This post is in conjunction with Rennie® but all thoughts are my own. Rennie Peppermint for heartburn and indigestion. Rennie Liquid Heartburn Relief Oral Suspension. Rennie Heartburn, Indigestion & Wind Relief Chewable Tablets. Always read the label. Medicines can affect the unborn baby. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking any medicine in pregnancy.
Pregnancy is like a rollercoaster, you’ll be excited to get on with a dose of ‘what I am doing’ added in. Along with the highs and lows, you will question whether you are cut out for being a parent. But pregnancy is a journey with an amazing destination at the end of it.
There is something very special about seeing the two lines (or the words pregnant) appear on a pregnancy test. It is a feeling that doesn’t diminish with each subsequent pregnancy. Whether you have been fortunate to fall pregnant quickly, whether it’s something that has taken months (or years) or even with the helping hand of medical science. That pregnancy test starts an amazing journey.
And it’s worth remembering that pregnancy is a journey, it’s not just about the destination. What you get to hold in your arms at the end of it. It is something that should be celebrated, after all, growing a human being for nine months is pretty amazing. On the flip side to how amazing it can be, it can also be a rough ride. With some suffering more than others.
Pregnancy is not something that came easy for us. It was something that was much wanted, and like all good things in life, it was worth the wait. We have been fortunate to have three successful pregnancies, resulting in Roo, Tigger and Piglet. Let me share with you some of the highs and lows of pregnancy…
The highs of pregnancy
Growing baby bump
Whilst I would love to say that I was one of those women who gained a tiny bump. One that resembles a basketball popped up their jumper. However, I was the size of a house with all three of my pregnancies. Whilst some would see this as a negative, to me I thought it was wonderful.
I loved my growing baby bump. Holding it as I laughed or sneezed as it would jiggle up and down. I’d find myself stroking it without even noticing and would only realise when someone would point it out to me. Plus it’s a built-in snack tray (crumb catcher) when you are resting your legs after a busy day at work.
Baby kicks
From those first flutterings when you aren’t really sure whether it is baby moving or if you have a bad case of wind. Those little baby kicks, wiggles, and even hiccups are amazing. Especially when they suddenly decide that they aren’t going to perform for anyone else. Stopping in their tracks as soon as another hand touches your bump. As if they are saving all this magic just for you.
Don’t get me wrong, the times they decide your bladder is a great trampoline or that your ribcage is in their way and they will stop at nothing to attempt to move it. Can test your resolve on how magical baby kicks are. But there is nothing quite like it.
The pregnancy glow
Let’s take out the lows of morning sickness, heartburn and anaemia. Let’s celebrate the pregnancy glow, that glow that gives you baby soft skin. Banishing the acne and replacing it with soft, blemish free skin with a glowing complexion that you can usually only hope for with the help of your make up bag.
Not forgetting the strong nails which deserve to be treated to a few manicures in the months leading up to baby’s arrival. Add to this the thick luscious hair that has replaced your usual limp hair that you can’t do anything with. Suddenly, your usual beauty regimes go out of the window and you are having to learn how to style your beautiful fuller hair and glowing skin.
The lows of pregnancy
Morning sickness
Whilst I might have thought that the feeling of nausea was bad enough. My heart goes out to those who are actually sick in the first months of pregnancy. And to those who suffer from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which is severe nausea and sickness which can lead to dehydration, mental health issues and other health issues, throughout their pregnancy deserves a medal. Especially if they go on to have further children and have to endure it all over again.
There are a whole host of old wives tales on how you can manage morning sickness. Whether it’s ginger biscuits, ensuring that you are hydrated or minimising fatty foods. Personally, I found that I needed to eat little and often throughout the first few months to attempt to control the nausea waves.
Heartburn
With all three pregnancies, I worked in a busy NHS environment where I would often eat at my desk rather than stopping for an actual lunch break. Which isn’t the best idea at the greatest of times but add in pregnancy and this leads to bouts of heartburn, giving me that burning feeling rising up through my chest and into my throat leaving me with acid reflux.
During the working day, I didn’t have the luxury of being able to stop, rest and relax so I wanted something that would allow me to carry on as normal. Rennie offers a wide range of products that can aid when dealing with heartburn during pregnancy. Certainly, something that I carried alongside my maternity notes in case of a bout of heartburn.
prenatal anxiety
One of the things that we are hearing more and more about is the importance of maternal mental health. Whilst the majority of this focus is on mum after she has given birth. For many of us we can suffer with prenatal anxiety and mental health issues.
With Roo I don’t recall having anxiety as such, I had the usual worries about being a good mum. Whether I was cut out for motherhood etc. However, it was once she was born that I developed post natal depression and anxiety. My subsequent pregnancies have highlighted areas in my high-functioning anxiety. Especially with Piglet, as Tigger’s birth didn’t go to plan and I had an overwhelming feeling at times that I would lose Piglet. Talking to family, friends and my medical team helped me rationalise my feelings along with breathing techniques for when I had a wave of anxiety take hold.
anaemia
Throughout pregnancy you are naturally more tired that you would be normally, After all, you are growing a human being. However, there does come a point when you have to question whether this is a normal level of tiredness or if there is something else going on. It is common for pregnant mothers to become anaemic at some point within their pregnancy. Suffering from tiredness, a lack of energy, shortness of breath, feeling of heart palpitations and pale skin.
Anaemia in pregnancy is something that I suffered from each time. With it being picked up later and later throughout the pregnancy due to the reduction in midwife appointments given in subsequent pregnancies. I was prescribed iron tablets with each pregnancy, however, as I had caesarean sections with all three babies anaemia lead to further complications due to blood loss. So something that needs addressing as soon as you start to feel any of the symptoms.
While pregnancy might be like hopping on an endless rollercoaster for nine months. There will be days when you question why you are doing this. However, there will also be days when you think that your heart will burst with the excitement and anticipation of your bundle of joy. Take the rough with the smooth and remember to enjoy these days as much as you can.
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