AMAZING. I can’t believe that that tiny little baby grew in my belly. He’s a perfect 6 pounds 3 ounces and the love I feel is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. Everyone says he’s the image of his daddy and I really can’t argue with them. He has the same forehead and chin, but […]

11 years ago

I’m so close to labour day and emotions are running high. My husband is now checking in with me 4 to 5 times during the day and every twinge I feel is stressed about. I’m so excited about meeting my little man and I really hope he doesn’t keep us waiting too long! The pregnancy […]

11 years ago

When I will go into labour is anyone’s guess.  At 38 weeks, the doctor is estimating another two to three weeks, but the midwife says I could go much sooner as the baby’s head is low and facing down. After taking the ‘guess the sex’ game out of the equation (we found out it was […]

11 years ago

Now that I’m on maternity leave and have some more time to myself, I find that I’m thinking more and more about the actual labour. By now, I must have heard at least 50 stories from well-meaning mothers about their experiences and it only serves to cement one fact, which is that no two births are […]

11 years ago

Maternity hospital bag – check. Moses basket and blankets – check. Car seat and pram – check. Baby monitor, thermometer, bottle sterilizer, baby grows, nappies and bath – check. Now that we’ve got nearly everything needed to deliver and bring our little man home (depending on who you talk to), it’s time to prepare our home for his arrival. This […]

11 years ago

Everything. Takes. Much. Longer. The walks I used to enjoy in the evening are a real chore now that I’m travelling with a watermelon belly. The weight seems to be piling on in these last few weeks and I’m really starting to feel it. It takes longer to climb the stairs and I’ve definitely  slowed down […]

11 years ago

Now that I’m technically ‘heavily pregnant’, I’ve noticed that offers of nights out have diminished to the point of non-existence. It’s fine, I’m okay with it, but it would be nice to be asked! I can understand why my friends don’t relish the thought of lugging a pregnant lady around and also how they may […]

11 years ago

I opened the door and knew instantly I was in the right place. There were at least eight other women with bumps of varying sizes choosing seats in preparation for the first of our antenatal classes. It was a funny sight to see that many pregnant ladies at one time and as it turned out, […]

11 years ago

Wow, that was a big kick! Our baby boy is definitely throwing his weight around. I’m starting to feel and see stronger and more regular activity. It’s a lovely stage and one I can really share with my hubby who’s regularly frustrated when he doesn’t get his share of movement on demand. I have to […]

11 years ago

Will I breastfeed? There it is in black and white, the question that I really thought I’d have an answer for by now. However, with just weeks to go, I know it’s something that I should really start taking seriously and a question I’d like to have an answer to. That’s not to suggest that I’m […]

11 years ago

If you had asked me about sex and pregnancy BEFORE I got pregnant, I probably would have used the words ‘awkward’ and ‘unthinkable’. I can only blame this on a lack of discussion about the issue, and also the way popular culture portrays such activity. Let’s face it, there are not many films that showcase […]

11 years ago

There’s just over two months to go until babba comes cooing (and screaming) into our lives. It’s time to look at the financial aspect of being new parents and while it’s a wonderful gift to have a child, reduced income is a daunting prospect for me. It’s also something we never really considered earlier in the pregnancy. There […]

11 years ago

When I was younger it was the ‘Glenroe’ theme tune that marked the end of a Sunday night and signaled bedtime. As soon as I’d hear the familiar music, I knew it wouldn’t be long before my mum or dad started roaring at me to get into bed. Those memories came gushing back this week, when […]

11 years ago

The idea of shopping for anything other than food or tools normally sends my other half running for the hills. So it came as a relief this week that he too wanted to take part in choosing clothes and other essentials for our baby boy. I had made a list, based on the hospital guidelines […]

11 years ago

I’ve finally reached that lovely stage where I don’t have to prod and poke my belly to provoke reaction. He now weighs just over two pounds and seems very happy to jump and bounce inside my stomach for most of the day and night. His grandfather was a prominent GAA footballer and I can’t help […]

11 years ago

I hear the all too familiar warning signal and then splash – there it is all over the floor – a big pile of vomit. Fortunately, it’s not me that’s after releasing about two litres of unsightly orange gunk but another woman in the Big Chief’s waiting room. I look over sympathetically as she obviously […]

11 years ago

Stop there – what are you chewing and is there any left for me? I am going to be the size of a small country if these food pangs don’t subside. They refer to it as a ‘hearty appetite’ in pregnancy but I don’t necessarily want these foods – I need them! Breakfast is now […]

