Just too tired...

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Ever have one of those days where you are just too tired?

Of course you have. You are probably juggling 20 different things in your day too.

I am too tired today - a common theme of late. I have probably even blogged about it but am too tired to remember.

I was too tired (and just completely forgot) to ask Little Miss 4 what book she wanted to review this week and today I realised another Thursday had come and gone - what is with that? Thankfully she hasn't realised yet.


I have two weeks left of work before maternity leave (THANK GOD!) I am trying to finish too many things and make notes for my colleague who will be doing my work while I am away (I am sorry Mr D, please still be my friend) - all of this equals EXHAUSTED for a tired, sore, uncomfortable, heavily pregnant lady who isn't particularly sleeping at night lately.

Possibly this is the universes way of saying, "You are about to have a newborn, so you won't sleep at night, you will forget a lot of things, and you will be busy doing too many things. All of which  equals EXHAUSTED so get used to it now".

Are you too tired today?

A perfect day for a whinge

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 I don't like to whinge....but here goes....

I have just ticked over 33 weeks in Bub#2's pregnancy. I really wish I had just ticked over 39 weeks or even the jackpot of 40 weeks!

This pregnancy is getting very uncomfortable. I lose my ankles and knuckles often - the heat! MY GOD THE HEAT! And I have no frickin' idea what has happened to my calves.

Walking is getting difficult as my lungs are squished somewhere up near my throat and I can't even talk about my damn "Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction" without having a complete meltdown.

Bub#2 really seems to have a fascination with dancing a jig at all hours of the day or night - and can I express how painful it is at times to have someone doing this on your internals! There are elbows, knees, head and bum poking out everywhere! (Little Miss 4 does like when this happens though as she gets to feel the baby and often asks me if the babies bum is sticking out of my stomach again.)

There is one advantage to only being 33 weeks, by the time I actually tick over to full term and hopefully labour my obstetrician should be fully healed.

Did I forget to mention he had a motorbike accident (on a motorbike that Hubby and I probably paid for)? The outcome was broken ribs, punctuated lung and a broken collarbone - thankfully that was all, it could have been a lot worse. Rumor has it though that he will be healed in time to deliver babies again in mid January. After all the time and money spent with this guy I can't imagine having another doctor to deliver Bub#2.

I said to Hubby this morning, "I am ready for this kid to come out.....but I bet when it comes out I will be saying that I want it back in!". He replied, "Yep" with a knowing look on his face - he must have heard all this before somewhere.

Do you want to have a whinge today?

I've lost them!

Sadly I must report that I have lost my ankles. I have been looking them for a couple of weeks now and they  are nowhere to be found.

As the temperature has climbed to the 30 degree mark my ankles have taken a holiday. They have simply given up dealing with the heat.

Where did they go? And more importantly, when the hell will they be back?

In my current condition, 32 weeks pregnant, the heat is not my friend. Normally I love the heat and hate the cold weather.

However, in this heat I am seriously swollen and not only has it affected my poor ankles, my fingers look like sausages trying to burst out of their skin. I am too scared to look in the mirror in case my face is also affected and I don't recognise the person looking back at me.

I intend to buy this T-Shirt for my loved ones so they too can embrace the cankle. Go Team Cankle!

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Have you suffered from cankles? What did you do?

Our other little miracle...

Today the three of us; Hubby, Little Miss 4 and myself had another chance to see other little miracle, Bubs#2 at 31 weeks gestation. 

A possible complication of having gestational diabetes is Bubs#2 growing bigger than average increasing the chance of having to be born early even if he/she is not ready. 

I thought this was my biggest concern - not so...my endocrinologist had a feel of the baby at one of my appointments and stated "I think the baby is too small". In the next breath he told me that I needed to stress less as stress has a serious impact on gestational diabetes. Nice work Buddy! Definitely stressing less now??!! 

