1 Feb 2016 – A Big Shock, A Laid Back Doctor & A Cavewoman.

1 Feb 2016 – A Big Shock, A Laid Back Doctor & A Cavewoman.

We were getting prepared to leave Grenada and take Pumba on a tour of St Vincent and the Grenedines, but there were a few last minute errands which we had been pretty unprepared for!!!!

I’m going to back track a few days as we have been keeping a little secret, well when I say a little secret it is more of an epic colossal gigantic massive secret. On Friday 29^th January 2016 I had found out some life changing news. I had woken up ridiculously early again and was busting for the toilet, I’d wanted to wait until Simon had woken up before going which may at first seem like an odd concept to you but there was a specific reason why. It was 6:30am and no way I could hold it until 8, so I went ahead. Now I hadn’t actually told Simon what I was planning to do so while he was floating in the land of nod he had absolutely no idea what was about to come.

Its not like in the movies where it’s the longest 3 minutes of your entire life, I kept my eye glued to that mini test panel the entire time and within 30 seconds all was revealed! After the 3 full minutes two deep purple stripes were as clear as day. OMG I’M PREGNANT, I could believe it my heart was pounding, I was excited but nervous and butterflies were fluttering their delicate wings around my tummy like crazy.

I did want to wake up Simon at this ungodly hour so I left him to sleep, but I’ll tell you what this really was the longest hour of my life. There was no way I was getting back to sleep, my mind was racing and I was actually petrified to tell him. I was so scared he would be angry, that maybe the reality of it would make him change his mind and that he would now regret it. I’d also convinced myself and him that it would take months ….. not TWO WEEKS, so I thought he’d be annoyed about that too.

At 7:45 he finally stirred, half opening his eyes looking drowsy and sluggish in a rather ratty mood. Brilliant this is just what I needed, I was hoping for smiley, cuddly, happy to see me in the morning Simon but it wasn’t too be. This did not settle my nerves. It took me ages to finally pluck up the courage to tell him and my adrenaline was pumping through my veins and making me feel sick. I must have looked like a psychopath with a crazy look in my eyes and just blurted out ‘I’ve got something to tell you!’. Instantly Simon said ‘Your Pregnant?’ probably expecting me to say ‘no’.

I showed him the test and I cant even remember what I said next as I was so fixed on his reaction. His eyes lite up like a Christmas tree, his mouth fell open in a smile and he fell back on his pillow with his hand over his mouth. I could almost see his brain processing the immensity of what I had just told him. He looked at me a with a huge grin said ‘We’re going to be parents!’ Thanks god he was over the moon.

I think shortly after this that it suddenly dawned on us, what the hell do we do now. Neither of us had absolutely any idea and had never actually considered the logistics of expecting a baby on a boat in the Caribbean. It not like we could just pop down to my local FREE NHS GP.

We looked up some information on the Internet but it was all UK NHS related, and everything ended with ‘consult your GP or midwife’ … nothing really for our situation. We figured that the best thing to do was see a local doctor and just get some advice so on Monday before leaving Grenada we hopped on the local bus to a walk in clinic just down the road.

Not just expecting a baby, we were also expecting to be overwhelmed with information, we couldn’t have been more wrong. This Doctor could not be more laid back if he tried! The only advice he had for us was don’t drink and don’t smoke ….. no shit Sherlock thanks for enlightening us!

We had to instigate conversations about the importance of folic acid and the dangers, risks and preventions for Zika virus. In summary he said there is nothing for us to do until I’m past 8 weeks, just relax and look myself.

I imagine that for those of you who had had the luxury of the NHS during your pregnancy, your first medical experience could not be further from what I have just witnessed. At this point I am wondering if this is this how they do it across the East Caribbean because if it is it looks like I am having this baby cavewomen style!!!!!!