Week 39 To 40

Thursday, 39+0
Well, I'm still here and still pregnant! I can't believe I'm now in the final countdown week to my due date. While I would LOVE the baby to turn up this weekend, I'm actually sitting here wondering just how overdue I'll go! I have had a few signs that she may be on the move with stronger contractions, lots of pressure on the cervix and dull lower back ache and period type pains so just hoping it's all for the greater good. Just can't help thinking I'll be late though!

I'm trying lots of different things to help move her along, nothing drastic though, just sitting and bouncing on the birth ball, oodles of raspberry leaf tea, a couple of homeopathic remedies, long brisk walks with the dog and also s-e-x (ssshhh!) Sorry if either of our parents are reading this! I have bought some fresh pineapple but have since read you need to eat something like 7 to kick-start labour and I think that would be an impossible amount to get through but at least I'm upping my fruit intake! I know at the end of the day though the baby will come only when she is good and ready so I guess the things I'm trying are more for a distraction than anything so I don't go quite so stir-crazy in this final week and beyond!

All-in-all I'm feeling pretty good though. I still have plenty of energy and am pretty active during the day too. Night time is a whole different matter though when it feels like a planned military operation just to turn over in bed. The baby is doing very well. She had a dose of hiccups last night which went on for a good half an hour which she thought would be great to kick her legs out the other side every time she hiccuped! Chris found it very entertaining in between my cries of "ouch, that hurts!"

If anybody has any other suggestions of things which worked for them with kick-starting labour then please leave a comment. Can't say I'll definitely try them, but I like food for thought. Oh, and to the older generation, no I will not try castor/cod liver oil as I believe it is very dangerous, so please no suggestions of that one!

If you're a regular reader of my blog then please leave me a comment and say hi anyway. I can't believe I had over a thousand views last month, but have no idea who's actually reading so would be lovely to know :)

Saturday, 39+2
Well, still no news. My husband is off work for a few days now as it's bank holiday here so we'd love her to turn up as he can then start his paternity leave a bit later over christmas and new year. Oh for an ideal world! He is still really hoping that she is born on his birthday on the 8th December. I think that would be perfect too. If only labour could start tomorrow and I could have her at just gone midnight!

We've driven down the bumpy road when we went christmas shopping on Thursday. We managed to shop for four hours, then I had a massage in one of those chairs you find in the shopping mall, ate an entire pineapple and stayed pretty active for the rest of the night. Nothing! Yesterday I went and bought some evening primrose capsules as they're meant to be great for helping to ripen the cervix as they're packed with prostaglandins. I'm taking a couple orally and inserting the other over night. Also had a very long walk with the dog yesterday and found myself in a cleaning frenzy too. The house is sparkling and I even went as far as whitening the grouting between the tiles in the bathroom. Also wrapped up all the christmas presents but still nothing!

Todays strategy started with another long dog walk. Unfortunately the weather was hot and I was a bit overdressed as it's been so cold here lately and I ended up feeling overheated and a bit faint so we had to come home. I went to get my blood pressure checked this morning and it was 140/70 which sounds normal for me. I was all set to go up the hospital if it was high but obviously didn't. This evening we ordered a very hot curry for dinner, and I think my mouth has just recovered now. Followed the curry with a little bit of fun and a hot bath! I've just dried off and relaxing on the sofa now to see if any contractions want to start tonight! Watch this space......

Sunday, 39+3
Still here, still pregnant! I think the only thing the curry achieved was sending me off to the loo numerous times, but sadly didn't result in stimulating contractions! Mmmmm, what next....?!

Here's my latest and hopefully final bump picture taken this evening.