Nine months recap

Nine months are a long time for a woman to be pregnant, I have said it before and I'll say it again! 

In all honesty though, I cannot complain. In the end my pregnancy has been pretty straightforward with no major problems. It has definitely been an interesting journey, with ups and downs, and lots of changes. My body, of course, is what has changed the most. If I look at the first pictures I took, back in week 12 or 14, I cannot believe how big I have grown. I seriously cannot wait to have my waist back...together with my skinny legs! And...I cannot wait to start clothes shopping again. I want nice pairs of trousers, lots of them! But first thing first, I want Baby O to come out...I can't wait to see her!!!!

Due Date

First of all, thanks so much to all of you who have been in touch today. I can't believe how many of you remembered that today is my due date and felt to check on me. As always, I feel blessed to have so many loving and caring people in my life.

I am sorry to report that, unless I go into labour now and have a rather short labour, Baby O is not going to be punctual! When I first found out to be pregnant, they told me that my due date was September-2nd; then, they gave us a new date at the first, or *dating*, scan. I wonder if they got it right :) 

Thankfully, I still manage to stay calm. Of course, I am quite impatient to meet my baby girl but I am not feeling anxious or scared. No need to get panicky now, there will be plenty of time for that later on! All the people around me, instead, are growing rather impatient. Every morning when we wake up both my mum and Rob ask me: "Nothing yet?" and all I can say is: "Well, did you see me going to hospital last night? Or did you see me screaming in pain? and most important, do you see a baby in the house yet?". They make me smile though, I know they mean well. 

For now we can only wait and try some natural tricks to speed up the process. 

Also, despite being very skeptical, I checked the calendar and the full moon is approaching (August-31st). It's a widely held belief that a full moon can kick full-term pregnant women into labour. So, as un-scientific as it is, let's have some faith in the moon! 

Midwife appointment

Apologies for the silence, I realise that when I don't write for a couple of days, you all think something has happened! Many of you have asked me to write more regularly, so here we go. And I thought I was bombarding you with news already...

I have just got back from a midwife appointment and everything is going well. Mama and baby are doing great. She did the usual checks and everything is fine; this time, she also asked me if I wanted a membrane sweep and I said yes. Without going into details (I doubt you want to hear them!), it looks like something is indeed happening. Of course, this doesn't mean that I will give birth today, although it could happen, but at least it's good to know that things are progressing as they should. 

Meanwhile, I try to live my life without being too impatient, and enjoy the nice spells of sun that we have been having these days in London. 

This morning my mum and I left the flat around 9.30 and went to a local cafe' for a delicious breakfast. We chatted for almost two hours. It's so nice to have her here, I don't get to spend so much quality time with her usually. I miss that, but that's part of the burden of living abroad, I suppose. After breakfast we strolled to the More London Place, where all the little fountains are, and enjoyed watching all the kids playing with the water. It was endearing to see all those little kids and all I could think of was baby O. Next Summer we will play with the fountains too!

I felt particularly good strolling around this morning and feel very lucky to live in such a great area, in such a cool city. 

All the walking, however, made me tired. It's time for me to rest a little now. But before I go I want to thank you for all your support! I know you are thinking of me and baby O and feel blessed to have such good friends and family. Grazie!

Labour Signs

Still here with no baby, folks!

At the antenatal class, back in July, among many other things, they talked about labour signs. Yesterday, I took the chart they gave us to see if I am getting close or not. Apparently, these things could happen before labour kicks in. I have added my status in the last column.

Of course, every woman reacts in a different way and not everybody experiences all these signs. 

I seem to be having some of these but definitely not the most important ones. Does it mean that there is still quite a long way to go?? Hope not.

Meanwhile, mum and Rob are getting more and more anxious and forcing me to do things that are supposed to speed up the process. I am adding chilly oil to every meal I eat these days and take a little stroll in the area at least once a day. My mum is also making me take the stairs up and down when we go out. Six floors of stairs people, six floors! If that doesn't induce labour, what will?

