My Glucose Test Experience

First of all.. ARRGHHH!

When I called to make my appointment with Melbourne Pathology, I was told that I needed to fast for 8-12 hours prior to the appointment, James was very specific with his instructions "TAP WATER ONLY, AND ONLY IF YOU MUST!!!". I was instantly dreading the cravings I knew I would have for food the second it was mentioned. I am the person who wants to touch the ''red button'' when told not to. How will I survive that long without food? Does James not understand I eat as much as I breathe?!

I then was told the test would take over 3 hours, and to bring a magazine because there would be a lot of waiting time. I am not a very good ''waiter''. Not only do I irritate other patients but violently shaking my legs backwards and forwards, I also have major resting bitch face, pair that with hunger and we have ourselves a grade A bitch.

So I arrive at the clinic at 8am, (no appointment needed) and take a seat. Jose calls me within seconds to come into the room and take a seat. He is obviously less of a morning person than I am, and seems very displeased that I was there so early. We began by taking three blood samples - it's not easy trying to find a cooperative vein when you haven't had anything to eat or drink for 12 hours. So far, butchering was minimal.

I was then handed the most delicious drink in the world, NOT. It made me want to gag the second I had a sip. Jose obviously had somewhere to be (you'd think it would be attending to me, his patient?) and impatiently asked me if I had finished the drink yet, to which I said ''no'' - but what I really felt like saying was, unless you want spew all over your shoes buddy, you're going to let me drink this as slowly as I like.

Once I had finished the most disgusting thing I have ever drank, I was told to go outside and wait for an hour, and I would be called back in for three more blood tests.

So out I went into the waiting room, luckily my beautiful Mother accompanied me, otherwise I may have lost my mind. I felt so incredibly nauseated by the drink, I sat like a bratty child with my arms crossed and my brows furrowed. I honestly would have looked so unapproachable and definitely not likeable.. but the next thing I know, there is a man coming over to me. "Hi, I'm Brett from *something something* photography, I'd love to offer you a free maternity shoot and use your images for my studio".. cue my "you've got to be joking me with that line, bud''. I grab his details and google him.. well, what do you know! Photographer of 25 years, beautiful studio in Hawthorn and really, very talented. This completely shocked me, as I honestly looked like I'd been hit by a bus, twice. This definitely lifted my mood a little!

Next thing, Jose is calling me back into the room. For some reason I thought I would have to drink another bottle of the death fluid, but nope, just another three blood tests. I was then told to wait another hour, and we will do the remainder of the tests then. The veins were becoming less and less cooperative, I could tell Jose had woken up a little more at this point and was beginning to feel bad about stabbing me.

At this stage, my stomach began to eat itself. (or could it have been my baby eating it?) ..either way, I was starting to get crazy. The next hour was horrible.. I started to feel very ill, and by the time Jose had finished taking my blood for the third session- my body had had enough. A hot flush came over me, and I sweated completely through my clothes. I began shaking and couldn't stand up, I looked like I had been thrown in a freezing cold swimming pool.. eventually I got up and into the car, luckily home was only two minutes away.
I ran through the door and ate 3 slices of cake within two seconds, two slices of toast with smashed avocado and tomato and downed about a litre of water all in the time my mother was waiting for the kettle to boil. You should have seen the look of surprise she gave me!

After eating what felt like was my weight in food, I went straight to bed and fell asleep for the next 3 hours. It was definitely not a pleasant experience, and one that I won't be looking forward to experiencing again! I hope it's much, much better for you - as Jose did mention, a lot of people LOVE the drink and LOVE the sugar! So good luck!

Third Trimester

Does anyone else not want to wear underwear any more? I feel like everything I wear is getting tighter and tighter, and I'm starting to get super uncomfortable.

Apart from that, everything is going really well with the little guy, and I'm gaining quite a bit of weight! To be honest, I haven't really had the guts to stand on the scales and see how much weight I've put on - I don't want to risk fainting in the bathroom while my husband is away in NY & there's no one around to save me.

