38 Weeks Pregnant

38 weeks pregnant and it's been a good week.  The big build up was to the midwife appointment on Wednesday and in within about 30 seconds she had felt the head and completely dismissed the Doctor's 'oblique' comment and is happy that the baby is head down :-) She's said I don't need to see her again for another two weeks when I'll be 39+5 eek!

Since that point I have been completely relaxed and just want the baby to arrive now.  I know that 2 weeks early is a little optimistic, especially given that I was 13 days overdue with my son, but one can but dream.  There are some dates that I'd really like to avoid, like my son's first nativity on 16th, a party on 22nd when he'll meet Santa for the first time and then, of course, Christmas Day!

According to BabyCentre my due date is right around the corner and my baby's just waiting for the right time to be born. He's continuing to build a layer of fat, which will help hIm to control his body's temperature after birth and will put on more weight (boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls). I should take it easy during the final week or so —as this may be my last opportunity to relax. So, in typical fashion, I have a full diary and have 6 friends plus children coming round to Sunday lunch...

So, this is me 38 weeks pregnant

I'll keep you posted!

37 weeks pregnant

Well, that's it, I'm officially now "full term". I could have this little man any day and he should be fine.

It's been a funny week. Quite emotionally up and down. The downs mainly induced by toddler tantrums and my frustration over the position of the baby.

Speaking of which; I went to the GP on Wednesday with many hopes pinned on her either telling me that the baby is breech, I'll need a scan / turning procedure etc or the the baby is nicely head down and ready for action. Either way, the control freak in me would know exactly whats going on. So, after much prodding and poking of my belly it was concluded that yes, baby is head down, but the head was considered very high for this stage (she actually used the word "floating"!) and leaning to my left hand side (oblique), which basically looks something like this, apart from the fact that my baby is face down, back up:

It doesn't seem to have caused great concern and it was in fact the lack of action that bugs me the most. Surely a GP who has two children of her own must realise that a comment like "that's floating very high for this stage in pregnancy, we better see you at the same time next week" would cause a whole heap of concerns for a pregnant mother?

So, I'm back to see the midwife next Wednesday, when I'll be 37 + 5 to get her opinion. In the mean time I will continue to bounce on my birthing ball, go for lots of walks and sleep on my left hand side.



According to BabyCentre this week there are only two weeks or so to go! This week, my baby is busy shedding his downy coating of fine hair (called lanugo) and his coat of vernix caseosa — the cheesy substance that protects his developing skin. My baby swallows both of these secretions, which stay in the bowels until birth. Then he will excrete a blackish waste called meconium that becomes his first bowel movement. Meanwhile, I may be feeling huge — and increasingly impatient. But I'll try to get as much rest as possible —even if sleep is difficult, I'll appreciate it after the birth.

So, this is me, 37 weeks pregnant:

36 Weeks Pregnant

Maternity leave has begun and now I face the life of a heavily pregnant stay at home Mum. Nice.

No really, I'm enjoying it, the cooking (lots of cooking and freezing), buying and iron and a new kettle, I mean, how cliche can a woman get?

I have to admit that I had to buy the iron though, because the old one broke.... six months ago :-)

You see, I don't iron. I hate ironing and while bringing in 50% of the household income I feel it is my right to outsource! This week though I did the nesting thing of washing all the baby's clothes and then wanting to iron them.

Including 25 muslins - how did I accumulate 25 muslins I ask you?!

My son remains in school / childcare 3 days a week from 8.30am to 4pm, which works really well for both of us. He gets the fun and stimulation he needs from someone who doesn't just want to drink tea and eat chocolate and I get time to myself.. to drink tea and eat chocolate!

Annabel Karmel has become my new best friend and I'm been trying lots of new dishes out on my son, as I'm now responsible for his dinner. While working I only fed him on Fridays and at the weekend, when quite frankly I could be lazy. Pasta? Pizza? Sausages? Pretty much the extent of his menu from me. Now though I'm exploring the delights of Salmon Fishcakes, meatballs in tomato sauce, chicken satay and stuffed jackets. So far it seems to have all gone down pretty well (apart from the fishcakes because he didn't like the crunchy bits!)

The pregnancy continues to be uneventful. No signs yet, but I am struggling to walk for long periods of time without getting cramps or needing to sit down.

According to BabyCentre, at the end of this week, I'm going to reach an important pregnancy milestone; my baby will be considered full-term. That means I could give birth any day now. As my baby gradually drops down in my pelvis in preparation for birth, my lungs and stomach will finally be able to stretch out a little so I'll breathe more easily. On the down side I may find I need to go to the loo more often as my baby squashes on my bladder.

It's right too - having been concerned through almost all of my pregnancy that I haven't needed the loo as much as I should I am now FINALLY needing to get up once in the night... what a thing to wish for! Well, at least it makes me feel like things are working.

So, this is me, 36 weeks pregnant:

 'til next week... x

35 Weeks Pregnant

Maternity Leave has begun!

And to mark the occassion I headed off to Thermae Bath Spa with my mum and sisters. It was actually a present to my mum for her 60th this year, but it just happened to fall on the first day of my maternity leave.

Was it good?... yes.... but....

It was SO busy, it kinda felt like we were at a crowded leisure centre when in the pools - it didn't exactly feel like luxury. The treatments were lovely though and really I enjoyed my 45 minute facial. It was also disappointing that our meal was so rushed, we were literally being swept out of the restaurant. My mum even got her pudding given to her before she had finished her main course!!

So, it was a little disappointing, but above all it was good because the four of us got to spend time together, which really is a rarity.

