It's Getting Real...

...this baby business. I'm 33 and a half weeks pregnant now. Babies are classified as being "term" (on time) any time from 37 to 42 weeks, which means Flump could be here in just three and a half weeks' time. (Of course, he/she could arrive before then, but hopefully won't.)

I've written out my birth plan and gone through it with my birth companions (The Bloke and my sister) and also with my midwife, who says it's well thought-out and a very good care plan. My eco-friendly birth pool has also arrived, though we've yet to do the test-run of inflating it, filling it, and emptying it again.

Birth pool, you say? Yep. After a lot of thinking, talking, researching, and reading, we've opted to have a home birth. Nobody in their right mind is a fan of hospitals, let's be honest, but I've had panic attacks in the past for various reasons and being stuck in hospital is one thing I really don't fancy. Funnily enough, the more information I read about home births, including stories and accounts of women who've been there and got the T-shirt, the calmer I began to feel about impending labour; I even started to feel a little excited about it all. Wouldn't it be nicer to go through it all in your own surroundings, with your own things, and be tucked up in your own bed with a cup of tea, a slice of toast, and your baby just a couple of hours afterwards?

So that's the plan. And it means Flump really can't arrive until three and a half weeks from now, because home births are not allowed to take place outside of the 37-42 week period. So stay in there for now, little one. (And don't hurt Mummy too much when you do decide to come out...)

In Diabetes Auction news, my "Taste of England" gift basket has already had 21 bids and currently stands at $68 USD! Click here if you're interested in making a bid, and take a look around at the other fabulous items while you're there.