It’s morning. You wake up with a wave of nausea, poke DH in the ribs and order a plate of chopped and seeded watermelon.
He looks at you strangely, says, “Bollocks. It’s June!” and rolls over.
Don’t worry. You’ll have him scouring the pre-dawn markets in his ugg-boots and overcoat in no time. You just need to work a little harder on the persuasion.
After missing three days of work, you realise that if you want to keep your job you’re going to have to learn to live with nausea. Learn to make it your friend. The sort of friend you could do without, but a friend none the less.
Fighting the fatigue, you pack a tote bag full of apples, rice crackers, digestive biscuits, apricot chews, and two-minute noodles.
Heading for the train you pause once to heave up your breakfast of two dry crackers and a multi-vitamin.
Now comes the real test. You miss the express train. Seven stops before you can crawl your way out of the underground and breathe fresh air again.
There are no seats and no one offers you one because you don’t look pregnant, putting down your ghastly pale complexion to another winter casualty.
Ten points if you make it without dashing from the train at the fourth stop to throw up in a rubbish bin on the platform, before racing back to beat the doors before they close.
Another ten points if you make it to your desk, managing to smile hello to colleagues through gritted teeth without breaking into a run to the ladies’ room.
If the nausea is too severe and you are unable to keep down food at all, make sure you keep up fluids. Even icy poles are enough at this stage.
See your obstetrician if it persists as there are a couple of tablets that are safe to use in pregnancy which control nausea.
It’s time for your first official visit to the obstetrician, who is almost always late thanks to someone else inconveniently delivering their baby on your time.
This is a hazard and one you have to live with. Be comforted by the knowledge that one day in the not too distant future you will be the cause of someone else’s need to grin and bear it.
You will be weighed, your blood pressure checked, your dates confirmed and your medical history taken.
An examination of your lower abdomen will be made. If you want to be sure that you get what you want the next time you hassle DH for watermelon at 6am in the middle of winter, make sure he’s there for the heartbeat.
It’s one of those precious moments that’ll even make the hardest heart go “Wow”.
You may be referred for blood tests and to an ultrasound clinic. These tests measure the amount of AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) in your blood and help detect abnormalities such as Down Syndrome.
The next day you have some slight bleeding and call the obstetrician’s office. You are referred immediately for an ultrasound.
You visit the clinic and don one of those fashionable floral numbers with no underwear while a technician squeezes cold gel on your abdomen.
This is the first step in learning to leave your pride at the door. Quite soon you’ll be flashing it for all and sundry and the ultrasound will be nothing but a small blip on the pregnancy radar.
The ultrasound technician runs a scanner over your tummy. Guess what – two heartbeats. It’s twins.
Related Content
Pregnant with Twins – Month 1 (Weeks 1-4)
Pregnant with Twins – Month 2 (Weeks 4-8)
Pregnant with Twins – Month 3 (Weeks 8-12)
Pregnant with Twins – Month 4 (Weeks 12-16)
Pregnant with Twins – Month 5 (Weeks 16-20)
Pregnant with Twins – Month 6 (Weeks 20-24)
Pregnant with Twins – Month 7 (Weeks 24-28)
Pregnant with Twins – Month 8 (Weeks 28-32)
Pregnant with Twins – Month 9 (Weeks 32-36)
Pregnant with Twins – Month 10 (Weeks 36-40)
Truth About Twins 