Sarah's Pregnancy and Baby Diary

[sarahG31]

Thanks Kirsty, yep we're both well Just counting down the days to the first scan. Can't wait!

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Just under 4 weeks now until my first MW appt and scan. I hope it goes quickly!

I'm still not sleeping well most nights and really getting tired by about 9pm at night. Plus my dreams are a bit mad sometimes!! I know this is all down to pregnancy and luckily I've not had anything too scary (going by what I've read on other forums!).

We went out to Liverpool yesterday so I could get some looser trousers for the summer and look at maternity swimwear. Well I got the trousers but was very unhappy with our local M&S. Despite being pretty big they didn't have their maternity clothes there! So I'll have to look at possibly ordering online and hope I get the right size. I took at look at others in mothercare but wasn't very impressed by the colours!

We're off tonight for dinner at a local restaurant run by friends. They don't know about me and I'm trying to work out how I can eat at least two courses without getting full too quickly! The past few nights I've not managed much at all. Luckily I'm getting some of my favourite food and just won't fill up on chips or potatoes Mmm can't wait!

 

[Amyeve]

my local m&s is one of the biggest in the country...and has about 5 items of maternity, its ridiculous. i do have a top from there though in a size 14 - which is my usual size and it fits very well, although was slightly big to begin with. so i would say stick to your normal size and you should be ok with m&s x

 

[sarahG31]

Thanks Amyeve, yeah I think that's what I'll do. I know I can return it if it's not comfortable

 

[sarahG31]

End of another week, I'll be 8 weeks tomorrow It's been great having a week off this week. I celebrated my birthday on Wednesday (30 something... eek!), probably the first time (for quite a few years) where I didn't have a drink for it! However I've been making up with birthday cake

I've been pretty tired this week however. I'm also finding that whilst I can walk around and feel okay, if I come to a standstill for too long I start to feel queasy and a bit faint. DH has been brilliant and tells me to go sit down or sit in the car (it's happened twice in the supermarket!) and he finishes sorting things out. I think it tends to happen before dinner, so I'm not sure if I need to have more snacks between meals (or should I say 'a snack' as I don't usually have any). So I need to start carrying cereal bars with me just in case.

We're away this weekend visiting friends. I really can't see us making it through the weekend without telling them though! I think my friend'll catch on when I turn down wine and offer my own decaff teabags!

Some of my friends are starting to ask questions however. We had a friend over today, the plan was to just drive over to the cash and carry, grab what we needed, drop her off on the way home and come back home, however she wanted to 'hang out' for the day, which was fine except by the afternoon I was flagging and needed a quick power nap. She then sms'd me telling me she was worried about me, sms'd another friend who started asking me questions too. Kind of started to stress me out a bit. I know they care but they don't seem to believe me when I say I'm fine. I only had a quick 30 minute nap! I can't wait until we can tell them, at least I'll stop getting nagged then!

Time for some more birthday cake

 

[sarahG31]

Tired, queasy, hungry but no appetite. I chatted to my friend over the weekend who recently had a little girl, and she told me this month was the worst for her so I'm getting ready for that!

Really not sleeping at night, this pain in my left hip is still there 2 weeks on which isn't helping. I seem to have become a light sleeper and DH's snoring is waking me up a lot. I don't want to wake him up too though as he's looking after me so much during the day bless him. I think my days will just be work in the morning, an hours nap at lunch, then a bit more work and then a lazy evening and early night. I really want to start some proper exercise but I don't have the energy. I think I just need to push myself out the door, once I get going the further I walk away from the house the further I have to walk back again right?!

I keep telling myself, just another 4 weeks and I'll have almost finished the first trimester and it's meant to get easier for a while then...

 

[sarahG31]

Feeling a bit more happier today. I got a better nights sleep (probably through exhaustion!) and the queasiness has gone today. I'm wondering whether sometimes my queasiness is related to my sleep or lack of it, however I'm not complaining for now!

My Mum spoke to the consultant gynae that she does work for today, told her about me and ran through everything I was experiencing, just in part to make sure there was nothing I should worry about. The pain in the top of my leg is apparently related to the pregnancy and extra blood in my system, and can happen. It feels like a trapped nerve but it isn't. So, in part, that's made me feel a little more relaxed by it even though it doesn't get rid of it! At least I know it's nothing serious.

I'm going to try and go on the Wii Fit everyday I'm here and do the step to get it moving a little bit, get the blood flowing and see if that helps at all. If nothing else it's a bit of exercise. I sit down far too long each day!

