baby baby baby

Due day is now in 4 weeks' time.

At my appointment with the midwife today, she said the baby's head is starting to creep down into my pelvis now. Also she felt a Braxton Hicks contraction while she was feeling around, which I couldn't detect in the slightest. She said it was like a ripple from the top of my uterus. Today the baby's feet seem to be right around the left hand side of the bump, so I'm getting regularly (but gently) booted in the ribs on my left.

Yesterday we went to my sister-in-law's house to pick up all the stuff she is lending us. In our now-very-crowded front room we have boxes of bedding and blankets and a car seat and pushchair and carry cot and crib and and and... It's starting to look like there will actually be a baby coming soon. Where are we going to put all this stuff?!

Tonight we have an NCT class about breastfeeding. I've already been to an NHS one, and it was very informative. We used woollen b00bs and brought our own soft toys to practise with. My stuffed monkey has never had such an intriguing day.

I've still got a million or so things that I would like to have done before the baby comes, so each day I try to chip away at the list. I'm a slow mover these days though, and sometimes I just can't do everything I want to do.

The other day I had a fairly frantic phonecall from the lady who has taken over some of my job while I'm on maternity leave, and I really struggled at first to remember what she was on about when she mentioned the computer system the school uses, and a particular kid in Year 4. Eventually my brain kicked into action but it showed me how much I've switched off from work. That can only be a good thing, I'm sure. I feel lucky to be on leave right now. It feels much needed.

One thing I really must do this week is pack my hospital bag. It suddenly seems even more urgent because one of our NCT group had her baby on Friday, a few weeks early due to pre-eclampsia. AND I'M NEXT ON THE LIST!!! Of course there may be some queue-jumping, but if there isn't, my baby is now top of the list to be born next. Wow.

I am trying not to get too attached to having a water birth, but if I'm honest I really want one. We were shown a dvd of several births: planned caesarean, water birth, hypnobirthing,... all of them incredible, but still the water birth would be my first choice. If I end up with a caesarean so be it, but I know in the past warm water has worked very well for pain relief for me. Mind you maybe when it comes to it I'll not like it. Trying to keep an open mind...

At the weekend I went to Oxford (so many bikes! so many intense students! so many tourists! so many beautiful buildings!) to see a friend I used to work with. It was lovely to see her, but I was shattered by the end of the day, and all I'd done was sit down and eat. We had a good old catch-up. She's been working as a lecturer at a university based in Bath, while studying for a PGHCE (qualification to lecture at higher education level). It sounds a very hectic existence, and reminded me of my teaching practice days.

Right, I need a cup of tea, a nap, and to write my next door neighbour's birthday card.

Au revoir.