Bump Diary: 35 weeks

This week I have the freedom of being able to write at my leisure, within reason, as I am now on maternity leave. It still doesn’t feel quite real if I’m honest and just like I am taking annual leave. To think that I won’t be returning to work until next year is a very strange thought indeed. I have felt more than ready to finish for a little while now and the relief is immense. Last week at work I had a couple of days where I felt a little off kilter, feeling like my blood pressure was very low making me feel faint, then coming over all hot combined with a little breathlessness…which continues on and off now. I shouldn’t complain, these are all symptoms of pregnancy and even more so in the late stages. I really do feel that this baby is really pushing up on my diaphragm restricting my lungs as I often feel like I can’t properly fill them, it’s like I have been for a run all the time and gives me an insight into what being extremely overweight must be like.

I have a million and one things that I would like to get done now I am a free agent but I am trying to pace myself as I do have a few weeks to go. As it will be pay day this week, I shall be going out to get my hospital bag items and get them all neatly packed away ready. So far all I have is maternity and breast pads and a new outfit for the baby. It’s an expense I could do without but I simply have to have a new nightie, dressing gown and underwear. Last time I was completely unprepared for my caesarean and the hipster shorts I took in with me were completely the wrong choice! It’s granny pants all the way…

It has been a few weeks since I have posted a bump picture and unfortunately we do have a fair gap between photo’s. What started out as a photo a week (like this diary) hasn’t quite been the case. I see a photo and just think yep that’s another photo of my bump…but this one taken by husband at the weekend really made me realise how much I have sprouted! As you can see I am exerting myself painting. We have changed the colour scheme in Beastie’s bedroom to freshen it up and make it into a bedroom that will be accommodating two little boys. We were very kindly given some paint from a fabulous new company called The Nursery Paint Company who I have previously written a post about before. The room is painted but we have a little bit of rearranging to do and artwork to put up on the walls so all will be revealed soon in a special post.

During the first weeks of my pregnancy I jumped on the scales to see what weight I had put on, just out of curiosity really. At the time I was seven pounds heavier and made a decision from that moment on not to bother checking too much, that was until last week where I braved them again. Now I know weighing yourself in pregnancy is a different kettle of fish to when you are not pregnant and just watching your weight but it’s still weight gain when all is said and done. Last week I measured at just over two stone heavier, so I am about on parr with the weight I was in my last pregnancy. It’s still a strange concept for a woman to get used to your ever changing shape. I am at that stage where I am thoroughly fed up of all my clothes and I can understand why I threw out certain items last time. Some days I am reasonably comfortable but other days I simply can’t tolerate anything under or over my bump and seeing as it’s a) too cold to go without clothing and b) completely inappropriate I shall carry on grumbling about it.

I shall leave you with another bump photo to carry on from the other entries over the last few months.