being pregnant!!

I have to admit I loved being pregnant, I loved knowing that a little being was growing inside of me, I loved watching my belly grow, I loved being able to eat what I wanted without feeling guilty and of course the increased cup size – 4 sizes, good times:)!! I first noticed something was up when we were in Rome for a weekend for Bru’s birthday and I knew I didn’t feel right. I had no interest in drinking which was the first sign that something serious was up;) and I felt really bloated and tired. I put it down to travelling and eating too much and didn’t really think about it. The first time I really started to notice something was different was in La Cucina and the smell of the chicken cooking was really strong and made me feel sick, I had a really strong sense of smell all of a sudden and everything made me feel queasy. I was a couple of days late at this stage so I began to put 2 and 2 together and made a doctor’s appointment. I couldn’t even go to any of the chemists in my area as I know everyone working in them because they all eat in La Cucina and obviously I didn’t want anyone to know. I know my doctor  and her family very well too so she was more excited about waiting for the little blue line than I was and swore to keep it a secret.

Bru was working in La Cucina so I had to tell him in the car, even though we both knew there was a chance that I was we were still both shocked. It really hits you hard when you find out on the first, although we were overjoyed I was still in shock for a few days trying to get my head around it. I was really lucky as I didn’t get sick once but did feel like I had the worst hangover in the world for about 16 weeks and the tiredness – oh my god, nothing prepares you for that. I didn’t tell anybody until 5 months even though I was sure everybody would notice my extra belly and Pamela Anderson style figure;) I actually couldn’t wait until I had my bump as at least then I would look pregnant rather than look like I’d eaten a few too many pies!!

I decided to go private and was happy I did in the end with all the complications I had but I couldn’t believe how hard it was to get an Obs, I rang the day after I found out which was 5 weeks and most of them were booked up already. I got the last appointment with one of the better known Obs but couldn’t have my first scan until 17 weeks as he was so busy. The first scan was amazing because it actually becomes real that you are having a baby and there is no way back, we were told she was measuring big and that my dates were wrong Nov15th and was put back to Nov9th. The Obs waiting room is a funny place, everybody is checking out everyone else’s bumps, it was the same at the ante-natal classes.

I flew through the pregnancy and only started to show around 20 weeks when we went to Sicily on holidays, I really missed not being able to eat any shellfish or drink alcohol while we were there even though I did have the odd glass of wine. I had my first movement while on holidays, I got so excited when I felt the first fluttering, it really felt like I was pregnant then. I think at the start it’s really strange because although you know you are pregnant, it’s still not quite real that you are until you start to get a bump and the baby starts moving.

I ate very well throughout my pregnancy and ate more fruit and veg than I have in my whole life, I went off meat completely in the first few months and couldn’t even touch alcohol, the thought of it just made me sick, the same thing with coffee and I adore my cappuccino in the morning but I just had tea. I didn’t have any cravings except for bowls of cornflakes in the early hours of the morning when I couldn’t sleep towards the end. I actually ate less while I was pregnant as my bump got very big so I just felt full all the time and just ate really small amounts, wish I could say the same for now;) At every scan my Obs used to comment on how big the baby was and she was always measuring at the the higher end of the scale, in my naivety I didn’t take much notice, sure I was doing pregnancy yoga. I just had to focus on the breathing and my body would do the rest plus I had my birthing ball which I used at home to practise so everything would be fine – big, schmig – how wrong I was!!:)

Towards the end of the pregnancy my bump was hugemongous, I still hadn’t put on any body weight, if anything I lost some so I looked hilarious. I couldn’t even go for a walk as there was awful pressure on the muscles underneath and it was impossible to walk far. I continued to work until the end though as I thought the running around behind the counter in the shop would keep me fit and active and help me in my fantastic natural birth I was going to have. I never got nervous about the birth once even after watching births on the Discovery Health Channel a million times, I was just so positive I was going to do it natural, bless my cotton socks:)

It got impossible to sleep towards the end and I had 8 pillows at the last count in the bed. I’ve never watched so many home improvement and buying property abroad programmes as this is all that is on at 3 in the morning. At my 2nd last scan my Obs was really positive as the princess was head down and I was 1cm dilated so I was ready to go-yahooooooooo!! He said if I hadn’t gone naturally by the last scan he was going to book me in for an induction on the scan due date because she was measuring so big. I thought I would be at least let go until my own due date but he didn’t recommend it because of her size – what was I having, an elephant?? I was convinced then I was going to go but of course I didn’t so on my last visit he booked me in for an induction the following week and I still wasn’t nervous. At this stage I couldn’t wait to meet the princess, her room was ready, her vests and baby grows washed, her little mits and hat ready for after the birth and my bag packed. The night before we went to the MIL’s for dinner, came home, showered, straightened my hair???? and had a great night’s sleep with the alarm set for 6 the next morning to be at the hospital at 7am for my date with the princess……..

p.s. what were/are your best and worst things about being pregnant?