At the time I was, to put it mildly, upset and started thinking that something may have stopped the baby growing properly, was it something I had done, would he/she be OK, etc, etc.

My fears were allayed after speaking to my obstetrician who said he was sure there was nothing to worry about but we should do a scan anyway. He went on to reminded me that an endocrinologist is not an obstetrician.

Also, if you have seen me recently...I am massive! People ask me if I am sure I am not carrying twins... BTW - I AM NOT!

After the scan we know that Bubs#2 is OK and on the larger side of average, so nothing to worry about at this stage.

Oh and the kid is damn cute!!

Do you think it is possible to tell a kid is cute from an ultrasound pic?

You have to get rid of the stress...

I saw my endocrinologist yesterday, he seems a lovely man. Efficient, on time and all that.

He told me that an important part of managing gestational diabetes was getting rid of any stress. I had to laugh.

I have a life, I thought!

He asked me if I have stress in my life. I replied with a resounding "Yes!". He replied "You need to work on that in the next two weeks, seriously!"

I wish I was one of those people that didn't stress. I like to think sometimes I am one of these people....until BAM, nervous breakdown and I realise "Holy Shit I am stressed!".

This is normal though, right? Don't the majority of people have stress in their lives. Trying to juggle work, family, and all the other trimmings. Surely I am not alone.

Anyhoo, now starts the path to less stress, more serenity, peace and harmony.

The problem is, where the hell do I start?

HELLLPPP! What do you do to stress less?


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I'm a diabetic, sort of...

When I told my brother this today, he said "The real one?" Cheeky Bastard! He is a Type 1 diabetic though so I'll let him off this time.

I have just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. No big deal my brother tells me.

This particular path in my life started a week and a half ago. After having elevated levels in the Glucose Challenge Test, where your blood is taken to check your glucose levels one hour after a glucose drink (which is bloody awful), my doctor sent me for the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT).

The OGTT is where your blood is taken before and one and two hours after the glucose drink (still bloody awful, probably even more so as there is more glucose in it. Add a fasting empty stomach to that and you've got possible vomiting people). I have done this OGTT test three times before, once when trying to get pregnant and twice when pregnant with Little Miss 4 and got the all clear.....but not this time!

This time, my body is unable to produce the insulin that is needed.....so gestational diabetes.

They do tell you that when the pregnancy is over and insulin needs return to normal, the diabetes USUALLY disappears. However, now I have a higher chance of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life...PRICELESS! They also tell you it is common, 5-8% of pregnant women get it - I thought that 95-98% would be more common, but call me crazy.

Now I start the process of monitoring my blood glucose levels, watching what I eat and exercising more. For the next 3 months (and probably beyond), I will be doing everything that the endocrinologist and nurses tell me to do! Making sure that Bubs#2 is not affected in any way.

Hubby will be happy when I start using the Preggi Bellies exercise DVD and Swiss Ball that have been collecting some serious dust in my bedroom since I got pregnant....he has been asking me for a while now if I am ever going to use them.

Did you know that we are  actually coming up to World Diabetes Day on 14th November. Check it out if you like at http://www.idf.org/worlddiabetesday/ and Think Blue. Wear Blue.

Have you had gestational diabetes? What did you do? Or do you have diabetes?


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Makes it all worthwhile...

It has been one of those weeks - SHITTY!

I am sure you have had them, haven't we all. Nothing seems to be going right.

Little Miss 4 has had a temperature since Sunday night. Today she is showing the first signs of improvement. I really hate when she is not well. I am one of those Mum's that wants to call the doctor for a scratch (OK, not that bad, but you get the picture). Hubby and I have had minimal sleep, we have been up and down with coughing and nightmares. Sleep deprivation is a source of torture - did you know?

The only appointment I could get Little Miss 4 at the doctor's was yesterday morning, at the same time I was booked to do a  Glucose Tolerance Test (checking if I have gestational diabetes). A test which I couldn't change. Hubby to the rescue, he stayed home to take her and ended up having to look after me as well. I have done several of these GTT  tests and have been extremely ill with raging headaches after each one....fasting doesn't suit me! This time was no different.

