New Years Getaway

A little Queensland new years getaway is a lovely way to spend some time alone with baby. I've also been catching up with friends and exploring but since today is new years eve I'm going to spend some time alone, do some yoga and reflect on the past 12 months. I'm looking forward to 2013, so many exciting things to look forward to!

I went exploring a beautiful little creek early one morning, such a beautiful way to start the day.

My belly is growing so much!

17 weeks

Dave felt the baby move! At 16 Weeks and 4 days, late one night while watching a movie the baby was particularly active so I got Dave to rest his hand on my belly and he felt a few tiny kicks!
I've been feeling the baby move for what seems like such a long time so I'm so glad Dave can now feel it too! I can't wait until India can feel it too.

Lately I've been bothered by the fact that I've been craving chips. Food cravings can be a hard one to tackle because it doesn't always mean you should be eating loads of what you crave. My training as a prenatal yoga teacher taught me that we should look at the quality of the food we are craving in order to see if we could satisfy the craving by means other than eating. Sweet cravings are an easy one to figure out, think about the ways you can get more sweetness into your life. Snuggles and hugs are a far better way to satisfy sweet cravings than eating an entire bag of lollies. For me chips are a harder one to figure out, hot chips are warm, salty, oily and make me feel like I've eaten a meal. Considering I only crave them when I'm out of the house (or  don't want to spend half an hour cooking) it probably means I'm looking for something that will make me feel like I've just eaten dinner rather than feeling like grabbing a piece of fruit or some crackers. I also crave the crunchiness and oiliness of packet potato chips as well. I've always been big on the crunch factor and being pregnant has probably exacerbated it. Part of me also feels that because of my food problems I haven't been able to eat anything processed as well as a number of different oils for a long time until I started taking milk thistle supplements. This sudden ability to indulge in awful processed food has probably got me a little excited and on a bit of a bender. Although oily processed food doesn't give me severe abdominal cramps and bloating these days I know that overall it doesn't make me feel good and it's not good for me so I'm keen to get these cravings under control.

 Another school of thought on cravings links the craving to a lack of a particular nutrient. I found a pretty cool website on this topic http://odyb.net/nutrients/8-most-common-food-cravings-which-one-is-yours/. It says that craving oily food probably means I need to have more (good) fat in my diet and eat more regularly. It also suggests that oily cravings can be a sign of a need for more calcium. Considering now that I'm in my second trimester and the baby is busy building bones I'm sure more calcium wouldn't go astray. I have been taking a plant calcium supplement but not everyday because it's in powdered form and needs to be mixed with water so I don't always feel like taking it. I'm sure adding more good fats to my diet and eating more regular meals (which can be difficult when I'm out) would help too.

I craved doughnuts when I was pregnant with India and having since been diagnosed with Coeliacs disease I know that I was obviously not craving something that my body needed. Overall I like to use both my yogic perspective and the nutrient deficiency perspective to look more closely at why we crave different foods.

I feel really good these days, no back pain or any other niggling problems.

I've noticed that our little baby is most active during the evenings. He/She has been busy getting chubbier and practicing sucking and swallowing. The little one is about 13cm long now, no wonder those kicks are starting to feel so big!

16 Weeks

I've been busy knitting a lot this week. With a little Winter baby coming it's the perfect excuse to knit loads of beautiful little things. My plan is to have only hand made things and to buy things that are made from organic natural fibers. I kept a few organic cotton clothes and some things that I made for India so my collection of beautiful baby things is starting to come together nicely.

Yesterday we spent an hour in the car talking baby names on our way home. Unfortunately Dave and India never come up with serious names. Among India's suggestions were Rainbow Rainbow and Star Sprinkle. But we did come up with one possibility last night...

My baby has been busy with building bones this week. The first bones to ossify are the ones in the legs and inner ear. Getting bigger now at 11-12cm long and weighing about 100 grams.

Homebirth

Homebirth is something that I am very passionate about. Homebirth provides a number of benefits for both mum and bub. For starters you and your baby are less likely to die or to have an unnecessary c-section when you birth your baby at home. Homebirth also has less intervention and trauma, better maternal/baby bonding, and better APGAR scoring. Fathers and siblings are also able to be involved with the birth and mothers are more likely to be happy with the birth experience. There are many other benefits to having a birth at home under the care of a qualified midwife so it is worth looking into before arguing against it.


