Did you have a strict diet while pregnant or you ate for two because this was what you were supposed to do? Did you exercise? Walked a lot or spent as much time as possible doing nothing and asking your partner to do it all for you?

Months before I got pregnant I quit smoking. Not because I knew what will come but because I got to the stage when I started hating the smell and taste of the cigarette. I was a massive fan of coffee and wine and I could have drank any of them at any time of day.

Right before I found out I was expecting I noticed I gained a bit of weight so the freak in me started exercising massively. Could have been from pregnancy, the fact that o was not on the pill anymore, the result of not smoking for a while or just the wine I was having every day. No idea. The thing is I became a bit obsessed trying to lose the weight I put on. My partner told me I was pregnant but a negative test was something I would believe more than a hunch he had at the time. Oh well, little did I know he was right.

Two weeks and a positive test later showed me the reason I put some little fat on my belly

I was so happy I wanted to scream and let the world know but I kept my cool and decided on being a mature person. Wait for first scan and hide it as much as I  could.
I started reading a lot. Got books and good old Google helped as well. Apart from the advice I got regarding daily exercising I found different informations about what you are supposed to eat and what not during pregnancy and the one thing I found everywhere I looked: coffee is not a good friend for a pregnant lady. Could lead to miscarriage, low birth weight and other scary things. It was the hardest thing I done but it was necessary. I gave up on coffee ( I cheated about 3 times in nine months having very small ones)
I was not very sick and I didn’t crave much (I did eat ketchup and usually I don’t like it and I did eat loads and loads of ice lollies all throughout the nine months) so I can’t say that I was only set on a certain type of food
I would have a portion of cereals in the morning, later on at work I would
have some Bell Vita biscuits or a cereal bar, a banana/orange/pomelo at some point during the day and just regular cooked food for lunch and dinner.

My guilty pleasure was a McDonald meal after every scan (it became a ritual as my scans were monthly) and later on in my pregnancy after the last scan when I was stuck at work, I would have a Burger King double bacon burger with large fries. I tried as much as I could I not to go over the board with dieting but not to have too much junk food either. I can say that I had no seafood whatsoever although I love it and no alcohol up until I stopped breastfeeding and I think every woman is capable of not drinking while growing a human.
I did suffer with very bad sciatica but I was determined not to let it beat me. I kept positive at all times and I exercised as much as I could.

I had to go therapy for my pain. I was lucky to be referred to a very good therapist who showed me some mild exercises to help me cope and realise the pain. I also had to wear a belt to keep me tight while walking (I did give up on it after a while as it did not work for me). What I found amazingly good was the thing that was actually a bliss for my pain as well: gym ball. It was my favourite thing specially in my late pregnancy. My back pain wasn’t as bad, it helped tighten my pelvic muscles, engage the baby and also with giving birth.
A gym ball is your best friend in pregnancy and if you have a natural birth it can help as well.

Apart from this I walked as much as I could. Most days I was making around 16 km (10 miles). I did work up to my last two weeks of pregnancy so walking around was a bit of my job description but I would have done anyways.
Also, unless the doctor forbids it, I do recommend a normal sex life. It does not hurt your baby. On top of it it will help with lowering blood pressure, burns calories, improves sleep quality (we all know how bad you sleep during pregnancy) and also I would add it does help especially on your last trimester and towards your due date.
To prevent stretch marks I used Palmers Cocoa butter and towards the end Bio Oil as well. I moisturised everyday after shower and I can say I have no stretch marks and I am so happy as this was one of my biggest fears (I read somewhere that they are genetic and my mum has loads of them)
I had my baby at exactly 39 weeks in St Mary’s Birth Centre in Paddington assisted by an amazing Irish midwife and helped by a bit of gas and air. It was a pretty straight forward birth (apart from the fact that my munchkin was born with her arm around her neck) and I am glad I had a healthy diet and I exercised. I am glad I kept positive during my pregnancy and birth as it did help with my pain tolerance.

Instead of thinking of pain relief drugs I thought that it’s all a journey and at the end of it I will finally get to meet my precious little baby

This way I loved being pregnant (overall- obviously I did not enjoy numerous trips to the bathroom, sciatica pain, sleepless nights due to a massive belly) and I can say thy giving birth was the most amazing thing I ever experienced.

 

PS: This did not stop me from stressing about my fluffy belly and losing the extra weight after I gave birth.