Lucky for some?

Friday 13th.

Superstition is a funny thing isn't it? I have no beef with the number 13 - I was married on 13th. But Friday 13th? There's a school of thought both ways - some say it's actually lucky to have a baby on Friday 13th. I'd say it may take a further 18 years for me to make a judgement on that one...

But for now I'm thinking we're naming the baby after my late Granny, she lived at no.13. And, Matt the Husbands grandfather was born on 13th August.

Will today be the day??

Little Langers due today??

Apparently.

I'm 40 weeks today and yet little Langers seems exceptionally comfy in her private 5* suite (all you can eat and with blackout blinds). Half the day has gone, and not even so much of a twinge. She and I will be having serious words when she arrives - it would appear she is breaking the family tradition of being on time for everything and this seemingly lackadaisical attitude to birthing on time is just not cricket. With less than 12 hours left for today, I am doubtful she is making an appearance today, and as such will be late for her first ever appointment. GGRRRRRR.

39 weeks pregnant

A week of lasts, maybe. My last visit from Frances. My last Nandos treat without having to juggle a chicken pitta in one hand and a baby in the other. My last ladies-wot-lunch date with Donna and Sheli. My last waddle round the racecourse with D-W before we have a buggy with us on the morning walk. My last supermarket trip without having a rage about B*****DS in big cars using the mother & baby parking spaces because its beneath them to park in coach class like the rest of us non-parents. My last long bubble bath with the latest Dan Brown novel. My last [insert activity here]..... MAYBE.

I say 'maybe' because this is all assuming she's on time and arrives in this next week. She may of course be late. Statistics suggest 20% of babies come early, 75% come late, and only 5% come on time. Of the 8 women in my NCT antenatal group, 2 have already had their babies - that'll be the 25%. Who's to be next I wonder? Susan missed our lunch meet up this week as she'd started having regular contractions, so fingers crossed for a progressive labour and the safe arrival for her baby with a natural birth which is what she's hoping for. She's overdue so no doubt relieved finally to be seeing signs.

My last pre-baby lunch with Sheli and Donna? Maybe.



My last pre-baby visit from Lady Frances HRH? Maybe.



As for me, I am officially fit to pop. My belly feels like an African drum, taut to say the least. And if I'm lucky between now and B-DAY, no stretchmarks... yay! Surely there cannot be any more room for growth in there?? I met a friends baby this week for the first time, a little boy called Toby. He was 3 weeks early and is now weighing in at around 9lbs - and that's a reality check for me... the thought of pushing a 'Toby' out into the world seeing as I'm predicted by the health professionals to be having a biggy. I think I need not explain further. Added to this fear, my hormones have finally started raging over the past few days and poor Matt the Husband is taking the brunt. I hope for his sake that Gracie-wiggle sticks to her mothers ethos of never being late for anything (ones own birth included), as I feel there is only so much the Husband can take before he runs for the hills to take cover. I feel exceptionally mean spirited over these pregnancy hormones since the aforementioned lovely Husband made his last pre-baby guilt free splurge by buying me a new SLR camera to capture the life of the little one with a bit more creativity than this automatic Canon can do. I am a big meanie and he's such a sweetheart x x x

My last pre-baby antenatal photo? Maybe.



So wish me luck, I imagine I'll need it. Or it may be I'm back again next week blogging my annoyance that someone little in my family is LATE. I am planning on having a few stern words with Baby L this evening - WATCH THIS SPACE!

39 weeks down, 1 week to due date.

38 weeks pregnant

With 2 weeks left to our due date, I am beginning to get fed up and tired of being pregnant. In real terms, it may be 4 weeks until the little wiggler shows her face and that thought fills me with dread! I'm almost envious of Christina having her caesarian booked in and knowing when her new baby will arrive. Of course I rationalise that these things must not be rushed and Gracie-wiggle will make an appearance when she's good and ready, but I can't help getting impatient. I am trying to make the most of my time alone to be well rested and catch up with all those people I haven't seen for a while. Today I'm having a duvet-day on the sofa, slowly plodding through one DVD after another as I'm still getting over the summer cold I have been afflicted with this past week.

38 weeks and still growing!


Well my parents visit came and went without much aplomb, and I know the next time I see them we will have a new addition to the family. Having seen the midwife on Monday, she confirmed that baby's head is fully engaged and just a case of waiting. She did talk about what happens if I go overdue, but we're not thinking about that too much at the moment as she says she hopes she doesn't need to see me for a 40 week appointment!

