Firstly, apologies for the lack of post in the last while. Its been a busy month!
Since I last wrote I have been away and experienced my first and last week in the sun with a ‘wobbler’ while being pregnant with triplets. I would advise all women in this circumstance – don’t do it!! As a dedicated sun worshiper it pained me to have cut the trip short and come home for sleep. I am still suffering from pregnancy insomnia and had to share a room with my son. This equalled disaster as neither of us go any sleep! So after getting to hysterical tiredness I decided the only thing for it was to head home and rest! Miraculously, as soon as we landed in Dublin both myself and my little boy slept soundly. Happy to be in our own beds, in our own rooms, peace and quiet resumed.
So back to normal. Being a single working mum has its definite downsides but being a heavily pregnant single working mum is just hard – plain and simple. I think I underestimated what other mums did. I have now conceded and decided the only thing for it is to get some extra help. The evenings are getting physically tough and I need someone to assist with carrying my son, getting him into the bath, fed and ready for bed. But I am generally a hands on mum so it pains me to have someone else do all these things and I hope it doesn’t effect the brilliant bond I have with my son.
Meanwhile, I can’t get over the love that gushes from me for my son. Wow how wonderful it is being a mother! He has advanced to the tantrum stage early (only just turned one!). I have done plenty of googling on the subject but I have come to the conclusion that – while yes ignoring is the best policy – time is the only true healer. He will just have to grow out of this one I think. I am trying not to laugh too much when he gets into one of these fits because I won’t let him ‘down’ on the main road but really they are funny how they try to push it as far as they can.
Getting so excited about the big arrival – only 15 weeks to go!!!!!!!
Great day!
I’m officially the mother of one beautiful boy and three healthy tiny babies to be. Had my big scan today to check for any abnormalities. Unfortunately, when pregnant with triplets a simple blood test won’t give a definitive answer so the scan today was really important.
Thankfully they all look perfect. I am 13 weeks and 3 days today and each baby measures exactly that! Woo hoo!!!! They passed with flying colours – very proud moma.
13 Weeks and not long to go!!!!
Although it’s hard to get my head around the fact that I have three little bambinos growing inside me, I have certainly felt every single side effect with gusto. I mean seriously?! Who needs to get blocked ears, heartburn, insomnia, legs cramps, nausea and have a belly that can’t be touched but is now the size of an exercise ball. Yes, every time I get another twist, twinge or blip I google it and there it is on the glorious ‘side effects list’. At this stage I have pretty much covered the entire list – just waiting for piles to appear!!!!!!!!
So because I have all these side effects it is very hard not to become one of the biggest moans! And certainly I have been known to have my moments. But then I have to remember why I’m going through this. Pregnancy is such a miracle – three feisty…
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13 Weeks and not long to go!!!!
Although it’s hard to get my head around the fact that I have three little bambinos growing inside me, I have certainly felt every single side effect with gusto. I mean seriously?! Who needs to get blocked ears, heartburn, insomnia, legs cramps, nausea and have a belly that can’t be touched but is now the size of an exercise ball. Yes, every time I get another twist, twinge or blip I google it and there it is on the glorious ‘side effects list’. At this stage I have pretty much covered the entire list – just waiting for piles to appear!!!!!!!!
So because I have all these side effects it is very hard not to become one of the biggest moans! And certainly I have been known to have my moments. But then I have to remember why I’m going through this. Pregnancy is such a miracle – three feisty little humans are now growing away inside me. Every once and while, when I have a quiet moment, I can feel them fluttering in my stomach and that is really cool. Imagine! I will have triplets born by the time we get to Halloween. How incredible is that!
My life has already changed dramatically since deciding to take this path. I feel blessed to be able to say I’m a mum. Now that’s a wonderful title to have! I have lived a brilliant life – full of travel and adventure but what’s great is that it all led to this. I have a super little boy who is so magical and given me joy that all the travel in the world never provided. Don’t get me wrong – at times it isn’t easy and I don’t have a picture perfect life but it’s not bad! I have plenty of friends who have chosen very different lives and probably couldn’t imagine doing what I did. Being a single mother is really tough at times and it is definitely not the way I would have chosen to do things. But thank god I don’t live in a time when I would have ended up as the spinster with no prospects of marriage or children.