This morning my mum and I went out a little. It was a nice, crisp day in London. Once back home we took a couple of pictures...hopefully the last ones with the bump! And as you can see, pink flowers are a must these days! We are getting there...Stay tuned.

"Last" Week (or so I hope!)

So, today I enter the 40th week. Somehow, it's hard to believe it has been nine months already. If I think about the moment we found out I was pregnant or the moment we told our parents, I get a bit emotional. It has been quite a journey. I am certainly ready to have this baby now but thankfully I am not feeling impatient or anxious. I just can't wait to see her. I haven't had any nightmare about labour yet, which is very good, and I am not too concerned, strangely. I mean, I know it's going to hurt and the process will last for a while but I am not too scared. This baby has to come out and there aren't many options! 

Unlike her mummy, she doesn't seem to be in any particular rush, so sorry for those who voted for her birthday to be on the 19th and 20th. Next guess on the poll is for the 25th. We will see, of course, you will all know when it happens. 

Last time I posted pictures of the bump was two weeks ago. Back then I thought it couldn't get any bigger but I was wrong. Look at this watermelon! 

The last two weeks have brought a big wave of tiredness. I am constantly exhausted. However, I try to stay fit as much as I can. I can't really walk too much but I still enjoy a short stroll along the riverside. Apparently, walking also helps to speed up the process, so bring it on! In fact, I am about to go out now and am thinking to skip the lift this time. Six floors of stairs here I come. Anything to help Baby O to come out! I have also added some chilly oil in my gnocchi for lunch today. Do not underestimate the power of spices! And tonight we will try with pineapple and raspberry tea.

Another gift of week 39 has been super swollen feet. I bet you can tell from the pictures. Even flip flops are not that comfortable any more. 

Apart from this though, I am doing ok. I don't sleep well but that's mostly because of the heat. We sleep with the window open and the fan all jazzed up but I still manage to sweat. Next baby will have to be born in winter! 

The very good news is that my mum is now in town. She arrived a couple of days ago, which means help help help. She has been treating us with the best dishes and has already baked a kilo of Rob's favourite biscuits, the famous *ciambelline all'anice*. It's very nice to have mum here, I feel more relaxed and so does Rob who is starting to panic a little about the big moment and needs some help. Interestingly, I seem to be the most relaxed among all...My dad is not even here and is already all nervous. He is flying over next Thursday and I truly hope to have given birth by then...I don't want too many panicky people around!

That's Not My Name

Oh, this Ting Tings song sounds so appropriate today...it screams from the very inside of my belly!

 

I didn't think that naming your child would be an easy task but I never thought it would be so difficult. And surprisingly, Rob is the picky one between the two of us. 

Rob refused to talk names until we found out the sex; of course, in the meantime, I started my own list. It was only at the beginning of the fifth month that we started talking about baby names, after three scans confirmed that we were having a baby girl. I shared my list with Rob and we soon scratched off some names that didn't work for him, and we added some more. We kept adding names for a couple of months. In the end we had a robust list of about thirty names. The number one requirement for us has always been that the name had to sound good both in Italian and English, and possibly be spelled and pronounced the same way. This, of course, narrowed down the options. We both also prefer traditional names, however, we don't want it to be too common. At least we agree on this.

Eventually, we were able to shrink the list, from thirty names we selected six, and then just two. It was a hard battle between these two but thankfully we were able to choose one and be happy with it. ... Until two days ago...when Rob changed his mind. 

Now, with just ten days to go, we are back to the beginning...we are starting from scratch, and every time I have a abdomen cramp or a little pain that perhaps has got nothing to do with the pregnancy, I panic and all I can think of is that if I go into labour today, I will have very little strength to be thinking of a baby name. Wish us luck!

I live in a pink world

I have never been too big on pink. Despite being a girl, I have always preferred shades of blue, even when I was little. Pink to me was always regarded as a weak, too girly, colour. When I shop I am always attracted by greyish-blueish shades. The colour scheme in our bedroom is grey-aqua-blue; the second bedroom is white and blue, the main bathroom is white-lime green-blue and the en-suite bathroom is white and light blue. Things, however, are changing. 

