Midwife 33+4 weeks

Today, I saw the midwife for my fortnightly ante natal appointment - this time, at home because it's a Bank Holiday.

Jacqui is on holiday so I saw one of her colleagues - I think she said her name was Michelle. She took my blood pressure, it was absolutely fine; tested my urine, again, all clear; and measured my bump, you're just right (although I think you're measuring for my date and not the scan date). She palpated my tummy and said she could see why Jacqui had put a question mark when she'd annotated my notes to say you were positioned head down at my last appointment. This is the first I heard of a question mark - she told me you were head down! Apparently they aren't too sure if you've got your head or your bottom pointing downward so I'll be bouncing on a birthing ball and trying every other trick in the book to try and make sure you're not a breech baby. Your heartbeat is nice and strong :)

We discussed home birthing, as my letter from the consultant had arrived in the lead up to Christmas and gave me the go ahead for community midwife care (which means I can give birth at home if I wish). The midwife explained that the only possible problem would be the lack of staff in my area - they only have two full time midwives at the moment due to two on long term sickness but that she'd get the ball rolling. I need to see Jacqui at the clinic on 17 January to check out baby's position and then they'll either schedule for a scan to check if you're breech or schedule a home visit to discuss home birth. It's a bit close for comfort for me - I'd like to get the birthing pool ordered sooner rather than later - but I can't do much about that I don't think. I'm a bit miffed about staff shortages having a possible impact on my plans but I'm hopeful that one or both of the midwives will be back to work before you make an appearance.

So that's two things I'm adding to my 2011 wish list: that you are either already head down or turn in the next few weeks and that staff shortages don't make a difference to my birthing plans.