It’s terrible to admit but I sometimes lose track of how pregnant I am. This video was made halfway between 18/19 weeks pregnant and I was so preoccupied (it was a very, very busy fortnight at work) and we had our scan to find out the sex of the baby on the horizon, I got distracted and didn’t make a video until the end of 19 weeks. I’ll catch up on how the scan went in my 20 week video.
My Pregnancy Vlog
My To Do List
- Blow up pregnancy exercise ball
Pregnancy Problems
- Pregnancy sickness (when will it end???)
- Having crazy dreams
Pregnancy Recommendations
- New dungarees from JoJo Mama Bebe using Emma’s Diary discount I got in the Bump Pack (I feel very play school)
- Reading Ina May Gaskin Guide to Childbirth
- Katharine Graves hypnobirthing tracks on iTunes
Exercise
- Pregnancy yoga
- Dance aerobics
- Walking
Diet
Morning sickness continues and so do the food aversions and triggers.
How I’m feeling
Definitely feeling more distinct flutters and movements in my belly now. The stretching and pulling around my abdomen and hips is increasing so I got Takie to blow up the exercise ball I still had from when I was pregnant with Ava – not that I get much of a look in when it comes to using it. Using the hip rotations from pregnancy yoga on it really helps to ease the lower back and hips.
I ordered myself some dungarees and I love them. Feeling very happily pregnant in them and it’s nice to feel like I’m almost at the halfway mark. We’ve got the scan next week so thinking about how we handle finding out the sex of the baby. I really have no idea whether it is a boy or a girl. Ava can’t come to the scan as she’s at school and she’s excited about the idea of having a little party to discover whether she’s getting a little brother or a little sister when she gets home. Anyone else organised a reveal celebration? The only issue is Ava doesn’t want to do pink for girls and blue for boys as she thinks its sexist. So we’ve agreed on red hearts for a girl and silver stars for a boy inside a balloon she can pop when she gets home from school.
It’s been very busy at work, and both Takie and I have a lot on our minds at the moment apart from childbearing and rearing. I’m trying to enjoy the pregnancy journey; to separate out the worries I experience in other areas of my life from how I feel about the baby. I’m trying to focus on feeling thankful and remembering we aren’t failures when things go wrong – that’s life.
Pregnancy Questions
This week my question for my mum (Sarah Beeson) was…
Q: As my scan approaches I’m experiencing equal measures of excitement and anxiety. How can I best prepare?
A: It’s natural to feel anxious about scans and all related medical appointments and pregnancy no doubt does often heighten these feelings. It can be hard not to let your mind wonder…“What if…” You aren’t alone in your apprehension but it’s all got to be done so flip your anxiety into excitement say to yourself – How exciting to find out not only the sex of baby but also how they are growing!
Try and see the growth scan as a chance to connect with your Little One visually. Take someone with you for support and to share in your excitement (partner, parent or friend). If you’re feeling nervous before you go in now is a good time to start using the breathing exercises that help us relax. Drop your shoulders and close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, and breathe out gently through the lips in a longer calm exhale. Repeat ten times and notice how you’re feeling without judging yourself.
A little treat afterwards at a cafe or restaurant is a nice way to give yourself time to enjoy the moment and look through your scan photos and update close family and friends. If you want to know the sex of the baby it’s an opportunity to revisit baby names and try out a temporary or a permanent moniker.
Pregnancy Tip
Try to turn your nervousness into excitement. See scans and appointments as milestones. With each passing marker you’re one step closer to meeting your baby. #18weekspregnant #19weekspregnant #pregnancyproblems #mumtobe #antenatal
About Amy
Amy Beeson runs Wordsby Communications and has a successful writing partnership with her mum Sarah Beeson MBE. Their latest memoir Our Country Nurse is set in a country village in 1975 and is bursting with stories of mums journeys during pregnancy and motherhood. They’ve also written nursing memoir The New Arrival and first year parenting guide Happy Baby, Happy Family. Amy is currently writing her first solo novel set in Wartime Staffordshire while Sarah pens advice for new parents on baby sleep, weaning and building a strong emotional attachment.