Since I found out we were having a little girl, I started looking at pink in a complete different way. Don't get me wrong, I have always liked pops of bright pink here and there (we have pink buckets for magazines under the tv table, a fuchsia cover on top of our grey sofa and a few pink accents here and there, such as frames and vases) but I have never been particularly obsessed with it like most girls. 

Until now, my favourite colour for flowers has always been white. There is nothing purer and more delicate than white flowers, I think. Now, when I go to the local florist I always gravitate towards pink flowers. At the moment, for example, we have bright pink gerberas on our glass coffee table.

I have also bought a few things for myself in pink that I am sure I wouldn't have before. At the beginning of Summer, for example, I bought a pair of baby pink Melissa jelly shoes; the shoes were available in black and white too, an option I would have definitely gone for before the pink mania. Not to mention the fact that I have even bought a bright pink Clinique chubby lipstick. I don't really wear make up but if I do, it's going to be a red lipstick and that's it. Now, I also own a bright pink one. 

I have also redecorated the en-suite bathroom. It is no longer white and blue. It's now white and pink, of course. We are renting, so we can't do too much with the flat; both bathrooms have white walls and white tiles, a blank canvas, really. So I had to play around with the accessories to make them a bit more interesting. For the *new* bathroom I have bought a nice bath mat with rouches of different shades of pink, starting from white to fuchsia, new pink towels, a bright pink glass for my tools (nail file, nail scissors, eyelash curler...) and pink Savon de Marseille. I also used an old Whittard white mug with different shapes of pink hearts for our tooth brushes. 

And that's not it. I find myself pinning pink stuff all the time. Just a couple of examples:

Chupeta Paris shoes. Baby O will have them at some point!

Hanging bird from Urban Outfitters. Would like to get this for the pram.

Sequins Thank You cards. To buy or make.

Cotton candy as cupcake toppers.

Bright pink door and shutters. I just love this!

Stuart Weitzman’s resort 2013 collection. I love jellies.

Pink and Gray. Just perfect!

Onesie from Winter Water Factory.

Pink living room. Perfect for a West London small flat.

My daughter is engaged!

And no, we haven't arranged a marriage between Baby O and a wealthy emirate! Not yet, at least!

This is apparently the proper, medical, way of saying that Baby O is in position. I had a doctor appointment yesterday and she confirmed that the baby is cephalic and her head is very low. Good to know she is on the right track! Apparently, she dropped considerably since our last appointment. Everything seems to be going as it should. Of course, there is no way to know at this point when she may come out but at least it is very good to know that she is cooperating and didn't get lost in there. Eleven days to go till the due date, and hopefully we won't need to pass that day! 

Sorry for the people who voted for the 16th and 17th (me and Rob included! Both Rob and I were born on the 17th, Rob in May and I was born in July - we were hoping to create a sort of brand here!); next guess on the poll is the 19th, we will see what happens.

Anyway, as good as the news was, the word engagement still evokes the magic world of jewellery to me...and to go off the baby topic for a bit, yesterday night I had a look at the catalogues of two high brands that I love...just to dream a little.

First on the list is an Italian jewellery house from Capri, Chantecler. I simply love their style, it is so Summery. I was in Capri with my best friend Ila a long time ago and still have the greatest memory of us entering the amazing world of Chantecler in the shop near the famous Piazzetta and trying all their beautiful rings on. In another life I want to be rich, filthy rich! In fact, I wouldn't mind owning a house in Capri. :) Anyway, Chantecler is mostly famous for their Campanelle (bells, in Italian). I have a silver one but what I really would  like to have is one with the precious stones, I don't really mind which one (although, if you are taking notes and feel generous, perhaps the pink and red coral or turquoise ones are my favourite!).

I love the charms and think they look wonderful with a small pearl necklace, although the rings are pretty awesome too and I like the sound they make when you move your hands and us, Italians, love using our hands when we speak! Imagine the music there. 

Anyway, for now, I think I will have to stick with my silver, medium size, charm and be happy with it.

