This is so surreal. Today is 20th May 2016. Pickle’s Due Date. The day we’ve been counting up/down to since we found out we were expecting last September. It’s been quite the rollercoaster journey since, and certainly not what I expected at all. But in all honesty, I did think Pickle might have been here by now. God knows why. I’m late for everything (except my own birth, ironically) and it looks as though baby will be following in my adult rather than infant footsteps. As long as they are fashionably late and not, you know, late-late.

I had a midwife appointment yesterday where she said Pickle was about 2.5/5ths engaged. Apparently, you can’t write decimals on antenatal notes, so she said she put it down as 3/5ths palpable. Which is a bit disheartening (for those of you without indepth antenatal notation experience, 3/5ths palpable is less engaged than 2/5ths – it’s a weird opposite scale where the number of fifths relates to how much of the baby’s head the midwife can feel ABOVE the pelvis, meaning whatever they can’t feel is the engaged bit so 0/5ths would be fully engaged!). I have two sweeps booked in, should I need them, when I’m 8 and 10 days overdue respectively. I REALLY hope I don’t need them. I’m a grumbling misery sod now, can you imagine what I’ll be like in over a week’s time? God help LPD and all he has to put up with from me.

baby due date

Pickle’s Due Date!

I’ve also been grumpy this week due to a really rather ill-timed ear infection which is more annoying than painful. I feel like I constantly want to shake my head to try and un-muffle my left ear. It’s driving me insane. And I really thought it would have shifted by now. I did see a GP, hoping they might be able to help fix it before labour started (ha ha, whenever that may be…) but he was reluctant to prescribe any antibiotics in case they caused any nasty poopy side effects that would rule out my intentions of a water birth. Joy. So I’m just having to wait. And stock up on paracetamol.

The good news is, all our hospital bags are fully packed. I’ve had mine and Pickle’s bags done for a while (just keep adding the odd thing every now and then) but LPD seemed very relaxed about making sure he had a change of clothes etc. ready to go. I did notice he very quickly grabbed a clean t-shirt, socks and a toothbrush when I had a series of strong Braxton Hicks contractions last night. He also picked up this horrible bottle of aftershave to take with him that I veto-d. I told him there was no way I wanted Pickle to associate him with that smell. Pregnancy brings out my bossy side.

I’ve also eaten all the labour flapjacks I made last week. So I really ought to make up a fresh batch today.

I’m not going to do my usual pregnancy weekly update headers because quite frankly, I haven’t got the patience. And nothing has really changed from last week except I’m waddling A LOT more and moving anywhere seems to be more painful and uncomfortable. I absolutely can’t wait for my centre of gravity to return to normal!

I said this last time, but I really do hope this is my last pregnancy update. LPD is convinced he’ll come home from work tonight, we’ll have a chippy tea and then head to the hospital around 9pm, ready for baby to arrive at 11pm. Ahh, if only wishing made it so. I’ve told him he’ll be in trouble if he’s not right.

If you’re interested (and it is quite interesting), I’ve found a website that has an ongoing survey running to help gather information about when baby’s are born in relation to their due dates. It takes the data and chucks out all sorts of percentages about what my chances are of delivering spontaneously in the next couple of weeks. I found this page particularly interesting: “I’m still pregnant at 40 weeks, what’s it mean?”

PLEASE send all your labour-inducing well wishes my way. I am so ready to meet our Pickle.

pregnant baby bump 40 weeks

I took this photo a few days ago… I think bump has even grown a bit more since then!