Monday 7 October 2013

Totally Unaware! - My Early Pregnancy


"Congratulations, you're pregnant! I'll prescribe you some Folic Acid to take and in the meantime you'll need to book an appointment with the midwife at your GP's surgery."
 
 
 
 

Sitting in the waiting room of the walk-in centre with what I thought was a water infection, I was completely convinced that I couldn't be pregnant, even though my partner said he 'knew I was' . When my name was called, I sat down in the room and said to the nurse "This is going to sound really strange but my partner is convinced I'm pregnant, but I know I'm not because I'm on the contraceptive pill and haven't missed a day." With a puzzled look on her face the nurse replied "So why are you here then?"

The night before, my partner had woken me up around 3am saying he'd had a dream in where he saw his Mum (who has sadly passed away) sat next to me in a hospital bed, holding a baby. I thought nothing of it and went back to sleep. But when I woke up the next morning, I couldn't shake the thought. I called worked and told them I'd be a couple of hours late and went straight to the walk-in centre at my local hospital. When the receptionist asked "Why are you here today?" I simply expained I had the symptoms of a water infection and took a seat. How was I to know that I was almost 4 months pregnant?

I'd just been promoted at work 8 weeks earlier and was now commuting to Liverpool by train to manage a new store (I work in women's retail, at the time for a well-known lingerie brand). I blamed my over-tiredness on the 4am starts, 12 hour days and regularly running the 30 minute walk to the train station as to not miss the last one!

My weight had also creeped up - although I never weigh myself, I could feel my size 12 work dresses I'd worn for the last 2 years getting tighter and tighter! I ALSO blamed this on eating late and the added stress of managing 20 staff, but in reality it was the cravings for McDonalds breakfast bagels and Thai Green Curry (which I was even eating for breakfast!) My size hadn't really changed in the last 3 years (until I became pregnant) so when shopping I could pick up a size 12 from almost anywhere knowing it would fit.

The week before my 21st birthday (unknowingly around 10 weeks pregnant!) I went into Oasis on my lunch break and bought a black playsuit without even trying it on. When I got back into the staffroom at work (to eat yet another Thai curry!) I told 3 of the girls about the playsuit I'd just bought and they all told me to try it on. I was expecting to slip it on, zip it up and parade up and down the staffroom with comments of approval, but that is NOT what happened! I literally had to force myself into the bottom part and yank the zip up, and eventually got it on. It looked awful! At first I point blank refused to show the girls.

After some coaxing I decided to come out of the toilet - at this point I hadnt noticed that in the process of getting the playsuit on it had ripped, one of the girls told me. I was at a massive low. I didn't know I had a tiny person inside me - so thought I'd just got fat! I ended up wearing a baggy shirt and black jeans to stay in a suite at the Malmaison (it was a suprise, I thought my partner was taking me to a burger restaurant!)





Two weeks before Christmas, we had an overnight window change at our store, and being the only manager who had worked at the company previously to the Liverpool store, I was assigned this shift (6pm until around 4am). I was around 13/14 weeks pregnant, and had no idea! I was up 15ft ladders in the shop window, lifting 5kg crates of stock and drinking lots of energy drinks to keep me awake. Also, not having a car meant my partner had to come and pick me up bless him!

It was 2 days after this that I found out I was pregnant. I felt overwhelming guilt - I'd drank half a bottle of champagne on my 21st birthday, I'd been lifting heavy deliveries and putting lots of strain on my body!

Although my pregnancy wasn't planned, myself and my partner knew we wanted this baby. When he arrived home from work that evening, we went out for dinner and discussed everything. We were ready (as any couple could be for a baby).

My booking appointment came around very fast. When the midwife asked when my LMP was, I had no idea. My pill didn't come with a 'break' every 21 days, so I'd not had a period for at least 3 months. The midwife referred us to a senographer and we were NOT prepared for what came next!

I thought I was maybe 4 or 5 weeks pregnant. I was yet to join the dots of weight gain, strange eating habits and being really tired! We walked over to the Antenatal scans department (my midwife being based at the local hospital) and waited around 5 minutes. I lay on the bed, cold jelly on my tummy and watched the screen, holding my partners hand very tightly. After seeing a baby (not a blob like I was expecting!) I went silent. "I must be at least 10 weeks" I thought.
 
 
"Would you like to know the sex?"  
 
"I thought you couldn't tell this early?"

 "You're 15 weeks 6 days pregnant."
 
 
 
 

I was so shocked! I'd been pregnant for almost 4 months and didn't even know! "We'd love to know!" we said in unison. "There's the first leg, that's the second... and there's... well you can see you're having a boy." I couldn't believe it! We got a photo and went straight to see family. Within a week of finding out I was pregnant, I knew I was having a little boy.

I find it crazy now that I didn't suspect a thing, but LB was the best surprise ever!




@newmummytips

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