Here are a link on homebirth from my midwife Lisa's blog:

http://www.homebirth.net.au/2008/06/homebirth-vs-hospital-statistics-to-die.html


Another birth blog:

http://birthunplugged.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/how-homebirth-benefits-babies.html

India's Birth Story

Our midwife Lisa published India's birth story on her blog. I've re-read it a few times over the years and it makes me cry every time. It was such a beautiful experience, there are many other positive birth stories published and Lisa has a world of knowledge about pregnancy and birth (we are so lucky to be having her with us for the pregnancy and birth of our second baby!) so I definitely recommend checking it out.

http://www.homebirth.net.au/2008/04/indias-homebirth-story.html

15 Weeks

I've definitely been feeling a renewed sense of energy this past week. I have more energy for yoga and have been including more standing and strength building poses. I'm loving lunges at the moment, the stretch through my hips feels great.

I've been craving lemon a lot lately, mostly in the form of traditional old school lemonade. Fresh lemon, a pinch of organic raw sugar and loads of filtered water and ice. It's the perfect pick me up on these hot days.

My breasts feel ridiculously big and I'm so glad I invested in new bras a couple of weeks ago.

My little baby is getting bigger and is about 10cm long from crown to rump. He/she can sense light now even though the eyes are still fused shut. His/her hearing is starting to function- all the more reason for India to keep singing songs to my belly!

Oh how I love my growing belly!

 

Don't forget to meditate!

Sacred Pregnancy Movement

A little while ago I discovered this beautiful book and magazine. Reading positive things about pregnancy and birth make any pregnant woman feel good no matter how empowered she already is.

There are also links to Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to check out.

http://www.sacredpregnancy.com/

14 Weeks

Hello trimester two! I'm feeling pretty good again after that week or so of feeling a bit sick from the acupuncture wearing off. My lower back has been sore on and off but other than that I feel great.

My ridiculous appetite has subsided a little which makes trips out of the house easier to manage. It's also nice to have regular meals without feeling like all I do is eat!

I've been feeling the baby's movements more regularly and I'm loving my big round belly so much! I'm really excited about the coming weeks and months.

My little baby is now about 9cm long and now that all that important body forming stuff has been sorted out the baby will start a period of major brain growth and getting a bit chubbier. The placenta is now fully formed and functioning and will remain bigger than the little baby until about week 16.

 

This one was just too cute not to show off. India wanted to show off her gorgeous belly too!

Yoga Fun!

India and I had a bit of fun with yoga today. India's favorite thing by far is to do headstands against the wall but she also enjoys a bit of meditation with me and making up her own poses.

Side stretch- great for keeping those hips supple, releasing lower back tension and stretching through the whole side of the body.  

 Trikonasana- this is also great from stretching through the side of the body and releasing tension in the hips.

Modified Adho Mukha Svanasana - This is great if downward dog makes you feel a bit dizzy, you still get the benefits of releasing tension in your chest and back as well as gently stretching the backs of your legs.

 Mumma and daughter headstands! Not recommended for a beginning yogi if you are pregnant. I make sure to practice near a wall in case my balance is a bit off. India loves doing this, especially on the couch!

 Salamba Sarvangasana- I love shoulder stands, if ever I'm feeling a bit tense or just not myself I find that relaxing into a shoulder stand feels great and when I come out of it and rest in shavasana it's like heaven! This asana requires a lot of flexibility in the neck and shoulders, not for a beginning mumma yogi and if you do practice it please do so under the guidance of a qualified teacher.

Check India out, chilling in her headstand! 

Headstands- Another favorite of mine but not for a pregnant mumma new to yoga and I would recommend teacher guidance and the support of a wall just in case.

My belly almost disappears when I do this!

Look at India showing off with no hands! 

 Ahhh, mumma and daughter meditation- the perfect way to end a bit of yoga fun. Every one can meditate, just start small and build on it. Even just a moment in meditation is beneficial for children (and grownups!) so it's never too early to start.

13 Weeks

I've been waking up feeling great in the mornings but as the day goes on I've been feeling a bit icky. I was wondering what on earth is wrong with me and then realised that it's probably just the tail end of this morning sickness thing. I haven't been to the Chinese doctor in over 3 weeks so the effect of the acupuncture has probably worn off and I'm feeling a little bit of the sickness again. On the days when I do nothing but eat all day (picnics are great for this) I feel great but I start to feel yuck if I forget to snack between meals. I still nap sometimes but not everyday.

