Baby Gigantor!

I considered trying to write a non-pregnancy post, but lets be honest, this is what occupies my thoughts day and night. AND it's not something I can ever forget about. I am constantly reminded that I have a baby inside me. Whether it's a foot under my ribs, my aching back, waking up at 3.30 in the morning or having to pee every 10 minutes, I just can't get away from it. The closest I've come to not feeling pregnant is floating at Freo pool. that was sooo good!

SO here I am, 6.10am on a Saturday morning, two cakes in the oven (been up since 3, might as well bake!), and on my first official day of maternity leave. It's a funny thing this type of leave, in my mind I have so many things I want to organise and clean, but the reality is my back can go at the slightest of things so I may not be able to do nearly half of what I'd like to get done.

If one more person says to me 'Not long to go now', I will seriously punch them in the face! No actually I probably won't, my baby shower is today and I'm bound to hear that at least a dozen times. Considering people will be giving the baby and I gifts it's probably bad manners to punch anyone in the face. I am however sick of hearing it. It could be anywhere from 4-8 weeks. If it's 8 weeks that's AGES away, if it's 4 weeks, that's still quite a bit of time. If I was due tomorrow sure, but I'm not, so just let me enjoy the last month or two in peace.

Another freak out post Ob appointment. I don't have gestational diabetes, however my blood sugar spike is too high, which means if I don't watch my blood sugar I will grow a gigantic baby (she is already bigger than 'normal'). If I want a natural birth, drug free and in water a gigantic baby is going to make this harder, and make it far more likely that I will do permanent damage to my pelvic floor and possibly bladder/bowel. So what is my first reaction? Cry! I then had to get myself together because I went to work afterwards. Was a grumpy bum all day, trying very hard not to think about it too much and not cry at work. Tony picked me up and I couldn't hold onto the worry and fear anymore. CRIED. LIKE. A. BABY. Poor Tony.


All I can say is thank God our doula Cath was visiting us that night. She has this magical way of putting things into perspective and making me feel so safe and like I can do anything. We talked about it, we talked about the realities of it actually being a big baby (only 1.8% of births) and how ultrasound measurements can be off by up to 20%. I think what really scared me to start with was that I felt was I doomed, that I was having a big baby no matter what and that I had no control over this, so why even try. But now I feel calmer and so much more able to cope I am giving this my best shot. My diet has been changed dramatically, toast/cereal for breakfast has been replaced by eggs, bacon and the occasional tin of baked beans, lunch is no longer a toasted sandwich but a salad or veg with some kind of meat. Snacks are cheese or natural yogurt, and dinner is meat and veg. I have very little will power when it comes to diet usually, but the prospect of being the cause of potential damage to my body during birth is enough to sort me out. If she is still huge and I've done everything right I won't feel bad, turns out I just grow big babies. But if I don't make any changes and she's massive and I have to have a cesarean or something I am going to be so pissed with myself!

Another positive thing I should consider too is that my sister Jane had the exact same blood sugar reading, she was told to watch her diet, she didn't really and Ollie was a normal 7 pound something baby. When my sister and I were born, neither of us were big babies, and I don't think Tony was a big baby either. So genetics is on my side!!

I go back to see my Ob in a few weeks, so I will be very interested to see when she measures the baby etc if my strict non carb low GI diet has had any effect on retarding her excessive growth.

My babyshower is today, and it is going to be so difficult to not eat all the yummy cakes and things on offer. I made brownies for my work goodbye morning tea yesterday and I managed to resist those, so hopefully today will be the same. I think if I just let myself have one sweet treat then it's all down hill. Much better to just say no to it all. I did notice yesterday how I got just as much enjoyment from watching my work friends enjoy what I cooked as I would have from eating it myself.