The waiting game

Spending the Christmas just the two of us is so relaxing. We didn't do much. Eating, watching DVD, eating, another DVD, eating, and eating a little more :-D)) We prepared quiet a lot of food, it will last for days!

I feel a bit of guilt, I couldn't resist to the Christmas Pudding. I made the Brandy Cream without the brandy and we didn't flame up the pudding but still I tasted much alcohol in it.

Just over a week to find out...

A marathon

Ovulation is a tricky thing. As my period is regular and very predictable I am using the calendar to count it out, but looks like we missed it last month. We tried too late and only once. This month we did not leave to chance, we started early and with repetition ;-)

Tic-tac

The waiting for another ovulation is much longer than the waiting for a missing period. DH thinks inversely. A week to go...

Not so lucky

My period started today, four days (!) earlier which is very, very unusual for me as I have it regular. It came with a pain too. Now, that isn't new. As far as I remember the first day was always pretty hurtful. I usually solved this with a sip (or two) of Jameson. But since I was taking conception vitamins (August) the pain is gone. Zinc deficiency so I read. Why my gynaecologist never mentioned this!?! But today the pain is back. No luck. Not pregnant :-(

Readings

• What to Eat When You're Pregnant. Including the A-Z of what's safe and what's not by Dr Rana Conway

Well, I think this one is 'pregnancy eating for dummies' mainly with lots of repetition. Everything is said three times at least. But what really gave me a headache is saying that aspartame or coke is safe and OK!? C'mon! Artificial is NOT OK!

• Optimum Nutrition Before, During and After Pregnancy by Patrick Holford & Susannah Lawson

Now this is something about pregnancy. It contains lots of information on vitamins and minerals. What to eat, why to eat, what not to eat, why not to eat. Of course some information are repeated here and there once or twice but still readable.

• Eating Well When You're Expecting (What to Expect series) by Heidi E. Murkoff and Sharon Mazel

Not yet finished with this one. Still reading it but looks promising. Part 1 discusses how to eat well (explains the theory), Part 2 focuses on recipes.

• The Day-by-Day Pregnancy Book by Maggie Blott

I like this one very much. With little tips and hints for every single day. Colored boxes, interesting pictures, charts. It's comprehensive for sure.

• What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi E. Murkoff and Sharon Mazel

In the process of reading...

The Plan

The planning launched early this year when I started to read about the subject, eating books like a moth. The real planning began in August when both of us started to take conception vitamins. First we tried Sanatogen mother and father to be then changed to Pregnacare his and her conception. Along with these vitamins we took Omega 3 and 6 (Equazen Eye Q capsules) and an extra 500 mg of vitamin C (Sona). Once a day with the main meal, one conception, one fish oil and one vitamin C. Additional to these to maintain intestinal health, improve absorption and assimilation of nutrients, and reinforce the body's immune system and natural defences we added a friendly bacteria supplement, called probiotics (Prebio 7). One a day with breakfast.

Welcome

Here I am, over thirty, planning (and hopefully already expecting, for about a week) our first baby. With all the doubts and fears what a first-mother-to-be can have. Clueless. But looking forward to complete the challenge.

I never thought it would be easy but the more I read (here and there) the more difficult, confusing, even scary (you name it) it looks. To conceive then nurture, then deliver and finally to bring up and guide a human being to be independent and bright, now that's a real challenge. Being responsible brings a different viewpoint over everyday things, events.

No mother wants bad for her child, but I wonder, how many mothers-to-be out there with caring no or little about their child's future health. The quality of the nine months in the womb is the foundation, the basis for the future. Keeping healthy is giving the best possible start in life.

Reading is one thing but applying to real situations is something different. So this blog is about me turning words into action.

Comments are most welcome, especially the constructive ones along with advice and experiences. Opinions too. So feel free to share your thoughts.

English is not my native language so please be lenient. I hope the improvements will come in time with more posts.