Fainting Goat

I'm concerned and hope this problem I'm having doesn't last. Since being pregnant I haven't been able to stomach one of my favourite TV shows. Embarrassing Bodies. I also struggle through the Finish Dishwashing commercials that inform me that the pipes in my dishwasher are harbouring all manner of grime, grease and food particles. I have always taken pride in being able to watch emergency room reality shows over dinner. During our antennal classes we watched a few birth videos and I got a hot flush! I don't know what's going on but I'm afraid I'll faint during labour. I'm prone to fainting because I have low blood pressure. Strangely my new years resolution last year was to regularly donate blood. I failed the first time, then after my second attempt I was banned from donating for 2 years. I recently felt faint while I was on a plane and had to jump out of my seat and lay down in the aisle with my legs up. (Lucky I was wearing jeans) I reminded myself of a Fainting Goat..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we9_CdNPuJg 
NB: I had just been served a meal.. so I would have fallen under the "excited about being fed" fainting category. I asked Nurse Amanda if she has witnessed this happening to anyone during labour and she said adrenaline usually prohibits it. Fingers crossed she's right. I'll just have to keep my eyes shut and have a chupa chup! 

Anti - Fainting tips (I'm obviously not and expert in the field)

• Eat regularly
• Carry a fan with you at all times
• If you feel faint, lie down and put your legs up
• Stay cool and hydrated
• Carry snacks at all times

Dressing an odd shape - Summer/Autumn

It's been a strange challenge dressing my new odd shaped body. One of the best things I did was order maternity clothes early...well before that fateful day when nothing fit. I made the mistake of forgetting to think about underwear. It's very depressing and distressing trying to squeeze into undersized undies. Also don't forget to upsize your exercise gear... I recently was forced to pull my pants down while stopped at the traffic lights. It would have been a curious sight for any truck drivers who happened to look down.

The first place I went shopping was  http://www.asos.com/au/Women/Maternity/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=5813 they have a HUGE range of cute clothes that won't make you look too matronly. I think it's important to try and feel your best under the expanding circumstances. Investing in a few good maternity outfits is good for moral and might save you a few tears! ASOS has free shipping too! One of my best purchases was the Jeans West maternity jeans, recommended by my friend Amber. They are legends. I have them in black and indigo. http://www.jeanswest.com.au/womens/jeans/womens-maternity-jeans.html. I will definitely be wearing these post pregnancy.. they are soo comfortable. No need to cave into to the "as seen on TV" Pyjama Jeans.

I've been able to wear some of my tops still. You can tie up t-shirts and blouses and throw on a skirt so no need to go over board buying a whole new wardrobe. Unless you want to of course!  Lately I've been going for the faux sporty look so I can wear my running shoes for comfort! I say Faux because I don't always exercise. My feet are struggling to hold the extra weight. Expect to see some granny style orthopaedic footwear in my "Dressing an odd shape" Winter edition. Below are a few basic outfits I've put together, photographed reluctantly by my little sister. Thanks Rosh!

Alpha60 skirt & Witchery tank and scarf

Alpha60 skirt with Country Road t-shirt / Max Studio maxi dress

ASOS dress / Pea in a Pod striped dress & Kookai jacket

(I look like i'm hiding a basketball)

Pea in a Pod tunic & Nashi wrap / ASOS striped jersey top and Jeans West jeans

Shopping Tips

• Buy undies 3 sizes bigger than normal
• If hesitating on sizes while online shopping -  go for the bigger one.
• Everything cotton! Especially in summer. Polyester and pregnancy are NOT a good combo.
• Layer. So you can strip off when you get a hot flash.
• Buy maternity bras. I like the Berlei ones.
• Trick everyone into thinking you're fit by wearing work out gear and enjoy the cushioned  comfort! 

My Heart Burns

I can't complain because so far my pregnancy symptoms have been mild and manageable.. Heart burn struck at around 26 weeks and visited me at 2 - 3am most mornings. Now it's an all day, everyday occurrence. The onset of this heartburn coincided with my discovery of Martha Stewarts Rocky Road Brownies. Thanks Martha. Apparently chocolate can worsen the issue. Bad timing considering Easter was around the corner. Didn't stop me. Dr Yared suggested yoghurt before bed.. I needed a heavy duty solution to remedy the problem so I started taking Tums. There is only one flavour here in Australia as opposed to the wide variety I remember seeing in America. I grew tired of the orange flavour then moved onto Peppermint Gaviscon. It was BAD! Don't get me wrong, no antacid is enjoyable... there are just varying degrees of horrid. Now I'm onto the old favourite Mylanta. My friend Cassie who is suffering the same fate recommended Zantac which will be my next and hopefully final remedy before baby is here and melts my heart instead of burns it.  