At my last appointment (two weeks ago), I was told that our baby is a BIG healthy boy. And by big, I really do mean big. He weighed 400 grams more than he should (which is a lot in baby world!), and will be well over 9-10 pounds if he continues at this rate.
Uhhhhh, what?! My pelvis does not sit correctly (right side has always sat slightly higher than left), thus discussing & considering our options for possibly being induced earlier, or a caesarian. Although, I'm not too fussed, as long as he's okay. We will just continue to monitor his weight gain and make a decision at about 36-37 weeks, which gets me to my next point...

Here are some things to remember and prepare for in your third trimester!

Go to as many classes as you like, and soak up all that information to prepare yourself for what's to come in the next couple of months! Some people might tell you ''it doesn't matter how many classes you go to, nothing can prepare you"...but I don't really listen to anyone but myself. Do what feels right for you.

Get your nursery together. By now I'm sure it's all well under way, but the bigger you get, the slower you move. So finish it off while you can still bend down without feeling like you'll never be able to get up again. I'm having a lot of moments where I drop something on the ground and just stare at it for about ten minutes.. then just leave it on the floor. Mostly, I see people picking things up around me in my peripherals, so, thanks guys!

Chat and sing to your bubba. He/she can hear you, though you may be little muffled, he/she will recognise your voice & that's something pretty special. My Mum keeps telling me to sing a particular song, and when he is born, to sing it to him again and see how he reacts. We have been singing all types of stuff - from Cat Stevens to Elvis to Metallica to Linkin Park to The Civil Wars to Taylor Swift! At the rate I'm going - he's literally going to be a rockstar!

Prepare yourself for any type of labour. Things may not go as you wanted them to, so remember to prepare yourself for every possible situation. You may be 100% sure you will have a natural birth, and end up with a caesarian, so even if you don't think it will happen - best to read about recovery just in case! Be aware of what's happening, or could happen to your body.

Wash EVERYTHING! I'm taking a few weeks off work before the little guy arrives, and in this time I will be washing all bedding, all clothing.. in fact, let's be honest. I probably would put the entire house in the washing machine if I could. Dettol is going to thank me for buying literally everything off the shelf. Either that, or have a professional come in and clean your house. You may even want to do this after the baby arrives too as I'm sure there won't be much time for cleaning!

Take weekly photos. You may have been doing this already, but this is the stage where your belly will get super, super big! And it will be really awesome to look back on once you have given birth and say "OH MY GOSH - look how big I was!!!!!".

Pack your bag! I will be doing a post on this as I get closer to my due date, so keep your eyes peeled!

Make sure your car seat is installed & you have your certificate of installation ready to give the nurses.

Fill in all relevant documentation prior to the birth, this includes centrelink, medicare, your health care fund etc. Most places will ask that you contact them on the day of the birth so your baby is covered from the get go.

SLOW DOWN! In the last few weeks before you give birth, don't run around like a crazy person. Remember the life you once knew is going to change dramatically, and you are going to be exhausted. Lap it up while you can.. hang out on the couch for a day, go to the movies, get your hair done, go to a beauty salon. Do all the things that make you feel good, things you won't be able to do for a little while!

Get in touch with your body and be aware of pregnancy symptoms that shouldn't be ignored. If anything feels unusual, contact your doctor. It doesn't matter if it's a false alarm, in this case it's definitely better to be safe than sorry. As I move closer to my due date, I begin to see my Ob every two weeks, then every week, helping me to feel less anxious that everything is on track.

Exercising has been great, though I seem to have a pretty severe case of Restless Leg Syndrome when I sleep. I need to stretch for about 40 minutes before I lay down, which definitely does help - but it seems it's not enough! I constantly wake up with cramping & pain - and have realised that my nights of an 8 hour sleep are long gone - at least for the next 18 years. Keep up with an exercise routine, not only does it help prepare your body for labour, it will also help after the baby comes too.

