Once again, another late Bump Watch update as I am now halfway to the 36 week mark....but nonetheless it's been over 3 weeks since I last updated so I thought I'd squeeze one in anyway!
Midwife and Medical Appointments
I'm pleased to say that since my last update, I have FINALLY seen a midwife!!! WOOHOO!!
I had an appointment with her yesterday, which was the first time I had seen her in SEVEN weeks as I was always too poorly to make it to the appointments and she is apparently "Only available on Friday mornings"....Hmmm!
Anyway! I feel slightly better for finally having been examined after over a month of extreme illness - she checked babies heartbeat which was nice and strong, and she had a feel around - she said baby is laying head down and just about with his head in my pelvis but not yet engaged (Which is good!) - but that he seems to be "Burrowing down" which she said "must be rather uncomfortable".....well yes, yes it is!
She also chased up a number of outstanding appointments in relation to my thyroid condition, so I have a whole day to spend at the hospital seeing various consultants this week....Yay.
Annoyingly - they are sending me for another growth scan this week too - I'm happy enough to have the scan and see the baby again (and hopefully ask for an indication of size, though I know they're often way out) - but it's annoying because the reason she's referred me is actually a mistake on her part but I was too shy to point it out.
She misread my fundal measurement chart - she had previously measured me when I was 28 weeks and I was measuring a massive 36 weeks, which is why they initially referred me for a growth scan and GTT (But all was normal) - but this week when she re-measured me and read my chart, she saw a dot she had made on it at my 28 week appointment and said I had measured 28.5 weeks then and was now measuring 38 weeks...which would obviously be concerning as it would mean a 10 week jump in measurements in a 7 week period!
But she was reading it wrong...I didn't measure 28.5 weeks back then... the dot was there to indicate thats how far along I was....there was actually a cross way above that which indicated I actually measured 36 weeks....so yes, I AM measuring ahead now at 38 weeks BUT that means I have actually only jumped up 2 cms in the last 7 weeks....NOT 10 cms! HUGE difference!
My C Section Date
In other news, I will be getting my c-section date through early this week - AAAARGH!!!!
I'm really excited to know what date I'll be going in but also really nervous about finding out when it is!
For a while I'd had a sneaking suspicion it would be on Aprils Fools Day, but the midwife told me that sections are only performed on Monday's and Fridays at my hospital - so it's looking like it will be either 30th March, 3rd April or 6th April....the latter two dates are actually Good Friday and Easter Monday, so it looks like I might be spending Easter in hospital...eeeek!
The midwife did put my mind at ease a little by telling me that Jon will be with me THE WHOLE TIME for the c-section - he will walk into the theater with me and come out with me - whereas when I had Tyne at Liverpool Maternity Hospital Jon was not allowed to be in the room until the incision had been made, which terrified me as the numbing is the part that scares me most so I am very relieved that he will be there throughout all of that to hopefully distract me (last time I ended up crying on the poor anesthetist!)
Symptoms & How I'm Feeling
My symptoms over the last few weeks haven't been too bad.
I've been far less ill since cutting out all gluten and lactose from my diet - it's not easy at all (gluten is in EVERYTHING...who knew?!), and I'm not really enjoying the lactose free cheese or almond milks I'm lumbered with - but it is definitely a worthwhile sacrifice to not suffer so much with illness!
I'm hoping that this is all some weird pregnancy-induced thing that will go away again after I give birth, but we'll have to wait and see - all this time it's been passed off by Drs as gallbladder problems when it wasn't that at all - coeliac disease is currently being questioned but I won't know for sure until after the birth.
I am waddling a LOT lately...the baby feels very low and this makes it very hard to walk normally, I'm also very uncomfortable at night time as my hips tend to really ache if I lay in one position for too long and the baby is most active after 9pm too which is really uncomfortable.
His movements are VERY rigorous sometimes, it's quite unnerving as it feels like he might just burst out of there at any given moment! Even Jon has been shocked at seeing how much my tummy moves around!
I'm generally feeling ok most days, although we had a little holiday to Cornwall last week and on the day that we visited the zoo I did feel VERY tired - I don't seem to be able to handle much walking at all these days and the stairs are my own personal Everest!
Preparing For Baby
His bedroom is now pretty much finished - all we need are his curtains and the playmat I want for in there.
My Mum has bought him a BEAUTIFUL crib, but she doesn't want me to assemble it so I won't be able to photograph the nursery until he's here...she wants to set it up while I'm in hospital so I'll be showing the nursery tour after we're home!
I bought some papier mache letters of his name this week to put on his windowsill and I'm going to be decorating them this weekend, which is a fun little evening task and something I'll enjoy!
All his clothes are now folded in his drawers or hung in his wardrobe, I just need to pick up a few more basics like vests, hats and sleepsuits and then we're all sorted!
Babies hospital bag is all packed, and mine is almost finished too - I just need to put in some big knickers and nighties, and we're all set to go!
The first two packets of nappies are ready and waiting, so there's really nothing left to buy now apart from a microwave steriliser and a new baby swing/chair (we're currently trying to decide between the Nuna Leaf, Chicco Polly Swing or the Joie Owl Rocker - has anyone tried any of these? Any thoughts appreciated!)
We also had our Health Visitor introduction appointment a couple of weeks ago - the health visitors apparently now come to visit you at home before the birth and this is when she went through what will happen after we're home, and gave me babies red book which I'm to take with me into the hospital - all very different from when I had Tyne!
My next midwife appointment is in 2 weeks time and will be the final one before the birth where we'll be discussing what will happen at the c-section and my birth plan! Eeeeek!
Less than 4 weeks to go!!!!!
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