Another brand I have been obsessing over for years now (and I still don't own anything!) is Van Cleef and Arpels, a French maison this time. Their iconic collection is the so called Alhambra, launched in 1968. The emblem of the collection, a sort of four-petal flower, has become a symbol of luck, health, fortune, and love. I pretty much fancy everything but it's the long gold and onyx necklace that I would like to have in my jewellery box at some point before I die!

Little Luxe City Guides

Keeping up with the topic of traveling with little kids...

I mentioned Luxe City Guides before on this blog, mostly for their cool designs. Recently, they have launched their Little Luxe City Guides line, just in time for us. For now, there are only three destinations available: Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bali. My top preference among these three would be Bali; Rob, however, keeps telling me that he may need to go to Singapore and perhaps Hong Kong for work at some point, so we may start from there. And if we go with Baby O, we'll make sure to get these guides.

The brand new series is designed for families on the go who still want to travel and explore new areas but need a little help planning a trip with their children. Sounds like just what we need. The very good thing about Little Luxe is that they are written by resident editors with families who share their tips on the best spots parents should know on a foreign city. 

I can't wait to book a holiday now!

Holidaying with a baby

Rob and I didn't have a Summer holiday this year, and boy am I frustrated about that!!?? We had several ideas and plans but none of these went through. We wanted to go to Venice in May for Rob's birthday (my gift), but Rob's work commitments didn't allow us to. Then, we wanted to go to Santorini, Greece, to celebrate our first wedding anniversary at the end of June, but pregnancy issues made us postpone this trip to next year. Certainly a wise decision, but I still wish we could have gone. And finally, as you all know, my ten-day-trip to Pescara got cancelled because of the exceptional heat wave that was attacking Italy in mid July (and still is, as a matter of fact!). So, no holiday for us, which means no Summer and no break whatsoever. And being 38 weeks pregnant today and starting to get tired of all this, I can surely say that I really needed one. 

Now, who knows when we will be able to have a proper holiday again, but I am starting to see what options we may have. I have found a couple of good websites that list baby-friendly holiday destinations. My favourite at the moment is Baby Friendly Boltholes, an online resource that lists "over 500 stylish yet child-friendly hotels, villas and cottages worldwide". I love their map search as well as their "10 best for" search. I played around with the website and wow, there are so many good options! There is also a section for special offers, which is always handy. Look at the Bolthole of the season, for example: Chateau Les Carrasses. Isn't it gorgeous? 

Images from main website

Another good site, but just for the UK, is Luxury Family Hotels, where there is a selected list of castles, English manor houses, and country hotels. Look at the New Park Manor, for example, or the Thornbury Castle. What a dream! And with a little baby and being completely inexperienced, perhaps the UK may be the best option for a little holiday in the near future.

Thornbury Castle

Blue Chip Holidays also seems to be a good resource for baby friendly holiday options with self-catered properties scattered in six selected areas in the UK: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, The Isle of Wight, and Wales. 

Uh, I am getting excited. I'll have to start thinking of potential dates and destinations....

We are ready for you!

Every day feels like it could be the day. I have started to have pain and cramps in my lower abdomen and some back ache. I suppose (and hope!) these are signs that I could be going into labour any time. I am starting to imagine, and panic a little, about how real contractions may feel, hopefully, they won't hurt too much. In any case, this is something to be done, I can't go back now!

I don't want to rush things, but Baby O, I want you to know that we are ready for you! We can't wait to see you and play with you and love you and kiss you and hug you....

{mobile from littlenestbox on etsy; bird pillow by Heart Zeena}

Inside Baby O's wardrobe

Baby O's wardrobe keeps growing and growing. Between all the gifts that she is already receiving and me not being able to resist to any temptation, I believe she already has more clothes than her mummy! 

For now, her most popular items are onesies, both short sleeves and long, one-pieces, leggings and tops. She also has loads of knitted cardigans, dresses and skirts.

