Erica's Diary - Week 8

You know what you can get information over load when you become pregnant. Every one has a little bit of advise for you: the magazines, the books, my mum, his mum, and of course all my sisters. At least with the sister I was with them when they where going through their pregnancies, it the facts and the statistics that the books and magazines produce that are very scary. One fact is that about one in eight pregnancies ending in miscarriage before 12 weeks. I want to think happy thoughts about my baby but some times it is so hard.
I am still trying to work out what I’m suppose to eat and not to eat. Raw eggs a no no, which means cold soufflés, mousses, and chiffons are out. Also
· soft and blue-veined cheese, such as Camembert, Brie and Stilton. (There is no risk of listeria associated with hard cheese such as Cheddar, cottage cheese or processed cheese),
· pâté (any type, including vegetable),
· certain prepared salads such as potato salad and coleslaw, and
· ready-prepared meals or re-heated food, unless they are piping hot all the way through.
Mum also has told me to avoid meat at barbeques, parties and buffets. I should also avoid raw shellfish too. This is because raw shellfish can sometimes contain harmful bacteria and viruses that could cause food poisoning. Food poisoning can be particularly unpleasant when one is pregnant.

The other question is it okay to have sex during pregnancy? I am feeling very tired at the moment so some times sex is the last thing on my mind, but is sex ok when I am pregnant. I have found out that it ok. My baby is surrounded and cushioned by amniotic fluid, and protected by my uterus and a layer of muscles. And the mucus plug inside my cervix helps guard against infection
It was my first anti natal that week so my midwife was able to make sure I had the right information so now it’s completely put my mind at rest.
We talk a lot about Steve and my families' medical history, did Blood Pressure, some blood test, Weight, Pelvic Exam and urine tests and booked me in for my first scan in four weeks time – which will be so exciting! I can't wait to see my baby for the first time.
You know what tired or scared I know that I have a beautiful life growing in me and I am going to keep myself as healthy and fit as I can. I must not but any pressure on my kidneys also. It’s really important that I keep my weight in check and my blood pressure down. I’m in heaven not only do I have the best husband in the world but I also am going to have the most gorgeous baby.
I AM BLESSED

Erica’s Diary - Week 7

I want to ask so many question now I know that I am pregnant. What is this strange metallic taste I've started to get in my mouth and everything smell really, really, strong.?–,My beautiful “Angel” perfume smells so over powering I felt as if I was going to be sick– very bizarre. I am dead tired and I've been getting loads more weird pregnancy reservations

Steve made up his mind to try and give up smoking again because of the baby. He was going to give up on the 1^st July any way when England but in please the public smoking ban, I am a little concerned about my kidneys as the consultant at Guys does not want any extra pressure on them and wants to make sure my blood pressure is keep low and monitor the protein in your urine. Every one seems to be keeping a close eye on us. Having kidney disease can make pregnancy more complicated. I have been told The more severe your kidney disease, the greater the risk of having a difficult pregnancy. By 'risks', they mean risk to the baby and risk to me. The risks include the fact that pre-eclampsia is more likely (see next section), the risk that your kidneys may suffer further damage during pregnancy, and the risk to the baby. Having kidney disease itself does not harm the baby. However polycystic kidney disease isinherited and may be passed onto a child.

My pregnancy zonked-out feeling is doing its best to make things difficult at work. I'm trying to carry on as normal but everyone keeps asking me why I look so tierd and some are making a joke say that we must have spent to much time in the bedroom and not enough on the beach while we where on honey moon– just keep telling them that I have a dodgy dodgy stomach bug to anyone who asked but I don't think that'll work for long, Being a relief catering manager is good some times as I am moving around from kitchen to kitchen and some days the work is easier. I hate being sent to the small kitchens as you have less help in them and you can some times end up being head cook and bottle washer.

I'm still finding it hard to believe how something this small – according to all the books, my baby is now roughly the size of a grape/olive/walnut – can have such a strong effect on me. By Friday night it all got a bit too much – I think it was a mix of feeling knackered and totally stressed, plus all those pregnancy hormones racing around my body – and when I got home from work I had an attack of the weepies. I was worrying about whether I'd be a good mum, if I'd feel as bad as this all through my pregnancy and how I'd cope with actually giving birth all at once!

