37 weeks pregnant

And the nursery is finished! Finishing touches done, and we're good to go. Gracie-wiggle get your skates on and show your face!









Had a fun afternoon this week theorising over a playlist for the labour ward. I'm actually not a fan of music when I'm strung out, so in actual fact the list is staying in my head, but I did enjoy putting a few thoughts out there...
The LABOUR WARD TOP 10...

1) I'm torn (Natalie Imbruglia).... idea courtesy of Kevin - thanks for that, ouch!
2) Supermassive black hole (Muse)... my own offering, along with
3) The final countdown (Europe)... and
4) The ring of fire (Johnny Cash).
5) Shout (Lulu)... thanks to Laura.
6) Like a virgin (Madonna)... bit late for that Nicola!
7) Scream if you want [it] to go faster (Gerri Halliwell)... from Kevin and Laura.
8) Ripcord (Radiohead)... not a nice thought Laura!
9) Dignity (Deacon Blue)... as Laura says - for that sense of irony...
10) Everybody Hurts (R.E.M)... from Frances.

Others included "Help" (The Beatles), and "It's the end of the world as we know it!" (R.E.M). Thanks for all the ideas guys!!

So now that's done its down to business. No new pregnancy perks this week, but we did have a period last weekend whereby Gracie-wiggle stopped 'doing the dance' so to speak. After advice from the midwife went in to the maternity assessment unit at the hospital for a spot of monitoring. 45 minutes strapped up to a machine and we're back in business - fetal heart rate and movements all fine. Just been overdoing things it would seem, and so Matt the Husband and Daisy-woof have taken over garden duties so I can put my feet up.



37 weeks down, 3 weeks to due date... its getting so close I can smell it! I'm considered 'full term' today, as most women go into labour between 37 and 42 weeks. Little G-W is fully developed and now just putting some fat on her bones ready for arrival. Can't wait!!

36 weeks pregnant

It's all happening here in the land of maternity leave... I feel I have been busier this last week than I have in the last few months! Matt the Husband points out this is just perception; things are just taking me longer to do - he's probably right.

Visiting the midwife on Monday confirmed we're still cooking nicely and my blood pressure is still normal (which surprises me considering MTH is on a weeks leave this week, ha ha!). It's official now, my BUMP HAS DROPPED! Having a good prod at my lump, the midwife says the baby's head is now 3/5 engaged... exciting news! It's bringing it all home that life as we know it is in its final chapter, and we're trying to make the most of doing things together on our own while we can.

Our antenatal classes with the NCT have now finished until the reunion sessions kick off again in September. Already 25% of the group have had their babies - Leona and Eric with baby Amelia (3 weeks early by caesarian), and baby Toby born to Emma and Phillip (by waterbirth 3 weeks early)!! Makes me realise Gracie-wiggle really may arrive at any time, and that's quite a prospect!
The rest of the group enjoyed a fabulous feast at the Three Houses Pub to mark the end of our education into the transition into parenthood, and we had a wonderful afternoon laughing with like-minded couples. Good luck everybody!!

I have a new pregnancy perk since the bump has dropped - the pressure of the head in my pelvis is causing wierd sensations in my thighs and hips, an awful achey cramp that I can only describe as the 'post Snowdon tremble' or like having whopping great big cable ties wrapped around the top of my legs. I feel like a puffy Bambi. Of course I'm grateful, many women suffer much worse!

Other things of note this week - feeling very grown up making a will at the Solicitors in town. And planning what moves to make with the rambling foliage on the driveway, not to mention calling time on the B&Q hanging baskets. Having mistaken over watering for extreme under watering (its common, honest!) I've sent the sorry souls to the brown bin, and I've made an effort at creating our own masterpiece from the discounted line at the local nursery. I hold little faith these baskets will fair much better - Matt the Husband insisted on rescuing the most sorry looking of plants, so instead of creating a blooming affair, we're keeping our fingers crossed as the plant-orphanage hanging at the front door makes a shaky start into basket life. Fingers crossed.

So yes, lots been happening. Oh, good news while I remember, I was offered and have accepted the job with Head Office, so this week marks something quite remarkable for me - AN END TO FULL TIME WORK!!!!!!!!!!! I will be returning on a 3 day week, so much better for raising Gracie-wiggle and spending quality family time at home. YAY!

36 weeks pregnant, 4 weeks to go. I'm verging on panic!

The last of my leaving flowers from work...


