23/6/2016 0 Comments Part A: life as I know itSo at the start of this pregnancy the thought of when I should stop working crossed my mind and at the time (many months ago now) I thought that I should stop working by May. My reasoning for this is simply because I thought I would be huge and not able to get around and do the tasks at work. I had made this decision very prematurely after coming back from our honeymoon. May seemed far away and at the time I was all excited and the thought of relaxing with 12 weeks left at home seemed like a good idea… Well May has well and truly passed now and it did so very quickly. It’s now coming towards the end of June and I’m still working 4 days a week approx 26 hrs which is nothing compared to what I used to do unpreggos but it’s standing on your feet all day kind of work, dealing with people all day work, getting shit done all day kind of work that I have still managed to successfully do despite being pregnant. So at my routine midwife appt yesterday after I explained how tired I was feeling due to having interrupted sleeps most nights now (thanks bulging belly and squashed bladder) they asked me again if I was still working the same hours. Already anticipating their opinion I reluctantly told them yes I am working the same hours but assured them that I only work til 1pm (I don’t feel like that’s unreasonable) and that I have all the time in the afternoons to put my feet up which 9/10 times I don’t so then Adam thought it would be a good idea to assure them that despite finishing ‘early’ that I don’t actually rest when I get home (thanks Adam/team midwife). Well now team midwife (Adam included) would highly suggest that I should stop working so I could get the sleep I need in the morning considering I wake up at 5.45am and start work at 6.30am and the initial stages of waking up at that time lately is bloody hard and makes me feel nauseous. Yes I agree and think any normal person that has the chance not to work would take it especially one who’s pregnant and tired so I’m thinking what is wrong with me, why is it such a hard decision? So to put it out there I have let myself ponder on all the reasons on why I may be struggling with this issue in hopes that a little self-reflection leads to a bit of self-realisation and maybe this will help make my decision a little easier:
*Update* 18 days later…. and I made the decision that my last week at work will be the 15th of July at 38 weeks. The decision ultimately came down to recent personal family circumstances, feeling so much better with a well rested morning and just because who knows he may be here any moment.
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20/6/2016 0 Comments Pregnancy in detailOver the weekend I was surrounded by my friends which is something I look forward to after I pass the stage of not being bothered to get up, have a shower, apply makeup, going through at least 15 different wardrobe changes to accommodate this belly and getting into the car to then be bloody exhausted and ready for some food and bed. Sometimes I forget I'm preggos when I'm with them surrounded by normal conversation until the constant belly rubs and tickles start (which I enjoy, it's like a mini massage) and then bombarded with questions some I enjoy, others have been repetitive and then there are some which are just shocking. I haven't publicized this blog as of yet or told my friends about it because I'm still unsure what it's purpose serves other than for my own babbling. So for in the future if I do publicize it I will now answer some of those common questions in a lot more detail than I would say in person for those who actually want to know. What is pregnancy like? Including Q's: What symptoms did you have? Are you scared or excited? Do you feel him move? Are you having a natural birth? A- I'm answering from my own experience only. Pregnancy has been a beautiful challenge. Ads and I wanted to have babies soon after we were married and I naively didn't really think much would change in our lives (I only cried once a few days after finding out when I thought holy shit this is huge) and I definitely didn't imagine how fast time would go while we try and get a new grip on things. Luckily for me Adam is the most relaxed person who actually just 'goes with the flow' he doesn't let challenges set him back it actually makes him dream bigger and work that much harder which overall just creates this big bundle of excitement for him. I'm an analyst- I think and I plan. I have dealt with so much unexpected adversity throughout my short life that I think this is why I am how I am however whatever challenges that make its way into my life I have never let it deterred me much the same as Adam. Answering the question are you scared or excited I can honestly say that I am a bit scared and super excited. No one could have told me what pregnancy was like because each is so different, as soon as I found out I was pregnant I was so conscious of the baby inside me, I cared so much for his life already and conscious of how what I did would impact him. Ads was the same and the day after we found out he was writing checklists of food I can and can't eat and multi-vitamining me up. Before little A has even entered the world the hopes and worries you would feel as a parent kick in and I constantly pray that his health is perfect and that he won't have any medical issues, that I haven't done anything that could harm him while he's been bundled up in my belly, that ads and I will be able to do the best we possibly can as parents and provide him with everything he needs, be able to teach him the most important morals and values and that he will live a long, happy and successful life. Pregnancy symptoms is another huge interest (TBH some of them are horrendous and I wouldn't willingly want to know some of the stuff you might have to unwillingly look forward to) but here it goes... I have googled and researched pregnancy symptoms throughout every stage of my pregnancy they don't just magically appear within the first 3 months and then magically vanish. Here is a timeline of symptoms I had throughout each trimester and let me warn you I might provide too much information: Trimester 1- The first three months for me was the worst. I had the sorest boobs, morning sickness that arrived in the morning, throughout the day and into the night I didn't just feel constantly nauseous I was also vomiting at the smell