Tag: singleton

Categories
Birth

My Pregnancy Fears Revealed

I have spoken to many women about their pregnancy journey, and then their birth stories. Most of the things that they dreamt or thought about never actually happened.

While at Problogger last year (Alexander was eight months when I attended Problogger in 2016. I was having a funny conversation with other bloggers and the topic of my fears and worries while pregnant with baby three was discussed.)

New born baby - This cutie is looking very relaxed and has no idea about all the drama that went on before they were born.
New born baby – This cutie is looking very relaxed and has no idea about all the drama that went on before they were born.

When I was pregnant with the twins I had horrible thoughts. I watched a film when I was about five months pregnant and I ended up having terrible dreams. Now, this film was a horror film and just horrible really. One scene had a person put on a tea trolley or hospital trolley (never sure what to call them). In the film, this person met a terrible end and I found it hard to watch.

My dream was being on this trolley as a pregnant woman with twins. They were then trying to tell me that the babies were coming and if they didn’t come they would take matters into their own hands. I was shackled to the trolley and it was uncomfortable, scary, and freaky. They were going to cut me open to save the babies. I of course was screaming, NO! They are not ready. It is too early and stuff like this.

The room I was in was like the bottom of a hospital that was all tiled and not kept very clean at all, it also reminded me of some shows that use disused railway stations as it looked rather like those.

I woke very upset and was thankful it was a dream. Maybe horror films when pregnant is not a good idea!

Flash forward to being pregnant with Alexander and I had all sorts of concerns. They were the following:

  1. Due to having one baby, this child will be HUGE and be horrible to have.
  2. Since I thought that this child might be enormous I would need a C-Section.
  3. The baby would not be head down and cause issues.
  4. I knew that the baby was due on the 7th of January and had no idea that he would come exactly on his due date. I did have thoughts that I might have a New Year’s Day baby and be on the front page of the local paper.

 

“Local woman gives birth to the biggest baby on New Years’ Day 2016”.

 As you can see I still was panicked about having a HUGE BABY!

Scans did show that my third child was indeed on the small side. This however did not relieve my very active imagination and concern.

I was fully aware that this was only one baby this time. This baby could spread themselves to every corner of my insides and be a record weight. I know… I was so fixated on the baby being too big.

I did have my reasons to be freaked out about the birth.  The first birth (with the twins) was not fabulous and mind you birth is not pleasant on any level.

The midwifes at the local hospital kept on insisting due to age that certain things would happen and that it might be classified as a high-risk pregnancy. Oh, how silly I thought.

I have already had a high-risk pregnancy with twins and all was well. I do understand things can change but why freak out the mum to be with what ifs. I ended up having a very healthy pregnancy and all was well with our third little person.

If help or intervention was needed to save the baby or myself I would have not stood in their way, however if it is not needed and all is well, then I say let nature decide when the baby comes and don’t intervene.

Maybe the hospital helped with my visions of horrible things happening while pregnant? I think they contributed in a small way. Wanting me to be induced for no actual reason, saying that I will develop gestational diabetes due to age I’m sure was not helpful. For the record, I had my third child naturally on his estimated due date and was lucky not to get gestational diabetes.

 

All my concerns were unfounded.

My baby was tiny compared to what my brain thought it would be.

This is what happened. I had a normal to smaller sized baby that was very healthy. Lucky nothing went wrong and all my fears were unfounded.
This is what happened. I had a normal to smaller sized baby that was very healthy. Lucky nothing went wrong and all my fears were unfounded.

All the scans kept on saying how small it was going to be, however, I could not tell myself that this would be the case. I was freaking myself out.

It also could have been the fact that my second pregnancy with Alexander lasted longer than my first. The twins were born at 34 weeks and 2 days. Alexander came exactly at the 40-week mark. This meant more time to grow. More time for anything else to happen… I did not know but I knew that anything past 34 weeks was overdue for me.

 

Did you do this?

Are you currently pregnant and freaking yourself out?

What is the weirdest thought or dream that you have had while pregnant?

