Jennifer Denitto, 39, is 20 weekspregnant with her first baby.
I'm feeling happy and relaxed at the moment. It must be thepregnancy hormones! The nausea
has gone and I'm less tired, too. Iseem to be glowing - and I'm makingthe most of it! The first three monthsI didn't feel up to exercising, but now I swim twice a week and go for walkswith my husband Rob and friends.
I started feeling the baby moveabout three weeks ago. It was like therumbles you get when you're hungryand, at first, I wasn't sure what it was.When it kept happening, it clickedthat it must be the baby!
I'm a drummer in a band, whichmeans lots of late nights but, luckilyour busy time has coincided with mysecond trimester when my energylevels have been better. I try to restbefore a gig, and I give the aftershowparties a miss. We've just beenon tour to Japan, which meant a 12-hour flight. I checked with my midwifebefore flying and she said it was fine,but to make sure I wore flight socksand walked around to reduce therisks of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
While we were away, I had painsin the side of my stomach. I wasnervous, as I thought somethingmightbe wrong. But I looked it up in mypregnancy book, which said it was themuscles stretchingand that reassuredme.
I'm planning to carryon playingwith the band until 26 weeks, but thenI'll stop, as I'll just look ridiculous onstage with a massive bump.
We've read that the baby can hearnow, so Rob talks to my bump. We'vegot our anomaly scan ineight days time and we're planning to find outthe baby's sex. I don't have an inklingif it's a boy or girl, soI am excited to findout, as we can start thinking aboutnames. The first scan was great, but
this one will be even better, as thebaby will so much bigger.
What I wish I'd known: Howimportant it is to keep my mum andsister in the loop with everything that'sgoing on. If I forget to mention theoutcome when I have a little healthniggle, they really worry. They're soinvolved with my pregnancy andvery supportive - it's been lovely.
MIDWIFE NIKKI SAYS: 'The ideal timefor flying is in the second trimester,when you have more energy butare less at risk of miscarriage. Mostairlines will let you fly up to 36 weekspregnant. However, some are aunwilling to carry women who ore over 28 weeks pregnant,due to theincreased risk of premature labour, so it's a good idea to check first.
DVT is when a blood clot forms in the calf, causing pain and swelling. It occurs in about one in 1.000 pregnancies in women under 35, and flying increases your risk. Try to book a seat with leg room, wear special DVT compression stockings andwalk around a bit every hour, as thishelps to increase the circulation inyour legs. Comfortableflat shoes are essential, as your feet mayswell on long flights, and maintain your fluidintake to avoid dehydration.