Even though I still feel a bit yuck at times I've been busy doing lots of art and yoga. After the past couple of months of being too tired to read I've finally felt like picking up a book again.

My baby is about 7cms or so and has a working nervous system. Fingerprints are forming now as well as that lovely peach fuzz hair all over his/her body.

12 Weeks

12 weeks! I'm feeling pretty good at the moment, I'm a lot less tired than I was a few weeks ago but still need a nap sometimes.

I'm getting used to eating all the time and I've been making sure I eat before I get hungry. I've been super keen on potatoes and I've been eating loads of fruit.

I'm excited about nearing the end of this trimester and starting the second. It's beautiful to know that much of the key developmental milestones are now behind us and we can just concentrate on plumping this little baby up by feeding myself lots of healthy and delicious food.

This little baby is about 6-7cm from crown to rump. Lots of growing to go!

 

I've been enjoying yoga but keeping it light and relaxed. I am still doing inversions but some days I've found that my balance is a bit off so I always make sure to practice near a wall just to be on the safe side. Here's me in one of my favorites- pigeon pose. Careful ladies, do not attempt this pose if you are pregnant and new to yoga. If you are well practiced I would recommend doing this under the guidance of a qualified teacher.

  

Buckwheat

Buckwheat has to be my favorite seed. Related to rhubarb, it is high in protein which makes it the perfect addition to a pregnant woman's diet. It is also high in iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, B and selenium. There are also a number of other vitamins and minerals in lesser amounts. Buckwheat is gluten free which makes me very happy!

I use buckwheat everyday, some days I have it with every meal. I use buckwheat flour mixed with other flours in my pancakes. I mix raw buckwheat seeds with my yoghurt and fruit in the morning. Buckwheat is great raw or toasted and sprinkled onto salads (I love crunchy bits in salad). I put buckwheat in soups and stews. I grind it and make porridge, the possibilities are endless!

If I need to make something to eat fast or if I just don't feel like cooking I add buckwheat to whatever random food I have thrown together so that I know that at least I'm getting loads of good stuff into me. India loves buckwheat too, she always asks for seeds on top of her food and feels like she's missing out on a tasty treat if she doesn't get buckwheat, chia or linseeds on top.

Buckwheat is definitely one of my favorite pregnancy super foods. If you haven't tried it you should gets some and start experimenting!

11 Weeks

I'm no longer working (hooray!), the long days were just getting too hard. Dave is super supportive and believes that I shouldn't have to work when I'm pregnant because I'm already doing something very important. I'm lucky to have such a wonderful husband!

Frequent napping is a must at the moment, I feel like I can actually function when I have one or two naps a day. Now that I'm not working I don't have to spend my days off recovering. My days are now filled with art and gardening, and hanging out with India and Dave. I'm so lucky!

My nausea is completely gone! I'm still hungry all the time and I must remember to make sure I have snacks with me all the time. I lost it yesterday and had a big hormonal crying session because I was hungry. I don't think Dave knew what to do, he was a little exasperated. I explained after that when I am clearly acting irrational all I need is a hug and that should set me straight.

I've been doing a bit more yoga again as my energy levels are slowly coming back, it shouldn't be long before I can manage a full morning routine again. I'm going to take it easy over the next few weeks as it is recommended that you don't do any heat building poses between weeks 11-13.

I'm craving juicy fruit a lot. It's the perfect time for devouring loads of fruit with all those delicious Summer fruits coming into season.

The baby is about 5-6cm long now and looking more like a little baby. I'm nearing the end of the first trimester already, it all seems to be going so fast!

10 Weeks

Lower back pain seems to be the most annoying little thing this week but after going to my Chinese doctor and getting some awesome cupping therapy the pain completely disappeared. Still a little nauseous but not always. I feel like I've done nothing but sleep these past few days. But still, I feel good and I'm enjoying my little veggie garden and I'm doing lots of art. We've even started building India a cubby house complete with a yellow brick road to her door. Maybe all this extra stuff I've been doing is the reason I feel so tired.

This little baby was very active on Friday, I felt lots of movements all day. Usually I just feel a couple of movements here and there but there was so much going on in there on Friday. Yesterday when I was getting my acupuncture done I felt quite a few somersaults too, apparently babies respond well to acupuncture.