I just want to say that all the things that you are thinking could happen will most likely not happen so just relax and enjoy the day. Enjoy the time being pregnant if you can, and if you are able take a nap. You might be too busy soon to rest so get in now. Although this might be hard if you are working or have other children.

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Categories
Family

Bonding with Baby

How long did it take you to bond with your baby?

Do you think it was an instantaneous thing? Well for some that happens, but for others it can take a while.

According to a national survey that interviewed 500 women, “seven out of ten mums think they are going to bond at birth with their bubs, but more than half find it takes much longer than that.

Pinky McKay a Lactation consultant has said, ‘baby bonding was “a bit like falling in love” Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it takes ages for the magic to develop. “(Herald Sun, July 24, 2016)

The national survey was commissioned by WOTBaby which is an app that acts like a midwife in your pocket. It is a good tool for parents to consult and it goes up to six months of age.

The WOTBaby app was developed by Jen Hamilton who is a mothercraft nurse.

“In my experience, I generally find on average, mums truly bond with their child at four to five months,” Ms Hamilton said. (Herald Sun, July 24, 2016)

If you are not one of the mums that had the instant bonding moment then you might feel like it is a problem with you. Well you are fine! Trust me. Being pregnant, labor, birth, and now suddenly you have a new little person to care for. It is a BIG SHOCK to the system, and more so if you have twins or more.

The girls love their baby brother.
The girls love their baby brother.

 

Depending on what happened during the birth and afterwards you could have very different reactions to your little bundle of joy.

Here are some things that could delay or not help with bonding:

  • New mum and overwhelmed. Tired or actually more like exhausted. (I was like the walking dead when I first had the twins. Up all the time to feed, change nappies and to also express breast milk. It was a big blur of feeling like I had no sleep)
  • Problems breast feeding. If your baby does not take to it or if you have difficulties it cannot help with the bonding process. (I had to express both times with the twins and now my little boy. We did try breast feeds but it did not work out well for us)
  • Getting Mastitis/ill. I got very ill with mastitis after having Alexander and ended up in hospital for about 3-4 days. I needed antibiotics intravenously and it was not fun. I had the baby with me but it was tough.
  • Premature babies/baby. In my case the twins were born 6 weeks early so they were taken to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) It was hard to bond with babies that were not with me all the time and the fact that they were confined to a humicrib made things difficult.
  • Still recovering from the birth. Depending on what type of birth you had you might still need to rest. This can make caring for a new baby more difficult and can impact on bonding.
  • Support network. Having a good support network is ideal. I know it is hard with everyone being so busy these days, plus living further and further away from each other. If your partner can allow you to have some down time, this can help you to recharge your batteries. It might be harder if you have older children and now a newborn. If people offer help accept it! Don’t put pressure on yourself. Everyone is not perfect. Although you look outside at others and they might appear to have it all together I’m sure they are worrying or annoyed about something. Things take time. Unreal expectations is not healthy and we have all done this, judging ourselves by what we think we should be like or doing. I say take your time. Do your thing and just keep going. You will learn the cues of your little baby, you will figure out what the grunts and gurgles mean. In time you will feel more confident about everything. Learning a new person takes time.

I took a while to bond with my darling twins. I loved them to bits but due to them being in the NICU, being super tired, first time mum, recovering from a very long birth (over 30 hours) as you can imagine things were hectic and I was just doing what I thought I was supposed to do.

After I had the twins the nurses at the NICU were ringing my room to ask me for breast milk. As I just had them and these were my first children the breast milk had not come in yet. Great more pressure. One baby was okay on formula until I got my breastmilk but the other little girl was on strike. She hated the formula and was listed as nil by mouth! Oh gosh….. More phone calls to my room asking for breast milk. More visits by nurses trying to play with my boobs to help me get breast milk and all while I struggled to keep my eyes open.

Since I was in a room on my own and the twins were in the NICU I was told to have pictures of them to help me with the breast milk situation. I did think at times it was all a dream. Did I have kids? Oh yes, I’m in a hospital. Yes I did. Where are they??? Oh that’s right they are in intensive care. It was a very surreal moment and one that I did not feel I could discuss with anyone else. I felt that I would be judged.

