risk because I’m not a fan of our local hospital which will be our high risk alternative. At the end of the day though as long as everyone is well at the end that’s what truly matters, but if there is any way to make the experience more positive I will try to go that route.

14 Weeks–Leggings, Yoga and Feeling Better

 

I’m almost scared to admit that I’m actually feeling better now, still tired but I’ve not been sick for over a week which is cause for celebration. This make the first week back at work a lot easier than it would have been otherwise! I know it was to be expected as time went on but I’m worried that if I admit it the symptoms will come back with a vengeance!

I also started pregnancy yoga which I’ve been looking forward to for a while. It was very calming and hopefully will help me cope better later on, especially with any backaches. It was really interesting to meet with a group of other expectant mums – it made everything seem a tiny bit more real. It did however highlight my severe lack of flexibility; I really hope that won’t be a hindrance during labour.

I have a small bump now and so have entirely run out of trousers to wear and have resorted to boots, long tops and leggings. What did pregnant ladies to before leggings came back into fashion? I can’t think of anything more comfy that I could wear in public.

This week I told most of my work colleagues and friends, we’ve not had too much unasked for advice so far which is a relief because I have a feeling I won’t be handling that very well. Just to usual comments that our lives are going to change – as if we didn’t consider that before we started trying.

The weekend ahead is full of pregnancy related activity – maternity clothes shopping on Saturday – I plan to buy 80% of the clothes needed to see me through to July. Then on Sunday we’re visiting the place which is currently top of our list for delivery, assuming everything stays low risk.

13 Weeks–Germany, Austria, New Year and Scan

Week 13 was a busy one, we travelled over to Germany and spent a few relaxing days in Munich which we loved, before driving down to Austria for New Year and a wedding. It was a good way to celebrate the start of the second trimester too!

Germany was some wonder time to relax after a busy Christmas, the weather was cold and frosty but we managed to sit outside with a croissant and coffee. I’m managing to control the morning sickness by having a drink and savoury snack before getting up. I still don’t feel great at some points during the day but this really helps me get started in the morning.

Munich was lovely; we did a Lonely Planet walking tour and saw most of the main sites. I even managed a few alkoholfrei beers, so I didn’t miss out on the experience of the beer halls!

We drove down to Austria for New Year which was interesting, the roads were so snowy and icy but we had a reasonable car and snow tyres. We were in Austria for a wedding but it was a great excuse to visit the local area and enjoy lots of hot chocolate.

I did have to take it easy though, I’m still adjusting to getting tired more easily and learning to slow down. It was nice to have a few days at home before the shock of going back at work. I think next week will be a struggle

We had a scan the day after we got back to and everything is looking good so far, it’s amazing how much detail we could see and the amount of movement. The pictures were really good too and this time we got to share them with friends and family now almost everyone knows.

10 Weeks – Party, Frosty and Skirts

Saturday marked week 10 in this crazy journey, it also was our Christmas and Engagement party, which was interesting trying to secretly stay off alcohol – it’s amazing how much peer pressure there is to drink!

I told Ellen, it was so fun to see someone else’s excitement in person; she’s probably the closest person I’ve been able to tell so far face to face. I also asked Grace to be our flower girl and she was excited.

This week I started having to use a hair band to fasten my trousers, I am super bloated. So this week I’ve mostly been wearing skirts, favouring those with elasticated waste bands! I’m also planning to get some new bras tomorrow; I can’t take the discomfort any longer.

I have been consistently, mildly nauseous apart from a sudden need to throw up this morning as I was running up the stairs. Catching throw up in your hands pressed tightly against your face is not what you need as you’re about to leave the house for work. Ginger cookies and tea seemed to bring me back to my usual slight nausea limit. The strangest thing is, there’s not much of a difference in the general nausea and the second before I throw up, which can make things awkward.

It seems Baby G is about 2.5cm long, which just seems so tiny. Next week is our next scan and hopefully it will look more baby like for us to show our family. Sometimes I love that it’s our secret and other times I am bursting to tell people. I know that I’m not going to cope particularly well with everyone making comments and looking at what I’m eating, drinking and doing. I’m enjoying doing my own research and making my own decisions at the moment!

