Antenatal Antics

We are now 36w+1 and had a very busy day baby wise today. First we started off with our antenatal class with my community midwife, I was very much looking forward to this despite having done the class a few times now! LOL.

Only one of my IPs could make it because the other one was at a business trade fair and he couldn't get out of it no matter how hard he tried and he really did but there was no other option so it was me and the other partner in crime who went.

I like the class because it gives my IPs that bit more information than they may of gleaned from the internet and various baby books and it's taught by a very experienced midwife too who makes you feel safe that the knowledge she is sharing is to the point and what you really need to know and not just some waffle. It does make me laugh a little to look at the faces of the first time parents, they look a little like a rabbit caught in headlights at the information regarding cervical dilation and needles in the back...

After class, we went for a spot of lunch and had a lovely time just spent chatting and catching up with one another. It's often difficult to have proper conversations when you meet up briefly for a midwife appt or a hospital scan so to just have a couple of hours downtime to talk is really nice!

Back to the midwife we went for a routine check up - baby is all fine, BP fine, urine clear, measuring spot on for fundal height, heartrate fine and baby is head down and 3/5 engaged at this point so 'firmly locked in' according to the midwife. She said that she thinks this baby may be on the larger side of normal and quoted a guestimate of 8 to 8 1/2 lbs, whereas all but one of my previous babies have been around 7 1/2lbs. I think this is based on the larger than expected tummy measurement at my last scan but she reassured both my IP and I that it's still perfectly normal and won't get stuck during delivery. LOL.

Oh and urine that the consultant sent off came back clear so I didn't have a UTI or I did and it just didn't grow as expected in the lab and therefore was flagged as negative but either way, I feel better and no symptoms any longer so it's all good.

I should mention that I had an impromptu visit shortly after that consultant appt to my midwife due to sudden swelling of my hands, tummy pains and feeling generally hot and not quite right but thankfully my urine was clear and my BP was fine so we put it down to one of those things.

Next due back for another appt with her next week, I'm now on weekly appointments at the request of the consultant due to previous high blood pressure so things will really step up now as the countdown until birth day draws closer. Now we just sit patiently and await this little man to make his appearance when he's ready!

I feel very pregnant now, I'm waddling and everything hurts. This baby moves more than any baby I've carried before and I feel every single wriggle and squirm in a painful way, rather than just uncomfortable but it's comforting to know he's strong, happy and healthy enough to do it so I try not to complain too much about it - unless it's 2am and I've had enough and just want to sleep!

I suppose unless anything happens between now and my next appt, I'll be back next week with the next update. Wonder when things will kick off - incase you're reading and not familiar with my previous pregnancies, I've delivered at 38 weeks, 40+6, 40+10 and 40+8 so odds are this one will be overdue too but of course you can't judge that so we'll see when he decides to say hello!