I started this blogging site with initial hopes to document our travels here in the UK but a lovely gift arrived in 2013 so for now, this will be dedicated to my experience of being a new mum (to be).
I should probably begin with last Christmas, when we found out we were expecting on Christmas Day. After getting over with all the fuss and excitement, we have decided to keep this all to ourselves until the time comes. So what’s next? One important thing about living in a different country is to get your head round the healthcare system and understanding the protocols. Everyone is entitled to free medical care in the UK through the National Health Service (NHS) and the first port of call is the local General Practitioner (GP). And so that was what we did. He confirmed our pregnancy albeit without any blood test done (judging by one, period missed; two, positive result shown with our home kit) and after some basic checks, he filled in all the necessary paperwork and asked us to wait for the call from our local hospital.
All ante(pre)pregnancy care is spearheaded by midwives here in the UK, with the support from the GP for check-ups; fingers crossed all things being well, no doctors (particularly the gynaecologist / obstetrician) will be involved unlike Hong Kong or America, where we are used to getting specialist medical attention right away. This certainly puts your patience to test, but creates a better community relationship between you and the healthcare professional.
The letter for our first midwife and scan appointments eventually arrived and we could not wait to see the baby for the first time. It was hard to believe that this little being on screen, only measuring at 8.5cm at 12 weeks, was going to be our child. It even flashed a quick V for us!
Fast forward a couple of very slow, gloomy and wintry months, I am now 6 months and have started to wear my baby on board badge, which mercifully works on most days now that the bump is manifesting itself BBOB.
I also got a free upgrade to first class on SW trains so it has definitely made travelling much more pleasurable.
A lot has happened during this time, particularly sharing our news with our family, friends and colleagues, visiting Chicago and NYC and bracing for the late onset of summer. Fortunately, I did not have any morning sickness at all, but the body was overcome with fatigue especially in the first 4 months, which thankfully disappeared gradually as I made my way to the second trimester. Cravings were strong to start with and the palette was yearning for savoury and spicy foods, and this too have subsided and replaced with the occasional urge to eat chocolates and sweets. The bump is slowly growing and it’s amazing to see how it’s progressing well, day by day.