What To Expect
- Lower back pain
- Feeling more emotional
- Occasional headaches
Your Baby This Week
Your baby this week is about the length of a toy train.
by Tracey Quinn
Dear Diary
I've had tears in my eyes on numerous occasions this week for a variety of reasons. Thankfully they were usually tears of joy. Billy keeps randomly turning to me at different points of the day saying, "mammy are you sure you don't need to go to the toilet?". He has recognised that being pregnant means I go a lot and it just melts my heart that he is being so considerate thinking about me. Role reversal at it's finest.
In these moments I can just see how ready he is to be a big brother. He has so much love to give and this little boy or girl is going to be extremely lucky to have a brother like him. I'm biased but he is such a sweetheart. We've been having a lot of snuggly couch time this week and it has been so good for my soul.
I'm catching up on work that piled up while I was away and getting bits and pieces done around the house too so it's a good sense of balance. I'm no good at there being too much of one thing so, for me, a day lazing around the house must involve a certain level of being productive too. I wonder can any of you relate to this one.
I've had a woeful cough for the past few days and it's very frustrating. It's making sleeping very difficult, but the worst part is the actual pain in my stomach. When I cough my bump hurts and because it is such an intense cough, I panic that I am somehow hurting the baby.
I have to keep reminding myself that they are tucked up completely safe and sound. We then have the issue of trying to make sure I don't pee when I cough. It hasn't happened yet but every single time it feels like it will. Oh, the glamour of pregnancy and a weaker pelvic floor.
I've been having a bit of a mental dilemma this week. Let me start by saying that I am a very very emotional person in general. Pre-pregnancy I've been known to cry at toilet paper ads on the TV so you can imagine the levels of emotion now that pregnancy hormones have been added to the mix. I am also a planner and get anxious when I don't have some kind of plans in place for future events (giving birth should be interesting eh?).
This dilemma is about whether I should let Billy visit me and the baby in the maternity hospital or not. It might sound crazy to you but it's really bothering me. I had never given it a second's thought and always looked forward to him coming in to meet his baby sibling but this week I'm really confused due to something I saw in the Coombe.
I was in having an appointment and I saw a father and son leaving the hospital after visiting hours. The little boy was about Billy's age and was absolutely hysterical screaming for his Mammy. The father was explaining that Mammy had to stay with the baby and that it was nap time for them both. The little boy was crying the saddest tears I've ever seen saying "I can go nap with them. Please Daddy I need Mama".
Well, I walked past them and burst into tears walking to my car. I must have sobbed for a solid ten minutes when I got back to the car too. It really really affected me and made me think about how Billy will react and how it might scare and upset him. The hospital, the new baby and leaving without us.
I don't know what I'll do but now I'm wondering if it would be kinder and gentler if I waited until we got home from the hospital until he meets the baby? I am so confused. It's been a massive trigger for me, and I am having so many moments of panic regarding all of the impending change for him, for me and for our little family unit.
I really don't like change, so this is no surprise, but these feelings are making me feel guilty because they relate to the baby. I cannot wait for the baby to arrive and I feel so blessed to be pregnant but the idea of all of this change is scaring me now. This too shall pass.
A Partner’s Perspective
We're struggling with a bit of dilemma this week, my partner and I. We're starting to plan for the little one's big arrival, and we can't decide whether or not to bring our firstborn in to see the baby in the hospital.
It's hard for me to see my partner so upset over it but hopefully, we'll find a happy solution soon.
Our Midwife’s Advice
It's noisy inside you. Your baby can hear your voice but also the sound of your digestive system, blood flowing and your heart beating. This is why baby responds so well to ‘white noise' when they are born.
As mentioned previously, you will pee a lot during your pregnancy. Your baby is using your bladder as a pillow or sometimes as a trampoline so frequent trips to the loo affect nearly every pregnant person!
This can also interrupt your sleep, which is very challenging. It's very important that drinking less won't help and will make you more susceptible to urinary tract infections, which are much more common in pregnancy. So, keep your fluid input up.
If you have any burning while peeing or pain, or notice a smell or discolouration of your urine, make sure you get this checked out straight away to pick up any infection. Your urine is checked at every antenatal visit and this is one of the things that is checked.
Your pelvic floor is the basket of muscles at the bottom of your abdomen. These muscles are responsible for using the toilet (for both pee and poo) and for giving birth. With the weight of your pregnancy and all your pregnancy hormones, they come under significant extra strain.
They need to be really strong to keep up with all the demands put on them with carrying a baby so doing your pelvic floor exercises are essential. I've written a little guide to how to do them properly here (insert guide). Stress incontinence (pee escaping when you laugh or cough) is very common both in pregnancy and after you give birth (more common with vaginal delivery but still happens even if you have a c-section), but it doesn't have to be.
Doing your pelvic floor exercises will really help with improving the strength of all of these muscles, not only now but for your future pelvic floor health. If you get into the habit of doing them every day, your future self will thank you!!
Our Wellness Tip of the Week
At this stage in the pregnancy, you may be feeling drained. If so, naps are your best friend. If you can, take a nap during the day to ensure you're getting plenty of rest. You deserve it!
Recommended Reading
WHY SHOULD I GET THE FLU VACCINE WHEN PREGNANT?