Mummy and the girls on the 27th of Sept, 2008. Katoomba Hosp. Julia on left, Lillian on right.
Mummy and the girls on the 27th of Sept, 2008. Katoomba Hosp. Julia on left, Lillian on right.

So as you can see my first experience was unique due to having twins as my first children. Now looking back to the birth with our little boy in January this year it was completely different. The birth and care was so much nicer and calmer… maybe that was due to one baby this time or the fact that he was born on his due date? Maybe it was also due to not having a full room of student doctors, nurses, and two doctors for each baby, extra support people and two humidicribs for the twins. Having one baby that was on time meant that I had one midwife, one nurse, hubby and me in the delivery room. It was so nice to not have a full gallery of people there.

Due to having one baby this time, also being a good weight and being born on his due date he was put on me after birth. This was a nice experience as it did not happen when the twins were born. It allowed me to have some time cuddling our new little person and to help bond.

I did find that due to some issues with our little boy not latching on the breast properly, and having silent reflux, being fussy about things it made the first three months rather difficult. He screamed the place down due to having air in his belly and it was hard to remove! I think with age he got better and therefore after about three months he was much calmer, and this made feeding and the bedtime routine easier.

Alexander and I on the day he was born. It was nice to have the first cuddles. Look at all that hair!
Alexander and I on the day he was born. It was nice to have the first cuddles. Look at all that hair!

Another concern was how the twins would bond with the baby. We did not know if it was a boy/girl, although Julia wanted the baby to be a girl. She wanted to be the three sisters and have a picture taken at the Three Sisters at Katoomba. As you know we had a boy and the twins are so in love with their little baby brother. They help out and dote on him all the time, he is going to be a very spoilt little boy. My worries were for nothing. Did you do this when you had the second or third child? Stress about how the other kids would go with the new baby?

Our family is complete with our little baby boy and our twin girls. We love our kids to bits, and would not change anything. It took a while to get into the swing of things and that helped us learn everything about our three cheeky monkeys.

3 tips to remember!

  1. Bonding is a personal experience. Don’t measure or judge yourself on what others are doing.
  2. Don’t put pressure on yourself if bonding with baby is not instant. It can take up to six months or maybe more.
  3. Don’t confuse not bonding with not loving your baby. You’re a mum, of course, you love your baby and the bonding will happen, so just relax and it will happen when it happens.

If you are experiencing postnatal depression/postnatal anxiety or having issues bonding with their baby contact PANDA on 1300 726 306. The hotline is open from 10am to 5pm.

 

Due to the launch of WOTbaby the topic of bonding with babies has been in the media. I was on Today Extra with Jen Hamilton discussing the issue.

I was also featured in an article by Smooth FM called, “When you don’t bond with your baby instantly”.

Let us know how you went with your first or second or third babies? Was it the same or different? How did you go?

Categories
Family

Starting Solids

Note: This post is not sponsored in anyway, just wanting to share. I thought that some information might be helpful for other mums and dads out there.

The last week Alexander has started some solid food, well not really solid. More mash to be exact. We noticed that he is getting more and more interested in what we are eating and thought he might be ready.

When did you start your little person on real food?

The twins started about this time as well. I remember when the twins were babies I was eating a banana. One girl reached over and nearly took it off me. I thought this little girl was telling me that she wanted to start solids.

What did your little baby do to show you they were ready?

So what has the baby been eating? We chose the 4 months + range from Heinz (I did not realise that on the Heinz website they have recipes for all age groups, fact sheets and so much more. I had no idea. If you need some inspiration on meals this site looks like a great resource.)

Heinz Pumpkin Potato & Beef for 4 months +. Image from the Heinz website.
Heinz Pumpkin Potato & Beef for 4 months +. Image from the Heinz website.

