DH came with me today as he didn’t want me to drive myself  Thank goodness cos driving is so uncomfy for me

So, the m/w took bloods – the typical ones that should have been done last week, but she’s doing extra cos I had protein, glucose & ketones in my urine She isn’t too worried being I’m only 3 weeks from EDD. She’s testing for a urine infection as well due to my light-headednedd and headaches – and advised me to drink as much as I can and drink cranberry juice as it flushes the peepee system out.

My rash on my bump, she wasn’t overly concerned but I’ve to go back next week instead of in 2 weeks so she can re-check. Blood pressure was fine. My iron count is 114, their cut off point is 106 so she’ll get that checked again from today’s blood – I pray I don’t need to take iron! OMG @ the constipation!!

Baby’s heartbeat was perfect, I have a slight temp and my skin is hot to touch but she thinks it’s the rash and cold from last week. She didn’t seem overly concerned at all. And if anything shows up, the worst case scenario would be induction of labour   but   I don’t think anything will show up though.

Baby is head down, 4/5 engaged. He/she has their back down my right side, looking over to my left with limbs to the left. I knew that though, he/she has been that position since 28 weeks. Good wee soul!!  All in, a fab app really. DH got to hear the heartbeat 

Yep, only 4 weeks to go now!! Starting tmor, this is my last week of work. I’m getting to the stage where I’m needing the rest now. Especially after having a weeks holidays… going back in last Friday was very hard going!! 5 more working days though!!

We have the parenting class on Thursday night. This week is about labour and “typical, normal” delivery. Should be interesting!! And I have the midwife on Friday for my 36 weeks appointment, despite the fact I’ll be 37 weeks. Our doctors were closed last Friday so it’s delayed a week. I am looking forward to seeing if the midwife says baby has engaged further, I feel like there has been a slight drop. I am feeling movements lower down *there* so I’m guessing so!!

My cold have virtually gone now, I’m left with the horrible catarrh aftermath now lol!

JellyBaby time!!

The countdown continues… and in fetal developments: most of the bones (soft skull aside) in their little body are now completely hardened, providing a solid structure from which they can now make their grand debut into the world. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are structurally ready for a secure launch. In physical fitness news: their muscle tone has also improved over these past few weeks, and you’ll definitely be impressed by their steel-like Ulnar grasp (a newborn reflex that occurs if you lay your finger in their palm). And in genital development: if you’re having a girl, her labia are now fully developed. Finally, in the fluids/excretion department: the amniotic fluid-to-baby ratio has fallen over these past weeks, although they’re still swallowing fluid (building up even more meconium for that historic first poop), and some vernix caseosa. They will be more than ready to swallow and digest milk after birth. Just in case you didn’t get it quite yet: you’ve got yourself an adorable and hungry 6.5 lbs 20 inch baby—are you ready?

And the very last picture in “how big is baby”… the next one will be a birth weight & picture of our baby!!! 

So, what’s new this week? We had the midwife on Fri for our 34 weeks check up. All was fine apart from a slightly raised sugar level – she took blood from me for testing. If it shows anything she will phone me tmor, and I’ll have to arrange to go do the glucose tolerence test, if I hear nothing, it came back fine. I hope it’s fine  I really don’t like the sound of the glucose test, seriously think I’d vomit!!Baby is head down and 4/5’s engaged. Blood pressure was fine. So all in all a good app.

I’ve managed to book DH & I on the parenting classes – the start on 8th January and are weekly for 4 weeks… ending the day before my EDD Eek! Supposing we only get the first 2 classes I’ll be happy, week 1 is about labour and “normal” delivery, week 2 is about ventouse, forceps and c/sections, weeks 3 and 4 are about feeding and caring for baby.