The recent Marriage Referendum in Ireland has sparked a debate in Ireland about what children need and who has the right to bring up a child. Although the true question has nothing to do with children and is all about allowing Gay Marriage – it seems the debate took a nasty turn somewhere along the way. Posters were erected saying that only a hetro-sexual married family should have children. Spokes-people shouted out at any opportune moment how wrong it was to consider two men or two women to become parents. This of course created questions about whether I was right to choose what I did. But thankfully they don’t have the power to stop me living my life and making the choices I have. I have a beautiful boy who I love so much! He is a very special addition to my ever expanding extended family and yes we don’t equal the traditional family but who cares! We have an amazing bond of love and he has a mother who will fight tooth and nail to give him the best opportunity. Now that the referendum is over and the result is in, I can very happily say my children will grow up in a society that is just that bit more equal and accepting.
Important info re paracetamol and pregnancy
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/may/20/paracetamol-use-pregnancy-male-foetus-testosterone-study
this is an important article if youre pregnant. Not worth the risk in my mind!
Chicken Pox
There are plenty of mothers out there who will have gone through the trauma of a child with chicken pox. The sleepless nights, the cries, the grumpy child and the itching are only the start of it. It is a week I never want to repeat. Oh sweet Jesus! And of course, pregnancy fatigue and nausea combined with chicken pox meant a very long week! My poor son got a bad dose and welts started appearing all over his body. He still has the scabs as a result but my gagging while applying the cream to the blistered back was sight to behold. Neither of us were in a fit state for the week and especially in the middle of the night when he was in most pain. But I have a few words of wisdom following my experience and thought I would share them. The first is – DO NOT give Phenergan or Dozol. They caused even more heartache as my lovely happy baby turned into a possessed child from the exorcist! He went hyper – I only gave very small doses of these drugs but the effect was extraordinary. No sleep or broken sleep for an hour or so and then more hyperactivity. Keep it simple and stick with paracetamol. Cool baths are great – the heat just aggravates the skin even more and don’t use any soap or bath solutions. Add a stocking or mesh full of oats to the water. Oat milk is an old wives tale but really does work to help calm the skin. Another great product is PoxClin. This saved us! Instead of old fashioned camomile cream this creates a barrier over the chicken pox and helps them heal.
So a busy week but my sanity was rescued when my very kind mother took my miserable little boy for a couple of nights. This meant sleep!!!! For the first time in a very long time I got to sleep! Apart from the week from hell I have been suffering from insomnia. This is a cruel side effect of pregnancy. I have run through the full archive of BBC Desert Island Discs (practically) and tried all sorts of relaxing techniques. Some of them work, some of the time. The worst words of wisdom I have got so far is ‘this is nature’s way of preparing you for when the baby arrives’ always followed with a little chuckle to themselves. Really?! 9 months of no sleep is going to help?! Anyway, my saint of a mother took my son and I feel rejuvenated.
It is so true – accept all help that is offered. Parenting is tough, so sometimes you need a little break to catch your breath. But the most wonderful part of this week was being reunited with my beautiful boy. Now fully recovered, he is back to his happy self and last night we both slept soundly until the alarm woke us up this morning.
Next week, I get to have another big scan to see how the triplets are doing. I can’t wait! I know you get plenty of side effects to remind you – yes you are pregnant! And a belly that is ever expanding! But for some reason until I see them on the screen in the ultra-sound room, I never fully believe its happening to me. Will keep you posted…….
Saw and felt my babies move!
