34 Weeks – EDB 28/05/13

 

---

6 April (32+4 weeks) and 10 April (33+1 weeks) respectively

---

Thursday, 18 April 2013 (Day 2)

It has been a while since I did an update, but that is because I’ve been busy and not had much to say, except to complain about how much I am over the trials of pregnancy. I want this baby out so that I can get my body back and get on with life. It feels like a huge waiting game at the moment, although that has probably been in part due to the fact that I was waiting for my baby shower before I did any shopping. Now that it has happened, I have been getting on with what remains of my shopping.

Brad and I did a tour of the birthing suite and maternity ward (finally), and it was every bit as good as I was hoping it would be. If I get a chance when I’m in labour, I’ll get photos of the birthing suite, just to make everyone jealous of just how good our public hospital is here in Coffs Harbour, NSW. As well as your standard bed in a hospital room, there is a private courtyard for each suite as well as a bath and shower in the private ensuite. The hospital encourages women to have an active labour (hence the courtyard) and to use hot water as a pain reliever (hence the bath and shower), and water births are allowed, as well as giving birth in whichever position you find most “comfortable” at the time.

I had my baby shower on Saturday. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, as I can’t remember much of the mental blur that was my bridal shower. As a result of the shower and all the other gifts that people have given me outside of this event, I will have no need to buy any clothes until we grow out of 000, and I have all the bedroom and bathroom linen I will ever need for this baby (and probably the next one). I also have as many potions and lotions as it is possible to acquire for a baby – I joked that I have enough for three babies, and it probably isn’t that far from the truth. I spent three hours yesterday shopping for all the leftover odds and ends, but I do still have a few big purchases to make. I still need a nursing chair and pillow, all my modern cloth nappies (although I’ll be starting with terry flats), an oil heater for the nursery, and a few other little bits and pieces.

I had an appointment with the midwives on Monday and Brad was able to come with me as he had an RDO. I thought I was going to get another Anti D shot, but apparently you can only have them every 28 days, and it hadn’t been 28 days since my last injection. The baby was head down for the first time at an appointment and on my right. I also found out that I have cracked the 100kg mark. :-o My next appointment is two weeks from the last one, and Brad will be able to come to that one as well as it will be at 6:30pm!

As for those complaints, I find it very difficult to get comfortable. When I lie down, it takes 30 seconds for me to be able to breath normally again. I get aches and pains no matter how I sit. Slouching results in a little bottom being wedged in the highest point of my ribs, but sitting up gives me a sore back and shoulders. I just can’t win at the moment, but I do delight in warm showers and baths to relieve the pain – well, a bath for as long as I can put up with the shortness of breath that comes from reclining in my bath tub.

Too much information time – constipation (sort of). I drink Benefibre in the evening to keep things moving along, and it works great, except when the baby gets in the way, quite literally. I just went today for the first time in two, maybe three, days, and it was sweet relief, although the stools themselves definitely weren’t hard or difficult to expel. I tried to go yesterday, but I don’t like straining for long periods of time so that I don’t get haemorrhoids (which has worked so far), and I certainly didn’t seem to be getting anywhere, nor did I feel like I was pushing effectively because I couldn’t get myself into the best position for elimination (thank you, baby). Unfortunately all I did get was large explosions of smelly gas, which continued while I walked around Target. I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to any poor souls who may have unwittingly walked into one of these gas clouds.

Saturday, 20 April 2013 (Day 4)

Hello afternoon swelling! I have swelling in my right ankle and in both hands. I don’t think I have any swelling in my left ankle, but it’s hard to tell compared to the obvious swelling in the right. The swelling in my right ankle is quite understandable, as I have been recovering from a fall last Sunday that I failed to mention previously. My left foot slipped out from under me on a slippery step, and my right leg crumpled, landing on the inside of my right foot, the inside of my right knee, and the inside of my left hip. None of this swelling is painful, with one exception…my right hand hurts when I try and chop anything with resistance.

Sunday, 21 April 2013 (Day 5)

I don’t know what I’m over more: being pregnant, or talking to people about my being pregnant. I’m sick of being uncomfortable, but I’m also sick of the endless questions that go with appearing pregnant, resulting in me trying to dress so that I don’t appear too pregnant (no easy feat when you’ve only 5 weeks gestation remaining). My only relief from the questions seems to be when I avoid people that I know all together, especially if I’m not in the divulging mood.

Brad and I did some shopping together yesterday, so there’s now only one thing left on my shopping list, which is the nursing chair. I know the one I want, so it’s only a matter of getting and assembling it, but there’s not that great a rush yet.

The baby doesn’t really kick anymore, but any movements I get are large and alien-like. As far as I know, the head is down and sitting rather low (or it feels like it to me), and if s/he gets squished then Mummy gets a set of elbows pushing against the obstruction (ouch!). I can often feel the spine of the baby on the left or right hand side, but that changes regularly, and baby is quite the professional at performing corkscrews.