Her collection of cardis

I have decided to take a picture of her every day for a year and then make a book, it will be a nice gift to give her when she turns 16, I think. All these clothes will give me inspiration for her daily outfits! 

The last purchase was made just a couple of days ago. I absolutely hate UGG boots for adults, I find them extremely unattractive, however, I have a soft spot for the baby version. So, I bought baby O her first pair of boots, size 0 (0-6 months). I chose the classic chestnut colour, aren't they adorable? They will be perfect for our shopping days out in winter!

Beauty Treatments

As the arrival of Baby O is approaching, I am trying to look after myself a little so that I will be ok for a while. If I look good, I feel good and hopefully that will help me to face the big moment! Also, everyone and everything I am reading recommend pampering myself these days, and so I did. On Monday I had a waxing, on Thursday a pedicure and today I had a hair appointment for colour and blow-dry. I usually get to dye my hair once a month because of the gray hairs, so next appointment will be on the 12th of September...by then Baby O will be in our lives, hopefully! My parents will still be in town so they will get to spend a day with the baby while mummy takes care of herself...I am sure they will love it! 

 

It has been rather hot in London and my feet have been struggling a little. This morning I couldn't find a pair of shoes that fit. I was ready to go out in flip flops when I had a Cinderella moment, thankfully a pair of jelly shoes that my mum recently bought for me fit like a glove. And I got to show off my newly pedicured nails. It's all about pale colours these days, in London at least. The big nail colour of the moment is white/cream but I opted for a dark plum colour. I am not very tan and white would have been too light for my poor feet.

The hair looks nice, I think. Same colour as usual and straight for a change.

Now, it's waiting time....

By the way, it doesn't look like Baby O will be born on the 10th, unless I am going to have a very short and quick labour! It's already almost 23.00 o'clock in London...So sorry for the person who voted for the 10th. Next guess on the poll is for August 16th. We will see...

Full Term

I am now officially full term! Baby O could be born any minute now and won't be considered premature. Technically, I am not due until August 29th but I wouldn't be upset if Baby O decided to come a bit early.

Life has been quite hectic lately with the Olympics but I have been trying to enjoy it as much as I can. Surely I am very slow and get tired very easily but I am trying to stay active and live my life as much as possible. London is just beautiful these days, even more than usual! It would be a shame to lock myself in the flat until Baby O comes.

As you can see from the pictures below, I am rather big! The bump, I mean. Thankfully, however, I can still carry this belly fine, it's not too heavy and doesn't hurt my back too much. I can walk and sleep just fine. Nausea, indigestion and heart burn are still there but they are part of the game, so I can't complain. The iron tablets I am taking seem to be helping a little and I am not as out of breath and weak as the last few weeks.

Now, let's hope the next couple of weeks are going to be smooth! Th clock is ticking...

London 2012: Volleyball

Yesterday, Rob and I headed to Earl's Court for the Women's Volleyball Quarter Finals. But first, we stopped by our friend Steph, who leaves just few minutes away from the Exhibition Centre, and spent some good time with her and baby Juliette. Both Rob and I held Juliette and even got to see a diaper-change in action. Rob is freaking out at the idea of changing diapers and really appreciated seeing it first hand. He feels more confident now. We will see, as he will most probably be the first one to change baby O at the hospital. I loved chatting with Steph, it's so nice to have a friend who is experiencing motherhood for the first time like you, and it was very nice to see Juliette who is growing so fast, she is just adorable!

After an hour with the girls, it was time for us to head to the Exhibition Centre. Outside it was packed but thankfully my 9th month bump got on the way and everyone was super nice and attentive. We were allowed to take lifts instead of stairs and they were all so sweet telling me that if anything happened that night, there were loads of doctors on site. I felt ok and protected. I must confess, I did have some shocks (I don't think they were real contractions) during the games but nothing to worry about. Two people voted for the 7th of August on the Baby O's birthday poll and I was ready to make those two people the winners last night...but, I am afraid it didn't happen. The next guess in the poll is August 10th. Wouldn't it be nice if Baby O was born on San Lorenzo's Day? Instead of admiring the falling stars I may be staring at the ceiling asking for help from above!

