Stop the car I need a weewee

So I had this situation for a week or so where I couldn't wee - might as well jump right in and say it. If you can't take this directness, you certainly can't take what's going to follow. Look away now.

It seems, touch wood, to have disappeared again. I remember from my first pregnancy, that if I didn't go to the loo regularly and I let myself get desperate, I would have problems weeing at all. I could sit on the toilet, absolutely bursting and nothing would happen. Except a few tears streaming down my cheeks with the stress/discomfort of it all.

And from just before we went on holiday to the time of my scan (the EXACT time of my scan) this awful symptom (or should we call it a side-effect?) came back to taunt me in pregnancy number two.

Now imagine the scene. We are disembarking the ferry... quick wee and into the car. Sit in the car, sit in the car, sit in the car, ooh we're moving, depart the ferry. Lovely. Queue for passport control, wait a bit, wait a bit more, a little more, yay, we're through and off on our journey. It didn't take too long actually (much faster than UK passport control), but it did add to the planned two hour journey time.

The SatNav took us on a weird windy route, away from all major French roads. So no service stations with toilets. There were villages where we could have stopped, if we were feeling brave, but we were not. We had a sleeping toddler and we did NOT wish him to wake up, so on we went as I bravely announced "I'll be fine, I can hold it a little longer."

I was lying. I needed to go. Now. So I got out a nappy.

I can't quite believe that I am going to relay this story. Deep breath.

So, I managed to wriggle the nappy inside my pants, trousers and seatbelt - no mean feat. I made sure the stretchy bits were spread wide and kept my hand around my crotch so that the nappy stayed in place and there was no risk of leakage. I sat as upright as possible and let my urge to wee translate into a bodily function. Nothing.

I thought this was my clever body telling me that weeing with your clothes on, whilst sitting in a moving car was not really the 'done thing'. I felt a little bit proud of myself.

Nonetheless, I altered my position and tried again. Nothing. By this time we were approaching a village. A few people may have walked by so I tried to disguise the situation as best I could and waited for the next opportune area of countryside.

Here we go... countryside, no-one around, "just let go body, just let go". Nothing. Husband was beginning to find it funny by now, well, ok, he found it funny to begin with and I swore him to absolute secrecy - Hi honey, please don't tell your family still, that'd be weird. He did offer some kind help and encouragement by making running water type sounds, pssssssss, for example. Yep, he tried to help. Nothing.

He stopped finding it funny when I made a really serious effort after another village and ended up in tears. Not upset tears, just the falling out of your eyes kind that you can't help when something hurts so much. It wasn't like actual pain either (in case you're wondering if I had some kind of infection - trust me, it wasn't the same), just grrrrr, 'wee, damn you' tears!

Eventually, and mainly because hubby was lost, we stopped in a layby. I undid my seatbelt turned around and knelt on the seat (many people choose this position for giving birth, I believe) and concentrated so hard, that a teeny tiny little wee trickled out and into the nappy. Hubby asked if I was 'doing it', "shut up", I responded with ferocious concentration. A little more wee. Toddler woke up and looked straight at me, husband congratulated him on witnessing this epic moment in his mother's life. A little bit more wee. Then I got nervous about how much I was doing and if the nappy could take it so I stopped. I felt a little relief but still needed the toilet. Thankfully this was enough to see me to our arrival at our holiday resort (let's not name it here as I really don't think they'd enjoy the publicity).

Husband was dispatched from the car with a not very full nappy to dispose of in the roadside bin. And on with the journey.

The weeing situation seemed to get worse throughout the holiday, in that, I wouldn't even need to get 'desperate' to find I would sit on the loo and have nothing come out (apart from a few tears). I was making plans to ask the sonographer at my first scan to check the positioning of my bladder and urethra as I thought it must be trapped somewhere by the baby.

The journey back home in the UK was worse. Husband wisely announced "there'll be services on the M25, we'll stop there". Incorrect husband. There are no services on that section of the M25 and it would appear that the junction to the M1 is also closed right now with major queues backing up. Out came the nappy once again. Pointlessly as nothing happened. Thank christ for Toddington Services.

