Three Days' Grace

This entry will cover 3 days.

4th April 2012:

So, I won't be writing about what's going through my mind right now or I'll start sounding like a broken record.  [Yes, still thinking about the return to work thingy].

OK fine, I'll write some more about it whilst my food is done cooking [mmmmmm pasties].  I did some reading up on Separation Anxiety and it seems like the vast majority of articles I came across focus on the kind of Separation Anxiety children tend to feel when they have finally realised that they are a separate person from their primary carer.  This is caused by their lack of understanding of the concept of time.  If they don't see their primary carer, they end up not knowing if or when s/he'll come back.  This is what causes them to panic and be anxious about it.

There is little out there about how parents are meant to cope with it when they are the one experiencing the anxiety.  All I kept reading was "don't worry too much" or "don't feel guilty" bla bla bla.  It is one thing to say it, and a completely different thing to be able to do it.  I suspect they don't delve much into it so as not to tell you how awful it really can be.

*sniffs the air* mmmmmm pasties.

OK, where was I?  Ah yes.

I am now waiting to find out what shifts I'll be working to try and figure out how the heck I'm going to manage being a Working Single Parent.

I'm told that stay-at-home mums end up regretting staying at home as the lack of adult company drives them crazy.  I would rather experience that than miss out on my daughter's childhood.  Ah well, I suppose the grass is always greener on the other side.  *insert Stoner puns here*

Heh, sorry. Although I don't smoke pot myself, I can't help but think of it whenever that expression is used.

Anyway.

Right now, I'm focusing a lot on the Pagan Mama facebook group as it is allowing me to do some reading up and discuss topics related to both Parenting and Paganism with others in similar situations as I am.  It also helps me create and find information that is easily accessible to children - which I'm keeping on file for Morgan.

Yesterday I started framing the Faerie Oracle deck so that eventually I'll hang up all 66 frames in Morgan's room.  Well, 65, perhaps.  The first card is left blank for the person owning the deck to draw their own Faerie Guide.  I may keep that for Morgan to doodle when she's a bit older.

Yesterday it was relatively uneventful.  I tidied up, I spent time with Morgan. We played, we watched the first episode of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys together, and then we went for coffee with my mum.

I also got this Plaster of Paris kit for her with a Fairy Mirror mold and a Fairy Name Plate mold for her.  I will look into them at a later date though.

Oh, and the washing machine repair dude came over and fixed it for me.  Turns out a Colour Catcher sheet got stuck in the filter.  Oops!  That's what I get for trying to be economical and eco-friendly I guess!  Needless to say, I then switched myself on to Laundry Mode.

My mum got Morgan a couple of board books,and a deck of flashcards in Maltese.  They will come in handy as it is somewhat difficult to find interesting books in Maltese.

6th April 2012:
On Wednesday, I baked Sugar Cookies. I'm lucky if there was 1 that turned out round.  They were edible though.  And no one died of food poisoning.  Yesterday [Thursday], Morgan and I spent a pretty relaxed day.  I swept the floors, tidied up, and cleaned up the house as much as possible whilst battling the ants that decided to show up overnight.  We played, listened to music, watched The Lorax online, and she napped quite a bit.

I set up 3 altars - one dedicated to the Maiden,the other to the Mother, and the last to the Crone.  At about 6pm, friends started to show up.  We were 7 in total - including Morgan and myself - and we celebrated the [almost] full moon, had banter, ate and drank.  When they left, my fridge had more stuff in it than what it had before they came over!


Once everyone left, I fed Morgan her last bottle of the day, and put her to bed.  I joined her soon after.  I had aa pretty crappy night's sleep - was still stressing out over the work thingy, so I kept waking up.  Seems like insomnia is making a harsh comeback now that I'm really stressing out over something. Yay!


At around 6am, Morgan woke me up to clean her up and feed her, and she went back to sleep soon after.  I did some housechores, and managed to cut her fingernails as she slept.  Once it was time for her next feed, I called my mum and we agreed to meet up and go for a walk by the seaside with Morgan. Bad idea.  Not even 5 minutes into it,I got a splitting headache that turned into a migraine.  That is what I get for going out in direct sunlight.  I swear I was born in the wrong country.