of food and after eating (garlic and onions were a big turn off), I was so hungry I could eat anything and everything but then I couldn't think of anything that I wanted to eat (food aversions) and when I did eat it wouldn't stay down, however I was successfully consuming at least 2 whole lemons a day or popping apples into a bowl of vinegar as anything that was acidic I was craving. I was so unbelievably tired and could have a nap anywhere and at any time, my sense of smell was through the roof and my perfume was way too strong for me to handle, I also had random nosebleeds, I thought I needed to wee a lot back then but wow I had no idea that it could get so much worse. I experienced crampy feelings like mild period pains that was just the uterus expanding, I got a couple of bad headaches thrown into the mix and my hair started growing at a rapid pace (basically 5 mins after my armpits were shaved they were hairy again). This was all throughout a very hot summer so I was hardly ever wearing clothes just some undies and Adams shirts even though I didn't even start to show at this point. On the brighter side I could still at least fit into my jeans and most of my clothes and I have to add that even after experiencing all of these symptoms day in and out until 14 weeks pregnant I actually maintained emotionally stable (Thank you hormones) Trimester 2- Trimester two was a lot easier! Basically all of trimester 1's fun had gone and I was feeling more like myself, I didn't start to show until I got back from America at like 15 weeks and that's when my pants dreadfully started getting a little tighter. A lot of my symptoms in this period came and went but when they came they were bloody painful. I had the sorest of feet and legs which were swollen for a few weeks (the heat wave that dragged on into autumn didn't help) so after work my feet were submerged into buckets of cold water, a section of my lower back decided to cause excruciating and crippling pain which lasted for two weeks and thank god decided to vanish, bloating kicked in and when it did I felt like a puffer fish it was so uncomfortable and as my belly grew bending over caused breathlessness and sometimes I couldn't breathe. I started to feel him move at around 16 weeks (Quickening) which felt like popcorn popping and a few weeks after that Ads was able to physically feel and see him squirm around which was the most exciting feeling. Moving along... I had veins that started popping out all over my belly, boobs and legs and I felt like some spider woman and then I started to get the influx of emotions (Hormone roller coaster) which meant you could find me crying and laughing at the same time, crying over something not even sad on TV or just the tiniest thing could of set me off (I wasn't an overly hormonal pregnant women just ask Ads he probably thinks I'm worse not pregnant). I had a good share of bad and vivid dreams mostly about death which sucked as sleeping started to get harder as having to be conscious of how I was lying kept me up, then the bathroom runs in the middle of the night and the 2x experiences of night leg cramps that touch wood won't ever return again also affected my sleep. Oh and I can't forget that baby brain is an actual thing ! I have done some odd things like almost put a loaf of banana bread in the dishwasher, try and start the stove with the kitchen sink plug (TWICE) and put random items of things in the weirdest places..... This was spread over a couple of months so by the end of trimester 2 I was thinking pfft this isn't so bad I think I'll have heaps of energy to get through trimester 3.. and this was when I spoke too soon. Trimester 3- I started off boasting about how great and energized I felt, how I was lucky I wasn't an overly huge pregnant person and that the pregnancy weight accumulated slowly for me over months and that I could still happily clean the whole house, go to work 4 days a week, cook dinner, keep up with my studies and take on life. Basically as soon as I said this shit hit the fan. I am so bloody tired.. I have seen a pregnancy meme saying "You don't know what fatigue is until you have had to rest after having a shower" which is my life at the moment. I have never been a lazy person regardless of how tired I am and I actually have apologized to Adam for not being able to be bothered to cook dinner (he doesn't even care) and constantly am apologizing to myself for taking a break off Uni this semester for not being able to keep up (LOL who does that). This belly no longer accommodates most sorts of clothing besides from leggings all day everyday (+ I have refused to buy maternity clothing), some days I have the full pregnancy waddle down pat, I clocked the amount of times I needed to wee in a space of 2 hrs and I was up every 3 minutes, the good old Braxton hicks so inconvenient and uncomfortable, I haven't gone out of my way to exercise once (I count the daily house work and walking home from bus stop exercise) but some have stressed that the most important and convenient of exercises during pregnancy should be the pelvic floor exercises (Adam is constantly on my back about this one) and yet the thought of possibly going throughout life with bladder incontinence and all the rest doesn't scare me enough to be bothered to do them. As cute as I thought all the kicks and rolls were that he was doing in the second trimester have been left in the 2nd trimester I am so over feeling him in my ribs or him changing into inconvenient positions making himself comfy and leaving me with a rock hard, warped belly which more so than not affects my ability to walk and sleep however when hes behaving in there its fun to poke him back and have Adam play with him. Weight gain is also on a steady incline now and surprisingly enough it's the least of my worries as long as he's healthy and I'm healthy I am happy- that's not to say carrying extra weight is easy and I am constantly wondering like many other pregnant ladies how on earth does my body have the capacity to grow even more and I have at least 5 more weeks. Oh and hemorrhoids how nice of you to join me now, my mum did warn me about you and with you that's enough said. Plus another pregnancy surprise- I thought my boobs were infected when they started leaking a thick yellow liquid, nope that's no infection say hello to the golden goodness of Colostrum....I'm currently at 34 weeks and these are the symptoms I have experienced