The Spa aside, I couldn't be happier to be on maternity leave. I'm still feeling good and it felt like just the right time to be leaving work. As you know, I love working, but I certainly don't love some of the management in the business at the moment. I'm hoping that by 2012 all that will be sorted and I won't have to work with those w**kers again....

I went to see the midwife on Wednesday and she *thinks* that the baby is head down!! Personally I'm still not convinced, in fact I actually think it could be transverse again now, but I'm happy to leave it for another 2 weeks and if we're still not sure then they'll send me for a scan.

So, this is me 35 weeks pregnant:

According to BabyCentre my baby now weighs about 2.4kg and measures around 46cm from head to toe. His elbows, feet or head may protrude from my stomach when he stretches and squirms about. Soon, as the wall of my uterus and my belly stretch thinner and let in more light, my baby will begin to develop daily activity cycles.

This week, my little one is sporting full-length fingernails and toenails and has a fully developed pair of kidneys. His liver can also process some waste products.

34 Weeks Pregnant

So, 34 weeks pregnant and next week sees my final one at work - I'm soooo happy. Things are still going at 100 mph and although there is a part of me that loves that, I'm too far into the baby space now to really care about it any more. I'm just really looking forward to having my little family and dedicating all my time to them without any distractions.

34 weeks also means the start of Perineal massage, joy of joys. Hubby's clearly delighted with the prospect too. Not the most romantic of intimate behaviours it has to be said, but I'm still convinced that it prevented me from tearing last time, so it's worth it and we'll be 'indulging' every night now until the little one arrives.

Although there has been a LOT of movement this week, I'm still not sure if the baby's head down or not yet. I've got a midwife appointment on Wednesday though, so we'll see. I'm trying not to think about it too much, but the prospect of having to make a decision about a cesarean is pretty terrifying.

So, this is me at 34 weeks pregnant:

According to BabyCentre my baby now weighs more than 2.2kg and is 45cm from top to toe. He's filling out and getting rounder – he’ll need his fat layers later to regulate his body temperature once he's born.

Not that I have, but if I'd been nervous about going into premature labour you'll be happy to know that 99 per cent of babies born at week 35 can survive outside the uterus – and most have no major problems. Although my baby's central nervous system is still maturing, his lungs are nearly fully developed by now.

33 Weeks Pregnant

Only two weeks left of work - woooo hoooo!

At 33 weeks pregnant, I'm feeling a little more confident with the position of the baby. I went to see the GP this week and was delighted to hear that it's a longitudinal lie, but unfortunately it's breech. I'm happier because technically at least I can deliver a breech baby naturally, although having had a look on You Tube, it does all look rather awkward!

I also started NCT refresher classes this week and the group seems nice, we've all got a first child around the same age, although my son is the eldest. Haven't quite sussed what the working situations are yet, but I hope there is at least one of them on my wavelength. We mainly talked about our first birth story and it did make my marathon seem much more of a positive experience. We had everything from 4 to 60 hour labours and emergency caesareans at 34 weeks to inductions at 16 days overdue. One general theme though was we thought we were looked after during the birth really well, but afterwards we were somewhat left to our own devices.

But back to this time....I'm feeling very good in myself, better due to the fact that I've only got two weeks left at work, I'm sure!

So, this is me at 33 weeks pregnant:

According to BabyCentre this week my baby is probably head-down in your uterus —although he may continue to change position —and his skull bones are still pliable to help him ease through the birth canal. A few babies remain breech and may need extra care during delivery. Mild, irregular contractions known as Braxton Hicks (practice contractions) may become more noticeable as the days go by.
My baby now weighs about 2kg and measures up to 44cm from head to toe and his skin is also gradually becoming less red and wrinkled as fat builds up underneath.

32 Weeks Pregnant - what dress size?!

Still transverse, so I won't bang on about that, apart from saying it's probably the major thing on my mind at the moment, apart from the "do we buy a house" dilemma and trying to work out how I'm to combine the benefits of Gina Ford and Deborah Jackson's "Three in a Bed"... anyone who's read both will realise the dilemma!!

My main rant of the week, however, is the sizing methods that retailers use for pregnant women. I'm baffled. Usually a UK size 10, 12 on a bad day, most retailers suggest that you buy maternity clothes based on your "normal" size. Fair enough. I've put on 2 stone (28lbs / 12.7kg) so far, so I'd forgive them if I had to move to a 14.

This week I was simply looking for a pair of black trousers for work, nothing special as I've only got 3 weeks left. On visiting H&M a lovely pair of black chords caught my eye... looking at a size 14 told me I may be being a tad optimistic, but when I tried on a 16 I still couldn't get them above my knees!! Who are these size 16 women with legs this thin? I sure haven't met one. So, refusing to try an 18, I move to Jo Jo Maman Bebe.... more lovely trousers, but this time a size 14 looks like I've jumped into a pair of clown's trousers! I bought them but despite the lose legs I've found myself suffering with the waistband digging in when I sit down.

I really don't care what size I am when I'm pregnant, but a bit of consistency really would be much appreciated...

So, thunder thighs and all, this is me, 32 weeks pregnant:

According to BabyCentre, my baby now weighs about 1.7kg and is around 42cm long from head to toe. Although his lungs won't be fully developed until just before birth, the little one is busy inhaling amniotic fluid to exercise his lungs. From 32 weeks, babies born early have a good chance of surviving and thriving.

His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth. Some babies have a head of hair already, others have only a few wisps. Thick hair at birth doesn't necessarily mean thick hair later on. But children with fine hair in childhood also tend to have fine hair when they've grown up.