Keira Charlotte

Over the 7 week mark now, I can’t wait to hit the 12 week mark! Morning sickness still a problem, it isn’t dramatic just feel ‘yucky’ all the time. Most of the time all I want to do is lie down in bed as the waves of nausea isn’t so noticeable. I am struggling with my work, I try to keep a brave face with Dave but I often feel teary before leaving for work. It is so hard to pretend I am fine at work and what I find ironic is that you keep the secret until 12 weeks yet that’s when apparently you get some relief from the tiredness & nausea. Being on night shift is working well though; I had to request 2 more weeks on nights with my boss to get me through to our holidays. I gave the reason of being able to stay on the same timeframe as the U.K. Lucky it worked or I was going to throw in the towel and tell my boss the truth of the situation. I weighed myself the other day after being sick at work (finally happened but I think no one found out) I have actually lost weight! Whilst one of my fears is to turn into a beach ball I must try harder to get my eating on track. I am eating healthily it is simply the tiny amount that is being consumed that is the problem. I wrote into pregnancy website who offers a free response about pregnancy concerns. I explained that I am no longer able to swallow my vitamins (which incidentally cost a small fortune!) I received a response that says I can break the capsules into yoghurt and grind the calcium ones up and add to food or drink. So that’s great news. I will feel much better once I get back on board with them. I am looking forward to the day that I can cook something for Dave and enjoy it with him. I feel that he is being neglected at the moment yet he always denies this – he is always so strong & kind.

Lots to look forward to, only two weeks until holidays then when I return to work I can announce our news which will shock the pants of everyone. I only hope that I don’t get asked to not work with the clients until I am ready. I realise the risks and once the staff know of the pregnancy I will be in no more harm that someone working at a supermarket.

Well I think that the morning sickness has got me now, feeling queasy nearly all the time but so far holding down what little food I manage. Foods that are easy to eat seem to be anything bad for me like fried hot salty food or chocolate. Foods that are difficult to eat seem to be anything healthy aside from cereal which is a reliable ‘safe’ food. Starting to struggle with even swallowing the pregnancy vitamins now, I spat out the calcium tablet last night and only managed one of the two vitamin tablets I was meant to take today. Considering they are custom made for pregnant women I can’t understand why they are so horribly big! Reading tons of information about birth options, things have certainly changed for the better for women. Sometimes you can read almost too much but I would rather do that than miss some important information. Still feeling tired but handling it better, working night shift is a better option for me at the moment so I have requested to stay on nights until we go on holidays. Fighting the desire to madly purchase baby things and do up the nursery until the 12 week mark. Dave spoiling me, sometimes I feel guilty but mostly I feel special and so incredibly lucky with my lot in life. A gorgeous, kind, intelligent & funny husband, stunning home, our furry friends, great job with lots of rewarding features…to add a baby will be simply divine!

I am simply bone weary. I seem to sleep all day and all night and still get exhausted after being awake and moving around for an hour or so. I wish my job was sitting down a lot.
My appetite is better, although no particular food entices me I have had cornflakes for breakfast & some chicken for lunch. Did some housework in the morning –never seem to finish what I start though. Slept all afternoon. Dave has nicknamed the baby iBlob, which is really cute!

11.40am Dr Zenner appointment, confirmed pregnancy (yet again) and confirmed that it is safe for air travel. DVT is the main concern. Got a referral for a Obstetrician to make an appointment with before we travel. This obstetrician works at Cabrini and Waverley Private so Waverley looks like a likely choice so far. Feeling good overall, no nausea, still off my food though and cannot sleep enough. Slept from 1pm until 4pm and could easily go back to bed for the night at 6pm. How can a baby the size of a pea make a healthy adult so incredibly tired!

