Due date

So, due dates. I have 4.

First one is what I still class as the real one- 11th January. Second one was given to me at my 12 week scan which was today (7th January), third was given at my 20 week scan (6th January) and then there was one I was given at 28 weeks (5th January).

I have passed two, am currently on the 3rd and holding out for the 4th one. FYI I was born 2 days AFTER my due date.

Today I had my 40 week doctor's appointment. MrK came along with me. My weight had dropped a little bit as I had expected as I had weighed during the week. My blood pressure was slightly raised which prompted them to want to do some other blood tests and a urine test. I wont be calling them for the results. If I hear nothing its fine. If I hear something I will tackle it at that point. No point in stressing without reason.

They did an ultrasound scan, baby has more than enough amniotic fluid. Additionally she is measuring ok. They guesstimate that she will be about 7 and a half to 8 pounds, but yes, that is just a guesstimate.

There was a 20 minute non stress test and all was fine. I am glad that baby is fine and dandy. My next appointment should little one not cooperate and show up and assuming the results are all ok is Thursday and I have one on Monday too. Today is for chilling- dvds and rest.

No more ball bouncing or walking. Let's just see if she turns up of her own accord. I have the car but dont have any inclination to go anywhere. I'm out of here.

Signs

So Sunday night and looking for signs... but there seems to be a distinct lack of them.

Friday evening I had false labour/labor (depending where on the globe you are) from 9pm-Midnight where I was getting painless contractions every 3-5 minutes. As they were painless I headed to bed. Woke up at quarter to 3am and there were still a few but they died down by half 3 and that was that, there hasnt been anymore.

The whole weekend has been about operation get baby moving. This meant a 4 mile walk around Mission Bay on Saturday, a few hours round San Diego zoo going up and down the hills on Sunday and around 5 hours of ball bouncing. I think I should clarify that I mean bouncing on my exercise ball chanting "Down Baby Down". Still no progress.

Actually, the truth is that she moves down slightly then the minute I stop she moves back up. Obviously very comfortable indeed. So 10 minutes break to write briefly... then back to the ball for an hour and a half before bed.

Ob/gyn appointment tomorrow at 8.10am. Let's see how things are progressing (or not as the case may be).

Oh and the look on people's faces when you tell them you are due tomorrow is priceless. I think people thinks pregnant ladies are delicate and liable to pop at any time. I admit that prior to being pregnant I really didnt think I would be going anywhere past 7 months. Yer right, me, sit in for 2 months? You must be joking!
 

Octobaby

Nope. Still no sign.... but then I didnt really expect her to be here yet. I am holding out in the hope that she will make her appearance during the weekend or early hours of Monday (so I can cancel my OB appointment! hehe).

On the other side of the coin, the longer she stays put, the longer I have to do the last minute bits and pieces like set up the baby monitors, finish packing the hospital bag (yes, I fully admit that I am 39 weeks and 4 days and have a half finished hospital bag), start the thank you cards (and finish them when I get out of hospital at some point... after all I want to be able to announce her name, weight and when she arrived) plus all the other little things which have come up out of the blue.

Last night MrK and I had a productive evening, we added a few more bits to the hospital bag and we managed to build the "Pack N Play" which is otherwise known as a travel cot in the UK. Seriously, everything has a different name. Baby related anyway.

US NAME                                               UK NAME
Diaper                                                       Nappy
Pacifier                                                     Dummy
Stroller                                                     Pushchair
Crib                                                          Cot
Bassinett                                                   Moses Basket
Pack n Play                                              Travel cot
Onesies                                                     Babygro

Needless to say it makes it a little bit difficult at times to work out what is what. But I am getting there. Prior to getting pregnant I had no idea what half this stuff was or what it was used for so I have made some progress that is for sure!

I admit, prior to getting pregnant I wasnt all over every baby I met. I was somewhat immune it seemed. But then my body went "I want a baby, I want a baby and I want it now". Perhaps if I had been more into it babies before I would have been more informed and involved.