I still feel pretty good for the most part. I get rather uncomfy if I’m walking for any length of time, and the more I walk, the more baby’s head presses on my bladder… making me worried I’ll have a little accident Heartburn and achy ribs are still present but I think that’ll be with me until bubbs arrives now. It’s not bad enough that I can’t cope or anything, just annoying! Sleeping is getting a little more tricky, I can only get comfy on my left side, which means by morning my left hip is achy. But it’s fine as soon as I get up. 2 bathroom trips through the night appear to be common occurance now Luckily I can get back to sleep pretty quickly after these though. So it’s not all bad.

I must pack my hospital bag this week or perhaps next week once Christmas is past!

JellyBaby time!

Your amazing baby is on the move! They’ve been riding fairly high in your stretched-out womb till now (while kindly compressing your poor internal organs), but now they’re planning on making the big move to your pelvis this week. If you haven’t noticed it already, you’ll be feeling the weight shift that signals that your baby is most likely out of breech position, with their head now resting on your pubic bone. In liver news: although not quite fully formed, your little miracle’s liver is now capable of processing a certain amount of waste. In general, most of your child’s prenatal physical development is pretty much up to snuff and ready for the outside world. Naturally, further weight gain is expected—so you’re still not at maximum capacity despite probably feeling like you definitely are maxed out.

Nothing new is happening this week, other than baby’s movements are beginnging to feel rather uncomfortable… almost painful at times. Especially when the pointy parts move about (Feet? Elbows? Knees?) However, I’m still savouring every moment as I know it will be over all too soon.

It must be extremley odd when the baby is born… the movements took weeks to build up from teeny flutters to soft kicks, to full blown kicks and jabs…. then as soon as baby is born, it’s an instant stop of the movements. I’ve been thinking about this the last few days!

I’m a lttle annoyed though, I’m 33 weeks this week and had to phone the midwife group on Friday as I have neever been told about or offered the parenting evening classes. I’m worried I’ve missed them now. I wanted them moreso for hubby, for the labour/delivery information and for both of us for the labour ward visit. Just so he knows what to expect through labour & birth, and so we both know what the labour and maternity unit looks like beforehand. The midwife I spoke to said I would have been told about the classes at the 12 week appointment, then will be a leaflet in my medical notes and my midwfie would have asked if I wanted to attend these classes at my 28 week app… no, no and NO! She said the classes typically start at 28 to 30 weeks, for 4 weeks.

I’ve to phone the class organisers on Monday to see if I can get a space on the course. I really hope we manage to!!

Time for JellyBaby’s update:

For all the weight and bulk you’re lugging around these days, you’d think your little champ should weigh much more than a mere 5 lbs and measly 17 inches in height, but nope, that’s about the average size for a baby in its thirty-third week. In terms of appearances, they’re getting cuter and pudgier every minute as they pile on the baby fat for those adorable little wrist rolls and chubby toes. And as we’re sure you’ve already noticed they’re getting stronger with every passing day. Nowadays, it’s possible to observe a well-placed kick just by watching your belly—but you already knew that didn’t you? Although they’re getting stronger, your bigger-by-the-day baby is losing space to move around, so the actual rate of movement will drop off in the last few weeks, despite that powerful drop-kick they’ve been working on. Hey, did you know you’ll continue feeling their movements even during labor?

I had a great app! Blood pressure was fine, peepee was fine. She made a note in my records about my having the cold

She measured my bump It’s 31.5 cm, she said it’s 0.5cm less than “average” but it’s perfect. Baby is perfect, and is head down still. I asked about my achy right-side ribs, she asked if I feel my movement in the same place all the time, I said yes, and did it feel like baby’s movements were in that same place whilst she was prodding my bump – yes. She said, ok, it’s a foot in your ribs I was so cnvinced it was a butt!!! She said our bottom rib is classed as a “floating rib”?! And baby’s bits can often get stuck in between it and the next one up. Nice to know

Baby’s heartrate was 140.

I had trace glucose in my tinkle, but she said it was my jammy toast I had for brekkie – oops!! All in all, a perfect appointment. back in 2 weeks