Saturday 22 June 2013

My first trimester so far

Today I am 7 weeks and 5 days pregnant.  Monday almost feels magical as it'll be classed as the 2 month point - exciting!!

Given Posey arrived just short of the 8 month mark, I could be a quarter of the way through my pregnancy already! I think up until Tuesday of this week I spent most of my time being worried.  Firstly about whether my IVF with ICSI treatment was going to be successful, and then being concerned about my viability scan.  Now that I know my pregnancy is developing well I feel much more relaxed and able to start chilling and relaxing more.  I really really want the crucial 12 week mark to arrive though.  Last time that was when I felt able to really chill out!

So how am I feeling?

We'll start with the bad and then get better...

1. Run down.
Yesterday I came down with a nasty, stuffy head cold.  I finally slept from 4am-8am and then 10am-12.30pm.  I felt so rough overnight and was in and out of bed all night :( Today has been spent lolling in my leggings and getting through a ton of lockets and balsam tissues.  Hopefully tonight and tomorrow I'll feel better.  I kind of feel like now 'i know things are ok' my body has relaxed a little and therefore succumbed to some pesky germs....

2. Cravings.
I'm probably a fussy eater at the best of times but the last few weeks have set me into a league of my own! It's a good job I am flexible with when I work as I can just pop to our local Waitrose and get whatever I fancy.  2 weeks ago I was all about pesto pasta with mushrooms.  Now I feel sick at the thought of it and can't get enough of Quorn cottage pie and cheese & onion crisps!

3. Nausea & extreme tiredness.
Fortunately I've only had this on and off so far but when I have felt nauseus it's always been linked to me being over-tired.  On the ads Posey is at home with me I nap when she does and on other days I literally sleep when I feel the need to.  I'm lucky I can get plenty of rest really.  My dream genii pregnancy pillow has made sleeping much more comfortable too, especially when I'm in and out of bed for wees and drinks all night!

4. The elation at being pregnant again.  I feel fortunate, blessed, so so happy.  I love being a mum and that feeling just overwhelms me every day.

x


Wednesday 19 June 2013

My 7 week viability scan

Phew! So yesterday afternoon was our 7 week viability scan and Buzz & I went off to the clinic.  We were both pretty nervous....but it was fine!

We feel like the most fortunate couple in the world.  Firstly, to have Posey, and secondly for me to now be 7 weeks and 2 days pregnant with Coco no.2 :). Words cannot express our happiness.

Within seconds of 'dildo cam' being employed the nurse said she could see the foetus, the yolk sack and a little flashing light, which was just amazing.  The flashing light was the heartbeat, and it was so so good to see.  She measured the foetus at 11.1mm, which is the equivalent of 7 weeks 2 days gestation, perfect! The foetus has embedded in my womb nicely too, so no worries about an ectopic pregnancy.  We were in and out with big smiles on our faces within 20 minutes and a lovely picture of Coco jnr.  Such an amazing feeling and although it's still very early days in my pregnancy, I feel much more relaxed than I did yesterday.

This morning I saw my GP, who was over the moon for me.  He has booked me onto antenatal care and my first appointment with a midwife will be in around 3 weeks time.  It's called the 'booking appointment' where the midwife checks all your details, gives you your file of notes and discusses your health and any previous pregnancies.  Normally on second and subsequent pregnancies midwife check ups are planned less frequently but given Posey was born prematurely I'd like the same care, if not more from 30 weeks onwards, so I will mention that.

So, now I need to keep looking after myself!  I will go on this afternoon with a bowl of grapes in the garden and an evening in front of the TV...oh, and I may browse the maternity ranges at Topshop.com and ASOS :)

x

Tuesday 18 June 2013

7 weeks 3 days pregnant. My viability scan day..

I really don't like to call it a 'viability' scan but that seems to be what it's known as.  At around 7 weeks of pregnancy the clinic expect to see that the foetus has a heartbeat.  They also check that you are not having an ectopic pregnancy, how many babies there are in there and that said babies are measuring correctly versus gestation.  The clinic also check that you are producing enough progesterone to support the yolk sack carrying the baby until the placenta takes over at around 12 weeks.

I have my viability scan this afternoon and boy am I nervous!  I feel excited too that I will see my little blueberry on the screen with a little flashing heartbeat but terrified in case something isn't as it should be.  I guess feeling like that is totally natural, especially after experiencing IVF to fall pregnant.

At my viability scan with Posey I heard the words "we have a pregnancy! Don't plan too much for the end of September will you!" Oh how I long to hear those words again.  I really hope my nausea, sore boobs, extreme tiredness and bloating means everything is happening as it's meant to.

Wish me luck!
x

Wednesday 12 June 2013

'Baby Brain' My theory...!

A lot of mums (and dads) I know joke about 'baby brain' (BB) and how their memories and abilities to do certain things just aren't as good as before they became parents.  I have to include myself in this as these days I rely on many little to do lists - on paper, in my iPhone, on the calendar, etc etc.  some days if I don't write it down I'll forget it even happened!