Back to yesterday evening: we watched two games: America vs Dominic Republic and Italia vs Korea. The Americans won easily, 3-0, while the Italians made me suffer quite a bit and lost in the end, 1-3. Despite the loss, we had a great time. I really enjoyed the games, the atmosphere, and all the attention me and Baby O got. Also, the sausage baguette we ate was delicious too! 

America vs Dominic Republic

The Italians entering the field. Nice memories of me playing...not at the Olympics, though!

Italia vs Korea

So, our Olympic experience ended yesterday and we loved it. I am sure we would have gone to more events if I wasn't so heavily pregnant but I am still quite satisfied with myself. I didn't think I was going to be able to make it, but I did and it will be nice to tell Baby O that somehow she was at the London 2012 Olympics. I am happy with the way I have been throughout this pregnancy, no major freaks out and no silly panic so far; I am sure the British motto *Keep Calm and Carry On* has played a big role here! Hopefully, I will stay strong throughout the final leg of this journey! Fingers crossed!

In Position!

Hi folks, I had two doctor's appointments in the last couple of days, so I thought to give you an update on the status of Baby O and mama.

I saw my GP yesterday. He called me last week to schedule an appointment. Apparently, he had received my blood results from the lab and wanted to see me. I knew exactly what the matter was: iron! My iron level had dropped in the last few weeks; so far I had been able to avoid iron tablets (which I hate!) but not this time. As soon as I entered his room he said: *There is no iron left in the tank!*. And we both smiled. Nothing to worry, really, as this is rather normal at this stage of pregnancy. But I have to admit, I have been feeling quite exhausted lately. So, he prescribed me two/three tablets per day and I started yesterday evening. We will see if I will get a burst of energy! 

This morning, instead, I saw the midwife. I really like her, she never makes me feel rushed and is a very lovely person. She first checked on me and then the baby. We are both doing well. And the big news is that Baby O is in position! She has been cephalic for quite some time but now her head is very very low. This doesn't necessarily mean that she is ready to go, of course, but it's a good sign. The usual checks were all ok and it was nice, once again, to listen to baby's heart, strong and loud as usual.

I managed to write my birth plan last week and showed it to the midwife this morning. She said it was perfect: just one clear page. She told me that sometimes mums get so descriptive and write four/five-page birth plans and it all becomes a bit complicated when the moment comes. I am not a big writer, I always use headings and try to be as concise as possible. My birth plan mirrors my habits. We will see if we will indeed follow it on the big day! Lots of things can happen and change.

And, on a different note...I did weigh myself...and.......it looks like I have put on almost 12 kilos!!!!! Hopefully, this is mostly baby and placenta weight! I must look pretty big though as on my way back home from the surgery I was stopped by a guy who said: *No long to go! Good luck!* I thought it was sweet though and I do really hope we are getting very close to the big moment!

London 2012: Beach Volleyball

Yesterday Rob, the bump, and I went to the Horse Guards Parade to enjoy some beach volleyball. We tried to get tickets over a year ago back in the first wave of tickets sale but we failed. Back then, we applied for many tickets but we only got two for the Women's Volleyball Quarterfinals. Nonetheless, we felt quite lucky. When I was younger (and fit!) I played volleyball and beach volleyball, so for me these were the two disciplines to watch. 

A few days ago we found out that every evening new tickets are released. We have tried a couple of times but without success until we finally got two tickets for beach volleyball. If I wasn't in my ninth month of pregnancy I would try to get tickets for every single event, I am really loving the Olympics this year! I suppose it's different when your hometown is hosting them! But I am every day slower and slower and more out of breath, so more than often it is sensible to just stay at home.

I don't mind telling you, it was a bit of a struggle for me to get there yesterday, despite the fact that we booked a car; however, as soon as we entered the stadium and we sat down I started feeling better and I truly enjoyed the games and the entertainment. 

The location is simply stunning, right next to St. James's park, Downing street and with the London Eye in the background. The park was packed. We strolled a bit and admired the statues and the sand sculptures before entering the actual stadium. 