There is nothing more magical than a baby scan. And when you have three babies growing inside you it makes it triple the fun! Three perfect little hearts beating away and three perfect little bodies kicking away. I’m nearly 11 weeks pregnant with my triplets and even though it’s early, I can already feel them moving. It’s like little pops in my lower tummy. I asked the doctor it this is possible – appearantly yes because I have already been pregnant.
Thank god for the joy of a baby scan to keep you going! As this week I have really needed something to keep me going. It can get a bit overwhelming at times. The unbelievable tiredness, constant sea sickness and sleepless nights. On top of that the guilt that I can’t spend energetic time with my little son. He needs lots of activity and I’m like a mopey teenager lounging on the couch! I hate guilt – I know it’s a mothers curse and no matter what will be I will always want to do better for my children.
At least I know this is only temporary, 20 weeks to go – nothing in a lifetime!
My mother bears the brunt of my moans and even though she says I’m doing great, I can’t help but think it must be torture listening to me!
A couple of weeks ago my family decided that I was a problem to fix and the solution – sell my house! Now that’s stress! Trying to move, start a new job, be a single parent AND be pregnant with triplets!!!! Needless to say I decided to put a hault on it. Although they are absolutely right – a move is very necessary for many reasons not just space but financially (live in an old house – bit of a money pit). I can’t do everything. I know I’m sometimes Wonder Woman but now is not the time! Unfortunately, this was taken up as I just needed another push! So next minute the property man was at my door telling me the sign is ready to go up! So I did what any strong independent woman would do – I called my mum!!!
So babies are thriving, work is going great and Red is just amazing. He said choo choo today – Mensa child!!!!! Enough to be very grateful for! No more about the moans (for the moment).
What a difference a day makes!
So 24 hours ago I was all doom and gloom. Shattered and grumpy! But today I feel so much better. The lesson I have learnt is to try and find balance. Doing too much, cramming in too many chores in a 48 hour window is just too hard on my body.
These three little babies are certainly keeping me on my toes!
I can’t remember being this bad on my first son but according to my mother I was! Obviously it was much harder for others to be around me than I can recall. I am sure I wasn’t this bad but the mind has a wonderful way of being selective. During my ‘feeling sorry for myself’ day my mother also said -‘well i’m sure your body can only produce so many hormones’ ie. having triplets can’t be that bad. EXCUSE ME!!! It was like adding fuel to a fire! In my very irrational state it is incredibly hard to be rational. So god love them but my loved ones will probably remember this pregnancy without fondness as I continue to being a walking ‘hormone’. And of course, I’ll remember none of this and will tell stories of how easy the triplet pregnancy was.
Tired and Grumpy!
Well I definitely need a couple of happy pills! The sun is shining and its a glorious day but i can’t seem to shift the tiredness and sickness. Triplets is definitely not an easy pregnancy. I am now nearly 9 weeks and completely shattered. Its like being knocked over with the hammer. I just want to crawl back into bed.
Anyway, as the title says – tired and grumpy! I also seem to be in a continuous state of guilt. My poor baby son is being kept in creche so that i can get on with things but really i should have him in the park playing! Starting a 3 month contract next week so trying to get meals made for my son. The least I can do is give him a home cooked meal. But i find that unless its in the freezer it won’t happen. So tupperware is at the ready and the pots are simmering.
On a positive note – the babies are doing great. They were concerned that the identical twins did not have individual membranes but the scan showed them yesterday. So delighted that there will be no concern of cord tangling. Still need to watch out for twin to twin syndrome but that doesn’t seem to be as serious.
Still find it mad seeing three little babies on the screen during the scans but what a miracle!
Sudden wake this morning!
So this morning I woke early! Way before my beautiful boy, who has suddenly started sleeping through the night. It’s a corner I hope we’re permanently turning. Anyway, back to this morning. So I was lying there thinking how lovely it is to sleep a solid 8 hours and it dawned on me – how will I feed 3 babies on my own at night!!! So I started googling like mad. Still no solution but once I find one, I’ll let you know.
On another note, heard the triplets heartbeats this week. There is nothing more beautiful than that sound!
fourundertwo 