We hit the 6 week mark today, and I must admit I'm starting to feel a little bit more confident. Although we had a miscarriage a few years back at 6 and a half weeks, so I'll feel even better once we get past that point. And I reckon by 8 weeks I'll be really confident and might even start telling people.
The reason I kind of need to start telling people is that it's likely they have already guessed because my belly is already HUGE! It's so not fair. The fat rolls have just piled on over the last 3 weeks, and just around my tummy. And it's more sticky-outy. With my first pregnancy I always looked a few months ahead of where I was, but this is quite ridiculous.
On the upside, I feel so much better this time around than with Lewis. I felt so nauseous from week 4 through to week 11 with him. I couldn't touch coffee, only wanted steamed vegies, and generally felt like shit. But this time, I feel practically normal. I'm still enjoying coffee (cutting down has been a killer) and wouldn't even know I was pregnant if it wasn't for the tiredness. But even the tiredness is better than last time. All very strange.
I went to the GP today to get all the referrals for ultrasounds, bloodtests, hospital etc. and asked for an early dating ultrasound, just so I can check all is well. I really don't think I can wait until 12 weeks - especially as I'm feeling so well. I've even been going to the bloody gym! Crazy stuff. Fingers crossed.
Second time around?
We decided that we would start trying for another bub when we were overseas in May. After 4 unsuccessful months, this month we may have a winner. I'm trying very hard not to get too excited, as we had two early miscarriages before Lewis and know how easy it is for things to go wrong.
My period was due this Tuesday and by last Friday I was beginning to get suspicious. My glands were up, I felt achey and terrible. But it didn't feel bad enough to be a flu. On Sunday I tried to drink a few beers, but they made me feel sick. So Monday morning I did a test and I couldn't believe my eyes when there was a line. In my previous pregnancies the hormones didn't show up until several days after my period was due, so I hope this is a good sign of a strong pregnancy.
It's now Friday (so I'm only 4 weeks, 4 days) and I've been obsessively doing pregnancy tests each day, hoping that the hormones are getting stronger. I can't really tell (silly me; different times of day and different brands of pregnancy tests!) but it appears to still be going okay. I don't feel sick, just very tired. And I just can't concentrate at work. Lucky it's now the weekend.
I think we'll relax if we make it to 7 weeks without losing this bub. The miscarriages I had were at 4.5 weeks and 6.5 weeks. Then we will get VERY excited. I think it will be ace for Lewis to have a sibling to hang out with. And as much as I whinged with the last pregnancy, I really enjoyed the time - it was kind of special.
Although the nausea wasn't that special, so hopefully I won't get it this time around!
My period was due this Tuesday and by last Friday I was beginning to get suspicious. My glands were up, I felt achey and terrible. But it didn't feel bad enough to be a flu. On Sunday I tried to drink a few beers, but they made me feel sick. So Monday morning I did a test and I couldn't believe my eyes when there was a line. In my previous pregnancies the hormones didn't show up until several days after my period was due, so I hope this is a good sign of a strong pregnancy.
It's now Friday (so I'm only 4 weeks, 4 days) and I've been obsessively doing pregnancy tests each day, hoping that the hormones are getting stronger. I can't really tell (silly me; different times of day and different brands of pregnancy tests!) but it appears to still be going okay. I don't feel sick, just very tired. And I just can't concentrate at work. Lucky it's now the weekend.
I think we'll relax if we make it to 7 weeks without losing this bub. The miscarriages I had were at 4.5 weeks and 6.5 weeks. Then we will get VERY excited. I think it will be ace for Lewis to have a sibling to hang out with. And as much as I whinged with the last pregnancy, I really enjoyed the time - it was kind of special.
Although the nausea wasn't that special, so hopefully I won't get it this time around!
Coffee snob
I'm a self-confessed coffee snob and most days venture out with Lewis to grab one. I usually walk, so thought I would compile my list of favourite cafes within walking distance, with comments on how baby friendly they are!
Baby Love - the 'bible'!
I was around 6 months pregnant when I bumped into an old work colleague who had a 6 month old baby. She told me that motherhood was ace but I had to remember one thing - buy Baby Love. She told me it's the baby bible.
So next time I was at the library I borrowed a copy, and had a bit of a read. It looked very helpful, but I wasn't willing to buy a copy at that stage.