Our nursery is finished, my hospital bag is packed, I have batch cooked until I have lasagne portions coming out of my ears. The only thing this week that has tickled my interest, is trying to think of the positives of being pregnant in order to convince myself to relax and enjoy these last few weeks with bump...

1) Eating what I like, when I like without worrying about the effect it may have on my weight. I'm now 3 stone heavier than I was when found out I was pregnant so I figure 'what the hell'. Naturally this is with good intent to ensure baby in utero is well nourished. Calorie counting is not advised by the NHS in pregnancy, and I thank them for that wholeheartedly.

2) Being able to excuse myself from household duties without too much guilt coursing through my veins. Didn't feel up to hoovering today? I'm pregnant. Didn't get round to clearing the backlog of laundry? I'm pregnant. You get the gist. This also works for being in PJ's all day... I'm pregnant.

3) Wearing big knickers without having to explain why. I like big pants, and while pregnant I have not had to worry about what the emergency services might think should I be rushed into hospital and being exposed as a granny-pant wearer. My midwife actively encourages expectant mothers to wear them, and I do so with no encouragement needed. Once baby is here I will no doubt begin to worry my M&S biggies will be less acceptable, but at least if ever I'm on a ship when it goes down I will have enough material for making a sail.

4) Taking daytime naps infinitum.... sometimes 3 in one day!

5) Having a cover for bad parking - it's at an angle so I can get the door open enough to get myself and my bump out.

6) Having my supermarket shopping packed by a volunteer fundraiser for free while I catch my breath (this was only once and I would have left a donation had I had anything other than by debit card with me).

And that's all I can think of at the moment. Probably not enough to keep my sanity in check over the next fortnight until due date, but certainly enough to make me smile when I'm feeling a bit blue... another good reason for that duvet-day today!

Daisy-woof enjoying duvet time with her Mummy!


38 weeks down, 2 to go. Show me a sign you're cooked Gracie-wiggle...

Bump buddies day!

Bump getting big at 37 weeks...



Christina with Evangelia, waiting patiently for arrival of a little brother or sister, due to be born by caesarian on 4th August!

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.....

31 weeks pregnant

What an emotional roller coaster this week has been! I am now 31 weeks pregnant today. Time has stood still this last seven days and it feels like a lifetime has passed. I am now officially in the 'past the blooming stage, ready to have her' camp.... my fingers are now too puffy for my rings, the feet and ankles are swelling daily, and as time passes I'm finding it harder and harder to take good deep breaths. Yes, I am officially pregnant and encumbered. And for a time this week I have felt very blue, grumpy, tired and tearful, and I have turned into that pregnant woman where nothing pleases (or at least not this week). Today my mood has lifted and I feel back on track to a certain extent, and I'm glad the blue phase has passed for the timebeing.

Things of note this week? My boss has now officially be made redundant, signed off, never to return. I've had time to prepare for this over the last few weeks, but the finality of it all leaves me feeling a little jaded and sad at the end of an era. I owe him alot for his time over the years and I wouldn't be where I am today without his faith in me. So I have a new boss... well, for 3 weeks that I have left at work until maternity leave kicks in!

I did an interim handover to the Manager coming in to cover me while I'm off yesterday, enjoyed the day and looking forward to handing over the reins on 25th. She works from our sister centre in Manchester so will be here supporting my deputies a few days a week... and thats a story in itself... one of them is pregnant, due 5th December. Something in the water perhaps??! I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Laugh today I think - the crying is so last week!

And then there's this new post Head office have created which is part time. Would that provide me a better work-life balance for when I return to work??! It's all happening here in my life at the moment.

Then lastly this week, the second attempt at our 4d and 3d scan for little Gracie-wiggle. This week she had changed position a little to give a slightly better view, but she's still very comfy in there, very chilled out and relaxed. Shy even. She's lying head down facing my right hand side. We saw her sucking on her hand and playing with her toes. Matt the Husband was looking at the wall when she yawned on the screen - that'll teach him to stay focused... that's men for you!

Interestingly she's measuring big, ish. Head is measuring spot on for her gestational age. Her leg length and belly circumference are both measuring big (both above the 95th percentile), which may indicate a number of things (or may indicate she's just going to be a big healthy baby). I'll see the midwife to check. At the moment she's estimated at weighing 4lb 14oz, thats some weight for a little lady with still 9 weeks to go.... I'll post a picture later.

