My Pregnancy Diary – 6 Months

Since finding out I was pregnant I wanted to sing it from the rooftops! I really wanted to talk about it more on the other blog but I didnt want to bore my soon to be brides with baby and pregnancy talk. So I decided that this blog was a much better platform for me to chat about my pregnancy journey so far.

One feature I want to run on this blog is a Diary of a Boho Baby, very similar to the Diary of a Boho Bride I run on Boho Weddings, but for pregnancy and then the first couple of years after the baby is born. I think getting other parents to chat about their experiences will help future parents with their learning and hopefully be an interesting read for other parents. After all, us first time mum’s need as much help as we can get.

So for the few months I have left of my pregnancy, I will be sharing my journey with you. Today I am exactly 6 months pregnant.

So far I have talked about finding out I was pregnant and our very Happy Announcement that takes us up to the first 12 weeks (1st Trimester) HERE . The first 12 weeks were pretty amazing, considering all the fertility problems we went through to get to that point. Both Nik and I felt completely blessed with our impending arrival. Even though I felt pretty shitty for most of the time, that didn’t matter: I was pregnant and that was all that mattered in the whole scheme of things!

My Body

My first trimester came and went and pretty soon after that (around 14 weeks) I began to feel normal again. The sickness and nausea went, I could eat again and I stopped feeling tired. It was amazing to have more energy and to feel like myself again. I decided that the next 3 months were really important to get as much done as possible, aware that the third trimester may bring more tiredness!

To be honest the last 3 months have been pretty easy. I’ve had a bit of SPD which was bloody painful, but luckily it only lasted a few days and was then gone. My feet and ankles have started to swell up but it’s livable, my gums are bleeding, but not the end of the world. This week I have started to get upper back pains across my shoulders, which then move to my lower back during the day. I’m aware that these will probably get worse so I’m going to need to do a lot more yoga to help that along. I cry at everything! I’m an emotional wreck! Which just makes Nik laugh at me most of the time! All in all though the last 3 months could have been a lot worse, and I’m really grateful that my body has left me to get on with my work. Starting a new blog at this time may not have been my best idea. Everyone has told me I should be resting and putting my feet up, but I’m really not that good at chilling out. Plus having the new blog to focus on has stopped me obsessing over the pregnancy, something that I felt I was pretty close to doing a few months ago. It’s given me something else to focus on and hopefully stopped me becoming a pregnancy bore!

So far I haven’t gained too much weight. I was a bit worried that I wasn’t gaining enough, as by about 22 weeks I had still only put on 4 lbs. But my appetite is much smaller now, and I struggle to finish a meal. I guess I just have less room than before. However now at 27 weeks (well tomorrow) I have put on 9 lbs, so I’m happy with that. I figure I’m going to be piling on the pounds over the next 3 months. My bump so far has stayed pretty small, however I am missing a spleen (I had it taken out when I was 18) so there is more room inside me for the baby. That’s my reasoning anyway!

The Highs and Lows

So far the whole experience has been amazing, magical and totally mind-blowing. To think there is a little human inside me is just out of this world! I am trying to relish every minute and not take it all for granted, after all it took us nearly 5 years to get here, so I want to make the most of every experience!

The highs so far have been 

• Our 20 week scan and finding out we are having a baby boy. I pretty much knew we were having a boy, I’ve thought it all along. I have to admit for the whole of my life I have wanted a girl, but as soon as I found out I was pregnant it really didn’t matter to me if it was a boy or a girl, I just want our little baby to be happy and healthy, nothing else really matters! Since finding out it’s a boy I have had so many people tell me how much easier boys are, and how much love you get from a boy. Plus the clothes are way cooler!

• The scan was pretty incredible! It was actually our 6th scan (I’ll explain later) but I will never tire of seeing our baby develop and get bigger. Seeing his heart beat and his little snub nose was just amazing. Every scan I have makes me cry.