However, once Lewis came along, and I realised I couldn't live without it (and couldn't have the library copy on loan permanently), so I bought myself a copy and also bought it as a gift for 2 pregnant friends.
Since then, other friends with babies all use it as the main reference point for baby-related questions. "Have you checked the bible?" is a common question in my mothers group.
I think it's pretty interesting, considering the internet has meant to have superseded books...
So next time I was at the library I borrowed a copy, and had a bit of a read. It looked very helpful, but I wasn't willing to buy a copy at that stage.
However, once Lewis came along, and I realised I couldn't live without it (and couldn't have the library copy on loan permanently), so I bought myself a copy and also bought it as a gift for 2 pregnant friends.
Since then, other friends with babies all use it as the main reference point for baby-related questions. "Have you checked the bible?" is a common question in my mothers group.
I think it's pretty interesting, considering the internet has meant to have superseded books...
Not all of us are "Mumpreneurs"
I used to get sick of reading about "Yummy-Mummies". The weekend papers were always full of articles about mothers who looked good, went for lattes and managed their households with ease. Since becoming a mother I've found that Yummy-Mummies don't seem to exist, at least not in my suburb, or in the parenting magazines that I read (and I read all of them!).
Losing that weight post-baby
I thought I was one of the lucky ones as I didn't put on too much weight while pregnant. Maybe 10kg but most of that was baby. I exercised throughout the pregnancy and didn't eat too much junk. After Lewis was born and I started breastfeeding (with great difficulty, but that's another story) the weight just dropped off me. I remember thinking "this is easy" and wondering why my Mum had so much trouble with her weight after having us.
My pregnancy in photos
Early days. Around 2 months pregnant...
Hanging with Adrian and the cat at Hanover Street:
Not bored, just...
Lewis is nearly 10 months old and I have exactly 4 weeks left of maternity leave. I'm half dreading, half looking forward to returning to work. It's only part-time so I'm sure it'll be fine. It will be nice to use my brain again. I'm just not looking forward to the stress factor.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my 11 months off so far and feel incredibly lucky to have been able to spend so much quality time with Lewis, and get paid for it (my work has excellent maternity pay). My lifestyle is incredibly lazy at the moment and has been for the last 4-5 months.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my 11 months off so far and feel incredibly lucky to have been able to spend so much quality time with Lewis, and get paid for it (my work has excellent maternity pay). My lifestyle is incredibly lazy at the moment and has been for the last 4-5 months.
Travel tips- overseas!
I'm currently sitting by the pool at a villa in Provence, France. It's lovely and warm and actually quiet! Adrian has taken Lewis off somewhere and all the other babies are out for the afternoon. This is the final week of our three week Europe adventure with a 8/9 month old baby. We thought it would be a walk in the park. How wrong we were!
Thank goodness for lactose-free formula!
Poor old Lewis had diarrhea for nearly a week recently, then I remembered back to the last bout of diarrhea that just wouldn't clear up. The doctor recommend giving him lactose-free formula for a few days to help clear it up. It worked a treat and then he went back onto normal formula.
But this time every time I tried to give him normal formula, the diarrhea would return immediately, and it had a horrid smell. So I suspected lactose intolerance. The GP agreed it sounded like lactose intolerance and referred us to a paediatrician, who confirmed this. Apparently it's fairly common for babies to develop lactose intolerance after an illness, and it's only likely to last until he's 13-14 months old.
Luckily, he likes the lactose-free milk, and can still eat yoghurt and cheese in small amounts without it upsetting his tummy.
But this time every time I tried to give him normal formula, the diarrhea would return immediately, and it had a horrid smell. So I suspected lactose intolerance. The GP agreed it sounded like lactose intolerance and referred us to a paediatrician, who confirmed this. Apparently it's fairly common for babies to develop lactose intolerance after an illness, and it's only likely to last until he's 13-14 months old.
Luckily, he likes the lactose-free milk, and can still eat yoghurt and cheese in small amounts without it upsetting his tummy.
Countdown to the overseas trip... one week to go!
I never thought I'd be the sort of mother who would consider sedating her child. However, I sent the boyfriend off to the doctor to get a precription for Phenergen last week. We are flying to London next weekend and while I'm sure our 8 month old will sleep happily for the first leg of the journey, it's the second leg I'm concerned about! Lewis is crawling and is a very active child - he doesn't like to be constrained! How on earth we are going to keep him in a bassinet or on our laps for 22 hours is beyond me!
