Week 34 To 35

Thursday, 34+0
Well, I am only 3 weeks away from "term" and 6 weeks or 42 days to my due date. I feel quite relaxed about it all and pretty organised, but I still have some outstanding things to do. We need to take a trip to Gibraltar so I can pop into Mothercare and get the last few bits for the baby and my hospital bag. It's virtually impossible to find the things I want in Spain which makes me wonder what on earth the spanish ladies use! We won't be able to get there until I'm 36 weeks though, so just hoping I don't go into labour while we're there.

I had a call from my doctor yesterday regarding my 3rd trimester blood results. The antibodies for the rhesus factor were negative, as was toxoplasmosis. All my other results of platelet levels, white blood cells etc were fine, except my haemoglobin levels again. They're not drastically low, they're at 10.5 and ideal is 12, but I've been advised to increase my iron supplements to twice a day for the duration of the pregnancy. I have another appointment next Thursday to look at the lay of the baby, cervical scan, swab test for group B strep and a lovely anti-d vaccination for being rhesus negative.

On a different note I feel very flu like again. Yesterday I thought I was coming down with something as I had a bunged up nose and sore throat and sure enough as the evening went on I started to feel worse. I felt very rough during the night, unable to breathe through my nose and every time I laid down heartburn would kick in. I spent most of the night propped up in a chair until the heartburn eventually subsided and I managed a few hours sleep. Needless to say I'm not feeling too hot this morning. My limbs ache all over, I have a headache, ache behind my eyes, exhausted and I feel like somebody has stuffed my head with cotton wool. I'm wrapped up in a duvet as I type and have no plans of leaving the sofa today, well except to go to the kitchen, bathroom or maybe back to bed!

Here is a bump picture taken at 34+2

Week 33 To 34

Friday, 33+1
The baby went from being extremely active and kicking me to pieces, to very tranquil for a couple of days. I think it was growth spurt time as I was so tired and constantly hungry. Just when I was starting to worry about whether she was ok in there (although I had been listening to her heartbeat on the doppler), she started up the excessive kicking and wriggling again last night. I also believe she has turned towards anterior position as all I can feel on my right side now is feet. She must have been shifting around the last few days and now has her spine and bottom on my left hand side and feet towards the right. This is a more favourable position as it means she only has to rotate 90 degrees during labour to get into "proper" delivery position. Hopefully this will make for a shorter labour as she has less distance to turn and also in theory should be less painful as the back of her head will be away from my spine. Of course I know no labour is without pain, but every little bit helps! We were trying to video her moving around last night as it was so freaky looking. The feet were coming right up out of my stomach and it just looked so alien, but is so amazing too! I will try and upload some video footage soon.

Sunday 33+3
I've been waking up the last few nights by what I think are braxton hicks contractions. I think the baby is being particularly active during the night and when she moves now, due to her size and lack of space, she is setting the contractions off. When I wake up my tummy is so hard and if I try and move it really aches so I have to lay there until it passes. Last night was particularly bad as when I woke up I needed the toilet too, but was struggling to get out of bed. Chris had to get me up so I could go quickly! Once I'm up walking around though and been to the loo then it all settles down again. I've noticed during the day how hard my tummy goes when she moves now, and she seems to like to wriggle around a lot! I'm hoping she'll find a comfy position to stay in within the next couple of weeks and stop fidgeting so much!

Here are a couple of photos we took this evening.

Week 32 To 33

Friday, 32+1
We went for a growth scan and antenatal check-up yesterday and I'm so happy to say that the baby has finally turned into a head down position. The doctor said that while she hasn't actually engaged yet, she is nestled very well into my pelvis so doesn't believe that she will turn back out to breech position. It looks like she's finally getting ready to meet the world! I could have sworn that she was still breech as I had something hard stuck under my ribs which I assumed was a head but actually it's her bottom. All she needs to do now is rotate around so her spine is over to the left side rather than the right for the optimal type of birth - anterior. If she remains with her spine on the right side then she has to rotate around during labour which can make for a longer duration and also more painful contractions. I've read that staying as upright as possible and sitting on a birth ball will help to encourage her to move into optimal position.

The baby is measuring well, totally in proportion, and even the head has caught up with the rest of her now. The doctor said that now she's moved out of breech position where her head was getting wedged under my ribs the head has returned to normal size and shape rather than being squashed up. She is measuring about 5 days ahead of schedule. We got a very clear look at her face this time due to her new position and she is beautiful! We watched her open and close her eyes, yawn, then stick her tongue out and lick the umbilical cord! It was amazing to watch and I have to say she has the chubbiest cheeks I think I've seen!

Here is a photo of her from the scan. The image quality isn't very good as it's a photo taken from the printed out picture using my crappy camera on my phone!

My blood pressure was completely normal again and my urine sample was clear. As far as weight gain goes I was dreading it after gaining 4kgs last month, but this month I'm delighted to say I've only gained 1.5kg! All in all it was a very good appointment. I have one more antenatal appointment scheduled for 3 weeks time where they'll do a final growth scan, check the lie of the baby, scan the cervix to see if it is opening and softening ready for labour, take a swab sample to check for Group B Strep and check the function of the placenta. I think I also get a shot of anti-d as I'm rhesus negative and Chris is positive. My summary report will also be prepared for the hospital ready for admission.

Week 31 To 32

Thursday, 31+0
I'm excited today as we're due to start antenatal classes this evening. It's suddenly becoming increasingly real and the end is in sight. I have a load of questions I want to ask the midwife as I feel a bit in the dark at the moment about the whole going in to hospital bit. Hopefully I will become a bit more enlightened tonight and not be worrying so much about the hospital procedures. I feel pretty well prepared in all other aspects. I'm going to finish washing all the babies clothes and blankets this week and will start organising things for my hospital bag. She is very active still and has been having a good old route around in my tummy this morning! Hopefully she'll think about trying to find the way out over the next couple of weeks and start moving into head down position to give my ribs a rest!

Friday, 31+1
The antenatal class last night was great. It was really informative and I have had quite a lot of my niggling questions answered already. I always like to be prepared for all eventualities! It was great for Chris too. He had a good insight in to labour, what happens and how he can help out, what we need to do, when to go to the hospital etc. He said he really enjoyed the class.

Week 30 To 31

Saturday, 30+2
Finally I am on the countdown! In just 8 to 10 weeks we'll be meeting our little girl. My parents are out visiting us this week, hence me not having the time to post earlier. They brought our stroller and car seat out, along with lots of other little baby bits. The stroller is all assembled and standing in our bedroom at the moment. I do keep looking at it fairly regularly and try to imagine our baby laying in it. We went for the Bébéconfort Loola in oxygen black. She's going to be a bad ass baby in her black stroller! It's all seeming so "real" now!

She is moving around a lot at the moment and I can only hope that maybe she's turning from breech position. I guess I'll find out in two weeks at the next scan. My tummy seems to be getting bigger by the day and I've had slight indigestion the last couple of nights although nothing major. Also my back is starting to get increasingly sore when I'm on my feet for too long and I have to lean over my birth ball to take the weight of the baby off my spine. I'm feeling very excited now as time moves on, I just can't wait to meet her!