The Pregnancy Diaries 2

With the pregnancy coming to an end - only 2½ weeks to the due date (which means I'm 37+3) - I thought I'd continue where I left off last.

I had my latest mifwife appoinment last week and am going again on the 28th - since I have had a very normal pregnancy there's no need for me to go more often than every fortnight. Last week (week 36+1) status was as follows:

Mother
- I've continued to follow my growth curve, occasionallly slightly below; last time I was 33 cm if that tells you anything
- Need to continue taking supplements
- Blood pressure 120/70, which is still low though a bit higher than my normal 105 or 110 through 65 or 70
- Weight 71-73 kg, depending on the day, which means I've gained up to 13 kg.
- Other stuff they check through blood tests and urine samples: normal

Baby
- Average heart rate 140, which is probably average of all visits
- The baby head is still down and almost fully engaged

So to the diary entries, starting from week 20+1 (latest belly shot at the end if you want to scroll down)

24 August - Little bit of morning sickness so was treated to breakfast in bed (again). The baby was a bit calmer and didn't move as much. As soon as I don't feel her/him as much I get worried and think that maybe my trousers were too tight! Should really buy some maternity wear! Peter is still amazed with my boobs! :)

25 August - The baby moved as much as it usually does again so I guess it just slept more than usual the day before. The light nose bleed disappeared so I guess it was only temporary and maybe not related to the pregnancy. Bought my first maternity trousers, black ones appropriate for work, from H&M. Am also planing to buy a pair of jeans from Mama Mia.

26 August - Asked the midwife about the morning sickness that won't go away but she says I'm doing what I can to alleviate/prevent it.

27 August - I weigh 64.5 kg in the morning and 66 kg in the evening (up from my pre-pregnancy weight of 59-60 kg).

Peter hugged me tight this morning and said "this is so cool!". Made my day!

28 August - My belly is starting to take a bit rounder shape now. Good, so I don't just look fat! :) Bought the maternity jeans at Mama Mia that I'd been looking at.

31 August - Feels like my belly grown a lot just over the weekend, in just a few days (week 21+1)

1 September - Went public with the pregnancy on the blog and Facebook!

2 September - Sometimes the belly gets hard and tense because the baby is positioned in a certain way. But if you poke it a little it moves :)

3 September - Wore my new maternity jeans for the first time (week 21+4)

4 September - Threw up once before lunch, felt sick so quickly that I didn't even feel any hunger beforehand. Let's hope it's the last time!

6 September (week 22+0) - Went to see the midwife for the second time (first time since the visit in June, as the scans have taken place at the doctor's office). She took a small blood test to check hemaglobin (iron) and glucose levels (both were good). I weighted in at 67 kg - their scale is always 2 kg more than at home - and my blood pressure was fine (105/70). We listened to the baby's heart but Peter wasn't that impressed and I also thought it would have been more of a wow-feeling. I think it's because we have already done two ultrasound and that the baby kicks so much anyway, that we already think it's "real".

The midwife also took us through different courses and admin. She gave me a paper to send in to the Social Insurance Administration (Försäkringskassan), which handle parental leave benefits, and booked me on a mummy group meeting.

15 September - The last two-three days the baby has been very active and kicked harder than before. Sometimes it feels like it's making somersaults. Feels almost like motion sickness or when you go in a car on a bumpy road and you get a sort of rollercoast feeling. Have started calling him or her for Vildingen (the wild one) (week 23+2).

19 September - Today the baby is kicking a lot downwards in a completely new way, which is a bit unpleasant. Hope it is just temporary! Maybe s/he is protesting against the Sweden Democrats getting into Parliament! What kind of world will this little one grow up in?!

21 September - Read that the baby's foot is 5 cm long now - not surprising then that its kicks are very noticeable! Feels like my belly is really starting to grow now. Both fun and not... (week 24+1)

24 September - The baby has stopped kicking my bladder like it did last week, good! Went to the dentist and was covered in a lead apron for the x-ray. Realised that I haven't had any problems with bleeding gums so far, a common pregnancy complaint.

25 September - In the last few days I have had more morning sickness again, nothing serious but has had to drink a lot of orange juice to help me keep the food down (for some reason, orange juice has always helped me except for in the very beginning when it had the opposite effect). Sneezing helps still as well (week 24+5).

28 September - Went to the midwife's office for a three-hour information session with other mothers-to-be, all due in December or January. We were divided into two groups and the first session was on exchanging experiences and asking the midwife questions and the second part on exercise and what to do about back pain or pelvic problems. It was interesting to find out that the majority had different kinds of complaints. I'm so happy I haven't had any so far *touch wood* (week 25+1).

29 September - Another midwife appointment. She measured my belly for the first time. Everyone is always telling me "your belly is so small" but apparently I'm smack in the middle. The baby's heart beat was around 145.

Today the pram we have ordered from the UK arrived. A Bugaboo with grey base and red sun canope and cover. It was a package deal with car seat, footmuff and snow wheels.

