Tag: babygirl

Weeks 22 & 23: Resolutions

3 Comments

Christmas, New Year… it’s one of my favorite times of the year at the moment. I love to reflect on everything that has happened during the last months and to look forward to the new year to come. I love to spend this time of the year with my little family. It makes me realize how absolutely lucky we are to have each other. I know it sounds silly (and it might be the pregnancy hormones to some extend) but I have rarely felt as grateful as during the last two weeks. Just to see little L giggle with excitement when I switch on the lights of the Christmas tree makes me feel so absolutely happy… (that’s also why I don’t want to remove the tree haha).  It’s the last day of 2015 today. Time to wish you all a very happy New Year 2016 with loads of laughter, friends and new challenges to take on. No long post today, just some reflections about how I see 2016 (as a future mum of two😉 ). Enjoy!

The symptoms I am supposed to have in weeks 22 and 23 (and how I am really feeling)

  • Sensitive belly button: Hmm, no, not really. But in general, the lower part of my belly is itching more than usual.
  • Nice and fresh looking skin, shine hair: I wish! Well, it is maybe true that the hair is getting a bit nicer than usual but I wouldn’t say that my skin is “nice and fresh looking”. I rather have more spots than usual… Hope that this will go away soon… It might also be due to the chocolate and sugar overkill during the last days?!
  • Pregnancy brain and clumsiness: Ok, so, that’s my husband’s favorite symptom for sure! He would definitely underline that I am constantly forgetting things at the moment and that I am always bumping into things… And he’s probably right… I am forgetting an awful lot these days. Everything needs to be written down… Apparently, this is the result of hormonal changes. The good news is that this forgetfulness is only temporary. The bad news is that it can last until your baby’s first birthday (which means that I might actually be having “pregnancy brain” since over two years since I got pregnant when little L was one year old…!)
  • Baby’s movements: I’ve read that the baby’s movements are now really easy to recognize – and that’s definitely true. I can feel Miss M every day a bit more – and she’s definitely not one of the quiet babies😉

 

Little Miss M
Little L now weighs as much as a large mango. She’s really getting big now! We won’t see her for a while as the next scan has been scheduled for February only. But I can feel her – and that’s the most important thing😉 During the last days, Miss M’s inner ear mechanism has apparently fully formed, which means that she can now really hear what I am hearing. Over the next weeks, she will be able to get used to certain sounds and recognize them – and even respond to them by moving around. I am singing quite a lot for Luca but maybe I should put more music when we are home. Will work on that:-)

What I find quite interesting is that once Miss M’s sense of hearing evolves, she will also be able to learn and remember things. For example, she might be startled by a certain noise at first (her brother’s screaming when I try to convince him to change his nappy…?!) but, if she is hearing this noise over and over again, she actually adapts to it and finally, ignores it. Crazy how early our brain starts to work!

FullSizeRender

This week’s topic

Bring on 2016!
Today is December 31. The last day of an amazing year, full of emotions, new challenges and happy moments. Tomorrow, we will all start a new year, a new chapter. Funny thing how we suddenly all think that, from one day to the next, everything will change. It’s as if we were crossing some kind of border during the night from December 31st to January 1st. As if we were waking up “on the other side”. In a new land where everything is possible and new. With loads of new opportunities, challenges and surprises. As if we left all bad things behind and started writing on a new blank page.

And obviously, no “border crossing”, no start into a new year, no new blank page without resolutions… I have always found the idea of setting unrealistic goals for the New Year (most of which are things you hate to do) quite, let’s say, un-motivating. Like discussing about planning to lose 5kg in the New Year while you’re eating turkey, raclette and Christmas cake…?! In order to change things, I usually need to start directly when I think about them. I need to want to change something so badly that I can’t put it off. The simple idea of starting to change something in some weeks only tells me that I will never do it…

IMG_7224

 

Having said that, this doesn’t mean that I am not thinking about 2016 and about how it will be as a mum of two. Of course, there are many things I want to work on. There will be new challenges that will need to be tackled. We will need to find a new balance as a family of four. Guess if I’d take only one New Year’s resolution it would be “Don’t go completely crazy next year. Keep cool. Others have done it as well (and survived somehow haha)”. No, seriously, no New Year’s resolutions for me. But here’s some stuff I want to work on (or keep up):

1. Get some help. Or should I say: accept that I will most probably need some kind of help with two kids, no family around and a travelling hubby. Our granny went back to Germany one day before Christmas. Long story. But to make it short: I still absolutely love the concept of getting a granny. It was just not the right solution for us at this very moment. I think a granny is probably better when you’re a working mum and when you’re not around all day. Our granny was great (little L loved her!) – just not the kind of help we needed right now. So, 2016’s challenge will be to find out what kind of help we want – and to make compromises, I am sure.

2. Keep up blogging. Somehow. And I seriously don’t know how I will do this with two kids (especially if Miss M will need to be nursed every few hours for nearly an hour as it was the case for Luca). But I want to make it happen. And hey, sleep is over-rated anyways, right? It’s the constant struggle between sleeping or doing something for yourself. But I will try to keep up the writing… let’s see how it goes.

