Pregnancy Diary: 16 Weeks – When Will I Feel Well Again?

I am 16 weeks pregnant now and it is really dragging.  This pregnancy is a world away from my last pregnancy which I thoroughly enjoyed, in fact I enjoyed my last so much that I refused a sweep to get labour going. This time I just don’t feel well and it’s starting to take its toll on my happiness. Last week was half term for the kids, and we spent nearly the whole week cooped up inside the house. The house is my little safe haven, somewhere where I can feel like crap and be safe. I can be sick in my house and not have people stare. I can pass  out in my house through my low blood pressure and not be called an ambulance. Of course this means my poor children have been stuck inside with me. Luckily they had a few outings with family members last week, so that kept them amused but they have been so so good and not moaned once they were bored. On Friday I plucked up enough courage to take them into town and treat them to breakfast and a quick visit to a toy shop to get a little treat, they really did deserve it.

So the sickness is still there, and as I write this I am deep breathing, trying my hardest to keep swallowing and not be sick. But it’s the sickness feeling that has got to me, the physical being sick is nasty but at least you get a little respite after it has happened. Instead I am feeling queasy all day everyday. I wake up feeling sick, and go to bed feeling sick, I even wake in the night feeling sick. I am actually at the stage where I am crying as I feel so sick. I have zero energy and feel like I am fighting off a virus, it’s that lethargic feeling where my head feels fuzzy, I have headaches and all I want to do is sleep, be sick and sleep, is that too much to ask? But I have 2 different school runs to do and a nursery run too, I don’t have time to feel ill! Then there is the housework to be done, the cooking and general looking after my babies. I keep reminding myself that it won’t be forever and that one day I will perk up and feel normal, but I think it’s just so hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel when you feel so poorly.

Today I saw the midwife. My blood results from my 8 week booking in appointment were fine (strangely as I am always anaemic), and since then I have been feeling even more anaemic, yet when I mentioned it to the midwife she said not to worry. I asked if I was having bloods taken today and she informed me that I wouldn’t have any done until my next antenatal appointment in 10 weeks time. Yes, 10 weeks time!! That seems like a life time away! In other news though I got to hear the babies heartbeat, which was lovely to hear and sounded like a train (old wives tale tells me a boy!). It was also found that I have a trace of protein in my urine, but again, this is of no concern and they said they will retest in10 weeks time. I keep thinking back to my previous pregnancies and I can’t remember ever being left 10 weeks in between appointments. It worries me that me and the baby will have no check ups until late August.

I do however have our 20 week scan to look forward to, which is when we find out what the sex is hopefully.

Babies development for 16 weeks according to Emmas Diary:

In the next few weeks your baby will double in size from its present weight of three ounces. At the moment she is the size of an avocado measuring nearly 5 inches (12cm) from head to buttocks and weighs about 3.5 ounces (100 g). The limbs are much more developed by now and the eyes and ears have almost arrived at their correct positions on your baby’s head. These tiny ears can now pick up your voice and hear what you are saying.

Eyebrows, lashes and hair are now starting to fill in and toenails are forming. Internally your baby’s heart is pumping blood at a rate of 50 pints a day and this amount will increase daily from now on. You may start to feel tiny movements as there is plenty of room for your foetus to somersault around the uterus. Sometimes babies will even grasp at the umbilical cord with their tiny hands.

And Mum?
At present your uterus has reached halfway from your pubic bone to your belly button and the supporting ligaments are thickening and strengthening in preparation for your baby’s growth. This is the ‘feel-good’ time of your pregnancy as nausea has subsided, mood swings have lessened and your skin and hair are nourished and glowing. You will probably be experiencing a glorious sense of well-being and now is the perfect time to get away on a holiday or spend some quality time with your partner.

Many women will feel their babies moving for the first time this week but others may not be conscious of it for several more weeks. These early movements can be easy to miss especially in your first pregnancy as they are no more than gentle flutters. Don’t worry because as your baby grows there will be no mistaking her activities!