Baby Blaney Diaries: I'm Pregnant!...

Me and Simon are absolutely over the moon and I can't describe how excited we both are! We have been trying for a baby since just after our wedding in September last year and I actually found out I was pregnant on the 6th of April 2015. I've been wanting to share this news with you all for sooooo long! There's been so many times I've gone to write something pregnancy related on Twitter and then thought that I better not say anything yet as it was a bit too soon. I wanted to wait until after I'd had the 12 week scan and that time has been and gone so I've been looking forward to writing this post :).

Trying For A Baby

A lot of you will know that me and Si have been married since September 2014. We have always talked about having children and about having them once we were married. It's a lovely situation when you're actually trying for a baby because although it can be hard every month waiting to see if you come on your period (I'm just gonna say it how it is in this post), it is also really really exciting! I stopped taking my contraceptive pill after our wedding holiday (I didn't want to risk coming on my period whilst we were away, so I carried on taking them during this time), so it was about the middle of September that I stopped taking my pill. I was under the impression that I probably wouldn't become pregnant right away as I'd be on the pill for about 11 years, so I figured it had to have a little time to get out of my system and my cycles would have to re-adjust to not being controlled by the contraceptive pill (whether this is true or not I don't know, but that's just what I thought at the time).

I felt like my cycles weren't anything out of the ordinary to start with and considering I'd just stopped taking the pill, my periods seemed pretty regular. I was just letting nature take its course to begin with but when January came, I started to write things down and work out dates. I'd worked out that my last few cycles had been averaging at around 35 days and so in Feb when 35 days since the first day of my last period came about and I still hadn't come on, I'm not going to lie, I started to get my hopes up. I took pregnancy tests that came back negative but had read that the pregnancy hormone HCG could be low in early pregnancy and some tests don't initially pick this up, so my hopes were still quite high. 15 days after I thought I was due to come on, I came on, so my hopes were shattered a little and of course there were things I'd read about saying that you could still be pregnant and initially come on with it only lasting a day or two. That didn't occur for me, I took one final pregnancy test to check and it was still negative and my period lasted for the normal amount of days that it usually did. I then knew that it wasn't to be that month.

Ovulation

In March I decided to start taking ovulation tests. I got mine from Boots for £9.99. In the pack you get 7 tests. You can get bulk tests online for good prices, but I wanted to start taking them straight after my period near enough as I was well aware at that point that my cycles were all over the place, so I just went into town and picked some up. Ovulation tests are similar to pregnancy tests in that you have to wee on the test stick or dip it into a container holding your urine.

The Boots ovulation tests that I used.

When you're trying for a baby and you read info online and in pregnancy books, it's a real eye opener as to when you can actually get pregnant. Unless you are aware, it is very easy to think that you can get pregnant at any time during a month, as long as you have periods. However, the truth is that there are on average only a few days during a cycle that you can get pregnant. Typically, a woman is said to ovulate 14 days after the first day of her last period, this is usually based on a 28 day cycle. With my last period, I ovulated four weeks after, so you can see that my cycles weren't regular and if I weren't taking the ovulation tests, then there's a chance that I might not be pregnant today. It was important for me to take these ovulation tests due to my cycles being all over the shop. Don't get me wrong, I'm aware that a lot of people get pregnant without planning on doing so or actively trying. To put it simply, when a woman ovulates, the egg lives for 24-48 hours and sperm can live for 3-7 days in a woman's body, so trying for a baby before and after you think you are due to ovulate will give you the best chance of conceiving.

I started to take the tests in the second week after the first day of my last period. I took them every other day to start with, but as it got into the third week, I was worried I'd miss my ovulation, so I got more tests and started to take them every day. In the fourth week, I had the magic line appear which told me that the test had recognised a LH surge. This was the first time I'd ever seen that line appear, so I went running in to Si to show him. It's quite funny when I think of it now because he was aware that I was taking ovulation tests, but I didn't tell him every single time I went to the bathroom to do one, so when I ran in he said that he thought it was a pregnancy test and was getting excited. I told him to stay excited cause I was about to ovulate! Ha ha. When you get the LH surge it usually means that you are due to ovulate in the next two days. As mentioned above, you can see why trying for a baby before ovulation can be useful due to the amount of days that sperm can live in a woman's body, meaning it is already there ready to meet the egg.

