Pregnancy through my husband's eyes

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I'm sure most of you heard the saying " Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus"?! Well, I think that's true in a way..

My husband and I are very similar character wise, we sometimes think about the same things, say exactly the same things out loud (which still surprises me every time it happens). But when it comes to pregnancy I'm convinced he doesn't even know half of things which are going on with me and my body. I suppose it is my fault as well as we need to talk through about things like that.

- Pregnancy announcement- when I told him that I'm pregnant he said- "Great". I wanted a little bit more from him, but he was just so calm about it, fair enough as we planned it.

- Walking- when we do shopping it's normally very quick as we know what and where to buy cheaper. I have to remind him every time that I'm pregnant and that we need to slow down and I can't walk fast now. 

- Heavy lifting- this is work in progress, he thinks it is fine and nothing is going to happen if I carry/hold a heavy bag or move heavy stuff around house, but I try to educate my dear husband that it is actually not a good idea.

- Baby movements- every time I put his hand onto my bump to feel baby move he says "can't feel anything, my arm hurts now" or "it's more important you feel it". 

I'm not trying to say that he is bad or not helping, it's just always funny when I have to remind him that I can't do some things now as I used to and funny how manly he can be.

Was/Is it different in your household?

What's your weird pregnancy craving?

Since being pregnant I never get food cravings, it seems that I actually want to eat less than I did before I got pregnant! Some of my “weird not eating habits" are- I can't stand onions or garlic and won't eat a meal which has both of these ingredients. If I'm trying to be a polite guest and eat oniony/garlicy meal I will suffer the rest of the day with weird after-taste and I will be forced to drink loads of water. I also can't have Indian or Thai curry (used to be one of our Friday night favourites).

It seems that my taste in food has changed, I can't eat most of the meals/products I used to like (but still no cravings), as I always have after- taste I need to be very careful with my meal and I feel thirsty all the time.

What's your pregnancy (non) cravings?

As a Cow & Gate ambassador I would like to present you a new survey , which reveals the weirdest and wackiest hankerings experienced by mums-to-be: 

A poll from C&G Baby Club Community reveals a third of pregnant women (31%) are just as likely to find the object of their craving in a chemist or hardware store, as they are in a supermarket, as they admit to unusual hankerings for non-food items, such as soap (11%), chalk (6%) and toothpaste (5%), as well as creative combos such as sausages and jam.

The survey found the most popular cravings to be 

...

With some of the more unconventional individual responses including rubber, paint and rocks, while one person even said tree bark and another the smell of tennis balls.

Nutritionist, Jo Travers, comments:

"Mums needn't be fazed by their pregnancy cravings. After all, they are just one of the weird and wonderful experiences of pregnancy that every mum-to-be has”.

"The survey reveals almost half of mums are embarrassed about their hankerings, however, this doesn't need to be the case. If they need reassurance they can speak to a nutritionist or if they're just looking to share and chat about their own experiences, even the wackiest moments, they can visit the C&G Baby Club Community, a safe and reassuring place where like-minded mums can connect."

More than one in ten (12%) are desperate to fulfill cravings before breakfast while over a third (36%) of pregnant mums confess to sending their other half out in the middle of the night on a special trip to pick up a cravings meal. Family members and friends are also kept busy with one in three (32%) pregnant mums calling in foodie favours from their nearest and dearest.

With chocolate being a popular choice, it's unsurprising a quarter of mums-to-be most commonly have an urge for....

 A quarter (27%) of respondents confessed to a liking for bizarre mixtures of sweet and savory foods. Intriguing combinations listed include sausages and jam, Mars bars and bacon, and Yorkshire pudding with chocolate spread.

Other weird and wonderful cravings listed by pregnant women surveyed include:

·Banana with marmite

·Ice cream and chips

·Prawn cocktail crisps and strawberry yoghurt

·Cheese and onion crisps with nutella

·Chicken and ice cream

·Sweet and sour curry with salad cream

·Wood chips

·The smell of shoe polish

To learn more about the C&G Baby Club Community or to share your pregnancy trials, tribulations and celebrations, from pregnancy cravings to best buys, visit

www.cgbabyclub.co.uk/

Thanks to Cow& Gate for providing me with results of the survey

Pregnancy update 17 weeks

Visible changes in my body: for the past few weeks it feels like my belly is more wobbly, which makes me think that I look overweight rather than pregnant; plus I have noticed that most of the time have dry lips, I just always bite them

How do I feel: headaches are gone (touch wood); and I feel less sick, the only time I feel sick or vomit is before we go to bed; also still have increased sense of smell, but its not so bad any more comparing to what it was before

Cravings: still none

My family's attitude towards pregnancy: my mother always worries about me- what I eat, what do I wear, in what position do I sit etc.; my family-in-law - parents and older sister-in-law they how do I feel, do I feel baby kicking etc., but the younger sister-in-law never asked me any questions, she even forgot the date of our dating scan.