So why do we fall victim to baby brain? I'll give you my theory....

1. Before I fell pregnany with Posey I only really had myself to think about.  I could get up at the last minute and race to get ready for work, focus on work all day and then do as I pleased in the evenings.  Some nights I'd see my personal trainer, or I'd do a Pilates class or I might go and meet some friends after work for dinner.  I could be flexible.  My agenda was only mine.  Buzz did the same.  We didn't know how much flexibility we had! Now I still want to do all those things but my mind is on Posey all the time.  If she's at home I'm planning trips out, entertainment in the house, her meals and making sure she's happy.  If she's at nursery I'm thinking about what she's up to, who she's playing with, what she's had to eat, how many hours until I collect her.  She is my world and whatever else I'm trying to do, thinking about her takes over.

2. Looking after children can be unpredictable.  Posey loves a trip to the shops and is usually happy to sit in her pushchair or be on little life rucksack with reins.  However sometimes we have to stop what we're doing and go to the park or the library so she can do what she wants to do for a while before we carry on.  She's not yet 2 so she doesn't yet understand that sometimes you have to put up & shut up!  I've always been quite an organised person and when I need to do something I like to focus on that thing like I'm on a mission! Breaking off to do something else throws me and I can't remember what I was in the middle of doing!

3. Hormones! I know many girls who have been through fertility treatment will agree with me when I say the hormone surges that you experience whie having treatment are immense and at times are very difficult to understand and cope with.  Likewise, through pregnancy your body goes through a lot of hormonal changes and that can do strange things to you - mood swings, hot flushes, tiredness, tearyness etc etc.  Not easy to manage and those things can overpower you, making your day to day life harder than usual.

That's my baby brain theory in a nutshell!  Tell me your thoughts on it too.

x

Monday 10 June 2013

6 weeks pregnant!

Today I am 6 weeks pregnant.  I still find saying that quite overwhelming and have to pinch myself to realise it's true!

How am I feeling?

Pretty exhausted to tell the truth.  It seems most hrs find the tiredness of the first trimester hard to cope with.  Your body goes through so many changes and your hormones go off the scale!  During my first trimester with Posey I was working full time and used to get home and just zonk on the sofa. This time thankfully I don't have work to contend with (as I pick & choose my work) but of course I have Posey to run around after.  Not easy!  I often take a lunchtime nap while she naps and I tend to be in bed by 9.30pm.  I have to look after myself and conserve my energy!

I've only had 1 day of nausea so far (I had none with Posey) but I think that day may have been down to tiredness more than anything.  I've had cravings for salt.  Things like salty chips, crisps and peanuts!  I've also been trying to keep my iron levels up by eating lts of green veg (I'm vegetarian so no meat or fish for me!)

I feel quite anxious still as it's such early days in my pregnancy but I also feel a little excited.  I think about things like turning our 4th bedroom into a nursery, testing out double pushchairs, finding out if we're having a boy or a girl, being able to properly announce we're expecting again and having a baby bump!!

I have a viability scan on Tue 18 June so until then I'm trying not to let my mind run away with itself.  I have no reason to suspect anything is wrong though so I will keep thinking +ve and hopefully the next week will go quickly.

x

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Looking after yourself during the first trimester

I thought I'd write a blog about how to care for ourself during the first trimester of pregnancy.  I must admit, I found it easier when I was pregnant with Posey, but then I only had myself to think about and I was 2.5 years younger!

Nutrition:
Experts recommend that you take a folic acid supplement each day while you are trying to conceive and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Folic acid helps the baby to develop normally and also encourages the prevention of conditions such as spina bifida.  As i'm vegetarian, I am aso taking an omega 3 supplement, to help with the baby's brain development.  Sanatogen do a 'mother to be' supplement which has both (see below).  You can take it right through your pregnancy.



It's also more important than ever to eat a balanced diet. My appetite has definitely increased!  I certainly eat my 5 fruit and veg a day but this time it tends to be whatever Posey is having rather than what I fancy!  She loves cucumber, strawberries, raspberries, raisins, bananas and Ella's Kitchen fruit pouches.  I also make a lot of smothers from scratch.  My favourite is natural yoghurt / blueberries / raspberries / banana / milk.

I'm eating lots of omelettes to so am getting plenty of protein from the eggs and I'm putting plenty of veg and cheese into them.  Anther favourite of mine is roasted vegetables - great for an iron hit!  I roast new potatoes, leeks, peppers, aubergine, courgettes, butternut squash and red onions with olive oil and rosemary - yum!!

Other favourite meals of mine are stir frys and jacket potatoes with salad.  Very easy to prepare.

I've been craving milk since I fell pregnant too.  It was the same during my pregnancy with Posey too.