So far Alexander has had some food for lunch and dinners and has sampled:

  • Pumpkin, Potato and Beef
  • Pear and Banana
  • Golden Sweet Corn and Chicken

When the twins were babies I bought all kinds of vegetables and fruit and pureed my own baby food. I spent hours shopping and organising it all, I wanted to expose the girls to all different tastes and textures. My aim was for them to eat a variety of everything and of course not to be fussy. This however backfired on me as the twins are very fussy eaters. Maybe this baby will be the person who eats whatever he is given. I can live in hope and dream…. maybe…Well it would be nice.

Did you make your own baby food for the first kid? Did you do it for the others as well or did not have the time?

I plan on making some things at home to expand Alexander’s tastes and expose him to other foods.

I do find that I am extremely busy with the twins, their school, reading at the school, plus after school activities and that is not even listing homework or helping the kids read once home.

What did you make and freeze for your kids when they started solids?

When the twins got used to solids I made them a spaghetti bolognese but it had huge amount of vegetables in it, the vegetables were pureed and added to the tomato sauce. The pasta was the coloured pasta that was infused with vegetables as well, so the girls got a good helping of vegetables in this meal. The twins used to love this meal but they don’t eat this type of thing any more.

It is so cute to watch Alexander eat the new food. His face lights up with the new tastes and feelings that it creates in his mouth. He moves his tongue around and it appears like he is chewing, however he has no teeth so it is just moving the mash around his mouth. I am pleased that he is liking the new food and experience.

It is exciting our little person will soon be eating like the rest of the family, although I hope that he will not be fussy like his big sisters.

Did your little one like the experience of starting solids? Did they love all the food that you gave them or was there one that they hated? Let us know.

 

Categories
Wednesday Wisdom

Lately Everything is A Mad Rush

Do you feel that you are racing around just to get everything done? Does it always seem like a mad rush?

Well if you can say YES to this I hear you.

I have felt like this for a while now that I am running around trying to get everything done and not really get much done at all.

Taking time for you and to enjoy your own company is great. I love the silence and peace that this gives me. When I get to do it. Image found on Pinterest.
Taking time for you and to enjoy your own company is great. I love the silence and peace that this gives me. When I get to do it. Image found on Pinterest.

Things that have been done:

  • Kids cared for
  • Kids taken and picked up from school
  • After school activities organised, paid for and driven kids to and from them
  • Cared for baby
  • Shopped for food and essentials at supermarket
  • Got birthday present for my mother in law
  • Washed clothes and now trying to fold and put them away
  • Cleaned kids room about million times. No point with this one as in seconds it is back to the destruction it was in before it was tidied up
  • Cook dinners for everyone
  • Pack lunches for kids
  • Check the mailbox for important mail (mainly checking for birthday presents to arrive, oh and a wedding anniversary gift)
  • Make sure that all excursions have been paid for and notes signed

I know there is more to add to this list but some things are a blur so I might have forgotten something important.

Just relax and breathe in good vibes..... and breathe out bad vibes! Image found on Pinterest
Just relax and breathe in good vibes….. and breathe out bad vibes! Image found on Pinterest

Racing around in the window of time that I have to myself never seems to get everything done. I did try and tidy up the bathroom in-between hanging clothes on the line. However I had to have the baby in the garden with me so was keeping an eye on him while doing some jobs.

When I get some time for me to just sit in silence and not race around I feel a little on edge. I think this is due to being on the go all the time and the constant activity and noise of now three kids. Sometimes it takes a while to just chill out, relax and just be.

I currently have a very sore neck and shoulders; It is rather painful. I tend to hold all my annoyance and stress in my shoulders, jaw and neck.  I have tried massage, hot showers and the chiropractor. Maybe I need all three? Or a nice Queensland holiday that allows me to be on the beach, sleep in and rest might be just what is needed.

How do you try and relax?

I try and watch some of my favourtie television shows or go for a walk on my own. Yes walking all by myself without kids is great (I need to wait till a weekend to do this as hubby needs to mind the kids). I also like to take myself off to a cafe for brunch or maybe to the movies to watch a film that I have wanted to see.

The Child Development Institute has a great list to help parents manage their stress. Why not check out some ideas that might help you next time or now if you are needing some relaxation time.

Taking the time to relax is very important. It is good for your health and of course relationships. 