All in all, we are going well, but I feel myself getting very tired, very easily. I have around 7 weeks of work left, and I'm really hoping I can push through. The third trimester is definitely on it's way, and every day that passes, I get more and more excited about meeting our little guy.

A Little Reading

My brother & his girlfriend bought me the most wonderful book on the weekend, so I thought I'd share it with all of you!
It's a really fantastic, up to date pregnancy & early parenthood bible, and I can't put it down.

No More Ugly Bras!

As a pregnant woman, I must succumb to the fact that my entire body is going to change, and may stay that way forever.

In the past couple of months I've noticed that absolutely none of my bras fit me any more, and on top of that - even if the cup size fits (with a bra that was always a tad bigger), it feels like a slightly weak person is trying to crush my ribs together throughout the day.

Thus coming to the tragic realisation that I would need to buy maternity bras. I have been trying so hard to put it off, because I have always assumed maternity bras to be like the BIG, unflattering, unshapely, pointy granny bras from the 1950's.. but once I started searching, I was pleasantly surprised to realise that they definitely have come a long way since then.

I went into Bras n' Things to ask for some advice on what's best to do. The lady was most helpful and told me - "That's easy love! We have a beautiful range, just get one size up from what you are now!". See table below;

So if you are a 12DD, you would go to a 14E. If you are a 10B, grab a 12C, and so on.

Once taken to the maternity section, I realised that she definitely was not lying. The bras were gorgeous, and something I would wear even without being maternity wear. My advice would be to head into the store.. try them all on and buy yourself some sexy matching underwear while you're at it. Not only will you leave feeling really great about your new purchases, you will also be a lot more comfortable without that little man crushing your ribs!

Sleeping During Pregnancy

This is one subject that is driving me up the wall. Maybe it's because I'm so tired? Ha-ha!

What is the correct way to sleep during pregnancy, and how can we be expected to sleep a certain way when everything is SO UNCOMFORTABLE.

It's really hard to get a good nights sleep, especially towards the end of your pregnancy. I started flipping from side to side since I was around 15 weeks. Not because I was carrying more weight, or had back pain - but simply because my pelvis and hips were so sore from being in one position that it would wake me up and I would have to move.

This has been a constant, except now I wake up from sudden leg cramping, needing to pee, needing to drink ice cold water (very urgently, mind you) and the baby bouncing on my organs acting like he's a gymnast in the Olympics.

It's been a little confusing as I have been advised to sleep on my left side, but advised by another to sleep on my right. I have been told that sleeping on my back is a big no-no, and obviously sleeping on your tummy is not even possible. So, why? And what's correct?

My doctor advised me to try and always sleep on my left. Speak to you doctor if you have any questions about what is best for you.

I was told that if you sleep on your left it increases circulation and provides an easy route from your heart to your placenta which is great for nutrients and blood flow, it also relieves pressure on your organs, and pressure on your baby.

Sleeping on the right can put pressure on your liver, but is not that bad for short periods of time, so don't worry if you fall asleep on your left and find yourself waking up on the right. If this happens, just roll over to the other side & drift back off.

Studies have shown that how you sleep during pregnancy may have a link to the risk of having a stillborn, which is absolutely terrifying. This is something I certainly was not aware of, but am definitely making an effort to stay on my left as much as possible.

If you find you're uncomfortable, stack the pillows. Put them between your legs, under your belly, under your feet, behind your back, anywhere that allows you to feel comfortable. It's hard to come by a good night's sleep, so just do everything you can to make yourself as comfortable as possible - and don't stress if you wake up on your back or your right.. just flip!

Tips For Expectant Dads

Congratulations! You are going to be a Dad!!

If your partner is currently pregnant, you are probably going through some big changes yourself. This is definitely a very exciting and beautiful time, but it also may be putting a little strain on your relationship. This is no ones fault, it's all a part of pregnancy and parenting.

