Splashdown!
Well, it’s all over – I’m now the proud mother of an extremely beautiful ickle baby girl!
She was two days overdue, which isn’t really a big deal for a first baby, and had to be delivered by Caesarean section but when I look into those beautiful brown eyes of hers I think about my 24 hours of labour and forget all that pain instantly. It’s hard not to go into all the usual emo guff people like to trot out at these times but being a parent really is something else. People have made the usual jokes about how we will have to give up so many of the things we enjoy and take for granted but strangely enough it really doesn’t bother me. And anyway, I come from a huge family so there’s always going to be a babysitter if I do fancy a night of drunken debauchery!
The thought that we are now responsible for a whole new life is such a strange feeling and it’s hard to put it into words, but at the same time it’s really exciting. I’m really looking forward to being a mummy!
*Gulp*
Well, today’s the day – yikes!
No sign of the little darling making an appearance yet, other than the occasional dodgy twinge and a feeling of being extremely heavy at the front. I have an appointment with the midwife later today who is going to do something called a membrane sweep, which sounds disgusting but is apparently just like a smear test. I can’t stand smear tests either! I just hope that this sweep works because I really don’t fancy being induced – an induction also means a wait of at least 10 days, although there is always the chance I could still go into labour naturally. My sister reckons I’ll go into labour tonight and have the baby early tomorrow morning (00:02 to be precise!) so here’s hoping she’s right!
The final countdown…
*cue Joey Tempest and co.*
Less than a fortnight to go now, blimey! The little bugger’s being unco-operative as usual and has turned into the posterior position, which means that its back is at my back and it hasn’t ‘engaged’ yet (this is when the baby’s head enters the pelvis ready for birth). Had to go back to the physio to get my pelvis cricked back into position too; one side being higher than the other does not a good pelvis for childbirth make. However, I’m having fun trying out the different methods of getting the babby to turn round into the right position – curries, long hot baths (ruins your books though when you go to turn a page and realise your hand’s soaking), ’snuggling’ etc. The one I haven’t tried though is where you basically get down on all fours and rest there to let gravity do its bit – nobody but EV would see me doing that but even so it just doesn’t sound right…!
Come out No. 1, your time is up!
38 weeks pregnant and I’ve had enough now – will you come out now please! This may sound strange but I reckon I’ll get a better sleep when the baby actually drops – every two hours, without fail, I have to get up for a wee even if I haven’t drank anything for hours; in addition to that there’s the whole procedure of trying to get back into a comfy position without disturbing my other half too much, bless him.
There’s also the fact that I’d really like to hit the shops and get some of the lovely new clothes that have arrived and I wouldn’t say no to a nice cool glass of wine either! I’m now so huge I can hardly balance anything bigger than a bowl on my knees and my maternity clothes are starting to get a bit tight on me, which is reckon are really good signs that it’s about time the bairn made its entrance – my belly has more stripes than Tony the Tiger so letting it all hang out ain’t exactly the most attractive option…
