Thursday, 16 October 2014
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Bloat Turns Bumps
My bump started to show just before I hit the 16 week mark.
Every pair of trousers; from the perfect denims to loose-fit chinos had gone way beyond the hair-band trick. (If you don't know it, when you first start to bloat and your trousers feel on the right side you can loop a hair elastic through the button hole and over the button. It'll give you an extra inch and maybe a few weeks in your favourite jeans.)
Shopping for a comfortable pair of jeans, if you live in them like I do will be the most satisfying shopping trip you ever have. That being if it's successful.
Finally being able to wear something that made me feel human again after so many hormonal hissy fits about the fact my entire wardrobe was filled with nothing to wear. I actually felt like I looked representable. Like I looked like me!
Before I fell pregnant I mostly wore a UK size 6, both top and bottom. I'm not an avid on-line shopper like a lot of people are. My sister has packages arriving by the day so I know its easy and there seems to be a fair bit online for small sizes in maternity ranges. I found ASOS to be the best in the UK. There are tons of American sights but the P&P prices seemed to be pretty hefty and with the issues of returning them, I thought it be best to give it a miss.
I'd recommend you head to H&M :) Their Maternity range is stylish and it won't break your bank either. I found some super comfy jeans from just £14.99 with a soft stretchy bump cover. I tried most of their range on, from the floral swing dresses, to simple black wrap style ones. The nursing vest tops, leggings, cute slogan tees and winter wardrobe must haves. I'd say hands down H&M deserves a pat on the back with this range. They stock as small as XS and go up to XL too.
If your feeling fragile then I'd most definitely avoid Topshop at all costs. Whilst it is lovely that they offer a maternity section, it amounts to a measly collection of plain frumpy dresses and uncomfortable trousers.
I'll post some picks of my pretty purchases soon! Happy shopping all you mumma's to be <3
I'd recommend you head to H&M :) Their Maternity range is stylish and it won't break your bank either. I found some super comfy jeans from just £14.99 with a soft stretchy bump cover. I tried most of their range on, from the floral swing dresses, to simple black wrap style ones. The nursing vest tops, leggings, cute slogan tees and winter wardrobe must haves. I'd say hands down H&M deserves a pat on the back with this range. They stock as small as XS and go up to XL too.
If your feeling fragile then I'd most definitely avoid Topshop at all costs. Whilst it is lovely that they offer a maternity section, it amounts to a measly collection of plain frumpy dresses and uncomfortable trousers.
I'll post some picks of my pretty purchases soon! Happy shopping all you mumma's to be <3
- Mamma Pea x
Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Chicken Burgers, Jalepenos and Lemons
Cravings.
If you're like me, you might go mad just at the sound of the word cravings. Yes, most pregnant women experience cravings, but when you first find out that someone is pregnant, is it necessary to pry into a her eating habits?
I'd say it's not, but I can't remember what I used to ask when I first learned someone was pregnant. For sure cravings exist, but when you're away from the fridge, the deli or even the local petrol station that stocks that pesky craving it's frustrating to be reminded of it over and over.
Yawn... It sounds like I'm having a hormonal rant. I best stop. Apologies.
I do have cravings though and they are random. They are weird and most of all when you get a craving nothing satisfies you until you lick, bite, chew, swallow, consume whatever it is you've had on your brain and belly all day.
I know some women report having just one craving, one odd thing that they did or didn't like before they fell pregnant, but for me there seems to be a real mixture of foods that satisfy.
The first of which begins with Chicken, and to be more precise, chicken burgers. Now, if you've met me you'll know that I've been a vegetarian for a strong 11 years now (half my lifetime) and I have never, well I had never, tasted a chicken burger. That was, until, last Saturday. I woke up at about 2am and it was all I could think about, again at 7 and the same thing was on my mind. I endured a 9-6pm shift at work thinking of not much else and by 8 pm I had succumbed. I found myself in McDonalds with none other than a chicken burger- mayo and salad-complete between my hands heading to my belly.
Since then I haven't had the chicken craving again but it scares me to think of what might happen should it return.
The other two cravings that I've been having are Jalepenos and Lemons. I'd say I crave one as much as I do the other but its odd. I'll eat an entire jar of jalepenos and as for the lemons , I slice them up like you would an orange and eat them segment by segment. My poor baby. Goodness knows what toxic mix the little kiwi is being fed.
-Mamma Pea x
If you're like me, you might go mad just at the sound of the word cravings. Yes, most pregnant women experience cravings, but when you first find out that someone is pregnant, is it necessary to pry into a her eating habits?
I'd say it's not, but I can't remember what I used to ask when I first learned someone was pregnant. For sure cravings exist, but when you're away from the fridge, the deli or even the local petrol station that stocks that pesky craving it's frustrating to be reminded of it over and over.
Yawn... It sounds like I'm having a hormonal rant. I best stop. Apologies.
I do have cravings though and they are random. They are weird and most of all when you get a craving nothing satisfies you until you lick, bite, chew, swallow, consume whatever it is you've had on your brain and belly all day.
I know some women report having just one craving, one odd thing that they did or didn't like before they fell pregnant, but for me there seems to be a real mixture of foods that satisfy.
