At 34 weeks, the baby is about the size of a basketball hoop. Imagine squeezing one of them out your faff! Thanks again, pregnancy app, for fueling my nightmares.
The tiredness has continued this week. I keep getting an overwhelming need to sleep which seems to start behind my eyes and radiate out. Obviously, it would probably be fine if I could just go straight to sleep but that’s not really very realistic for me at the moment. At 33 weeks last pregnancy I was focusing my efforts on napping and watching DIY shows, so this pregnancy is quite different. Firstly, I have access to zero DIY shows and secondly, Ebony keeps me pretty busy.
The baby hasn’t stopped growing, at all. I’m now hearing that clicking or popping noise from my bump every so often. I remember having this all the time with Ebony and could never find out what it was. I have since asked a trainee midwife friend and she has informed that though nobody really knows, it’s widely thought to be the baby’s joints popping as they move around. I think now that space is at a premium in there, the baby is struggling to stretch out and that’s causing some clicking and popping action. The movements can be pretty aggressive and sometimes it feels quite jarring in there.
I’ve been spending most of my time knitting a baby blanket. I think it is too narrow so will handily double up as a scarf when the baby is older. It is already full of mistakes and I have spent hours wishing I’d gone back and rectified them when I first noticed them instead of continuing. But, this baby is lucky in that it seems the blanket might actually be finished before the baby arrives which is more than can be said for Ebony (four and a half years late and counting), so I hope the baby will be able to ignore the glaring mistakes. Knitting is keeping me busy and bringing me lots of joy.
I’ve also been reading Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth before bed and that has been getting me excited about the birth. The first half of the book is a selection of birth stories and they are lovely, positive, empowering stories. I would definitely recommend this book to pregnant women looking for good birth stories to read. My only complaint so far is that there is a photo of a baby’s face staring out of a vagina on one page and this gave me (and probably the person sat behind me) quite a shock on the train into Manchester on Saturday. I just really didn’t need that imagery in my mind.
I had a midwife appointment on Friday and was hoping to ask about the risk of being refused a homebirth whilst in labour. But my usual midwife wasn't there so I didn't bother. My next appointment will be my home check so I shall ask then!
I had a midwife appointment on Friday and was hoping to ask about the risk of being refused a homebirth whilst in labour. But my usual midwife wasn't there so I didn't bother. My next appointment will be my home check so I shall ask then!
I feel like the baby grew a lot yesterday, my bump felt sore and looked huge by the time I was going to bed. I then ended up with heartburn for most of the night so had to sleep propped up on my many pillows. I’m really hoping the heartburn doesn’t stick around for the next six weeks because it is the worst. And also because sleeping upright is in no way comfortable.
Yesterday, Ebony asked me whether I thought it was an x sperm or a y sperm that made the baby. Apparently, she told Laurie she hoped it was an x sperm. Up until now she’s been really neutral, always saying she’s happy with either a brother or a sister and just wants to give them a big cuddle. On Friday, we got the face paints out and she painted a picture of the baby on my bump which was fun. She’s still being really caring and sweet towards me:
Me: I’m sorry that I keep falling asleep all the time instead of playing with you.
Ebony: That’s ok, you’re pregnant. Soon the baby will be here and then you won’t be tired anymore!
Me: Oh, actually, babies make you even more tired because they keep you up all night.
Ebony: That’s ok, mummy, you stay asleep if the baby cries and I’ll come in and rock the baby back to sleep myself so you can get some rest.
She’s so lovely but now I’m secretly terrified she might actually do that and the baby will get dropped. I’ve found it’s very difficult to find a way of telling her she can’t do things without making her feel left out. I don’t want to make her feel like she’s not allowed to help with the baby, but also I don’t want the baby to get dropped. Well, not any more than Ebony was dropped anyway, that would be unfair.
Missed my 33 week update? Read it here.