It's been a shitty week.
Somewhere I'm sure I read somewhere that pregnant women have mega immune systems - whoever wrote it deserves to have what I've been in bed with for the past week.
It started with a little cough - nothing to worry about I tell myself. 24hours later I'm laid up with a fever breaking the 39 degrees Celsius barrier. No sore muscles, no runny nose just a blasted cough and this fever.
It's 3.45am, I'm in bed, dosed myself up with paracetamol before I start getting really worried about what a fever this high will do to my foetus - so I drag myself around the house pulling down all my pregnancy books looking in the index for "fever" hoping to reassure myself that it will all be OK. Do you think ANY of the books have any information about high fevers in pregnancy? Well none that I could lay my hands on at 4am. I retreated to hubby's study where his computer is busy doing something I can't understand and log on to the trusty Internet.
Thank goodness for Mothersafe. It's based at a Sydney hospital and provides information for pregnant and breastfeeding women about a variety of dangers. There I found a fact sheet on fevers and was able to reassure myself that a trip to the doctor the next day would be OK - that there was no need to wake up hubby and call an ambulance.
(http://www.sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au/rhw/mothersafe.asp)
A visit to the doc the next day confirms that there's not much else I can do - take more paracetamol to keep the fever down, keep my fluid intake up and rest, rest rest. He's reasonably sure it's not swine flu and doesn't recommend I take Tamiflu but thinks I should be OK in a few days.
Unfortunately we have tickets to see Judith Lucy live at the Opera House on Saturday night with babysitters booked for the entire evening! I keep thinking I'll be OK. I try leaving the house Friday morning to drop master 2 at daycare. Return and sleep for 4 hours - nope. Not going to happen.
So we miss the show (hopefully our friends found other people to enjoy the tickets), but still use the babysitting so we can both have a lie in on Sunday morning. I've eaten almost 3 meals today so I'm hoping I'll be able to manage a day at work tomorrow. I have an afternoon appointment at the hospital so it won't be a long day - but I'm hoping I'll be up to it.
Super pregnancy immune system.
BAH!
Good news though is that hubby got the passports for him and Master 2 sorted, so we're all systems go to book our final holiday as a family of 3 (Vanuatu if you're curious!).
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
14 weeks and counting
It's been a couple of weeks since I started sharing our news with friends and family - so many I wanted to tell personally led my husband to comment "have you called the Daily Telegraph and the Herald yet?".
He's well known for being a smart arse.
Still it seems some people are finding out through osmosis or the gossip (really!!?? I didn't think I was important enough to gossip about!), but yet others who I thought would have known are still in the dark.
Take yesterday for example.
I hosted an afternoon for some of my friends with small children and had invited a consultant from Total Learning to come along and show us the range of educational books and CD Roms from her latest catalogue. Not everyone knew each other so we went around the room introducing ourselves and talking about the ages of the kids in our lives. When it got to me I said I had Master 2 and another one due in January (assuming common knowledge). At least 2 of my friends shrieked "Oh my goodness, congratulations". Obviously the gossip hadn't reached them!
I'm not sleeping as well as I did PP (pre-pregnancy) but this is not yet due to increased pressure on my bladder (I have that all to look forward to, hopefully later rather than sooner). I'm sleeping much more lightly and having the most incredibly realistic dreams. The dreams feature relatives, friends colleagues and complete strangers and are commonly nightmarish. Much to my dismay and hubby's they often are so realistic that I wake up mumbling, talking or groaning (less often laughing) in my sleep.
I sort of remember this from my first pregnancy, but not really. It's not really mentioned in any of the pregnancy books.
The other problem that my light sleeping has made more apparent is my dear husband's issue with snoring. He calls it breathing loudly but as friends he recently babysat for (they returned home to find him "breathing loudly" on the couch) can attest - it's a real problem. We've tried everything non surgical, the "silence" spray, the band aid type things that stick on top of his nose, and recently a plastic contraption that goes inside his nose and spreads his nostrils. PP they seemed to be mostly effective. Now I'm sleeping more lightly, not so much.
