There are those who would have you believe motherhood is "the best job in the world". Let me brutally honest: they're wrong. I accept that it is possible that they genuinely believe that themselves, that they're such dyed-in-the-wool naturals at it that every day truly is unicorns and roses and precious memories. For those not blessed in this way, ( Read more... )

My due date is today and there have been no signs that I'm likely to give birth imminently. The thing that bothers me most about this is that at least some of my colleagues stand to profit from my continuing discomfort - there was a pool at work and a bunch of them bet that Babby would be late and big.

Because being the size of a planet is apparently not enough, my body has decided a horrible rash all over my bump would add to the discomfort just nicely. It’s called polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (or pruritic urticarial plaques and papules of pregnancy if you’re American. Let me just say, there is nothing good about the word “papule”. It’s ( Read more... )

My brain is kind of a mess today. I was going to say I hope it’s fatigue, but that’s only going to get worse, so if it is, God knows what I’ll be like a few weeks from now. I’m feeling guilty because my parents are being so generous and yet I don’t feel like I can say no to it because a) it would hurt their feelings and b) we really do need the ( Read more... )

Welp, failed again. I won’t deny I’m pretty disappointed (had to have a serious cry when I got home). However, I am taking comfort from the following ( Read more... )

I thought maybe it was actually helping but now I’m not so sure. I’ve been feeling pretty rubbish the last couple of days and I don’t think it’s just hormones. Now I’m just praying it’ll all be ok once the baby’s here - and trying to forget the moderately distressing videos the NCT sent me (“you will give birth this way and care for your baby that ( Read more... )

It's got to the point now that I'm willingly trying CBT again. So far, it's not going terribly well and is making me feel as frustrated and upset as it did last time, but I will persevere. It's only been a few days.

I'm also squeezing in another driving test, three weeks before my due date, because apparently, I like to play with fire.

I know, on the whole, I ought to be very grateful. I live in a country where healthcare is free at the point of access. Everything is being taken care of very quickly and all the nurses and doctors have been very kind and reassuring. However, I am filled with hormones and not disposed to think rationally, so I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself. I ( Read more... )

Again, I cannot fault the NHS - they have been super quick and helpful at sorting my latest set of issues, which could have taken weeks. However, I do have new issues. I am still anaemic and will need more iron tablets, and have also found out I'm B12 deficient. This could be an artificially low reading, which can apparently happen in pregnancy, ( Read more... )

Under normal circumstances, I don't care that I'm not naturally sociable. I never have been. I've made peace with that. I don't do well with new people and that's ok. I still have good friends who love me and understand me and a wonderful husband who supports me and wouldn't have me any other way. I don't need anything else. But now, filled with ( Read more... )