What a couple of weeks!

Liam has been hassling me about updating this as the last time I updated I had had what I thought was a tummy bug with my stomach being quite tender.
I felt fine the rest of that weekend and went out on the Monday to meet my antenatal friends, ate normally- tummy was still tender though. Anyway something was telling me after lunch to go and spend the afternoon with my parents, the afternoon turned into the evening and I was going to stay the night. Until just before 10.00 I had these unbelievable cramps right down at the bottom of my stomach, just like you get when you haven't quite made it for a pee!! Anyway out of range from my midwife was told to either get back home to Ammanford or go to hospital local to my parents. I then decided that if I came back here the midwife would have to come out and if still in pain prob end up making another 45 min journey to hospital. So in the end rung the local hospital and they sent a midwife out who said it could be a urine infection and I needed to go to hospital. In the meantime Liam had been called and was making his way to Paddington all set to come home which I decided he should do at that moment as I wanted him with me.
On way to hospital pain changed and I had pain in my back and front exactly like contractions but just one constant one and really thought I was in labour. Got to hospital and they checked me over, lots of protein and ketones in urine, asked if I had been sick or not eaten- answer no had been fine since the Friday before, told my I was not in labour and gave me some pethadine for the pain I was having- it did nothing whatsoever!!! The pain finally died away but then I was left with this awful dull but painful ache in my side. Liam arrived at hospital gone 3 in the morning and then stayed with me. Inital thoughts from medics was that it was indeed a urine infection. Next day the doctor had wanted 24 hour urine collection and a scan, neither of which was carried out and the doc I did see said it was most likely muscular as. I was then moved to the ward and just being monitored through the day, care was useless and reminded me of when I had been in hospital afterwards with Martha on the postnatal ward. Nurses chatting away and no answers or help. So anyway day goes on, parents come with Martha and I ask if I can go home, answer no as I was still in pain. Liam leaves and was just leaving the building as I had been put on a monitor- babies heart rate drops and I am told I am off to labour ward to have an emergancy c section! Liam comes back, I am on labour ward strapped up again and lo and behold heart rate back up, baby having a nice old dance!! Saw the first doc who wanted to know why I hadn't had scan and urine collected!!?? Anyway as heart rate was back up I was told that if heart rate dropped again I would be having a c section and that I had to be monitored all night!
Heart rate did drop once again but this time docs were in surgery and by the time they had come out heart rate was back up and didn't need c section.

Another disturbed night, no c section and then different docs, had to have a scan. No problem there- just the communication- had the scan at 11.00, it took them 3 hours to get the results upstairs to where I was on ward! Still in a lot of pain and prob getting worse because I was getting uptight with no answers. Martha also saw me in pain and now if I even pull a slightly painful face then she is Mummy ow ow. Not good! Anyway I kicked off and all of a sudden there were loads of people round my bed trying to find out what was wrong, did bloods and urine again and came back ok, checked for appendicitus to rule it out too. So in the end was sent home with what they thought was muscular pain!! Why couldn't I have gone home on Tuesday and saved all the emotions. It was really horrible on the Wed as I really thought we were having a c section, all the girls who had been induced on the ward the day before had their babies and I could see them it was not nice, I just wanted my baby.

So days of rest were what followed with the pain easing over the days- being at home helped. Friday I was to see the consultant to see if I needed to be induced so that the if the pain was not baby related then baby could come out and then more invasive tests could be done, well he was a bit useless and I was sent home without anything other than another date to go down after due date has passed. On that Friday I hadn't been able to give a urine sample and I was conscious of that all day. I hadn't passed water since 7/8 in the morning, a call to m/w suggested I needed to go down to hospital. Off we go this time to Carmarthen hospital and of course as soon as I get there I pass water! They strap me up to monitor, everything else fine so jsut watching me, again you get the usual nurses chatting and laughing but no care or answers- I really hate hospitals now! In the end I was moved to a ward but passed water again, they were happy with the sample and thankfully was sent home!

Still in alot of pain and discomfort over the weekend and quite tired so lots of rest was had and needed. Sat night arrives and I get this back ache like I had before I went into labour with Martha, didn't sleep well that night and thought I had a few minie contractions, well that didn't turn into anything and was still having back problems when Liam left for work Tuesday morning. I was seeing my own midwife that morning and she did an internal to see where we were at as she said with everything that had gone on and the back ache that something wasn't right. Things had moved on since last internal in first hospital which was good and she said cevix was nice and soft too, she also said a lot of other things and was explaining them very well I am sure but a lot of it was going over my head! I also got my parents over as didn't feel like I could deal with Martha on my own with my back the way it was and was also worried about being on my own. So my mother moved in for the rest of this week just gone until Liam came home yesterday. It was great having her around and support with Martha- all this would have been horrible in London. Saw midwife again on Thursday and she is off next week!!! But has said she isn't going anywhere and will do her best to be with me when I do go into labour. She did another internal and said things had changed slightly but no imminent signs of labour that day. However since then have had the odd contraction here and there and a few more today but that could be braxton hicks and could go on for awhile yet. Also had a show though so will see what the next few days bring!! Hope that wasn't all too confusing for you all and I am off to bed for an early night- trying to get as much sleep in as possible before baby arrives. Will probably post again now when baby has put in an appearance! By the way latest consensus is its a boy as only a boy could cause this much trouble! Bets are being taken on due date now.

