It turns out pregnancy is quite boring! So now I have plenty of time on my hands, I thought I'd write a blog about what we've been up to for the past 9 months. Warning... there is very little exciting going on so if you're bored easily then stop reading now!
I have decided that pregnancy is a bit like an ironman triathlon. Firstly, they both have 3 very different legs. Secondly, they are both very long! And finally they both go much smoother if you are fit to start with! (At least thats what I have come to believe from my one time experience!)
1st Trimester - The Swim!
So just like in triathlon, the first leg has definitely been the worst for me. Although really I think I was let off very lightly with only some minor symptoms of nausea and tiredness.
In January I started a new job in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Medics sometimes joke that they put something in the water at O&G hospitals and maybe they do because within a few weeks of starting, we found out I was pregnant. Last year I made the difficult decision to leave physician training to become a GP. I did this for a few reasons, but mainly because I needed a better work-life balance. Although I enjoy hospital work, the long hours and weekend/night work would make it impossible for us to have a baby. Especially living so far away from family! The final straw was not having access to annual leave/part time work (I'm sure I've moaned to everyone about being refused leave for my own wedding!!). So I decided to re-train as a GP. This looked fairly straight forward, I had to sit 2 exams then do 18months as a GP registrar in the community then I would be a GP. Easy! Until the college found out that I had only ever done adult medicine. This meant I also had to complete a minimum of 10 weeks working in paediatrics. Unfortunately the only paediatric training hospital in Perth is Princess Margaret Hospital (sort of like the WA version of Great Ormond Street). So as you can imagine everyone wants to work there! I enquired about a short placement but they could only offer a minimum of 6 months and this would be the second 6 months of the year! Great! So I took a job in O&G for the first 6 months as this was another area of medicine I had avoided so far in my career.
To my surprise, I really enjoyed O&G. The hospital itself is really old-fashioned and reminded me of the hospitals back home. I felt the teams all worked together really well and I met some great people. I felt for the first time that the hospital actually cared about us and wanted to give us (the staff) a positive experience as well as the patients. After I told work I was pregnant, they were fantastic. I think the rota ladies tried their best to give me some easier shifts and I was given time off for scans and appointments etc. I decided this is definitely the place I was going to give birth!
I managed to carry on training throughout the first trimester, although I definitely reduced the intensity. I was still able to train most days of the week and felt pretty good. My obstetric friends had told me it was safe to continue training as long as I didn't over heat, I didn't get out of breath and I didn't allow my heart rate to rise too much! Great! This meant I really had to slow down and take things easy. I did the Elizabeth Quay sprint triathlon at around 8 weeks pregnant. I mainly did it because the Quay is Perth's new foreshore development and the triathlon was to celebrate it's grand opening. I didn't really race hard, I can't remember my time but I pretty sure I was somewhere towards the back of the pack!
Hmm, so I couldn't find any photos of the Elizabeth Quay triathlon but a blog needs photos! So here are few of my favourite tri pics that remind me I haven't always been a beached whale!!
Running with Peta during IMWA. Bad day for me made made better by helping out a friend! Now one of my favourite pics!
(photo credit: Dennis Tan - Paparazzi on the Run)
Teamies!
Looking awesome on the bike! I'll be back here soon! #unfinishedbuisness
From about 8 weeks onwards I started to feel quite nauseated which unfortunately was much worse with motion. The drive to and from work was the worst (I had to have a plastic containing in the passenger seat just in case!) but running and sometimes cycling also made me feel a bit queasy too.
Fortunately, almost as soon as I hit the second trimester I felt like a new women. No nausea! No tiredness! Fantastic!
Just like in the ironman I survived the swim with just a bit of sea-sickness, now onto my favourite leg.. the bike!
No comments:
Post a Comment