I was really annoyed at this place where we went to grab a bite.  They expect children to show up at their food outlet.  The highchair in the corner was proof of that.  And yet, the entrance to their shop has no ramp, and they have no flipping baby changer meaning I had to change Morgan's poopy nappy in her pram, with people eating a couple of tables away from the most remote corner I could find.  Argh!!!  It was really awkward.  I know I won't be returning any time soon.


Once we left, we went over to my Grandma's, fed Morgan, tried to have a nap to get rid of the migraine, and then came back home.  Migraine  is still pestering me - it is currently 11:36pm.  Hopefully it will leave by morning.

Morgan & myself @ B'bugia [06/04/2012]

The Poop Crisis

Sometimes I feel my brains turning into a mix of jelly, poop, formula milk and baby drool. There are times throughout the day when I miss adult conversation, and the company of a peer where non-baby-related topics can be discussed.

Inevitably I will end up talking about baby stuff at some point. Try as hard as I may, I can't help it. I just miss my old self.

I just had quite a stressful nappy change & bottle experience. I didn't get much sleep last night (3 hours which felt like 5 minutes). I had every intention of taking Morgan out for her first stroll, however after feeding her this morning we both fell asleep. I managed to grab an hour or so of shut-eye. It was then time to wake up for her next nappy change and feed.

I switched on the bottle warmer and went to change Morgan's nappy. All was well so far. Nappy got changed easily, and so I then put her back in bed for a few moments whilst I go get her bottle. I then realised I had forgotten to put her tights back on, so before feeding her, I put her back on the Nappy Changing Table with every intention of just undoing her sleepsuit's bottom half and putting on the tights. Quite an easy job. Alas, it was not to be.

I realised she had pooped her freshly changed nappy already. Crap.

Sorry. Couldn't help the pun.

Anyway.

Off came every layer covering her bottom half. Which is when Morgan decided to start wriggling all over the place as I tried to clean her up. Frustration levels rising, I tried to deal with it whilst hearing criticism coming from my grandma's end. Knowing she means well, I refrained from commenting at first. That didn't last, which is how I became snappy.

Morgan's wriggling meant her socks got dirtied and had to be changed. With that out of the way, I finally managed to get her dressed, and started the feed. Whilst feeding her, I realised we're nearly out of nappies so I contacted my bro asking him to ask my mum to get some on the way back home. Hopefully she'll remember, otherwise I'll be screwed.

Once the feed was over, I was faced with trying to put on a cardigan on Morgan as her sleepsuit's sleeves kept acting like short sleeves and I figured she'd end up feeling too cold cos of that. Obviously that didn't go smoothly either as I couldn't get her 2nd arm in the bloody sleeve. By this time, patience was running thin.
A short struggle was had, and eventually the damned sleeve was conquered. Which is when Morgan grabbed my finger and looked at me calmly. That is precisely when I had a mini-breakdown and apologised to her for getting impatient.

I now am laying next to her in bed - on my stomach, nonetheless! First time I've been in this position since May! Morgan is half asleep, and so am I - but I can't sleep yet. There are bottles to be sterilised and prepared, and I have to cook. Blah.

This is me venting, by the way.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from GO Mobile

Is this the real life?

Last night was yet another sleepless night.  Managed to grab half an hour shut eye this morning, and then 'packed' my laundry which was to be brought at the parents' house to make the most out of the sunny day.  Since they have roof access, it means I can get much more done in a day laundry-wise at theirs rather than at my place - where I only have a small-ish back yard.

Mon  Frère  picked me up along with three bagfuls of laundry, and breakfast was had with my soon-to-be sister-in-law who at the moment is somewhat unwell [thus her being at home rather than at work today].  Laundry day was then commenced.

Right now, everyone in my family - and I'm sure pretty much all you people who are worthy of the title Friend - is trying to deal with the reality of the situation whereby the pregnancy is soon to cease and Creature will actually be in my arms.  To be able to physically see, hear, touch, and most importantly smell, him/her will surely be surreal at first.

