My Pregnancy Diary Weeks 1 to 6

So mama, here is the first of my pregnancy diary. I am writing my journal for every week. I hope you enjoy these journals.

If you're wanting to get pregnant and have stated 'trying'; the day you get your period is like a big NOPE YOU'RE NOT PREGNANT being yelled in your face.

And it's disappointing.

The two weeks before that you sort of live in an unknown land, certainly not wanting to get excited, but often wondering 'what if'.

As someone who works with pregnant women every day, I have many different types of conversations.

Some of those conversations are quite in depth about the struggle to conceive.

And the thought that maybe it just won't happen.

I'm a healthy 32-year-old woman with a regular menstrual cycle and no known issues regarding fertility, but I'm not going to lie to you: it scares the bee-jeebies out of me thinking 'what if we just can't get pregnant?'

I can excitedly announce that we are pregnant and it's taken me 8 weeks to put this blog down in words. I'll continue regularly from now, but I made notes in my diary through the journey and remember vividly thinking this.

And yep, I cried when I got my period this time.

But little did I know, it was just all the very beginning of it all.

Here's my tips for this week:

1. I went to the dentist and got any final check ups and X-rays, super important before getting pregnant

2. Finish up any laser treatments or anything that is not recommended for pregnancy

3. Start a prenatal supplement. I started mine three months before we started officially trying to top up and balance out all my nutrient levels.

Week 2 - No expectation

But who doesn't have expectation?!

We live our lives expecting this will happen. As a little girl you play with dolls one day knowing you are going to be the best mother there is.

And then your time comes and you try not to have expectations.

Good luck!

Hands up if you're in the same boat as me.. you're just at that time of life; it's not just you that expects YOU to get pregnant.

Insert comments from friends, relatives and any other person your possibly know: 'so guys, when are you thinking of having kids, oh your drinking wine, damn it, I thought you might have been pregnant, do you have any news for us?' - are you pregnant?

And you can't get angry, because all they are doing is caring. They are excited for you that you will be great parents.

But it all just adds to that expectation doesn't it?

The big thing to remember is the only person that has power over your thoughts is YOU! So what you need to do to get yourself into a good head space.

Allocating some me-time that's not just watching trash television can really help. You need to find what connects with you.

For me, my yoga is that special me-time I just love.

And over the years I've found not just the strong yoga, but also really the gentle yin-like yoga give me balance.

Here's My Tips for this Week

1. Prioritise your me-time and mindfulness. Welcome to the journey of pre-pregnancy to pregnancy. It's a mind game and you need to be as relaxed and mindful as you can, to help you, your partner and your future child.

2. Start looking into gentle exercise like yoga that helps you relax and unwind (as well as get your mind off everything)

3. Have a cuppa, a long hot shower or a bath. Relax and start to journal how your feeling if it helps.

Week 3 - Yep, I'm ovulating!

The female body continually astounds me. And if you're really quiet, and stop and observe it, it's dam cool to watch.

Every woman is different, and as I blog through my pregnancy I'm simply blogging about my personal experience.

I almost wasn't going to, in case there was one person in the world (or many) that didn't agree with what I said and chose to bombard me with negativity (if that's you, please don't!

It will probably make me cry, and I'm an ugly crier.

For me, I noticed everything; the higher sex drive and the body changes. So incredible to almost sit back and just listen to my body.

I saw an acupuncturist this exact week and she recommended having sex on day 11, 13 and 15 of your period.

I'm sure there is lots of different information out there.

But I think there's a lot of pressure to 'do it all the time' when every second day across your most fertile time may be what you need.

And remember that that golden day of day 14 is only a guide (if you have a regular 28-day period), as we know there a women who ovulate at all different times.

I know someone who conceived on day 23 of her period. And it can go down as early as day 8.

If you're not sure maybe get an ovulation kit or go see an acupuncturist to give you guidance on how to track it.

Here's my tips

1. Chill out, stress isn't going to help you in any shape of form

2. Be mindful of your partner as well if you're choosing to do this together, then communication from the start is key. If you are choosing to, inform them of your fertile days so they know as well.

It doesn't need to be scheduled sex, but if you're both on the same page it can help.

3. Eat well, you could be making a baby this week and you need to get those nutrients in.

Week 4 - Drink til it's pink!

And that's actually a saying!

So, I didn't know this, but apparently the pregnancy test will go pink (or say you're pregnant or whatever these new ones do!) once the hormone HCG is in your blood stream.

So, you could be a couple of weeks pregnant and peeing on every pregnancy stick there is and it still says NO!

The thing is, it's not connected to your blood stream, so if you did have a drink of alcohol don't go freaking out, because it probably hasn't even touched your baby in the slightest.

Everyone makes different decisions through their pregnancy and with the research not 100% on how much is OK, it's my decision that I'm not going to drink at all through my pregnancy.

But that's me.

I only heard about the 'you can drink until it's pink after we got a positive pregnancy test (two pink lines!).

For us, it didn't go pink until week 5.

I did one at week 3 and week 4 and only had that one line show up (not pregnant apparently!).

Here's my tips for this week:

1.Get regular exercise, pregnant or not it's going to help you get into and stay in a good mood

2. Hydration my dear, drink water now because your body will be need to stay well hydrated when your pregnant

3. Get rid of any nasty chemicals in your house, check the packaging. It needs to claim that it DOES NOT CONTAIN Parabens, SLS, ALS, Petrochemical cleanser.

Otherwise it probably has them in it.

I use Organic Care for all our shampoos and soaps. But there are plenty of natural options (I just find these work for me!).

Week 5 - My new super woman power – I smell you!