Do you find it takes more time to relax than it used to? I truly believe due to being constantly on the go it takes the body more time to rest and de-stress. What about you?

I know it is hard but I do think we need to cut back on things and activities. I would just love to come home after school pick up and just be. I have also tried to make things a bit easier for me by doing some organising the night before. This means less stress in the morning and an easier start to the day. How do you make things easier for you when you are extremely busy?

Yep although I have my worries and annoyances, I have so many blessings that I am very grateful for. Image found on Pinterest.
Yep although I have my worries and annoyances, I have so many blessings that I am very grateful for. Image found on Pinterest.
Categories
Pregnant

When Will it Happen?

UPDATE: History has not repeated itself…. so we will see what this week brings!

So tomorrow (Sunday) is the day on the 33rd week that my water broke with the twins. It was 4am that it happened with the girls.

Then I was in hospital for a week and they were born on the Saturday morning. Very early Saturday morning.

Wish there was more indication on when birth day will be. I just hope that I am not surprised while out and about.
Wish there was more indication on when birth day will be. I just hope that I am not surprised while out and about.

I am now at the same point in this pregnancy although it is different, I am only having one baby this time not two.

I have been worried about approaching this time again and I know that it is not going to happen again at 4am in the morning and at the same week and day as it did before. However it has been on my mind. You cannot help be worried about the same thing happening.

Due to my membranes rupturing naturally last time I am now concerned that it could happen at any point. At school drop off, at school while doing reading, at the shops, or possibly at the swimming pool while kids are having their lesson. Yes I know it is mad to be thinking about the what ifs but I have been!

At least last time it was in the comfort of my own home, I could get a change of clothes if needed and have help. If I have this happen when I am on my own what will I do? If this does occur I know that as long as I’m not in pain I have time to get to the hospital. If kids are with me, I will take them and myself to the hospital and of course ring hubby. If on my own I will get to the hospital, contact hubby and arrange for the kids to be collected from school if they are at school when it happens.

It is hard to know and I wish people could give you a more definite answer on when to expect baby this time. Considering we can know so much about the human body now and medicine has developed so much, but we cannot know more about when a baby might be born. I know it is hard. It is dependent on the little person and if they are ready to be born, your body and many other factors.

I think I am just worried that due to having one baby this time it might be a HUGE baby. Although due to my fall on my 31st week I had an ultrasound. The estimated weight of the baby was 1730 grams. So if you think that I had two babies at 34 weeks and 2 days and 1 was 1938 grams and the other was 2.1kgs, this little person is on track for one of the twins so far. I know it has been a few weeks since I was 31 weeks so presuming that the baby has put on more weight and they say the average is about 200grams per week for baby to put on then it is on track for the same time. It just depends on when it wants to be born about how big it will be. I am just freaking out a bit.

Not only am I worried about size and if, when and where my water might break, I am having major issues with my legs, and hips. I don’t seem to be able to stand for too long before I am in pain and have issues. I did not have this last time but maybe due to it being the first pregnancy and of course the twins coming early this was something I was spared. I have read that this pain in your hips and legs gets worse with every subsequent pregnancy. Oh the joys!

I don’t really want the baby to be born to early but I don’t really want to go full term either. I have a feeling that I won’t but you never know right. It could be me trying to want it to happen before it is time and my body and the baby will hang in there till the very end!

Nearly all due dates have said I'm due on the 7th of Jan 2016, however this one said it was a little earlier. But all said that I was the same number of weeks pregnant. It will be interesting to see what date it does happen on. I found this calculator on https://www.trueduedate.com/
Nearly all due dates have said I’m due on the 7th of Jan 2016, however this one said it was a little earlier. But all said that I was the same number of weeks pregnant. It will be interesting to see what date it does happen on. I found this calculator on https://www.trueduedate.com/

For your second pregnancy did have a spontaneous labor? Did your membranes rupture naturally? And if so was it in public? I keep on forgetting to take things with me if this happens. I have purchased items for this very emergency but leave them at home, so this will not be helpful in the event that this happens.