Recipes ideas for 6-12 month olds
Here are some recipes that are quick to make and nutritious! I recommend making a large batch and freezing in ice-cube trays or meal-sized containers. These are tried and tested on my 7 month old baby.
I don't believe in over-pureeing - a quick whiz with a stick blender should do it. Lumps are good - it teaches them to move onto more solid foods. I supplement these 'mushy' foods with steamed vegies and cheese that my baby feeds to himself. He loves it! He also loves toast. I list these finger food ideas below too.
Good pregnancy websites and books
I thought I'd give you a quick run down of the books and websites I found useful when pregnant.
Ditch the gym membership!
Pre-baby I was a total aerobics junky. I always had a membership to a gym, and went to a minimum of three aerobics classes a week. I only went to gyms that offered Les Mills classes, and usually went to Body Attack or Body Step. If you don't know about Les Mills, classes are always structured the same, so no matter where you are in the world the class will be the same or similar. Which can get a touch boring after a while.
However, post-baby I didn't want to fork out for an expensive gym membership that I might have to quit if I get pregnant again. So now I am a bit of a gym floozy...
However, post-baby I didn't want to fork out for an expensive gym membership that I might have to quit if I get pregnant again. So now I am a bit of a gym floozy...
Ethical shopping guide
I recently discovered the Ethical Shopping Guide 2011. I picked up the pocket guide at an environmental store in Brunswick, and think it's great! The website is a lot more detailed than the pocket guide, giving you information on why the product has a particular rating, but the pocket guide is handy to have in your handbag in the supermarket.
First foods 4-6 months: Tips and ideas
We started feeding Lewis solids a bit after he turned 4 months. He loved it from the first mouthful, and is still a big eater. Baby Love was very helpful in telling you how to introduce solids and when to introduce certain things, but I thought it might be helpful to others to tell you how we did it. So here goes:
Lewis' first music festival: Golden Plains 2011
I always said I'd never bring my baby/child to Meredith or Golden Plains music festival. I couldn't understand why these parents wouldn't just leave the kids at home so they could have fun?
I skipped Meredith (the boyfriend went), as Lewis was only 4 months old, but we purchased Golden Plains tickets in advance, as I assumed we'd be able to leave him with the grandparents for the weekend. Which we could have done, except that we couldn't leave him for two nights! He was just far too little still - and often waking in the night. We couldn't make the grandparents get up at all hours.
So as the time got closer we realised we would have to take him with us, or miss the festival. So I went and bought a massive family tent, ordered him some ear muffs and bought jars of baby food.
I skipped Meredith (the boyfriend went), as Lewis was only 4 months old, but we purchased Golden Plains tickets in advance, as I assumed we'd be able to leave him with the grandparents for the weekend. Which we could have done, except that we couldn't leave him for two nights! He was just far too little still - and often waking in the night. We couldn't make the grandparents get up at all hours.
So as the time got closer we realised we would have to take him with us, or miss the festival. So I went and bought a massive family tent, ordered him some ear muffs and bought jars of baby food.
That Raising Children DVD is actually pretty good...
You know the one? They give it to you at the hospital.
They really should give it out earlier, and then perhaps people would watch it! I watched it when my baby was about 2 months old, and I wished I'd known a lot of the stuff a bit earlier. (For example, how to wash bottles and prepare formula, mothers stories about how breastfeeding was difficult/didn't work.)
I told everyone at my mothers group, and they all came back the next week (after watching it) and said the same thing. The families in it are great, Dave Hughes is funny, and it makes you feel a little bit more confident, as the people in it didn't know what they were doing either!
The Raising Children Network website is also very good. Check it out!
They really should give it out earlier, and then perhaps people would watch it! I watched it when my baby was about 2 months old, and I wished I'd known a lot of the stuff a bit earlier. (For example, how to wash bottles and prepare formula, mothers stories about how breastfeeding was difficult/didn't work.)
I told everyone at my mothers group, and they all came back the next week (after watching it) and said the same thing. The families in it are great, Dave Hughes is funny, and it makes you feel a little bit more confident, as the people in it didn't know what they were doing either!