So yes, 9 weeks to go, and counting!

30 weeks pregnant

Now I can't speak for Gracie-wiggle as I haven't met her yet, but I certainly have itchy feet this week and I rather feel she probably does too. I'm restless and time is passing sooooo slowly I can almost feel the hands on the clock snagging from one second to the next, and at the same time G-wiggle is in there doing her own little version of the hand jive I'm surprised my ribs aren't honky-tonking out a tune like an old piano.

All except the hours between 6.30-9pm on Monday when we went for a 3d/4d scan only to find G-wiggle being particularly sedate and relaxed in her den, facing any which way apart from towards the ultrasound probe. We tried fizzy drinks, we tried chocolate. We tried marching round the street for half an hour. We tried putting our feet up with a trashy mag for an hour. And would she turn away from my spine to allow us a good view? No. And if she were 20 years older I'd guess she probably went to far as to flick us the birdy - she didn't move an inch. So we're off again next week for another scan to see if she is more obliging. One good thing came out of our scan-a-thon night; a decent enough view to imply we're having a little girl (again!). Phew!

Matt the Husband and I visited another nursery this week. Being our second of such visits we were able to be a lot more pragmatic and ask better informed questions of the manager who showed us around. It's still a very overwhelming feeling to be planning so far in advance; to think we have to consider childcare at 30 weeks pregnant, when in the real world we're looking at starting nursery at somewhere between 6 and 12 months depending on how I feel about cabin fever at the time. All very bizarre. We think this is 'the ONE' though, so will probably send in the application form in the not too distant.

This week's pregnancy perks see me with the beginnings of swollen feet and ankles, and in the last few days my wedding and engagement rings have been increasingly harder to get on and off. I've probably only got another week at most before these little sparklers get banished to the box for a few months. Braxton hicks contractions are a fairly regular occurrence now, and I have also experienced my first 'hand ball'. When I say this I mean, it feels like G-wiggle is banging the ball in the back of the net with her fist... I'll be sitting quietly, feeling her move so I place a palm over the area that's moving on my bump - and then BAM!! she whacks a fist into me, popping out in the most extraordinary shapes - not painful, just enough to bring water to my eyes and freak me out a little. I mean, a LOT.

So we're on the home straight now until I become a FIRST TIME MUM. 4 weeks left at work, and 10 weeks until we meet Gracie-wiggle in the flesh. BRING IT ON!

29 weeks pregnant

As it happens I'm now 29 weeks 3 days (not that I'm counting!). Today we had the most glorious weather, which saw us taking Daisy-woof out to the local park for a spot of paddling and fetch. She had great fun with Matt while I basked in the sun, soaking up some rays before being confined to the office again tomorrow. Another number of note, only 23 working days left (again, not that Im counting....!) Here's hoping this balmy weather holds out until the end of June when I hang up my work hat for what could be 14 months.... woo hoo!!!

My bump seems to be growing at a rate of knots now.

28 weeks pregnant

Matt the Husband and I took some time off work this week, so we loaded the car up and headed off to Norfolk with Daisy-woof for a few days R&R in the countryside. It was great to see my aged P's again, and around time spent rambling with the dog in the forest I managed to persuade Dad to dig out the photos of when I was a baby. Everyone looks so young - key things of note were Dads huge moustache, uncle Franks sideburns and huge kipper-like tie... most amusing. These relics from the past also served to remind me of my late grandmother who in a nutshell is Gracie-wiggle's namesake.

Here is a picture of Dad with the family in the forest.


My 28 week appointment saw me at the hospital for routine blood samples (results pending), urinalysis (normal), blood pressure check (normal), listening to Gracie-wiggles heartbeat (normal at 140-160 bpm), and for the first time taking a measurement of the 'fundus' which is the size of the uterus. Generally speaking if I'm 28 weeks, the midwife explained she would expect a measurement of something in the region of 28cm from pubic bone to top of uterus (which is now sitting up near my rib cage). I measured in at 30cm, but this is nothing to worry about - she said 2cm either side is fine. I had worked myself up into a bit of anxiety waiting for the blood sample to be taken (I am fine with i/m injections but there is something that freaks me out about i/v work).
Anyway, no need to worry.... while I sat and practiced meditative breathing and focusing on D-W skipping through the forest with a smile on her face, Matt is beside me being very stoic though alas turning a lighter shade of grey and losing his vision for a few minutes pre-empting a faint. So after the midwife had finished taking blood and injected the Anti-D treatment that was due this week, she ran off to get Matt a glass of water (while I broke out of my trance into fits of laughter). So very funny, although a touch worrying that he mightn't be the most fail safe candidate for my birthing partner if he ends up sucking on Entonox to calm his nerves and passing out at the critical moment!!

