Dundee Mama

Hi mamas,

Today I will share with you my pregnancy journey so far.

Being nearly at the end of this part of my journey to motherhood, I’m excited to look back and reflect. At 39 weeks, and with the prospect of finally getting to meet my little one, I can’t help but be filled with immense gratitude for the whole process, my body and it’s incredible ability, my partner and his love, and all the support from my family and friends. I was blessed with what I can describe as an easy pregnancy, with occasional heartburn, many lower back pains, funky sensations in my legs, numb hands, and emotional episodes (mostly crying).

First Trimester

My first trimester went by relatively slowly. We found out I was pregnant halfway through our holiday in Bulgaria, which resulted in a week of excuses as to why I wasn’t drinking all of a sudden. (Drinking is a big part of the culture, and I do enjoy my beer when we’re there.) I would secretly buy non-alcoholic beer at the bar and pour it in a glass, so that my family is not suspicious. 😂 It felt like we were in a cheesy romantic comedy, which let’s be honest is every girl’s secret dream.

Back in Scotland, now knowing, I shared with my boss, so that things can be put in place for me at work to ensure I am supported. A series of learning how to take it slow and delegate followed up, as I’m a very hands on person. The wait for our first scan in week 12 felt like forever, especially because we had decided to not share our news with anyone until then. Our scan took place on Friday 12th September, and lo and behold, all was fine. I will never forget that moment, and I’m sure other mamas feel the same. All of a sudden it became real, I wasn’t dreaming. ✨ We spent the rest of the day, and week, sharing the news with our families in a range of ways. For my family we had put together some cute boxes (like the ones from Pinterest) and hidden them away, and then watched them open them over video call. For his parents we had put together some cute cards with baby’s scan picture and gave them it in person. For extended family and relatives away we video called and showed the picture. Some people cried, others laughed, with some saying something along the lines of “…about time!”. In any case, we made sure to record all the reactions. We also tried to take photos of us, with most of mine being incredibly creative and candid – a.k.a. me sleeping or eating.

Highlights of the first trimester:

• butterflies in your stomach when you subconsciously know that the test will be positive
• having a little secret with your partner
• thinking about creative ways to share our news
• telling our friends and family our BIG NEWS and watching their reactions
• researching all the Bulgarian superstitions related to pregnancy, so you can make sure you follow them
• getting my first midwife appointment
• seeing my baby for the first time
• pain in places I’ve not quite felt before
• final days on the motorbike
• sleeping every day after work, because you’re just SO tired
• heartburn from hell cured (sometimes) by the magical pickle juice
• constant anxiety to not jinx something or do something that would injure the baby
• thinking you’re showing, while still fitting perfectly in your normal clothes
• feeling blessed with the gift of this journey

Second Trimester

The second trimester was mostly taken by work and house renovations. It was really just life going normally, but with the occasional sciatica fun. From what I had read, it was supposed to be the best part of pregnancy, and at the time it sure felt that way. My body was slowly outgrowing my clothes which meant I had to look into maternity clothing, which I must admit was probably the most annoying and overwhelming part of pregnancy for me. I quickly came to find that none of the shops in Dundee had maternity clothes in store and I had to order it all online. As my body was changing, many of the items weren’t fitting properly which resulted in damage to my self-esteem and image. Luckily, I found some things that I use to this day, but the ordeal has indeed left a bitter taste. (more on this in a different post)

Moving on.. the second trimester was the time for adventurising and travel. We went on our Baby Moon, I visited York with my colleagues from work and explored bits of Scotland with my sister. We chose Spain for our Baby Moon location, which allowed us to relax, catch some sun, catch up with my best friend from uni and meet her partner. Although we were there for just under a week, it was easily one of the best holidays we’ve been on. York was a magical place that for some reason I would have never thought of visiting, and thankfully my work colleagues chose for our team building trip. My sister visited the week after York which coincided with our first week in the new house. Being constantly cold, she was greeted by the snow storm on her arrival. After that, it was time for the annual trip to Bulgaria for New Year’s, which unfortunately had to be cancelled as I was a bit too pregnant to fly. This resulted in our first New Year’s in Scotland in the last 4 years, and despite it being different, it was wholesome, shared and brought us joy. We also got to spend it with friends in our new house, and I got to finally host a dinner.

Highlights of the second trimester:

• no heartburn
• less tired
• running out of clothes that fit me
• Spain
• freshly squeezed orange juice
• new house, much wallpaper stripping and even more painting
• new house, new floor DIY
• new house, loads of joy and late nights working after work
• trip to York
• 20 week scan *
• my sister visiting
• Ikea trip
• last Christmas as a family of two
• first New Year’s in the new house

Third Trimester

The third trimester continued on similarly to the second, with weirdly less lower back pain and bigger appetite. The fatigue and tiredness returned but I was still able to do everything I had done before, minus maybe climbing. The weight I was gaining became more noticeable and bending over and tieing my shoe laces became difficult, but not impossible. Baby’s movements became more distinct, which for me was and still is the biggest highlight. I remember the first time we felt the moves in the second trimester, and to this day every move baby makes fills me with a sense of awe, love and gratitude. The third trimester was the time we started to think about what we need to buy for baby, had our Baby Shower, had our maternity photoshoot and started re-organising the house. I tried to get most of the things we need for baby either second hand or as part of our Baby Shower registry. Our biggest investments were getting the pram and the nursing chair, and for both we were looking for a bargain. The pram we got as a bundle from Babyland in Kirkcaldy, and the chair from Amazon. (more on that in a separate post)

My maternity leave started in week 38, which is wild to think about, as I currently feel perfectly fine to still be at work. However, some time for me to just be and do nothing has also been beneficial. I find myself in this weird limbo of “what is there needing to be done” and “I can’t be bothered doing anything”. Throughout my whole pregnancy I was really confident and sure that my body knows what it’s doing and it will all be okay. Coming to the end of the third trimester, however, it started dawning on me that the time for baby’s exit is near, and I sometimes worry that I’m not prepared enough.

At 39 weeks I’m now at the point of “it can be any minute now” and every bathroom visit, new ache, funky sensation comes with the thought of “is this a sign”. Counting down the days to THE DAY is exhilarating and exciting, and at the same time it caries a sense of nostalgia and sadness for the things I won’t feel anymore. I’m looking forward to the Postpartum period and getting to hold my baby in person, but until then I am focusing on every minute of the last leg of this journey.

Highlights of the third trimester:

• baby moves
• pregnancy brain – 100% real
• prenatal yoga
• 28 week 4D scan and seeing baby’s face for the first time
• new connections with other local mamas
• colostrum harvesting
• final prep for baby
• tons of laundry and ironing
• meal prepping for the postpartum
• maternity leave and chill
• starting the blog
• finally getting some cravings (chai lattes, pancakes, Coca Cola, Tarator, Salads)
• putting together the pram
• baby’s bed is next to me
• sore all over
• maternity photoshoot
• countdown to the big event

* I forgot to say that we don’t know the sex of our baby yet. At the 20th week scan we chose not to find out, so that we can have a big surprise at birth.

Anyway, this is a short summary of my pregnancy journey, 9 months filled with blessings, lessons and love. There are a lot of things I got to do, a lot of things I forgot to do and a few things I wish I had done. Regardless, I am thankful for this journey and looking forward to the next part – the actual birthing experience.

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If you’ve been through pregnancy, I’d love to hear about your journey too!

Let’s share, connect, and support each other.

Until next time, mamas! 💛