Your parter is producing A LOT of hormones, and it may be changing her personality in little or big ways without her even realising.. and you might be at a loss of what to do to help. Google is now your friend. No doubt you are searching things like ''how can I assist my pregnant wife with dealing with body changes'', ''what is a midwife'', ''what cheese is safe to eat'', ''why is she being so crazy''.....

I lose my temper very easily (even without being pregnant), I am very impatient and can be quite snappy at the best of times. Increase that by 10,000 - and you are dealing with ''Pregnant Nicole". I can hear myself talking sometimes and think, ''Did I actually just say that? I sound like a psychopath!''. But I know it's not really me... just like my husband understands that I don't mean the things I say in the heat of the moment.

• So first of all, remember that communication is very important. If there's anything you feel, talk to her about it. As she should be talking to you. You both should be comfortable enough to speak openly about everything that's on your mind. It's so important for your relationship that you are on the same level, and both happy with where you are at & where you are heading.

• Remember that this is your child too & your opinion is important!

• Just say sorry. Even if she's in the wrong. Which she probably is. It's honestly not worth arguing over silly things, she is not being rational and she will forget everything that just happened in about it in two minutes if you apologise and give her a hug - thanks hormones!

• Your partner really needs your support, just holding her hand & telling her you have her back will mean the world to her. Unfortunately, it's very likely that there is personality disorder happening. Not only is she afraid of all these changes happening to her, she is also afraid of becoming a first time Mum (as you probably are about becoming a first time Dad), and stress can make a bright situation dark at times. Remind her how amazing she is going to be, which she will be. The unknown is very scary, she needs to know she is not alone in this. Be her rock.

• Understand that your microwave is going to be defrosting a lot of meals.

• Care for her. Your partner is seriously uncomfortable. Her feet are swollen, her lower back feels like it's about to snap and her skin itches & stretches like you would not believe - give her a little massage & heat up her wheat bag. She would do it for you! 

• Make an effort to be a part of the pregnancy. Yes.. that means reading those pregnancy books. It will benefit you more than it will her. You will probably learn a lot on what to do after your child arrives, as well as what your role will be like during labour, and all types of medical terms like ''breech, epidural, mucus plug, crowning etc...''. You will feel comfortable knowing these things when your partner is going into labour.

• Be present, because you care. Get involved with the appointments and the classes. There's honestly nothing like seeing a 3D ultrasound of the little life you created & hearing that heart beat.

• Speak to her belly. Whenever my husband puts his face near my belly & tells our baby about his day, the baby kicks like mad. I feel this weird sense that he must recognise him & know it's his Dad, and it's really beautiful to feel. 

• No, having intercourse won't hurt the baby. 

• Spend one on one time together, you need love as much as she does. Go to the movies, go out to dinner, cuddle on the couch. Give each other your undivided attention, because when the little one arrives, your attention will shift completely. Make sure you both make an effort to make the other person feel loved & wanted, before birth and after.

• Ignore the gross things that happen. There will be a lot of them, just pretend you didn't see or hear anything.

• Be on top of your finances, as well as hers & keep things running smoothly. 

You will be fine! I promise! This is all about team work & both of you doing everything you can to keep your relationship on track.

Treat Youself

Surely I am not the only pregnant person who is just straight up exhausted. Majority of the time, I get home from work and know that if I sit down, there's a 99% chance I won't be getting back up... unless there's chocolate of course.

If you are currently pregnant, you are definitely going through some really crazy, uncontrollable changes. If you're already a Mum, you probably don't even have time to take care of yourself because you are too busy taking care of everyone else. Kudos to you guys!

Getting caught up in the day to day is all good & well when you are 100% yourself and ready to take the world on, but at the moment it's crucial that you look after yourself. As I say to my husband all the time, you definitely don't want to be burning the candle at both ends. It's all about balance!

You need to find some YOU time.

If you have other children, ask for help. Some people might feel too proud to do this, but it's okay to ask for help. Ask your partner, a friend, your Mum, a sitter, ask someone to help out for a few hours so you can unwind a little. And if you don't have other children to take care of, take a YOU day out of your busy schedule & indulge.

