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It wasn’t the most ideal of situations, but I had quit my permanent legal job back in February because I was struggling to find the motivation to enjoy the thankless stress and endless hours. So, I decided to take a few months off to sort my head out and rethink my career. About three months after the soul searching, I found out that I was pregnant…
Scared at the thought of an additional mouth to feed and only one income to live on, I searched high and low for any temp jobs that would cover my finances until birth and I finally found a full-time role at a legal consultancy in Mayfair. I felt relieved that I could contribute some sort of income, which I could at least add to savings when I wasn’t able to work anymore. But, after enjoying a few months of a relaxed, unemployed lifestyle and getting up late every day, the first day of waking up early to travel to Central London via underground was exhausting! I hadn’t even thought about the possibility that my new pregnancy was the culprit for my permanent zombie-like state, but I didn’t think the early starts and late finishes had helped much either.
It had felt like a long time since I had been on the tube and the hordes of people were making me feel slow and heavy. I had been working in the City for three years prior, so I was used to the hustle and bustle of London. But right now I just needed silence and space, and the reality was quite the opposite. Weaving in and out, past the commuters on their way to work was quite a chore and I was glad to finally reach the building where I would start my temporary placement. I immediately got to work, reviewing some legal documents and reading up on the company I was working for. It was only the beginning of the work day, but all I wanted to do was sleep, and a male employee next to me was chatting away and staring at me as if to expect a response, but I hadnβt listened to a word he had said. I just couldnβt focus or shake off this strange zonked out feeling. I wasnβt feeling sick or anything, justβ¦ weird. I tried to carry on as normal, but, by the afternoon, after rather a lot of questionable looks from other members of staff, I had to tell people that I was pregnant. I was greeted with a chorus of β
βHow many weeks pregnant are you?β
βDo you know the sex of the baby?β
βHow do you feel?β
βAny cravings yet?β
It was nice that they cared, but I just wanted the room to be quiet, so I could stay hidden β in fact, I really wanted to sleep! I had read somewhere, through my thorough research that I was supposed to glow, but all I could see was grey skin in front of the mirror. Where was this glow that these internet sources promised me?
I started noticing a change in my sense of smell too. When hubby fried some eggs in the morning, I had to walk out of the room because the smell was so overbearing that it made me nauseous. This was definitely a pregnancy symptom because I love eggs.
On Friday, hubby headed off to the pub after work and asked me if I wanted to join him. I would have normally jumped at the chance, but after a very long first week back at work, my tired bones just wanted to sleep. When I got home, I instantly regretted not going with hubby, as the pangs of loneliness and depression started kicking in. It was the first time I had stayed at home on a Friday night by myself. Instead of wallowing in pity, however, I decided to invite my best mate over for some Mexican takeaway and SingStar.
I couldnβt touch any of the strong Mexican food, despite the fact that I was starving before the food had arrived. This was becoming quite a regular occurrence now and it was driving me mad. My eyes were hungry, but my unborn baby would be like, βNope, not eating that!β So I would end up wasting so much food. I managed to coax my foetus into snacking on dry, bland nachos, which was actually a vast improvement to the bland toast and ginger biscuits that Iβd managed to eat until now.
Having my best mate over for some takeaway and games had cheered me up a lot. I managed to forget about being pregnant for a little while, despite the occasional bouts of nausea when watching her scoff the Mexican food. When she had left for home, hubby had popped through the door in his drunken self and crashed out on my lap. Quite honestly, I felt like doing the same. I couldnβt believe something so small was having such an effect on me. I read, on one of the websites, that the baby was only the size of a grape, so I was surprised that this little grape had completely knackered me. But I love grapes all the same.
A fun fact β Your baby is the size of a grape!
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Table of Contents
The Science Part
Your baby
- Your baby has grown to about 10mm long, from crown (head) to rump (bottom)
- The head and brain is starting to grow rapidly
- The inner ear starts to develop now
- The nervous system is now starting to take shape and the nerve cells continue to multiply
- The black dots that are the babyβs eyes are now visible on an ultrasound
You
- You wonβt feel it, but your baby is moving around in your belly!
- Your emotions might be swinging up and down at the moment due to the changing level of hormones in your body. This is very normal in the early stages of pregnancy
- Still, continue your moderate exercise if you have done so before because this helps relieve
stress of the pregnancy on your body β it also clears the cobwebs a little bit and gives you a bit more energy. Speak to your midwife/GP first to confirm you can exercise. - Donβt take up any contact sport!
- Try and eat well and keep yourself fit and healthy during these early stages of pregnancy
- You may want to start telling friends and family β it is your choice
- There may be good reasons to keep quiet at this early stage too β Read a story about pregnancy after a miscarriage here
- Why donβt you take a break and go on holiday whilst you still can and before you get too big!
- Food hygiene is extremely important at this stage as any
food related illnesses could be potentially harmful to the baby β Read an article about Cytomegalovirus (CMV) β What you should know to prevent your unborn baby from contracting CMV
A fun fact β Your babyβs heart begins to beat!
Your next steps
- Making sure you’re eating all the right foods for the baby to develop well
- Think about getting the flu shot if it’s flu season – it’s worse to get the flu during pregnancy!
- Get in some light exercise if your GP/midwife has cleared it – it helps with the nausea
- Take your prenatal vitamins if you are not doing so already
Note: These are just general ideas of how you and your baby are getting on. Donβt forget that every baby develops differently. If you are concerned about your babyβs development, please consult your midwife.
*Illustrations by Charlotte Watkins.
If you have any questions about her work, please contact Charlotte via her website, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn*
Are you pregnant? Grab your free pregnancy pack now – details inside!
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