His novel solution? I should go and see a hypnotist so that I can learn to sleep through it.
One of my friends lent me a newly published book on pregnancy - in the same school as Kaz Cooke's "Up the Duff". It's called "Attack of the Fifty-Foot Hormones - Your One-Stop Survival Guide to Staying Sane During Pregnancy" - by Emma Tom. It's fantastic! I started reading it yesterday and because it's a week-by-week guide and I'm already 14 weeks I couldn't put it down until I got up to date. To put it in perspective I read 176 pages yesterday and when I looked up last night at my clock radio to find out the time before I finally went to sleep it read 12.20am. Yes, a book that keeps a pregnant woman up until after midnight, it must be good! I actually laughed out loud at a number of points and would highly recommend it to anyone going through pregnancy.
The other problem that I've encountered this week is low blood pressure - the "oh my God, I'm about to pass out" sort of low blood pressure. It began in earnest on Wednesday when I was trying to bake some cupcakes. I had to lie myself down on the kitchen floor at least 3 times while preparing the mixture. Add to that, Master 2 seems to believe anytime I'm horizontal it's time for him to 'rumble' made for an interesting morning. I had similar problems the rest of the week, so I'm trying to move more slowly. This is frustrating I know for fellow commuters who can't understand why a seemingly healthy woman takes so bloody long to climb the stairs at the station. Believe me, slow and steady is better than the reverse dominoes that would occur if I walked at my usual pace and passed out halfway up the stairs! My colleague suggested using the lift, but I'm a bit embarrassed.
This week as well I've discovered that I already have a little preggy belly - at 14 weeks! Those in the know tell me it's because my body has done this before it knows what to do and that it's not unusual. The trick is deciding if I want to look pregnant or not. When I have to fight for a seat on a peak hour bus it's definitely useful (though this week despite definitely looking pregnant I got the Sydney response - nuthin!). But jeans and a hoodie mean I can still get away with looking like nothing much has changed.
It's time to button down for another big week. I have a paid mat leave celebration tomorrow night at the office of the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Liz Broderick that promises to be fun (even if I can't share a glass of bubbly). Tuesday night looks less like fun and more like hard work as I put my activist hat on and do my representative duty on a peak body. It's made up of people whose mean age (I kid you not) is 82 and whose politics are unfortunately so far from mine that I often feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall. But you do what you can - right?
He's well known for being a smart arse.
Still it seems some people are finding out through osmosis or the gossip (really!!?? I didn't think I was important enough to gossip about!), but yet others who I thought would have known are still in the dark.
Take yesterday for example.
I hosted an afternoon for some of my friends with small children and had invited a consultant from Total Learning to come along and show us the range of educational books and CD Roms from her latest catalogue. Not everyone knew each other so we went around the room introducing ourselves and talking about the ages of the kids in our lives. When it got to me I said I had Master 2 and another one due in January (assuming common knowledge). At least 2 of my friends shrieked "Oh my goodness, congratulations". Obviously the gossip hadn't reached them!
I'm not sleeping as well as I did PP (pre-pregnancy) but this is not yet due to increased pressure on my bladder (I have that all to look forward to, hopefully later rather than sooner). I'm sleeping much more lightly and having the most incredibly realistic dreams. The dreams feature relatives, friends colleagues and complete strangers and are commonly nightmarish. Much to my dismay and hubby's they often are so realistic that I wake up mumbling, talking or groaning (less often laughing) in my sleep.
I sort of remember this from my first pregnancy, but not really. It's not really mentioned in any of the pregnancy books.
The other problem that my light sleeping has made more apparent is my dear husband's issue with snoring. He calls it breathing loudly but as friends he recently babysat for (they returned home to find him "breathing loudly" on the couch) can attest - it's a real problem. We've tried everything non surgical, the "silence" spray, the band aid type things that stick on top of his nose, and recently a plastic contraption that goes inside his nose and spreads his nostrils. PP they seemed to be mostly effective. Now I'm sleeping more lightly, not so much.
