Baby Number 2 – 38 Weeks Update – I’m Having A Baby This Month!

You read it right, I’m having a baby this month! My due date is the 15th, so even if I go 2 weeks over the chances are he will be here by the end of the month and I can’t bloody wait!

I’ve spent most of this pregnancy with anxiety about having a newborn. Not because I don’t want him, but because I’m anxious about struggling from the sleepless nights and difficulties with breastfeeding again. Who knows though, second time round might be easy as I’ve been there, done that and got the breastmilk covered t-shirt!

As you can see from the photos bump is nice and low, and has been for a while now. I keep getting comments on how low he is (not something I really noticed to begin with) and that he will be here early. I mean strangers are even saying this to me!

Turns out they were right. At my recent midwife appointment she measured bump at exactly 37cm (I was 37 +3) so perfect measurement, and felt his positioning. She confirmed he is 1/5th engaged! This is confusing because the lower the number, the deeper baby is engaged. Basically she said 1/5ths means she can feel 1/5th of his head – so basically he is almost fully engaged!

I could see she was pretty shocked by this, but was also super excited for me. Of course his head could pop back up again (please don’t do this little one) but she was pretty sure he would stay engaged and is ready to come out soon.

Knowing he could arrive any day now has fought off all of my anxiety. Adrenaline has kicked in and I’m ready for our new life chapter. Bring it on!

As you may know from my last pregnancy update I am back to being consultant led due to being a strep b carrier and needing antibiotics during labour. I spoke to my midwife about my birth plan options as I really wanted to be able to try the birthing pool this time. She confirmed I will have to go to the consultant delivery suite and can’t be midwife led, but there will be pools available to me (as long as they are not all being used!) This really relaxed me about being consultant led again, as I was panicking I’d be stuck in a bed on my back hooked up to a drip.

It’s really important to me that I can move around during labour. I gave birth to Lamb on all fours and that really helped move things along – gravity is an important factor in childbirth ladies! I would like to be able to push on all fours again if I can, and it looks like it shouldn’t be a problem as the antibiotics only need to be administered for 20 minutes at a time.

Since finding out baby is almost fully engaged he seems to have gone into hiding. Everything has calmed down! I’ve slept really comfortably with no achy legs or braxton hicks! What a tease!

Today however, has been different. This morning (around 11am) I had a funny turn and went really dizzy and sick. I rushed to bed with 2 slices of toast and ended up sleeping for 2 hours! Not like me at all. I’ve felt super hungry all day, but the nausea did go away after my nap. I’m now sat typing this with plenty of braxton hicks and period like pains. No, before you think it, I’m not going into labour, I just think my body is preparing for the real deal.

Wouldn’t it be lovely if it was the real thing though?!

I’m doing what I can to keep baby engaged. Lots of bouncing on my birthing ball and longs walks with Lamb and Daddy. I’ll be having pineapple for breakfast in the morning too 😉

I’m booking my next midwife appointment for Friday when I’ll be 38 + 5, and if he isn’t here by then hopefully he’ll still be fully engaged. I might even ask for a sneaky sweep… 😉

My gut feeling is my next update will be a 39 weeks pregnancy update, not an introduction to our new baby. But that’s ok, we know he will be here this month, we are on the home straight and we are all super excited.

Ax