I also am rather over being pregnant and would like to have this over now please! Let’s meet our new little person soon. I am keen to know if it is a boy/girl and to start bonding rather than the bonding via kicks and tickles that is currently happening nearly all day inside me. This little person is very active. I would also like to know if it is going to look like the girls, will it have blonde hair, or the red hair like my mum has, maybe neither and it will have black hair like my dad, father in law and hubby.

Let me know what happened to you? Getting near the end is always the hardest. I was grumpy, annoyed and just uncomfortable near the end when pregnant with the twins.

 

Categories
Pregnant

December or January?

I am due supposedly on the 7th of January. I say supposedly as I have no idea if that will be the actual D day, or should I say B Day for Birthday for this 3rd little person.  Or if it will be later or earlier. I have always thought that it would be earlier but don’t know why I am thinking this way. Maybe I just want the pregnancy part to be over and this little person to finally be here.

I am also worried that due to never being pregnant beyond 34 weeks this baby might be massive! One of the pluses of  having twins was that they were tiny babies, one baby might be HUGE compared to the girls.

I do know that the kid is head down and has been that way since about 30 weeks. The twins were head down at 28 weeks so that is on par with what happened before. I am soon to be in uncharted territory and it is unnerving to say the least.  If you had twins or an early baby before were you concerned when you approached the same time you went to hospital or had the baby/babies? Let me know. 

As you can see from the below picture hubby’s aunty saw these cute reindeer booties and could not resist them. I know… they are super cute and very small and adorable. However as I am slated to have a January baby and this kid might miss Christmas all together reindeer booties might not be appropriate. Or is our lovely relative trying to tell me something? Maybe the baby will be born in December rather than January? Has she jinxed it?  Has she made sure that I will be having this kid on Christmas Day? I have the booties ready to go to celebrate now.

Hubby's auntie bought this for the baby. I'm due first week Jan. Does this mean due to this gift it might be a December baby? #baby #pregnant #pregnancy #decemberorjanuary
Hubby’s auntie bought this for the baby. I’m due first week Jan. Does this mean due to this gift it might be a December baby? #baby #pregnant #pregnancy #decemberorjanuary

This week I am 32 weeks and at 33 my waters broke with the twins. I know it is different this time. Only one baby but as I draw closer to 33 weeks I am getting nervous. I am starting to think about packing a hospital bag and getting more organised with things at the house.

I need to cook like a manic like I did before the twins were born. I managed to cook about three months of food and had it in the freezer. All I had to do is heat them up in the microwave and maybe add a salad to it and dinner was done.

So I am wondering what you think might happen? Will I have the baby in December or January? Also we have no idea if it is a boy or girl so you can nominate what sex you think this little person is as well. Many people are thinking it is a boy already.

We also need to get the baby capsule organised, breast pump and some other things that might be needed. I am conscious of the fact that if I have the baby over Christmas or close to it stores might not be open. I think it is best to get things done well in advance of Christmas and the holiday period.

Did you have a baby over Christmas and the January holidays? How did it go? Did you find that you have everything sorted before bub came? 

 

Categories
Family

If Men Got Pregnant

I am nearly 30 weeks pregnant with one baby. I am on the home stretch, and getting very over being pregnant. As per some of my other posts I don’t love being pregnant but love the outcome; a lovely new person that will add joy to our lives and household.

I have been spending the last month or two wondering what this person will look like, what will they want to be and do with their lives, will they be blondes like the girls or have darker hair? Will it be a girl or a boy? So many things to wonder and daydream about.

Pregnant and over it!
Pregnant and over it!

Aside from the nice thoughts about this future little person I have not had fun. Many of the normal side effects of pregnancy I find horrible and hard to handle. See my list of complaints and annoyances below:

  • Nausea
  • Throwing up
  • Not able to eat things that you usually did due to reflux
  • Tiredness to the point of exhaustion. You cannot keep your eyes open and your whole body is zapped of energy.
  • Sore breasts
  • Weight gain
  • Headaches
  • Breathlessness
  • Constantly uncomfortable
  • Finding it hard to bend over at all
  • If things are on the floor they tend to stay there as getting them is difficult
  • Now the latest in a long list of complaints is sore and wobbly legs and horrible hip and pelvic pain.
  • Leg cramps at night that hurt and make it hard to sleep
  • Hips throbbing at night making it hard to get any rest at all

I have had conversations with hubby about how I am feeling and he said, “What did you expect? You have done this before so you knew what it would be like.” Well all I can say is that the constant leg, hip and pelvic pain did not occur with the twin pregnancy and it is getting worse. At times I find it hard to walk and that is just around the house!