His novel solution? I should go and see a hypnotist so that I can learn to sleep through it.
One of my friends lent me a newly published book on pregnancy - in the same school as Kaz Cooke's "Up the Duff". It's called "Attack of the Fifty-Foot Hormones - Your One-Stop Survival Guide to Staying Sane During Pregnancy" - by Emma Tom. It's fantastic! I started reading it yesterday and because it's a week-by-week guide and I'm already 14 weeks I couldn't put it down until I got up to date. To put it in perspective I read 176 pages yesterday and when I looked up last night at my clock radio to find out the time before I finally went to sleep it read 12.20am. Yes, a book that keeps a pregnant woman up until after midnight, it must be good! I actually laughed out loud at a number of points and would highly recommend it to anyone going through pregnancy.
The other problem that I've encountered this week is low blood pressure - the "oh my God, I'm about to pass out" sort of low blood pressure. It began in earnest on Wednesday when I was trying to bake some cupcakes. I had to lie myself down on the kitchen floor at least 3 times while preparing the mixture. Add to that, Master 2 seems to believe anytime I'm horizontal it's time for him to 'rumble' made for an interesting morning. I had similar problems the rest of the week, so I'm trying to move more slowly. This is frustrating I know for fellow commuters who can't understand why a seemingly healthy woman takes so bloody long to climb the stairs at the station. Believe me, slow and steady is better than the reverse dominoes that would occur if I walked at my usual pace and passed out halfway up the stairs! My colleague suggested using the lift, but I'm a bit embarrassed.
This week as well I've discovered that I already have a little preggy belly - at 14 weeks! Those in the know tell me it's because my body has done this before it knows what to do and that it's not unusual. The trick is deciding if I want to look pregnant or not. When I have to fight for a seat on a peak hour bus it's definitely useful (though this week despite definitely looking pregnant I got the Sydney response - nuthin!). But jeans and a hoodie mean I can still get away with looking like nothing much has changed.
It's time to button down for another big week. I have a paid mat leave celebration tomorrow night at the office of the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Liz Broderick that promises to be fun (even if I can't share a glass of bubbly). Tuesday night looks less like fun and more like hard work as I put my activist hat on and do my representative duty on a peak body. It's made up of people whose mean age (I kid you not) is 82 and whose politics are unfortunately so far from mine that I often feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall. But you do what you can - right?
Monday, July 6, 2009
Here it is!
This is the latest addition to our family. We had the nuchal scan today and it's all very good news. I have the same chance of having a child with a chromosomal defect as that of a 15 year old. The genetic counsellor said that I should leave feeling very young.
The child was not very cooperative with the radiologist (are any??) and I was poked and prodded until my full bladder threatened to explode.
Fortunately for all concerned it didn't. My news is out - we're excited!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Who can you trust with a secret?
Week 12/13.
We have our nuchal scan tomorrow and assuming all's fine we'll be sharing our good news far and wide. Having said that it seems that no one can keep a secret anymore. Well, maybe not "no one" but the learning out of this experience is to trust your friends not necessarily those who you *should* be able to trust.
That may have been why I was so reluctant to share with anyone at work, but last week I shared my news with people based on job role rather than on personal relationships and I think that was the turning point. Until that point the only people I'd told at work were people who I had personal connections with and who I believed on the basis of those personal relationships would keep my secret. Last week I shared it with our leadership team, a group of people who share a role at work but not necessarily a personal connection.
A week later it seemed almost everyone in the office knew my news (but none had told me they knew). I thought about trying to find out who has a big mouth, but then I decided I didn't really care. After all, I'm almost passed the first trimester and the most danger of miscarriage. So I'll let sleeping dogs lie.
This weekend we told some of the extended family our news - they were all very excited and will make more public announcements after the scan tomorrow.
I hope it all goes well.
