The week that was | Week 18 – Being Mamma Bear

Wow! 18 weeks complete? On one hand it seems like it’s been a long 18 weeks (which it has) but on the other, it feels like nothing when I realise I have at least 20 more weeks to go 😦 I know I should cherish this time as it is the last few ~~weeks~~ months of my life when I’ll be stress-free, relaxed, and everything in between. This is exactly what I told my friends when they were pregnant. But as this is my first, I am kind of excited to meet the baby too.

So far, each week has brought its own set of surprises and some relief, no matter how small, and I am glad that I am now in a phase where even the surprises are welcome because they are not so terrible any more. In an effort to remember this phase, I am going to do this every week. And if we ever decide to have another one, I’ll have these notes to look back on and see what’s different from the first time.

http://beingmammabear.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-week-that-was-week-18.html

The Feels

For the first time in 18 weeks, I became moody. Either that or people around me were just being jerks. I’m pretty sure it was the latter and here’s why. These ‘feelings’ lasted only two days and I experience the same feelings every year around my birthday. Oh, did I not mention it was my birthday week? Well, yeah, it was and as is the norm every year, it did not go well.

Suffice to say I wasn’t impressed. I insist on keeping it low-key and not even acknowledging that it’s my birthday and it’s only because I don’t like being put on the spot. I like to avoid questions like how my day was (it was really, really, ordinary, or more likely, extremely crappy. Do you really want to hear about that? No? Then don’t ask.) or how I plan to spend it.

It’s okay when I have this conversation with people I’m in touch with, but when someone calls out of the blue, I get anxious. Long story short, I didn’t speak to anyone that day (except my parents and grandparents whose calls I couldn’t avoid because otherwise they would keep calling), spent the entire day in my PJs, binge-watched Game of Thrones Season 3 (in order to recap the series before the premiere yesterday.)

But by Tuesday evening, I was fine and haven’t had a ‘mood’ since. So maybe it wasn’t totally pregnancy related. We’ll know in the next few weeks. 🙂

Health & Body

I’ve had some relief with morning sickness. For me, it has literally been morning sickness because I throw up minutes after I wake up. It started the day I started Week 6 and it’s only in Week 18 (after almost 13 weeks) that I’ve not thrown up for three days out of seven. I had terrible nausea too because there were days when I threw up after every meal and I lost 2 kgs in my first trimester. But after the doctor suggested I take Doxinate before my meals, I haven’t donated any meals to the toilet since February 25. And based on how it was last week, it looks like the morning sickness is receding too. Fingers crossed.

My Relationship with Food

The horrible after-taste in my mouth is also slowing disappearing, though it’s not completely gone. But I am getting my appetite back even though I have to wait a couple of minutes after food before I can drink water. No, it doesn’t make me want to puke, but it tastes really bad.

The good news is that my appetite is getting better and I can eat to fill my stomach. Just last Thursday, I devoured an entire medium cheese burst pizza from Dominos. Sometime during my first trimester, I couldn’t eat beyond three (out of six) slices.

So far, I don’t find myself specifically craving for anything but if I see someone eating on TV, I want to eat whatever they’re having.

What Baby Bear has been up to

Exactly two weeks ago (when I was at 16 weeks) I felt a little something inside that did not quite feel like ‘movement’ but I know it definitely wasn’t gas. I have been told that since this is my first pregnancy, it might be another week or two before I can feel a real ‘kick’ so I guess I can’t do much but wait. 🙂

The Bump

Here’s a picture of me at 18 Weeks. I only started recording my bumps two weeks ago, so this is only the third picture that I have. But I plan to click lots more, no matter what my current ‘mood’ is 😛