12 Weeks

So I have finally hit the holy 12 week mark! I dont physically feel any different but my spirits are lifted. The first trimester has been hard...perhaps some of the hardest weeks of my life.

Things are improving though. I'm still nauseas but I actually vomit less. I ended up at the doctor this week because my sinus infection had gotten REALLY bad and was moving into my chest. He gave me antibiotics and I went straight to bed. Been in bed for 3 days now and I'm slowly starting to get my energy back. Things are looking good!

Dan and I also purchased a car. It is a white Citroen C3 and we LOVE it. I suppose it is a luxury to have a car in a country where public transport is so efficient but I dont see myself walking with a baby in the snow. No more late nights waiting in the cold for a bus...YAY! We also plan on doing a few road trips before the baby arrives. Belgium, France and Germany are first on the list.

Ouch!

This morning I woke up with a huge cold sore on my nose! It hurts like hell and quite honestly I believe it is because my body is taking strain. Usually I get cold sores when I'm stressed or have not been sleeping/eating well. At least I have a good ointment for cold sores. I also convinced the Gyne to give me a pill for nausea. So hopefully my nutrition needs will be fulfilled.

Pregnancy the Dutch Way

Today I am 10 weeks pregnant! This means I only have 2 more weeks until I reach the HOLY number of 12! I thought this would be a good time to explain how the Dutch health system works. I am no expert but here is what I have discovered so far...

The Dutch are big believers in everything natural. They favour home births and discourage pain relief. The Dutch have one of the biggest midwifery programs in the world so the only time you ever really see a Gynaecologist is if your midwife or GP feels that there are enough risks that warrant the expert advice of a specialist. I have a "high risk" pregnancy due to my asthma. This means I cannot give birth at home (thank goodness).

You do however have the choice to give birth in a "polyclinic" with a midwife. Most of my expat friends opt for this. Depending on your midwife, you may have to be fairly persistent about wanting any pain relief (epidural). I have already told my Gynae that I want an epidural and I'll make sure that they continue to get that message loud and clear!

The best part of the Dutch system is called "kraamzorg". This is the aftercare program. Once mother and baby have arrived back home, there is a period of 5-7 days where a "kraamzorgster" or midwife will come over and help with everything including feeding, changing, cooking and sometimes even cleaning! I think this is fantastic!

During your pregnancy you are usually offered 2 echo-scans: one at about 10 weeks and another around 20 weeks. I have been lucky and already had 3 scans due to the nature of my pregnancy. I have another one in about 4 weeks. I will post pics!

In conclusion, I think that the Dutch system is certainly different to what I would expect in South Africa. There are positives and negatives to both sides but I feel confident that having our first child in Holland is going to be fine!

First Trimester: morning sickness

"Ok, I'm going to be sick..."

These are the words that continue to plague me. I have discovered that the phrase "morning sickness" is totally inaccurate. From about week 5 I would wake up feeling sick and go to bed feeling sick. I have tried all kinds of home remedies but nothing works really well. I spoke to the Gyne about it and she suggested I try acupuncture. I checked with my health insurance company if this is covered and indeed it is! I just have to find a registered practitioner...in other words, not the Asian "doctor" who has an office near the red light district.

To make matters worse, I have also got a sinus infection. My head feels like it is going to explode and my nose is just a massive mucus factory. I am not allowed to take any medication for it until about 12 weeks so in the meantime I must just suffer. My sister, Helouise, posted me some homeopathic remedies which include a saline nose rinse. I find this really helps. The only problem is that it makes me vomit. So as nasty as it may seem to picture this, here is what one session looks like: rinse, vomit, attempt to stay calm, rinse, vomit, etc

The reality of my situation is that I still have to work full-time while experiencing all the side effects of early pregnancy. Not easy! However, I told my boss about the pregnancy and he has been fairly sympathetic. He lets me work from home.

It comforts me to know that the nausea streak should end at around 12 weeks. I have this idea in my head that week 12 is like a HOLY week. Somebody told me that nausea can persist to 14 weeks but I prefer to have selective hearing in this case…

Im Pregnant!

"Love, I think this test is broken"...my first words to Dan when we finally decided to use a home pregnancy test. Three positive tests later it was impossible to deny the journey we had embarked on.

This blog aims to share our experience as first-time parents living in Holland. I'm hoping that it will help my family and friends all over the world feel part of the exciting experience. It could also be a great source of information for those thinking of parenting in the Netherlands.