I’ve drafted this post a million times over in my head but have been too fearful to commit it to type until now. But like the band aids I imagine I’ll become most familiar with over the coming years it’s time to rip this off and share the news.
We’re having a baby.
I’ve seen its arms and legs and tiny spine and really, really, small bladder so it must be real.
Oh dear lord WE’RE HAVING A BABY.
I’m not sure if anyone noticed or cared but I dropped off the face of the internet approximately 7 weeks ago. It was because of this little lemon. (Oh how quickly you become one of those people who measure their lives in weeks and baby in fruit.)
I found out I was pregnant rather unglamorously in a motel near the Silo Art Trail in country Vic. (Well that’s not the full story – you can find out more about how many tests it took me to believe something that is 99% accurate here!)
Although this baby was planned/hoped for I still went into total shock and a wee bit of denial when it was actually conceived. It took 3 pees on a stick and a blood test at the doctors before I started to believe it wasn’t just me going crazy. The confirmation from the doctor came at 5pm on a Friday, I flew to London at 10am the next morning. All I had time to do was pop into the chemist and buy a gazillion supplements and some nausea meds; my teeth chattering with shock as I wandered around the aisles like a ghoul at Halloween.
It turned out to be a sort of blessing to be busy for those first few weeks. Like most women, I felt hyper aware of the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester and my anxiety was soothed a little by the distraction of cruising around Europe with a great bunch of people.
(Shout out to XAmeliaX who sweetly photoshopped my gut out a shot after a gust of wind blew my skirt quite clearly against an expanding uterus!)
Mercifully, I only had a little nausea in the mornings while on the ship and I surprised myself by making it to most evening activities. (Yes, that’s right, I did a 12 day cruise booze-free – go me!)
When it came time to fly back to Melbourne, however, I was exactly 7 weeks pregnant and had to bid farewell to the old me. Clutching mum’s toilet bowl and turning my nose up at bacon is not how I usually like to prepare for the 27-hour journey – let’s just say that flight was an absolute treat I hope I never have to repeat.
(Thanks to the lady at Boots who handed out prescription bags in lieu of sick bags, just having 1 in every pocket helped ease tension a bit.)
When I recover from the trauma I’ll write some tips for flying with morning sickness, aside from, you know, DON’T DO IT.
Somehow, I made it home and that, dear friends, is where I remained for the next 7 weeks. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve left the house in the last 2 months and each of those times involves gagging in shops, retching in streets and burping in front of glaring old ladies.
Whoever decided to call it ‘morning’ sickness is an absolute joker – my experience involved 24-hour nausea interspersed with puking, sleeping and staring at a wall as looking at a screen gave me motion sickness.
Working, eating, a holiday to Bali and being a normal human being were all cancelled as I began a cycle of sleep, puke, sleep, puke, repeat.
Emotionally I was a mess as you want so badly for the baby to be healthy while at the same time praying that this feeling will end. No one knows why you’re flaking as the baby is still your little secret and you want to be grateful to have conceived but are simultaneously asking yourself ‘what was I thinking?’ or worse ‘will it always be like this?’.
Happily, I have now reached week 14 and not only have we had the 12 week Nuchal Translucency scan and blood tests to confirm the baby is looking healthy but I’m also starting to go a couple of days without spewing in the sink or crying because Justin bought ‘the wrong bread’. (True story, not one I’m proud to repeat.)
I have utmost respect and empathy for women who go through Kate Middleton style hyperemesis gravidarum – even the name sounds gnarly. You, dear girls, are battlers of the highest degree.
The baby’s due date has an interesting story. I’m not a superstitious person but while travelling India earlier this year I sat down with a palm reader who popped up at our breakfast at the Taj Mahal. He told me I would have a baby by the end of the year and I remember doubting his maths as it was currently February and I was definitely not with child already. Fast forward a few months and a dating scan revealed our first little bubs is due on the 31st December 2018. It seems I may have taken his prophecy quite literally!
Although first and foremost a travel blogger I will be sharing some posts about the pregnancy as this site has always been about what’s going on with me personally and right now growing a kid is my biggest project. You can still expect all the usual travel advice and guides coming through as well as a pregnant/parent’s spin on subjects like flying. (Being one half of an Pommy/Aussie couple means there is no avoiding the long-haul for me!)
If you know of any blogs, books, podcasts etc that you think might help me swot up for this new challenge I’m all ears. Thanks as always for being here.
J x
Huge congratulations to you!!
Thanks so much. Exciting (scary!) times ahead 😀
I am so excited to go on this journey with you! Even if in different states 😉 Huge congrats to you and Justin, I can’t wait to meet your lil bub! PS mine is currently the size of an apple
xxx
Ooh an apple – so grown up hahaha. Excited to have a pregnancy buddy and also a bit gutted we’re not in the same state. It’s such impressive timing on behalf of our ovaries xx
Congrats, Jayne! I don’t know if you follow Rachel from The Department of Wandering, but she’s also a soon-to-be mum in Melbourne and she’s been writing a lot about her pregnancy on her blog.
Thanks Hayley, I have been secretly soaking up her pregnancy diaries and will get in touch now our news is out!
That’s awesome news Jayne! Huge congrats and hope you are feeling much better from here on in. It’ll definitely all be worth it!!
So they say haha. No honestly I am feeling much better thank you and so happy to have it to this stage. Exciting times ahead 😀
Congratulations! Such exciting news- and hopefully you get that 2nd trimester burst of energy to compensate now. I packed a few trips in to mine and am glad I did before I got to full waddle. Oh… And ignore all the people who tell you you’ll have to stop travelling now, they are wrong!