We have our midwife all sorted now. We are having Lisa again, she's coming over from Adelaide to birth with us. I'm really happy to have her again, she was so perfect the first time round that we figured we should see if she could be there again.

I haven't been to a doctor or to the hospital for any check ups and hopefully I won't need to. I'm perfectly healthy with no reason to have any medical intervention. I trust my instincts and I would always seek help if I felt it was necessary but pregnancy is a normal process and I've done it before so I feel I have nothing to worry about. I know that I can call Lisa whenever I need to and if it's necessary she would hook me up with a lovely midwife over here. I plan to get over to Adelaide a few times over the next few months so I can set up some antenatal check ups, but I feel pretty relaxed about everything.

My little baby is about 4cm long now, the size of one of those tasty little plums that we pick from the trees around the neighborhood every December.

9 Weeks

The days and weeks seem to be flying by, I'm 9 weeks already!

I'm feeling less tired and nauseous over the past few days. I still need an afternoon rest most days and eating can be difficult sometimes but for the most part I feel really good. The herbs my Chinese doctor gave me for fatigue are really helping and the acupuncture has done wonders.

In my quiet moments alone with my baby I can feel movements, little tumbles and bumps. Most will say it's too early to feel movement but I've been pregnant before and I know the difference between the movements of digestion and the movements of a baby.

I'm enjoying my gorgeous round belly, I feel so full and happy. I've been getting some occasional lower back pain, nothing too bad and nothing a bit of yoga can't fix.

My two favorite smells at the moment are cola and Vegemite. It's a pity I can't have either of them! I might have to invest in some gluten free Vegemite substitute and some caffeine free organic cola.

I had another dream about giving birth, it was calm and quiet with no noticeable contractions. In my dream I woke to find the baby already crowing. Dave was downstairs and I really wanted India to be there to see it so I didn't send her to get him. The baby came out quickly and there was no crying as she took in her new world. She looked just like India.

The little baby is the size of an olive now. I'm so excited, everything is just perfect.

8 Weeks

The weeks are flying by. I'm listening to my body, getting plenty of rest and eating lots of great food. I can't get enough fruit at the moment. Oranges are divine. I was eating more dairy than normal and craving ice cream for a few days, I think it was the warm weather and the need for extra protein. I'm all for cooking from scratch- soaking beans and then cooking them and using them right away; but my need to eat all the time and my slight fussiness at times has made it difficult to think ahead that far. I asked Dave to get me some canned beans so I would have instant food and a preferable source of protein when I need it. I've hardly had any dairy since digging into those cans so I'm feeling much better about what I'm eating.

I'm thirsty all the time and drink constantly through the night which means that I'm also waking up to go to the toilet 5 times a night. I have also been waking up at 3am every night and not being able to get back to sleep. At least when the baby is born I will be used to waking up all night. I remember it being like this when I was pregnant with India.

I've been a bit stressed. Work related. Yesterday my Chinese doctor said she could feel the stress in my pulse. I've been trying not to worry myself and focus on all the beautiful things happening inside me. I'm looking forward to finishing work in a few weeks and being able to spend more time with my family and growing belly.

I got some acupuncture done yesterday to soothe my stress and the little bit of morning sickness I have. I'm so glad that I haven't been as sick this time round, I think it has a lot to do with how I'm managing it. The acupuncture helps and it also helps that usually i can rest when I need to and I'm making sure I eat regular meals and snack throughout the day (and night).

Half my wardrobe is too small and I'm in desperate need of a new bra.

My beautiful baby is growing fast, my little jelly bean. It sure has plenty of room in there at the moment, my belly is so big!

Belly!

So, I'm only 7 weeks and wasn't expecting to start showing for another month at least but last Thursday at 7 weeks and 1 day my belly just kind of popped out. I'm guessing that it's because my uterus and body have stretched before so my body kind of just knows what to do.

This morning I pulled out my nice stretchy belly belt that I kept from when I was pregnant with Indi. Half my wardrobe doesn't fit me already and with all this gorgeous spring weather we are having I want to be able to keep wearing shorts.

I thought I should take some more photos as proof of my giant belly. I'm loving the roundness of it and have been smothering it with all kinds of delicious oils- coconut, sesame, cocoa butter...