Thankfully, Steve coming home with a huge bunch of flowers and some chocolates perked me up . Then I managed two mammoth lie-ins at the weekend – pure bliss! It's just so hard to believe how little energy I have, I knew pregnancy was meant to make you tired– but not like this – I just need sleep, sleep and more sleep.

Morning sickness

Morning sickness, which can actually occur at any time of the day, can really dampen your excitement about being pregnant
It is estimated that between 50 to 80 per cent of pregnancies bring with them a sickness (known as NVP), which can start and end at any time of day or night – or not end at all. The route origins are still unclear and there are various theories, but NVP is mainly attributed to altered hormone function, physiological and metabolic changes and genetic incompatibility.

General Remedies:

• Avoid warm places as heat can increase the nausea feelings.
• Take naps during the day (but not right after eating). Tiredness plays a big part in morning sickness.
• Get enough sleep at night.
• Get out of bed slowly in the morning.
• Try eating plain crackers or dry cereal before you get out of bed in the morning.

Smells:

• Open windows or turn on exhaust fans when cooking and after meals.
• Cooking in the microwave usually produces less odors.
• Silly as it sounds, carry a handkerchief with a few drops of a non nausea causing essential oil (lemon for example) in it and breath through it if you can't get away from the smell that is bothering you.

Food and Drink:

• Avoid greasy or spicy foods as they often cause nausea or heartburn.
• Eat what you want when you want it. Your cravings will not lead you the wrong way.
• Have frequent protein snacks. (Low fat meats and seafood, nuts, eggs and beans are high protein.)
• Eat smaller meals every two hours or so.
• Eating something salty before a meal can help you "make it through" a meal.
• Do not drink fluids with your meals.
• Non caffeinated teas like peppermint and ginger can help calm nausea.
• Drink small amounts of fluids regularly though out the day to avoid dehydration.
• Do not skip meals if you can help it.
• Avoid spicy and fried food - both eating and smelling it can increase your nausea.
• Cold food may have less nausea inducing smells associated with them.

Ginger Tea Recipe

Ginger tea is thought to improve digestion and relieve nausea. It is also used to improve ward off colds, sore throat and the flu.

It's very easy to make ginger tea. Here's how to do it.

Ginger Tea Recipe
4 cups of water
2 inch piece of fresh ginger root
optional: honey and lemon

Peel the ginger root and slice it into thin slices. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Once it is boiling, add the ginger. Cover it and reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain the tea. Add honey and lemon to taste.

Note: Keep in mind that if you are making this tea to strengthen the immune system and ward off colds and flu, sweeteners are not recommended.

Peppermint Tea

Mint makes an excellent herbal tea on its own, but you'll have something special with the addition of fennel and lemonbalm. An added bonus is that this blend will ease an upset stomach as well.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz peppermint leaves
• 8 oz lemon balm leaves
• 8 oz fennel seeds

PREPARATION:

Mix the herbs thoroughly, and store in an air tight container. For a cup of tea, use 1 tsp in a cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes and strain out the herbs.

A sound remedy for morning sickness

Listening to a tape through a personal stereo might seem a strange way to combat the symptoms of morning sickness, but some people have found that it works Our ears provide us with the ability to hear and the inner ear (vestibular system) is also responsible for our balance (our gyroscope). It is an acknowledged contributor in the process of being sick as a result of travel or motion sickness. In recent years it has been confirmed that the vestibular system is regarded as a significant organ involved in the process of being sick. This is where a radical theory was put to the test. If the inner ear is a significant organ involved in the process of vomiting, could it be used to influence and combat the process using techniques that are part of its normal function? The benefits of such a product are that there is no drug involvement; it is effective from outside the body and does not conflict with any other form of treatment; it is portable and can be used without medical supervision. MorningWell A totally unique audio programme (placed on a cassette tape) was developed over many years to do exactly this. Using sound tones, patterns and frequencies sent to the ears, it was identified that not only is the inner ear responsible for carrying the signals that play a part in the process of being sick, but it can also be used to affect or mask those signals. The end result for most women is that the symptoms are dramatically reduced to easily tolerable levels or they stop completely.

We hope that these remedies will help you with your morning sickness

I'm really pregnant!

