PREGNANT! The test showed two lines, a big fat positive that I was pregnant.
I was surprised, but excited as despite being late for my period I was convinced I couldn’t be pregnant. I just didn’t feel pregnant and I felt like I had no symptoms!
I found out after spending a weekend at splendor with one of my friends who scored all access passes last minute. It should have really clicked I was pregnant, but I had no idea. Fortunately I didn’t drink that weekend as I was driving, but in saying that I remember being so hungry and so tired, I remember having stomach aches and I just for sure thought I was due for my time of the month, but 2 days later on a Tuesday after a friend convinced me to do a test because she thought I was, well I was! I sent ted the photo straight away and I just love how excited he was. He truly is the best! This little child is truly a blessing.
Week 5:
It was spent seeing the doctor more than most, probably every 48-72 hours. I had to continually get my HCG and Progesterone bloods checked. My HCG was always rising but my progesterone was very much fluctuating up and down and was sitting in quite a low zone so this was quite a nervous time for me and I didn’t find myself getting to attached or excited yet as the doctor wasn’t making me feel confident about it. (progesterone is an important hormone for sustaining a pregnancy ensuring your body doesn’t “reject” a fetus as foreign).
Week 6:
This is when I began to think this was real, as I had my first ultrasound booked for a dating scan. 6 weeks and 4 days this little bubba was dated. The heart rate was a healthy 134bpm. The technician even let us listen to the heartbeat, which made me shed a little tear as I began to feel like this, was now real. Measuring perfectly, this bubba was growing strong.
In addition this was the week where going to the toilet was way more than frequent (if not week 5 made sure I knew of that too), it was every 10-20 minutes or hold tight with agonizing pain (there is no telling a pregnant woman to hang tight by the way). I also discovered newfound pain in my boobs. The fact that any pregnant woman says they don’t show until half way is just a lie. You might not be showing a baby, but hello… aren’t you showing a “bloating bump” because my bloating bump was becoming real. My bloating bump meant I couldn’t wear tight dresses. My bloating bump meant I couldn’t wear a bikini without it looking like I am more pregnant than I am. Fine I don’t wake up with a bloating bump, but boy do I go to sleep with it. Especially after eating! There was no hiding it. Ps, I also have become an insomniac during this week.
Week 7:
Week 7 was spent pretty much the same as week 6, except now I had more tiredness. The boob pain I thought I had in week 6 actually became real pain in week 7. I was a little more hungry, little more bloated, and definitely feeling more pregnant. Constipation, yes sometimes., but diarrhea? Oh yeah… well soft stools were very common. Sorry for the information but its just all the shit no one tells you about! Literally – so expect some good, some bad when your pregnant.
Week 8:
Ultrasound number 2 was scheduled for this week. I was meant to wait until Thursday, but lets face it I am not waiting. I am as impatient as it gets. Though, I went in Tuesday when I was meant to be 8 weeks & 2 days and I was measuring 8 weeks and 2 days! This made me so happy. (I was getting fortnightly ultrasounds due to hormone level (progesterone) concerns). This time that little heart beat was 183bpm. I was so happy because that little bean was starting to look like a baby and I could get more excited.
I then decided to stop getting bloods for hormone level checking and to just trust, the more I got tests I think the more anxious I became and decided to just trust. This was hard to do but I knew the more that I know, the more I would still find ways to worry.
Week 8 has also been exhausting, sore, and I have discovered nausea. Lets talk about nausea. I am not talking the nausea where you spend each moment vomiting. I feel like I would get relief then, although I have friends that have suffered severe nausea and I am counting my lucky stars I don’t actually vomit but believe me my bodies tries! I spend 70% of my time coughing so much it sounds like I am going to vomit my insides out because I think that’s what my body is actually trying to do but it can’t. Any food that I once enjoyed I no longer have a taste for, my meals consist of me thinking I can eat a plate of food to actually eating a palm size of food before feeling ridiculously full or wanting to cough it all back up. Ew, its making me want to be sick thinking about it.
This week has been rough though, that boob pain continues to show up more painful, and the nausea too. I am about as sleepy as a sloth, and have the appetite (lack of appetite) as a uh… I don’t know, but I have no appetite quite simply put. I spend my time snacking on fruit, and crackers. I can eat breakfast, which is great, but the rest of the day there are no actual meals involved. I then go to bed and probably wake up another 3-4 times to either visit the toilet for a surprise number 2 because I no longer can “feel” or “control” when bowel movements will show up… but let me remind you that when I needa go. I needa go.
Ted and I went for a walk with the dog that week, and he discovered just that. Walking along a wharf, I suddenly was struck with the urge to GO I couldn’t even walk. I sat crouched on the ground and told ted to ask immediately where a toilet was so that when I got up I could go STRAIGHT there! He found a toilet, I ran for it, and well you know what happens then. Relief! That’s what happens! Ha anyways. Week 8 was fun, more pregnancy “symptoms” and a growing little bubba.
Week 9:
An even tougher time! I physically began vomiting and the food aversions are so bad that I can barely cook! I have to stuff tissue up my nose just when trying to marinate/baste chicken or fish. In fact chicken is one of my biggest turn offs at the moment when I have to cook it and same with anything that has to be re-heated.
I’ve also been a little more nervous this week knowing how much can happen without you even knowing. Every little ache/pain makes me worry but I just keep trying to remind myself this is just the little bubba growing.
I met with a doctor here in Darwin that specializes in antenatal care, got my health checked with bloods (which showed I was outstandingly healthy!) hooray for that. I also, made the big 12-week ultrasound appointment. 19th September, we are waiting for you! Every time I start to think I am getting a little better something kind of reminds me that its not going away just yet. Like the tiredness/headaches/nausea and aching boobs are still present.
Week 10:
This week has been full of emotions, extreme tiredness, migraines & the horrible continuation of food aversions that are so bad that cooking hot meals is once again a struggle. I woke up from an afternoon nap and vomited again this week. I think the migraines are honestly the worst part of this week, because despite wanting to do things there is just no way I could leave the house if I tried. The weeks highlight though is listening to little bubbas heart beat, because I bought a medical grade Doppler to use from home. It took about half an hour for me to find the baby’s heart beat and distinguish it from my own but once you find it there is no mistaking it. I cried I was that happy ha-ha, although I cry at a lot at the moment.
Week 11:
This week was much the same as last, but a lot more vomiting. A lot and a lot of feeling crappy.
Week 12:
It came and it went, probably the most significant milestone to date as we had our big nuchal scan – the baby was showing low risk and was a happy healthy rolling baby that was waving it’s little hands and legs about. It was cute, and surreal that in 12 short weeks that little bean had become a baby we made. The heart rate measured at 152bpm. Feeling still unpredictably sick at times, and with cravings! I finally had cravings – and my god they are so random.
I am always a routine person – eating my eggs with mushroom and spinach for breakfast but I craved cereal, cereal with milk ( I don’t normally like dairy) and chocolate milk! I became obsessed with chocolate milk. In addition other cravings have been salt and vinegar crackers, and savory gluten free pies or sausage rolls but I just had to give in because if you try to eat something you don’t “feel” like when pregnant. Your body will just not allow you, and you will probably vomit ha-ha.
Anyways, I did stop documenting after 12 weeks, as I feel like that’s when most people announce and talk about their symptoms more. We waited until 14 weeks to announce, as we loved having our little bean all to ourselves before we shared with the big wide world. I am now over 16 weeks (4+ months) as I share this, and can’t wait to update you with more milestones along the way!
Hope you enjoyed x