Pregnancy perks new to me this week include calcium deficiency whereby I'm aiming for an intake of 1000mg a day which is recommended in the 3rd trimester, but still suffering the most awful cramps in my calves. I am staving this off by eating enough yoghurt to sink a battleship so will have to see if this has any useful effect this week. Upper back ache has now well and truly kicked in and my lower back pain continues to see me grunting like a recumbent hippopotamus trying to get out of bed (or the sofa, or the car or generally anything that requires effort) without seriously tipping the weakness over the edge.

I'm getting inpatient now, nearly everything is bought, the nursery decorations are taking shape and I am so restless waiting for the arrival of a little girl that is surely going to turn life as we know it upside down.

28 weeks gone, 12 weeks to go, 6 weeks left to work (and counting!)

27 weeks pregnant

27 weeks, 13 weeks to go!

Boy what a week! So busy at work, chasing my tail and getting increasingly frustrated at my inability to streamline like I normally do... I blame the pregnancy head. It's like pulling a card from my back pocket that says "I'm pregnant, what do you expect?!". Matt says I'm overusing it... I showed him the card. So yes, a manic week at work, a few frayed tempers (mostly mine) and Friday finally came feeling like a fortnight since my last day off.



Monday saw me attempting dog-whisperer tactics to try to stop Daisy-woof from terrorising (and probably eating) a Polecat that had found its way into our garden. Thankfully managed to grab the dog and shut her in the house before returning to the garden to catch the polecat into a basket and ring the RSPCA to come collect it. Waiting in for the RSPCA on Tuesday was a very welcome excuse to put my feet up and rest.

All is well in the pregnancy this week but I feel the weight is beginning to take its toll on the sacro-iliac region of my lower back. I have a weakness in this area stemming from an old trauma injury when I was 19, and its now rearing its head most days. This peaked one night when I woke up with my back muscles in complete spasm and had to wake Matt the Husband to sit me up so I could walk to stretch it out. Its ok as I write this but still fully aware of the nagging pain all the time.

Another pregnancy perk that has surfaced this week is aching hips and pelvis at night time. As I'm so used to sleeping on my back (which isn't recommended at this stage in pregnancy), the sleeping on my side is causing an awful ache in whichever hip is uppermost. I have taken to putting a plump pillow between my knees which seems to be helping as its reducing the angle my leg rests at.

Oh yes, and this week I have scoured every shop in the area for a short sleeved t-shirt for warmer weather. Poor Matt the Husband followed me dutifully round so many shops I have lost count and every one with a maternity section had a) long sleeve only, b) nothing in my size or c) plenty on my size with short sleeves but in the most hideously bright colours. Soooooo annoying, I want to SCREAM!! But blessed George at Asda, at last a short sleeve top in my size in a colour I'll just call normal. Phew!

So yes, bump is growing, I have put on 1lb this week. We have been walking quite a lot this week, and it felt really good to get out in the fresh air and remind my legs what they're capable of. Friday evening saw us taking Daisy-woof for a family reunion to visit Gabrielle and Michael with their GSP's Rio, Gus, Kai and Mac. Rio was unable to come walking with us as he'd cut his paw, but D-W had great fun nonetheless running around giddy with her daddy (Gus) and uncles.



It's so wonderful seeing D-W with her family!

26 weeks pregnant

A busy week again, and another pregnancy milestone reached. Matt the Husband and I were out walking in Wales with friends Laura and Matt, where I discovered I can no longer fasten the zip on my raincoat. I last wore it less than 4 weeks ago, and it has gone from fitting just fine to not even coming close to meeting in the middle... my bump is definitely growing! Here's hoping for a dry dog-walking summer until my blessed coat fits once more.