TIPS FOR UNWINDING:

Get a pregnancy massage. Endota Day Spa do a wonderful Pregnancy Pick-Me Up Package which includes a foot bath, a pregnancy-safe organic facial & a head, neck and shoulder massage. 1 hour and 15 minutes of pure bliss for around $140 - yes please!

Go on a baby-moon. Your lives are about to dramatically change forever, and it's just a really wonderful way you can spend some one-on-one time with your significant other before that happens. Nothing says relaxation like escaping normal life for a weekend and going on a bit of an adventure. Get some fresh air and some sunshine, go for walks (even if they are really gentle & short) and clear your mind. You don't need to spend a lot of money to do this. Wotif have some really great deals if you want to search by budget.

Rest, rest, rest! Seriously - take a day off and stay in bed. And no one should dare try to make you feel guilty if you're still unwashed and in your pyjamas at 4pm. Switch off your phone and your laptop, put your feet up and watch some movies on the couch. You'd be surprised how much this can feel like a mini-holiday.

Go swimming. If it's warm, head to the beach. If it's cold, head to a heated pool. As we have discussed previously, our muscles bloody hurt. All our joints are loose and everything feels big and weird and really out of place. Swimming is great for feeling weightless and getting some exercise, and bonus - you can sit in the spa afterwards & relax.

Read a book. I find in most of my spare time I have my head stuck in a really good book, it helps me forget my surroundings and gives me a moment in someone else's shoes. Read something that is so far from what your current situation is so that by the time you close the cover, you feel like you are ready to get back into your own life again.

Try meditation and breathing. I find this to be a really effective method for calming my ''racing'' mind right down to a normal pace. Find yourself somewhere quiet, cross your legs or lie down, and close your eyes for 20 minutes. Focus on deep breathing and think about releasing all of your tensions. Imagine yourself in a place where you feel most calm and happy, and just relax there for a while. You may even fall into a trance like sleep.. that's okay too, you probably need it.

Spoil yourself. What girl doesn't love a little retail therapy and special treatment? I know I do! Buy yourself some sexy lingerie, get a mani pedi, get your hair done, buy those shoes you have been eyeing off for months.. You really deserve it.

Maxi-Cosi Euro ISOGO

HI ALL - URGENT MESSAGE:

THIS ITEM HAS NOW BEEN RECALLED, PLEASE CHECK IF YOU HAVE A EURO A4, HERA A4 OR EURO A2 AND CONTACT WHERE YOU PURCHASED IT TO ASSIST IN RESOLVING THE ISSUE. XO


On the weekend I had my beautiful car seat installed in my car. I know I might be a little early with this, but I'd rather get it out of the way and have my certificate of installation in my glove box ready to go for the nurses when we take our baby home from the hospital.

I'm really excited to talk about it, because car safety is a huge deal for me, especially knowing I will be driving a lot with our baby.

The Maxi-Cosi Euro ISOGO car seat is amazing on so many levels. I must admit the first thing that drew me to it was how much padding there is around the head for protection. It has an air-protect superior side impact protection to cushion and defend your babies head from any impact as well as crash absorbing technology for full body protection (fingers crossed that never happens though!). The padding also looks very comfy for sleeping!

Once I learnt that, I was instantly hooked and needed to know more.

Maxi-Cosi have introduced an ISOFIX compatible chair (check to see if you car is compatible), but can also be fitted the ''old-fashioned'' way too. I always thought fitting a car seat would be ridiculously hard to do, not to mention a pain to remember.. but the ISOFIX makes it SO easy! Our installer showed us both ways of installing into our cars. It's so simple and so safe, switching between cars & worrying about correct installation will be a thing of the past!

