Yoga Fun!

India and I had a bit of fun with yoga today. India's favorite thing by far is to do headstands against the wall but she also enjoys a bit of meditation with me and making up her own poses.

Side stretch- great for keeping those hips supple, releasing lower back tension and stretching through the whole side of the body.  

 Trikonasana- this is also great from stretching through the side of the body and releasing tension in the hips.

Modified Adho Mukha Svanasana - This is great if downward dog makes you feel a bit dizzy, you still get the benefits of releasing tension in your chest and back as well as gently stretching the backs of your legs.

 Mumma and daughter headstands! Not recommended for a beginning yogi if you are pregnant. I make sure to practice near a wall in case my balance is a bit off. India loves doing this, especially on the couch!

 Salamba Sarvangasana- I love shoulder stands, if ever I'm feeling a bit tense or just not myself I find that relaxing into a shoulder stand feels great and when I come out of it and rest in shavasana it's like heaven! This asana requires a lot of flexibility in the neck and shoulders, not for a beginning mumma yogi and if you do practice it please do so under the guidance of a qualified teacher.

Check India out, chilling in her headstand! 

Headstands- Another favorite of mine but not for a pregnant mumma new to yoga and I would recommend teacher guidance and the support of a wall just in case.

My belly almost disappears when I do this!

Look at India showing off with no hands! 

 Ahhh, mumma and daughter meditation- the perfect way to end a bit of yoga fun. Every one can meditate, just start small and build on it. Even just a moment in meditation is beneficial for children (and grownups!) so it's never too early to start.

13 Weeks

I've been waking up feeling great in the mornings but as the day goes on I've been feeling a bit icky. I was wondering what on earth is wrong with me and then realised that it's probably just the tail end of this morning sickness thing. I haven't been to the Chinese doctor in over 3 weeks so the effect of the acupuncture has probably worn off and I'm feeling a little bit of the sickness again. On the days when I do nothing but eat all day (picnics are great for this) I feel great but I start to feel yuck if I forget to snack between meals. I still nap sometimes but not everyday.

Even though I still feel a bit yuck at times I've been busy doing lots of art and yoga. After the past couple of months of being too tired to read I've finally felt like picking up a book again.

My baby is about 7cms or so and has a working nervous system. Fingerprints are forming now as well as that lovely peach fuzz hair all over his/her body.

12 Weeks

12 weeks! I'm feeling pretty good at the moment, I'm a lot less tired than I was a few weeks ago but still need a nap sometimes.

I'm getting used to eating all the time and I've been making sure I eat before I get hungry. I've been super keen on potatoes and I've been eating loads of fruit.

I'm excited about nearing the end of this trimester and starting the second. It's beautiful to know that much of the key developmental milestones are now behind us and we can just concentrate on plumping this little baby up by feeding myself lots of healthy and delicious food.

This little baby is about 6-7cm from crown to rump. Lots of growing to go!

 

I've been enjoying yoga but keeping it light and relaxed. I am still doing inversions but some days I've found that my balance is a bit off so I always make sure to practice near a wall just to be on the safe side. Here's me in one of my favorites- pigeon pose. Careful ladies, do not attempt this pose if you are pregnant and new to yoga. If you are well practiced I would recommend doing this under the guidance of a qualified teacher.

  

Buckwheat

Buckwheat has to be my favorite seed. Related to rhubarb, it is high in protein which makes it the perfect addition to a pregnant woman's diet. It is also high in iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, B and selenium. There are also a number of other vitamins and minerals in lesser amounts. Buckwheat is gluten free which makes me very happy!

I use buckwheat everyday, some days I have it with every meal. I use buckwheat flour mixed with other flours in my pancakes. I mix raw buckwheat seeds with my yoghurt and fruit in the morning. Buckwheat is great raw or toasted and sprinkled onto salads (I love crunchy bits in salad). I put buckwheat in soups and stews. I grind it and make porridge, the possibilities are endless!

If I need to make something to eat fast or if I just don't feel like cooking I add buckwheat to whatever random food I have thrown together so that I know that at least I'm getting loads of good stuff into me. India loves buckwheat too, she always asks for seeds on top of her food and feels like she's missing out on a tasty treat if she doesn't get buckwheat, chia or linseeds on top.

Buckwheat is definitely one of my favorite pregnancy super foods. If you haven't tried it you should gets some and start experimenting!

11 Weeks

I'm no longer working (hooray!), the long days were just getting too hard. Dave is super supportive and believes that I shouldn't have to work when I'm pregnant because I'm already doing something very important. I'm lucky to have such a wonderful husband!

Frequent napping is a must at the moment, I feel like I can actually function when I have one or two naps a day. Now that I'm not working I don't have to spend my days off recovering. My days are now filled with art and gardening, and hanging out with India and Dave. I'm so lucky!

My nausea is completely gone! I'm still hungry all the time and I must remember to make sure I have snacks with me all the time. I lost it yesterday and had a big hormonal crying session because I was hungry. I don't think Dave knew what to do, he was a little exasperated. I explained after that when I am clearly acting irrational all I need is a hug and that should set me straight.

I've been doing a bit more yoga again as my energy levels are slowly coming back, it shouldn't be long before I can manage a full morning routine again. I'm going to take it easy over the next few weeks as it is recommended that you don't do any heat building poses between weeks 11-13.

I'm craving juicy fruit a lot. It's the perfect time for devouring loads of fruit with all those delicious Summer fruits coming into season.

The baby is about 5-6cm long now and looking more like a little baby. I'm nearing the end of the first trimester already, it all seems to be going so fast!

10 Weeks

Lower back pain seems to be the most annoying little thing this week but after going to my Chinese doctor and getting some awesome cupping therapy the pain completely disappeared. Still a little nauseous but not always. I feel like I've done nothing but sleep these past few days. But still, I feel good and I'm enjoying my little veggie garden and I'm doing lots of art. We've even started building India a cubby house complete with a yellow brick road to her door. Maybe all this extra stuff I've been doing is the reason I feel so tired.

This little baby was very active on Friday, I felt lots of movements all day. Usually I just feel a couple of movements here and there but there was so much going on in there on Friday. Yesterday when I was getting my acupuncture done I felt quite a few somersaults too, apparently babies respond well to acupuncture.

We have our midwife all sorted now. We are having Lisa again, she's coming over from Adelaide to birth with us. I'm really happy to have her again, she was so perfect the first time round that we figured we should see if she could be there again.

I haven't been to a doctor or to the hospital for any check ups and hopefully I won't need to. I'm perfectly healthy with no reason to have any medical intervention. I trust my instincts and I would always seek help if I felt it was necessary but pregnancy is a normal process and I've done it before so I feel I have nothing to worry about. I know that I can call Lisa whenever I need to and if it's necessary she would hook me up with a lovely midwife over here. I plan to get over to Adelaide a few times over the next few months so I can set up some antenatal check ups, but I feel pretty relaxed about everything.

My little baby is about 4cm long now, the size of one of those tasty little plums that we pick from the trees around the neighborhood every December.