The Wait

As I knew when I'd be ovulating, March into April was a very exciting time. Although I didn't come on when I thought I would, this had happened the previous month so I didn't want to get too excited again. You try not to get your hopes up but it's hard. I left it a few more weeks just in case I was really late but still there was nothing. Three weeks after I'd ovulated I decided to take a pregnancy test, on the 6th of April to be exact!

Finding Out I Was Pregnant

When I'd taken pregnancy tests the previous month, they took ages to come up with the result. I used to take them first thing in the morning, so I'd go to the toilet, test my sample and then while that little timer was going round and round on the test, I'd be having a wash, brushing my teeth etc. It was so disappointing when I looked over and it said that I wasn't pregnant. This time, I did exactly the same thing and it felt like I'd only just turned the water on to have a wash and when I looked back (as you do, you can't help but keep looking!) it said PREGNANT!!!! When I first saw that first test saying pregnant, I was holding it and just staring at it, I was thinking to myself oh my god, oh my god, really??!! I couldn't believe it. Si was working downstairs at the time, so I quickly text him and told him and he came running up to see the test and to give me a hug, bless him. Then I had to tell my mom. My mom then rang me on speaker phone with my sister and they were yelling yeahhhhh over the phone. Our closest family knew we were trying for a baby so I was often being asked, any news yet?!

I wanted to go and get some more tests to double (and triple, ha!) confirm it. I had read that it's very rare to get a negative positive though if you know what I mean and I couldn't believe how quickly the result had come up. I remember going into town to get more tests and feeling so excited. I saw my dad's girlfriend whilst out, so I was speaking to her for a little bit but couldn't say anything before telling my dad. I took another test that same afternoon and the same thing happened, the result came up really quickly. Simon told his mom that evening and I told his sister, as well as my dad. Everyone was thrilled for us. I did take another test the very next day, just because I wanted another confirmation and I had a spare test anyway, but it did exactly the same thing! I feel so incredibly lucky that I was able to get pregnant so quickly after trying. It's awful when you hear about people struggling to conceive (and I do know of some people) when that's all they want, so I'm fully aware of how lucky we have been.

At this stage, I am 14 weeks and six days pregnant! Look out for my next pregnancy post in which I'll tell you about my first lot of appointments and what happened at each, otherwise this post will be turning into a dissertation. We might also share our scan pics! :). If anyone wants to ask me anything, I will try to help based on my experiences.

It's so lovely being able to tell everyone finally!

Thanks so much for reading! Please like, comment and follow me if you haven't already :).
Gem & Bump XxOo
Image courtesy of Pinterest.

Start The Year As You Mean To Go On...

Heeelloooo lovelies! Long time no see/speak, whatever it'd be in the blogging world :). The last post I wrote was on Christmas Eve 2014, which was the final post of Blogmas 2014. I loved taking part in Blogmas and although it was a challenge blogging every day, it was a fun one. As you might have guessed, I had a little break over Christmas and the New Year, just to have fun, spend time with family and just be. This carried over into January as I was getting organised, had a few things to sort out, priorities and all of that. I generally had to get back into the swing of things, which took a while as to be honest I was a bit :( that Christmas was over.

So yes, I wanted to get organised and sort a few things out before I got back into blogging. It's all about the clean home, clean mind for me and I didn't want to get straight into blogging again when I needed to do other things first. The main things that I needed to do have been done now, so I'm perfectly happy sitting here on this lazy Sunday and blogging for you all :).

I thought it would be apt to share with you my tips for starting the new year as you mean to go on...

