OUR BIRTH STORY

One month ago, our lives changed. We knew the date that our little man would be welcomed into the world (thanks to a scheduled c section). What we didn't know was just how much a seven pound package could turn our world upside down several times over.

Little baby Max's birth was as planned and fairly uneventful. It was exciting & emotional for us, as it was our first full term baby (and the first which Daddy Mummerina actually made it to the birth). We had plenty of skin-to-skin whilst in the operating room and he breastfed right away. He came out crying and we both joked how loud he was compared to his older brother who was born at 31 weeks.

Soon after, whilst being weighed and checked, the midwife noticed some slight bruising (which was so light I hadn't even noticed). She mentioned this to the doctor once we got back up to the ward who suggested he go down to the NICU to get his blood work checked & rule out any infection. They told me he should be back up with me that night.

It wasn't long before my hospital bed was surrounded by nurses, obstetricians and the neonatologist who were rushing to take an epic amount of blood from both Daddy Mummerina & I. No one could or would explain what was going on but I knew something wasn't right.

I was finally wheeled down to the NICU to see Max and was bombarded with the news that he has Neonatal Thrombocytopenia. All I heard was snippets of the information that he had virtually no platelets in his blood, was at risk of fatal bleeding on his brain or vital organs, that he would require several transfusions and would remain in the NICU for quite some time.

This is when I came apart. The thought of going through another NICU journey broke me. This wasn't meant to happen this time... I carried him full term. I thought that is all I needed to do!

Once I was discharged from hospital, we spent the next week going to the hospital every day. Every day I would cry and just pray he could come home. We were told he may be there for up to 6 weeks.

Thankfully, Max only required the one transfusion and he slowly started "making" his own platelets. At 8 days old, the doctors allowed us to take him home, providing we return every 48 hours to have his blood checked. I was so happy I cried. Everything was going to be OK now. I would be happy again, and life would feel complete.

Except it didn't. Max came home and things got harder. Alot harder. Harder than I ever imagined. 

WHY I AM SCARED TO BE A MUM THE SECOND TIME AROUND

I think the worst thing about being an expectant mum for the second (or third, or forth) time is that you are expected to KNOW what to do.

Midwives, friends, and even our husbands assume that all our insecurities and inexperience we have the first time around have disappeared.

But they haven't. At least not for me. I'm scared.... Shit scared!

I'm scared of having a full term baby. Obviously I don't want a preemie baby again, but a full term newborn is foreign to me

I'm scared to bring home a newborn. Hank didn't come home from hospital until he was 6+ weeks old, and whilst that was still before his due date, he has 6 weeks to sort his feeding & sleeping schedule out

I'm scared of post natal depression (PND). The first week of Hank's life was one of the most horrible of mine. I am so thankful that I didn't suffer from PND for long... But I don't ever want to feel like that again

I'm scared that having a full term baby does not necessarily mean he will be healthy. Maybe it's because I've learnt so much from being apart of the premature/sick baby community that I know too well that even full term babies can have health issues beyond our control

I'm scared that having this baby will change Hank. I mean, I know it will change him... But I don't want him to be any less awesome than he is right now

I'm scared that I will become complacent. SIDS, hygiene, choking hazards, safe milk storage... All things that  I've finally been able to relax about

I could honestly list 50 more things I am scared of. I don't remember being this scared the first time around.

What where you most scared of as an expectant mum? 

PRE BABY WEIGHTLOSS

Let me introduce you to two different versions of Mummerina...

Moonface Mummerina // Pointy Chin Mummerina

 

This is me, circa mid 2011 and the thinner version of myself in early 2012.

As much as I would love to blame the less-than-flattering-grainy licence photo on the RTA's staff members lack of photography skills, it really is a pretty good indication of how I looked in 2011.

 

In 2011, I got engaged and, like most brides, began what I like to call the "Wedding Dress Diet". I won't bore you with the ins & outs, nor will I explain how many times in my chubby life I have dieted before, but if you click on the 'healthy' or 'weightloss' tags in this blog, you will see a small part of my journey that I had previously blogged about (I deleted ALOT of it as it was affliated with a company that I did not want to be associated with anymore)

 

By May 2012 I had lost almost 15kg and feeling fantastic. And then, a roadblock of all roadblocks - when it comes to weightloss - hit and I found out I was (very unexpectedly) pregnant.

 

I would like to say that I continued my healthy way of living whilst I was pregnant - but that would be a complete and utter lie.

 

So in the past 2 years, I've been pregnant and suffered from severe preeclampsia (read; GAIN WEIGHT), breastfed (read: LOST WEIGHT), induldged whilst being a stay at home mum (read: GAIN WEIGHT), returned to work and a fitness routine (read: LOST WEIGHT) and now, fell pregnant again (read: GAIN WEIGHT).

I am pleased to say that I have not gained as much weight this pregnancy as I did in my first, but I was heavier to start with - so I am ultimately in the same position.

 

Transformation pictures like this motivate me to focus on my health and fitness once Baby Mummerina is born.

 

I have learnt the importance of progress pictures, so here is hoping that I have plenty more to share with you in the next 6 - 12 months.

 

Do you have any tips for post partum weight loss?



 



REVIEW: MUMAFIT APP

Some women are just made to be pregnant. They have a cute, yet distinguished baby bump. They feel amazing throughout their pregnancy. Their hair becomes thick and luscious. Their skin glows. They sh!t rainbows, basically!

I am not one of those women. I am the furthest from it. I do not, will not and can not enjoy being pregnant. I am eternally grateful that I am able to bear a child, and I am mindful that others would kill to experience what I am… but I won’t apologise for saying that pregnancy and I just do not get on well together.

I am at that stage of my pregnancy (and weight) where I want to be able to re focus on my well being goals. I want to get back on the health & fitness wagon (don’t use pregnancy as an excuse to get off said wagon… trust me, you will regret it!). However, at 30 weeks pregnant with sciatic nerve pain and Braxton hicks contractions... it would be medically unsafe for me to start pounding the pavement in order to lose the excess, non baby weight that I am carrying.

Which is why I am loving the Mumafit IPhone App.

 

 

The app is the brain child of Fiona Trewhitt (who is a mum to 3 kiddies), and has been designed by exercise physiologists for pregnant & post natal women. Mumafit helps you safely exercise at home during and after pregnancy. No gym membership or expensive equipment or work out gear required (literally… I do my third trimester stretches in my underwear some days!)

Both the stretch and toning chapters have done wonders to help my back pain and general tightness that has come with months of using my pregnancy as an excuse to be a sloth. The app also has a GPS prameter which maps your cardio workouts and daily tips which relate to your pregnancy.

 

Mumafit app is available from the App Store for $3.79, which is the equivalent to my daily weekly chocolate fix, and is worth every cent.

 

Does you have any favourite pregnancy related Apps?

 

 

Disclosure:  I was not compensated or remunerated for this review, I'm just a fan! This review is my own and honest opinion. For more information see my disclosure policy