Many many times it has been said that women quickly forget the pain associated with child birth as if we remembered it we would never go back for more!
Well after just passing the 3 month mark in my second pregnancy I think the same applies for the first 12 weeks!
I found out I was pregnant early (as we had been trying) so on week four I had the pregnancy tests at the ready and yippee it was positive!
But literally a couple of weeks after conception the sickness, tiredness and leg cramps began. For anyone who has suffered from morning sickness you will know how hideous it is – and as in my first pregnancy this time around the ‘morning’ sickness was infact all day sickness.
And it is so debilitating. You just want to curl up and stay in bed all day but a toddler and very busy business will stop that from ever happening. And food became a real issue for me. I felt so sick all the time that I was off most foods and the thought/smell of so many foods made me feel even worse.
The_healthy_mummyThe only food I was managing to have was the Healthy Mummy Smoothie (which yes is safe in pregnancy but we don’t advise anyone trying to lose weight in pregnancy – but it is good for a breakfast or snack) and I made it with lots of ice and that seemed to stay down and I think the coldness settled my tummy.  But other than that and the occasional craving for chinese/curry/roast dinner/lemonade my taste buds were having a melt down.
And it was funny – whenever I did have an unstoppable craving I would eat it and feel even worse for sickness afterwood! I remember asking my hubby to get a Tikka Massala and eating it like a pig in a trough and then 5 minutes later in regretting it so much after feeling soooo sick!  Ah well…..
Then there were the leg cramps. In my first pregnancy I had horrific leg cramps throughout and nothing (including magnesium, calcium, iron, support socks, hot baths, epsom salts etc) helped them and after 4 weeks bam – they were back and really don’t help the feeling of exhaustion. And they are hideous. In the night it is like an electric shot through your legs and they move and tickle and drive me MAD. I have been sleeping with a hot water bottle and taking magnesium every night before bed to try and help it but they are still there!
But with the first 3 months over I am already starting to feel a bit better – the sickness is subsiding, my appetitie is returning to normal and I feel like I have a bit more energy – HOORAH!!
So for all the mums out there having a tough first 12 weeks – hang in there it will get better (or at least it should do!)