When I was pregnant with Esther and William I only had very mild pregnancy symptoms. I think that they were suppressed, certainly the sickness was, by the steroids that I had to take to sustain the pregnancy. This time round my symptoms have been experienced with full force.

Nausea
I am into my 14th week of pregnancy and I am still feeling sick when I first wake up in the morning and if I go too long without food. Also if I have to concentrate for any length of time e.g. for a two hour driving lesson! The best way to fight the feeling of nausea for me is to suck frazzles and drink coca cola. Sounds silly but it really really works.

Sickness
I have only had one day of real sickness. It was the worst day of this pregnancy so far and I had not felt so ill since recovering from bowel surgery when pregnant. I could not do anything, I was completely taken over by nausea and pounding headaches. The only time that the world felt bearable was when I was asleep in my bed. Thankfully David was at home and able to care for Esther and William. I finally threw up at 6.00pm and only then did I feel better. I hate being sick. I have a bit of a phobia of sick, always have had so morning sickness was something that I have dreaded. This day was truly awful but thankfull was only one day!

Headaches
I think that these are linked to dehydration. I am terrible for remembering to drink during the day. I have not been too bad in the last week as I have been trialling WaterBaby (review coming soon) which has helped me to stay hydrated and so has eased my headaches.

Mood swings
To be honest I have been suffering with mood swings, well, always if I am honest. I am a very emotional person and can get very extreme bouts of different feelings. Poor David. He is pretty remarkable really for still being around and I am very lucky indeed.

Restless legs
This gets me in the evenings, not long after tea when I am trying to relax, watch TV, write my blog or read. The wriggles start, the twitches, the jolts. It is really annoying and disconcerting. I often find that eating a banana can help to make the legs rest. My legs. My restless legs! This is one symptom that I did get with Esther and William actually and I found it just as horrible then.

Back ache
I seem to have a constant ache in my lower back but also where the muscles are more relaxed in pregnancy I tend to get more twists and twinges. I have to be careful I think as the weeks go on with lifting Esther and William. I lifted Esther in her car seat yesterday and I really did pull my back. Lift from the knees!! As David would say x

Exhaustion
From 6 – 10 weeks of this pregnancy I was totally and utterly wiped out. I slept when the babies slept during the day and was still ready for bed by 7 o’clock at night. It is hard work growing a baby and being so active with Esther and William all day totally wipes me out. That is definitely the best way to describe the feeling – total wipe out. Now at 14 weeks I am starting to feel less tired and am beginning to reclaim my evenings. I am going to make the most of the next few weeks as I can imagine having a big bump and twin toddlers is going to be an exhausting mix!! Any advice please?!?

Increased sense of smell
This is the pregnancy symptom that I would say has caused me the most trouble these past few weeks. The smell of meat has been horrible so preparing dinners has been a real task. And changing babies nappies, whew!!! Normally I am quite immune to Esther and William’s smells but early pregnancy put an end to that. I think I am over it now but this proved a real challenge to daily life these past few weeks.

So there you have it, pregnancy symptoms I have experienced and endured at the start of this baby growing journey.

What pregnancy symptoms have most bothered you and how have you dealt with them best?