BTW.....another lesson learnt - having a raging headache when pregnant isn't easy when all you can take is panadol!

Throw work into the mix and I am over the edge. Currently working on five projects, at least I think there are five, I tend to lose count. Each project needs to be managed and deadlines met. Deadlines that are all fast approaching and some that have even whizzed past. Oh and did I mention that we are re-branding our product range this year - this is not an exercise for the faint hearted, especially when there are still "discussions" about the actual name and you have to have the product finished by Christmas.

I fell into bed at about 1am this morning, crying uncontrollably, blubbering something about not being able to cope and hating everything. Thank goodness for my wonderful Hubby, who is a total rock. I am very thankfully that he asked me out all those years ago.

Sadly, I dragged my sleepy arse out of bed this morning, drove to work, parked, got my coffee, sat at my desk and all of a sudden it was lunch time!

At lunch time came one of those phone calls that makes it all worthwhile. Little Miss 4 called to tell me that she had just received tickets to a Cat in the Hat play at the Sydney Opera House.
"Mummy, we got tickets to Cat in the Hat!" she said.
"Did we bubba?" I replied.
"Yeah, the post man just bought them to us." she said, her voice teetering on hysterical.
"Are you excited?" I asked.
"YEAH! Woohoo! Cat in the Hat." she answered.

Little Miss 4 loves Cat in the Hat! Her third birthday was Cat in the Hat themed and we have watched the movie at least 1 million times. I had bought these tickets a week or so ago and was hoping that when they arrived she would be excited - I was not disappointed.

Hubby got on the phone and told me they were watching Cat in the Hat when the post man came and she thought they might be tickets (we seem to see a lot of plays/shows at the Opera House), so he told her to open them and he would read them. He told me she was really excited and wanted to call to tell me that we were going to see Cat in the Hat.

That feeling that your little girl wants to call you and tell you something super exciting that has just happened in her life is great and makes it all worthwhile.

What makes it all worthwhile for you?

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What ails the pregnant lady...Take 3

Temperature in Sydney reached over 30 degrees today. My ailment is the HEAT!!

Well, the cause is the heat.

My ailments are fingers that look like sausages, cankles and zero engery levels.

I am even wondering which is worse, my pelvic issues or being pregnant in the heat? Other Mums have been asking to me "You must be hating this heat?" and up until today I wasn't. I was fine - maybe due to my air conditioned office and my air conditioned car.

Today is a completely different story - so to all those asking, "Yes I am hating this heat".

If you are feeling the heat, you can try some of these tips....

• Buy a spray bottle and fill it with water. Spray your face regularly.
• Put a gel eye mask in the fridge or freezer and put it on whenever you need it.
• Run your wrists under a cold tap to cool your pulse points.
• Use a cool wet cloth on your forehead and the back of your neck.

What are your tips for surviving the heat?

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My glamorous new favourite fashion item

Pregnancy is tough on your back & body - I bet if you have been or are pregnant that no-one needs to tell you this!

Due to my "Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction" in my current pregnancy with Bubs#2 I have purchased what I refer to as my "pregnancy girdle".

It is actually called a BodyAssist Elastic Maternity Support Belt and I searched chemists for a couple of weeks near work and home to find one, no-one had any in stock! WHAT THE!! One chemist even said I was the 4th pregnant lady to ask that week...maybe get some in stock then?

I ended up ordering it from http://www.pharmacyonline.com.au/, and after firstly being out of stock (I was beginning to think I was destined to be without it), it eventually arrived 2 weeks later.

The support it provides helps reduce stretching of ligaments, muscles & nerves. Surprisingly, it is very comfortable, supporting the lumbar and abdominal to help provide relief. The abdominal lift panel provides lift without any undesirable pressure and it is expandable as you grow with the pregnancy.