• At 25 weeks, Nik and I went on what some people have called a Babymoon, our last holiday together before the baby is born. Admittedly I was a bit reluctant to go, having so much on at work with the new blog and not wanting to leave Dee for a week. However I am so glad we went. A week of winter sun in Lanzarote was just what the three of us needed! I managed to chill out, relax and really bond with the baby. So much lying around made me realise my own body and the changes that were going on, any small movement the baby made I felt. I got into a habit of talking to him every morning (the time he seems most active). I would chat to him and he would kick or punch me back in response. Such an amazing feeling.
• About a week ago we saw my tummy move for the first time. We couldn’t make out what part of his body it was, but every day now I watch my tummy as he wriggles about inside me.
• This weekend we started Hypnobirthing class. As I’m a complete stress head, Nik thought it would be a good idea to try to calm me down. I am  a mess every time we go for a scan as I worry so much that something is wrong, so God knows what I will be like during the birth. Anyway we had someone recommended to us, so we booked on the private course and I’m so glad we did. So far we have learnt so much and I am no longer scared of the birthing process, I’m actually quite looking forward to it.

The Lows so far have been

As I said the whole experience has been pretty magical, however I have encountered a few things that have got me down a bit. Things that I am trying to just ride out!

• As I mentioned I had my spleen out when I was 18, I have a rare blood disorder. Nothing too serious, I just have to go to the haematology unit of the hospital for regular check ups to make sure my levels are OK, and take a stack of tablets a day. However when you are having a baby this all gets more serious! I have been put under 2 different consultants and have to go and see them both every month, so lots of trips to the hospital (bad times.) On the up side, I also have to have a scan every month (hence the amount of scans so far) to keep an eye on the baby and make sure he is growing properly, so I get to see him regularly, which I’m not going to complain about. The down side of a consulatant led pregnancy is that I also have a consultant led birth. I had set my heart on a natural birth in the birthing pool, but it looks like I am going to have to be monitored throughout, which means no water birth for me (again bad times.) However, I have my hypnobirthing to see me through!
• Another thing that has really begun to grate on Nik and I is other people. People sticking their nose in and offering so-called advice! Sure, people are just trying to be helpful, but I wish they would offer advice when I ask for it, not just when they feel like giving it. People forget that everyone is different. We all have different ways of doing things, and having  a baby is definitely one of those. Even things like passing judgment on the fact we wanted to find out the sex of the baby! More recently it is the comments of ‘You won’t be able to do that when you’ve got a baby’ or ‘Kiss goodbye to that when you have kids!’ It seems that people think Nik and I haven’t given the whole pregnancy thing any thought and that we are going in blind. Yes, we know babies cry and that they cost money. However, I will be able to leave the house, and you know what we may even get to go out for something to eat every now and again. Yes the cinema may be out-of-bounds for a while, which is why we have been going so much recently. And yes holiday’s may not be as often, but we will drive places instead of going on a plane for the first couple of years. It’s taken us 5 years to get to this point, its not like we haven’t given these things any thought………………..anyway calm and relaxed! It’s just a little niggle, but boy it winds me up.

What have I learnt so far?

DON’T comment on a pregnant woman’s size. It doesn’t matter if you are small or big, commenting on the size of the bump is hurtful and can make a pregnant women feel shitty! I admit it I’ve done it in the past ‘Wow, is it twins?’ or words to that effect! Not good! The same goes for commenting on how small a bump is. My bump really only started properley showing 2-3 weeks ago. Until then people would say ‘Are you even pregnant?’ How to make a pregnant woman paranoid much!!

No matter how many books you read, apps you download or advice you take, all the advice will be conflicting. You have to do what is right for you, what fits around your lifestyle. There are right and wrong answers I guess but you have to figure out for yourself. What is right for one person may not be right for another!

The biggest thing I have learnt though, is that pregnancy is fantastic, I bloody love it. As I sit here writing I can feel my little man moving about. As well as mornings, he is pretty active in the evening! I have been blown away at how emotional it has made me, and how much love I have for him already. I can’t imagine how I’m going to feel when he is finally in my arms, but with only three months to go I haven’t got long to wait!

• I’d love to hear from you if you would like to share your pregnancy story with my readers. I am looking for pregnant women in the early stages who would be happy to write for the blog every 2-3 months. Email me [email protected]

Big Boho Love

Kelly xx

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