Yesterday, my mum was quite flabbergasted at the thought that she will officially be a grandmother in a few days.  Whenever I asked her what was on her mind, she couldn't provide me with an answer.  Her thoughts were all over the place.  I understand where she's coming from as it is similar to my own thoughts.  There is a certain degree of fear - a large degree, that is - and shitloads of insecurities.  There is also curiousity, anxiety, excitement and a million other emotions.

When I asked my soon-to-be sis-in-law how she feels about it, she said she's a bit panicked and would have liked to achieved a few personal goals before Creature got here - such as quitting smoking, being healthier and being richer.  She asked, "Can s/he not stay in there a bit longer?"

I also can relate to her thoughts.  I wish I was in better shape and in a better financial situation myself.  *cue text from landlady re:rent payment as I'm typing this*  I guess I have to make the best out of things as they are.

What I would like is a vat full of that amazing pink liquid in which I can plop my brain and let it soak for a good few days.  I know it is useless worrying about stuff now - and that there is no going back.  And yet, I can't help myself.

*insert generic fist-shaking towards Christine's general direction here*

It is somewhat of a nail-biting situation!

I managed to sleep about 3 hours, during which there were two minor interruptions due to phone calls.  Funnily enough, during the second phone call, the person calling me told me to "rest as much as possible today as tomorrow is likely to be a very long day."


I know a bunch of people are anxious to get updates.  It is currently 1:10pm here.  My appointment isn't until 4:30pm. Meaning - updates won' tbe available until this evening.  Nerve-wrecking, right?

SUSPENCE!

Mister Sandman, bring me a dream?

Whoever coined the saying "Sleeping like a baby" clearly did not have any children of his/her own.  Out of all the people I know with children, only one of them never ever had problems with her child waking up in the middle of the night.


My insomnia is stress-related - and since I'm anywhere between minutes and days away from giving birth at the moment, stress levels are soaring.  I don't know what Creature's sleeping patterns will be like - and my greatest concern is my own insomnia to be honest, not his/her inability to sleep a whole night.  My problem is that when insomnia gets truly chronic, I'd be doing something one minute, and the next I would start nodding off.  I just crash. Inevitably, I worry that this will happen whilst Creature is awake and something might happen which I would end up sleeping through due to sheer exhaustion.  These thoughts don't help me combat the insomnia.

I really, really hope that I will manage to find a solution.  Most people get an hour or so of shut-eye whenever they get someone to babysit for them.Since I only crash when my body decides to, I truly doubt it will be an option for me.  Even when exhausted, I don't manage to sleep on command.


Once Creature is here, I'll know how difficult his/her sleeping pattern will be to cope with. This article gives some hints and tips on how to help your child sleep throughout the night.  I don't know how efficient these suggestions are - but I guess they must work for at least 1 person on the face of the planet.

If you have any suggestions on how to get a child to sleep, feel free to comment!

[The only sure way I know of is a bop on the head. But I'm thinking it really is not an option. What say you?]

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

I can tell that the end of the road is near.  There have been bodily changes I've noticed over the past few days. Creature is still growing at a steady pace - I know because my belly started itching,meaning the skin is stretching even further.  Movements are still going strong.

Thankfully, s/he seems to have settled in an upside down L position for the past few weeks.   This does mean though that I'm off-centred, and that my right side gets all the kicks. S/he is getting somewhat cramped, meaning a kick is pretty visible, and I can actually feel the bottom of his/her foot clearly.I can distinguish the heel from the toes.  Creature seems to have pretty big feet! Just like his/her mother I guess!

S/he is in the process of engaging him/herself for birth, meaning there now is somewhat of a pressure happening down below.  It is also weird to feel punches so far down coming from inside! The building up of pressure means sitting down can be somewhat uncomfortable.  It is an odd ache to explain.  It somewhat resembles the achiness you feel after a good workout following along period with no physical activity whatsoever. Only, this is affecting the internal muscles of your Ladybits.

I'm constantly exhausted and insomnia is killing me.  I pretty much am trying to crash as much as I can whenever sleep threatens to overtake me.  My back is pretty achy, but my hips are aching even more.  It feels as if I need to crack them to get some relief... but I can't.