It has definitely helped with my pesky  "Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction" so I would recommend it to any pregnant lady suffering from anything similar.

It isn't the most glamorous piece in my wardrobe, but at the moment my favourite! You can't wear it under tight clothes, so thank goodness stretch pants and baggy tops are in fashion right now.

Do you have a favourite fashion item as glamorous as mine?

What ails the pregnant lady...Take 2

Two words...Exhausted and Hungry! (OK, three words)

I could happily lie in bed and eat the quilt! I do remember being this tired with Little Miss 4, but not being this hungry.

After receiving my weekly update, as I tick over to 25 weeks pregnant, I was actually relieved to only be exhausted and hungry as it stated that hemorrhoids, varicose veins and constipation are possible aliments.


Once again off to google I went and....

Some of the recommended solutions for "exhausted" are:

• Go to bed early and make sure you are getting enough sleep during the night. (Difficult, especially if this isn't your first pregnancy so maybe it is "Daddy Duty" at night for a while!)
• Make sure you eat right - eating a healthy balanced diet is a great way to feeling great. Check with your GP or obstetrician for their ideas on a great pregnancy diet.
• Keep hydrated - make sure you drink plenty of fluids (preferably water) to stay hydrated throughout your pregnancy.
• Hang in there! (which I take to mean...soon you will have a newborn and exhausted will feel like a holiday!)

Some of the recommended solutions for "hungry" are:

• Make sure your meals, snacks, and drinks are nutritious rather than merely filling.
• Choose foods that fill you up, but don’t fill you out too much.
• Indulge yourself with a favorite food every once in a while. (I take once in a while to mean everyday and as such have been having a Twix bar a day.)
• Watch your weight, and remember this simple formula: If you’re gaining too much, too fast, you’re eating too many calories. If you’re gaining too little, too slowly, you’re eating too few. 

What are your recommendations for exhausted and hungry?

To find out or to not find out...is that the question?

The first thing people ask when you are pregnant is, "Do you know what you are having?". I am one of these people.

We don't know and we didn't find out with Little Miss 4 either.

Even Little Miss 4 gets quizzed, "Do you know what Mummy is having?" to which she replies, "No, we have to wait until after Christmas to find out!". I was talking to one of her carers at  daycare yesterday and she mentioned how Little Miss 4 now answers this question with some vehemence, I presume because she is asked so often by the other kids and parents. 

I am certainly not opposed to finding out the sex of an unborn child, Hubby and I just never really spoke about finding out. After the long process to conceive Bubs#2, which ended with IVF,  I think we were just too exhausted and relieved that FINALLY we were pregnant to talk about anything!


There are certainly pros for finding out; buying clothes, painting rooms, and preparing siblings. And also pros for not finding out; the surprise and elation at the end a presumably long arduous labour.

I have some friends who have found out at 20 weeks and some who haven't for their own personal varying reasons. And I have been happy for all of them.

Would you find out the sex, and why?


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What ails the pregnant lady...Take 1

As I approach the 24 week mark in my second pregnancy I can't help comparing my ailments between this pregnancy and my last. My first pregnancy with Little Miss 4 was thoroughly enjoyable, I was a little nauseous in the beginning weeks but then really liked being pregnant.


This current pregnancy has been completely different as I have been struck with "Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction". This "dysfunction" is caused by the hormone relaxin softening the pelvic ligaments and therefore the joint moves more causing inflammation and pain.

Let me try to explain it in non-medical terms.....it feels like my pelvis is being split in two! I must look completely comical to others though as I walk in an attempt to ease the pain. I wouldn't be surprised if I am being compared to the late great Charlie Chaplin.

Don't get me wrong though, I do love being pregnant again and I do love it when #2 moves and squirms and I know that they must be doing OK in there.

What ailments plagued you during pregnancy? What did you love?