My feeling about family attitude- my mum sometimes is overprotective and it can be annoying at times but she didn’t have proper experience with my elder sister, when she was pregnant so I do understand her; my in-laws they give me attention, ask questions, but the fact that younger one is being ignorant surprises me a lot, my husband tells me that she is possibly too young (23) to bother about things like that..i do not know, but it bothers me..

Baby: At 17 weeks pregnant baby’s limbs and vital organs are now fully formed so s\he will just continue growing in size. S\he will be growing eyebrows and eyelashes and maybe even some hair on her\his head.

S\he will also be very active now – babies at this stage like to kick, punch and turn around in the uterus. S\he can hear and respond to noises outside the uterus.

Where your family relatives attentive towards you and bump?

Pregnancy update 12 weeks

Last week we had our dating scan, it was very emotional for us. When sonographer applied gel and started looking at our baby, first few seconds I thought that we wont see anything, that nothing will be there, of course I was wrong. We saw baby moving, it's heart..

So,

Visible changes in my body: it seems that my belly is growing, but as I'm above average weight it's hard to say 100%

How do I feel: sick most of the time, plus I started having headaches

Cravings: still none

Any other changes: still suffer from increased sense of smell, driving me mad

Baby: baby is now around 2 inches long and the size of a plum (about 2.5 inches/6cm), and is growing rapidly. Baby's face is beginning to look more human. Eyes, which started out on the sides of the head, have moved closer together. Ears are almost in their final positions on the side of the head. Inside his/her body, organs are performing more complex tasks. Liver is making bile and kidneys are secreting urine into bladder.

What changes did you have at 12 weeks?

My booking appointment with a midwife

Last week I have received a letter from hospital saying that they booked a community midwife home visit, which I had this Thursday.

I wrote a list of questions to ask, prepared my pregnancy notes and information about my previous illnesses.

Midwife seemed quiet reserved which made me think that it doesn’t really work for me as I would like to find common ground with a person I am going to see throughout my pregnancy as it was literally quiet impossible.

Overall, I didn't enjoy my first ever experience with the midwife, if you remember I did mention in one of my previous posts that I feel like I'm on my own here with my pregnancy, still feel the same way.

First of all, the midwife was from the wrong area, not the closest to our house, so I had to ask her to refer me to our local children's centre, meaning I would need to wait till beginning of next year- my 16 weeks appointment.

Secondly, after she left I looked at my pregnancy notes and she ticked lots of boxes saying “discussed” and things never been discussed or leaflets given.

I feel like I am back to square one, its my first ever pregnancy and I feel neglected, next weeks I'm going to be 12 weeks, which deems to be dangerous trimester and no one examined me internally or externally. Maybe it is normal I don’t know that, for me it is certainly far from being normal...Do I need to be more forceful?!

Was it different for you or similar?

My first antenatal (booking) appointment booked! Yay!

I know its been only a week and a bit since I have told my GP that I'm pregnant, but today (actually last night) I have decided to chase up my local hospital to see if they received my referral.

Good news- they did receive it, but bad news for me- my first antenatal appointment will be only in 3 weeks, which makes me 10 or 12 weeks pregnant.

You may disagree with what I am going to write next, but as a first time mum-to-be I'm worried that it takes ages to see specialist and discuss all issues, questions etc. 

For me it is very important to know and be reassured that my baby and I are fine and everything is normal..I feel like I'm actually on my own with my pregnancy at the moment, yes I have supportive husband and Internet, and any questions can be answered with one click, but I prefer to speak with a real person, specialist, to do millions of tests etc etc. That will make me happy and satisfied and less worried.

Did you feel the same way when you were pregnant?

My visit to a family planning clinic

                                                            

First of all, I do apologise if I offend any of you (if you or your family members are NHS staff), this is my experience which I felt that I need to share with the world.

If you remember my post preparing for a pregnancy I have shared with you that I was planning to visit my GP to discuss the matter.

Before visiting my GP I wanted to be a little bit prepared even though I had a feeling that we can’t really discuss all issues within 15 minutes and more importantly will we even discuss things I thought we should discuss?!  I have prepared a list of most all my health problems I had throughout my life and prepared a blood pressure log.

I have to say straight away that on many occasions I have been disappointed with NHS services and before seeing nurse I wasn’t expecting a miracle! On the day of my appointment with a nurse from family planning clinic I showed her my blood pressure log, mentioned previous health issues I had. She did not show any signs of concern at all or did not even suggest that I can have any issues with me planning a pregnancy.

From the website of my GP: “Services include pill checks, Depo-Provera plus reviews, high vaginal swabs and chlamydia screens. She also issues Levonelle for emergency contraception and carries out coil checks (six weeks post insertion and annual reviews)”.

 To my disappointment none of the checks were offered, none of them took place. The only useful advice was that I need to take out coil 3 months prior to trying for a baby as my period needs to go back to normal and that I should take folic acid for 3 months as well (which I already knew).

