Pregnancy: The last few weeks

I haven't posted about pregnancy (or much else for that matter) much the last few weeks so thought I may as well do an update:

My iron levels came back borderline at my last midwife appointment a few weeks ago, so I have been put onto iron tablets, I thought these would be my lifeline and I would feel a dramatic difference in my energy levels. Unfortunately they haven't had much affect, I am still finding some days a struggle to do much at all, which makes the days very slow for me and also very boring for Alex too, he wants to be out and about like many toddlers and get rid of pent up energy. The last few weeks I have at least 3 days in the week where I have literally done the bare minimum all day and dozed on and off on the sofa with Alex playing around me, the days where James works the evenings seem worse, maybe due to me knowing it's going to be a long day from the word 'go'.

Physically I feel much bigger, and have many comments such as 'haven't you grown', 'wow look at that bump' and a young girl at work even said to me on Sunday 'wow you look massive now'! Not necessary what you want to be hearing when you feel (and look) like a beach ball has been wedged up your top! I am struggling with the extra weight, and have definitely found the last few Sunday's especially hard at work, the walk back this Sunday I was in agony in back and bump pain, so much so I wondered if labour was making an early start-thankfully not though! Baby has obviously had a growth spurt and I have been having really painful ribs, especially on my right side, which has been making sleeping really hard some nights as it's almost like a numb, pins and needles type of pain and when I lie on it, it makes it much more painful. This means most nights are spent on my left side, and I wake up with such achy joints from being in the same position night after night-I can not wait for a more comfortable sleep-albeit a much shorter one in-between feeds!

I have also had a few breathless moments and dizzy spells which I will mention to my midwife next week, it is horrible and I get myself into a bit of a panic about it when I feel breathless-it seems to happen most between 9-11am, and the only thing that helps is to sit or lie down in a certain way, which isn't always possible when out and about. I had an embarrassing start to a work shift a few weeks ago, before I had even signed and clocked in I nearly collapsed, my vision went, my hearing muffled, and my temperature felt like it soared-cue first aiders of the store being paged and about 5 people surrounding me whilst I sat dazed on the kick stall. Thankfully this Sunday is my last shift, and I think I will be skipping (or maybe not physically) out of the door on my way out!

On a positive note we have all the wardrobes up, I made James get the baby bits out of the loft, made the crib today, we made a start with decorating the lounge (James has been working 70+ hour weeks so I haven't nagged him to get it done, and I am useless with a roller and can't bend down to cut in quite as easily with my bump in the way) and had a bit of a sort out, although why is it with all the extra storage you never seem to have any more space? I am sure I have just spread my things about much more ;)

It was very strange sorting through Alex old baby clothes, they still smelt like baby clothes (vac packs are great) and took me right back to when I was little, he found it funny that he was ever that small when I told him, thankfully we have quite a lot of newborn unisex clothes, can't sort the rest out until this ones pops along but it really reminded me how fast these 3 years have gone and how much he has grown up and changed in that time *sheds a tear*.

So all that is needed now is a new mattress for the crib, sheets, going home outfit for baby, and a few hospital essentials (I even packed the hospital bags ready this weekend much to some friend's relief). So at least if baby comes along early we have pretty much everything we will need.

I just need to work on some of Alex's behaviour in the meantime, he keeps saying 'I don't love you/someone's name/object', when he doesn't get his own way at the moment, which is very annoying and I have no idea where he has picked it up from. He seems to have coincided with pre school but not sure if that is just a coincidence. His temper with his peers hasn't been great either when he hasn't had is own way, which is something I find really hard to deal with on the days I don't have the energy especially as he is so heavy to pick up, why do toddlers have to do that floppy, limp, paddy?!

So 6 weeks 5 days to go until due date (not that I am counting) and I finally feel we are making some progress in the road of becoming 3 to 4!