From my Diary {September 2010}

From my Diary – September 2010

I got up earlier today; 6:30am which should be my new routine. I did one of the yoga programmes from a DVD. I've decided to do something active every day and provide myself with time to plan the day and eat breakfast without rushing around. I hope it's going to make me feel more focussed and fitter.
My friend’s baby was due last week but we are still waiting on news. I've become more comfortable with the pregnancy although I do keep having moments of feeling left behind. I think if one of our other close friends were also pregnant I'd feel a bit stranger. I just don't want to feel like I'm missing out, not engaged, not married, not trying for a baby. I think once my friend has the baby I'll be happier, it's the idea of being pregnant and experiencing something my body was designed for.
I have learned a few things from her pregnancy though, the first one is that I really want to have kids at some point and the main thing I want to do differently is to really be happy that I am pregnant and show it off and take lots of photos. My friend has about 2 photos of her with the bump and she seems embarrassed to be pregnant, I'd really like to take a weekly photos, I think watching your body change must be amazing.

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It’s interesting to me the way I reacted to the pregnancy of my friend, I kept my feelings well hidden from her. But it made me realise how much I wanted to have kids, which was a positive thing. I can also say that I have been positive about the pregnancy so far and I really am enjoying being pregnant.

9 Weeks – Dublin, Buddy, Sleepy

Week 9 of growing Baby G, involved a trip to Dublin, he’s already turning into a well-travelled baby! I look forward to showing him many of my favourite places around the world one day.

Hopefully when I do it will be on more pleasant flights that the one to Dublin! The weather was so rainy and windy as we came into land, I was just concentrating on breathing in and out so as not to be sick – it was borderline but we landed just in time.

I’m making the most of wearing my clothes at the moment, skinny trousers and short skirts, because I’m sure their days are numbered! I’m thinking it will be a great excuse to have a really good clear out of my wardrobe too!

I gave a presentation in Dublin which went well and we went out for drinks after and pizza. Michael guessed and asked me directly – I knew he would notice something! It’s quite a relief telling people, especially when they guess or ask you straight.

Earlier in the week I went to a networking event and met a local friend who I discovered is also pregnant – I told her our news too, it means I will have someone on maternity leave nearby which I think will be necessary for my sanity!

Generally, I’m feeling ok this week, just the mild nausea and sore boobs but that’s to be expected and is a sign that things are progressing as they should. It’s strange sometimes I forget that I’m really pregnant, I don’t feel all that different, although I am ridiculously tired, I’ve had a couple of days where I’m truly worried I will fall asleep at my desk – having a fairly quiet time at work isn’t helping – although it’s not long until Christmas.

8 Weeks – Afternoon Tea, Work and Secrets

I made it through my 8^th week, I’m still don’t feel much different, I’m not sure what I expected really. I’ve been tired and nauseous and have almost fallen asleep at my desk twice this week. I had to drive up to the supermarket at lunch to park and shut my eyes for 15mins; sometimes I wonder how I will make it through to 5.30pm! I’m looking forward to lots of sleep over the Christmas holidays.

It was a good week, we took a day off mid-week to go Christmas shopping and had a lovely breakfast in Peckhams – French toast with fruit, yoghurt and maple syrup – my favourite. Then we blasted through the shopping. Afterwards we went for an afternoon tea at Carmelite in Aberdeen which I would definitely recommend. Next year I swear we are doing it all online, there is no way I can do this with a little one in tow – I may be able to make the afternoon tea though!

After the amount we consumed all we could do was get ourselves home, so it was just as well it was a reward for finishing! There was Jenga to play while we waited and it was a nice calm break away from the chaos of the Christmas shoppers.

I’m starting to feel my clothes are getting a little bit tight, due to a rather bloated stomach, although I know it’s nothing compared with what’s to come. I’m wearing longer tops and usually unbuttoning my trousers before the end of the day.

The in-laws are up this weekend, so I’ll be fake drinking champagne and looking for an excuse to be the designated driver on meals out! It’s fun having something so exciting to keep between you but sometimes it’s so tricky not to let people know.