The Raising Children Network website is also very good. Check it out!
Travelling tips - road trip!
Lewis was 5 months old when we embarked on a 2 week road trip, from Melbourne up to Sydney, then on to Yamba in northern NSW. The excuse for the trip was a wedding in Sydney, then we figured we were half way so we should keep going further north to visit the boyfriend's brother and family! Yes, it was a bit exhausting, and yes, Australia is a very big place. But a bit of planning can make a car trip with a baby totally do-able... even fun!Packing the car was a challenge in itself. With the pram taking up most of the boot, some culling and creative arranging was needed. It encouraged me to reduce the amount of clothes, shoes etc that I took, and I looked at it as very good practice for going overseas in May (when our bub will be 8 months old), when we will have to carry everything from airports and onto trains.
Maternity clothing... ugh!
My friend and I fell pregnant within a month of each other, and when I was about 2 months (and already showing!) we decided to go maternity shopping. My initial excitement was quickly squished when I realised that the clothes in maternity shops are horribly mainstream (boring and mostly ugly) and also REALLY expensive.
Nappy bags
Well before I was pregnant I was looking for a laptop bag for work. I ended up picking a bag from Catherine Manuell that just happened to be a nappy bag! It worked great as a laptop/work bag (perfect size) but hasn't really cut it as a nappy bag. It's just too small, with not enough pockets.
I've spent a lot of time googling to try to find what I would consider to be the perfect nappy bag. I want something big with compartments so that I can see everything when I open it. We are heading overseas soon, so I really need a big bag so that I can fit 2 days worth of nappies, formula and food in.
I've spent a lot of time googling to try to find what I would consider to be the perfect nappy bag. I want something big with compartments so that I can see everything when I open it. We are heading overseas soon, so I really need a big bag so that I can fit 2 days worth of nappies, formula and food in.
Crawling!
After months of nearly getting it, yesterday Lewis finally started crawling! Little Finn from next door was over, and Lewis was watching him intently as he crawled around. By the end of the day Lewis could get past his normal 2 crawls then collapse, to crawling a few metres! And at swimming lesson this morning, he crawled along the mat to get a toy.
Lewis' food/milk/sleep routine at 7 months
Lewis in now 7 months old and has been on 3 meals a day since 6 months. We started him on solids when he was 4 months, as he was sculling his bottles of formula and wanting more, and was also seeming interested in food.
This is how I'm structuring the day at the moment.
A day off
I am lucky enough to have a boyfriend with a flexible schedule who wants some quality time with our boy! So for the last two months Thursdays have been "Dad day" and I have been given the day off! I count myself extremely lucky and am the envy of all my friends.
What do you really need to buy?
Yes, there are things you need to buy, but many are optional. Here are my tips and opinions on the major baby items.
Presents, presents and more presents!
Everybody told me we'd be given a lot of presents for the baby, and warned me not to buy too much, but I had no idea of the huge number and amazing generosity of friends, family and people I hardly knew!
Child Care
Who knew? You have to get on child care waiting lists over a year in advance apparently. I only found out because a girl at work told me. When my mothers group started a few months ago, many of the group had no idea there was a child care shortage.
Things I didn't know about pregnancy
I read every book and website about pregnancy and some might say I was slightly obsessed. We decided to start trying for a baby following a trip to Europe, and had no idea what we were getting ourselves into! The pregnancy industry is amazing and now I've had the baby I've found out how huge the parenting industry is too. So I guess that was the first thing I realised: It's a whole new world. I think you have to take the advice given by all the magazines, books and websites with a grain of salt. I went into this pregnancy with the attitude that less is best. I would try not to buy too much 'stuff'. The only problem is that baby stuff is so cute!
I also had no idea how many ailments/pains/discomforts happen to pregnant women, some of which I've listed below.
I also had no idea how many ailments/pains/discomforts happen to pregnant women, some of which I've listed below.
First post - it's been a while in the making!
I've been meaning to start a blog since well before my baby was born. For some reason I thought that my chaotic life would become quieter once I got pregnant, and that I'd have loads of time to update it once my little boy was born! Surely he would sleep during the day and I'd have nothing better to do?! My baby is now six months old and the only reason I have found time to start this is that my partner has started a PhD and wants a regular week day at home with the boy! Time for some quality "me" time! I'm very lucky.
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