38 and a half weeks

I have also noticed a change in my skin - which is the major indication of hormonal changes.  Dry skin is  back with a vengeance,   and I'm getting spotty again.

Also, there have been changes when it comes to boobs as well.I can tell they're getting ready to turn me into a cow.  With their filling in [even more than usual], it gives the breasts a more perky stance [yay!] so for the last few moments of this pregnancy, I can stop feeling as if they were inches away from becoming my belly button's new neighbours.

Tomorrow will be a day of potentially swearing my head off at the pram/pushchair/car seats as I try to reassemble them- wish me luck!

Can't say 'boobies' without picturing this!

A handful of bits and bobs

This has been a long day. Not having managed to sleep at all last night, house chores this morning were even more exhausting.  On the plus side,I managed to strip down the travel 'furniture' i.e. pram, pushchair and car seats, so that I could disinfect their fabric.


When it comes to the stripping down of such items, I would recommend  to get the assistance of an experienced person, such as a friend who has children below the age of 10.  The friend in question would still have a vivid memory of how it is done therefore speeding up the process.  Make sure you follow attentively what is removed from where, as the reassembly will be a nightmare otherwise.  If possible, get the friend to commit to come over to help you reassemble the 'furniture' should you not manage to do so by yourself.


I'm currently working  on another doll - the details of which will remain secret for the time being.  The reason is that I'm making 2 of the same - one for Creature, and one for a friend of mine who offered ever so nicely to make us a Nappy Bag.  I'm loving the large amount of handmade items Creature is accumulating.  I know s/he won't appreciate it for now, but when older, I'm sure s/he will appreciate the time, energy and effort put into the making of such items.

By the way, do you people recall the blog regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder?  I came across this article,which I though may be of interest.  Seems like psychiatrists are wrestling with the same question I ponder frequently myself - where does one draw the line between quirky/unusual and abnormal? Having said that,I feel that this revision is a step backwards.  We'll see how it will affect people worldwide I guess.

Dream a little dream of me

Dreams are evil little bastards. At this moment in time, I seem to be dreaming extremely vividly- mainly about things that worry me,or random nonsense. This means that I wake up more exhausted than ever and need to sleep again.

Vivid dreams are very common throughout pregnancy - especially in the last trimester.  Trying to interpret the dream can be somewhat tricky as the standard dream meanings may not apply. This means you just have to accept it as yet another annoying symptom and ignore it.

I just wonder whether I will ever get a good night's sleep ever again.

Damn! Take a look at those breasts!

As you may have come to realise, I'm still trying to decide whether to go for breastfeeding or not.  My hopes that the Prenatal class would cover the topic  before I pop were met yesterday.  Instead of getting more answers that would encourage me to give it a shot though, I came across more potential issues.  Issues I won't know whether I'll encounter until they actually happen.

This is where you should close the tab/window if you don't want to hear about my boobs.  Just sayin'.

Size does matter
It turns out that small breasted women have an easier time when it comes to the whole deal.  Not only does their upper back not suffer as much due to increased breast weight throughout the pregnancy and breastfeeding process - but they don't face as many issues with latching as we uber-boobed women.

There is also the matter of your standard cradling position not being the most adequate position when your boobs are almost your belly button's neighbours.  This means that it will take more experimentation with different positions until you figure out what works for you.  Laying down on your side is recommended - however my question remains "What about public places?!"

When I asked the question I was assured that by the time I'm out and about with Creature, s/he will have learnt to latch on properly and I will have found a position that works for me.  To be perfectly honest, this did fuckall to put my mind at rest - if anything I found it more depressing to think that it may be a few months until I'm out in public with him/her.  The truth is, I probably will not venture out for a few months anyway - however I like having an answer as to how to deal with it if I want to face the outside world.

Not to mention that a good nursing bra is important more than ever when your bosoms are ample.  It means facing the nightmare of trying to shop around for a bra that fits.  You have no idea how difficult that can be - unless you're One Of Us.

Flat and/or Inverted Nipples
OK, this might confuse you.  I know it confused me at first until I figured out what on earth they were going on about.  The best way to explain it to you is by being graphical.