So feeling a bit happier and actually looking forward to dinner, chilli, rice and salad, with a bit of sour cream on the side

 

[sarahG31]

Just as I'm feeling better I get knocked down a peg or two. Friday morning, woke and felt fine, but by 10am a headache hit. Paracetamol (which I only take when absolutely necessary!) didn't touch it at all. I ended up in bed until about 6pm. I tried watching a little tv, lying in the dark, had a damp cold flannel on my head (that helped a little), and ended up relying on a herbal tea I used to have when I suffered with tension headaches, which seemed to ease it. I spent the day in absolutely agony and it's not completely gone yet either

Still getting bouts of queasiness here and there. We're off to a wedding at the end of the week so I just hope that my body behaves for the day! Although knowing my luck on the menu will be a pate starter, medium rare beef or lamb for main and something with raw eggs in for dessert! Fingers crossed I'm wrong though

 

[bajoleth]

I have suffered with headaches a lot this time too, esp in the evening Hope you feel better in time for the wedding, I was just looking at your ticker, 9 weeks already wow that seems to have gone past quickly, probably doesn't feel that way for you though

 

[sarahG31]

Thank you 9 weeks, feels like it's dragged on!! I keep telling myself just a few more weeks and (fingers crossed) I should get my energy back and be back to my normal self! I feel like I'm moaning a lot but I wouldn't swap having a baby for anything (plus I've stopped mentioning ailments to friends in case they put 2 and 2 together!).

I hope your headaches ease for you soon

 

[sonkie]

The beginning is so draining as baby is doing all the vital bits....getting everything in place.....this is the most important part...then its just growing and getting bigger...Hopefully you will feel better soon.....

That is how I knew I was pregnant even though the first test came back negative....I was so tired and felt drained......as you said it is so worth it to hold your baby in your arms

 

[sarahG31]

Thanks Sonya. Yes it'll all be worth it Another few weeks and I'll be into the 2nd trimester and hopefully get this new lease of energy I keep reading about!

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I've pretty much suffered with a headache at some point during the day every day since Friday. It's in the same place, right in the top right of my head. I'm doing my best to try and ignore it and get on with things, which sometimes works but othertimes doesn't. I've got past my two busy days for this week so once lunchtime comes today, if it's lingering I'll probably take a lie down.

Hope it behaves itself by tomorrow as I have a 2 hr drive to Harrogate and the wedding on friday. I still need to check I can fit into my top as my chest has expanded somewhat since I last tried it on!

 

[sarahG31]

What a wonderful weekend I've been queasy-free which is great. I've still been tired but I'm getting used to the lack of sleep at night now. Unfortunately my headaches have got worse at times but I think that's in part due to the heatwave we've been having, especially at night.

We had a great weekend away although my biggest fear on the wedding breakfast came true -

Chicken liver parfait, warm brioche with chutney and salad for starter - I just had to look at the cone of pate with a slight whimper! The brioche was nice although I scraped most the chutney off it.

Roast beef, yorkshire pudding (well when in yorkshire...!), and veg - the beef came out pink so DH got them to bring me a well done one for me to discover the veg had hollandaise sauce over it! So I scraped that onto DH's plate along with the 'infected' vegetables. Luckily the portion was pretty big.

Thankfully the dessert was fully cooked, no raw eggs in sight - sticky toffee pudding and icecream.

I must admit, it was quite hard being amongst the glasses of champagne, pimms and lemonade, and watching all the wine being poured and drunk in front of me! I had promised DH to still get my share of wine and champagne for him so he was quite happy!

However, we still had a great day and it was good to catch up with some family again.

The rest of the weekend was fine and besides the headaches, I've been feeling a whole lot better.

We're both back on the wagon from today with food. Light, simple meals, plenty of fruit and veg/salad. I've started to pick some salad leaves from the garden already which is great. Potatoes are due in a couple of weeks too

Just counting down the days to my first scan next Tuesday. 8 days to go.

 

[sarahG31]

Okay, I'm probably going to sound really silly here but just had a major anxiety attack. I realised I now am not really feeling pregnant. I've not had a bleed, or any pains, in fact besides my headache (which I've suffered at times with long before pregnancy) I have no symptoms whatsoever. I even got an almost full night sleep and didn't need the loo at 4am. I'm not feeling sick anymore. I don't have a massive appetite and am not eating my usual full portions, but again, that could be due to the heat or anything. Even my BBs don't hurt, and they have since before I knew I was pregnant.

I can't believe I've got another week to wait just to make sure everything is okay. I don't know if it's worth getting another pregnancy test just to check that my body still thinks it's pregnant. I know I'm getting towards the end of my first trimester and it's meant to get easier, and that's probably (hopefully) what's happening, but I'm scared that possibly something is going wrong inside.

It doesn't help that back in January I have a bad feeling that I miscarried at 10 weeks. I don't know if I did or not, I never did a test as I had assumed I wasn't pregnant. Basically mid January would have been mid cycle, and I started to bleed/spot quite lightly on the Saturday. Then that evening I had severe abdominal cramps and shooting pain in my lower right back. My first thought was kidney infection, as I've had that before, although without the blood. Then I thought perhaps this is nature's way of telling me I'm ovulating now it knows we want a baby. Sunday morning the pain had gone but I was still spotting. Sunday night the pain came back even worse to the point I was in tears (although part of that was because I was looking everything up online and worrying myself that I'd had an ectopic pregnant or miscarriage). Monday I was bleeding a bit heavier and the pain was there all day. I saw the doc first thing and she did a pregnancy test in case I was ectopic, and there wasn't a positive. She wouldn't do an internal as I was bleeding, so sent me home. Things started to ease but on the following Saturday I had effectively a one day period, heavy bleeding etc. But that was it. That then became day one of the next cycle.

