PREGNANCY: THE SERIES

Exciting news! You’re pregnant. Congratulations

Pregnancy is the start of an amazing journey that lasts up to 280 days or 40 wonderful weeks of nurturing a tiny life. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes at the thought of nurturing, feeding, protecting, and deciding for a little human; with moments of share awe, happiness, and laughter, a sprinkling of nausea, hair loss, and everything in between.

Keeping all that in mind, we hope to bring you a series of basic, easy-to-read short series useful tips to support you during this wonderful journey. Our series will be bite-size and will range from those everyday challenges in each of the three trimesters of pregnancy, to basic eating habits, ways to keep fit and healthy, welcoming our little human and introducing them to the rest of the family… such fun, such joy!

Okay, there will be changes both within and outside our body which can make one feel frumpy sometimes but I’m yet to see a pregnant woman that does not glow just around the 20th week. Your skin is amazing and glowing and people will notice. For some people, this is actually the first tell-tale sign of pregnancy if you are one of the lucky ones whose bump do not show until much later!

You and your partner will be invited for regular check with the midwife who will support you all the way. Best time to also start thinking of how and where you would like to birth your baby.

Make a list, I repeat, make a list of everything because you’ll be surprised how much you want to do but how quickly time flies. Make sure you have your pregnancy book with you all the time and everywhere you go. Ask your midwife all the questions you need answers to. Remember, you and little one are the center of attraction, bask in the attention, enjoy it, accept all offers of help when the baby arrives (you’re going to need all the time to rest, feed, change, soothe and most importantly get to know this amazingly gorgeous person you have created!!)

This short series is aimed at reassuring you that although you would experience true change, nutrition, exercise, mental and emotional wellbeing, fashion and lifestyle are things you should always keep in mind.

THE 3 FUN STAGES OF YOUR PREGNANCY

Okay, you might be wondering why we would term the various stages of pregnancy as fun stages, when in fact pregnancy is a whirlwind of emotions, hormones, and everything in between. We think it could be a fun based on how much and how rapidly we discover new things about ourselves. The hormones are at their best to making us feel emotional, experience body changes, and excited all at once!

As always, always speak with your midwife if you have any concerns, however silly it may seem, your mummy instincts are almost always accurate.

FIRST TRIMESTER (1st to 12th week)

This is the start of the many super changes your body will undergo! Your baby’s organs are developing and the increase in pregnancy hormones can make you feel tired and experience morning sickness. Hormonal changes affect almost every organ in your body as well; these changes can trigger symptoms even in the very first weeks of pregnancy. Your menstrual period ceasing is one of the first symptoms for most women, although in some cases this might not be the case. Other common symptoms to look out for are:

– Tiredness

-Tender, swollen breasts. Your nipples might also stick out.

-Morning sickness

– Cravings or distaste for certain foods

– Mood swings

-Constipation (trouble having bowel movements)

-Need to pass urine more frequently

-Heartburn

As your body changes, you might need to make changes to your daily routine, such as going to bed earlier or eating frequent, smaller meals.

Tip: It is always a good idea to make folate-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables a priority.

Fortunately, most of these symptoms will begin to reduce for most women as the pregnancy progresses. Not everyone will experience the same symptoms so always make sure you speak with your GP or Midwife if you have any concerns.

If you have been pregnant before, you might feel differently this time around. Just as each woman is different, so is each pregnancy.

SECOND TRIMESTER (13th to 25th week)

Some people feel the second trimester of pregnancy is easier than the first, however, it is just as important to stay informed about your pregnancy during these months.

You might notice that symptoms like nausea and fatigue are getting less worrisome, however, you may notice some new changes as well. Your bump may now be a little more obvious. During the next 13 weeks, your baby will learn to kick, make faces, and swallow. They will grow from 8 cm to about 34 cm. Tip: Try to include Omega 3- rich diet to support your baby’s brain and visual development.

You might notice the following and although they are expected, you must speak with your midwife if you have any questions.

● Back, abdomen, groin tenderness

● Stretch marks on your abdomen, breasts, thighs, and/or buttocks

● Darkening of the skin around your nipples

● A line on the skin running from belly button to pubic hairline

● Patches of darker skin, usually over the cheeks, forehead, nose, or upper lip. Patches

THIRD TRIMESTER (28th week -delivery)

You’re in the home stretch! During this period of your pregnancy, your baby is beginning to gain strength, immunity as well as weight.

Some of the discomforts you experienced in your second trimester may continue. Plus, many women notice they have to go to the bathroom even more often than in the previous trimesters. This is because the baby is getting bigger and it is putting more pressure on your bladder. Don’t worry, your baby is fine and these problems will fade away once you give birth.

Some new changes you might notice in the third trimester include:

● Hemorrhoids

● Tender breasts, which may leak a watery pre-milk called colostrum (kuh-LOSS-struhm)

● Your belly button may stick out

● Trouble finding a comfortable position to sleep

● The baby “dropping”, or moving lower in your abdomen

● Contractions, which can be a sign of ​real or false labor

As your delivery day approaches, continue on gentle exercises, get as much rest as possible.

By now, you should have a bag ready for your stay in the hospital.

HOSPITAL / DELIVERY BAG

It’s okay to splash out on things however, try to make it as basic as possible with only the most essential items for you, baby, and partner. A rucksack is ideal and practical as this will be easy to carry.

For hospital delivery, we would suggest the following

For your newborn  baby