Feeling a bit nostalgic looking back at this week… For the past four years I’ve been flying between London and the Nordic capitals regularly, but this week’s trip to Stockholm and Copenhagen was my last business trip for awhile.
In all honesty, I was not sure if taking on this trip was a good idea. Three flights, six meetings and two nights away could have been a bit much. My boss and team have been great about my pregnancy and I actually volunteered to go despite having the option to stay back.
Regardless of work trips being generally very hectic and a bit stressful, I do enjoy the face-to-face client interaction. On a daily basis we interact with our clients via phone, email and Bloomberg chats, which helps to maintain the established relationships. To stay close and to build the relationship further however, we do need to sit in the same room every few months. I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to see most of my clients one more time before my maternity leave and smoothen the transition rather than just awkwardly disappear!
I of course checked with my midwife that she was happy for me to fly. Her advice was to get compression socks, stay well hydrated and carry my maternity notes with me just in case I needed any medical help.
Pregnant women are at heightened risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) which is a serious condition where a blood clot develops and can in worse case scenario travel to your lungs. Immobility, such as sitting on the plane for hours, can cause this. My flights were only about two hours long but I used the socks anyway as a precaution.
Monday and Tuesday were busy with last minute preparations. We flew to Stockholm on Tuesday night. My hotel room was lovely but as usual I felt restless with the mixture of excitement and nerves and did not sleep well! I’ve never slept well alone anyway. I made a little video of my bump moving for my baby’s daddy who was in Zurich for business. It was quite funny to Face Time each other from different hotels in different countries! I was pleased our trips coincided because I don’t like being apart…
We had five meetings on Wednesday, which is a heavy schedule on a good day, but surprisingly I felt just fine! Fuelled by porridge and eggs for breakfast, and the oh-so-familiar adrenaline rush, we had a great day!
After the summer work has been quieter for me, which has been good considering I’m on my third trimester. But I missed that sense of achievement and feeling like I’m contributing to something that matters. I may be pregnant but I’m still the same person! After a successful day in Stockholm I felt so energised despite being physically exhausted 😊
Since my flight to Copenhagen wasn’t until Thursday morning, I had a rare opportunity to meet up with a friend for dinner!
Thursday went equally well and finally I got back home to London – tired but happy! I meant to go to my usual yoga class on Friday night but I was eager to get back home to see my boyfriend who was finally back as well. ❤️
Seven weeks left until the start of my maternity leave! 32 weeks and 2 days pregnant today. Our due date is getting closer – exciting!
xoxoxo,
Sini