Does Swimming really settle your hormones down?
So here I am, I'm at week 14 now, soon to be week 15. Which is apparently what they call my second trimester... Personally I just like to say a third of the way through, but whatever floats your boat.
I've had all my tests and scans, and no one has come back to me so I'm working on the assumption that no news is good news. According to the books that I've read, well, the one chapter of the one book that I've read, and the NHS website (my go to place for all things pregnancy) my baby pretty much has all its bits and pieces and now is just growing and adding on pretty bits like eye lashes, ear lobes and finger nails... And I probably shouldn't say this but I'm bored! I'm bored as hell!!
My mood swings have started to settle down now, I've only lost my temper about 3 times this week, which for anyone that knows me is fairly normal. Although there was a spectacular time a couple of days ago where I'd lost my swimming costume, then lost my gym pass, then caught my ankle in a gate getting to the car to go swimming, then almost crashing the car as I was raging so much and it finally accumulated in just stopping the car and screaming as load as I could. When I stopped and took a breath two teenagers were just staring at me gob-smacked which sort of brought me to my senses. I think the swimming has helped though as if I'm ever miserable normally I would just go to the gym and do a work out and that puts me in a good mood. However I haven't been to the gym for ages but went swimming 3 times this week and I've felt better, back to my old self. I mean I haven't even cried today!
So now my mood is back to normal and the old Sarah is back. Any waves of sickness I was getting seems to have also passed, apart from when I have to pick up Henry's poo, but brushing my teeth is retch free, which is nicer to deal with. So no mood swings, no sicky feeling, no tiredness, it's great, the problem is I feel normal but can't do the things I would usually do, like drink wine, and life without wine, well it's boring! I've been asked twice today how I'm coping without alcohol and I have to admit I'm not enjoying it. First of all I'm surprised my body hasnt gone into anaphylactic shock without the constant stream of fermented grapes pumping into it and second I'm really missing ending my week/day with a nice glass of red.
I seem to have hit a pregnancy lull, a sort of no-mans land, the maternity doldrums! I don't have any appointments to go to, no more scans for a while, no midwife appointments and nothing to entertain me.
Most women that talk to me now say things like "oh now you're past the 13 week mark, you can sit back and enjoy it" or "I absolutely loved being pregnant, it's such a special time" or "pregnancy is so spiritual, I dreamt of Hindu Love Gods and felt at one with the earth" (I made the last one up) and I nod along but I'm thinking, "enjoy what exactly?" Actually that's not true either, I usually just say "enjoy what exactly?" because I'm not that polite to just nod along and always say what I think. But really, there is nothing to enjoy, I don't feel anything. The baby's too young to kick me, it's still too young to feel the little bubbles and waves that you're supposed to feel (the idea of that makes me feel woozy) and the moods swings are gone so it's just me, sat here, like a human slow cooker and I think, "god have I really got another five and a half months of this to go without even a glass of Rioja to see me through?" I'm not the most patient person at the best of times, living in London for 16 years does that to you, but I keep thinking in this day and age do we really have to wait this long? Can they not do something to hurry it all up a little bit, like pop me in the micowave or something? And I feel so normal that I'm just forgetting I'm pregnant, when people ask after "my baby" I think they are talking about the dog. So to remind myself I'm pregnant I try to wedge it into every conversation I have, and there is nothing worse than someone who bangs on about their pregnancy all the time, it's BORING, but I've nothing else to talk about. Oh another lie, I can talk about Big Brother and Emmerdale as well! (how dull is that?)
I spoke to my sister today to tell her a bit of gossip I had and I started it "guess what happened to me last night?" and she replied "nothing happened to you last night, what could happen? You're pregnant and boring." and I thought "God, You're so right!" I actually didn't say it this time though as the gossip was the only interesting thing I'd said all week and it wasn't even that good.