Yoga in the First Trimester

If you are feeling tired and nauseous, yoga is probably the last thing on your mind. Until I started feeling sick I managed a consistent daily practice and even got up at 5am to do yoga for an hour before work.

At the moment I'm too tired to get up that early and if I don't eat as soon as I get out of bed I feel terrible. My solution is to make an effort to do yoga in small bouts throughout my day; and this I can assure you will be necessary if you want to continue a consistent yoga practice after the baby is born, so it's not a bad thing to get used to the idea now.

When you are feeling pretty flat, I think the best thing is choose asana (poses) that are relaxing and make you feel good. Just listen to your body, it will tell you what it needs. If asana is out of the question at the moment try to include pranayama (breathing) exercises as they increase oxygen flow and can help when you are particularly nauseous or tired. Meditation can help to calm your mind and centre you if you are struggling to get through your day. Meditation also gives you a chance to connect with your baby in this early stage when you feel lost in nausea and exhaustion.

Here are a couple of my favorites to help you through these sometimes difficult few weeks.

-Extended Balasana (Child's pose)

Kneel on the floor with knees slightly apart. As you exhale lean forward bringing your head to the floor and extending you arms out straight above your head. Stay hear with your breath for a minute or more. If lowering your head to the floor makes you dizzy, try resting it on a block or bolster instead.
This pose can help with lower back pain and releasing tension between the shoulder blades; and gently stretches the hips, ankles, knees and spine. It also calms the mind and releases stress and anxiety.

-Reclined Baddha Konasna (butterfly)

As your belly becomes bigger it becomes more and more important to support the weight in supine positions so as not to put excess pressure on the Vena Cava. Uses bolsters or a bean bag and pillows to prop you up as you lie back and relax in this asana. Begin sitting with the soles of your feet together, letting your knees fall out to the side. For a more supported pose, place blocks or blankets under the knees. Slowly lie back using your hands to guide you and rest with you hands placed on the floor palms up. Stay in this pose breathing slowly for several minutes.
This pose gently opens the hips, which is great preparation for birth. It also counteracts the forward rounding of the spine and opens the chest and back. Baddha Konasana gently stimulates the digestive system which can become sluggish during pregnancy.

-Belly breathing 

Sit comfortably on the floor or a chair. Place your hands on your belly and close your eyes. As you breathe in draw the breath down into your abdomen as you let your belly expand. As you exhale feel your belly gently contract as you completely empty your lungs. Keep your breath slow and deliberate and stay here for several breaths or several minutes.

Belly breathing makes the most efficient use of each breath by allowing the lungs to expand fully. It increases oxygen flow to you and your baby bringing you energy and relaxing your mind and body. It also allows carbon dioxide and toxins to be released efficiently as you exhale. 

7 Weeks

It really feels like a lot is happening inside me now. My belly is growing fast, much faster than it did with India.
I'm finding solace in the fact I feel so tired and sick most of the time because it means everything is going well.
I can't get enough artichoke hearts at the moment, I'm devouring as many as I can.
Early this morning I felt a bit of movement in my belly. Some would say it's too early for that but it's my body and just because the baby is small doesn't mean I can't feel it.

My baby is already the size of a little bean, complete with arms and legs!

 

So excited, so tired, so sick, but  loving every minute!

6 Weeks

I felt a big change on Sunday, I think the baby had a growth spurt. The change in my belly is noticeable to Dave now, before now when I got him to feel my belly I'm pretty sure he couldn't feel what I was feeling. It's still early days I know so the rest of the world can't see what we can.

All week I've been feeling a slight undertone of nausea until yesterday when morning sickness really kicked in. I had acupuncture yesterday and I was feeling less sick this morning. Hopefully it stays as just morning sickness and not all day sickness. I'm pretty lucky to have the most awesome daughter in the world, she's been making me breakfast in bed, it does wonders for morning sickness!

India has been singing songs that she's made up to the baby, it's so lovely and makes me so happy. Right now I'm watching her meditate in preparation for her headstands against the wall. That definitely gives me the warm fuzzies!

This week my little baby is the size of a lentil. Oh baby lentil you are doing so much growing!

Dreaming

I had a beautiful dream about birth last night. In my dream I woke to find the baby's had already showing. There were no noticeable contractions but with one push the baby's head came out. Somehow I got out of bed and went to the kitchen where I squatted down and lifted the baby as he came out. Holding him in my arms I witnessed his first breath which was calm and beautiful.

