Hold on tight and prepare yourself for a life changing, roller-coastering nine months ahead…
In the first few weeks you may find it hard to believe you’re really pregnant. Okay, you’ve had the morning sickness (or should that be anytime of the day or night sickness?), the overwhelming tiredness, the chats with the midwife, and the all-too-frequent trips to the loo. But it’s probably not until you see your baby in the first fuzzy scan image, hear its racing heartbeat or feel it kick that your pregnancy will begin to feel real.
The times they are a changin’
Have you noticed that you’ve become a magnet for well-meaning, often conflicting and generally unwanted advice? Around the four-month mark, when your bump begins to appear, suddenly everyone has an opinion on what you should be eating, reading, wearing and doing. Selective hearing and the occasional ‘that’s enough, thanks’ will help you through.
Sleepless nights are a given once baby arrives, but for a lot of women broken sleep starts during pregnancy. A growing uterus pressing on your bladder, an aching back caused by softening ligaments or a midnight craving can all be to blame for lack of sleep. Some say it’s nature’s way of preparing you for what’s to come - but wouldn’t it be nice just to get some sleep while you still can?! All this lack of sleep isn’t helping your pregnancy glow.
Hormonal highs and lows
Books have a nice way of describing pregnancy, particularly the hormonal ‘fluctuations’, in neat little lists of symptoms and signs that nearly always fail to match the real experience. Truth is, we’re talking full-on hormonal havoc here that can play murder with your mood, leaving you amazingly mellow one day, up for ruling the world the next, and sobbing at the soppiest thing the one after that.
Some days you love your new shape and dress up to show off your bump and movie star’s cleavage. Other days you might feel like a giant pudding and just a glimpse of your old jeans will leave you inconsolable. At least high street stores are doing their own lines of maternity wear, and there’s always the trusty wrap dress – good for any occasions!
Labour day
Maybe it’s been on your mind since the beginning or perhaps you’ve hardly given it a thought, but at some point you’ll start to think about labour. You’ve probably heard your fair share of labour tales by now. These delivery-room anecdotes tend to fall into two distinct categories - the ‘it didn’t hurt much and anyway you forget it soon enough’ kind – or the full-blown, no-holds-barred kind that give you nightmares for months to come. Whatever you’ve read or heard it’s best to remind yourself that every labour is different; you have no idea what yours will be like so there’s no point worrying about it too much!
Whatever your pregnancy experiences, enjoy the ride…
Please note that the contents of this section are for information only and are not intended as medical advice or as a substitute to your doctor's advice. For medical care and advice, you should consult your doctor on a regular basis. If you have any problem which concerns you, consult your doctor immediately.
