Pregnancy for Modern Girls: The Naked Truth About Being Pregnant

289 Pages·2009·6.12 MB·English

by  Hollie Smith

So you’re pregnant? congratulations!

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“Down to earth.
The next 9 months are going to be challenging, exciting and scary, in
r everything a new mum-to-be needs.”
equal measure. you’ll have amazing highs, emotional moments, and
too many trips to the toilet to count them. Mother & Baby magazine
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There’s no doubting it, having a baby changes your life. your body, g
relationships, career, and sex life may change, not to mention your boobs.
n
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and now you’ve got lots of questions buzzing around in your head that
Pregnancy
need answering... n

n i got hammered in the first 3 months c
– will my baby be ok? p11
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n exactly how much does labour hurt? p219 for modern girls

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n What’s an episiotomy? (Don’t know? look it up, p233) o
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n How and when do i tell my boss i’m pregnant? p128 The naked truth about being pregnant
m
n are piles inevitable? p33
o
n can i still have sex when i’m huge? p147 D
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With you through every stage of pregnancy, we tell you the things n
doctors won’t tell you, explain your rights at work and take you through
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every decision you’ll have to make. This is the kind of frank, honest
i
advice you’d expect from your best friend. r
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THE ONLY GUIDE TO TELL IT S
LIKE IT REALLY IS
£10.99
Hollie Smith
www.whiteladderpress.co.uk
PREGNANCY
FOR MODERN GIRLS
The naked truth about being pregnant
Hollie Smith
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Important note:
The information in this book is not intended as a substitute for
medical advice. Neither the author nor White Ladder can accept any
responsibility for any injuries, damages or losses suffered as a result of
following the information herein.
This edition first published in Great Britain 2009 by
Crimson Publishing, a division of Crimson Business Ltd
Westminster House
Kew Road
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 2ND
© Crimson Publishing, 2009
The right of Hollie Smith to be identified as the author of this work has
been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a retrieval system
without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or in the
case of reprographic reproduction a licence issued in accordance with
the terms and licences issued by the CLA Ltd.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 90541 060 6
Printed and bound by MPG Books LTD, Bodmin
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Contents
Introduction 1
1 You’re pregnant! What now? 5
Who should you tell and when? 5
Early symptoms 6
Getting used to being pregnant 8
Going it alone 9
Working out D-day 10
The honest truth about drink and drugs 10
Your antenatal care 11
Where are you going to have the baby? 14
Scans and screening 15
Signing up for antenatal classes 22
And the good news about being pregnant is … 25
2 Sick and tired: the joys of pregnancy 27
Ailments and symptoms – horror stories or facts? 27
When to get help quickly 65
Your baby bump 68
Style still matters: the world of maternity wear 70
3 Womb with a view: your baby’s growth 73
Here’s the science bit 73
How your baby grows, fortnight by fortnight 74
4 Care instructions: eating, drinking, and other potentially
‘dangerous’ activities 87
Adapt your life, don’t ditch it! 87
Alcohol 88
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Cigarettes 92
Drugs 94
Caffeine 95
Food 97
There’s no point in getting stressed 106
A healthy approach 106
Other ‘dangerous’ activities 114
You still need to exercise 118
5 Office politics: pregnancy and your career 127
Your rights and responsibilities 127
Maternity leave and pay 130
Your partner’s paternity rights 132
Time off for antenatal care 132
‘Keeping in touch’ days 133
Returning to work after maternity leave 133
When you’re the boss 134
Your health and safety 135
Coping with the commute 140
Feeling sick 142
’Preg-head’ 143
If your boss is being a bugger 144
Want to go back to your career? 145
6 Hit and missionary: your love life during pregnancy 147
Gagging for it or just gagging? 147
Is he horny? Do you care?! 150
Make sex work 151
Bringing on labour 156
When not to have sex 157
Looking after your relationship 158
7 Delivery schedule: making plans for your baby’s arrival 161
Where you’re going to have your baby 162
Consultant-led hospital unit 162
Midwife-led unit 164
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Home birth 165
Making a birth plan 167
Hoping for a ‘natural birth’? 170
Pain relief options 172
Alternative methods of pain relief 178
Your birth partner 181
The professionals 183
Birth by planned caesarean section 184
Multiple births 188
Premature birth 189
8 Ready for take-off: preparing for your baby’s birth 191
The waiting game 191
How you’re going to feed your baby 193
Shopping necessities 197
Coping strategies for the final strait 200
Packing your bag 206
The things people say 208
Your feelings 209
Your baby’s position 210
9 Labour day(s): what happens when you give birth 213
You’re nearly there… 214
Going past your due date 215
What happens when your waters break 218
How much does it hurt? 219
What if my baby won’t wait? 221
‘Established’ labour 222
In hospital 223
Being induced 224
How you might act in labour 226
Effing and blinding 226
Here comes your baby 228
Your baby’s out! 230
An assisted delivery 232
Episiotomy 233
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If you need an emergency caesarean 234
After the birth 236
10 Birth stories: six Modern Girls recall their labour day 239
11 Hey, baby: the first few weeks with your newborn 249
Settling in 249
Feeding your baby 250
Your post-birth body 255
Recovery after a caesarean section 261
Your postnatal care 263
Babycare essentials 266
How you’ll feel 271
Useful contacts 273
Index 278
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Introduction