Breakfast

All this gorgeous Melbourne spring weather deserves an awesome raw breakfast.
Orange, banana, strawberry and raspberry fruit smoothie with homemade linseed and chia seed crackers.

2 oranges, 1 banana, a few strawberries and a hand full of frozen raspberries make for the ultimate smoothie.

I made crackers in the dehydrator last night. First I soaked some linseeds and chia seeds in 1.5 times as much water for a few hours. I added a pinch of salt and some yeast flakes for extra flavour and spread out spoonfuls onto the dehydrator tray. I just put the dehydrator on in the evening and by morning I have yummy crackers.

5 Weeks

Mama's been quite tired this week. Loving the early nights and lazy days. I'll be back to work again next week so I'm making the most of my rest and the beautiful Melbourne spring weather.

I've been enjoying yoga and I'm continuing to eat well. Last week slow cooked chunks of carrot in curry was my thing, as well as sauerkraut; but this week I think it's eggplant. Eggplant on homemade pizza, eggplant curry, eggplant anything would be good. I'm still keen on the sauerkraut but that's nothing unusual for me.

I went to a Chinese doctor yesterday, I'm hoping that one day my food sensitivities will disappear. It feels like I've been trying to work this out forever. Anyway, it's probably to do with my liver so I'm taking some interesting herbs and I'll see where that goes. I've also been taking milk thistle extract for my liver and since I started about 5 days ago I haven't felt at all queasy. Milk thistle is great for your liver and considering the liver is where all these crazy new hormones are getting processed I think it's been helping my liver to function better. Here's hoping I don't get morning sickness!

India is so excited about being a big sister, she can't wait. She's already set aside some of her toys for the baby. She also decided to announce the news to the ladies in the health food shop.

Here's a picture of the doting big sister loving my belly.

The little baby-to-be is now about 2mm long. Growing so fast! I can feel my uterus getting bigger everyday. Not a lot for all you outsiders to see but here's me at 5 weeks.

Natural Remedies for Colds

I've got a cold at the moment so I'm feeling pretty run down and tired. I've read that it's not uncommon to get sick in the first weeks of pregnancy because your body suppresses its immune system so that it is less likely to reject the embryo as something foreign.

In keeping with my ideals of avoiding drugs at all costs during the preconception period, pregnancy and while breastfeeding (and as a general rule for my own health and well being) I choose not to have any pharmaceutical drugs (yes, this includes paracetamol, ibuprofen and the like) and stick to natural ways of boosting my immune response and getting over colds.

Here is a list of natural remedies to try when you are feeling under the weather, and these remedies are great whether you are pregnant or not so use these as your first point of call before you decide that you need to head to the doctor.

Ginger, lemon and honey tea

- 1 tsp grated ginger

- ½ - 1 lemon juiced

- 1 tsp honey (preferably raw honey)

- Enough boiling water to fill your favourite mug.

Put ginger, lemon and honey in a mug and top with boiling water. Go and sit down and put your feet up for 10mins to enjoy you hot drink.

Echinacea tea

- 1 tsp Echinacea leaves in 1 cup of boiling water. Leave for3-5mins before drinking.

Garlic

- Everyone knows that garlic is good for you but unless you are putting it into every meal you eat, it can be hard to get enough of it into you. My naturopath suggests swallowing garlic like a tablet. If you have around three cloves a day it shouldn’t give you garlic breath, but any more than that might.

Raspberry leaf tea

- Not only is raspberry leaf good for toning you uterus, it is also good for sore throats so a cup a day is a must! Here's a great blog entry I found on Raspberry leaf if you want to find out some more info. http://journeytocrunchville.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/red-raspberry-leaf-tea-what-every-pregnant-woman-needs/

- 1tsp raspberry leaf in 1 cup of boiling water. Let the tea steep for 3-5 mins before drinking.

Vitamin C

- Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and great when you feel a cold coming on. You can take around 2g daily to ward off colds and combat free radicals. Vitamin C usually comes in 500g tablets, your body can only process 500g of vitamin C a time so you need to spread out taking tablets throughout the day otherwise you just end up weeing out all the vitamin C that you body can’t process.

Liquorice root tea

Liquorice root boosts immune system and reduces inflammation; it is anti-allergenic (great for hay fever) and soothes headaches. Along with many other amazing beneficial properties, this is one to include in your diet.