I didn't think much of it although I've always wondered what was wrong. Since coming off the pill a couple of years back I've never had a problem with my cycle which is roughly every 4 weeks give or take a day or two. No problems mid way, and certainly no bleeding. I didn't think I was pregnant as I'd 2 periods (not to mention overdulging at Christmas), although I realise that's not a surefire negative. I didn't have any other symptoms either, although I spent half of december ill with cold and flu so I wasn't really symptom spotting either, plus I know every pregnancy can be different.

I possibly wasn't pregnant and it was just my body throwing a hissy fit over something. But it has weighed on my mind that it was at 10 weeks and is still unexplained. I'm now at roughly the same point and to be honest I'm just not sure what to think. I know worrying won't help if the baby is fine, and it probably is.

My friend said to me that her problem was that once they had their first scan for the next two months she couldn't feel anything, she didn't feel ill, and at times wondered if everything was still okay. Part of me wants to get a doppler just to be able to check on the baby and ease my worries. Although I'm sure I'd panic if I couldn't get a heart beat.

I was so eager to get the first trimester out the way, get some energy back and the sickness gone, plus tell everyone, now I want to get to the point where I can at least feel the baby moving about every day. I know I'm probably just being silly and daft and worrying about nothing. But I feel like I'm a bit in limbo at the moment.

 

[sonkie]

Awww hun I was like that with Hannah.....at the beginning just felt blooming awful so tired and washed out so I had a feeling I was pregnant......anyway as it got nearer to the scan I just had a feeling that they would do the scan and I would not be pregnant......it was a very strange feeling.......so I was very relieved when they did the scan and there was a baby.. strange !!!

 

[sonkie]

As for the doppler I got one off line......lol....sometimes it would take a while to find her heartbeat but you could hear the swishing when she moved.......it was reassuring to hear....as I didnt really feel her move for a while....

 

[sarahG31]

Thanks Sonya. Just winding myself up I think. DH has already told me to stop worrying and that everything's fine. You just feel in limbo, no feeling of pregnancy at all. I'm torn on the doppler mainly because it's a cost I'd rather not pay out on and save money for when the baby's here instead, plus the thought of misreading signs or not hearing anything. I guess sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Just need to get through the week, keep my mind off it all and this time next week I'll be chatting to the midwife

 

[sarahG31]

My mood started to improve yesterday (helped along by a lunchtime finish and afternoon in Liverpool!). I got a swimming costume (finally) from Mamas and Papas, so I'll be phoning up the local pool to check on the times for ladies only swimming and aqua natal classes and hopefully try going next week once I've had my scan.

 

[bajoleth]

Hi Sarah, try not to worry that just seems to be the way it happens, you feel lousy for the 1st few weeks, how something so tiny can cause such havoc is beyond me
When you get to your stage you suddenly feel your normal self again, which is great but strange cos you are used to feeling c**p which is strangely reassuring.
Even if you bought a Doppler you probably wouldn't heat anything anyway which may be more stressful for you, its not long now till your scan. It is now policy in our area not to listen in on the heartbeat until after 23 weeks as it is common not to be able to find it which causes unnessary anxiety etc. Try to relax and enjoy feeling normal for a while anyway, take care Jo

 

[sarahG31]

Hi Kirsty, hope you're well too and Sienna is doing well? I must admit I'm not a big swimmer but I figured at least if I do aquanatal classes then it's something, and yes I'll be avoiding anyone who gets near me!

Jo, I happened to read the 10 weeks on the babycentre site today and saw several people post the same comments there as I had... it's all 'gone quiet' and suddenly you don't feel pregnant. I won't be getting a doppler, it's just an expense we can't afford anyway and as you say, I'd probably stress more when I didn't hear anything! I think 16 weeks is the earliest they reckon you can hear a heart beat so hopefully by my 20 week scan I'll be listening in

Just need to keep busy and hope the next 5 days fly by!

Thanks ladies

 

[sarahG31]

One more day before my first MW and scan. Am soooo excited It's been a bit of an up and down week though. My headaches have been bad at times, which in part I also put down to the varying weather right now, sunny one minute, cloudy and rain the next (along with increased blood and hormones of course!).

I've felt relatively okay otherwise, although on Thursday I did overindulge in cream on scones and cakes, and then felt a bit sick that evening! My own fault I know.

I've managed to lose (or keep off) 3 of the 4lbs I put on back in early April. I know a lot of it can just be bloat, plus my appetite has decreased and subsequently so has my portion sizes. I'm hoping to start going to the aquanatal class this week or next and also try and do some swimming too, once I've got the confidence. That plus exercise at home and/or some walks out in the evening and hopefully I can get my weight down a bit. My plan for the month is to try and lose 4lb, so 1lb a week. Should be achievable providing I don't bloat too much.