Yes, I tidied up my beside for this photo.. removing the half eaten easter bunny and other random snack wrappers. 

Delicious heart burn inducing foods:

• Chocolate
• Oranges or any acidic fruit... Tomatoes, Pineapple etc.
• Spicy and oily foods.. That cuts out Mexican, my staple food.
• Rocky Road Brownie http://www.marthastewart.com/337331/rocky-road-brownies
• Cinnamon Rolls 

Pregnant in Paris

At 18 weeks my husband was invited to France to introduce a film he made at FIPA (Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels) He was in Los Angeles at the time and made the quick trip over via Chicago. We thought this could be the perfect opportunity for a baby moon! I called Dr. Yared's office and asked if it would be ok for me to take the long haul flight from Australia. I got the go ahead but I needed to buy some compression tights...which I did.. they were $99.. I could think of 99 things I'd rather spend $99 dollars on... But safety first ;) After dashing around trying to find winter clothes that still fit, I packed my bags and headed for the airport. After checking in I proceeded through customs then to the bathroom to throw on my compression tights. Ten minutes later I emerged from the bathroom feeling VERY compressed. They bring a whole new meaning to the word compression. Be warned it's probably a two man job to get them on successfully.. unless you travel with a personal crane. 

Paris was covered in snow when I arrived! I had found out the sex of our baby before I left (for shopping purposes) and was going to surprise my husband with the news while we were there. I'd bought some sweet little Nike kicks which said it all... Petite garçon! 

We spent a few days in Paris staying in Saint Germain then took a train south to Biarritz where the festival was being held. It was a awesome trip. I can see why they say travelling during the second trimester is ideal. Your tummy isn't too big to carry around which means your feet don't hurt. Morning sickness is a thing of the past (hopefully) and energy levels are sufficient for shopping and exploring.

Parisian Travel Pointers

• Always book an aisle seat when you're flying pregnant... close to the lavatories.. but not too close. 
• Allow extra time and energy to put on your compression tights. Expect to work up a sweat and want to flush them down the toilet.
• French people don't care what sort of cheeses you can and can't eat. So research cheese!
• Eat regularly. Which isn't hard in France.
• Growing babies love croissants and macaroons. Don't feel guilty. Like my BFF Dr. Danielle wisely said "You want a sweet baby don't you?!"
• Take a nap everyday in the afternoon so you can enjoy dinner and night walks
• Don't forget to order a special meal for the flight if you want one. I always order Vegetarian... Mainly because they come out first and I'm not sure I trust plane meat.
• Use the sticker I displayed below. It's a pregnant persons worst nightmare to miss a meal! 
• BYO healthy snacks for the plane and for any layovers so you don't have a currency conversion dilemma.
• Use up your last euros on Laduree Macaroons at the airport on the way home! 

Au Revoir!

I was a Beast

I will freely admit I wasn't my best self during the first 11 weeks of this pregnancy. I was actually a beast...a  hungry and really mean one. It was very unbecoming. Luckily my Husband was overseas and not privy to my bad behavior during this time. He thinks I've been relatively lovely and calm during pregnancy. A few minor meltdowns here and there but nothing unusual. It was my poor family that witnessed the worst of it. My little sister who'd been begging me to make her an aunty for the past 6 years was most definitely wanting to renegotiate. I'm naturally a little volatile when in the company of my family but I took it to a whole new level. I was being compared to the evil villain Ursula from The Little Mermaid. To be fair I think everyone cracks it when they feel sick. It was a strange combination of feeling sick and hungry all at once. Mum was a gem and made me countless grilled cheese sandwiches and snacks. She was the only one who knew how it felt. I was SUPER lucky to not have the horrific morning sickness some women get. I didn't throw up. This was a big deal for me because I have a phobia of vomit. I was scared to get pregnant because I knew that vomiting usually comes with the territory. I went to a doctor once and told him about my phobia...I started crying, then he put me on a mental health plan.. I got scared and never followed up. So I just live with it, knowing that one day this little trinket inside me will probably vomit on me hundreds of times throughout his life and then go on to infect me with the horrendous virus and I'll just have to deal.

16 and Pregnant

At 11 weeks pregnant my 16 year old sister and I decided to go on a holiday to Phuket Thailand! I took it as a compliment that Paige would want to travel with me considering I’d been such a beast in the lead up. She must have been really desperate to go. Dr Yared gave me the go ahead so we booked. I thought it was a bit adventurous to travel somewhere like Thailand pregnant so I madly researched blogs and forums to seek wisdom from anyone who'd gone before me. No inspiration. Miraculously my morning sickness seemed to subside the day we took off. Note to self: Morning sickness remedy= holiday. We packed lots of snacks. Special K, Milk, crackers, apple sauce, Maggie noodles and vegemite just to name a few. We would use the new found room in our suitcase for shopping!

