Well, it's been a year since our first insem and here we are: off the back of our second ultrasound with a healthy Baby Girl on board (the sonographer had trouble getting the perfect shot, as baby was being shy but we eventually got our view of those three little lines) We continue to have a relatively easy pregnancy and have started enjoying some of the perks: A being able to feel her kicks at 19w 6d as they become stronger and more frequent; and the friendly enquiries and fun we have as we begin to buy baby clothes and equipment. We have been truly blessed this year.
I am now 21 weeks along and baby is roughly the size of a papaya. I say 'roughly' because she currently measures a little under average for gestation - not that we're surprised. Babies on my side of the family (especially girls) tend to be on the smaller side. I'm still barely showing and have yet to give up any of my regular fitting clothes. At the scan, baby was moving a lot; she must have been reacting to the ultrasound because it was an unusual hour for her. One of the great things about this stage of pregnancy is that baby's periods of sleep and wakefulness are more regular. We have been able to track her more wakeful periods quite easily now she is kicking and punching with more force. She is most active just after breakfast, in the middle of the afternoon and somewhere around 2/3 in the morning (which apparently indicates that she's likely to be a night owl)
For the most part, this pregnancy has been treating us well and we've had few symptoms. I have however noticed an increase in my stress levels that seem to be more hormone related than anything else. Being more of an introvert, I've never been comfortable in crowds but as I've had years to develop coping tactics, it hasn't been an issue for a long time. Now I've started struggling to cope with demands made on my time. Five minutes of conversation can leave me feeling drained and close to tears. A has been pretty understanding about my need for space but at the same time, I think she is having trouble adjusting to how quickly I snap when she is just trying to spend some time with me. Hopefully, it gets easier with time.
I've been taking it easy these last couple weeks, after coming off my bike in traffic. I landed pretty heavily and for the first ten minutes, I was so dizzy from the adrenalin that I could barely keep my head up. The management team of the student letting office on the corner where it happened took me in and called the store for me to let them know what had happened. They even arranged a rapid appointment with our health centre for me once they found out I was pregnant. The doc who checked me out assured us (A had joined us after fetching me home from the offices) that everything checked out OK. He said that because I was carrying small, baby was still tucked safely out of harms way in the pelvis. Still, it was a relief to see her for ourselves at the scan later that week (she couldn't have chosen a worse time to suddenly go quiet)
We had our first baby related shopping spree this month. We'd originally gone to the top end of town to get baby's scan pictures put onto a memory stick so that we could send them as a birthday greeting for my dad. Whilst waiting, we browsed the charity shops in the area and found a newborn sleep-suit in near perfect condition for the price of a small coffee.
This does not mean to say that we intend to kit baby out exclusively in charity shop clothes; just that we have no qualms in using good quality used clothing whenever we find it. Properly washed, it's no different to hand-me-down clothing from older siblings, it's possible to score branded clothing at a fraction of their original cost and it has the added benefits of re-using what could otherwise be going to landfill and contributing towards various local charities. We've recently bought several outfits of different sizes for the first year that in total probably cost the same as two brand new ones from high-street stores.
Wednesday 27 August 2014
Sunday 10 August 2014
From tiny toes to great steps forward (I think...?)
An entry of miscellaneous thoughts and happenings, since I've been too distracted to post them separately over the last few weeks.
First tiny movements felt around week 15 (wish I'd thought to write down when I first felt baby so that this milestone could be recorded accurately) Perhaps it was due to ligament pain or the sudden increase in severity of my restless leg syndrome, perhaps it was the result of my increased need to urinate or just the intense heat of the room even with all the windows open but for a while, I established a sleeping pattern where I would be awake for long periods between 2 and 5 am. It was during one of these hours that I felt what I, at first, took to be a tiny pulse in my lower belly. I waited for it to happen again, making an effort to keep my breathing relaxed and steady and being consciously aware of my heart rate. It took a moment but when it happened again, I was sure that it wasn't my pulse but the first tiny kicks I was feeling. Because of the hour, the whole world outside was silent, like nothing else existed outside our room. It felt perfect.
Since then, baby has started to kick with more strength and regularity. Most often, it's just after breakfast, when I have the time to sit and talk to him/her. It's so nice to have that morning greeting. We even have a game we like to play, where s/he will kick and I'll place my hand on my belly to say hi. S/he will stop and I will carry on with what I am doing. Two minutes later, s/he will kick again and I'll stop to say hi again. This can go on for twenty minutes at a time.