You begin rearward facing for 12 months (but can do up to 30 months), and then forward facing up until 4 years. The shoulder height adjusts (should always be one inch above child's shoulder), and has five adjustable head height positions, as well as 3 different recline positions. It comes with an infant seat insert which is easily removed once the baby has grown out of it and has a great harness system which can be adjusted easily at any time.

The accessories that come with the chair include a press stud blanket for over the chair, a protector mat with insulated drink protector, and if it happens to get dirty it's covers can be removed and machine washed.

They retail for around $500, but you can't really put a price on safety. I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend this chair to any expecting parent!

What To Wear When Expecting

A lot of women decide that being pregnant is a time to be comfortable and just wear tracksuits and oversized shirts for the entirety of their pregnancy. I think if you are happy to do that because you finally have a chance to ''not care'', then more power to you!
I, on the other hand, have realised this is one of my biggest issues. I have always worried that being pregnant meant I would have nothing nice to wear, everything would look huge and frumpy on me, and I'd never want to leave the house. All the maternity clothes I've ever seen in stores are pretty gross. But then I realised.. you don't actually need to buy that gross old lady maternity wear at all.

I've had a lot of women message me on Facebook lately asking where I find my maternity clothes, so I'm going to share my secrets!

I find that what I wear makes me feel good on the inside and the outside, I embrace my baby bump completely and find that even though I am bigger than normal - I can still feel beautiful, and so can you!

SO!

If your legs haven't changed in size too much and you still fit into your jeans, but can't do them up - just wear them undone. Seriously. Who cares. I wear all of my jeans that I had pre-pregnancy, and all I do is leave the button undone, the zip undone, and wear a long shirt that covers past my hips so no one can tell!
If you can't fit into your jeans, maternity jeans from Asos http://www.asos.com/au/ are pretty great too. I have 2-3 pairs and are almost as comfortable as just leaving my pants undone!

Layering! Obviously this is a little harder to do in Summer, but at the moment being in Winter - you can get away with layering everything. My go to is maternity leggings, long figure hugging tshirts/singlets, big cardigans & long coats with flat boots.

Cardigan - $39.95 - http://www.hm.com/au/
Maternity Leggings - $22 - http://www.topshop.com/
Thin Strap Cami - $12 - http://www.supre.com.au/
Tweed Coat - $31 - http://www.romwe.com/
Boots - http://www.seedheritage.com/
Converse Sneakers - $120 - http://www.converse.com.au/
Maternity Jeans - $35 - http://www.topshop.com/

You don't need to spend a lot of money to look amaze. Stores like http://cottonon.com/AU and http://www.supre.com.au/ have great basics which are stretchy, long and cheap.

I find wear wearing black helps make me feel a little slimmer & in shape, plus I always feel sexier in black.

You can switch up the pieces above in so many ways - I promise you will feel beautiful and stylish!
Here are some great ways to wear your new maternity pieces:

Gender!

Finding out the sex is something only you (and your partner) can decide whether you want to do or not. Don't let people convince you to do it, if you want a surprise on the day you give birth- good for you! And if you are determined to know - that's great too. The decision is completely yours!

These are reasons I chose to find out the sex of our baby.
1. I am clearly (in case you haven't noticed from previous posts) an over organised control freak. The anxiety of not knowing whether I am having a son or a daughter would have been enough to cripple me. I may not be able to control how my pregnancy goes, how my body changes, how my labour goes - but I can certainly control this, and give myself a little calmness and preparation time.
2. I like to shop, I like to buy clothes & shoes..in advance. Waaaay in advance. The robes may already be stocked For Summer 2016. Yes. I am excited.
3. I wanted to give my husband something to know & look forward to. I can only imagine how hard it is to be the waiting father, we experience everything.. all the kicks & changes for 9 months so intimately, whilst they only know what's happening because we tell them.
I know my husband was hoping for a boy (not that it would have mattered to him either way), he probably wouldn't even admit it out loud, but I think his reaction when we found out said it all. So it was nice to be able to give him some things to think about and look forward to as well.
4. The baby was a surprise enough, I wasn't going to wait to find out the sex.. too many surprises for me!
5. I needed to prepare myself for the unknown if I found out I was having a boy (eg. knowing to put his little ''peanut'' down when putting a nappy on so wee doesn't soak everything)... research, research, research! I know girls, I understand them, but boys are a different story. I needed to know the little secrets & things to understand for when he comes along!