3. Go out with my hubby more often before Miss M arrives – cause we will most probably not go out for some months after that…

4. Learn how to use our TV. Or better, get some channels that are worth watching. No, seriously. We have about a thousand channels, three remote controls and a) no channel is worth watching really b) this TV works once in a while. I am not saying that I will have a lot of time to watch TV but who knows… maybe once in a while haha

5. Have a glass of champagne. And if it’s only on December 31, 2016. I have not had a glass of champagne (or any alcohol really) since I was pregnant with little L (November 2013!). First pregnant, then nursing, then pregnant again… I can only imagine that I will need a glass of champagne (or wine or vodka???) with two kids😉

6. Keep up the healthy cooking for our little family. Again: no clue how I will do that with a toddler running around and a newborn in my arms. But bring on the new challenges:-)

7. I’ve heard that, when you have a newborn and a toddler at home, you should actually spend more time with the toddler and get more help with the newborn as your older child might feel more “left out” than the newborn. Easy to say, hard to do. But I definitely get the point and will keep that in mind.

8. Get a double-stroller that allows you to walk on the Marina / JBR sidewalks… Better we start looking now, I guess…

9. Try to keep up seeing friends – even with two kids. Even with a small baby. Ok, that’s a tough one. But I’m sure it’s doable somehow. And I guess it’ll be necessary for my survival.

10. Accept that our apartment will sometimes look like a play area / bachelor apartment / professional laundry. Arggggg…

11. Accept that I will cry. A lot. Because I want to escape. Because I am so happy. Because I have the feeling not to spend enough time with little L alone. Because I have the feeling not to spend as much time with Miss M as I did with Luca when he was a baby.

12. Wear more shoes than just my favorite pair of ballerinas every day. Seriously – why is that?!

13. Talk more and think less. I guess it’s time to start saying some things straight away and not to lose time keeping them for myself and feeling bad. Everyone’s better off with a honest discussion.

14. Put everything into perspective. As simple as that. Cause at the end of the day, I can be so happy to have such a great family, some amazing friends and the chance to be able to do what I want to do at this very moment.

 

Must haves for Miss M:
Let’s keep it simple for this last post in 2015: Just the happy family we are at this very moment. That’s all.

Happy New Year again and see you “on the other side”😉

xxx
Tani

IMG_7196

Weeks 19 & 20: In the Emergency Section

2 Comments

Well, apparently, there really is no time for writing at the moment… The last two weeks have once again been full of emotions… Not only was hubby home for 4 days (to celebrate the national day of the beautiful country that has welcomed us one year ago already!), we also welcomed Luca’s new granny (a German nanny of a certain age) in our family. Little L had his first operation with full anesthesia (all went well but I am more than glad that it is behind us now…) and I rushed to Al Zahra emergency section one night… The latter was not really planned I have to say. I’ll tell you more about it in this post.

The symptoms I am supposed to have in weeks 19 & 20 (and how I am really feeling)

  • Dizziness: Apparently, a lot of pregnant women feel dizzy, especially in the second trimester. This is due to many reasons, including the low blood pressure and low levels of iron in the blood. Thankfully, I haven’t experienced dizziness so far. At least, not very often.
  • Leg pain: No real pain but my legs definitely feel much heavier than usual, especially after a long day spent running after little L and carrying him…
  • Stretch marks: No sign of stretch marks for now and I am really happy about this. Maybe the fabulous products I am using have something to do with it (see previous post😉
  • Itchy skin: I’ve experienced this a lot during my first pregnancy but not that much in my second one. Well, it might still come. Let’s wait and see.

 

Little Miss M
We had a special meeting in week 19, little Miss M and me. I was happy to see her on the screen of my doc, of course, but I would have preferred to see her under other circumstances… But the most important thing is that she seemed to be perfectly fine. She has grown so much again and is now nearly the size of a banana! Apparently, our little miss can now clearly hear my voice (she will know all the nursery rhythms I am singing for little L before even being born haha). I should talk more to her but it has been so busy the last days or even weeks that I barely had the time to sit down and spend a moment only concentrating on the two of us. Will make that a priority on my to-to-list: spend more time with Miss M ;-)

FullSizeRender  FullSizeRender

This week’s topic

Take care of yourself…
…even though you might think that you don’t have time to do so. And even if it is you’re second pregnancy and you might think that all will be fine anyways.

When I was pregnant with little L I wanted to do everything right. I paid attention to every little sign that could indicate a potential problem. But when you’re pregnant for the second time and have a toddler to look after, well, everything is a bit different. In general, you are more easygoing. After all, you’ve all done it before – and everything went well. I am not as worried as I was in my first pregnancy. I know that I shouldn’t carry any heavy things. But my 16-months old doesn’t know about it. Or rather, he doesn’t care. So, when he wants to be picked up and carried, I do it. Because I love him (and because I don’t have the choice anyways haha).