This week, we've been having a lot of discussions to re-assess where we stand on our plans for the near and continuing future. I've had my maternity certificate tucked inside my yellow book since our 15 week appointment with W. It needs to be handed in to my manager at 20 weeks to claim statutory maternity pay. This will, I know, probably prompt a meeting with him to discuss maternity leave - which is a subject I have been side-stepping a lot recently. I know it's not fair for me to be so unclear, when the management team is only trying to figure out how to cover a team leader for an extended period, likely starting at a very crucial period for trading. I've just been feeling extra vulnerable lately and the idea of broaching what's on my mind has started to bring out the old anxiety gremlins. I would really like to start my maternity leave just before Christmas. I would like to have the opportunity to (try to) relax before baby is born and enjoy our last Christmas as a couple. I would really appreciate the time to be close to my mother (I never get the chance to visit when she's not working) and recently, I have been thinking about taking a career break until baby is old enough for pre-school...
I don't know. I've always said I'd be a working mother - It makes financial sense in this economy to have two wages coming in - but something inside me is saying that as much as baby would benefit from the higher income of two working mothers, it is also very important to me that s/he has the benefit of a full time mother (at least in the early years) A strongly supports me in this and has actually encouraged me towards making this decision. Sometimes I feel like it's something she has been hoping for me to agree to and sometimes I wonder if it's something she's encouraging me in (because that's who she is) without actually thinking about the implications. It all comes down to finances. I may post more on this at a later date - when I have it clearer in my head. In the meantime, we've added another book to our pregnancy library: How to afford time off with your baby by Becky Goddard-Hill, who was in the middle of her maternity leave when she decided to take a six year career break to raise their first child. The book is written in a friendly and easy to access style with well organised chapters that include money saving ideas from pregnancy to pre-school, resource lists and support and encouragement. Whilst our copy is a little out of date as it is second hand and we would have to do some further research on benefits, taxes and allowances if we were to seriously consider this path, this made an excellent starting point.
First tiny movements felt around week 15 (wish I'd thought to write down when I first felt baby so that this milestone could be recorded accurately) Perhaps it was due to ligament pain or the sudden increase in severity of my restless leg syndrome, perhaps it was the result of my increased need to urinate or just the intense heat of the room even with all the windows open but for a while, I established a sleeping pattern where I would be awake for long periods between 2 and 5 am. It was during one of these hours that I felt what I, at first, took to be a tiny pulse in my lower belly. I waited for it to happen again, making an effort to keep my breathing relaxed and steady and being consciously aware of my heart rate. It took a moment but when it happened again, I was sure that it wasn't my pulse but the first tiny kicks I was feeling. Because of the hour, the whole world outside was silent, like nothing else existed outside our room. It felt perfect.
Since then, baby has started to kick with more strength and regularity. Most often, it's just after breakfast, when I have the time to sit and talk to him/her. It's so nice to have that morning greeting. We even have a game we like to play, where s/he will kick and I'll place my hand on my belly to say hi. S/he will stop and I will carry on with what I am doing. Two minutes later, s/he will kick again and I'll stop to say hi again. This can go on for twenty minutes at a time.
This week, we've been having a lot of discussions to re-assess where we stand on our plans for the near and continuing future. I've had my maternity certificate tucked inside my yellow book since our 15 week appointment with W. It needs to be handed in to my manager at 20 weeks to claim statutory maternity pay. This will, I know, probably prompt a meeting with him to discuss maternity leave - which is a subject I have been side-stepping a lot recently. I know it's not fair for me to be so unclear, when the management team is only trying to figure out how to cover a team leader for an extended period, likely starting at a very crucial period for trading. I've just been feeling extra vulnerable lately and the idea of broaching what's on my mind has started to bring out the old anxiety gremlins. I would really like to start my maternity leave just before Christmas. I would like to have the opportunity to (try to) relax before baby is born and enjoy our last Christmas as a couple. I would really appreciate the time to be close to my mother (I never get the chance to visit when she's not working) and recently, I have been thinking about taking a career break until baby is old enough for pre-school...
I don't know. I've always said I'd be a working mother - It makes financial sense in this economy to have two wages coming in - but something inside me is saying that as much as baby would benefit from the higher income of two working mothers, it is also very important to me that s/he has the benefit of a full time mother (at least in the early years) A strongly supports me in this and has actually encouraged me towards making this decision. Sometimes I feel like it's something she has been hoping for me to agree to and sometimes I wonder if it's something she's encouraging me in (because that's who she is) without actually thinking about the implications. It all comes down to finances. I may post more on this at a later date - when I have it clearer in my head. In the meantime, we've added another book to our pregnancy library: How to afford time off with your baby by Becky Goddard-Hill, who was in the middle of her maternity leave when she decided to take a six year career break to raise their first child. The book is written in a friendly and easy to access style with well organised chapters that include money saving ideas from pregnancy to pre-school, resource lists and support and encouragement. Whilst our copy is a little out of date as it is second hand and we would have to do some further research on benefits, taxes and allowances if we were to seriously consider this path, this made an excellent starting point.
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