Pregnancy update - 33 weeks

The little kicks inside have turned to pushes and jabs as baby runs out of room. I don't remember her big brother ever being this active, she reminds me of her presence every couple of hours with a squirm or a push and the outline of a foot or elbow, head or behind briefly appears and disappears on the surface of my bump. She reacts to taps and strokes and is most active when I sit down for dinner in the evening.

I'm not sure if she's still breach, I hope not. I kind of think the jabs I'm getting up in my ribs are more likely from teeny feet rather than little hands or elbows, but we'll see at the midwife appointment in a couple of weeks.

I took a labour ward tour last week, something we didn't bother with for Charlie. It's not necessary but is certainly calming to visualize the walk from the car park to triage and then onto the room where we'll meet our girl. Queen Elizabeth's is nice, the rooms are bright and clean, much newer looking than Lewisham and with less of a clinical feeling than Chelsea & Westminster. If everything is straightforward they will let us leave between 2 - 6 hours after the birth, if we need to stay, the maternity ward is good with only 3 beds per room. I stayed at C&W with Charlie for 3 days and shared my section of the ward with 7 others, so 3 per room is really good.

I have just 12 working days before starting maternity leave, suddenly after an incredibly long wait, we're almost there! Next week's diary is hectic as I try and cram in as much planning as possible. There's publisher meetings, autumn activity planning and a 2015 brainstorm session, thankfully the following week is less hectic, I'm already beginning to slow down and suspect having 4 or more meetings a day every day is going to be tough.

This bump is definitely bigger than at the same stage with Charlie. We're quickly running out of room for the cat and the boy to sit on my lap. Baxter has come up with some interesting positions, curling up around the bump or using it as a pillow! Charlie prefers to sit to one side and stroke the bump and talk to the baby. He's very good at kissing her goodnight and feeling her kick in the morning. 

Plus I got some nice baby things in the Emma Bridgewater sale, including a lovely patchwork blanket and a teeny vest with lambs on.