Everything you have said is music to my ears 😀 We’ve got plans for at least 2 babymoons in the next few months and I almost feel well enough to lock them in!
Aaahhh Jayne CONGRATULATIONS!! Sorry you’ve been so rough though, at least you know it’ll all be worth it. Can’t wait to meet the mini backpacker one day 🙂
Is that an offer to babysit yeah? I’m starting a rota already – jokes :p
Congratulations Jayne!! I get the feeling you’ll be telling the palm reader story fairly often from now on 🙂 In terms of recommendations, I know Lucy Lucraft’s written a fair amount of baby-related articles!
It’s funny what sticks out in your mind after the fact – he said lots of other thing I promptly forgot haha. And great tip re Lucy, I’ll make sure she’s on my reading list. 😀
BIG congratulations to you both! I did notice an absence from you but just put it down to you working on an important project…. guess I was right! 😀
So glad to hear you are feeling much better now, wow you’ve had it tough!!
I don’t know of any blogs but can recommend some great reads for you, The Unmumsy Mum (written by a Mum on “how it really is”) and Vagabonding With Kids: Australia: You can’t ride a dingo – True tales from the Land Down Under.
Can’t wait to read your updates on little “lemon” and your future adventures xx
Aw thanks Tracy – I was very distracted by this top secret project haha. I have the Unmumsy Mum’s book on my Kindle wishlist so I’ll download that next. Haven’t heard of the others but they sound right up my street. 😀
Yay, wondered where you’d gone. So excited for you and Justin now you’re a mummy and daddy. Biggest and best adventure yet!
Been very busy putting my head down the toilet Vic – thank god I made it through the cruise before chaos ensued. Getting excited about the future now there’s been a bit of relief 😀
Congratulations! When you wrote a couple of weeks ago that you couldn’t look at screens, I wondered if you were pregnant (same thing happened to me). I’m sorry you’ve had rubbish all day sickness (totally the worse), but that is great that you’re starting to feel better. I hope the rest of your pregnancy progresses safely and without any other icky symptoms!!
OMG screens made me dizzy and the TV was full of hazards like adverts for KFC that had me running for the loo. I totally wasn’t expecting morning sickness to be as bad – was you?! I am very grateful that everything has been smooth aside from those icky things though.
Congratulations…
One of the best travel stories of my life-becoming a mum. An amazing and unique experience. No matter how many people have done it before.
I hope the morning sickness disappears soon!
Thanks Janice, I can already anticipate some of the stories we might tell 😀
Congratulations Jayne and Justin 🙂
Future “travelling with baby posts” and gated pool villas
Welcome to the new beginnings for you all .
Andy I love the way you’ve automatically leaned towards gated pool villas rather than Centreparks – you totally get me 😀
CONGRATS! Love the honesty of this, a combination of thrilled and shitting yourself seems very realistic. Sorry you’ve been feeling rubbish and hope it clears up soon!
Haha you’ve summed up the feelings exactly – some of the best and worst emotions at the same time! The morning sickness still clings on but blogging about it and receiving all these wonderful messages of support have been a lovely distraction 😀
So happy for you, Jayne and Justin. Wish you a smooth pregnancy and a wonderful journey to parenthood!
Gahhhh thanks Kate. It all seems such a long way off but we’re getting there 😀
Aw congratulations! I hated the sickness and thought it would never end but it will! I managed a week in the Canaries around 4 months into my pregnancy and a trip to Florida around 6/7 months. You might have to change your expectations of what you can & can’t do but great travel is still possible! Baby is four weeks old now and I too, wonder how I’ll ever manage to travel with a tiny baba. But some great travel writers and bloggers assure me it’s possible! Good luck!
Oh congrats Lucy. I’ve been so busy puking I hadn’t realised you’d had your little one. Love that you got some adventures in later on in the pregnancy. We are ambitiously planning to move to the UK when I’m around 20 weeks and then I’ve got my eye on trips to Italy and Greece if the stress of setting up a new house hasn’t got to me! Will let you know how that goes…..
Thanks Jayne. Oh that’s great news that you’re moving back to the UK! I’m sure it will be worth the upheaval and some European breaks will be lovely. I’d definitely travel towards your third trimester before you reach the nesting and ‘I-don’t-want-to-move’ stage!!
Congratulations!! I had wondered where you’d gone. I hope you continue to feel better through the 2nd trimester! So exciting!
Thanks Jodie, just had the longest unintentional digital detox ever but all for a good cause 😀
Congratulations! For me, the book Expecting Better by Emily Oster was FAB, especially if you’re prone to worrying/anxious. I read it about 12 times whilst preggers!!
I’m also a fellow de facto Brit living in the inner north and gosh, our babies are so lucky to be born here and and for us to experience the incredible maternity hospitals and care. Take care of yourself
Thanks Louise, I’ll check the book out. I must admit I’ve been really confused by the Aussie maternity system so spent a lot of time on forums trying to work out what scans/appointments I need to book and when – the first doctor I went to see was useless! I’ve since changed doctors and feel a little bit clearer but my first hospital appointment is not until 20 weeks so until then I’m doing all the reading I can to get to grips with what to expect!
Ahh, congratulations! What a whirlwind! I hope everything goes very smoothly from now on and no pesky nausea. That must have been awful, I absolutely cannot deal with nausea.
Anyway I hope things calm down for you both now so you can enjoy the rest of the pregnancy and get ready for the new arrival! How exciting!
The unrelenting nausea is the worst – it’s so hard to think about anything else apart from keeping the contents of your stomach down! I feel a little better each day though and it’s definitely getting easier to be excited about the future 😀
Congratulations to you!! Even i am expected for baby….
Congratulations Jayne and Justin