Sunday 15 September 2019

Week 17



As I approach week 18 of my pregnancy and the tiredness of the first trimester has subsided, I am feeling much more energised. It’s only now that I realise just how exhausted I was for the first 12 weeks. That’s completely understandable though as the beginning 3 months of pregnancy are when the baby grows from just 2 cells to a fully-formed, albeit, tiny human being.

I am in complete awe of my body and the truly amazing things it is doing. Thinking that my uterus has become the warm and snuggly home for a new life and that this little cub is taking all the nutrients it needs to grow, makes me feel amazing. I have always wanted to be a Mum but being a little bit late to the baby-making party, I thought that I may have missed my time but as with all things in life, timing is what matters.

I knew deep in my heart that I would be a Mummy one day yet my wisdom told me that I needed to be patient. Letting life unfold naturally without forcing it has been my biggest lesson over the past few years and I am so glad that I’ve taken my time. I’ve been working really hard over the past 2 years through therapy where I was able to speak candidly about the loss of my precious Dad when I was 3 years old. Being able to talk openly about him and how sad I was has enabled me to come to terms with his death. This was the hardest thing I’ve done but I knew that in order to be the best Mummy I can be, I needed to work through the grief and find the light on the other side. I like to think that my Dad was this light and our beautiful baby is the prize. Although my Dad isn’t here to see our baby, his love is slap-bang in my heart and that’s what’s ever-lasting. I know that he would be so proud of us and his grandchildren.

With our future adventures already being planned and our bubba growing big and strong, living my beautiful life and making treasured memories is my way of remembering and honouring my Dad’s life. Shaun and I have lots of travel plans on the horizon and we are so excited to show our son or daughter all the beauty in the world. We both love packing-up our bags and visiting new places - it’s going to be so much fun!

In the meantime, I will be blending-up various storms in my kitchen (as well as juices, of course) alongside a host of nutritious and delicious food! My appetite has been rather insatiable of late; the baby is having a growth spurt at the moment. I’ve been mainly hankering after soups, stews, pasta, spicy dishes, citrus fruit, raw veggies and melon, still melon, lots and lots of melon. My mushroom and tarragon risotto hit the spot recently - I cooked a huge amount to last me a couple of days. Batch-cooking is most definitely my friend at the moment - good training for when the baby arrives.

Another time-saving trick to ensure that I have nourishing goodness to slurp throughout the day is to whizz-up a huge jug of smoothie with added oomph. Said oomph has come in the form of One Earth Organics. Their superfood blends are stunning and they are great for smoothies, smoothie bowls, juices and soups. I love all of the flavours and I can’t get enough of their packaging! I love supporting independent brands who are following their dreams - I think it’s so important to back each other on our individual quests to reach our goals.



Top 5 Tips for Self-Care in the 2nd Trimester:

1 - Rest. Even though the exhaustion may have lifted, it’s still really important to rest and get enough sleep. Both you and the baby need down-time to restore, re-fuel and re-energise. I am loving my beautiful Etta French Nutmeg, Orange & Cinnamon candle at the moment. After a busy day, I grab a juice, my favourite blanket, light the candle and snuggle! You can’t beat a good snuggle!

2 - Move & Stretch. As well as making time for proper rest, i’ve also been going on long walks in the sunshine and stretching after a busy day. I’m yet to start pregnancy yoga but in the meantime, I find that giving my muscles a good stretch is really helping to alleviate muscle tightness.

3 - Nourish. Eating lots of nutritious foods has been my mantra 95% of the time. Other days I need beige food! Pregnancy does crazy things to the appetite and I’ve been relishing it! My 4am trips to the fridge are the norm and I love this precious time just me and my bump. Nourishing ourselves can take many forms and making sure that we take care of our mind, body & soul as one is hugely beneficial to our wellbeing. 

4 - Pamper. Oh yes, this is the time to pamper from head-to-toe. Our bodies are doing some incredible things and taking time for a bit of me-time is very important. I’ve been using coconut oil on my hair, bump, boobs and I’ve been putting a dollop in my smoothies too. I made a delicious sugar scrub too that I’ve been gently using on my bump. Knowing that I’m feeling happy and healthy and taking good care of myself I hope is being passed-on to our growing baby. I imagine it all nice and cosy in my belly loving all the good vibes.

5 - Talk. It’s good to talk. Speaking with friends, family or your doctor about the things we might be worried about can help if you’re feeling overwhelmed with pregnancy. It’s a huge change and life is shifting along a brand new trajectory. It’s perfectly normal to feel scared about what’s next and pregnancy itself can be a time of worry and concern. Going with the flow is working for me and I am trying to channel all of my energy into staying calm. The baby will feel this and I hope that it is feeling calm and happy in there! Reach out if you need to, don’t be afraid.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my post and if it’s resonated with you or helped you, I’m so happy.

Until next time.

All my love,

Holly xxx

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