It's All Going On At 20 Weeks...!
Half way there (or so we assume, but we all know babies come when they want to!) I must admit, it's all starting to get a bit real now. I'd been so distracted with other things going on that even though I'd been well aware of being pregnant, I'd not really thought too much about the next few months and the changes it will bring.
Our anomaly scan was today (20 weeks + 4) and it was mask on and purple folder in hand to the hospital. I also had the whooping cough vaccine prior to the scan, never felt a thing, that woman was a pro!
Here is the scan image of our little one, typically in a less than ideal position for checking all of the vital statistics, so I’ll be back to the scanning suite within the week to double check a few things, although all is looking good and on track for an early August birth (the height of summer, I'm not a lover of the heat, so will be interesting no doubt!)
We will be telling our little boy today too that he's going to be a big brother and hope he takes the news well that it's a girl!
This week, alongside many other empowered mums-to-be, I’ll be embarking on my own hypnobirthing journey. Anytime from 20 weeks is a great time to start and begin preparing physically and mentally for the birth (and all that comes after!)
As a second time mum, I'm much more aware of the 'all that comes after' stuff is worth spending time focusing on, as well as the birth. I’m feeling so much less anxious about the birth itself though, I guess fear of the unknown isn’t there this time, although there is still some trepidation as you can never guarantee how it’s going to go.
However, by following all of the tools and techniques that I teach via my own hypnobirthing courses, I can build a solid foundation to remain calm, confident and in control if things don’t necessarily go to plan.
Still, I already feel confident to have a shorter, more comfortable labour, where I’m focusing on me and baby working together. This positive mindset is the perfect starting point and will be reinforced with all of the self-hypnosis, visualisations, affirmations and breathing techniques I’ll be practising with many of my own clients over the next few months!
Keep following my journey as a pregnant hypnobirthing practitioner :-)