Countdown time

I've been on maternity leave for a full week now and it's been a pretty surreal time. It's starting to dawn on me that I'm now off work for a whole year and the reason is because a baby is going to arrive in our lives within a matter of weeks! It took a few days to wind down from work and I actually woke up at 3:30am on Monday! I've been trying to get the balance right between ticking things off my 'to do' list and getting some rest. Other than the usual back pain waking me in the night, I'm starting to sleep a bit better and for longer. But I'm getting tired a lot more quickly so bouts of cleaning don't last that long! I've been meeting with friends most days and some of them have kids so there has been lots of pregnancy and kid talk. I must admit that I'm concerned about my life becoming all about kids and being in the company of people who are happy for that to be the sole topic of conversation. Who knows, maybe I'll feel differently once we have our own child, but so far throughout the pregnancy I've become easily bored when people assume that it's what I want to talk about all the time! I had to have some more blood taken this week to check my iron levels and they have decided that I need an iron supplement. I'm not sure that I should be taking my magnesium supplement alongside it as apparently magnesium effects iron absorption. But I need the magnesium for my back and don't want to stop taking it. My iron levels are only borderline anyway so I'm not too concerned. So I've been doing some cleaning and getting on top of some other things (birthday cards and gifts, finances, shopping, plans for D's birthday party in December). I'm very conscious though that other things will follow behind that need to be done (ie, more cleaning, more shopping) and that there is only so much that I can do to get ready! I double checked my hospital bag last night and other than throwing in a few last minute items I think I'm ready to go. In reality I don't think this baby is going to come early. I think she's more likely to be a bit late in which case we still have a couple of weeks to go. D will be on half-term break from the middle of next week until the due date so we should have the opportunity to relax together. I have plans to see some of the girls from our NCT group tomorrow and the health visitor is coming to see me on Tuesday to explain what will happen with their visits after the birth. I also have another midwife appointment and plans to meet a couple of friends this week, so plenty to keep me occupied.

Chillin

Feeling a lot more relaxed... My cold is clearing and helping me think more clearly, I had a productive weekend getting things ready for the baby, I've made good progress with tying things up at work, I made contact with the friend who didn't come to the baby shower and we're making plans to catch up soon. Things are just generally a little calmer. My last set of blood results came back and my platelets have gone up again so giving birth in the midwife-led unit is still an option, and my iron levels are still borderline but my doctor isn't planning to do anything about it. Although he does want me to have some more blood tests: B12, folate and something else. I have a midwife appointment next Tuesday, our final growth scan on Wednesday and then I finish work on Friday! All being well, I'll be able to spend some time with my feet up as well as ticking a few things off my list such as stocking the freezer and cleaning the house! Looking forward to the weeks ahead! The baby had a crazy day yesterday. She wiggled and squirmed all day long, it was nuts. I think she may have shifted position slightly. I think she is still head down (hopefully) but maybe every so slightly lower?

Another cold!

I was really hoping to make it through this pregnancy without a second cold. It really does suck not being able to take anything. I'm off work and using all the natural remedies that I can think of to get through it - menthol lozenges, a nasal douch, steam, the occasional waft of Vicks and the occasional paracetamol when I get desperate. I have a lot to get done at work before I go on maternity leave in only three weeks(!) but I know that I'm making the right decision to stay at home and rest. My midwife called this week to say that the results of my last blood test had come back. Apparently my platelets have dropped again, now down to 133. I'll have to have another blood test soon to check them again and if they drop below 100 then I'll have to give birth in the labour ward, not the midwife led unit. I was wavering about where I wanted to give birth but now that the midwife unit might not be an option I'm realising that that is really where I would prefer to be. So fingers crossed that my platelets settle. The midwife said that it is common for platelets to drop in the latter stages of pregnancy as your blood flow increases and the platelets are basically diluted. She also said that my iron levels are 10.8 and they shouldn't drop below 10.5. If they do, they'll need to give me an iron supplement. I'm not a huge meat lover so I've been having broccoli and pumpkin seeds the last few days! Not sure if that will do the job. I just don't have a huge appetite with so little room inside me and now I have a cold I'm really off food even more. We've had a couple more antenatal classes in the last week. I've really been enjoying them and am reassured with everything that I've been hearing. My birth plan is just about complete as a result. As well as focussing on the labour and birth, we've been talking a lot about what will happen when the babies comes into our lives which has been lovely to think about :)