The Start of Something Big...

And trust me...writing this retrospectively at 36 weeks pregnant, it is something big! I'm not sure how I can physically get any bigger without starting to wobble like a Weeble.

But that is now, and I think for this blog to be of any use I'm going to have to start at the beginning.

For 10 years, suffering from MS has always been the 'main' thing in my life, in a strange way. It's always been there in the background. I've tried not to let it get in the way of too many things in the past, but the nature of the illness means it undoubtedly does. I used to always have to consider the impact doing certain things might have on my health. Should I go out for that drink tonight? Or is it going to come back and bite me on the bum tomorrow when I'm suffering with awful fatigue?

It's understandable then that, though I was desperate to become a Mum, it just seemed totally overwhelming and almost impossible. I mean, if I struggle with small things now, how am I going to be able to cope with the responsibility of a child? However, I think when you're trying to make huge decisions like that it's so easy just to dwell on the practicalities rather than concentrating on what you're going to get out of it.

So my partner Si and I decided that we would take the plunge. Though there were worries, and it's been an emotional ride for me so far, I know deep down that this is going to be the best thing that has ever happened to me.

I know how unpredictable MS can be, and how it's never clear cut. It affects people in so many different ways, and everyone has their different ways of coping with it. This blog is covering my own personal experiences with pregnancy and motherhood, but I do think that whatever your circumstances, sometimes just knowing someone is in a similar boat can be reassuring.

I wanted to write this blog because when I was going through the early stages of my pregnancy I really felt the need to know about how other people in my situation had coped and whether they had had similar worries. Unfortunately for me I couldn't find anything useful out there, so I was left panicking about things that I really couldn't control.

So that is why I'll be blogging my little heart out. If I can provide some sort of help or reassurance to anyone who is about to start a family, whether they have MS or not, then it has done it's job. Alongside the ramblings, I'll be including links to useful sites I found, tips that helped me out, and would love for readers to contribute on their own experiences.

Let the waffling commence!