Yes - not everyone has the 'classical' nipple that we are all familiar with thanks to movies.  Just like boobs themselves come in all shapes and sizes, so do nipples and areolas.

When it comes to flat and/or inverted nipples it can be harder for a baby to latch on.  Larger areolas can also make it more daunting.

Oh, if you're not sure what an areola is, it'd be the dark circle around the nipple itself.  They can be as big as saucers at times! During pregnancy they have a habit of trying to 'swallow' your boob and expand in size - or darken in colour which makes them more pronounced.  Unsurprisingly, a lot of women don't like it.

The most common advice would be to use a breast pump before feeding to 'draw' out the nipple.  Ouch.

Now, when you have bigger breasts, most breast pumps won't be appropriate for you as the funnel bit of them would be too small.  As with the vast majority of items aimed at covering and/or providing some sort of 'service' for breasts, the smaller sizes are more commonly catered for.You're lucky if you manage to find a place willing to order something especially for you - and although the internet can be very helpful, it basically means that to buy - for example - a simple bra, you have to plan ahead and be denied the opportunity to try it on before purchase.  It is a pain in the arse, i tell ye!

Insomnia
"What has insomnia got to do with it?!" you're probably asking me right now.  Alas, it has a lot to do with it - potentially.

One of the things that is emphasised is that you must be well-rested and well-fed to be able to breastfeed successfully.

As people tend to realise after knowing me for a short while is that I'm a chronic insomniac who tends to forget to eat due to exhaustion.  I frequently have to decide whether I should cook and eat, or try for the millionth time to sleep.  This is partially to blame/thank for my yo-yoing weight.

When you're breastfeeding a baby, s/he relies entirely on you to get the nutrients they need.  Unlike the placenta, breastmilk will be much more limiting to what nutrients are passed on to Baby.  So if you're not eating right, your breastmilk will betray that factor as it will be lacking in nutrients.

On the other hand, if you're not getting enough rest, this may very well decrease milk production.  When I voiced my concern about this, I was greeted with a "For all you know your sleeping patterns might improve once Baby is born."

Heh. Wishful thinking. Highly unlikely though.  If anything, I probably will be even more stressed, thus getting even less sleep if that is even possible.  Being a Single Parent doesn't help reducing the stress as I have to be alert pretty much all the time.  I will pretty much have to sleep with one eye open as there will be no one else I can rely on waking up should something arise.


Whilst trying to find some information online, I stumbled upon this website
, and the following jumped out of the screen at me:

"Dangerously sleep deprived? Consider occasional bottle-feeding.

Great advice for people who are simply sleep deprived - not so much for Insomniacs, I'm afraid.

The one thing all three issues have in common is the following advice: Speak to a Lactation Consultant.

Locally, there is the Breastfeeding Walk-in Clinic available, which usually involves having an appointment set up with shortly after giving birth - however they also deal with walk-ins.  You're able to visit them without an appointment should you need.  Upon looking up information about the clinic, I found the following information which is correct to date]:

The breast feeding walk- in clinic is a clinic run by midwives to help new mothers with breastfeeding. This clinic is led by head midwife Ms. Helen Borg. The clinic is found on the first floor of the Outpatients Department. Mothers may drop in on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 8am and 1 pm, and between 3.30pm and 6pm, no appointments are necessary during these days. On other days, mothers are asked to call 2545 4445 or 2545 4447 to make an appointment so a midwife can assist the mother. The midwives in this clinic also visit the Obstetric Wards, to offer support to new mothers with breast feeding and also to discuss any difficulties that these mothers may have.

Mothers may attend this clinic without a referral, however there are occasions where this team of midwives may be called by staff from the Obstetric Wards or by private clinics.

- Ministry of Health, the Elderly and Community Care

Taking the above into consideration, I still have not decided whether to go for it or not.  The fact that I will return back to work about 3 and a half months after giving birth means that I will have to introduce bottle feeding.  Whether the bottle feeding will contain formula milk or breast milk is yet to be seen.

I'll keep you posted with my decision, whatever it may be.

Further reading:
Nursing Tips for Large Breasted Women
Helping Large Breasted Mothers
Breastfeeding with Flat or Inverted Nipples
Breastfeeding: Flat & Inverted Nipples Advice

Woe is me!

