As the first post in my Plus Size and Pregnant series, I thought I would share my pregnancy diary from 9 -12 weeks to get you up to date with what’s been happening while we have been keeping the baby a secret 🙂
Week 9
I’m so happy that I’m pregnant, another child in the family is something that James and I have wanted for a while, but I guess it just wasn’t the right time! Now definitely is and we were both really excited when we found out recently!
I’m not going to lie, since I found out that a few weeks ago I have been feeling really ill and vomiting every single day. Some days have been a real struggle. At the moment, I feel a little bit of a failure, my normal daily routine is a bit of a shambles. I’m not keeping up with the housework or spending as much quality time with my family mainly because once I get home from work I’m going to sleep.
I’ve been late to work on occasion due to needing to leave the house later, plus I’ve been going home early meaning I owe so much in flexi time! I made the decision to share my pregnancy at work with my bosses and HR because of the way I have been feeling. So far they have been really supportive even when I’ve had to take a few days off. I would advise that if you are struggling with pregnancy related sickness, that you share what’s going on with your boss. It will be a weight off your shoulders and if you do have to take time off it will not be treated or actioned the same way that other sickness is in the workplace.
Week 10
I’ve seen the Midwife for my booking appointment. It went well and I was around 10 weeks pregnant at the time. It was at this appointment that I was informed that due to my BMI being high, my pregnancy was classed as high risk and I suddenly started to feel extremely guilty for getting pregnant at my size once I was hearing the risks associated with being overweight. My midwife was lovely, she was extremely supportive and stressed that she was not there to judge me, but that her job was to provide the best care she can for me and my unborn child.The midwife explained that I would most likely have to have consultant led care as well as seeing her and that I would need extra scans to check that everything was ok.
I felt so overwhelmed at this appointment as there is so much to discuss. We went through my medical history, talked about my mental health, migraines and how to cope with stress and anxiety during pregnancy. We also looked at any family history which could cause problems during pregnancy or after the birth. I had blood taken and sent off for testing. I haven’t heard anything back from the Midwife since, so I’m assuming those tests were all clear. I was also pleased to learn that my blood pressure was normal, so no complications so far. After the appointment, I began to feel better about being plus size and pregnant. I told myself that plenty of women had healthy pregnancies and babies at my size so I just needed to relax.
Week 11
It was after this appointment that the sickness came back with a vengeance. I had previously been given Cyclizine to control it, but this was no longer helping. After three days of constant nausea and vomiting, I went to see the doctor again and he prescribed me Metoclopromide and signed me off work for two weeks. I was physically and emotionally drained and just needed to rest.I felt like the doctor was not really that understanding, he wrote “Morning Sickness” on my fit note, which to me doesn’t accurately reflect the situation at all. I’ve been experiencing this at all times of the day no matter what I’m doing. It’s so debilitating, it makes me feel so low, like I’m a failure as a wife and mother because I’m struggling to keep it together. Above all I’m sick of being sick. Luckily, I haven’t been as bad as some and am able to keep some fluids down to keep myself hydrated.
