Hey baby!

I’ve got some wonderful news to share today, dear readers. We’re having a baby! After keeping this a big secret (even from our nearest and dearest) for months, it’s so nice to be able to shout it from the rooftops. To be honest, it still doesn’t seem to be real that there is a baby growing INSIDE MY BELLY. We had the 12 week scan the other week and bub is going well. Both myself and my partner Zoltan are overwhelmed with happiness and cannot wait to meet him/her in late December!

As I have ferociously devoured pregnancy-related blog posts in my first trimester, I have decided to share a bit of my journey on the blog here too. I feel like much of this experience is going to pass me in a blur, so it will be nice to have a written documentation of it. But don’t worry, this isn’t going to become a Mummy Blog, I will still be sharing delicious recipes and travel guides as per usual!

Finding Out We Were Pregnant

We were extremely fortunate (and surprised) to fall pregnant on the first go. I had been using the Flo app for many months to track my period so I knew when I was most fertile. So we gave it a try and then I forgot about it. I am 33 and Z is 39, so I was fully prepared to try for many months before we got lucky.

I went off to Brisbane for my cousin’s wedding, noting that my period was late, but not thinking much of it because my period was always late. I shared this news with another one of my cousins and she told me to stop drinking after one wine at the wedding, which I did, and which I am very grateful for! I don’t think the baby would have appreciated the tequila bar.

I always assumed I was very in tune with my body, and I would “feel” when I got pregnant. But I didn’t. I didn’t feel anything abnormal apart from a peeling face (weird), a breakout of pimples all over my shoulders (even weirder) and very, very sore breasts. The latter symptom is something I often associate with my period, so once again I didn’t think much more of it.

I returned from Brisbane late Sunday night still without a period, and decided to take a pregnancy test first thing Monday morning (that is the time of day when your pregnancy hormone is highest). I took the First Response test – 1 line means you’re not pregnant and 2 lines mean you are. I have taken this test multiple times before and never saw a second line. This time I did… but I didn’t believe it! The second line was slightly thinner and a fainter colour and I dismissed it, telling Z it must have been an incorrect reading. He looked perplexed.

On Tuesday morning I took a different pregnancy test – a digital one that actually spells out Pregnant/Not Pregnant and also details how many weeks you are. Within minutes Pregnant appeared, along with 4+ weeks. Hey baby! I ran upstairs with the stick to Z and Maggie who were having a cuddle in bed (aw) and screamed OMG WE’RE PREGNANT. He screamed, Maggie wagged her tail in excitement and confusion, it was very cute.

The First Trimester

The next few weeks involved lots of pre-booked travel, meaning I had to slot doctor’s appointments in where I could and resulted in a lot of waiting for results which was quite stressful. I am an over thinker, and was very aware that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, so I must admit I felt quite anxious during these early weeks. I wasn’t feeling a lot of the typical early pregnancy signs and was freaking out something had happened… until around week 7 when suddenly I was dry heaving over the toilet bowl every morning without fail and beyond exhausted. Despite the fact I felt awful, it was somewhat reassuring.

The doctor noted my low key anxiety and offered to book me in for a dating scan at week 8 – that way I could get a more accurate idea of my due date, and also be reassured by the little presence in my belly. I was a mess before the scan, but things went well and the baby was measuring accurately and the heat beat was strong.

We had another scan at 12 weeks which included the NT test which screens for genetic disorders such as Downs Syndrome, and those results came back with good news. We were feeling very fortunate and could finally start telling friends and family!

What’s Next?

The constant nausea and tiredness is slowly wearing off and I am hoping to feel somewhat back to normal soon. The first trimester has been a nice excuse to slow down – instead of working 6 days a week and dashing from the office to barre or yoga class every night, I leave on the dot of 5.30pm to go home and rest. Sleep has been the most important goal for myself and the bub and this pregnancy has been an unexpected excuse for lots of self care. Having said that, I miss my pilates and yoga classes terrible and I cannot wait to start prenatal classes once I’m in the swing of the second trimester.

My diet has featured a steady stream of Vegemite on toast as that seemed to be the only food that wanted to stay down. As an enthusiastic vegetable eater, it seemed crazy that suddenly the mere thought of a stick of asparagus made me want to dry retch! I’m definitely looking forward to resuming normal eating habits soon, I know how important it is to eat a healthy and varied diet when there’s a little human relying on you for nutrients.

I am currently just shy of 14 weeks, and have my first appointment with the midwife at hospital next week. That’s when I think it will start to feel more real! I then have my fetal morphology scan in a month. This scan checks the baby is developing normally, and also might be an opportunity to find out the gender if we so desire.

Stay tuned for more posts on pregnancy products I am loving, tips and tricks, maternity wear and even babymoon destinations.

I’d love to hear from those who have had babies or are currently pregnant, please feel free to share your stories in the comments below!