Monday 29 August 2005

Kicking!


Yes, little bump has started kicking!
Actually, s/he started kicking about 2 weeks ago, but I thought it was something else. However, after doing some reading this past weekend, I realised what it was. Suddenly talking to it doesn’t seem so preposterous or foolish anymore (talking to my stomach just seemed silly, but now I KNOW I’m talking to someone, not just to my stomach).
S/he is most active in the evenings when I’m sitting still, and although the kicks are generally gentle, s/he can deliver a real punch from time to time – especially when I’m least expecting it.
Suddenly the fact that there is a real live person in there feels real… I’m not just an incubator for some silent and innocuous parasite – I’m growing a real live person who has a personality and independent will, thoughts and emotions (or will do shortly!).
I’m reminded again of what a miracle pregnancy and birth are. Truly miraculous!
Nicole

Thursday 25 August 2005

Sjoe!


Well, it’s done (more or less!). We’re moved in to our new flat. Took long enough! Boxes are unpacked (although we still have to sort stuff around to make it all fit properly), and utilities set up; only a few things left to sort out – like curtains…
Needless to say, my back and tummy felt it. Before you say it, yes, I was good (well, for me anyway!) and did not lift heavy stuff. Pushed a bit – but then I figure that’s good practice for January! – but always sensibly, with my back, and with bent legs…
We took a long weekend away, to recover, which was lovely. It was so nice just getting away from all the things that I can see need doing – like the garden, and the curtains, and… – and just have a complete rest. It was nice not to feel guilty about taking time off to just read a book!
My indigestion is getting worse. Nothing seems to help – I’m popping antacids like sweets, and then popping prunes to counteract the resultant constipation. It doesn’t matter whether I eat small meals or big ones, avoid acidic foods or avoid alkaline foods, eat slowly, drink plenty of water (actually – water seems to make it a LOT worse, so I’ve taken to drinking milk instead), eat bread and other starches to “mop up” excess acid, sit up straight, lie down…. Nothing works. I’ve finally decided I should go and see my GP about it. There must be other women who’ve had it this badly and there must be something stronger I can take – maybe an acid suppressant of some sort.
I’ve taken the opportunity afforded by the move to pack away clothes I can’t fit into. It’s quite sad really, to think that it’ll be a year or more before I can wear some of these items again – and some of them are my absolute favourites. I also bought my first item of preggy wear – a pair of jeans with cotton fabric waist panels and adjustable elasticated waist. UGH! It sounds awful, I know – but it doesn’t look too bad, as long as I wear long-ish shirts to hide the cotton panels.
I’m still having my popcorn cravings… at least nothing more bizarre than that! I suspect all the extra salt is the culprit causing massive foot and leg cramps though, so I’m going to have to start making my own with no salt, instead of buying the microwave variety.
Next week is my 2nd scan (21 and a half weeks). We’ve decided we want to know the sex of the baby, so watch this space for the announcement. We went browsing for baby stuff the other day – just to look, you know? OMYGOSH! I’d forgotten how much STUFF babies need…. and how expensive it all is! And then I got to thinking that it’s time we started thinking about actually buying some of this stuff so that we don’t wind up with a serious cash flow problem over Christmas… and then I got to thinking that it’s time I started doing some more reading… and then I got to thinking that I’ve only got another 4 months left in which to do all this… and then I got to thinking that in 4 months I will actually have a real live baby of my own… and then I got to panicking again.
Of course, I know we’ll be fine, but in the immortal words of my darling husband “I HAVE to panic!” (Zim-SA border, 1994-ish) Hee hee!!
I’ve also bought myself a book on exercise during pregnancy – a pilates one (and got a free yoga one with it, which I won’t be using…). I figured that it was time I got back to doing exercise and built up the stamina and strength I’m going to need to carry, push and handle both the rest of this pregnancy and then a growing baby. Of course, good intentions are great, but there’s no time like the present, right? Hmm… ok, I’m off to eat some popcorn and read about how to exercise – maybe watch some of the Ashes test… watching someone else exercise is good too!
Nicole

Monday 8 August 2005

Injury and stress


Following my visit to the GP, I’ve been taking my steroids, and the coughing has stopped, which is great! I still get twinges every now and again, which are very sore, but I’d say it’s 100% better now. In fact, I even managed to pack the car when we went on holiday last week, picking up suitcases and things (carefully, of course).
We had a lovely time away – very restful! It was rather a shock coming back to the stress of home and moving. The bank has stuffed up royally, so I’m not even sure we will be able to sign the lease and move. It’s all supposed to be happening today, but I don’t think it will.
It also seems now that I’ve entered the indigestion phase with a vengence! Not very pleasant, but at least treatable with no side-effects for baby. I’m not sure though how much is baby related and how much is stress related. In any event, the amount of stress I feel can’t be good for the baby! I recently read an excellent book called ‘Why love matters’, which looks at (amongst other thigns) how hormones in utero play a major role on the baby’s emotional development (and not just their mental development). Stress in the mother apparently causes the child to have a reduced ability to develop empathy, and also causes the child to develop receptors that reduce it’s tolerance of stress. Hmm…
I guess I need to eat some chocolate, watch a good chick flick, and just generally chill out then, eh?
Nicole