So here we are. It's Thursday 17th October and my estimated due date is Saturday 19th October. No signs of anything happening soon although apparently the baby is 'nestling in nicely' into my pelvis, hence the reason for the occasional electric shocks when I'm walking! Thanks for that, baby. Thought I should complete the 'baby diary' now, while I still have the time and energy!
Week 28
Unfortunately the tingly hand problem is persistent and the physiotherapy didn't seem to help. I am convinced it's not carpal tunnel syndrome and a trip to the local Osteopath confirms that it is referred pain from my thoracic spine. It would appear I've turned into a bit of a stiff hunchback with the added weight and a swift manipulation makes all the difference. Hurrah! The bump is getting bigger and I can feel myself getting a bit more short of breath, particularly when lifting heavy limbs at work. Talking at the same time as treating patients is proving to be quite a challenge!
Bob is currently on a health kick, which started with the pedometer challenge at his work where he has to take 10,000 steps daily. He is motivated to lose a bit of weight before the baby arrives so he promptly draws up a 12 week training plan with the personal trainer at our gym. This involves 6am starts and a commitment to get to the gym 4 times per week. Rather him than me! All I can manage is the odd walk, my pregnancy exercise DVD and a ride on the exercise bike! How energetic : )
Week 29
Swap numbers with a girl, Nicole, who I was doing my physiotherapy exercise classes with as we both finish our course of 10 classes at the same time. She is due 4 weeks before me so I look forward to meeting her little bub when I finish up work. We attended the first antenatal class this week which was the physiotherapy class - this mainly involved pelvic floor education with a strange (un)relaxation session at the end. All the girls agreed that the 10 minutes spent lying down in darkness with whale music in the background and our hubbies standing like lemons round the perimeter of the room was not the most relaxing environment to be in! The next antenatal class was a 2 hour class on breastfeeding. Not one Bob and I were looking forward to but it was surprisingly good and interesting, even the boys were impressed!
Week 30
Started to get leg cramps in bed (ouchy) and there was potential for sniffles although managed to catch them early with a good dose of vitamin C and some oranges! Surprising how I've managed to avoid any winter bugs with treating sniffly patients on a daily basis - this pregnancy must have boosted my immune system somewhat! Manage to catch up with the netball girls, including 3 other pregnant ladies, and so we sit together with our Coca-Colas and swap pregnancy stories. Tanya is due 3 weeks before me, her sister 5 weeks before me and the other Tania and I are about 2 days apart.
Only 1 more week of work to go before our babymoon in the city - looking forward to it!
Week 31-32
Babymoon in the city was amazing - 5 star boutique hotel (Lyall hotel) in South Yarra - we generally chilled out, ate at some nice restaurants including George Calombardis' restaurant MamaBaba, went to High Tea at the Rialto in the city and saw the matinee performance of King Kong at the theatre. Have a little hot flush in the theatre but quickly recover with an ice cream : ) Feeling good and enjoyed a pregnancy massage in the hotel.
The following week, Renee, Corinna, Deb and I head back into the city for a make-up class and dinner at an authentic little Italian place on Chapel Street. The make up class was held by a make-up artist to the stars (including Gok Wan! haha) and was held in a converted warehouse, complete with modelling white walls and lights/cameras etc. While waiting on the make-up class to start, Corinna couldn't resist her inner photographer and got me to jump in front of the white wall for a few snaps - hilarious!
Weeks 33-35
On the countdown now to finishing work - baby is definitely on the wriggle and perfecting his/her kung fu kick! A very weird sensation, almost like she is rolling around in there, with elbows and knees poking out all over the place! We have our two remaining antenatal classes, both very good, one particularly long one on a Saturday (5 hours!!) where they show you round the maternity ward etc and let you know what happens with pain relief and caesareans etc. We also learn how to bath and swaddle the baby! Quite entertaining. I manage to get through the junior netball presentation night, standing on stage giving a speech with big bump on show. Then off to another 5 star hotel for an overnight stay at Crown Towers in Melbourne, which we won at the local golf raffle (see previous post!)
Attended Chelsea and Gary's engagement party - wearing heels was a bad move!