Feeling rough!

So for the last week or so I have been convinced things are moving with regards to the baby. Head has really been pushing down this week and that has led me to believe, rightly or wrongly that baby will not make due date! My mother was away yesterday and today and was so paranoid that something was going to happen. So Thursday night arrives and I lie down to go to sleep and I feel really sick, then I spend most of the night up and down on the toilet and tossing and turning in bed not really sure whats up. Yesterday morning when I finally get the energy to get out of bed and deal with Martha I feel rough as. Get Martha and myself some breakfast, however I can't eat mine as still feeling sick. Still back and forth the toilet, some say you empty your bowels before labour but this was crazy. Not sure what to do for best and just about managing with Martha decided to give in and call my Dad. He came over to give me a rest and looked after Martha. In the meantime I decided to speak to the midwife, not knowing really if there was anything she could do, in my mind it was a tummy bug. She came out and did a routine check and sent some urine off to be tested. She then informed me that the babies head is 3/5's engaged, something that didn't happen with Martha until the very end. She also thought the way I was moving that something might be happening. Poor midwife found it difficult to decide whether it was a tummy bug or something else, she also said if it was a tummy bug that it could set things off. My stomach was aching so much if it was something else yesterday I don't think I would have had the energy to go through labour at home. After trying to get some rest and trying to eat- unsuccesfully with both, the midwife rung to see how things were, as I was still feeling sick she said it was most likely a tummy bug or something I had eaten.
So anyway after a much better nights sleep last night, I am feeling a lot more refreshed and been able to eat a lot more today. My stomach still feels very tender and I am getting twitches every now and then - contractions, braxton hicks- who knows only time will tell, all I know is that I am very uncomfortable! Liam now doesn't know whether to go back to London on Monday or whether to work from home. I think we will have to see how I am feeling this time tomorrow night. My own feeling is that if he goes to London something will happen and if he doesn't then we will just be waiting and could be for another couple of weeks or even more! I am only 37 weeks now. So well thats the latest update and will try to keep you informed of any other developments- if I can!

Life in Wales

7 weeks in or is it 8, either way can't believe we have been living here that long!! A nice week last week with Liam coming home early on Wed for our anniversary which was lovely and will probably make this week that much harder! Finished my antenatal classes last week also so that means the following weeks are going to be a bit quieter, well until baby arrives at least! Although was brave enough to suggest we meet up and are doing so next Mon for a mid morning cuppa. There are 7 of us I think and if I ome away with a couple of good friends then great, if I come away with 6 good friends then even better! They will be my first friends I will have made in the area, apart from a few conversations with the neighbours. I am sure when Martha starts her little welsh nursery in January then I will meet more parents there. Also there is the chance I will meet others when I finally start going to Mother and Baby/ Toddler groups. This week is a fairly quiet week with the only thing planned is my next antenatal appointment with the midwife. Thats on Wed so there is no chance of me meeting one of my friends either as thats her only day off. I suppose I could get on with sorting out the office and empting some more boxes but probably won't, hoepfully the weather will be nicer this week and Martha and I can get out and do some nice things together before baby arrives.

Liam and I had a nice 3rd anniversary this week and we went out for a really nice meal last night. We went to a place in Llandeilo which is about 25 mins drive away but it doesn't matter seeing as I am not drinking currently. Its a nice hotel and quite well known in the area and I am not surprised the food was really really nice. If I hadn'tbeen pregnant we might have stayed over and really splashed out but hey maybe next year. I have been reminiscing a bit the last couple of weeks about our wedding, can't believe it was 3 years ago but also feels like it was a few weeks ago. I have had the book which everyone signed out and its been quite funny reading some of the comments people wrote to us. Also looking at pictures has been really good. I said at the time that I would get married all over again as the day was so good, especially getting dressed up like that- I would still do it again! I wonder if I will ever lose that feeling?

35 weeks pregnant now, nearly 36 and can't believe the time has gone so quickly! Starting to get a bit uncomfortable now but don't want these last few weeks to go too quickly as trying to enjoy my time with just Martha. I am quite concerned how she will react when the baby arrives, I think a lot of spoiling her will be necessary. I am sure everyone around us will do that though anyway. Hopefully I will be updating on here before baby arrives and in the meantime here is a pic of me now. If you want to compare you can go right the start of my blog and find a pic of me about a week before I was due last time, obviously a few weeks difference but comments on shape, gender of baby are all welcome, the jusy is def out down here!!

Marthas new room

Well did promise some time ago that I would put some pics of Marthas new room on here, here they are!