Find out what is happening to your body from the very first weeks of pregnancy, right through to when you finally meet your baby

Erica’s Diary - Week 6

Hush a Bye Baby Shop

I'm pregnant!
I'm really pregnant! I can't believe it – I'm going to be a mum! We’ve
been on our honeymoon in Jamaica and have been back in England for 2 weeks. I
just felt rotten in JA (Jamaica) although we did have a great time. Imagine
we’ve been scuba diving, horse riding. I clambered up Duns river falls. I just
though that these gouty feelings I was having was the stress after the wedding
and the flight over to JA

On Tuesday
after we got back to London I made an appointment to se My GP on
Streatham Place Doctor Singh He was very up beat saying yes I could have a bug
or a virus and he would go some blood tests as well as a pregnancy test – The
thing was my consultant had advised me not to get pregnant as I had been doing
test to see if I was suffering from Polycystic kidneys like my mum. Really
did not think I was pregnant

When I got the
news from the doctors office – even though I was a little scared I was
over the moon this was perfect my baby was a honey moon baby created from pure
love and no matter what Doctor Wing my consultant at St Thomas said I was happy
to be coming a mum

I was going to
play it cool when
Steve came home, but as soon as he came in the door I had to tell him – I was
too excited to pretend. He looked stunned for a minute, then he gave me a huge
hug and a big kiss! We spent the rest of the evening going 'We're going to have
a baby' and 'You're going to be a mum/dad' to each other. We had to tell my mum
straight away but I would ask her not to tell anyone until I was eight weeks.

The next day I
got a bit freaked out
thinking back to how much we had done while in Jamaica before I knew I was
pregnant – in the last few weeks I've been to a so many celebrations with our
family in JA and even though I am not a big drinker could I have drunk too much
and it affect my unborn baby but when I saw my GP, Dr Singh, he reassured me.
She gave me loads of information to read and told me take folic acid. He also
booked an appointment for me with the midwife and gave me a form for free
prescriptions.

Hush a Bye Baby Shop

Approaches to Sleep Problems

Approaches to Sleep Problems

"Take a logical and structured approach to dealing with your child's sleep problem - it works!"

Preparation
Be clear what problem you are dealing with.

Consider all the options and decide which one suits you best. Remember it will be you who are carrying out the program and you are the expert on your individual child and what suits them best. It might be that you could use a mixture of the approaches discussed. Try to keep you plan simple though as a complicated plan can seem like Double Dutch at 4 am.!!

Keep a sleep diary for at least a week before starting on the program. This will help you clarify exactly what is happening with your child's sleep and you can measure your successes by it.

Plan when to start on the program you have chosen. Don' t start on a program if you know that there is some major change about to happen in your child's routine e.g. move to new house, starting school, going on holidays etc. When starting on a program you will need a few weeks of stability so that your child will have the chance to adjust to any changes you are planning to make.

Be clear on what you are doing - consider all the possible pitfalls and plan for these. If you plan to take a gradual approach to the problem have all the steps written out before you start. They are not set in stone and can be changed as you go along but they do provide a good reference point.

Continue to keep a sleep diary as you are doing the program. Sometime a small change might have happened that you could miss if you are not keeping the diary. The diary also provides you with a means of keeping track of how the program is going.

Be prepared to stick with the approach you have chosen for at least 10 nights before making any decisions about discontinuing with it. When changing the routine of a child it can take time and if you think you will not be able to stick with an approach you might consider another one or leave it until you think you will be able to stick with it.

Good luck!

Give you baby so soothing music

Number of Discs: 1 Recorded in: Stereo Length: 1 Hours 8 Mins.
In Stock: Usually ships in 24 hours.

Includes song(s) by Frédéric Chopin.

