191. 34 Week Pregnancy Update

It's a whole four weeks since I published my 30 Week Pregnancy Update, although it feels like it was just yesterday! Time is flying by and my little baby girl is now due in just 40 days! [Insert swearwords of your choice here].

So, how do I feel?

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll probably be so sick of my constant tweets moaning about how tired I am, how much my back and hips hurt, and how crappy I feel. I had a lovely back massage last week though and that has really helped to ease my back pain - I'd definitely recommend getting one if you're struggling!

I've been exhausted after work recently and yesterday I had to take an extra fifteen minute break to sit in the spare testing room with the air conditioning on full blast as I was all hot and bothered. How glamorous.

I've been getting really impatient and snappy over the last week or so and I'm starting to feel really sorry for S who has to cope with my horrible half hours where I scream and shout about absolutely nothing. I cringe so much when I think about it - I honestly sound like a woman possessed when I lose my temper!

How do I look?

Well, I've put on another 5 or 6lbs in the last four weeks, so I'm now almost one stone over my starting weight, which sounds like a lot to me - but everyone has reassured me that its totally normal, so I'm trying not to worry. I hate being that person who is bothered about how they look during pregnancy - at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter - but it's quite hard not to let it bother you at all.

Are we prepared?

The nursery, Moses basket and pushchair are all set up, our hospital bag is packed and all the babies clothes and blankets have been washed and dried, so I think we're just about ready in terms of the materialistic things.

Mentally, I am so not ready. It still hasn't sunk in that, in just over a month, we will have a baby here with us... I still can't picture it, but soon I won't even have to imagine! 

I start my maternity leave at the end of next week, which just seems mad. I can't believe it's nearly four months since I told work - it seems like two minutes ago! I'm so ready to start my maternity leave though as I'm feeling so knackered and I need to make the most of having some time to myself to sleep, see friends and watch my favourite TV shows, before the little one arrives and everything descends into (beautiful) chaos! 

** Apologies for the lack of photographs. They keep turning out awful quality when I upload them onto blog posts. I'm in the process of looking into buying a new camera so, bare with. **

174. 28 Week Pregnancy Update

Hello lovelies.

Today I am officially 28 weeks pregnant, which also means I'm now into my third and final trimester, which is seriously scary stuff. From now on, pregnancy should get a bit more intense as the baby grows larger, takes more from me and prepares to make her arrival, so I'm trying my hardest to enjoy the next few weeks as much as I can before discomfort and tiredness becomes a constant occurrence.

So, how do I feel?

Compared to my last update, I feel awful but I know that, in the grand scheme of things, I'm still pretty lucky to feel as good as I do and I know that in a couple of months time I'll regret complaining at just 28 weeks pregnant.

I've been having bouts of dizziness and feeling light headed in the mornings which I'm putting down to the long break without food or water, and my energy levels have definitely begun to deplete - I'm ready for bed by 10pm most nights and even went to bed at 9.30pm on Saturday!

As far as mood and emotions are concerned, I feel pretty stable. I haven't been teary or any more tetchy (irritable) than usual, which I'm sure S is grateful for as you hear some real horror stories of just how grumpy some women get when their pregnant, although I'm sure I'll reach that stage at some point too.

My backache has eased a lot, which I think is down to a change of chair at work, but I'm beginning to suffer from achy ribs, especially first thing in the morning and late in the evening. Ouch. 

How do I look?

I've been gaining at a rate of 1lb a week for the last 4 weeks, after almost 6 months without gaining a single pound, so I'm now 5lbs over my start weight. Of course this means that my BMI has increased but not enough for me to have to go back to see a consultant or get an extra scan, although my BMI will be recalculated again at a later date, and we will have to go from there. 

My bump has popped out a lot beneath my bust now so it is beginning to look a lot more like a pregnancy belly, rather than someone whose just eaten too many chips. 

My skin seems fairly clear and feels lovely and smooth but I have had some new stretchmarks popping up on my stomach - mainly around my belly button, which is a bit of a pain but, to be honest, there's a little person in there so I can't expect my skin not to be stretching! Stretchmarks will fade after a while anyway.

Are we prepared yet?

If you read my Nursery post, you'll have seen that S put the babies cot bed together a few weeks ago, so that now takes pride of place in what was our spare bedroom. The moses basket is assembled in our bedroom and we've managed to accumulate most of what we need - right down to the nappies! - so it's really just clothes and few little bits and pieces that we still need to buy, which we will aim to get done in the next few weeks. 

It's finally beginning to sink in that I'll be leaving work in just over 7 weeks. I've got my rotas up until the start of May and it's crazy to think that, once these next four weeks are done, I won't even have another full month to work. I'm really looking forwards to getting a couple of weeks to myself before the baby arrives, although I'm sure that by then I'll just be praying for the weeks to fly by!

Other...

I have the whooping cough vaccination in a fortnight and my antenatal classes will have started by the time I write my 32 week update. I sent off my application for Maternity Allowance, as I haven't been with my current employer for long enough to be paid through them, last week and today I've been tested for anaemia - I'll get my results back tomorrow. Eek! 

Related Posts This Month:

Preparing For A Baby - The Nursery / 24 Week Pregnancy Update / Telling Your Workplace You're Pregnant