Jen's Pregnancy Diary: Week 11

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Well I have been flat out this week with work. Doulacare Ireland is growing from strength to strength and I am loving every second of working with our amazing team. We did a fantastic Google Hangouts call for the team and shared knowledge and skills. I am also working with some lovely families and I am reminded daily why I love my job so much. 

Seth has been really sweet this week and is regularly making suggestions for names for the new baby. Some are a bit crazy from video games and movies but some I really like too. 

The sickness has been bad this week but I am super busy and I know that often makes things worse. I have been reminded to mind myself in it all. If you don’t mind yourself you can’t mind anyone else!

Two evenings this week I experienced stitch like pains in my side. They were pretty horrible but went away quickly and I didn’t have any other concerns. It was most likely round ligament pain. At this stage with my uterus growing it can be common to feel cramping and pain in the lower abdomen and back 

Our family are getting excited for our first sun holiday in nearly 5 years. The kids are thrilled and I know myself and Paul are really looking forward to unwinding and spending time as a family. 

I am working 6 days this week so plan to do all the packing on Sunday (only day off). It is such a happy feeling to pack and I am sure the boys will get stuck in too. 

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Week 11: What Is Happening To Your Baby

  • Your baby is now the size of a lime

  • Tiny tooth buds are starting to appear under your baby's gums

  • Your baby's testicles or ovaries have now formed (though it is still to early to tell if you are having a boy or a girl from any tests).

  • Your baby now has fingers and toes and hair follicles are starting to form on the skin 

 

 

 

 

Week 11: What Might Be Happening With Your Body

  • Some of your ailments - such as your morning sickness, should be easing off at this stage
    • However, you may now have heartburn, excess gas and bloating (thanks to increased progesterone hormones in the body).
  • That progesterone causes digestion to slow down - which can also cause constipation. 
  • You may be gaining some weight now that your nausea is easing up and you can eat properly again - this is normal and to be expected at this stage. 

 

Pregnancy Tip: When to Worry About Pain During Pregnancy: 

While some discomfort is common during pregnancy and is perfectly normal, there are times to be concerned about it (and it goes without saying, do always check with your GP or Dr if you have any worries). 

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Jen's Pregnancy Diary: Week 9

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So another busy week working in DoulaCare Ireland.  As mentioned I have pulled back a little on night shifts while the first trimester tiredness engulfs my being. This week I am starting to come through it a little. I feel less likely to fall asleep while walking down the road LOL. 

I am finding baby brain is making paper work last about twice as long and my ability to do mental maths while calculating shifts for our team is not what it once was! I am taking my time and using the calculator on my phone just to be sure, but find myself needing to use my hands to count out even small amounts of time (10am-2pm = 1,2,3,4 hours) Tell me this is normal and my poor brain will recover?! 

This week I feel I am starting to come through the sickness. I’m back eating dinners now and once I snack regularly I am not gagging (touch wood). I still can’t handle the smell of the fridge – any fridge – and have to hold my breath while searching for items for the kids. This does still set me off and the kitchen sink has become my saviour. I find I am going off food and drinks pretty quickly. 7Up was my best friend for the first few weeks but I can’t stand it now. Perhaps my body knows it won’t be helping the terrible bloating and ****TMI alert****...gas. 

I am feeling more aware of my tummy and feel a ‘heaviness’ low down. I know my body is telling me baby is there. I haven’t found I need to pee all that much more but when I need to go I do not have the ability to hold it for 4 more hours (working as a doula helps to create a super human bladder - one of the perks!). I am also getting the odd pain, which I am presuming is all the ligaments stretching to accommodate my growing peanut. 

My oldest boy Seth has been asking me a lot why I am sick all the time. We have decided to tell the kids next week about baby. It is my father-in-law's 60th so we will tell him then, as he has been begging for another grandchild for years and we know he will be thrilled. So close family will know and then perhaps we will start to spread the word. 

I am unsure how the boys will react. They are both old enough to understand and we hope the gap is big enough they won’t feel shoved out. I will fill you all in next week. How did you tell your other children about your pregnancy?  And how did they react when you did? 

Until next time...Jen x

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Week 9: What Is Happening With Your Baby

  • Your baby is the size of a Grape this week
  • All of baby's essential body parts have formed now. 
  • Your baby's head is beginning to look rounded and there is a clearly defined neck.
  • Your baby's limbs are developing rapidly and you can see clear fingers and toes.
  • Your baby's eyes are fully formed now, but their eyelids are tightly shut (and won't open until 27 weeks). 
  • Your baby's teeth are developing and their heart has divided into 4 chambers 

Week 9: What might be happening with your body

  • Your hCG levels are at their highest this week - so all the changes to your body that have been happening over the last few weeks can be at their most intense this week (nausea, fatigue, vomiting, frequent urination etc). 
  • Your gums may be softer now with pregnancy hormones - be careful with dental hygiene
  • Those pregnancy hormones can give you lovely skin BUT they can also give you very intense mood swings - so be gentle with yourself and know that these will ease off over the next week or so.
  • Your nose may be very congested - your body often produces more mucus when pregnant, leading to a constantly blocked up nose. 
  • You may be finding it hard to button your trousers or skirts this week as your uterus expands. 

Week 9: Pregnancy Tip

You can try the GentleBirth app free for the first week. 

You can try the GentleBirth app free for the first week. 

The GentleBirth App is a fantastic tool for pregnancy and birth, with tracks for early pregnancy and mindfulness to help you have a positive pregnancy and birth experience. It's such a  nice way to connect in with your baby throughout your pregnancy. You can try it for free for the first week and there's a fantastic GentleBirth Facebook Group that you can join for support as well (and it's a closed group as you may not want to announce to the world yet that you are pregnant! But to be on the safe side - if you have friends in the group and you don't want them to see you are pregnant yet, you can always join under a fake profile). Get more information on the GentleBirth App