Weeks 36-37
Finish work and my colleagues throw a lunch for me on my last day - they are so generous, buying the baby a LED elephant mobile that changes colour and a pregnancy or newborn photo shoot at the local photography gallery. They are all telling me to go for the shoot myself but think we will wait until bubs is a few months old so we can capture her grinning away and grabbing things. Lovely food from the Grange as always, love their wraps! My patients Liz and Jacqi are so generous too - Jacqi has gone to town buying clothes and toys from Target and Liz has gone to so much trouble knitting a little white jacket and booties with a gorgeous baby blanket to match. Time to write some thank you cards! Spend my first week off work baking some goodies, packing the nappy bag, repacking my hospital bag and trying to study for my clinical exams.....although may have found a loop hole!! We have an appointment with the obstetrician who guesstimates arrival of bub at full term + 3 days (which is average) so 22nd October, watch this space!!
Bob is off to Melbourne to play golf for the week - I have been given about 10 zillion phone numbers for anybody who might be playing golf with him, just incase I can't reach him on his phone, or Ryan's phone, or John's phone.....He has been doing so well with his gym regime that he has lost a good 6-7kg which, unfortunately for him, has changed his golf game! He still played well despite rather odd team selections from the captain. He managed to finish in the top 30 from 150 players in Victoria - a brilliant effort. Think he is secretly pleased that the baby stayed in so he could complete the competition - I don't think he would have been very happy receiving a call when he was putting in for a win!
Week 38
Can't say I'm 'nesting' but definitely trying to relieve the boredom by cleaning things. Very hard to resist buying things for the baby, it has quite the library already of Postman Pat, Thomas the Tank engine and the Lion King although I'm sure if we just read it the news to it everyday, that will do the same job. Nursery is looking good and car seat is ready - just need the baby now!
Been back to the obstetrician who discussed my diagnosis of 'gestational thrombocytopenia' with us - he just wants to check that my platelet level doesn't continue to fall otherwise might need some medication to bring it back up to normal. Another blood test for me and we'll find out next week. Baby growing nicely and we rented a TENS machine from the maternity ward - slightly cynical about whether it will help with pain relief or not, but willing to give anything a try!
Have turned into a 'lady who lunches' and have also done some shadowing work with the local neurological physiotherapist in preparation for my clinical exams. Unfortunately see some paediatric patients with Downs Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy - great learning experience professionally but not such a great experience personally, I can feel the hormones kicking in!! Try not to overanalyse....
Time to stop watching One Born Every Minute.
Week 39
Get to have a cuddle with a newborn - Nicole has had her baby girl and so I pop round to her house for some nappy practice! She is so small and snuggly, looking forward to meeting our own little bub soon. Organise 'curry club' night at ours for the due date, 19th Oct, to hopefully kick start things....until then, I'll be eating some fresh pineapple and bouncing on the core ball! Have yet to find raspberry leaf tea but this is next on the list of things to get labour started. Buy Monopoly as a random purchase - is this what our Saturday nights will turn into? Rock'n'roll.
Obstetrician is happy with blood tests results so no meds for me - hurrah. Baby continues to grow and the midwives all tell me it could be 'any day now' - if only!
Hear that Tania has had her baby too - her 3rd little girl, Pia Anne. 'sno fair, she was due after me!
Bob and I treat ourselves to a lazy Sunday morning breakfast in bed - we try and reproduce our amazing Crown Towers breakfast of Mango and Passionfruit smoothies, coffee, pancakes, bacon and maple syrup and a yummy bircher muesli and yoghurt concoction. Unfortunately I chip a tooth and pray that it doesn't turn into toothache - that, combined with labour, would be a bad experience I'm sure! Trip to the dentist sorts it out : )
Week 40
2 days to go until I'll be into week 40 - accepting that our baby might be born on Halloween, I decide that I'll buy a couple of pumpkins and try my hand at carving!! Yes, this is how bored I am. However, haven't yet gotten to the stage of cleaning the crumbs from the cutlery drawer.....when I do, then I'll know that I'm really overdue.
Dreaming of wine, camembert and brie, crackers and pate, prawn and avocado sushi....
Let the thumb twiddling begin! Time to put my feet up and eat some Dairy Milk....xxx
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