If it doesn't I think that there will be big arguments ahead - I think that hubby and I will have different thoughts on the next steps if we are high risk. Fortunately our age is on our side so I'm confident all will be fine.
What's more exciting is that we'll finally be able to confirm that there's only one foetus inside my belly. My grandmother was a twin, and those of my friends who enjoy seeing me squirm have been telling me that "it skips a generation". If we were to have twins we'd have to move house. I can't see how 3 kids could share a small bedroom. I don't want to move house.
What's even stranger are the changes I've already noticed in my body and the reactions of others who I share this information. I seem to have already (at 12 weeks!) lost my waist. I wore a lovely skirt last week and after dinner I had to pull it up under my boobs cause it was unbelievably tight. The top of my belly (that is above my belly button) seems to have grown already. I don't feel as though I'm big enough or ready for maternity clothes yet but when I tried some on over the weekend they made me look pregnant - at 12 weeks!
The reactions have ranged from:
"You're only 12 weeks" [obvious to me they are saying - you're just putting on weight, don't kid yourself]
"of course you are, you're 12 weeks"
"your body has done it before, so it knows what to do this time"
"really!"
Last time I didn't really feel as though I looked pregnant until I was 20 weeks (though there were certain outfits that made it more obvious). I remember one of my friends had a proper preggie belly at about 16 weeks with her 2nd, so who knows... All I know is that I can no longer wear anything with a waist. So I'm going for comfort - screw what anyone else thinks!
Scan tomorrow. Fingers crossed the news is good.
We have our nuchal scan tomorrow and assuming all's fine we'll be sharing our good news far and wide. Having said that it seems that no one can keep a secret anymore. Well, maybe not "no one" but the learning out of this experience is to trust your friends not necessarily those who you *should* be able to trust.
That may have been why I was so reluctant to share with anyone at work, but last week I shared my news with people based on job role rather than on personal relationships and I think that was the turning point. Until that point the only people I'd told at work were people who I had personal connections with and who I believed on the basis of those personal relationships would keep my secret. Last week I shared it with our leadership team, a group of people who share a role at work but not necessarily a personal connection.
A week later it seemed almost everyone in the office knew my news (but none had told me they knew). I thought about trying to find out who has a big mouth, but then I decided I didn't really care. After all, I'm almost passed the first trimester and the most danger of miscarriage. So I'll let sleeping dogs lie.
This weekend we told some of the extended family our news - they were all very excited and will make more public announcements after the scan tomorrow.
I hope it all goes well.
If it doesn't I think that there will be big arguments ahead - I think that hubby and I will have different thoughts on the next steps if we are high risk. Fortunately our age is on our side so I'm confident all will be fine.
What's more exciting is that we'll finally be able to confirm that there's only one foetus inside my belly. My grandmother was a twin, and those of my friends who enjoy seeing me squirm have been telling me that "it skips a generation". If we were to have twins we'd have to move house. I can't see how 3 kids could share a small bedroom. I don't want to move house.
What's even stranger are the changes I've already noticed in my body and the reactions of others who I share this information. I seem to have already (at 12 weeks!) lost my waist. I wore a lovely skirt last week and after dinner I had to pull it up under my boobs cause it was unbelievably tight. The top of my belly (that is above my belly button) seems to have grown already. I don't feel as though I'm big enough or ready for maternity clothes yet but when I tried some on over the weekend they made me look pregnant - at 12 weeks!
The reactions have ranged from:
"You're only 12 weeks" [obvious to me they are saying - you're just putting on weight, don't kid yourself]
"of course you are, you're 12 weeks"
"your body has done it before, so it knows what to do this time"
"really!"
Last time I didn't really feel as though I looked pregnant until I was 20 weeks (though there were certain outfits that made it more obvious). I remember one of my friends had a proper preggie belly at about 16 weeks with her 2nd, so who knows... All I know is that I can no longer wear anything with a waist. So I'm going for comfort - screw what anyone else thinks!
Scan tomorrow. Fingers crossed the news is good.
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