A quick pic with Dad during his whistlestop pitstop at Ferrybridge.

Wot No Work?!

Monday morning has been and gone. I have not set the alarm clock. I am not on holiday. It's giving me a lot to think about this being on MATERNITY LEAVE! I can shower when I like, eat breakfast when I like, walk the dog when I like, be as busy as I like (or as lazy as I like). I rationalise this lack of routine by the fact that the birth of Gracie-wiggle is pending and I should give myself the chance to do whatever I like whenever I like as this is the end of life as I know it!!! The transition phase - from BUMP to BABY - is 5.5 weeks off. And whereas while I was still at work I was counting down and the time was dragging, now I find myself having thoughts like "there are only 5.5 weeks left"... a gear shift I feel!

So on my first day of maternity proper, I was a lady wot lunched. (I'm getting all the crap grammar out of the way now before I am forced to be a responsible adult and role model to a little lady in the making!). I met up with Christina in Sheffield for a spot o lunch at Zizzi, where mouthwatering Italian fare was enjoyed amidst talk of babies, nurseries and labour... enough to put even the most hardened mother-to-be off her risotto, but I haven't had seafood for a long time now, and I savoured every last mouthful of tiger prawns, calamari and salmon....mmmmm!



Obviously this picture is a little outdated - Christina and I on the beach at Halkidiki in Greece, around 25 years ago!

Last day at work!!!

Yahoooooo!!!!!!!!!! I have just finshed work for the last time this year, at 34 weeks and 1 day. Such a strange feeling, the end of an era so to speak. I've applied for another job internally which would see me moving to head office, so not only is this the last day at work for maternity leave, it may just have been my last day in centre with my team. I had the interview this morning and hear next week. It's exciting and sad at the same time - like I say, the end of an era. This picture is a bit blurred, bless Bev for taking it, but she was shaking a bit and her eyesight's not what it used to be :0)



As you can see, my little bump is growing nicely. The week has had its fair share of pregnancy perks - the odema is progressing at a rate of knots in this hot weather - I no longer have ankles, my hands look like they have been blown up by a bicycle pump, and as a result the carpal tunnel symptoms are far worse than they were last week - at the moment I can grip nothing smaller than the steering wheel in the car - mugs and plates are tricky, if not impossible. I'm waiting on the physiotherapist to get back to me on a treatment plan for this.

Matt and I have been to another hopsital led antenatal class - breastfeeding this week - and another session with the private NCT - pain relief in labour. We're quite enjoying getting to know people in the same boat as us and hopefully over time we may make some 'new parent' friends.

And so yes, I'm heading home now at the end of a long week - with nothing in the diary for the coming weeks other than sheer unadultered ME TIME. No doubt I will fill this time with visitng friends, enjoying time alone and time wiht the dog before she becomes number 2 to baby. My parents are coming for a visit which I am looking forward to. And Matt the Husband has a week off which we plan to spend doing day trips to the beach and Clumber Park and all the nice things that may be put on hold for a month or two when Gracie-wiggle arrives.

So the final countdown begins now that maternity leave has started.
34 weeks down, 6 weeks to go, and every single one of those days between now and then might be the last day I am just Heather, before I become Mummy!

33 weeks pregnant

OOF!! What a week! So grateful to be on the home straight with a little girl in there waiting to come and meet the world. Ever so tired though and feeling very "OOF" is the only way I can describe it. And as for driving to the Hospital, I've been so many times I'm sure if I slipped the car in gear it would take itself off and get me there.

So my growth scan was ok, I went on Friday last week, still measuring big for her abdominal circumference and femur length - which is consistent with the private scan results. The amniotic fluid volume is spot on, and the measurements although big, are at the top end of normal range so the consultant has said no need to worry - just assume we have a biggy on the way! To coincide with this revelation of BIG-NESS, I passed the 2 stone gained barrier, gulp!



I've also had the joy of experiencing a glucose tolerance test, which while virtually painless was rather boring being sat in the waiting room for hours in between the two samples. Good news though, I don't have gestational diabetes - the results came back normal, and again point to a big baby for no other reason than for being big.

What else? Matt and I have had our first NHS antenatal class at the Hospital - we had a good look round the delivery suite and a birthing room and then got a bit twitchy with the midwife talking about pain relief options and positions for labour. We're going back next week for the second session - how to breast feed and how to look after the baby in the first few weeks. Wow, to think the NHS can cover everything we need to know in 4 hours is astounding... actually 3 hours, assuming the midwife sends us home early for the World Cup 7pm kick off again next week. Tragic!

