I love my husband

Because he goes and gets me Sausage McMuffin every week to satisfy my craving. 

Because he rubs my back when I am tired from carrying the bump. 

Because he carries my bag for me so I can waddle faster. 

Because he removes my toe polish for me and offers to cut my toenails. 

Because he rushes to get me Gaviscon and peppermint tea when I clutch my stomach in pain and sweat profusely during a heartburn attack. 

Because he is going to paint our son's room. 

Because he looked after me when I had my terrible toothache. 

Because he reads to Bean every other day. 

Because he puts up with my moaning and groaning.

Because he loves me and Bean. 

Week 26: Time to slow down I think

We spent a few days in Barcelona this week, which was absolutely lovely because prior to this I had never been to Spain and didn't know Spanish food is so delicious! It was nice to get away and spend time together although the walking did get a bit too much for me in the end. 

Bean is now almost 2 pounds and getting very strong and active. He kicks me a lot in the day and they are no longer the gentle little taps but proper thumps which can be somewhat uncomfortable. 

I have noticed this week my bump is getting bigger and pointier and I now have to pull or push something to get myself off whatever I may be sitting on (chair, bed, floor). I also have trouble cutting my toenails because my hands can barely reach my toes with the bump being in the way. R had to help me remove my toe polish today. 

My appetite is not too bad and I have managed to keep the heartburn and indigestion at bay by strictly limiting the portion size for my evening meal. I often have nothing more than a small bowl of food. If I do get hungry in the night, I get up and have a couple of biscuits. This I find is so much better than rolling around in stomach pains. 

I don't think being pregnant means you need to constantly stuff yourself crazy or eat a lot more than usual. My appetite is smaller than before I got pregnant and the baby is still growing well. I think it's more important when you are pregnant, to eat well, rather than to eat loads. 

Sleeping is still somewhat tricky because I have to be mindful of my bump whichever position I am in. And if you have a watermelon around your middle, every toss and turn is a struggle. 

This week has been a real hectic one for me, combining Barcelona with work with a weekend teacher training course. I haven't properly rested at all in the month of March and while I'd still like to stay active right up to the day I pop, I would really like to slow down at work (cut down on the travelling across Wales) and spend my time off really looking after myself and getting the house ready for Bean. 

Yes, that shall be my goal for April. 

Week 25: Dental agony

I never knew toothaches could be sooooooo bad. 

I don't proclaim to have good teeth - I have fillings everywhere, but until this week, I have never had such a terrible toothache. Well yeah okay I was in agony for a few days in 2005 because my wisdom tooth had nowhere to sprout but that was just a persistent dull, sore ache which resolved after my dentist pulled out my tooth. 

But this pain was something else. It started suddenly a few weeks ago, after I chewed on some gum. And then it just got progressively worse, until one day I could not let anything touch that tooth (air, water, food, spoon, everything) because it was throbbing with pain and I had my head buried in my hands. 

I thought at that point what they said was true. Pregnancy could really cost you a tooth. I had no choice but to go to the dentist because I could not get past one day without painkillers stronger than paracetamol and I shouldn't really be taking them when I am pregnant. 

The dentist gave me a jab in my gum to numb me because he wanted to drill into my temporary filling to see what the problem was. The jab really hurt but wasn't very effective so he had to give me another one to block my nerves. So I sat and waited with a swollen, numb mouth for the anasthetic to take full effect before going back into the room. This time I felt absolutely no pain so he drilled away and said there was a crack in the tooth but he had got rid of it and filled the hole with more white temporary filling. 

I was glad R came with me because it was really quite a traumatic experience. With my mouth still numb, I couldn't talk properly but I could finally eat a proper meal in days as the anasthetic was still in effect. I had a bowl of noodles. 

When the numbness wore off, the tooth still felt sore but it was nowhere near anything as painful as what I had experienced before. Gradually the tooth got better and although it has almost recovered 100% now, I am still cautious when biting and chewing. 

The dentist's plan is for me to get a permanent mercury filling once I've had the baby because the temporary filling will only last a couple of months. I'm just hoping this is all the dental nightmare I'm going to get while I am pregnant. Nothing is more terrible than experiencing discomfort and pain but not being able to do anything for fear of harming the baby. 

I guess the only consolation is dental work is free for pregnant women and up to 12 months after they've had the baby. The pregnancy and losing a tooth thing must hold some truth to it then. 

Week 24: Miserable

Happy Mother's Day!

But I have been feeling miserable this week.

I'm tired.

Tired of carrying around the bump, tired of not being able to get comfortable in bed, tired of getting up three times a night to go to the loo, tired when I am standing or walking around, tired of getting heartburn and indigestion, tired of not having any appetite in the evenings, tired of being so careful about what medication I can and cannot take, tired of being constipated, tired of having to remind myself to take extra fibre, calcium and iron.

I'm tired of being pregnant!

I had another terrible heartburn attack on Wednesday evening, which left me sitting at the top of the stairs gasping in pain while R rushed to get me Gaviscon and peppermint tea. I have gone back to not having any appetite in the evenings and am contented with just having toast or cereal for dinner.

The whole week I suffered from pain in a lower tooth which got worse two days after I visited the dentist to get the cavity filled. I have never had bad toothaches before and this one is just getting worse by day to the point where the pain makes me cry.

Now, I can't touch the tooth, eat or drink in a way which allows food to come into contact with the tooth, and it's just pure agony. R bought me a tube of Sensodyne toothpaste which seems to have helped a little but it's off to the dentist again tomorrow to find out what is wrong. I'm worried about taking stronger painkillers (paracetamol has not much effect) for fear of harming the baby but trying to endure the pain is such a torture.

This pregnancy hasn't been bad in many respects but it has really brought misery in other ways. I honestly cannot wait for the day where I can get myself back again.

I love you, boy

The best part of being pregnant is being able to feel his little kicks, little punches, little wiggles. I cannot imagine that in a few months he will no longer be a part of me. And I just find it so amazing that anyone can be filled with so much love for someone they don't even know and haven't even met. 

Week 23: New problems!

The pregnancy is getting more difficult as I am about to enter my 6th month. 

I am getting more breathless carrying around the bump. Standing up straight stretches the skin around my belly and makes it very uncomfortable. My back aches because I have extra weight in the middle. 

I am experiencing leg cramps at night, having problems with my teeth (although this could have nothing to do with being pregnant), feeling more tired, having trouble getting a good night's sleep or getting into a comfortable position in bed. 

But the good things are: I am still having good skin and hair, my appetite has picked up, I am able to enjoy sex again and my breasts are no longer tender. 

Bean continues to be very active throughout the day. He kicks me in the cervix (weird sensation that is), in the bladder (makes me sometimes want to wet myself), pokes me in my belly button, underneath my rib cage and in either side of my belly. I can now make out whether he's changing positions or moving his limbs around, but I haven't felt him hiccuping yet. 

This week we: 

• stocked up on nappies when they were on sale
• got our second-hand Quinny Buzz pushchair, carry cot and foot muff 
• booked our place on the antenatal training course in April

Our upcoming project is to spruce up the house and get it ready for Bean, I can't wait to get started!

Sorry

We laid in bed and R looked at my growing belly. I fidgeted around to find a comfortable position. He frowned and turned all serious, "Do you blame me for doing this to you?" "No," I replied. I couldn't be happier to be having a baby with someone I love.

My kicking watermelon

These days I am really getting increasingly breathless and uncomfortable. When R picked me up from the train station to walk me home yesterday evening, I told him it was so tiring walking around with the bump. I said I wish I could carry it like a watermelon and he said, "Go on then!". So I put my arms under my belly, bent my back and carried my bump home.