This pregnancy is completely different than the twins. I did have the same symptoms early on and was very sick and freaked that I might be having twins again. If we did we would have been happy with that but all tests have confirmed one person is in there.

I wish hubby could experience all the things that have happened during this pregnancy to give him an idea of what it is like.

“If men were constantly nauseous, had issues walking and were in constant pain, I believe they would be in bed waiting for it all to end”

I don’t think hubby could cope and I am not saying this lightly. He is a tough man and soldier’s on when sick, however pregnancy throws you a multitude of symptoms at the same time. You think you are winning at times, but fighting nausea, reflux, headaches and constant pain in the legs and hips all at once does your head in!

What a pity you cannot wave your hands and have hubby experience a month or a week of what you are going through? Would you have liked to have done this? I know I would love to. Pity I don’t have magic powers.

Even getting up and out of the lounge is taking forever now… yes annoying really! So quickly going to do something is not quickly anymore…. It happens when it happens.

I know he cares and he is making sure all is well in the house to prepare for our new addition. He is actually nesting more than I am. He is stressing out trying to get the babies room ready and concerned that we are running out of time.

His main worry is that my belly will get too big to help move some things around or help out. My answer to this is to ask one of our mates to come move stuff if that happens (Which I think might be the case)

Have you found that the second or third pregnancy different from your first or others? Have you had some annoying symptoms that have made things harder for you to do things? I am still active and getting things done just a bit slower than usual.

What has your partner said or done that has helped or annoyed you? Let us know.

 

 

Categories
Family

What number 3?

I have some Exciting News!

I have been dying to tell you all. However I have kept quiet.

I’m 12 weeks pregnant with the third baby!

Documenting the pregnancy so far. Yes I know I have a belly... maybe that is due to having twins before this little person.
Documenting the pregnancy so far. Yes I know I have a belly… maybe that is due to having twins before this little person.

We are having another little bundle. This new person is due in January 2016, the first week to precise. We have some conflicting dates but they are all in the first week. Who knows the baby might decide to come earlier? Or later, you never know right? Did your second baby come on the due date? Or was he/she earlier or later? I am keen to know.

Yes I will be all hot and bothered and very pregnant in summer, I love summer and I hope that I am not too big and bothered in my favourite season.

We have decided to not find out what sex and leave it as a surprise. Hubby and I are super organised and have picked out a name for a boy and a girl to be prepared. I made sure to sort out names for the twins before they arrived and we had no idea they were going to be girls, so we were prepared either way. I did not want to be in the hospital and having an argument about what we call the baby. We will be keeping mum on these names as I would like to have it as an announcement when the baby arrives. Did you have the name for your baby sorted before you gave birth? Or did you decide once baby was here?

And you might be thinking is it twins again? NO we are having one this time.

Both the seven and twelve week scans confirmed just one baby. Also the twelve week scan showed that the baby was healthy so that is great news. I wanted to make sure that all was well with the baby before we told anyone.

I of course have been feeling horrible and it started early. I think from the first few weeks I have been nauseas and really feeling terrible. This made me think it could be twins again, and we would have been fine with this. However having one will make life a little bit easier the second time around. I can finally experience breastfeeding one child!

I’m still fighting all day sickness otherwise known as morning sickness. I have not been sick but have tried to be, and have been feeling queasy all day and night. It is just awful! I also need to eat food more regularly or else I feel ill, but then after I eat I feel ill. I am dammed either way! I just hope it passes. When I was pregnant with the twins I felt like this throughout the whole pregnancy and I am feeling the same this time, but not as bad with two babies.