We also attended our first "Earth-Parents" course as I call it with the National Childbirth Trust. £250 big ones, and I might just get value for money, even if it is a touch hippy and home baking. We have 13 sessions to attend, some lasting 4 hours a pop - vastly different from the NHS coverage. Having endured cringe worthy ice-breakers and getting-to-know-you's we were introduced to our 3 mentors for the coming sessions, and 8 other couples all due around the same time as us. Some interesting characters, and one bonafida earth-mum, fully kitted out with the trademark dialogue of "natural birth", "breast-feeding" and "feeding on demand". We're due again this Saturday for the next installment - these people might just give me ammo for a future novel if I run short of ideas!

Pregnancy perks this week? Very swollen ankles and feet (its been particularly warm), progressively noticeable Braxton Hicks contractions and an increasing panic that baby will come early and I wont have all the 'jobs' done. Touch-up painting where Matt has been swinging his arms round with the 'chip paint here' and 'put dirty hand here' card. Controlling the rampant growth of the bushes in the garden. And bushes in the garden [that second one is for you Donna]. Buying the last few bits that I keep putting off. Etc Etc - it seems endless. And ridiculous at the same time - my mind is a whirl of 'have to get dones' and 'yeah but you've got 6 weeks off before baby comes so there should be more than enough time' to the 'yeah but what if she's early and X isn't done?' AAARRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH. I'm tempted to sink a large glass of ice cold Pinot Grigio.

As for work, all good, winding down (and winding Donna and Sheli up). And no Avril, you cant have a discount on the ice-cream, even if its after I've gone - Sheli and Sanchia will see past your fruit pastille bribes!!

Phew! 33 weeks down, 7 to go, 1 week left at work.... MOTHERHOOD IS PENDING!

32 weeks pregnant

Well, here I am at 32 weeks pregnant, on the home straight to meeting little Gracie-wiggle. My bump is expanding steadily and along with it, my range of pregnancy perks. Matt the Husband took this pic about half an hour after I woke up so I apologise for my startled expression - I don't enjoy having my photo taken at the best of times and least of all first thing in the morning before the straightening irons have had the chance to tame my hair!



Anyway, back to pregnancy perks. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, would you believe. As you know my hands and ankles have been swollen for a few weeks now, then this little pleasure came out of the blue on Monday. I got cramp in my hand trying to use a tin opener! At the time I didn't think much of it, went to bed, and in the morning woke up with both hands numb and tingly, and a weird sense of not being able to send messages from brain to fingers to grip or make a fist. It seemed to pass by lunchtime, then same again the next day. Evidently the swelling in pregnancy puts pressure on the nerves in the wrist, causing temporary CTS - allegedly it passes soon after birth.
Last night really brought it home to me - I didn't have enough strength in my hand to pull the duvet back out of Matt the Husbands death grip..... It's now on my list to see the ante-natal Physio about this - there's a real risk it will worsen and I wont be able to flip the ring pull on my can of coke!

I've seen 2 midwifes since my private growth scan last week - the latter of the two referring me to the Consultant at the Hospital. I saw her yesterday and she agreed I did appear to be measuring big (36 weeks) but that she couldn't rely on the results of the private scan and would need to refer me for an NHS one. She also wants to rule out Gestational Diabetes which a big baby can be an indicator for. I'm having the test for that on Monday, and am due back to see her next week. Apparently the hormones flying around the body in pregnancy can fight the right of insulin to control levels of glucose in the blood, which leads to a type of diabetes which lasts until the baby is born and hormones subside. I'm not looking forward to the test - its a starved blood sample, followed by the consumption of a sugary syrup, a 2.5 hour wait then another blood sample. I HATE having blood drawn. Oh the joys!

As far as little wiggle is concerned, she's happy enough in there, poking me on and off all day. Although her lungs wont be fully developed until just before she's born, she's busy inhaling amniotic fluid to exercise her lungs. I'm putting on about 1lb a week, and about half of this is said to be baby weight. With that in mind, if I go to full term, I'm looking at a plump dumpling, somewhere in the region of 9-10lbs. That's enough to make a grown woman weep. Ah well, time will tell.

32 weeks down, 8 to go, and 12 days left at work.....

3d scan at 31 weeks