I have also crossed the dreaded 12 stone marker, and I hope to the man-upstairs that I get to full term without the scales tipping 13. The extra weight along with the fact my abdominal organs are getting squished upwards by my bump, are making it increasingly difficult to breathe normally when I'm under any kind of exertion at all - even walking the stairs can leave me wishing for supplementary oxygen.

After working on finishing touches for the nursery earlier in the week, we have shopped for and fitted a funky little storage unit for the nursery from Ikea. This is an obvious bid to retain some kind of un-clutteredness in the house once the little one arrives - naive I know. All we need to finish to room off now is a new lamp and a blackout blind. This will be my shopping tackle this week coming, or at least that's the plan.

26 weeks down, 14 to go...

Dressing the nursery

Well the process has now begun whereby my challenge is to bring to life an otherwise pale cream painted room that is soon to be our nursery. My inspiration started when I happened across some photos on flickr of a nursery that had been accessorised by placing pretty fabric into embroidery hoops which were then hung on the wall. These looked really effective and I wanted to try to achieve something similar on a tight budget.

Donning my dusty Blue Peter hat I decided to put good use to an old cardboard box and bought some colourful wrapping paper. First cutting the discs out from the card in different sizes (attributed to my wok and popcorn bowl among others), I then wrapped them snugly in assorted papers until I had the 6 discs covered. I had some leftover paper, so I have filled two frames for the opposite wall - and voila! Quick and effective wall decorations. I can't wait to see them up on display.

25 weeks pregnant

It feels like its been a busy week and at the same time it seems to have dragged. Have been on regular bump-watch as the wiggler has been very active this week, something akin to playing the harp. Typically every time I feel a big one, I stop what I'm doing and watch, and ever so typically in return she holds her breath and doesn't move a muscle until I resume what I was doing, and then the same thing happens all over again. Needless to say I have had a very unproductive week!

Heartburn has well and truly kicked in, from the moment I first eat or drink anything, until I go to bed at night. Despite eating pigeon portions and a healthy dose of Gaviscon, I'm still suffering so have ditched the small portion theory and been to Potters for a hearty supper of Stew & Dumplings. And as I write I'm warming Rhubarb Pie in the oven.

Other perks of pregnancy this week include experiencing swollen feet and ankles for the first time since my last long haul flight, along with beginning to have difficulty reaching to put my socks on or tie my own laces. In a bid to stem the decline further (I may not be able to control the growing bump, but I can tackle my flexibility), I dug out my yoga mat and spent a very ungraceful practice dusting off a few asanas. I'm hoping to keep up with this seeing as it made me feel a little better about things and it is terribly naughty to have let my practice slip so much.

25 weeks down, 15 to go, and 10 left at work...

24 weeks pregnant

Well I had my 25 week midwife appointment today. I'm actually 24 weeks 4 days, but she's only in on a Monday. Was surprised to see a new face inviting me into the consult room, apparently my midwife Mandy 'left very quickly' and now I have Fiona to look after me until G-wiggle is born.

Fiona did some routine checks on my blood pressure, foetal heart beat (15-160bpm), and says everything seems to be moving along normally. Apparently I have a 'neat' bump. We have scheduled my next two ante-natal appointments. I'm going to St. James Hospital for my 28 week appointment where they'll test urine, draw blood to check iron levels and a few other measures, along with giving me an injection of Anti-D (which apparently is to do with me having a rhesus negative blood group). I have no idea what Anti-D does or is for so I'm off to google that tonight so I can shed some light on it for my Husband (no idea why I didn't ask the midwife, must be my preg-head!). Assuming everything's ok at 28 weeks, I see the midwife again at 31 weeks. Time is moving quickly now!

The midwife has today issued my MATB1 which is the form I submit to my employer in readiness for claiming maternity benefits. I have today also given written notice of my intended maternity leave - I'm taking 4 weeks holiday from 25th June then starting mat-leave on 24th July... a week or so before B-DAY! The HR Manager says I can take less holiday and carry some over to next year, so I'm going to aim for 25th June and see how I feel. If I'm feeling good and the weather is poor I may work another week or so, I can cross that bridge when I get to it and its nice to know they're flexible.

Lastly, I have posted my claim form to receive the governments Health in Pregnancy Grant, which will see £190 hitting the account at some point in the coming weeks. Of course I will abide by its intention and spend the lot on healthy fruit and vegetables. (Or it may buy the car seat). We'll see.

24 weeks down, 16 to go, and 11 left at work.