Preparing for life with a newborn

What you need to known about preparing for life with a newborn:

Nursing Bras: You may not know this now but you will need at least four nursing bras. Less than four and you will end up hand-washing them all the time.

Organized House: Getting your house organized before the baby is born is a must and will help you avoid being stressed about cleaning. This will also help you keep track of where all the important things are.

Share the Load: Get used to dividing up some of the home chores with your partner before the baby comes. This way both of you will be on track once the baby arrives, and this will avoid you getting angry because he is not pitching in.

Deliver: Finding time to cook regular meals may be a challenge. So why not start from now by collecting menus from your favorite restaurants that deliver and keep a jar with money next to it  for the days when time will get away from you.

Pick and Pay: When it comes to selecting baby items such as the Pram & Car Seat which will be used by both you and your partner. Make sure you both have a say in what you decide to purchase. This will avoid the one or the other not liking the  item, or it not being convenient for them to use. 

 

Size Up: Yes its true, you are preparing to bring a new born home. This doesn't mean you have to buy loads of clothes in new-born sizes. Baby's are usually around 3kg when they are born and grow rapidly from day to day. Many mothers have admitted to never have used baby clothes with a new-born size. But because you don't know what size your baby will actually be before he/she is here it is advised to get no more than a 3-4 pieces of clothing in new-born size. Your baby will be using 3-6 month clothing before you know it.

To-Do-List: If you have a list of things that you need to do but just still haven't gotten around to it yet; like taking your car for its service, Having your rugs dry-cleaned, or basically anything you have been pushing the pause button on. Now is the time! Do not wait until the baby is here to try and do all the extras. Trying to run earns with a new baby is double the trouble as Baby's do not have pause buttons!

 

Pet Me: If you have pets at home that need some TLC, take the opportunity to give them that extra attention. Take them for their needed visit to the Vet or Pet Spa. Have them well groomed, clean and ready to meat their new family member.

 

16 weeks pregnant - What to expect

16 weeks pregnant and 1 day (Thanks to "The Bump" app i have been able to keep up)

What i have noticed...

Tummy has started to grow. 

Finally looks like a baby bump. Wearing my per-pregnancy clothes  has become a little difficult especially when it comes to trousers and jeans. Walking around with my pants unbuttoned and a long top to disguise it is just a quick fix. 

I was lucky enough to discover the " Helping Hands Store" in protara last week end.

Not only are they a store that provides financial aid to animals that are in need but they also carry a variety of second hand merchandise including clothes. Some of the clothes i found even still had the tags on and seemed to never have been worn. So in total i managed to find 3 trousers, 4 tops and  2 shirts for my hubby at the total of €35.00. And to top it off, the feeling that the money i spent was going to a good cause was even better.

Pregnancy Brain.

I am not sure if pregnancy brain is a myth or not; but it does seem like i have not been able to keep note of things that came easy to me in the past. Now, if i want to remember a specific date i will have to write it down, something i did not have to do before. Also on Saturday when i was at the "Helping Hands Store" i forgot my mobile phone in the dressing room. By the time i realized that my phone was missing,  the store was already closed. Thank goodness we were the last customers in the store and when we contacted the management of the store by phone, they were very understanding and helpful to open up for us. So there you have it... Pregnancy Brain can be a little embarrassing!

Bathroom breaks.

Bathroom breaks have become very frequent and i  have been waking up twice a night to empty my bladder. During the day i have noticed that i pee once every hour... sometimes even more often if i have has a large beverage or eaten watermelon which i have made a once a day thing.

Weight.

Before falling pregnant i was 55kg and 16 weeks in to the pregnancy i am now 58kg. My breasts have already grown what seems to be about 3 sizes and i can see a noticeable difference around my thighs. My eating habits have not changed much since before i was pregnant although i used to skip breakfast during working days due to my schedule (i know... breakfast is the most important meal of the day!) but now my tummy rumbles if i don't have a small sandwich around 9:30 every morning.

Niceness.

Now that we have told people about our pregnancy, i have noticed that people tend to have a more positive attitude toward me and are noticeably nicer. This was quite surprising to me because even some people from work who usually are grumpy and lets just be honest usually rude; Seem to be making the effort to be a little more pleasant around me. What a nice bonus! I must say that this is something i will miss when everything gets back to its old usual ways.

Headaches.

During my day at the office i have been getting headaches; almost on a daily basis. I believe that it is due to the many hours spend looking at the computer screen. And as my eyes fall tire the headache sets in. I have not yet mentioned this to my doctor but plan to do so on our next appointment. Although i have been trying to avoid taking medication i have needed on some occasions to take Paracetamol to find some releif.

  

So there you have it... This is my 16 week pregnancy experience.  

Overall i consider my self lucky as i have had a good pregnancy up to now. I do hope everything continues smoothly and i must admit that i do get a little stressed just by thinking of the things that might go wrong. Nevertheless, i try to brush these type of thought away and focus on the more possitive and exiting side of the whole experience.