One step forward, 2 steps back... *sigh*

I know I'm bitching a lot - but it's my blog and I'll do what I want dammit! (Yup, still feeling just a little bit agro...)

1). The nausea has passed - yay yay yay yay yay and more yay!

2). My sciatic nerve has ALREADY given up the ghost - this is scary shit so early on! It is bearable when I sit, lie down or walk. If I stand still for longer than 5 seconds I get excruciating sharp pains from my lower back down my left leg - bad enough to make me yell out and almost fall over. Do you know how hard it is to NOT stand still??? Try going to the bank like I had to yesterday - that was fun. On Saturday night both my legs would not hold me up and I had to crawl on all fours to the bathroom (Justin was concerned, the cats were amused). Going to the chiropractor tomorrow...

3). I have a bad headache and can't take anything for it... *grumble*

Progress

After a few days of horrible stuffy nose (nasal congestion being one of the side effects I missed in my previous post), I now have some good news...

First, my nausea seems to be going away - woohoo! I haven't taken my pills since Saturday night and I feel ok - not great, but ok. This IS real progress!

Second - and this is the best part - I can feel sprog move quite a bit now! It feels very weird but kinda cool.

I am also starting to look pregnant now (as opposed to just fat) - time to buy some real maternity clothes - yikes!

On the (a)gender

So, sprog is probably a girl! It (she?) was hiding a bit on the scan so the doc is only 75% sure (his exact words were "Don't go painting the nursery pink just yet") ... but that's pretty damn sure.

Looked like a girl to us too - without getting too technical, it just didn't look like a penis!

But to be safe - it will still be 'it' til the next scan when apparently we will be able to see for definite.

Now the name fight starts again... *sigh*

Much more agro this trimester!

So my nice calmness from the first trimester seems to be making way for a type of 'preggie rage'.

I have sworn and flipped the finger at more drivers on the road the last week than in my whole life! All people annoy me all the time now.

Justin doesn't know how close he came to getting bitch-slapped last week - the main reason he's still uninjured is because he really has been amazing the past few months (I have hardly done any dishes at all!).

This was the conversation...

Setting: Me, lying on couch looking not so happy. He says, "What's wrong sweetie, you look so sad?"

Me: "I feel horrible. I feel horrible ALL the time. I'm so sick of feeling sick."

Justin: "But you must just enjoy it."

See what I mean? I think I showed amazing restraint.

And another thing - everyone and their dog has a suggestion for my nausea and general ill-feeling. I know they have good intentions and just want to help, but if one more person says "Have you tried ginger tea/biscuits?" there will be serious trouble! I might be out of practice from boxing but I reckon my right hook is still pretty good...

I might never exercise on dry land again!

Tried my first aqua aerobics class this week... wow, it was awesome!

Me and a bunch of old ladies in shower caps (them - not me) in the kiddie pool at the gym, bouncing around for 45 minutes.

I enjoyed it so much but felt it wasn't much exercise because I didn't get tired. Then I got home, and my arms and legs ached like I had done a boxing class. It was a serious workout!

The water makes it feel easy because of the weighlessness, but it also creates good resistance so your muscles are actually worked without you realising... I highly recommend it!

Enjoyment is relative

Apart from everyone asking how I'm feeling all the time (thanks for the concern, and in an effort to stop sounding like a whining bitch I'm now just saying "ok" regardless of the truth), the most common question or comment I get is:

"But are you enjoying it?"
OR
"But you must just enjoy it!"

Here's the deal. Pregnancy is NOT FUN.

Maybe for the lucky few who have NO symptoms and just sail through it (these are the ones who invariably end up having like 6 kids! No wonder...), it is enjoyable. I can't relate.

Apart from the constant nausea, sore breasts and tiredness, here are some other lesser known side-effects that I am either already experiencing, or might be soon...

Feeling too hot all the time
Needing to urinate ALL the time
Weird cramps in the pelvic area as the uterus expands
Constipation
Dizziness
Smell over-sensitivity
Bleeding gums
Leg numbness and pain (sciatic nerve stuff)
Backache
Rashes
Eczema

Not to mention the constant search for cool and comfortable clothes... maternity wear is not only pretty much unaffordable, it is mostly REALLY UGLY!

C'mon people - we feel bad enough already, do we really have to wear pastel, hideously patterned tents too?

That being said, I really DO enjoy about 5 minutes a month when I get to see the sprog moving around on the screen in the doctor's room. Makes it kinda worth it I guess...