Clean Your Home/Space

This is something that can instantly make me feel better and have a much clearer mind. Obviously I regularly clean our home, but there's something about having a 'big' clean at the beginning of a new year that just feels really satisfying. It's kind of like the big clean you do just before Christmas and before you go on holiday or is this just me?! Hoovering, polishing, cleaning floors and general tidying are just the basics. Opening windows to let a bit of coolness in whilst cleaning is also a lovely feeling, making it feel even more fresh and clean in your home/space. Doing a big wash of things you don't have to wash that often, for example, pillows, cushions, blankets, dressing gowns, mats etc. Also, change your bedding. I always sleep so well after I've changed our bedding and had a shower/bath before getting into bed. Finishing touches like fresh flowers, candles, air fresheners and plug-ins will make your home/space smell wonderful and just feel generally fresh, clean and comforting. I say 'space' as I know you might not have your own home and your bedroom is the only place you can make your own. I loved making my bedroom my own when I lived with my mom and so the new year was one of the times that I liked to have a good clean out and feel organised for the year ahead.

Image courtesy of Baby Center.

Freshen Up/Complete Your Home/Space

Getting rid of old items/items that don't work any more and buying new bits and pieces for your home/space can be really therapeutic and can really freshen up your home/space. You don't have to do your whole home/space in one go, but work on one area at a time. It's amazing how little things can make your home/space feel more complete and more 'you'. We've bought a few new things for our flat recently and I was just saying this to Si the other day. We've purchased a few new kitchen items, slogan signs and a working, Big Ben wall clock sticker. You can see some images on my Instagram @GemsGemz86 (which is also my Twitter name should you want to follow me :)). There's almost a sense of satisfaction and comfort from bringing the ideas in your head into reality and making your home/space feel like yours, if you know what I mean. Even moving things around and making your home/space feel different can be just as good. I'd recommend starting a list and writing down ideas for parts of your home/space that you aren't entirely happy with, then when you get paid or have a little extra money, look into buying one or two items from your list. Before you know it, your home/space will be exactly how you want it. Look for bargains online, check out charity shops and places like B&M that have amazing aisles with all those bits to add a special something to a home/space.

Sort Out Your Personal Items

For me, this was initially my clothing. I did this the other day and I'm not gonna lie about the fact that it felt great! I needed to do it for some time as I noticed when I was putting clean washing away that it was getting harder to put items back into my wardrobe. It only took me an hour which I was really pleased about. Usually with a big task like this, it's always the thought of how long it's going to take that can put you off. It wasn't that hard to do this year to be honest, I just got rid of the items that I no longer wear, items that don't fit as they first did and shrunk items. My wardrobe is now much more organised and in sections so I know what's what. I have a huge bag for charity and a few items that I might try and sell online. This tip can also apply to shoes, make-up, general beauty items etc. It doesn't have to mean getting rid of anything, maybe just dusting/cleaning items and organising them in a better way, for example, in style or colour for shoes and categories for beauty items. This could also be a time to think about getting bigger/better storage. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel after you've organised your things and it just makes you want to be more neat and organised from then on.

Write Stuff Down

One of my favourite things to do at the start of a new year is fill out a new diary and calendar. It's a great way to get things off of the mind and you can keep track of birthdays, blogging days, special events, things you don't want to miss etc. I also love getting a new notebook that I start writing in at the beginning of a new year. It's there for those times that something comes into my head and before I forget it, I write it down. So far this year, I've been jotting down blogging ideas, finances, things I need to remember to get, things I want to look at online and to-do lists. I also made a little pouch in the back of my notebook to hold loose notes etc. You'll feel better knowing you don't have to try and remember everything and that you can always refer to your diary, calendar or notebook to tell you what you need to know.

Look After Yourself

The new year is a great time to think about starting new routines in many aspects of your life whether it be your skincare routine, your diet or just your general health/fitness. I suppose some may call these 'New Year Resolutions', but I never make a point of saying I have specific resolutions that need to be adhered to, because let's face it, we all have the best intentions of sticking to resolutions at the beginning of a year, but most of the time we don't. There are always things that I want to do more of at the start of a new year but I don't put huge pressure on myself to stick to whatever it might be from the 1st January to the 31st of December. I just look at it as things that I'd like to think about and do more of during the year. I think it's good to think about things that you will enjoy doing, but also things that might be more of a challenge.