Anyway, last night we went to bed and MrK turned around and said "I don't think I am ready for a baby", I know full well he was just experiencing the fear which us mothers to be feel almost constantly or to some degree through out the pregnancy and didnt mean it. BUT, I did inform him that it was a bit late as her arrival was imminent. She could arrive tomorrow... or in two weeks time!

I actually for maybe only the 4th time in the past two months I had a trouble getting to sleep but not a  bad night of sleep, why? KMK was acting like an octopus. I had legs and arms all over the place, god only knows how! Baby movements at 39 weeks hurt. I am interested to see just how big this little one is going to be!

Onwards and upwards. She will arrive when she arrives and nothing I can do about it right now :)

Welcome.

So. Here I am 39 weeks and 3 days pregnant according to my OB/Gyn but 39 weeks tomorrow by my dates. No point arguing with her, it falls on deaf ears and even by the scans in the UK I was given a due date close (in fact by the UK one I am 39 weeks and 4 days and the one I had when I returned to USA puts me at 39 weeks and 5 days pregnant).

I should have created this blog a long time ago to document the ups and downs of the pregnancy, but at the same time I decided against it for many reasons. Instead let me document the last couple of days/weeks (please tell me it's less than a week and that she will come naturally) and from birth onwards.

Yes, I am having a little girl, yes we have a name and currently it is a secret, only daddy and I know. We had another few names prior. We almost went for Katherine, for Emma and for Kayley. But none of those quite fit.

For the purposes of this blog little lady will be referred to by what her initials will be KMK. Yes, we are going for a K name but neither of those above. The name wont be revealed on this blog, but will be on Facebook (for friends of daddy and I) and in email for those people not on that site.

Also, for the purposes of this blog (to maintain anonymity to passing strangers) I will refer to myself as MrsK and daddy will be MrK.

My pregnancy has mainly been OK. I admit that I have been crazy, the hormones have been mental and the time when most people are really enjoying pregnancy I was crazy. But hey, I always have to be different. Now and in the first 3 months where most people are overwhelmed by the hormones I am feeling mainly normal. Normal as I can possibly be!

Yes, I have had a lot of nausea, tiredness and an insane sense of smell (which funnily has returned in the last few weeks) but I wasnt puking constantly, having cravings or many aversions.

What I will say is that my flipflops stink. How is it possible that open toe shoes could stink so bad?  I will also say that I cant eat guacamole or Salmon, both completely make me feel nauseous and have since day 1. I miss frozen soft serve yogurt and medium rare steak but not long now.

My fingers are swollen as are my feet and cankles. I have gained 30 pounds. I can't wear my engagement or wedding rings. I am thankful that I can get away with wearing flipflops everyday because of the climate.

It has reached the point in pregnancy where I can no longer reach my feet, where I want to sleep and sleep (perhaps because I know once KMK is here sleep will be a luxury) and I even  let MrK take the car because I have no want or urge to go anywhere where I can't walk.

Additionally, well, KMK is still not in position (or as I call it, locked and loaded) ready for delivery, so squatting and walking is what I am doing to try and get her to pay attention.

I have had a chat with her a number of times, but she seems to be quite stubborn, like her mother. Or perhaps she just wants to be late like her father.

On a daily basis I am now getting texts, emails, messages and posts about "Is she here yet?", "How are you feeling?" and "Any signs?" Nope she isnt here, I feel very smegging pregnant and yes there are signs... but they all appear to be that of prelabour or false labour. 

She will decide to come when she decides to come... but if I am honest I quite like the idea of 9th January. It's midweek which means MrK can have the rest of the week off and we will be out of the hospital by the weekend. We shall see.

On a side note. Let me just add that I wrote 9th October to start with. NO. I dont want another 9 months of the pregnancy!

Whatever which way I look at it... I know that in less than 3 weeks even if I go to 42 weeks by the doctors dates I will meet little miss and all of the discomforts will pale in comparison with the prize, my darling daughter. Bring on the adventures.