The atmosphere in the stadium was glorious. All the flags were on display, good music was being played and the crowd was really into it, singing, dancing and playing with the waves! 

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see either Italy or the USA; the first match we saw was the men's where Germany literally destroyed Latvia. The second game, the women's, was a bit more entertaining, with Check Republic sending Brazil home.

Overall, we had a blast. I am glad we went, I had fun watching the games and really enjoyed the dancing parts! Now we are off to see some good Volleyball on Tuesday. Stay tuned.

In or out?

The question is: Would you have your baby sleep in your bedroom for the first few months? Or would you not?

Now, I have heard different and contrasting views on this matter, so I'd like to ask your opinion. 

Here in the UK the midwives usually suggest having the baby in your room for the first six months and then move her to the nursery. Apparently this is good for different reasons, the most important of which is that the baby will imitate your breathing techniques, and therefore there is less risk of cot death or apnea. 

I also think it's very common in London to have the crib in the master bedroom for obvious space issues.

This is our situation. We live in a two-bedroom flat. We are quite lucky to have an exceptionally (exceptionally for London!) big bedroom and a smaller, but still decent size, second bedroom. When we found out I was pregnant, we immediately started thinking of sleeping arrangements and we decided to keep the second bedroom as our guest room. Between August and November we will have lots of visitors coming to meet the baby and it didn't make sense to us to give up the second bedroom and have the guests sleep on air mattresses in the living room. So, at least until the end of the year Baby O will be sleeping with us. By then she will be around four months old.

We have therefore put the crib in our room, next to my side of the bed so that it will be easier for me to take the baby and carry her to the living room for night's feeds and to the bathroom for diaper changes. This is how it looks at the moment:

I don't think we have much of an option at the moment but I would like to hear your thoughts. Many friends and colleagues have told us that it will be impossible to sleep with a baby in the same room as babies make constant noises. Of course, we will just have to wait and see...I hope that by the end of the day we will be so exhausted that it won't be difficult to fall asleep. 

Does your baby sleep with you in your bedroom? If so, would you recommend it?

36 Weeks

Today I am 36 weeks pregnant. This week is a crucial one as at the end of it I will reach an important pregnancy milestone: Baby O will be considered full-term and I could give birth any day. Life is getting a bit more complicated; I am always tired and out of breath. I need to rest very often and spend a lot of time on our rocking chair (thanks Ila!). 

I have definitely become bigger, as you would expect, and the bump is now rather prominent. Thankfully, I can still wear normal clothes, dresses are surely the most comfortable option. I haven't weighted myself in a few days, our scale doesn't seem to be working properly (or so I say!), but I have a midwife appointment next Tuesday and I will definitely check the damage :) 

Thankfully I can still sleep fine. I usually fall asleep on my side but then I tend to turn on my back in the middle of the night. I do take a couple of trips to the loo but I can safely fall back asleep. So, I can't complain. 

I am getting slower and slower and walking has become a bit of a chore. But it is good to get out of the flat whenever possible to get some fresh air, so I try to force myself out every now and then. 

The annoying bit is the nausea. I am never really hungry and do not enjoy eating. I have troubles digesting and have a bit of heart burn every now and then. What a joy! 

Moreover, something has started. I don't know whether they are the *famous* Braxton Hicks or not but I have started to have tightening pain in my lower belly. The tightening is short but it is quite uncomfortable, sometimes it even makes me scream...I wondering how loud I am going to be during real labour! I am taking them as a sort of rehearsal and try to practice my breathing techniques, although I am not really sure how prepared you can really be once the real thing kicks in! I have to say, I am still quite relaxed but I am getting more and more aware that the big moment is approaching. 

This is why this morning I finally wrote my birth plan. I have used all the headings suggested by the midwife at the antenatal class and will discuss it with my midwife at the appointment next Tuesday. Writing what type of delivery I would like to have and what types of pain relief I will want to try made the all thing much more real. Let's hope it is not going to be too long and too painful!