I’ve also been very thirsty and don’t remember this being the case with the twins. Maybe I was and I have forgotten. One annoying thing is that you drink heaps due to being very thirsty and then have to constantly go to the toilet! Although one good side effect is that I have been warmer than usual and being in the Blue Mountains this is a good side effect. One of the only ones actually!

I am not the glowing pregnant type. Also due to my boobs being bigger normally they are really sore and uncomfortable without a bra (Maybe too much info my lovely readers). I don’t get ladies that jog and remain so active during their pregnancy (I wish I was one of these active and fit ladies). I have been zapped of energy and just want to close my eyes and fall asleep any chance I get. I’ve been falling asleep during the evening and missing crucial parts of the shows that hubby and I watch. The next show I am sure that we have missed a whole episode to then find out that I fell asleep and missed an essential part of the show. At least I have it to re-watch, but it is annoying.

Due to this being my second pregnancy I am showing a lot earlier than I thought I would be. I have also felt flutters for a few weeks and it is definitely the baby as it was the same feelings I got with the twins. Although I felt it later with my first pregnancy, I have read that it can happen earlier with second pregnancies. Thank goodness for winter as I have been hiding my growing belly with jackets and jumpers. It has got me worried. I hope by the end I will not be too big.

Having two kids and being pregnant does really make you extra tired. When pregnant with the twins, I could take a nap and have a rest and not be bothered. This time around I have to keep on going until the kids are asleep. Due to kids having school and other activities such as karate, singing and swimming lessons, the weeks have flown, and I look up and twelve weeks have already been and gone. With my first pregnancy I documented more things and took more photos each week. I managed to take one selfie at 10 weeks and will do another one at twelve weeks. I’m sure other mums and parents are in the same boat.

The baby's profile and you can see one hand raised.
The baby’s profile and you can see one hand raised.

My plan of sipping cocktails by the pool and having a nice glass of red wine while at Problogger are not to be. However I will be drinking mocktails and still having a great time. By August I will be definitely rocking the baby bump and looking a bit bigger than I do now.

I will need to think about my wardrobe and finding some comfortable and stylish clothes to wear to the conference. Did you find it difficult to find some nice maternity clothes when you were pregnant? I have been looking but some are just tents and others are just boring. I don’t want to look bigger than I am, and I would like to look nice at the same time. I think this is a hard ask for pregnancy wear.

I did see online that there are some nice options but the stores that stock these labels are in the city and I have not been able to get there to have a look. I hope to do this soon, well before Problogger. What are your favourite maternity stores to get some fab items? Let me know. I need some ideas in this area.

The twin’s reaction was mixed. One was somewhat excited and happy and the other looked like she was in shock. I think it is huge news of the kids to digest and they need some time to understand what is happening. One did ask if I needed to go to the hospital today. I did say that I’m not having the baby yet so I don’t need to go. However when she asked me she was patting my side and looking concerned. Nice and very caring of her. I suppose the kids have a while to get used to the idea of having a baby sister or brother.

Both kids like the idea of being a big sister and teaching the baby things when it is a little older. Not sure what things they will teach this new person and it might not all be good. Did your child get excited when you told them you were having another baby? Or not look interested at all?

I did get a DVD with the twelve week scan and the kids were more interested to see the baby moving and to hear the heartbeat.

Since my twins were tiny at birth I am rather concerned that due to there only being one baby it might be HUGE! I hope not! My sister had a baby that was on the smaller side, and when I was born I was about 3kgs. So that is not HUGE. Yes I am having some weird thoughts and concerns. I hope I’m not the only one that does this.

I’m off on holiday from Sunday and will be documenting what we get up to. Make sure to check my Instagram Feed to keep up to date as well.

Did you find it hard to keep quiet about your pregnancy or did you spill the beans before twelve weeks? I just didn’t want to tell the kids for fear something went wrong, and have to deal with their reaction and explaining it all.

Let us know how you coped during the first trimester. I don’t like it. Although my sister did not get morning sickness with her baby. So I must have hit the jackpot! Everyone is different. Send in your comments.