39+6 - Best / Worst - Third Trimester

Okay, so seeing as though I am officialy cooked tomorrow, I'm going to do my summary of the best and worst things about the third trimester. Click for the first trimester and second trimester! I'm hoing to carry on with these best and worst things when baby is here, maybe every 3 months or so? We will see!

The Worst Things

1. Painful / uncomfortable kicks. No-one really mentions quite how uncomfortable kicks and movements can become, especially at 3am when the baby has decided that your ribs are actually quite a nice place for kicking away, and repeatedly kicking the same place is a very good idea! I had a few really sore / almost bruised patches from when she kept kicking away and it brought me almost to tears on a few occasions. Still, I put movements in the best list too so they can't be that bad!

2. Lack of sleep. This is obviously a hugely negative factor, as you're so tired and achey and fed up and all you want to do is sleep, but it seems to completely evade you. You also want to punch the next person who tells you it's "just practice for when baby is here", no matter how right they might be! How much practice of sleep deprivation do you really need? I wish I could nap in the day, as that would make everything much better. I need to work on this skill for when she is here I think...

3. Size. During the third trimester, down to your physical size, you become unable to do certain things, or roll over without making noises like a strained elderly lady. You can't bend down without considering it a military operation, and you consider installing a hoist to aid bath time. I am most looking forward to putting my shoes on without leaning against a wall.

This probably isn't helped by the fact that I am no good at asking for help, and just like to do things myself. Slip on shoes have helped a lot - good job I love Vans.

4. Clothes. I know this is incredibly vain, but I am so incredibly fed up with wearing the same things day in day out! I have tried to save money by not really buying a lot of maternity clothes, but now they're just all falling to pieces and I'm so fed up of the same 5 tops and the same pair of jeans - I just want to wear normal person clothes again!

5. Waiting. And waiting... And waiting some more...

You know this huge thing is going to happen soon and change your life forever, but you're just sat around watching Jezza and waiting for something to happen! It's a very strange feeling, just like you're completely stuck in an interim stage where not really anything has changed just that you've had a few weeks off work and got a bit fat.

The Best Things

1. Finishing work. I worked till 36/37 weeks and I made the right call. I was really starting to struggle, partly due to lack of sleep and partly due to back and hip pain. In the last week I was coming home in tears, and just physically couldn't have worked another week. Complete hats off to the ladies who manage to work until due date - I would not have been able to!

2. Maternity leave. Kind of a continuation of the above point, but maternity leave is lovely! Especially when there are no pesky babies getting in the way of your Grey's Anatomy marathon...

3. Excitement! I didn't think I could possibly get any more excited, but how wrong was I. She has a name and a bed and some sheets and everything, (apart from a swimming poncho and smoking jacket / beret as Chloe keeps pointing out :P) and we are all so excited to meet her and give her cuddles and just learn everything we can about this tiny person! Who is she going to look like? Is she going to be ginger?

4. Attention. Getting all the attention without anyone else stealing it is awesome ;)

5. Movements. I know I've listed kicks in the worst things, but they're also incredible and amazing to feel and just know that you are growing a little person who is kicking away to let you know all is okay. I will miss them when they're gone, and miss this incredible closeness we currently share.

6. Preperation. Feeling much more prepared, having tiny clothes folded away in tiny drawers and just feeling a lot more in control. I'm sure this feeling is only temporary, and as soon as she arrives I'll feel like the most underprepared person in the world!

7. Babies. And obviously the best thing about the third trimester is that soon enough, I'm going to have a baby! How awesome is that?!

In all seriousness, I wanted to write this before she came and I completely forgot all about my pregnancy and how I felt. It has been an incredible 9 months, and we are so lucky that everything has been pretty straightforward up until now, and I just hope we are as lucky with the birth and meeting our beautiful little girl! Who seems pretty content in staying put for another two weeks... sigh!

If anyone has any questions to ask me while I'm still preggerz, write them below and I'll try and answer to the best of my ability!

With love and light xo

37 - Full Term!!