Yellow in Utah {November 2012}

Utah is in danger of becoming my favourite US State, a position held for the past two years by a tie between California and Colorado. There are of course still so many states to visit.

My visit to Zion National Park is something I will remember for a long time. There’s the beautiful mountains, the fact that I flew from Scotland all the way to Las Vegas, picked up a rental car and drove up there on my own in my midnight blue VW Jetta – I suppose it was a good time for reflection. The scale of the mountains and the timescales involved makes you feel tiny, yet climbing to the top of those rocks makes you feel strong.

The people were so friendly, the food was great, the temperature cool in the morning and warm in the middle of the day. November is beautiful too, the trees still clinging onto their yellow leaves where at home most are bare.

Then there’s the shopping which I enjoyed, the outlet malls, the cute antique store I found in St George, buying Scrubs in Wal-Mart for my sister and looking at fabrics. Then I won’t forget the Target car park where I found out I’m finally expecting a new arrival in July. I dared to hope after weeping in the shower that morning for no apparent reason; Target was the only place I knew with a pharmacy and a restroom! Then there will also be the huge phone bill as a reminder calling home minutes later.

In Utah I felt like I had nothing to complain about in life, that everything was how it should be – even before stopping at Target. It had a very calming effect on me, climbing a mountain on your own is something that should never be underestimated.

 

{Linking up to You Capture}

6 Weeks–Some Fresh Air and First Aid Training

November in Scotland is chilly but fresh, so we headed out for some air, the crazy kittens stayed at home on their radiator beds and snuggled in warm and cosy. We drove about 30mins from our house and walked along the paths through a forest, after just about recovering from jet lag I wasn’t ready to climb up a giant hill yet.

I’ve been feeling ok, I was more tired than usual after getting back from the US, I found my legs had swollen up a little which is unusual so took it easy for a few days. I was ready for some fresh air though!

I keep remembering that I really am pregnant and that’s bizarre and exciting, I don’t really feel any different so it’s easy to forget for most of the day. We did another test when I got back so we could look at the word appear together.

It’s such an exciting time, but it’s tricky to remember we’re not supposed to tell everyone, we’re planning to keep it quiet until about 12 weeks. I did have to tell my work due to plans to travel to Kenya (Malaria zone) which had to be cancelled and I think it will make things easier if I’m not feeling well in later weeks.

I’m getting back into being a first aid trainer too so was observing a training session this week. It’s strange not being able to tell people yet, especially when making plans over the next year. I’m sure they’ll understand though when I do get to tell them.

We booked a scan for next weekend to check the pregnancy is viable and also to make it seem a little more real! I think after that we will feel like we can really commit to the reality.

5 Weeks–Utah, A Positive Test and Vegas Baby!

I have been in Utah for 5 days and it was my last day in the beautiful mountains before heading back to the madness of Vegas.

I woke up early but had become accustomed to Mountain Time. I was surprised by how exhausted I was, I had some work to catch up on first thing and was a little tearful whilst in the shower, it’s unusual for me to be overwhelmed.

I pulled myself together and checked out, then headed to the Egg and I for breakfast. Sunday morning is quiet in St George and the shops open at 11am, so I took my time and finished up my work.

The weather was lovely and I took a walk around St George, I found a cute antique shop open early. Then I headed to Target, one of my favourite places to stock up on US trips. While wandering around the aisles I came upon the pregnancy tests. We had done one a week earlier at the end of the last ‘two week wait’ and it was a disappointing negative, but I though best to check again before having a few Vegas cocktails.

I wasn’t expecting much, the bathroom in Target wasn’t where I expected to take a test, but sometime that’s how things work out. I couldn’t wait there and find out, so I popped the sealed test in my bag, washed my hands and went out to my rental car.

I took it out of my bag and couldn’t believe the words I saw – pregnant, which was such wonderful and exciting news, but it was a shame I wasn’t with my boy. I eventually got through on the phone on my way back, stopped in a little town called Desert Springs in Arizona, he was so surprised and excited.