thus far and I could have at least a few more come my way before this pregnancy is over and even though it been a challenging and unpredictable 8 and a half months I have been blessed with an uncomplicated healthy pregnancy with a very active happy baby boy tucked away and I couldn't be any more grateful.As far as my answer goes for a natural birth and my birth plan. We shall see. Birth is full of the unexpected and I can only hope my ideal birth will be achieved however I have been incredibly open and understanding that this may not happen for a variety of reasons and at the end of the day its all about bringing this baby into the world in the most safest way for both of us oh and it might surprise you that I don't fear birth or squeezing 3kgs+ through my vagina at all. The thought of it at this stage oddly doesn't phase me the slightest. So here it ends, I have spent the past couple of hours trying to include as much information as I possibly can on the most common Q's and reading over my answers some of them would scare me out of being pregnant and I have probably shared a bit too much but despite it all I honestly wouldn't have it any other way- Our bodies are truly amazing for creating little humans and I feel incredibly blessed. I started this blog in April with the first post (1+1=3) with no real purpose or intention and actually forgot about it for months until today when I published it and started this one. Lately I have been thinking about my whole pregnancy up until now being 34 weeks, before being pregnant no one could have told me what pregnancy is like and surprisingly enough I never really had any preconceived ideas or expectations. I knew some typical symptoms and early signs of pregnancy but that's where my knowledge and expertise drew the line. I struggle to talk about pregnancy for three reasons 1. being that I've only been pregnant for 34 weeks (yes its been a bloody long time for me but in the schemes of things its actually a very short time) and 2. because I seriously cannot be bothered and don't even think I could recount my experience as thoroughly or interestingly as some would like and 3. because I am in no way an expert when it comes to what symptoms are common or expected , what old midwives tales are true or what you can expect in general. The major things I have personally learnt and have unpredictably hated throughout my 34 weeks of being pregnant is that..
I'm the first of my friends to be married and have a baby on the way so I can understand all the wonders and questions they would have as they probably haven't even contemplated or predicted themselves what it is like venturing so quickly into adulthood, marriagehood, pregnancyhood and motherhood and leaving the easy life that consisted of constant socialising, disposable money, spontaneous trips and unrestricted freedom. To be honest since finishing school I cannot believe how fast life passes by or how quickly we have excelled and made a life of our own. I would have never imagined our accomplishments of saving around $50 thousand dollars in almost three years, travelling overseas four times together, purchasing two cars, planning and paying for our own wedding and creating our own home. I would never have imagined that we would have achieved all this together in the 3 years we have lived together but after being with Adam for 7 years I knew with him all of this was possible and its proof that you can achieve so much so 'young'. Getting back on track, A friend once referred to mine and Adams relationship as their 'Couple goals' and that they find us inspirational and over the years both Adam and I (basically since we were 15) have had and still currently have friends and people ask for relationship advice and recently a lot of pregnancy/marriage related advice. Honestly, its a lovely compliment but I don't find it flattering and I actually find it very hard and conflicting to give advice because obviously what works for us may not work for all and I definitely don't feel like Adam and I are 'Couple goals' we were just incredibly blessed to have had each other growing up to work wonders together to create the life we lead. It definitely has not been easy and we have had to overcome and still overcome so many hurdles and challenges to get where we are today. This leads me to the next annoying thing people ask: Are you ready? I have always answered that question with as ready as we possibly can be. I do try and be a super human even though some stages of pregnancy absolutely flogged me meaning that some days I would go to work with excruciating back pain, swollen legs, tired as f*ck and sore feet knowing that the biggest break I would get would be a mere 20 mins and then I would go home study and finish off uni assignments to make sure that our life after bub comes could be as comfortable as it can be and so that I can help save money for when we are living off one income, saving for an investment house and so that I can get as close to finishing my degree as I possibly can. Honestly we are prepared as we can be in the stage of life we are. Some people that do not know us may look at us and stereotype us by our age and situation (this we knew would happen). Once people find out that I'm 21, 8 months preggos and married they're probably thinking the baby was a mistake, they did the 'right' thing and got married but gosh they are going to struggle because they are so young and don't have their future set up (referring to $$$). I absolutely love to assure all those people that nope ads and I have been together since we were 14 and didn't spontaneously meet each other 3 seconds ago and fall pregnant (not judging anyone that has) since finishing school we have provided for ourselves like adults, he's a third year successful carpentry apprentice, I have managed to work full time and study full time and have one year (fingers crossed) left of my degree, we got married after 6.5 years of being together and 2.5 years of living together, we have traveled together, bought cars together and bought furniture together before creating this baby that was always in our plans. We haven't allowed our age to define or limit our ability in any aspects including money, parenting, loving, maturity, decisions, success, goals or our future aspirations. I'm speaking through our own experience only and not accounting for all other young couples. So yep we are as ready as we can be, bring on Little Lummy #1 |