The sore boobs and incredible sense of smell is what drove me to do 'just one more test'. Plus this is the week I should have gotten my period.

So, we did the test. We looked at it together and in some sort of disbelief; we celebrated! 'We're pregnant!

It certainly doesn't feel real though.

And I know for us, it wasn't a screaming jumping up and down, because we didn't want to get too excited just in case it all.. well didn't work out.

That week we'd heard of two miscarriages and the fact that it is just so common, we are both just mentally aware that could be the reality for us too.

But regardless, it is exciting!

Oh yeah, and getting back to my new found super power – wow! I wrote in my tips for last week to you to get rid of any nasty chemicals.

One reason is for the health of you and bub, but also because they smell extra strong if you get this same super power!

Isn't it just an incredible journey.

Apparently your scent hasn't gotten stronger, just your sense of smell has improved. There you go!

My tip for this week:

1. Get some cranberry tablets.

If you've never had a urinary tract infections (UTI), trust me, you don't want one. I used to take this special herbal stuff if I felt one coming on, but I can't take that in pregnancy (not enough research to show it's ok).

But the thing with cranberry is that it's actually more of a preventative that a cure. It can help if you get onto it early, but if your UTI gets too bad, you'll need to see the doctor.

And probably go on antibiotics (which if you do, make sure you get probiotics too, otherwise thrush will be your next adventure!).

So yep, get yourself some cranberry tablets.

I have one or two a week just to help, but ask your health care professional before you start anything new. And keep hydrated too, that always helps.

2. Start journaling how you are feeling.

It's a great way to document this journey, but also just to keep you updated with how you are feeling and if you need to chat to anyone

3. Doctors Appointment

Schedule your doctor's appointment once you’ve had a positive pregnancy test, they'll take your blood test and confirm your HCG levels and give you an estimate on your 'week of pregnancy'

Week 6 - Doctor, what do you think?

I have the cutest doctor ever! She's tiny little 40-something-year-old and full of energy. She has three children herself (including a set of twins).

Tell you what, having someone so happy and positive along this journey with you at each appointment is just the best.

So the first appointment you chat over everything, but you get the blood test done at the end and then you have to go back again the next week (or a few days later).

Apparently, the HCG results come back the next day, but some others can take longer.

This is what I got tested:

1. Vitamin D
2. Folic Acid
3. Iron
4. Thyroid function tests
5. B12 / Folate
6. Blood Group
7. HIV
8. Syphilis
9. Rubella

And a few more that I didn't really understand. But everything came back just fine!

My tips for this week:

1. Get yourself a folder to put all the print outs they give you, as you'll need to take them all with you to your first midwife / obstetrician appointment at 14 weeks.

2. Make your decision if you are going in the public system or private system (if you have the choice)

3. Be prepared to maybe not really know what week of pregnancy you are as the HCG test gives you a range, it's not until you have your dating scan that you actually officially find out.

Week 7 - Good bye Sushi, it's been good.

I had my first ever food court experience where I just stood there going.

Sushi, no can't have that.

Pre-made sandwich, no can't have that.

Pre-made salad, no can't have that.

Fried food -no thanks.

So instead of my $6 two sushi salmon and avocado rolls, I bought a $15 poke bowl kinda thing that had chicken (because the lamb option came medium rare) with sweet potato and cooked vegetables.

It was nice.

But I really need to keep this whole 'don't just get lunch on the run' option outta my head, because it's hard!

But no need to focus on the bad, when the good is so much better!

We had our ultrasound dating scan.

We actually booked in last week (thinking that was week 7, but we were only 6 weeks and only saw the sac, no little bub had formed just yet).

So seven weeks and we had our scan and we got to see the little heart beat!

We also got our due date! So you're due date is 26th January 2020 as they guy said it.

The likely hood of having your bub on your due date is something like 3-5% I think.

So we'll see.

It's all becoming a bit more real now. I still can't get myself too excited, I'm wanting to see that 12 week scan to feel more at ease with everything.

This is our first pregnancy and I work with a lot of women who have miscarriage anywhere from 7 weeks to 12 weeks. It's common and I think it's just best (for me at least) to keep that in mind.

Of course I hope it doesn't happen, but I just want to see that little heart beat at 12 weeks before I get more excited.

Oh and just and FYI before your scan, you have to drink a litre of water before you go and then hold on. Then when they push the ultrasound it's pretty much pressing down on your bladder.

So after the excitement, you're welcome to ask 'excuse me, where' the nearest toilet?

Leaving that scan, for the first time 5 weeks seemed like an eternity away.

We're excited to tell our parents the news, but keeping our cards pretty close to our chest with this to pretty much everyone else - at least for a little while.

With these house renovations we're doing (although I'm becoming more and more useless) we're pretty much spending our entire weekend there, so not the social butterflies we normally are.

Which kind of helps to keeping this all a bit hush hush.

If you're following along with your own journey, take my tips for this week.

Our bodies are really starting to change (although that bump isn't necessarily showing, our hormones and changes internally are certainly happening!

My tips for this week:

1. Pelvic floor exercises, start them now lovely! 3 x 10 reps If you're not sure, watch this (link to pelvic floor cue / explanation video)

2. Read up on what you should and shouldn't eat, here's a really good article all about it (link article)

3. Focus on the positive. I do often hear women complaining and I can't have this and I can't have that there would be so many women who would sacrifice anything to have a healthy bub growing in their belly.

4. Pregnancy Workouts

I loved doing my pregnancy yoga workouts and Pilates classes throughout each trimester so set your exercise habits right now.

Be grateful for the fact you are creating a miracle.