PREGNANCY: 37 Week Update

This week has been a nice mixture of fun, exciting events and time to sort everything out for our little ones arrival. I started my 37th week attending my baby shower, which my friend had so kindly organised. It was lovely to have everyone together, talk babies and eat the tastiest afternoon tea I've ever had! We were also lucky enough to receive a lovely selection of gifts for our daughter, including clothes, the softest bunny baby book, Mummy mug and plenty of goodies for me to enjoy on the run up to the birth. 

Maternity leave started properly this week, no Sunday night 'back to work' feeling or 6am wake up's (that my alarm initiates anyway - I'm still awake then!) It's meant I've been able to have a much needed nap around 3-4pm, as well as start to sort out her nursery and clothes. There have been days I've enjoyed pottering around the house, doing lots of washing, sorting and watching day time tv. Then there have been other days where my own company, lack of anybody to talk to and lack of focus have been a bit tougher. I'll hopefully get used to not being so busy (until our daughter arrives) and it generally being so quiet for most of the day. Did anyone else struggle with the adjustment between work and maternity leave?

Right at the beginning of this week the decorator finished the nursery, so after a couple of trips to various IKEA's, lots of online shopping and exciting deliveries we have now (pretty much) finished the nursery. We're so happy with how it looks, I can't stop just standing at the door looking at the cot wondering what it will feel like when our daughter is sleeping in there. 

On Wednesday we had our first Health Visitor appointment, which I understand is a new visit as they usually begin visiting 10 days after your baby is born. A very friendly lady arrived at our house and explained what her role is, all about the available support in the local area, contact information for breastfeeding experts and generally introducing herself prior to us having our baby. It was very reassuring to know quite how much support there is out there for breastfeeding, as it is something that can be very challenging to get it right.

 
 At the end of this week I went to my first NCT Bumps and Babies group at a local soft play centre. I met up with a couple of ladies from the NCT group we attended and got to meet one their babies!! She was only 18 days old and just SO cute, I couldn't stop staring at her so I can only imagine what it will be like when it's our own baby. It was lovely to chat to other new Mum's and take on all the advice and wisdom they had to share. It was also my first proper outing of the week, so I was grateful to talk to someone other than my husband.
 Other than a couple of pregnancy niggles this week has been a good week. I think being on maternity leave and taking things generally a lot slower has helped. A couple of days this week I've had a really bad pain in my right rib, like a pulled muscle. I think it's just the position of baby, as I can feel various body parts up in my ribs! It did make moving extremely hard, especially turning over in bed but then the next day the pain has completely gone. I've had two days of the pain over the past week, so not too bad.

My feet and hands are still pretty swollen, though not being on my feet all day has helped. All of my shoes are now getting quite tight, so fingers crossed they will hold on for the last couple of weeks!

I've certainly got stretch marks now, mainly in the middle of my bump and around my hips. When they first came out they were purple in colour, but after constantly applying stretch mark oil they are already starting to get paler. So I'm religiously applying stretch mark oil and cream and will continue to do so once our baby arrives. 

As I approach my due date and become impatient with excitement I keep being convinced I'm in labour! Any little twinge, ache, pain, feeling has been the start of labour to me, which it clearly hasn't actually been. I'm just so apprehensive about birth, yet so excited to meet our daughter I just want that day to come. The not knowing is really hard, it could be tomorrow or in 3 weeks time. I'm seriously hoping she arrives at the end of 39 weeks or early into 40 weeks, not much later than that. I'm far too impatient - not that I get a say unfortunately!

How's your week been?

Feel free to leave me a comment :)

Helen x