When you’re pregnant with your second child you also have much less time to think about the little bean growing inside your body. Of course, you’re excited but you don’t think about it 24/7 (which I feel I did when I was expecting little L😉 )… But then, suddenly, something happens that reminds you that you’re carrying another human being and that you should pay a bit more attention to yourself…

The last weeks have been super busy. Moving flats, an ill toddler at home who hasn’t gone to nursery for weeks and who wasn’t sleeping that well, a new granny arriving, a first operation for Luca… There was not much time for sleep or a nap during the day. Then, one evening, I saw blood in my urine. (Sorry for the details…. I was hesitating to writing about it but then, I thought it might be good to share this experience as well as it is also part of the whole pregnancy journey). When I saw it, I was a bit scared at first but not too much to be honest as I felt no pain whatsoever. I called my gynecologist to ask her if there was any risk for the baby and any reason to worry. She told me to go directly to an emergency section as all doctor cabinets were already closed and the long National Holiday weekend was about to come up.

Even at that point, I was still more or less relaxed, mostly due to the fact that I had no pain. Our new granny and me went to Al Zahra Emergency section while my husband stayed home with little L (it was the first day after our granny’s arrival in Dubai… Not exactly the welcome package we had planned for her but what can you do…). At this point, I would like to underline how well organized Al Zahra Emergency section is (at least, that’s the impression I got). Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable as well. Plus, they were constantly in contact with my gynecologist, Dr. Anni Engberg Faelling. That’s something I really appreciated.

We hesitated quite a long time before choosing a hospital where I would give birth. If you want your own gynecologist to be present at that moment, it’s quite important which hospital you choose as gynecologists don’t do deliveries in just any hospital. We considered three hospitals in Dubai: American Hospital, Mediclinic City Hospital and Al Zahra Hospital. All of them give you the possibility to visit their respective maternity sections, which is quite useful and nice.

Here are the timings:

Al Zahra Hospital
Saturday afternoons and Wednesday evenings
For exact timings call 04 378 6666
On appointment only

Mediclinic City Hospital
There are 3 session every Friday, at 11am, 2pm, 4pm
No need to make an appointment
For more info call 04 435 9999

American Hospital
When I called they told me that there was no maternity tour organized but that we could come and have a look at the maternity and talk to a nurse. Very friendly staff on the phone:-)
For more info call 04 336 7777

We had a look at the maternity sections of Al Zahra and City Hospital. Both of them were satisfying, really, although the one of Al Zahra seems to give more options for women who want to go for a natural birth. They even have Dubai’s first water birth facility, which is part of a new suite offering a unique environment for hypnobirthing and active birth! Read more about it in Sassymama’s article and on Gulfnews.com.

But this was not the only reason why we finally opted for Al Zahra Hospital. It’s also much closer to Dubai Marina where we live. You can of course reach Dubai Health Care City in less than half an hour from here but this depends on the traffic… And who knows when little Miss M will decide to say hello! It might just as well be at rush hour haha:-)

So, well, back to last week’s events.

We spent the whole evening at the emergency section of Al Zahra Hospital doing different tests, talking to different nurses and doctors. I was much calmer than I would have been during my first pregnancy, for sure. Also, talking to our new granny helped. I even went home before we got the results of the tests as I was pretty sure that everything was ok.

It’s only when the doctor called me one hour after arriving at home and told me that I had a severe urinary tract infection (UTI) that might have reached my kidneys that I got concerned. He asked me to come back immediately and prescribed antibiotics and a check with my gynecologist as soon as possible after the bank holiday…

Hopefully, this stupid UTI has gone away by now, after a 5-days treatment with antibiotics… I will have a second check with my gynecologist soon. Let’s wait and see.

I wanted to share this experience for several reasons. First, I had no idea that you could get a urinary tract infection and have no symptoms whatsoever. Usually, UTI is very painful, so, I was not expecting this. This makes it so much more dangerous… So, drink loads and loads of water when you’re pregnant (and even when you’re not😉 ) and go to the toilet as soon as you feel the need to do so to prevent it (no more “first, I finish preparing my toddler’s lunch and then I will go” and then you forget about it). You can also drink cranberry juice or take cranberry capsules.

Second, listen to your body. I had some light pain in the lower part of my tummy and in the back, felt a bit tired and had a headache before discovering the blood in the urine. But I completely ignored these symptoms as I thought that they meant nothing at all. Just a bit too much stress the last days. Well, fact is that you should never ignore this kind of pain when you’re pregnant (have a look here to discover, which symptoms you should watch out for).

IMG_6824

 

Must haves for Miss M:
Let’s continue with something a bit more joyful😉 One of the things I am really looking forward to is to go shopping for little Miss M. Of course, there are really nice clothes for boys as well – but dressing a baby girl simply is something different. Just have a look at this super cute top and bloomer from Jules & Juliette (music box from Annabel Kern)! Can’t wait to start the shopping:-) You can have a look at Jules & Juliette’s beautiful collections the next time you walk across Ripe Market. Or simply check out #julesandjuliette on Instagram or on .

FullSizeRender[1]

xxx Tani