As silly as it sounds I’m really feeling very pregnant now.
What with all these taste bud urges and hormone surges. I’ve finally given into the temptation of a sweet treat of an evening. Well, it was only a matter of time. Which won’t be helping the distinct waddle I’ve got going on when I walk. Inevitably I’ve started to compare myself to other mums-to-be that I see out and about. Why she doesn’t even look pregnant from the back! I don’t know why I torture myself like this. We are all built differently I remind myself. Besides, I’ve always had these thunder thighs. It’s just they are a little less toned than usual. So I’ve decided to stop getting my knickers in such a twist, which actually, I’m proud to say are still a size 12, and reside myself to the fact that I will shift the excess weight in my own good time after bubba arrives – but not before I first console myself with a biscuit of course.
I’m off for a quick trip to see the midwife for my 28 week check-in. It’s a sad fact of pregnancy that I can no longer see down there anymore and so peeing into a small narrow receptacle is becoming a bit of a challenge. But I take my best aim and carefully conceal my pee pot in my handbag like some sort of urinary smuggler. As I pass my maternity notes and my stowaway pot to the midwife I mention the headaches I’ve been having recently. We both agree that I should up my fluid intake and drink more water. Other than that, all seems to be on track and this bump is measuring fine.
Oh, I’d forgotten that there are more blood tests this week. I grit my teeth as I push up my sleeve. I’m not great with needles. And there’s more to come, as I’m yet to have my whooping cough vaccination to help protect baby in his first couple of months. But for now, here comes the best part – listening in to baby’s heartbeat. I stall the midwife whilst I scrabble to find the record function on my phone. I’ve always recorded my babies’ heartbeats. When I get home I play it back to my daughter who then continually asks me to replay it for the next half hour. I think it’s a nice way for her to connect with baby and help her understand that baby is real.
My homework this week is to write my birth plan. Simple. I’d like it to go exactly as it did the last two times, please. If only it were as straightforward as that. Still, it would be good to get my thoughts down on paper. I already know I won’t feel like explaining any of my wishes whilst I’m in the throes of labour.
