R.C. Anderson
Thirty weeks - yet another pregnancy update
March 14th 2007 12:16
It’s been a while since my last post, I’ve been terribly neglectful of my responsibilities to Diet and Health, not due to ‘issues beyond my control’ or lack of time or anything like that, but because I’ve been a total slack arse.
I could blame it on the pregnancy; the tiredness, the lack of motivation, lack of inspiration … all of which has played a role. However, I’m sorry to say that it’s mostly down to me being a total slack pants.
Honesty … it’s always the best policy, isn’t it.
Okay, I had another hospital appointment today, to check on the baby. As usual, all seems to be going very well. The baby is growing as expected with a strong heart beat and a left foot kick any professional soccer player would be proud of.
I’m currently three quarters of the way through the pregnancy (in theory) … thirty of the forty weeks down, only ten to go. Although statistics reckon that only around four per cent of babies arrive on their due date so for this baby to arrive anytime between thirty eight and forty two weeks is perfectly normal.
My son was one of the four per cent. He was born a little after eleven o’clock at night, right on the day he was supposed to be born on. On the other hand, my daughter was born two weeks late and I think they were probably the longest two weeks of my life.
She was two weeks late being born and has been constantly running late ever since.
Anyway, back to the hospital …
The obstetrician once again frowned at me while he explained that my most recent blood tests had shown a deficit in vitamin B12 and iron. I explained that I’d been taking iron tablets on the advice of the midwife I’d seen a couple of weeks ago and he nodded, the frown relaxing a little bit.
I also explained that I had a diet rich in lean meat, eggs and dairy products and I couldn’t understand why I was deficient in B12. Admittedly, I am right on the border between being low in this vital vitamin and being within the normal range so he wasn’t too concerned, however, guess what he did …
… that’s right, he took out his black pen, pulled a familiar pad of paper across the desk towards himself and started writing out a pathology request.
“I’m going to send you for some more blood tests,” he said happily as his pen flew across the paper.
“I had a feeling you were going to say that,” I replied morosely, visions of the hospital vampires filling my head. Out of the corner of my eye I’m sure I could see my son rubbing his hands together in glee at the thought of seeing my blood flow yet again.
As usual, the vampires were dripping blood from their pointed fangs and grinning insanely as I entered their lair …
According to the obstetrician, the baby is lying head down at the moment. Hopefully she (he) will stay that way and make things easy for me. Generally, a foetus will settle head down in the womb by about thirty three weeks, in the best position for birth, and stay that way.
My baby is somewhere around 1.8 kg in weight now and, if I was to go into labour, even at this early stage, she (he) would have an excellent chance of survival, although an incubator would be necessary due to the premature baby not having laid down the fat reserves needed to help maintain the required temperature after birth.
The main issue with such a premature baby is that it hasn’t yet had the chance to develop the surfactant in its lungs, a substance that stops the lungs from collapsing completely between each breath.
Thankfully Little Blogette hasn’t shown any inclination to meet her impatient family just yet.
She has, however, recently suffered her first bout of hiccups.
It’s a really weird feeling, tiny twitches of movement in your abdomen, like someone regularly flicking your belly. Apparently, in practice for feeding and breathing after birth, babies in the womb drink the amniotic fluid they are living in. Just like you or me if we drink too fast, unborn babies can also get hiccups.
So, Little Blogette is developing well, which is always a relief to hear as a mother-to-be.
We’re on the “Big Bargain Hunt” in our household at the moment. My husband and I have been searching for the best bargains possible, around town and on the internet, for the major baby stuff that we need, such as stroller, cot and mattress, etc. I also sorted out and washed all the old baby clothes and manchester I’d kept from my son and daughter’s early months. Thankfully, it all seems to be coming together nicely.
I have been busy, and tired, and uninspired, and every other excuse I can think of but this slack arse has finally posted again …
… I’ll try harder in the future to be a little more regular … I promise!
I could blame it on the pregnancy; the tiredness, the lack of motivation, lack of inspiration … all of which has played a role. However, I’m sorry to say that it’s mostly down to me being a total slack pants.
Honesty … it’s always the best policy, isn’t it.
Okay, I had another hospital appointment today, to check on the baby. As usual, all seems to be going very well. The baby is growing as expected with a strong heart beat and a left foot kick any professional soccer player would be proud of.
I’m currently three quarters of the way through the pregnancy (in theory) … thirty of the forty weeks down, only ten to go. Although statistics reckon that only around four per cent of babies arrive on their due date so for this baby to arrive anytime between thirty eight and forty two weeks is perfectly normal.
My son was one of the four per cent. He was born a little after eleven o’clock at night, right on the day he was supposed to be born on. On the other hand, my daughter was born two weeks late and I think they were probably the longest two weeks of my life.
She was two weeks late being born and has been constantly running late ever since.
Anyway, back to the hospital …
The obstetrician once again frowned at me while he explained that my most recent blood tests had shown a deficit in vitamin B12 and iron. I explained that I’d been taking iron tablets on the advice of the midwife I’d seen a couple of weeks ago and he nodded, the frown relaxing a little bit.
I also explained that I had a diet rich in lean meat, eggs and dairy products and I couldn’t understand why I was deficient in B12. Admittedly, I am right on the border between being low in this vital vitamin and being within the normal range so he wasn’t too concerned, however, guess what he did …
… that’s right, he took out his black pen, pulled a familiar pad of paper across the desk towards himself and started writing out a pathology request.
“I’m going to send you for some more blood tests,” he said happily as his pen flew across the paper.
“I had a feeling you were going to say that,” I replied morosely, visions of the hospital vampires filling my head. Out of the corner of my eye I’m sure I could see my son rubbing his hands together in glee at the thought of seeing my blood flow yet again.
As usual, the vampires were dripping blood from their pointed fangs and grinning insanely as I entered their lair …
According to the obstetrician, the baby is lying head down at the moment. Hopefully she (he) will stay that way and make things easy for me. Generally, a foetus will settle head down in the womb by about thirty three weeks, in the best position for birth, and stay that way.
My baby is somewhere around 1.8 kg in weight now and, if I was to go into labour, even at this early stage, she (he) would have an excellent chance of survival, although an incubator would be necessary due to the premature baby not having laid down the fat reserves needed to help maintain the required temperature after birth.
The main issue with such a premature baby is that it hasn’t yet had the chance to develop the surfactant in its lungs, a substance that stops the lungs from collapsing completely between each breath.
Thankfully Little Blogette hasn’t shown any inclination to meet her impatient family just yet.
She has, however, recently suffered her first bout of hiccups.
It’s a really weird feeling, tiny twitches of movement in your abdomen, like someone regularly flicking your belly. Apparently, in practice for feeding and breathing after birth, babies in the womb drink the amniotic fluid they are living in. Just like you or me if we drink too fast, unborn babies can also get hiccups.
So, Little Blogette is developing well, which is always a relief to hear as a mother-to-be.
We’re on the “Big Bargain Hunt” in our household at the moment. My husband and I have been searching for the best bargains possible, around town and on the internet, for the major baby stuff that we need, such as stroller, cot and mattress, etc. I also sorted out and washed all the old baby clothes and manchester I’d kept from my son and daughter’s early months. Thankfully, it all seems to be coming together nicely.
I have been busy, and tired, and uninspired, and every other excuse I can think of but this slack arse has finally posted again …
… I’ll try harder in the future to be a little more regular … I promise!
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