Lately, I've been facing the same kind of dilemma on a daily basis.  My issue is this: I'm constantly exhausted and achy.  I know, I've mentioned it before.  Yes, it is just the last few weeks left, so I should stop complaining about it.  The reason I don't shut up though is exactly that - I'm running out of time.

I know that once Creature is born, I will have to still be productive even when I am exhausted to the point of nearly dropping dead on my feet.  I am trying to tell myself I'm better off making the best out of it now whilst I still have time to rest...

I get bored resting! There is so much I'd like to do! Most of the things that were priorities have been dealt with.  I still wish to get more things done though - such as going over at my parents' Summer residence and look up some books we had when we were much much younger! Or just to go somewhere for coffee,for example.


Coffee -my beloved,how I miss thee! As an insomniac, I need coffee to function throughout the day.  No, caffeine is not the reason behind my insomnia.That much I know for a fact. Right now,I'm on an extremely limited intake of Coffee -not more than2 instant coffees a day.  This means, it gives me a tiny bit of energy for a very short period of time, whilst still worsening the heartburn.

Ground control to Major Ros

As a goodnight post, I'll just give you a few updates from my end, for a change.


It is now officially less than a month left to go.  Creature is due in the week commencing 5th of February.  Having said that, I might pop anytime now.  The house is still not babyproofed 100%, but it is getting there.  Thanks to my future sister-in law, I got quite a bit done today, including moving around some furniture to make sure I'll be able to wheel in and out the pram.

I'm more tired than ever with really bad bouts of insomnia, as you could've guessed by my frequent middle-of-the-night entries.  My back is killing me, and it is suddenly becoming more and more real.  Soon enough, even running a simple errand will need to be planned for in advance.  Stress levels are higher than ever, obviously.  I try to juggle everything, and hope for the best.

What else can I tell you? Hmmm... I don't know really. Every day is pretty much the same as the previous one.  If there is anything you'd like to ask, feel free to post your questions - or comments as desired.

I do wish to thank everyone for their support.  Yesterday was one hell of a busy day for the blog!  It has had the highest number of hits so far - 283 visits - from quite a variety of countries including Russia, Malta, UK, USA, France, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Ukraine, Italy and a handful more!  I keep getting people commenting not just on here, but also via Facebook and Bodymod as well.  Everyone is being rather encouraging and supportive!  Even seeing visits, day after day, coming from the same countries - it makes me happy to think that you lot take the time to read my inane ramblings.  So thankies!!

I'll get back on track with the blog later - for tonight, that is about it.


Toodles! <3

And my heart goes boom boom boom

Anyone who has ever had a crush on someone, or who has had too much red bull, knows what it feels like to have your heart race and not being able to do anything about it.

Usually, palpitations are caused by anxiety, stress, nervousness, fear, shock or physical overexertion and quite a few more things.  Certain medications, as well as energy drinks and other beverages with a high caffeine content, can also cause palpitations.

But what are they exactly?

Palpitation is a term used to describe the feeling of the heart 'racing' or beating strongly and rapidly in the chest. The palpitations are generally associated with three main causes:

1. Hyperdynamic circulation
2. Sympathetic overdrive  [apologies for the link, it is the best I could find]
3. Cardiac dysrhythmias

As I mentioned, anxiety can also cause palpitations in that the heart muscles are affected by the state of one's mind. This means that psychological problems can also cause one to palpitate. When undergoing a diagnosis to identify what is potentially causing  these palpitations, medical staff should therefore consider the psycho-social aspect first and foremost.

When it comes to experiencing palpitations throughout pregnancy, this is classified under Hyperdynamic Circulation.

When you're pregnant, your blood volume increases by up to 50% in volume - however your heart doesn't change.  Suddenly your body finds itself having to circulate one and a half times as much blood as it generally does - which means that your heart is put under quite a bit of stress.  Anxiety and Stress encountered throughout the pregnancy itself continue adding onto the workload, so your poor heart is the one to suffer.