37 weeks today - I am officially classed as full term!! That means baby can come anytime from today and won't be treated as premature, and I would be able to try for my water birth - yay :D

And I am happy to say that I am 37 weeks and feeling fantastic! I'm sleeping better, feeling better, and just feel perfectly happy to be pregnant. I may completely regret saying this in a few weeks, but I'm just perfectly content - baby can arrive whenever she wants now, but can also feel free to give me a few weeks off too - whatever she wants to do.

I'm loving my first week off on maternity leave - the sun in shining; I've done lots of washing and pottering; I've caught up with some friends and had a few little walks out in the sunshine. I'm sure the maternity boredom will catch up soon but it's lovely to be able to have relaxing days with lots of chilling out - I'm getting better at it!

I've been waking up at about 7 as normal, but it's so easy to get up when you're not rushing round getting ready for work in a hurry. I can shower and eat breakfast at a leisurely pace, put some washing in, and just do whatever I feel like. There is a slight issue in that I think I may end up the size of a house - biscuits are just far too tempting when they stare at you from the kitchen.

I've bought a few nursing bras which was much less painful than I though - I'd got it in my head they would be like parachute so feel glad I've managed to buy some that aren't completely fugly. Also ordered the basket for the pram yesterday so that should be delivered to Mothercare sometime next week.

My list of things to get has completely dwindled down to one or two things now, and a few things I'll get after baby is here. People keep asking if I have everything and I think so? I just don't know where this calm has descended from - I was massively stressing out last week and now I just feel super calm and ready. The calm before the storm? Quite possibly...!

This is my last week with a car though, as we've decided to take my car off the road to save money while I'm on maternity leave. This will be rubbish, as I'm so used to having a car. But, I have legs and it won't kill me! It may also help me get back in shape after she is here, and I'll still have access to Mitch's car evenings / weekends. Plus I have very helpful friends for lifts ;P

On the baby birthday guessing front, so far Ben and my dad have been wrong, and Sarah has guessed tomorrow. Feel free to add your guess!

With love and light xo

36+3 - All done at work!

So I'm currently blogging from in bed, on a new iPhone app I've just downloaded - get me! Updating as I realised I haven't posted in almost a week - where is the time going? And more importantly, where has it gone?!

Today I am nearly classed as full term (3 days off) so baby needs to hang in there for a few more days really, to make sure I'm still able to try for the lovely water birth I have requested on my checklist! I also requested one of those lovely babies that doesn't cry and sleeps a lot, just hope the list didn't get lost...

Tomorrow is my first day of maternity leave, so I have no idea how I'll feel when I wake up! I'd like to have a lovely lie in but I think that's quite unlikely, so I have lots of little jobs to do over the next few weeks. Starting with baby washing tomorrow if the weathers fit and hopefully sunny, but if not there's still lots I can do! Along with sitting - which I've been told is an order and no longer optional. I'm just not good at sitting!

To be honest, it hasn't quite set in yet that tomorrow I'm not at work. I had a lovely last day on Friday, and managed (just!) to get through the whole day without a tear, but when I got home I just sobbed. I was trying to explain to Mitchell what was wrong, yet I didn't really know myself. I think it boiled down to the huuuuge change, and just being scared. I've always known what I'm doing, or at least what I wanted to be doing, and this fear of the unknown can be very unnerving. Especially now I've read all the books, bought almost everything I need, and packed a hospital bag - I'm as ready as possible but still feel woefully unprepared!

I had a lovely last day anyway, with some lovely presents, including money for professional baby photos from everyone at work :). Had a lovely meal out too, with great food and company.

Busy weekend again, but bought a few more baby things from town yesterday and the car boot this morning, and got to catch up with some friends and family, including seeing Jess before she goes back down to Cornwall, hopefully only temporarily ;)

In pregnancy news, I'm feeling...tired. Struggling with aches and pains a little this week, but don't want to moan as I know it could be a lot worse! Luckily I have support on hand for back rubs and sympathy, but I'm definitely done with having back ache. Glad to be finished this week, I really don't think I would have managed another. I have no idea how people manage to work up to 39+ weeks - this past week I've just been exhausted!

Anyway, hoping that this posts and doesn't just disappear into the iPhone abyss! Will hopefully blog a little more now I'm not at work, so if anyone has any questions just leave a comment! Will probably post a few pictures of baby things tomorrow but open to blogging suggestions...

With love and light xo