Sleep:
Some days I am exhausted!  Other days I am fine.  When I was pregnant with Posey some nights I would sleep from 9-7 (with loo breaks..) whereas this time I try and have some quality time with Buzz in the evening after Posey had gone to bed at 7.  She's getting up at around 6.30am at the moment so I have to be up & raring to go by then.  She still sleeps for around 2 hours each lunchtime, so if I feel like I need it I nap at the same time as her to recharge my batteries.

Nausea:
I had nothing whatsoever with Posey.  For this pregnancy so far I have had 1 day.  I hope that's all!  I feel fortunate to have felt ok as far as sickness goes.

Listen to your body:
I'm a firm believer that during pregnancy you should listen to your body and follow your instincts.  Sleep when you need to, eat when you need to and just stop if you feel tired of doing something.  It's hard work baking a baby!  The Internet is a wealth of advice (some more useful than others..) and I find babycentre.co.uk to be really useful.  I have also been fortunate with community midwives.  There are always numbers you can call if you need reassurance.

Emotions:
There have been tears, tiredness, irrational ideas, over thinking basic things and grumpiness so far.  Buzz is putting up with a lot!

Being active for your kids:
I have Posey and she is 21mths old.  For 12 hours a day (minus a 2hr nap) she runs everywhere.  She is unstoppable!  She loves the park, books, our garden, the shops and cbeebies!  She wants me to do everything with her and I want to do everything with her.  It's for that reason that I will do everything to keep myself in tip top shape.  She's my little angel.

X


Tuesday 4 June 2013

5 weeks 2 days pregnant....baby brain?!

I'm into week 6 now of baking a new baby Coco and wow, I feel fortunate.  I feel truly blessed.

I also feel pretty un-energetic, hungry all the time, uncomfortable from the yucky crinone and a bit fat.  I can more than cope with all this though, as I am now just 2 weeks off my viability scan.  It is a week since Buzz and I found out our IVF with ICSI treatment had been successful.

I am currently sitting in my garden 'working' while Posey is at nursery.  I honestly have done some work today.  I won't bore you with the details but I am setting up a new business venture and have been writing my website text today.  The cats are in the garden with me, my guinea pig is watching the washing swinging away on the line and the rabbits are sunbathing!

I'm not sure at what point the dreaded 'baby brain' sets in during pregnancy, and even if it ever goes away after the baby is born to be honest but I must admit I do feel really forgetful right now.  If I don't write something down it didn't happen.  I have been like this since i was just a few months pregnant with Posey.  I have decided to put this down to the fact I can no longer just think about myself, my agenda and what I'm doing.  My life and time are taken up with thinking about Posey and baby Coco every second of the day.  If Posey is at nursery I wonder what she's up to, what she's eating, what she's playing with, what new words she's learnt and how many times she's said "Mummy". Now I also continually wonder if baby coco will be a boy or girl, how he/she and Posey will grow up together and how lovely it will be to have a newborn again.  Right now I don't let myself think past that point as I am only 5 weeks pregnant so there is a long long way to go.  I must think positively though.

And as for the baby brain, well, I think it's here forever!!!

x

Saturday 1 June 2013

Looking after a 1 year old while pregnant!

I thought I'd write this post as ths week I have found myself in the incredibly fortunate position where I have a 1 year old and I'm also a month pregnant again!

Posey will be 2 towards the end of August.  She's a typical 1 year old moving fast towards the terrible twos...she's full of energy because she sleeps well (always), eats well (most of the time) and we do lots of activities together - dancing, singing, reading, the park, the garden, playing with our pets, days out etc etc.  In the last month or two her vocabulary has developed loads and she repeats most words Buzz and I say now.  I could compare it to having a parrot (!), it really is just like having a mini-me.  She knows what she wants and when she she wants it.  She may not know all the words to tell me just yet but she sure knows how to grab my hand and take me to what she wants!!

I guess what I'm saying is she's not a baby anymore.  I'm really looking forward to the next 8 months or so of having her as my little friend while I bake her little brother or sister.  It feels like the timing is just right for us all.

As I type, I am sitting at the breakfast bar with a cup of tea and my iPad.  Until a minute ago Pisey was playing with the contents of one of our kitchen drawers.  She had tea towels, plastic bowls, plates and bibs out.  Of course she got bored pretty quickly so is now sitting on a barstool next to me examining the contents of the fruit bowl.  So far I have heard "nana", "appe" and "boo".  These mean banana, apple and bowl!! She decided she wanted a banana too so we're currently sharing one.

It's lovely that we share so much now and I really hope when the new baby is here she stays just as fun, giggly and keen to explore everything.  I will have to ensure I give her loads of time and attention.

How do I feel just now?  Tired in all honesty.  Buzz got up early with her today at 6.10am and I lay in until 8am.  I needed to catch up!  Hopefully we can carry on dividing and conquering so Buzz and I both get enough rest over the coming months with him working hard and me looking after Posey and running our businesses!

Life is good, I'm extremely lucky,
x