Mom’s Journal: Pregnancy’s Journal
Dear Alice,
Please do not take this personally but this letter will go to she, my baby, my smiley wonder, and my miracle!
So here is a quick list concerning my pregnancy and the moments that marked it just as I remember them now. Hope that this list can come in handy and please allow me in a future version of myself to read and to revisit this list and to relive everything that we have been through together.
First Trimester
General Mood and Health:
- I was definitely feeling a lot of excitement and happiness. I was smiling a lot and from any reason. And this for a good reason. I experienced no major health problems, and I was thoroughly going to all the required doctor’s appointment, I even attended one optional doctor’s appointment concerning the prenatal screening test. All appointments went well, I still remember the moments I was seeing you at the ultrasound or I was hearing your heartbeats. Indescribable!
Eating Habits:
- Nothing out of the ordinary concerning the quantity. I was eating normally as before with some exceptions concerning my tastes that slightly changed of course: I could not drink coffee anymore – I did not like the taste of it anymore even though I am a coffee drinker, I could not eat any salmon anymore – even though I usually love this fish, and I did not like cucumbers anymore.
Daily Routine and Work Routine:
- Quite normal, except of the long naps in the late afternoon and the early evening. This meant after coming home from work I mostly had a nap and then went to bed with no problems.
Sport Habits:
- I did not go running or swimming anymore, just because I was too tired for it. I also did not train daily anymore as I normally did, maybe only 2 times a week and I also started doing pregnancy specific exercises and to ride the bike indoors.
- I was still taking the stairs to my work’ s office – my office was at the 6th floor and I felt good about it. Still I was slower then usually.
Best Reads:
- I started reading a lot about pregnancy, about healthy habits as sports and eating during pregnancy, about your evolution as a baby and about giving birth (I wanted to start to be prepared as soon as possible).
- Except for the internet where you can find a lot of information – maybe sometimes too much – I found the following books the best reads:
Best Moments:
- Seeing the positive result of the pregnancy test,
- First ultrasound,
- First time we heard your heartbeats.
Recommendations:
- Keep calm and enjoy every moment of the pregnancy!
- Stay positive and optimistic!
- Choose to read some good books!
- Of course always follow your doctor’s advice and recommendations and address any questions or issues directly to your doctor, before starting looking something on the internet.
- Concerning eating habits: of course during the whole pregnancy stay away from raw meat, eggs.
- Pay attention to the online information you find, filter it and very important try to stay connected to online information that is reliable!
- Concerning the food and the sport habits, stay healthy and this is always a good idea, not only during pregnancy, in my opinion.
Second Semester
General Mood and Health:
- I was not so tired in the evening anymore, so I did not need the evening naps anymore. I was still going to all the necessary doctor s appointment with no problems, I only needed to start taking vitamin D and iron.
Eating Habits:
- My appetite definitely increased, I had two more meals one in the morning and one in the afternoon, something like yogurt with fruits, like bananas or oranges.
- I started drinking a lot of juice, I liked the blueberries juice. I had no special desires concerning the food, I liked strawberries a lot more than usual and what I always liked a lot were french fries, even though normally I am not a big fan of french fries.
Daily Routine and Work Routine:
- Everything was still in the normal limits, I was still taking the stairs to my office but only 3-4 floors and not 6 floors as normally , and this because I was very slow.
Sport Habits:
- I was training like 2-3 times per week, I was mostly still riding the bike indoors and doing yoga and pregnancy exercises.
Best Reads:
https://www.swissmom.ch/schwangerschaft/
https://www.swissmom.ch/baby/
https://www.swissmom.ch/geburt/
https://www.hipp.at/index.php?id=180
Best Moments:
- First time I felt you are moving,
- Every time you moved.
Recommendations:
- Stay positive and get informed about pregnancy and giving birth, about taking care of the baby afterwards of course but also about breastfeeding! I thought breastfeeding will come in very naturally, still if I would have read more about breastfeeding would have helped for sure!
- Start looking for a midwife! Take the time to find the midwife that fits best to your family, this includes your partner as well. I find it very helpful to have a midwife you can approach after giving birth, someone you can trust to help you with the new growing family and with your infant baby of course.
- Start preparing the baby’s room and start acquiring the most important things you will need for the baby. Still reflect in the beginning what are the essential things you really need, you can acquire the other things later, there is a lot of unnecessary marketing out there concerning this branch. The best investments which paid off and which you will definitely need are: the stroller, the baby carrier (a must in my opinion), the side bed crib (for the bedroom bed), the changing table, the baby bathtub, basic clothes for the first months.
Third Semester
General Mood and Health:
Eating Habits:
- I definitely started eating a lot, in the third semester I started feeling we are definitely two hearts beating in one body :). Well I did not had the urge to eat every day a lot, but 2 or maybe even 3 days per week I needed to eat more than in the first and the second semester. I was hungry, and this was perfectly okay. I had some special dishes I loved like for instance: french fries with Berner Wuerstel (this is a special type of sausage, please google for it), chicken burgers, of course Pringles chips, wholewheat pancakes with Bananas, chicken curry with rice, a lot of different tastes.
Daily Routine and Work Routine:
- I started to feel more tired plus moving around became more and more of a challenge. Still I like it to go strolling for small walks during the weekends, since during the weekdays I was in the office.
- At work it was also challenging, I needed to take breaks every hour or so and to stroll in order to relax my back muscles.
- What is really great in Austria is that as a mom-to-be you get a free of work protection period of two months before the birth, period in which you are not allowed to go to work. It is a great period in which you can find both time to read a lot and to get informed on what is about to come, to prepare yourself for the birth and for taking care of your infant baby. In addition you have the time to relax a bit and to reflect and to prepare yourself for the life as a new family after the birth. So a lot of thanks to the Austrian state that makes this possible for all the mothers out there, I am very grateful for this!
Sport Habits:
- I was still doing sports like 2 or 3 times per week, but I was only doing yoga and stretching exercises.
- Also during the free of work protection period at home I was going strolling everyday. It was really great to relax and to be active in the same time.
Best Reads:
Best Moments:
- Every time you moved.
- Every time you turned.
- The moment you decided you are prepared to join us in the outside world.
Recommendations:
- Do not freak out about the birth experience that is about to come your way! For this my recommendation is to not read too much on the internet, choose 2 or 3 friends or relatives that you have and that you trust and ask them if it is okay with them to share with you their experiences, this way you will have the best sources of information concerning the experience. Also stick to a good book that presents the experience. And also again do not forget to inform yourself and to read also about breastfeeding.
- Prepare yourself mentally, soon you will be a new growing family, you will start a great journey your way, a journey I can assure you that you won’t regret, still think that you will always have to handle new situations your way that you never had before, always try to embrace them with a lot of enthusiasm and patience, and try to keep calm and do not panic every time a new situation will arise. When in stress or in panic, take a deep breath and try to relax. And the birth will only be the beginning of the new situations you are about to encounter! But they are indescribable and totally more than worth it!
Sincerely yours,
madalina