Feeling good overall - sometimes I feel like it could all be a mistake and I get paranoid that all of the reading of the symptoms might mean I might be reading too much into things. On the other hand the bloatedness, bone weariness, sore breasts, occasional nausea, food aversions & occasional emotional fits must mean something. And there was those 6 positive pregnancy tests, even if they were wrong then I went to a doctor who confirmed it. I think I am feeling a bit of Dave’s need to see ‘proof. I might go and get a blood test. I have my appointment on the 5th October but that is such a long time to wait.

Have got a horrid headache yet am too nervous to take Panadol. It says it is okay on the internet but I might see if I can just rest for a bit. Dairy food has become my best friend, cheese slices and crackers I can nibble on whenever I want without feeling queasy. Unlike eating an orange the other day that nearly made me sick. I am desperate to have achieved the 12 week mark without problem, it is so scary to think you can be so excited and yet have the chance of it not happening hanging over your head. I bought some caffeine free & sugar free Pepsi, doesn’t taste as good as the normal Pepsi but it is nice to know that I can have a fizzy drink for a treat. It is amazing how much stuff goes ‘out the window’ in a pregnancy! No wine, no sneaky cigarette at work, no caffeine, no hot spa baths, no Salami!! Ouch that one hurts - I love salami. It is all worth giving up in the hope that we can start our beautiful family that we both look forward too. We live in such a fabulous place for kids to grow up, the lake across the road ripples with the fish swimming in it, the squabbling ducks, noisy frogs & dopey ibis wading through the water never getting bored. I want to get started on a nursery but I have to wait until 12 weeks when all will be safe.

Well tonight I go back to work after spending the weekend digesting the news. Dave is already spoiling me; it is really nice and makes me feel special. We went to Borders on the weekend to browse some books on pregnancy. I bought a pregnancy companion book and Dave chose a ‘How to be an expectant father’. It is funny how everything seems to make sense now – I had a cold that I could not possibly get rid of and it lasted 2-3 weeks and that was strange. I thought that it was the cold that was making me so incredibly tired. I mean I have been tired before but not like this, this was like making a cup of tea was just not worth it and I could easily sleep around the clock. Aside from being tired I have been lucky with the lack of morning sickness, with only one bout driving home from work one morning. My appetite is virtually not there but I eat simply because I know I should for the baby. Dave is feeling excited yet wants more proof, in his words he wants to see ‘the blob’. I understand how he is feeling, it is hard for him as no physical changes of me are obvious and neither of us wants to get our hopes up if something happens. I keep reassuring him that we have now got 6 positive confirmations! – 1 from a doctor. And every single symptom is there. I have made an appointment for when my doctor gets back from holidays on the 5th October. We will be hopefully heading to the U.K to announce the news in person to Dave’s parents mid October. By then we should be 10 weeks into the pregnancy and should be able to arrange an ultrasound to see ‘it’ for the first time. Bit nervous of flying hurting the baby, the discomfort and the loo trips but I am sure it will be okay.

Well we found out on the 16th Sept that I was pregnant. After 4 home pregnancy tests were the same then a phone call was made to Carolyn to vent my feelings. I was confused initially as the reading on the test was not a ‘cross’ at all, I even called the company..twice. The poor guy kept telling me I was pregnant and I kept saying I might do another one. I even drove to the chemist to buy 2 more boxes! Carolyn rightly pushed me into going directly to the doctor and not waiting days before finding out. I went to the doctor who smiled and said ‘congratulations’. I was smiling yet quietly stunned – it was finally happening! And after all my fears of it never happening! The doctor even worked out the due date. May 17th 2006. I was 5 weeks and 2 days pregnant!

Hmm how to tell Dave…he came home from work, made a cup of tea, took off his shoes and tie and sat on the couch telling me about his day. I confess I have no idea what he was saying – I was trying to figure out the best and most special way to announce the news! I had to fight this stupid grin that was all over my face while he was telling me about his work. I ended up taking the cup of tea out of his hands (I was worried he might throw it across the room in shock) kneeling in front of him and simply blurting “I’m pregnant” Lucky I spent so much time figuring out how to say it..haha. Dave was very happy and big bear hug went on for a long time.