Typing that sentence is a little much less startling than the primary few occasions we shared the information with family and friends. Buuut it’s nonetheless surreal!
Under I’m sharing the primary instalment of my Being pregnant Diary on the weblog! From this level onwards I’ll be weaving in household bits and items alongside my normal life-style content material as I navigate this new chapter of life!
Thanks for celebrating this milestone with us! We’re over the moon
How we made the choice to develop our household
Oli and I’ll have been collectively for 15 years this November. Which supplies you an concept of not solely how lengthy our relationship has been, but in addition how we’ve loved and appreciated—and never rushed haha!—every season of life collectively thus far.
From the very early days of being collectively we’d talked about having a household. Not in a near-future means, extra in a one-day means.
Ella and I recorded a podcast episode all about our emotions in direction of motherhood in 2019. I keep in mind on the time pondering “do you simply know while you really feel prepared?”.
As I discussed, Oli and I’ll have been collectively for 15 years this yr. I’ve identified that he’s ‘my individual’ from early on (I believe we are able to credit score a primary date involving Cinnabon partly) ~ and so there was by no means any doubt in my thoughts about beginning a household with Oli. However for a longgg time that feeling of ‘readiness’ simply didn’t click on.
After which it did.
Shifting home in December final yr, and shifting into a house which seems like a ‘household dwelling’, was the puzzle piece which lastly fell into place. As quickly as we moved I might envisage being pregnant and elevating a baby/youngsters in our dwelling.
Falling pregnant
The #1 query I obtained in my DMs once I requested what you’d wish to learn about my being pregnant, was “how lengthy did it take you to fall pregnant?” (or a query to that impact).
For Oli and I falling pregnant occurred shortly. We’re each so grateful that this has been our expertise. I’m acutely conscious that this isn’t the identical story for many individuals.
There have been just a few issues I centered on which I believe helped to arrange my physique for conception and being pregnant:
1 – since my early twenties I’ve spent loads of time studying about my well being.
And adjusting my life-style to make my total wellbeing my precedence. NB: therefore the Well being House Hustle podcast!
2 – extra particularly, in my mid-20s – now, I’ve centered on my hormones.
My first port of name was Alissa Vitti’s work, which I adopted to clear my hormonal zits. Subsequently I used to be related to Dr Laurens Maas of The Maas Clinic, my now Practical Drugs physician, who has taught me a lot about hormonal steadiness and therapeutic. For the previous few years I’ve centered on therapeutic my adrenal glands—which suffered once I skilled Glandular Fever in my teenagers after which adrenal burnout in my early 20s. I massively attribute good adrenal operate to serving to my hormonal operate.
One small however vastly impactful behavior I’ve stored up with for years is taking an Ashwagandha complement. Hyperlink Vitamin’s is my go-to. Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb which helps to stabilise cortisol (the stress hormone) ranges, and taking it has been linked to higher adrenal operate. I can solely share what I’ve discovered to be true; that is one behavior which I imagine aided my hormonal steadiness.
NB: I’m not taking Ashwagandha throughout being pregnant because it’s not suggested.
3 – I got here off of all hormonal contraception a yr earlier than falling pregnant.
I used the Mirena coil for nearly 10 years, inside which era I had two Mirena coils fitted. Total I discovered that the Mirena coil labored very well for me. I had restricted PMS, it was an efficient contraceptive and I didn’t have to consider taking a capsule. It was additionally advisable to me as I’ve a blood situation which signifies that some kinds of contraception aren’t appropriate.
When it was time to have my final Mirena coil eliminated, I made a decision to not substitute it. I’d been on contraception for over half of my life and needed to get to know my physique and my cycle once more.
This can be a complete different dialog however I liked coming off of all hormonal contraception! I felt a lot extra attuned to my physique and commenced to welcome the ‘seasons’ of my cycle. I discuss this in additional depth on this episode of Well being House Hustle podcast.
I’ve learn that for those who’re pondering of attempting to fall pregnant, it’s useful to permit your physique an adjustment interval following hormonal contraception. Although TTC wasn’t the rationale I made a decision to not substitute my coil, I do assume that giving my physique a yr to regulate was useful. By the point I fell pregnant I’d actually gotten to know myself and my cycle once more. Talking of which . . .
4 – I tracked my menstrual cycle for 2 years earlier than falling pregnant.
As I discussed, I’ve been specializing in my hormones for numerous years, and monitoring my cycle was half and parcel of this.
I used the Well being App on my iPhone to trace my cycle. Pure Cycles appears much more information pushed and correct tbh however the easy Well being App on my telephone labored nicely for me.
When Oli and I made a decision to start out attempting (facet observe: I don’t know the way to make that flip of phrase not sound gross! Haha!), I used the app to inform me which days had been the perfect days to attempt to conceive.
5 – we took a very relaxed strategy.
Assume: wine time, being really current with each other, and acknowledging that no matter occurred, this was a alternative we had been excited to make collectively.
I hope that helps to reply a few of the questions concerning TTC!
Discovering out I used to be pregnant
As I discussed, I’ve been monitoring my interval for just a few years, and so when my interval was a day late . . . then two . . . then three . . . I made a decision to take a being pregnant take a look at. Luckily,I already had one being pregnant take a look at in my rest room, since I’d needed to take one earlier than my final coil becoming (and so they got here in a pack of two), and so I shortly took it earlier than hopping within the bathe.
I keep in mind being within the bathe and pondering “no matter that take a look at says, it’s a large deal”.
Once I acquired out of the bathe, there have been two clear traces seen!!!
Oli was at work at this level. And so I made a decision that I wanted to take a minimum of yet one more take a look at to substantiate the being pregnant. However we stay in a extremely small city and I used to be apprehensive that I’d stumble upon somebody within the pharmacy or grocery store.
And so I drove 45 minutes to an enormous superstore and did the biggest grocery store store of my life haha! I weirdly felt so suspicious shopping for a being pregnant take a look at . . . I stored pondering that everybody would ‘simply know’ by me. (I’m certain completely no-one was giving me a second’s thought, however my mind was whirring!). I hid the being pregnant take a look at between luggage of potatoes, paid for my huge store and headed dwelling.
Once I acquired again Oli had simply returned from work and informed me that certainly one of his shoppers (a stunning couple I am keen on!) had been anticipating their second child. I ended up blurting out that I believed I used to be pregnant too, and we each stood within the kitchen collectively shell-shocked, smiling and anxious to take one other take a look at. I informed him that I’d simply purchased a few additional being pregnant checks, which I instantly took.
Once more, two clear traces on two separate checks!!!
Posts to return in my Being pregnant Diary: my first and second trimester expertise, what I’ve been sporting and some other questions you’d like answered!
Thanks once more so a lot to your assist and congratulations!
I do know that a lot of you’ve been right here for the reason that early days of the weblog, and in a means I really feel like we’ve grown up right here collectively For newer pals, it’s great to welcome you right here too and I hope that you just’ll get pleasure from sharing this new chapter of life with me!