So, you’re up the duff? Well, that’s wonderful news – I’m delighted
for you. Having twice experienced the joy of seeing that confirmatory
pink line on the pregnancy test, and spent two lots of nine months of
my own life in an expectant state, I’m pretty well qualified to share in
your exhilaration – not to mention your fear, nausea, pain, and extreme
discomfort. And I’m really pleased to be writing this book, because it
always bothered me that so many pregnancy manuals left out so much
of the gory detail.
The fact is, you need the truth when you’re having your first baby – and
the honest truth, not the sugar-coated version. If you’re likely to develop
an overwhelming aversion to your husband’s personal aroma, piles
the size of grapes, or urinary habits that will leave you wondering if a
permanent catheter is a realistic option, then better to be prepared for
the possibility than to wonder WTF is going on when it actually happens
and if, even in the freakish parallel universe that is being pregnant, what
you’re experiencing is normal. It’s not just the medical stuff you need to
know about, either: how, for example, is a multi-tasking modern woman
supposed to carry on up the career ladder whilst pole-axed by morning
sickness, or make love to her other half when she feels more like a baby
elephant than a sex kitten?
Pregnancy for Modern Girls will guide you through the ups and downs of
your expectant state and the birth of your baby as honestly as possible. In
other words, I’m going to tell it like it is. And, rest assured, I promise to
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Pregnancy for Modern Girls
do so without any lecturing or prescribing. You’re a big girl now, and you
probably don’t need anyone else to tell you how to behave – although you
might just want some guidance so you can make up your own mind.
Whether you’ve been trying for a while to get pregnant or whether
impending motherhood has come as something of a surprise, one thing’s
for sure: the next nine months are likely to be challenging, exciting and
scary in equal measure. You’ll just have to believe me when I say that, one
day, it will all be worth it. I look at my daughters now and you know, I
never, ever think about how crap I felt in the nine months I was carrying
them – or even how much it hurt to squeeze the little darlings out at the
end of it all. Think of it as a means to a wonderful end.
Meanwhile though, chin up. Belly out. Keep smiling. And good luck.
You’re going to need it.
Hollie Smith
PS There’s no better source of information on a subject than someone
who’s already been there and done it, which is why I couldn’t have written
this book without help from my panel of Modern Girls, who regaled me
with tips and tales from their own pregnancies and births and whose
thoughts feature prominently throughout. My sincere thanks to them all
for their commitment, their eloquence and, above all, their honesty.
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Introduction
Author’s notes
I’ve referred to baby as a boy throughout and to midwives as female and
doctors as male. This is pure literary licence and I apologise to all girl
babies, male midwives and female doctors for my sexism …
I’ve included a list of useful websites and contact numbers at the back
of the book, so when I refer to an organisation, look at the back for the
details.
The information in this book has been approved by midwife and mum-
of-six Sara Warren.
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