Normally my first point of call for all gossip is my hubby, mum & best friend. Due to my parents living interstate I decided to keep it under wraps from them, as a BIG SURPRISE once we got the all clear. My hubby "of course" was the very first to know. Next point of call was my besty. After work the following day I called her whilst I was driving home, she was still at work and didn't suspect a thing. Of course she knew we had been trying, but after the first 6 months with no positive results we had put that topic on the back-burner. Our conversation resembled something similar to the script below...
Bron: How was your day?
Bianca: Agh fine, I am still at work, will be here awhile yet...
Bron: Well.... I have something exciting to (Bianca interrupts)
Bianca: SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! ahhhhhhh...
Bron: Yep,, I can't believe it, I
Bianca: OMG, I am crying, no way.... I am going to be an aunty,,,, AHHHHH
Bron: I did five tests already
Bianca: My colleagues think I have lost my mind, I am standing at my desk crying and shouting!
Holy crap you're going to be a mumma! (directed at the office; Sorry office, nobody has died, my best friend is pregnant!! ahhh I am going to be an aunty!!!) oh crap I am not supposed to tell anyone else yet am I?... don't worry nobody here knows us.
Bron: Yeah I am going to keep it under wraps pretty much until the 12 week scan, if I can manage it. I am guessing I am 5 weeks already.
Bianca: Right! Champagne and celebrations are in order!!!... Oh, wait, you can't drink...
Bron: I know, devastating, how will I survive 9 months?
Bianca: Don't worry, I will have your share ha ha. Can't wait to give you 2.. 3 a hug ASAP! Love ya
Bron: Love ya too.
Below is a snapshot of Bianca and myself at her 30th birthday celebration this year. We have known each other since year 7 (17 years of up's and downs, adventures and fights). Love ya guts! xx B
(I was 3 months pregnant in this shot)
So the waiting game continued.
I was given the general run down from my GP on foods, drinks and medicines to avoid. Alcohol, soft cheeses, rare meats, soft serves, Sushi, bain marie foods, ham, raw fish... (basically all the yummy gourmet's). Not being a lover of "rules" myself, I stuck to it loosely (I was stricter in the beginning and loosened up along the way). I have definitely missed having Sushi!! such an easy lunch/snack option when you are at work or on the run.
As far as the "morning sickness" was concerned I somehow managed to pretty much avoid it altogether. I was expecting it to be awful. I was always the kid that got car-sick (who am I kidding, I still get car-sick). I tend to hold my emotions in my tummy and often get an upset belly. But most days I was completely fine. Occasionally I'd feel a bit nauseous and found I just had to keep eating to keep that feeling at bay (fine by me, eating is my favourite pastime).
I spent my evenings googling everything to do with pregnancy, youtube videos of births & episodes of "One Born Every Minute" (the UK version is the best, the US version is horrendous, they seem to believe that birth can only be achieved with maximum intervention). One of my favourite episodes is from Season 3 Episode 4 (link below) where a gorgeous disabled couple give birth (get the tissues out for this one!! Her joking and positive attitude is brilliant and something to be admired).
I also perused various website's with "week by week" updates, scanning every sign and symptom as a comparison to how I was feeling. Two of those websites that I found good are linked below.
My husband and I found it nice to read these aloud together usually on a monday night, to hear what was install for the week ahead for our little Bean.
I also found a couple of "week by week" pregnancy VLOG's (there are some really rubbish ones around, but I found "Pregnancy Chat" by Monika Healy to be one of the better ones).
These were also nice to watch together with your partner. They tend to only go for a few minutes, my advice is have it cued on your laptop and watch it together once a week, just before going to bed.
I think it is much harder for the guys to get used to the idea let alone contemplate bonding before the arrival of the bub. Meanwhile for us women it becomes pretty hard to ignore. Physically we are changing everyday. In speaking to many of my friends that have had children they have also expressed a similar frustration, that they found their partner often not very engaged or interested in every lump, bump, movement and symptom. My advice is be patient and try sharing the above reading or watching experiences once a week. It often really helped to reinforce to my partner that what I was thinking, feeling or experiencing was valid and shared by many other people by hearing it via these other forums. For example, when those sources pointed out things like "irritability", "nesting", writing lists of things you want to get done before the baby is born, when you should pack your bag for the hospital, suggestions to plan a "babymoon" escape, what to buy, slowing down, stopping work. It allowed these topics to be bought up by a third party (rather than you being the one to initiate it all the time) and validated that they were important things to consider (not just your frantic, emotional wife over-reacting again).
So, the waiting game continued... for our first scan, the sneak peak inside... YAY!
No comments:
Post a Comment