30 September - Weight 66.5-67 kg depending on the day.

3 October - Assembled the pram so now it's ready for baby (and taking up space in the flat)!

9 October - Went to Copenhagen for a weekend with my mum. Slept badly due to my mum's snoring and a super wild baby inside me. One kick made my belly expand 1-2 cm. Had a headache during the night but it disappeared during the day (week 26+5).

10 October - Vildingen continued to "dance" a lot throughout the weekend. Fun! My headache returned in the night between 10th and 11th. Not fun...

11 October - Back from Copenhagen in the evening. Migraine-like headache that continues further down the side of my nose, probably due to swollen membranes, a common pregnancy complaint that I haven't really experienced yet but it could be that.

12-13 October - Stayed home from work due to my migraine. It gets better during the day and then returns at night.

16 October - In the last few days Iv'e had a bloody nose. Don't know if it's because I have a cold coming on or if it's pregnancy related. Maybe this is the way it will be until the end of the pregnancy - have read that it's common (week 27+5).

21 October - Had diarrea again during the night (has had it once or twice before during the pregnancy). Weird because I feel perfectly fine during the day. I guess pregnancy makes you more sensitive (week 28+3).

24 October - Had a bloody nose for a few days, not a proper nose bleed but enough to make it feel unpleasant.

25 October - Another midwife appointment (week 29+0). All was well. Was still right in the middle of the growth chart. My iron levels were slightly better but I still need to take my supplements. The midwife listened to the heart with a pinard horn in addition to the doppler and said Peter could listen to the heart with a paper towel roll. He did in the evening and heard the baby's heart - felt special and cool!

26 October - Had an upset stomach again over night. Wonder why, as I don't have any problems during the day.

1 November - Diary entry: "Your mum and dad got married and make you a legitimate child!" (week 30+0).

In the sauna at the spa where we spent part of our wedding day Peter really got to see how wild the baby can be! First a kick that was probably 2 cm out and then somersaults so that my belly was making real waves. It still fascinates me so much even though I've lived with it for months!

2 November - The last few days/week I haven't had any nose bleed anymore - feels good! Hopefully it won't come back for a while.

10 November - Have a cold, a bit trying when you can't take any medicine (like Lemsip). The midwife says it's okay to take nasal spray though (week 31+2).

13 November - Still have a bad cold, now with a cough as well. But don't know if I can take any cough medicine.

15 November - Have been staying home from work for a few days to recover from the cold. Am starting to feel the baby directly under my ribs. A bit uncomfortable sometimes, especially when I'm sitting down (32+0).

16 November - One sign my body temperature has gone up during pregnancy (due to increased blood volume) is that I can walk around without a sweater and socks in the flat (no extra slippers anymore!).

17 November - Went for a midwife appointment (week 32+2). I now weigh almost 73 kg there (compared to 70-71 kg at home). The baby is now head down. I think it has turned in the last few days because that's when I have felt the baby more under my ribs. It''s her/his little back and butt that's against my ribs :) In the evening I felt menstrual-type ache in my right side. I wonder if it's a contraction? (Didn't feel it again so I guess it was something else.)

19 November - Must sit with a really straight back at my desk at work as it feels like my belly - well, the baby - is in the way.

20 November - Have not had any problems with swelling so far, except for that my wellies felt a little bit tighter today (week 32+5).

27 November - Everything is progressing fine, no typical pregnancy complaints except for the occasional night when I feel like the skin on my legs is crawling (myror i benen) but it usually help just to walk to the bathroom and back. Apparently it can be caused by magnesium deficiency. I have also felt a sort of stinging feeling when the baby is pushing down on my pelvis and bladder but it's not even every day I feel it (wek 33+5).

29 November - It's still difficult to comprehend that in a few weeks time it will be empty in my belly! It will probably feel like something is missing even if the baby is then out with us. I'm so used to having a little creature inside me (week 34+0).

30 November - It's quite amazing that I don't have pregnancy complaints really. The only thing I have found difficult during the pregnancy is hard bowel movements - quite normal during pregnancy and the iron pills don't help things. Have avoided haemorrhoids so far though! Another complaint, though I can't even call it a complaint, is that my belly sometimes gets so hard but that's just the uterus contracting, which is perfectly normal. It doesn't even hurt so... The last "complaint" is having to keep better posture at work but that's probably just good for me anyway :)

1 December - The other day I could actually feel (or touch) a little foot or hand with my hand! I felt the fingers or the toes, whatever it was - that was pretty cool!

Went to the midwife again (week 34+2). All well. Was slighly under my normal curve on the growth chart. Had to take new blood tests so that the health service has the right details on me following my name change. They also checked my urine a bit more thoroughly for bacteria - common procedure at this stage in the pregnancy. The baby's heart beat was around 140. When the midwife examines my belly she's much more rough than I have ever touched it myself but I guess she knows what she's doing!

2 December - Maybe had slightly stronger contractions than normally at work and again in the evening, as my belly was harder than usual (but none of those Braxton Hicks ones). Have noticed that my legs are slightly swollen at night- can see it when I take my socks off. Maybe should start using support socks (still haven't though).

I'll stop there (sorry if you're bored but I figure the blog is a good record for myself for the future) and show you some belly shots from 4 December (week 34+5). Three weeks have passed so I'm slightly bigger now.