Paige and I discussed the fact this wouldn’t be an “action packed” style holiday. I was reluctant to rent a scooter, firstly because Paige is really tall which means she's really heavy and secondly and most importantly I’d never ridden one before. Nek minnit I find myself on a scooter with Paige on the back. We did a few test laps around our local area then decided we were ready for the main roads. Seeing as Phuket is a relatively small place we didn’t bother with a map. Bad idea. One minute we were riding along on a road then we found ourselves flying down a steep dirt path.. then Paige noticed the engine had stopped. I’d envisioned having to leap off the bike and commando roll to safety…. luckily though, the brakes still worked so we eased our way to the bottom. Again LUCKILY there was civilisation down there and a nice man restarted our bike and gave us the unfortunate news that the only way out was back UP. We found a map after that and made sure we stayed ON the beaten track! After that little incident we thought “How much worse could it get” and gained confidence to ride all around the island.  The only downer about the scooter idea is that the fumes on the roads a pretty thick. So if you are concerned about fumes and the like don’t rent one. Same goes for boat rides out to the islands. When you’re pregnant they make you sit at the back of the boat which is more stable…. BUT you cop the potent smoke from the motors.

I made sure to tell the massage ladies I was pregnant because apparently there are certain issues regarding circulation and you don't want to develop a blood clot in a foreign country... or ideally.. anywhere!! I half regretted telling them sometimes because they were pretty light on and one masseuse even spent the whole time doing a really weird hairstyle on me. I'm too embarrassed to share the photo. I looked like a dinosaur. 

Paige and I made a deal.. she would go parasailing if I returned home with a full head of braids like most Australian tourist do. I piked and only got 4. #killjoy #vain

We had tons of fun and I loved every minute with my little sis. Even when she took an hour to get ready every day only to destroy all her hard work by jumping in the ocean straight away. We'd go back in a heart beat! 

Here’s a few tips for anyone looking to travel to a hot Asian country while pregnant-

• BYO snacks from home for comfort.
• Stay hydrated with bottled water.
• All the ice in tourist areas is good so don’t freak out.
• Don’t overheat. Avoid spas/hot tubs or overheating in the sun or getting burnt!
• Consider day trips bring the risk of boating mishaps and fume/smoke inhalation.
• Not the time nor place to be adventurous with food..I went vegetarian, just in case.
• Hand sanitizer is always a must.
• Go to Sabai Sabai in Patong and enjoy a green curry. 
• Renting a bike is handy but tuk tuks are probably safer.
• Buy some sea sick wrist bands as pregnant people shouldn't take sea sick tablets.
• Enjoy the beautiful fresh fruit and smoothies on the beach!
• Make the most of the cheap massages... you might even get a bonus hair-do ;)

Sawadee!

Pregnancy Products I love

I always travel with Aveda Lavender oil in the event I come across an odour that turns my stomach. At which moment I calming shove the bottle as close to my nose as possible and imagine I'm somewhere over the rainbow.. It has come in VERY handy. It's also nice to use as a calming sleep inducing fragrance.  I sprinkle it in my suitcase too.

Clarins Huile "Tonic" Oil was a gift from my Mum who after 4 pregnancies claims to have no stretch marks. I'm 30 weeks now and so far so good. I guess it depends on how rapidly ones tummy grows. Mine had been slow and steady. Most people say don't bother with creams and oils because they don't work. Doesn't hurt to try I say! Besides they help ease any itchiness. This oil smells AMAZING and is definitely my top pick product. It came in a  Clarins pregnancy hamper that has a few other pregnancy friendly gems!

I bought some Burt's Bees Mama Bee belly butter at Wholefoods while I was in America. I use this in the mornings mostly so my clothes don't get ruined by the oil! It's a nice mildly fragranced cream if strong smells aren't your thing. I didn't use many products in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy because most smells made me sick. I even cried once when Jeff made a burger. Now that I'm 30 weeks I cry tears of joy when Jeff makes burgers!

Catch up!

I decided to start this blog at 30 weeks pregnant so I need to play catch up! I've been madly writing and gathering details from my journal to cover my time up to now! I have a baby boy on board who's due June 21st 2013! He's already traveled quite a few places with me! I'll share my travel experiences on this blog for any newly pregnant Mum's who are looking to travel during their pregnancy. I fell pregnant while I was in America late last year which was fitting because I was made in the U.S.A too! I have no special fertility tips... however I was drinking gallons of Heavenly Harvest coconut water.. It's from Wholefoods and it's freaking delicious. I wish I could find it in Australia! Below is a pic of me at Newport Beach C.A the day I started feeling weird. I took a pregnancy test the next day. + :)