11 years ago

It’s a boy! It only took our technician a minute to declare the baby’s sex. He zoomed onto the genitalia and pointed it out on the small screen. I couldn’t make it out, but apparently it was clear as day to my hubby. He nodded proudly and affirmed the blob as indeed the testes during […]

11 years ago

Should we find out the sex of the baby? Well, if you’re looking for a subject that is surprisingly divisive, you’ve found it! Honestly, I was shocked when I realised how many of our family and friends held such strong views on the matter. On the ‘for’ side, you could argue that finding out makes […]

11 years ago

“Can you feel it now?… What about now? Okay, put your hand on my belly there… a little to the left. Still nothing? Right, try pressing my stomach here… Right, just leave it, we’ll do it again in a few minutes.” The baby is now the size of a banana and I’ve become obsessed with trying […]

11 years ago

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced relief like this. I haven’t bled for five days and I’m really hopeful it’s stopped for good. Blood is never nice to see but it had become a constant source of worry for me and no matter what the medics say to comfort you, it’s not easy to shake […]

11 years ago

Our baby is already making an impact on our travel plans. At 19 weeks I’m still bleeding, but the trip to London we’ve planned for months is only days away. I’ve searched online forums to see what other mums suggest when taking a flight but obviously the end decision is a personal one and determined […]

11 years ago

Nothing edible is safe. I’ve developed the appetite of a wrestler and there is nothing I won’t eat. Breakfast this morning was two bowls of cereal, toast and soft chocolate biscuits that have been in the press for too long. I’m even starting to lust after other people’s lunches at work and am very close […]

11 years ago

I met my midwife again this week – it brought me back to the early days (seems like a lifetime ago). So much has happened since she confirmed the pregnancy and wow, have we come through a lot! Again, such a lovely and warm lady who spent over an hour with me. She checked my blood pressure […]

11 years ago

Monday’s meeting with the Early Pregnancy Unit at the hospital went well. I’m proud to say that the baby was enjoying its time inside so much that the radiographer almost scolded it as she struggled to get measurements. The bleed is still ongoing but I’m slowly coming around to the realisation that I just have […]

11 years ago

Telling family members and sharing the experience of my ongoing bleed has been a real source of strength for us both. It helped lift some of the burden to know that everyone was supporting us in our time of need and talking to others helped us to stop focusing solely on this problem. And so […]

11 years ago

Telling friends and family our pregnancy news was, to be brutally honest, a relief. It felt wonderful to proclaim all the nice parts about the pregnancy and what we were looking forward to. It also felt like things were finally becoming real and soon we were discussing practical things like prices of buggies and the merits […]

11 years ago

Unless I start wearing ridiculously over-sized clothing there is no hiding ‘the bump’. All my clothing seems only to emphasize the area which I am now starting to realise is inevitable. However, the truth about it all is I’m starting to really enjoy that part! I like it when people stare at my small but […]

11 years ago

Meeting our consultant felt like a huge step forward in our baby’s journey. That morning we donned our best Sunday gear and I made sure to put by best face on to meet the big chief. It was an exciting trip but also an anxious one as I was still bleeding and of course no […]

11 years ago

The first trimester has been a whirlwind of emotions for me – from excitement to fear to joy – I feel like I’ve experienced more these past few weeks than I have in years! That’s the beauty of creation and the immense responsibility it carries with it. Almost four weeks on, my bleeding is daily […]

11 years ago

Why is it exactly that women and their partners are actively encouraged ‘not to say anything’ about their pregnancy before reaching week 12? This question has raged through my mind after opening up – yes in week 10 – and getting so much support and advice from good friends and family. The fact alone that […]

11 years ago

So, our baby is about half an inch in length. It’s so strange to imagine this being growing inside me, especially when I can’t see or feel anything. Apparently it’s roughly the size of a grape and even the eyes are formed! As a result of my ongoing bleed, I’ve been put on strict pelvic […]

11 years ago

I woke up last Monday at the crack of dawn needing no push from an alarm. Despite a weekend of rest, I was still bleeding and anxious to get to the hospital to find out what was happening. Of course I had Googled my symptoms all night long and most of the articles gave one […]

11 years ago

That’s possibly the only way to describe the weekend that just passed. Last Friday night, and less than a week after our six-week ultrasound, I had a bleed. Those are possibly the worst words an excited mom-to-be will ever say. I had finished work for the day and not long after I got home I […]

11 years ago

I don’t know why, but I’ve always been one of those women who just can’t buy a ‘female product’ in isolation. If I need sanitary pads or tampax, I have to bury them in a basket alongside things I definitely don’t need such as a bag of strangely shaped fruit from far-flung countries or boy […]

11 years ago