The further down the line your pregnancy is, the more you will start noticing the palpitations - not just when you put yourself out of breath by doing some simple task, but even whilst you're at rest.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: Don't Panic.  It is normal. However, please do mention it to your doctor.  They are trained to know about these things and if they reckon there is cause for concern, they will take it further and order some tests for you.  It is best to know about issues rather than leaving them untackled until it is potentially too late.

Fingers crossed, the doctor will give you the thumbs up, indicating you have a strong and healthy heart.  So, what can you do to reduce the chances of palpitations from being due to stress?

I've been asking myself that question quite a lot lately seeing as I've been getting palpitations on a daily basis lately.  As those of you who actually know me are aware of, I'm an insomniac.  My insomnia is caused by stress - jokingly, I claim to be allergic to human emotions since any strong emotion can trigger my sleeping issues.

Needless to say, I have pretty much tried it all - meditation, exercise, relaxation music, chamomile tea, herbal teas especially designed to help you relax/sleep, heck - even my shower gels are meant to assist with relaxation and sleep!  I have also had sleeping pills prescribed.  Got blood tests done, spoke to numerous doctors.  Still, nothing helped.

Having said that, just because I haven't been able to get rid of my stress-induced insomnia doesn't mean I'm not willing to give it a shot at reducing my stress levels that may impact the palpitations!

So, here are some ideas you can try out if you'd like:

• Rest - Take it easy, make some time to rest throughout the day - and if you're tired, go have a nap.
• Talk it out - Whatever is concerning you, don't keep it bottled up - talk to your midwife, your doctor, your partner, your relatives, your friends - to anyone who is willing to listen.  Or else, write [which is what I'm doing right now].
• Eat well - It is good for both your mind and your body.A healthy diet which includes plenty of omega-3 essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, can actually boost your mood! It is thought that the essential amino acid tryptophan can raise levels of the chemicals melatonin and serotonin in your brain - both of which help you to sleep well and increase them good vibrations!  Tryptophan is found naturally in many foods, including nuts and seeds, which are ideal snack foods.
• Exercise - Be it a 10 minute walk, swimming or pregnancy yoga, it'll do you good.  Just ensure you don't over-exert yourself.
• Prepare for birth - Pre-natal classes can do the trick.  In Malta, you can either attend the free classes provided at Mater Dei Hospital, or you can sign up for classes at numerous private clinics.  It'll give you the opportunity to learn how things are done locally- what to expect, what not to expect etc.  It'll also give you the opportunity to ask questions and more often than not, realise your concerns are really nothing to worry about and that you're not the only one with those particular fears.
• Prepare for family life - See this previous blog.
• Commuting strategies - The more advanced your pregnancy, the more stressful catching a bus, or a train, or whatever means of transport you use can be.  Most of the time, the moment people realise you're pregnant, they will gladly give up their seat.  Don't turn it down.  When possible, see if you can make arrangements to avoid rush hours, and to preferably get a ride with someone.
• Learn how to budget - If you don't know how to, it is about time you learn.  Make a list of all the stuff you think you need, and start asking around to see if you can get some items for free, or to purchase them 2nd hand.  You can clicky here, here,  here and here to check out previous blogsclicky here to the previous blog regarding financial matters.  Also, this blog here gives you inexpensive amusement ideas for your child.
• Meditate - Be it a guided meditation [which you can easily find in audio format online, or record yourself reading it out and then listening to it], or just a matter of laying down on your bed with a few candles lit up and relaxing music playing in the background - it can help.
• Alternative therapy - Reflexology is said to help, as does Massage. However please make sure your practitioner is qualified and has experienced dealing with pregnant women.  Any essential oils used on you need to be safe for use during pregnancy. 
• Pamper yourself - Be it a night out [or in] with friends, treating yourself to a pedicure, or going to the occasional movie - it'll do you good.  Laughter is the best medicine they say. 
• Inform yourself - That is pretty much the thought behind this blog.  I research stuff and learn as much as I possibly can, and share the information with whoever wishes to learn.  The more you know, the less worried you'll be.  Setting your own expectations helps a great deal.  Knowledge is power, as they say.
• If all else fails, speak to your doctor - s/he maybe able to give you pointers, or to refer you to someone qualified, who can help you deal with anxiety.