So the hard part that not many women/men talk about is.. How do you deal with disappointment if you find out you're having a girl when you wanted a boy and visa versa?

Now, now ladies. Don't judge. I know everyone will turn around and say ''It doesn't matter as long as the baby is healthy!'', which is totally true. But it's also okay to feel a little disappointed if you really had your heart set on one sex or the other. You may not even be able to help these feelings, you might not even have known you were hoping for a particular sex until you found out.
You might feel like you know how to handle girls better (being one yourself) rather than boys, you might find girls too hard to handle (maybe you were a terror?), you might have a lot of hand-me-downs that will need to find a new home but might also put you under stress financially, you might just want to have a boy because you love to play sports and kick a footy and maybe fear that a girl won't be into this? You might have had visions your whole life of being a Mum and having a child which was a particular sex - and now this has all changed, and all your visions have disappeared.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with feeling these things. Don't be ashamed, it's okay.

So how do you get over it?

Dealing with the guilt can be very hard. You probably are tucking it in deep, deep down with the other feelings in the ''no go zone''. You also might feel like you might not be a good mother because you may not be prepared, if you have been dreaming about having a little boy your entire life and suddenly everything you imagined is now gone, it's quickly replaced with feelings of anxiety and unknown.

My advice? Talk about it with someone. Someone who won't judge you. A family member, husband, or best friend. You need to realise it's out of your control. Understand that it's not the baby you feel guilty about or your pregnancy, it's the feeling like you lost something you really wanted.

Your baby will bring you so much happiness & joy, you probably won't even remember the disappointment you once felt once he/she arrives. It will be a distant memory once you have given birth and you are looking into the eyes of your little bundle. They will have their own personality, you can't predict what they will be like. Maybe you will have a girl who loves to go to the football or a boy who wants to dance ballet? Enjoy getting to know your little one as they grow.

If you feel like you are having a really hard time getting over it, talk to someone. Get your feelings out there and heal.

Picking A Name

Exciting stuff!! Picking a name for your future son/daughter can be a lot of fun, but also a very tedious task!

I'm sure a few thoughts have crossed your mind like, "What does Nicole rhyme with? Mole?" (yes, I've had Nicole the mole, no it doesn't upset me.. be real with who you are, haha) but kids getting teased is really serious so think.. will my child get laughed at if I pick this name? Will they cut Aiden short to Aids? The things we need to consider!

If you don't know the sex - picking your favourite names for both sexes will help for when he/she is born.

Yes... you & your partner need to agree..  Don't think you can do a sneaky on the birth certificate without getting a ''yes'' from your significant other. I found this to be the hardest part, especially if you both are a little bit opinionated and stubborn! (Sorry husband, sad but true.)

Have you considered if you would like to use a middle name?

Traditions can come into play also. Do you name your child after your parents? Do you use their first name as a middle name?

Or do you want to be totally unique and go for a name like 'Bear Blu'....thanks Alicia Silverstone....*raises eyebrow*.

So if you're right in the middle of it and you are having some trouble choosing a baby name for your future son/daughter, I've put together a list of my favourite names.

GIRLS:

Olivia

Tia

Avery

Blake

Grace

Audrey

Elizabeth

Sophia

Violet

Hazel

BOYS:

Noah

Devon

Caleb

Grayson

Sebastian

Zachary

Flynn

Cooper

Ashton

Hunter

Get a list together of your top three, then I suggest saying the name out loud. More than once. Say it with your surname also, you might end up with a rhyming name like ''Parker Walker" or "Jackson Robinson", if that's your style - cool! - if not, beware.. some people (funnily enough) tend to look past this.