- 1tsp dried liquorice root in 1 cup of boiling water. Leave for 3-5 mins before drinking

4 Weeks

I think a picture shows this best.

At the moment I'm feeling pretty good. I can feel a fullness in my belly, and my breasts and nipples have been quite sore. I've also been going to bed quite early for the past week or so.

I was too excited to sleep last night after doing the test so I got up and started knitting. With 6 months of preconception care I've had plenty of time to think about things and plan what I want to make for the baby.

I'm so proud of my husband for giving up his addiction to caffeine for 6 months so that we could make sure both of us were as healthy as we could be before we tried to conceive. Dave and I are generally pretty healthy, so all we really needed to do was stop having coffee and the occasional cider for a few months. For those interested in looking into preconception care and giving their future child the best start in life I recommend reading The Natural Way to Better Babies' by Francesca Naish and Janette Roberts.
Here's a link...
http://www.dymocks.com.au/productdetails/ProductDetail.aspx?R=9780091831356#.UGOaC0TKTkc

Here's me and my belly at 4 weeks. Little baby-to-be is only the size of a poppy seed, how cute!
I worked out when the baby is due, it's going to be a late May/ early June baby.

A Bit of History

I am one of five children- all birthed at home. I was born in the summer of 1985 on the lounge room floor of our Sydney north shore home. For Mum I was baby number two.

Homebirth has been a pretty significant part of my life. I remember waking up the night my mother went into labour with my brother. I was ushered back to bed but in the morning I was proud to announce to my siblings that our baby had been born and we snuck a peak into the bedroom where Mum and our baby brother were fast asleep.

Our youngest brother was born when I was twelve. Being there for the birth was amazing. My brother was an unexpected breech, not even the midwife suspected it until his bottom presented first. I’m so lucky that I go to experience my mother’s pregnancy and birth for what it is and what it should be- a natural process free from fear and unnecessary medical intervention. I believe that doctors and hospitals have a place-a very important and possibly life saving place- but not for women with low risk pregnancies. Doctors induce so much fear around pregnancy and actually cause a whole lot of complications that could be avoided if the woman was in a supported, comfortable and safe environment where she felt empowered and was encouraged to trust in her body.

I became pregnant when I was 21. It wasn’t exactly planned but I was more than ready to become a mother. I have been lucky enough to have a very supportive (now) husband who supported my wish for a pregnancy and birth free from medical intervention. I practiced yoga everyday throughout my pregnancy and made sure I ate really well and listened to my body’s needs. After a five-and-a-half hour labour I gave birth to our daughter (on her due date) in a birthing pool in the bedroom of our little unit by the ocean in Adelaide. Dave and I had the support of an amazing midwife and well as my amazing mother and mother-in-law and I am happy to say that it was a beautiful experience.

Growing up, we were always different. Both my parents are health conscious and chose to bring my siblings and I up as vegetarians. As a child I just accepted that this was how we lived (as all children do) so it wasn’t until I hit my teens that I really started to think about what being a vegetarian meant and really believing that this was what I wanted to continue to support for the world and my body.

I spent a year living in a caravan by the sea when I was 20 and during that time I did a lot of reading. It was then that I decided to become vegan. I was vegan for five years- a period that includes when I was pregnant and breast fed my daughter. I would whole heartedly continue to be vegan if it wasn’t for being diagnosed with Coeliacs disease and developing an intolerance to several other foods- one of which is soy. Eating just became too hard and not very fun. The decision to go back to being a vegetarian was a tough one but I believe it was necessary for my health. I’ve never eaten eggs and these days I try to buy only organic dairy as this is better for myself and my family’s health and it is better for the animals involved and our earth.

I grew up in a very creative family. My dad is an artist and musician and my mum has always made clothes and taught us to crochet and sew and to be creative in general. I consider myself pretty lucky to have been exposed to such wonderful things in my childhood because it’s those years that shape your life forever.

I finally completed my university degree at the end of 2011 and am now a qualified Primary School teacher. I also completed my yoga teacher training at the end of 2011 and I specialise in pre- and post-natal yoga and yoga for infants, children and teens. I am looking forward to drawing upon my knowledge and past experiences of pregnancy, birth, parenting, yoga, food, and all things creative as I go through my pregnancy and birth the second time round.