ProjectXY

I’ve noticed for a while that my bump has dropped quite a bit. It was confirmed by the doctors and the midwife that Tubbs is 2/5 engaged  

The weird thing is, she has gotten into a weird position, pushing with her bottom and feet against the front of the bump and she’s making it take a weird shape. It’s like a Ferengi’s head (for the Star Treck lovers). It’s kind of a weird square shape with big bumps on the edges.

She has been a bit quieter but when she moves she tends to push against the front and it feels like it’s going to tear the muscle  It doesn’t hurt, it just feels really tight.

Still I am enjoying these times. I think we are bonding even more and I can’t wait to meet her, but I love every minute I feel her move

This is my bump at almost 38 weeks. I’m surprised I don’t fall forwards or how it hasn’t burst yet! The only people I’ve seen so far with bumps as big as me are having twins!

And the thing is, if she decides to be born 2 weeks late, I still have a whole month of growth ahead of me!

On another note, pregnesia (or baby brain or whatever people call it) has been affecting me dearly lately. I forget what I am doing often, do things I really didn’t want to do, forget what I was talking about, but worst, I’m losing the ability to speak English. I find myself talking to people and not being able to find the words or saying something completely wrong or with an appalling grammar! If this goes on I might need a translator at the hospital!

The funny side is that Russ, although in a much smaller scale, has been slightly off as well. I wonder if he will feel sympathy pains when I’m in labour?

Today I had an appointment at the Derby hospital. It didn’t start well as we were stuck in traffic and got there late. I just hope that Tubbs doesn’t decide to be born during rush hour. It won’t be fun being stuck in a car in pain for ages!

We had to wait quite a bit to be seen but finally the nurse called my name. She told me there would be 2 doctors present, a consultant and a trainee. The trainee welcomed me as usual and said what we were going to be doing (the usual measuring, blood pressure check, etc). Then the consultant asked me: ‘ you are a student aren’t you?’ I said ‘yes, a PhD student’. He looked impressed and saluted me (for some reason) and asked ‘PhD? Very good, what on?’ I answered the usual ‘Planetary science, meteorites, comets and that space related stuff’. And then it all went funny. The consultant asked me to explain the phases of the Moon and complained that he could not understand a Moon crescent. Oh dear, the Moon phases are a bit difficult to explain especially in a few minutes and without the aid of some images so after much insistence I gave up on explaining and he gave up on understanding. We finally got to the appointment per se and all was well. As soon as I sat back  down he comes back with the questions! ‘Is the UK very involved in the space program?’ I said yes and that quite a few instruments were designed and went on space missions blah, blah. By then they were both quite excited and asking questions. ‘I saw a scientist on TV talking about it from the Open University, what was his name? He had a beard’ I said that it was probably CP and that I worked on his department so I knew him a bit. ‘That was it! CP!’ they said excitedly, ‘You know him?? Oh he seems to be a bit eccentric! Is he?’ And as I was saying that he could sometimes be a character the nurse intervened and actually said: ‘Come on lets get you out of here before they ask any more questions!’

I’d never seen doctors this keen to keep me in instead of wanting to get rid of me asap! I just had to laugh. They looked like two excited children That made my day!

I had to book another appointment for four weeks from now in case I am overdue and I also booked a tour of the hospital so I can actually see what facilities they have. That will be on Sunday.

On an unrelated note, most people know of the saga to find cot sheets. We went to Dunelm after the appointment and they had nothing but fitted cot sheets! Loads of them! Sigh…

At 35 weeks a few things have changed on this path to parenthood.

First I got rid of the cold which makes my life a lot easier.

My bump is dropping by the day and I can feel the baby a lot lower than before. It is bigger though and getting out of bed and moving became quite amusing at times.

I’ve been getting a shooting pain in my bladder which the midwife said is the baby trying to engage. I’ve been having painful spasms on my back and my hips feel like they are going to dislocate at any moment. One false move and the pain strikes me like a lightning. It got to the point that I actually start laughing at the sorry image of me. These symptoms (although painful) don’t bother me nearly as much as the past month (see previous moaning posts). I don’t know if it’s because they are easier to deal with or because I see them as my body doing the final preparations for labour.

It feels like we are getting there. We don’t have to wait for ages anymore and soon enough we will have our baby in our arms. I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I think ‘blimey, it is really going to happen!’

It’s a bit of a scary thought. We still have no idea what to do or how we will be as parents but we are thinking that so many people have done it, we can do it too.

I’m trying not to think about labour as it scares me a bit, I’m just focusing on getting through it as quickly as possible and on the fabulous result. My ante-natal classes start next week. I hope they don’t show videos of labours though. The effect of women screaming the times I’ve been to the hospital was enough, if I see the whole thing I might change my mind and not want to do it anymore . Not that I have a choice.

So now that the time is coming I don’t feel impatient anymore. I’m just trying to enjoy these last few weeks as much as possible before our lives change completely, and I’m enjoying the time getting everything ready for the new arrival.

Oh and btw, when we started telling people about the pregnancy we were amazed on how so many people we know became pregnant at around the same time. So far two babies are born already

Congratulations to S. and C. on the arrival of baby J. and S. and M. on baby M. (you know who you are)