Tired and emotional

Today is the big day!  Well, you know, in theory.  Today I am officially 40 weeks pregnant, which means today is my due date.  Around 5% of babies are actually born on their due date though, so I’m not holding my breath.

This week I am really tired, and feeling quite emotional – pretty anxious, and if I’m honest, scared.  On Monday I went to my usual midwife’s appointment and my midwife couldn’t feel the baby’s head, it was so far down in my pelvis.  This is quite unusual, so to double check it was that far down and not actually popped out and somewhere in my back, I got sent for a special positioning scan in the fetal assesment unit at hospital.  They confirmed that yup, she’s just *really* engaged, if there was a measurement of more than 5/5 engaged she’d be that one!

This is good news as far as labour goes, means she’s ready and totally in the right position.  However, for me it’s not so good – I have been developing SPD (http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/physicalhealth/pelvicpain/) and it’s now at the point where I’m nearly in tears at night when I turn over, or have to get up in the night for my 3 or 4 toilet trips   Also, getting up and down off the sofa is very sore, and I take about 2 minutes to adjust to standing up.

This has left me pretty much housebound, and often in pain throughout the day, so I’m starting to feel very isolated and nervous about how much more painful it can get – afterall, it’s getting worse everyday and I still have in theory, 2 weeks I could go overdue… Hmm!

Not seeing anyone for the last few weeks has been quite hard too, I wasn’t really prepared for being totally stuck at home, and watching everyone else from inside my little bubble.  I’m looking forward to when she’s out and people will come and visit.

Lastly, the midwives told me on Monday and Tuesday that she is over the 9lb mark now, and that has scared me too.  “They” say that bigger babies are easier to push out, but from where I’m sat it just sounds a bit terrifying that something that’s getting bigger by the day and already considered a “big baby” has to come out of me still.  She could be over 10lbs if she stays in for another week or two.

Sorry for the moany and anxious post, but it’s a real reflexion of how I’m feeling right now, and I wanted to try and keep this as an open record to my thoughts during the pregnancy.

We can haz LOLbaby!

Just got back from the midwife, and baby is 4/5 engaged now, so she’s heading in the right direction at least   She was 3/5 last time.  Also, spotted written in “position” notes, midwife has put LOL.  WE HAZ A LOL BABY!

“LOL: left occipital longitudinal lie (baby is lying sideways with the head on your left)”

Awsm.

Nope, my prediction failed :)

No baby arrival this weekend just gone, and we’re edging close to the 39 week mark now (on Thursday).  I did loose my cervical plug yesterday, which means things are moving along, but sadly it’s not time indicative – just means I’m progressing.  Could mean labour at any time, or up to a couple of weeks!  D’oh.  Nature is truly a beast unto itself.

It’s now physically hard to do anything much other than sit on the sofa, lay in bed, bounce on my birth ball and do basic yoga (which I try and do every day now, to keep the baby in a good position).  It’s getting a bit boring, but I try and keep myself busy with baking, and cooking, in particular I’ve pre-prepapred a bunch of nice wholesome food in the freezer for the first week or two of baby, so we can eat well without me having to stress on cooking.  Lots of dhal, soups, curry, lazangne etc.

Little Nemi Bump is kicking about with abandon still, I personally think she is quite happy where she is thank you very much, and despite her dwindelling amount of space will probably stay there as long as she can.  But then it is warm, and floaty, and total abstract.  Why would you want to leave? !  We keep talking to her, telling her how much we want to meet her now, shower her in cuddles and swaddle her up in blankets and show her where she lives, but I don’t think she’s taking much notice

It’s amazing to watch how many of my pregnancy peers are now giving birth all over the place, on the forums I read and the lists I’m on, there’s a birth or two a night now, always good news to wake up to.  And also interesting to see their birth stories, and how much their pumpkin weighs.  Wonder when it will be our turn?

Any day now… and retrospection

We’re 37 weeks along now, and that means full term.  Blimey, never thought I’d see the day!  I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, 9 months is a lot longer than you think it is when every day counts and you don’t get to go on any benders!  Watching what you eat, do, and to a certain extent think for the past 259 days is hard!

So, our due date is 31st October, however, I’ve always had a feeling we’ll be 2 weeks early.  I’m not sure why, I just have.  So, that would mean a small baby girl appearing next weekend, I wonder if it’ll turn out to be true?

I’m really really heavy now, and simple things like turning over in bed to get up, putting socks on, tying up shoes laces, walking about and bending down are really hard.  Walking up stairs is enough to make me sound like an asthmatic, and apparently I am now snoring louder than a Harley.  Poor Jake.  He has to wear ear plugs.

I had a few reflections in the last week, so I wanted to share them.

NOTABLE CRAVINGS:

• Early days, fruit fruit fruit, especially pineapple.
• Chocolate has been throughout – but then I’ve always loved chocolate, so is this just an excuse to eat some everyday?
• Middle of the pregnancy – Fruit n Fibre cereal.  OMG, there were days when I got through whole boxes.
• There was a strange week of shortbread addiction, thankfully just the one week.
• Later stages, MILK.  It’s all about the milk right now.

On the whole I’ve managed to eat very well, plenty of variation, lots of healthy foods, and the only aversion has been garlic.  Which is a pain as I normally love it and it’s in EVERYTHING.  I mean serioulsy, crisps, most meals out, every single commuters breath.. you name it, it’s got garlic in it.

On the whole the pregnancy has run very smoothly, and although it is definitely tough going, I feel like I’ve coped really well compared to a lot of people I’ve been watching on forums and blogs.  Also, I’ve not had any notable preggo problems, so I’m really happy and thankful about that.

So now we’re just waiting for labour, which could happen any day now.  I’m really looking forward to it (no, seriously!) and can’t wait to find out what my birth story will be.  It’s going to be such an exciting and life changing day, and of course, to meet my daughter for the first time will be breathtaking.  Bring it on

Oh, and last minute update on the little lady herself, her measurements were taken by a sonographer on Monday (2 days ago) and she weighs 7lbs already, and measures above average for height and weight for someone of her age.  But then, she’s my daughter, what did anyone expect!