Whether it be healthy or hearty food, I love to cook from fresh, so it never really becomes a chore for me. I have my off days when I'm not in the mood, but it isn't very often when it comes to cooking. I love going through recipe books and putting little tabs on the pages of recipes I'd like to try. I also look online for recipes and have a folder for those that I'd like to try and a folder for tried and tested recipes that we enjoyed, so I can go back and make them again. I jot down the ingredients that I'll need for recipes and then during our next 'big shop', I'll pick up those ingredients. Don't get me wrong we have our treat days where we eat out or have a takeaway and we don't beat ourselves up over this as we never do this to the point where we should be worried about it, but in general, I like to look after myself and my husband in this way. If you don't like cooking, then this may be a hard one for you, but I'd recommend doing what I said above with the recipe book. It'll give cooking a bit more structure and it won't seem as daunting when you're at the supermarket and have no clue where to start.

Maintaining a skincare routine is an easy one for me as it's something I like to do as I can see the benefits. I always feel rubbish if I haven't cleansed, toned or moisturised my skin. I'm not a saint, I have those days when I use make-up remover wipes, but over the years I've found the ones that work well for me. My main skincare routine includes a cleanser, a toner and a moisturiser. I use face masks once or twice a month and also use an overnight repair cream and an eye cream. I'm thinking of doing a current skincare routine post soon, so I won't go into too much detail now. My skin feels so much better when I include all of these steps and if for some reason I forget to use a product, I definitely notice! If you already have products but don't stick to a specific skincare routine, I'd recommend giving it a go, at least then you're doing your bit in looking after your skin and you'll start to notice a difference. If you have no routine, I'd recommend treating yourself to a proper cream cleanser (cleansers you can use with a hot cloth are wonderful), a toner and a moisturiser to start with. You can go onto eye creams, masks and night creams later. You don't have to spend a fortune either, Boots often have deals on their skincare products. You might be lucky and find products that work for you straight away, but if you've never had a routine before, it might take a couple of products to get a real feel for your skin type and find those products that work perfectly for you. You could always try speaking to an assistant in Boots or another drug store and see what they'd recommend for the type of skin that you feel you have.

The last part of looking after me is a bit more challenging as I find it hard to get the motivation to do it. You might have guessed it, it's exercise/fitness. The thing is I love it when I'm doing it and I feel so much better for doing it and I know this, it's the same every time. I might be shattered after a good session of exercise/fitness but I ALWAYS feel better for it and that alone should be enough to get me going, but it's not. I know a lot of people feel this way and it's hard to fathom to be honest, but getting the motivation to exercise/keep fit is hard! I suppose if I was in a routine it might be easier, but it's more of the case that because I don't HAVE to do it, I don't. So yes, this is something I want to do more of this year. Me and Si starting running around our local park last year, in the run up to our wedding and we quite enjoyed it, so we will definitely be doing that again this year. We also like taking little walks, so we'll probably do that more too. I want to get a few exercise DVDs aswell, that I can do at home. I really want to get into yoga this year too. I love the thought of exercise that gives you perspective and peace of mind, so I need me a bit of that! One thing I will say if you are umming and ahhing over exercise/fitness, is that you will feel so much better afterwards. You might feel exhausted to start with, but exercise builds up your energy, helps metabolism and just generally makes you feel better in yourself. It's hard to explain, but you'll know what I mean!

Image courtesy of Pinterest.

I also had a hair cut and colour (I've never had my hair coloured before!) recently. I wanted a change for the new year and I'm sooo happy with it :)...

These are just a few things I've been doing and thinking about in January to set me up for the new year. Everyone has different priorities/situations, so what have you been doing to start a fresh new year? Let me know in the comments section below :).

Thanks so much for reading lovelies!
Gem XxOo