We’ve just hit 19 weeks and I honestly don’t know if I’m doing better or worse than I was a few weeks okay.
For the most part the nausea has gone away, although now I’m just randomly throwing up with very little warning. This week alone I’ve puked…three times. At the time of writing this I still have one day left so we could make it four before the week is done.
I’ve now felt Predator Cub kick me everyday this week and it is truly an amazing feeling. When I first felt it last week I was actually really confused. I was playing my game and watching my show when all of a sudden there was this weird feeling in my stomach.
I forgot that I was pregnant.
I thought I’d eaten something or had gas.
Then it happened again. It was like a bubble popping or corn popping. I called mum to confirm what it was and she very excitedly confirmed that I was feeling my little baby for the first time.
The three days following that of pure radio silence from the little turd was a little upsetting. I was so excited to feel our little Predator for the first time and then he just decided to stop.
Matt tried to make me feel better by telling me that Predator was just being my kid for the time being, pulling a me, taking a long nap. Soon enough they’ll be pulling a him and won’t stop moving.
For now though I’m still at the stage where every little movement is exciting and new and I can’t wait to sit down at the end of the day when Predator is most active.
As time goes on I also start to show a little bit more. I still have customers not believing that I’m pregnant. To be fair, when I’m standing next to another pregnant coworker who has ten and a half weeks on me with her second kid and I haven’t popped yet, then yeah they’ll doubt that I’m pregnant.
The joy that I get from showing them the Predator ultrasound and seeing their face is truly satisfying. The horror. The surprise. The realization that I, the sassy, sarcastic girl who has been serving them for the last ten years has gone and decided to spawn another sassy, sarcastic pain in the ass.
One of the other great and eye-roll inducing things that comes from hitting that half way point, getting unsolicited advice from people.
I full expected to get this unsolicited advice from other mothers or just women in general. You know what I wasn’t expecting though? Breast feeding advice from men.
Yeah I said what I said.
Today at my friends son’s birthday party I got breast feeding advice from her partner and father in law (both of whom I actually like so I didn’t tell them to STFU straight away and just decided to gain what amusement I could) while her dad stood there, I hope trying to block out everything to do with his daughter’s boobs.
The first thing that I was told was that I need to get a breast pump. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m very glad to hear that my friend’s partner was supportive and helpful and got her one of those crop tops that allow for the pumps to sit in them and her to go hands free.
Truly.
I’m glad that he was helpful at that point in time.
However, it wasn’t really advice that I was looking for or needed. For starters, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to breast feed and if I can for how long. Mum did all the right things and still wasn’t able to produce enough milk. It was hurtful and stressful and the stigma around using formula in those days did both of us more harm than good.
There then became talk of there being a good boob and a bad boob (something I have actually read a fair bit about in the baby books my mum friends advised me to steer clear of). Then there was men being able to lactate which just prompted Matt to comment about how he would cut a hole in his shirt and feed the bottle nipple through that so he could “breast” feed the baby.
He’s a dork but I love him dearly.
Thankfully my friend reappeared in the kitchen around this point and asked what was going on so I told her I was getting breast feeding advice. Her response was thus;
“From men? I’ll give you my notes later.”
Honestly she read my mind it’s one of the reasons I love her. She’s been pushing me to hurry up and have a kid for years, mostly so our kids can grow up and play together, which honestly is a really cute idea. Now that I’m having one she’s been so excited and is there whenever I need. Questions, queries, emotional melt downs over stretch marks appearing overnight.
Another roughly 20 weeks to go, depends on if the Predator decides to behave themselves or not, they might come early, they might cook for a little longer, who knows. This kid has both the genes of a deep sleeper and an early riser. It could go either way.
So far though the unsolicited advice tally is this;
From women; somewhere between 15-20 (I lost track during one conversation because I stopped listening). +1 from before I was even pregnant.
From men; 1…though it was about breast feeding so I think that in itself earns another point just for how ridiculous it is.
P.S. As I post this the Predator Cub is having a dance party inside me and it’s so weird and so cool at the same time. Definitely my kid that it’s most active after 10pm. You know…just in case there was any doubt that the child inside me was in fact my own.
P.P.S. Before anyone comes for me. I have no issue taking breastfeeding advice from men…so long as that man is an actual lactation specialist. Otherwise they’re just asking to be fodder for a post mocking them.
S.J Smith Books 