This is going to be a series of blogs written by the very lovely Katie, who is pregnant with her 3rd child. We will be following Katie, over the course of her pregnancy as she shares her journey with us.

Lyn x

As the second pink line appear on the test, the tiredness and nausea suddenly started to make sense. Its ironic it should happen literally within 24 hours of sending off an university application but lo and behold, I am pregnant. Again.

Immediately I’m filled with the thought of “how will I cope with 3 children?””my daughter has only just turned 1″”how will I fit them in the car?!” But then I remember, Motherhood is my life, My children are everything.   

I am now 9 weeks into my pregnancy and despite spending the majority of the day hugging the toilet, I’m excited. What is more precious than another little member of the clan! We’ve aimed to keep it secret until our dating scan but the fact I turn up in the school playground most mornings looking like death warmed up, I think a few people may be suspicious. My 5 year old son has already poked me in the belly saying “theres a baby in there!” I swear hes psychic!  

With my second pregnancy I had really bad SPD (symphysis pubis dysfunction) which is just as glamourous as it sounds! I was in extreme pain with every movement and spent most of the latter half of my pregnancy either crying or sat in a warm bath trying to relieve the pain. Of course this was bought up in my first appointment with my midwife, where you are bombarded with questions about health conditions you’ve never even heard of. I have been told to expect the SPD to return.  

I’ve already experienced quite a bit of uncomfortable pain so my midwife sent me for an early scan “just to check everything is okay”. Do you know what wasnt okay? Me! How terrifying is that? You want to check everythings okay? What if it isnt? We get sat in a waiting room with the feeling of sickiness completely overwhelming me. At this point I don’t even know if its morning sickness, nerves or the fact the hospital obviously has no control over its heat. The walls are plastered with posters about ectopic pregnancies and miscarriage, the most feared words for any expectant mother. The midwives all pulling their kind, happy smiles. We are bought into a generic scan room as I watch her stare at the screen I fear the worse. And then she turns it. There it is, my little nugget baby have a good old wiggle about.  

So far this pregnancy has been a step up on the previous two. I’ve already broken out the maternity jeans (which feel like heaven with my early pregnancy bloat!) I like to keep my partner updated on what I’ve vomited up that morning (you’ve got to find ways of keeping daddy involved!) and I’ve attempted to nap when my child naps which is just about impossible. And even with it being my third pregnancy I still feel like a first time mum, googling everything and terrifying myself and constantly thinking something will go wrong. I suppose that’s something we can’t help. Essentially there is no manual for a mum to be, every pregnancy is different whether its your first or your tenth! So 9 weeks in and only 31 to go.  

31 long, long weeks.

Katie x