The first of which begins with Chicken, and to be more precise, chicken burgers. Now, if you've met me you'll know that I've been a vegetarian for a strong 11 years now (half my lifetime) and I have never, well I had never, tasted a chicken burger. That was, until, last Saturday. I woke up at about 2am and it was all I could think about, again at 7 and the same thing was on my mind. I endured a 9-6pm shift at work thinking of not much else and by 8 pm I had succumbed. I found myself in McDonalds with none other than a chicken burger- mayo and salad-complete between my hands heading to my belly.
Since then I haven't had the chicken craving again but it scares me to think of what might happen should it return.
The other two cravings that I've been having are Jalepenos and Lemons. I'd say I crave one as much as I do the other but its odd. I'll eat an entire jar of jalepenos and as for the lemons , I slice them up like you would an orange and eat them segment by segment. My poor baby. Goodness knows what toxic mix the little kiwi is being fed.
-Mamma Pea x
Beware of the Ginger Biscuit
In my case, the morning part was somewhat insignificant as it really was ALL DAY SICKNESS!! The smell of meat, the smell of cheese, quite frankly the smell of anything including the smell of my husband made me want to vomit. The sight of big meals, and cooking programmes did it too. But I was lucky in one respect. My all day sickness lasted only a fortnight. I'd felt nauseaus for a few weeks before I actually took the test and for the next two weeks I vomited anything between 3 and 10 times a day.
Working full time made this interesting to say the least. It was impossible to keep anything down and impossible to smile, serve and sell to customers.
The amount of toilet hugging I was doing combined with the buckets of tears I was filling pretty much sent my husband into a panic of fear. I've never seen him so eager to rub my feet or make me a cup of tea. I'm glad I went through it though, it gave me a sense of assurance that something was going on inside me. It solidified the blue line I'd seen.
I've got to be greatfull, I know women that are vomiting still in their second trimester and for me the worst thing about it all is that I'll never enjoy a ginger biscuit again!
-Mamma Pea x
One, Two, A Few Blue Lines
It is almost impossible to put into words the lack of emotion, heck even the lack of thought that I felt when I saw that thick blue line. I wanted to smile, no I definitely did smile, but then I wanted to cry. I didn't cry, (just in case you little kiwi, happen to read this).
I'd made the decision to share this life changing moment with my hubby and having weed on a few too many sticks before, I thought this one would be similar. I thought we'd revel in a moment of 'what if'; before the reality that we couldn't yet be parents knotted in our stomachs only to be comforted by the confusing not pregnant symbol on a stupid plastic stick. How wrong was I? The usual two minute wait never came. Just seconds after I emptied my bladder, there it was. The most obvious of obvious thick blue lines, peeping across the screen in a candid "I'm here" way.
Thinking back, it was a confusing moment, the grin Mr P sported gleamed across the bathroom. His eyes radiated with excitement and I'm pretty sure he actually jumped for joy - excuse the pun. He kissed me, he hugged me, he smiled a bit more. He was going to become a Dad, we were going to be parents, but all I could think was: I'm going to get fat.
Ridiculous. I know. In hindsight I think my mind sort-of froze, it began to work in overdrive thinking about all the things I needed to do, all the things that were going to change, all the people I'd have to tell, and then it conked out. I couldn't string more than a sentence together and I felt hazed in emotion. Mr P questioned me and doubted my happiness. I mean, we'd been married for two and a half years, we'd both graduated, it was a logical next step, but so was leaving to go travel, or getting a suit and desk job in the city.
Bemused, to say the least. I was happy and yet I was scared. Two emotions that mix in the most peculiar of ways. Two emotions that sort of curdle together.
And that was finding out.
- Mamma Pea x
I'd made the decision to share this life changing moment with my hubby and having weed on a few too many sticks before, I thought this one would be similar. I thought we'd revel in a moment of 'what if'; before the reality that we couldn't yet be parents knotted in our stomachs only to be comforted by the confusing not pregnant symbol on a stupid plastic stick. How wrong was I? The usual two minute wait never came. Just seconds after I emptied my bladder, there it was. The most obvious of obvious thick blue lines, peeping across the screen in a candid "I'm here" way.
Thinking back, it was a confusing moment, the grin Mr P sported gleamed across the bathroom. His eyes radiated with excitement and I'm pretty sure he actually jumped for joy - excuse the pun. He kissed me, he hugged me, he smiled a bit more. He was going to become a Dad, we were going to be parents, but all I could think was: I'm going to get fat.
Ridiculous. I know. In hindsight I think my mind sort-of froze, it began to work in overdrive thinking about all the things I needed to do, all the things that were going to change, all the people I'd have to tell, and then it conked out. I couldn't string more than a sentence together and I felt hazed in emotion. Mr P questioned me and doubted my happiness. I mean, we'd been married for two and a half years, we'd both graduated, it was a logical next step, but so was leaving to go travel, or getting a suit and desk job in the city.
Bemused, to say the least. I was happy and yet I was scared. Two emotions that mix in the most peculiar of ways. Two emotions that sort of curdle together.
And that was finding out.
- Mamma Pea x
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