Individual Track Details:
1.	Divertimento for String Quartet in D major, K 136 (125a): Andante by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Performer: Tatiana Zavarskaya (Cello), Elmar Oliveira (Violin), Anthony Newman (Harpsichord), Eugenia Zukerman (Flute), Angel Romero (Guitar), Carol Rosenberger (Piano), Evgeni Talisman (Piano) Conductor: Gerard Schwarz, Constantine Orbelian Orchestra/Ensemble: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Shanghai String Quartet, Brazilian Guitar Quartet Period: Classical Written: 1772; Salzburg, Austria		Length: 6 Minutes 21 Secs.
	Notes: Arranged: L. Schmutzler
2.	Canon and Gigue for 3 Violins and Basso Continuo in D major: Canon by Johann Pachelbel
	Performer: Tadeu do Amaral (Guitar), Edelton Gloeden (Guitar), Everton Gloeden (Guitar), Paul Galbraith (Guitar) Orchestra/Ensemble: Brazilian Guitar Quartet Period: Baroque Written: Germany		Length: 4 Minutes 24 Secs.
	Notes: This work is no longer believed to have been composed by J.S. Bach.
3.	Concerto for Violin in E major, Op. 8 no 1/RV 269 "Primavera": 1st movement, Allegro by Antonio Vivaldi
	Performer: Elmar Oliveira (Violin) Conductor: Gerard Schwarz Orchestra/Ensemble: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Period: Baroque Written: circa 1725; Venice, Italy		Length: 3 Minutes 24 Secs.
4.	Bagatelle for Piano in A minor, WoO 59 "Für Elise" by Ludwig van Beethoven
	Performer: Carol Rosenberger (Piano) Period: Classical Written: 1808; Vienna, Austria		Length: 3 Minutes 4 Secs.
5.	Kinderszenen, Op. 15: no 1, Von fremden Ländern und Menschen by Robert Schumann
	Performer: Carol Rosenberger (Piano) Period: Romantic Written: 1838; Germany		Length: 1 Minutes 42 Secs.
6.	Serenade no 13 in G major, K 525 "Eine kleine Nachtmusik": 2nd movement, Romanza by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Performer: Eugenia Zukerman (Flute), Anthony Newman (Harpsichord) Orchestra/Ensemble: Shanghai String Quartet Period: Classical Written: 1787; Vienna, Austria		Length: 5 Minutes 34 Secs.
7.	Concerto for Piano no 21 in C major, K 467: 2nd movement, Andante by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Performer: Carol Rosenberger (Piano) Conductor: Constantine Orbelian Orchestra/Ensemble: Moscow Chamber Orchestra Period: Classical Written: 1785; Vienna, Austria		Length: 7 Minutes 21 Secs.
8.	Berceuse for Piano in D flat major, B 154/Op. 57 by Frédéric Chopin
	Performer: Carol Rosenberger (Piano) Period: Romantic Written: 1844; Paris, France		Length: 5 Minutes 8 Secs.
9.	Songs (5), Op. 49: no 4, Wiegenlied by Johannes Brahms
	Conductor: Constantine Orbelian Orchestra/Ensemble: Moscow Chamber Orchestra Period: Romantic Written: 1868; Austria		Length: 1 Minutes 51 Secs.
10.	Songs (4), Op. 43: no 2, Die Mainacht by Johannes Brahms
	Performer: Evgeni Talisman (Piano), Tatiana Zavarskaya (Cello) Period: Romantic Written: 1864; Austria		Length: 2 Minutes 58 Secs.
11.	Suite for Orchestra no 3 in D major, BWV 1068: Air by Johann Sebastian Bach
	Conductor: Constantine Orbelian Orchestra/Ensemble: Moscow Chamber Orchestra Period: Baroque Written: circa 1729-1731; Leipzig, Germany		Length: 4 Minutes 55 Secs.
12.	Water Music Suite no 1 in F major, HWV 348: no 3, Allegro deciso by George Frideric Handel
	Conductor: Gerard Schwarz Orchestra/Ensemble: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Period: Baroque Written: circa 1715-1717; London, England		Length: 4 Minutes 13 Secs.
13.	La Paloma by Sebastián de Iradier
	Performer: Angel Romero (Guitar) Period: Romantic		Length: 2 Minutes 56 Secs.
14.	Partita for Lute in C minor, BWV 997: 2nd movement, Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach
	Performer: Tadeu do Amaral (Guitar), Paul Galbraith (Guitar), Everton Gloeden (Guitar), Edelton Gloeden (Guitar) Orchestra/Ensemble: Brazilian Guitar Quartet Period: Baroque Written: 1737-1741; Leipzig, Germany		Length: 6 Minutes 44 Secs.
	Notes: Transcribed: F. Tarrega
15.	Symphony no 1 in C major, Op. 21: 2nd movement, Andante cantabile by Ludwig van Beethoven
	Conductor: Gerard Schwarz Orchestra/Ensemble: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Period: Classical Written: 1800; Vienna, Austria