Back With a Bump!

Back With a Bump!

29 January 2019

Hi everyone!

We’ve nearly made it – January is nearly over! The longest month of the year is almost out of the way – we can start to welcome the daylight back to both ends of the day, and money back to our bank accounts. How have the New Year resolutions held up? For once, I have actually kept to mine – the fact that they involve sleep and food have obviously had a positive impact!

I was in awe of Becky after her blog about her new venture into Calisthenics – I also can’t believe she finds the energy to manage 2 hour workout sessions! Park run nearly kills me as it is..! Have any of you tried something new and exciting this year?

I’ve been subtly dropping hints about my 2019 project for the last couple of weeks – but now I am very excited to announce that I’m expecting my first baby in June this year! Project BP (Baby Piper) is a-go! Pregnancy has been a bit of a weird and wonderful ride so far – I had 13 delightful weeks of morning sickness, with zero appetite – but as soon as I hit the 14-week mark, it was like the pregnancy fairy waved her wand, and it all disappeared! I had my 20 week scan last week, and our little boy is growing nicely – keeping up with the middle of the charts, and weighing in currently at an estimated 13oz! As well as avidly reading any pregnancy book that comes my way, I’ve also downloaded a pregnancy app, which tells me the size of baby compared to different things. This week for example, he is the size of either: an eggplant, a Maltese puppy, or a fruit pie…I’m assuming a small version of each, not the family sized apple pie I’d quite happily tuck into at the moment(!)

It’s been a very exciting, albeit nerve wracking time. I am a worrier at the best of times, but this experience has brought out all the worst of my worrying abilities! My nerves have steadied since I’ve started to feel him practicing gymnastics – but prior to that, any unusual twinges and niggles sent me straight to my pregnancy guru – my long-suffering best friend, who 3 weeks ago, had her second baby. Whatever I throw at her, she’s been there, done that, and got the t-shirt. She definitely offers much better advice than the terrifying world wide web!

I have been very lucky to have only had very mild symptoms so far with my pregnancy, but I have been really conscious of the effects it can have on both my general and dental health. Many women will experience something called ‘pregnancy gingivitis’ – which can be a result of hormone changes, making your gums more vulnerable to plaque, leading to inflammation and bleeding. I always work hard to maintain a good oral hygiene routine, but I have been especially vigilant since being pregnant – there’s rarely a day when I miss out on my floss! If you are pregnant, and have noticed bleeding whilst brushing or flossing, it might be worth a visit to your hygienist or your dentist to run over your oral hygiene routine – sometimes, it can be all down to something as simple adjusting your toothbrushing angle! 😊

I have also been extremely conscious of constant morning sickness and the effect it could have on my teeth. Being sick will cause an acid attack on the teeth, similar to an attack from a fizzy drink – and we know that acid + tooth enamel = problems. If I have any advice for you, it would be that the main thing NOT to do, is brush your teeth straight away. I know it seems counter-productive, and it’s probably the first thing you really want to do – but your teeth are weakened following an acid attack, and brushing straight away will only prove to be detrimental over time. The best thing to do, to freshen up your breath and get rid of any residual nasties – is to rinse your mouth with an alcohol-free, fluoride mouthwash. This advice goes for anyone suffering with on-going sickness, whether its related to pregnancy, an illness, or connected to an eating disorder. If you’re worried about the condition of your mouth, it’s well worth a visit to your dentist to discuss how best to protect your teeth – we only get one set, so it’s important to look after them, no matter what life throws our way!

I hope you all have a lovely rest of the week – take care in all the snowy weather we’ve got forecast!

Amy x