So now we are pregnant.
IVF worked!
We are having a miracle baby and couldn’t be happier.
Literally can’t wipe the smile off our faces.
How are we meant to keep this a secret for 12 whole weeks?
…surely people will notice.
Let’s talk about those first 12 weeks. Wow!
- Do we tell people, do we wait?
- Are we in the safe zone?
- Harmony test or not?
- Finding out the gender or keep it a surprise?
- Private or public?
- Obstetrician…who on earth do we use and how do we know they’re going to be good?
And don’t get me started on trying to make out that I’m ‘drinking’ when really it’s a mocktail. All the questions and all the fine print that we may not think about when trying to fall pregnant.
The Phone Call…
Good Friday 2019 we received the call from nurses to confirm we were having a baby.
I cried, I smiled, I laughed, I cried some more…. all the feels.
But then the list of questions from above entered my mind and no doubt will enter yours too, so I have put together a quick list about what we did to help support the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
- We told our immediate family and chose some of our closest friends who we spend the most time with to share our special news. This meant that they could support us if anything went pear shaped. Family and close friend support during those difficult weeks was incredibly important and I highly recommend it.
- The first 12 weeks are scary, daunting and honestly hard work but we just need to remain positive, stay healthy and active and drink lots of water. Keep a positive mindset and embrace all the sickness and tiredness.
- Harmony test – If this is affordable for you then I recommend it for sure. It was just a nice piece of mind to know our pregnancy was on the right track right from the start.
- We decided to keep the gender a surprise and it was truly the best thing we ever did. A lot of people say “oh I HAD to know so I could be organised’. Can I just say that I am one of the most organised, controlling people I know and without knowing the gender I was still fully prepared for when bubs arrived so you don’t HAVE to know to be prepared. The surprise it truly the most special moment.
- Private or public and picking an obstetrician that is right for you. We went solely based on friends recommendations and couldn’t be happier. We trusted our friends who are parents and those who had gone through the experience. We decided to go with Dr Anneliese Perkins at Ashford Hospital and she was fantastic. I would suggest picking which hospital is most suited to you as well as the Obstetrician.
- Non alcoholic drinks…well that’s no fun, but it is okay, it is totally worth it. Whilst I was pregnant I found a range of different ways to make it look like I was drinking. Lemon Lime and Bitters looks a lot like Aperol. Soda water with cucumber looks a lot like Gin and Tonic and ginger ale with fruit and mint looks a lot like Pimms…easy. No one will ever know the difference.
As mentioned above, the first 12 weeks are hard.
They are tiring and the weeks take forevvveeerrrrrr, but once you get through that challenging time of sickness and feeling exhausted even after waking from a massive sleep you will be so happy.
Sharing your news with the world and starting to see a little bump form is truly the most special time.
Embrace all the emotions and all the feelings because they don’t last forever.
Chelsea xoxo