I continued to have problems peeing that weekend and when we went for our scan on the Monday where I had to have a full bladder (?!?!?!?!? do they not REALISE how difficult it is to keep your bladder full for half an hour when you're pregnant?!?), the NHS were typically running late (I should point out right now that I LOVE the NHS and am a massive fan of hospital food, they're just late. always. fact.). The poor sonographer noticed that I 'danced' into the room and asked if I needed to go. He had a quick look at the baby, reported that my bladder was too full and I should go and empty it. I apologised that I might be 'a while', left... and Lo!, I sat down on the loo and the floodgates literally opened. I think I may have had another little cry, of relief this time.

And it seems to have been fixed ever since. So... have a good laugh, confess if you've ever weed in a nappy yourself and sympathise with me if you had problems weeing during pregnancy too. Please nicely, as I'm still a little shocked that I am sharing such an embarrassing encounter with the entire WWW. Eeeek!

The Tell-Tale Signs

When I was trying for my first child, I got a bit obsessed... after all, I had finally started trying to fulfil my life's ambition of becoming a mother. Well, each month I 'felt different' and thought I had this symptom and that symptom and might be pregnant. And each month I felt utterly disappointed as I took the test and it was negative.

Don't feel sorry for me, it only took 5 months, I know I have nothing to complain about there.

But I did spend a lot of time researching pregnancy symptoms on the internet. Some seemed a little misleading as they were the same symptoms I experience every month when a period is pending, but some were really helpful and I did kind of know when I was being a little to wishful.

Last week, however, before I did the test (and as much of a shock as it was to actually SEE the fact there in front of me), I did know I was pregnant. I just knew. I guess I recognised feelings from the first time. So here's my top list of symptoms, which may hopefully help others in the future.

1. My breasts were noticeably larger. Now I know many people get this every month, but I haven't tended to recently (maybe a bi-product of having breast-fed number 1 child? Still worth it though).

2. And my nipples were really rather sensitive (have I gone to far? Was using the N word 'crossing the line'? If I blog you through my birth, expect MUCH MUCH worse). The spray from the shower was where I particularly noticed it and I had to angle myself just right to avoid it. Ouch.

3. My period was late. Well d'uh. Obviously. I normally have a pretty regular 4-weekly cycle, but the month before, it had been 6 weeks. So I waited 6 weeks and one day before doing the test. But like I said, in my gut, I already knew.

4. I kept weeing. Now, I drink a lot of water on an average day and therefore go to the loo a lot. But this was excessive even for me. I just constantly needed a wee.

5. And I was oh so tired. I did have a couple of late nights which I talked myself into believing might be the cause. But it would just hit me in the middle of the day. I didn't have the energy to get on and do things (also not particularly unusual for me) but knew I felt way more tired than usual.

6. Don't forget, morning sickness doesn't only happen in the morning. The day I did my test, I spent the afternoon on the computer working. And I felt slightly sick ALL afternoon. I didn't really get morning sickness first time round and hope that what I've had so far is going to be it. No more. But there was definitely no good explanation for feeling a bit delicate in the stomach, other than impending motherhood.

7. There were two mornings where I woke up with a nasty pain in one of my hips. I sleep on my side normally and I definitely recognised this pain from pregnancy number 1. If I hadn't experience it before, I think it would have passed me by. But it's the only time I've ever had a problem sleeping on my side (and of course in the later stages, you shouldn't sleep on your back as it can cut off baby's blood supply, so you have to put up with it) and it was undoubtedly the same pain. I guess the relaxin hormone has got to work already then!

I don't remember where I did my research first time round, but last week I had a little peek at the Top 10 Signs of Pregnancy article on www.babycentre.co.uk - an invaluable tool for all expectant parents and parents of young children. I trust this website like no other.

I'm off now to contemplate a little longer how I'm going to tell my mum I'm pregnant. I tried to tell her on the phone last night, but the words just didn't come out!