Stress and pregnancy - don't ignore the signs!

I wanted to add a post about stress. I think I've gone through a lot of this since January and although it's manageable stress and I've used it in a positive way to inspire me to work harder and do well, it's not something that I feel is conduscive to a smooth first trimester.

If you've read my first post you'll understand the circumstances that have been putting a lot of mental and emotional strain on me over the last few months.

On top of this, being self-employed has meant that I work a minimum of 55 hours every week and actually this is only when I take a day off! My work means that I start at 7am every morning and finish between 8pm and 9pm every night. When I'm not training clients, I'm doing an office job during the day, writing articles, press releases, writing up client notes and programmes, working on my websites, filming video clips and writing a book. Phew! Did I get everything? I think so!

I love my work, I'm passionate about it and it gives me satisfaction and enjoyment, but I realise that, during the first trimester espescially, the little life growing inside me is more important.

During the first 8 weeks I found it a particularly hard going emotionally. I felt very alone, as I had told no-one, apart from Carl and although he was supportive, he couldn't be with me. I had 3 bleeds in weeks 6, 7 and 8. The first was just like the day before a period where there was a little bit of spotting, the 2nd was slightly heavier, bright red and mucusy, the 3rd was horrendous.
I was sat on the sofa in the living room on the Sunday evening when I felt a severe pain in my lower back. It felt like constipation so I ignored it for about 10 mins until it got so bad I had to go to the bathroom. By the time I got up the stairs my tracksuit bottoms were soaked with blood and when I sat on the toilet I also bled into the bowl.

My housemate took me straight over to A&E where she waited with me for half an hour before leaving me with a taxi number to get home. I was there till 1am. The doctor said there was a lot of blood, but on the positive side my cervix was still closed. I managed to stay calm and I don't know how but I think it was knowing that I had to. I was on my own and no-one was there to help me share the emotional strain.

Luckily enough for me I think it was my body giving me a warning. I took the next day off work to rest and immediately spoke to my clients about moving their session so that I could at least have 1 evening where I finished at a reasonable time.

So I guess the message I wanted to get across is that no matter how well you think you are coping, please don't make my mistake and ignore the warning signs. The mind and body have funny ways of dealing with stress and although you may think you're fine, it will effect you in other ways. As Carl told me last week, it's not just you working 14 hour days, the baby is doing it too and that's just not fair!