After I came home and briefly spoke about this experience with my husband we decided to go to a local sexual health clinic/ family planning clinic (I am still wondering how come it is called family planning) where I had my coil removed. I wanted them to take other tests as well, but unfortunately they could not perform tests.  So i had to go to a different hospital for that.

I have decide to give another go with my GP and booked another visit to GP  this time with a male doctor. What I liked is that he was reassuring, went through many questions I had, but said that “why to treat something which does not exist” (can’t agree with that, to be honest with you). 

On the way home I was thinking but what if something is wrong with my ovary etc etc.?! I guess the whole medical system is different from my motherland that’s why it takes me some time to adjust to it. But overall he was much better than doctors and nurses I visited before, he referred me to do ECG and cholesterol blood test, which is very useful as well.

Preparing for a pregnancy

Although pregnancy is a great happiness to every family, and it is better to get ready for it so that the baby will be born strong and healthy.

As i am an organised and responsible person, so for me it was very important that before i decide to have a baby my husband and I are prepared for it mentally, physically, that we are healthy enough.  Therefore I have decided to visit my local GP to discuss the matter with a nurse from a family planning clinic.

According to Patient website most pregnancies go well and without any major problems. But, it is wise to reduce any risks as much as possible. So, a reminder of things to consider before becoming pregnant, or if pregnant...

Things you should do:

• Take folic acid tablets before you get pregnant until 12 weeks of pregnancy.
• Take vitamin D supplements when you become pregnant.
• Have a blood test to check if you are immune against rubella, and to screen for hepatitis  B, syphilis, and HIV. Ask your practice nurse to do this.
• Eat a healthy diet. Include foods rich in iron, calcium and folic acid; also, some oily fish.
• Have strict food hygiene. In particular, wash your hands after handling raw meat, or handling cats and kittens, and before you prepare food.
• Wear gloves when you are gardening.

Things you should avoid:

• Too much vitamin A - don't eat liver or liver products, or take vitamin A supplements.
• Listeriosis - don't eat undercooked meat or eggs, soft cheese, pâté, shellfish, raw fish, or unpasteurised milk.
• Fish which may contain a lot of mercury - shark, marlin, swordfish, or excess tuna.
• Sheep, lambs, cat poo (faeces), cat litters, and raw meat, which may carry certain infections.

Things you should stop or cut down on:

• Caffeine in tea, coffee, cola, etc - have no more than 200 mg per day. For example, this is about two mugs of instant coffee, or one mug of brewed coffee and a 50 g bar of plain chocolate, or two and a half mugs of tea.
• Alcohol - you are strongly advised not to drink at all.
• Smoking - you are strongly advised to stop completely.
• Street (illicit) drugs - you are strongly advised to stop completely.
• Liquorice - reduce your intake if you eat lots of it.

Other things to consider:

• Your iodine intake and perhaps discuss with your doctor about iodine supplements.
• Immunisation against hepatitis B if you are at increased risk of getting this infection.
• Immunisation against chickenpox if you are a healthcare worker and have not previously had chickenpox and so are not immune.
• Your medication - including herbal and 'over-the-counter' medicines. Are they safe?
• Your work environment - is it safe?!
• Medical conditions in yourself, or conditions which run in your family.
• Screening tests for sickle cell disease and thalassaemia.

According to NHS choices website:

• Folic acid. Take a 400-microgram (400mcg) supplement of folic acid every day while you're trying to get pregnant, and up until you're 12 weeks pregnant. This is advised due to the fact that folic acid reduces the risk of your baby having a neural tube defect, such as spinal bifida. A neural tube defect is when the foetus's spinal cord (part of the body's nervous system) does not form normally. Women with epilepsy, diabetes and other medical conditions are recommended to take a 5 milligram (5mg) supplement.
• Stop smoking.  Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to a variety of health problems including premature birth, low birth weight, cot death (also known as sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS), miscarriage and breathing problems/wheezing in the first six months of life.
• Cut out alcohol. Don't drink alcohol if you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant. Alcohol can be passed to your unborn baby, and too much exposure to alcohol can affect your baby’s development.
• Keep to a healhy weight. If you’re overweight you may have problems getting pregnant, and if you’re      having fertility treatment it’s less likely to work. Being overweight or obese (having a BMI over 30) also raises the risk of some pregnancy problems, such as high blood pressure, blood clots, miscarriage      and gestational diabetes.
• Infections.  Some infections, such as rubella (german measles), can harm your baby if you catch them in pregnancy. Most people in the UK are immune to rubella. If you are thinking about having a baby and don’t know whether you are immune, you can ask your GP to check.
• If you have a long-term condition or chronic condition, such as epilepsy or diabetes, it could affect the decisions you make about your pregnancy, for example where you might want to give birth. While there is usually no reason why you shouldn’t have a smooth pregnancy and a healthy baby, some health conditions do need careful management to minimise risks to both you and your baby. Have a pre-conception discussion with your specialist or GP.  If you’re taking medication for a condition, don’t stop taking it without consulting your doctor.