The Last Few Weeks Of My Third Pregnancy

It feels like such a long time ago that I was pregnant but I still remember how I felt during those last couple of weeks of pregnancy. I must admit my third pregnancy was the hardest out of all three and I think the main reason is because I had two other children to look after too, so I couldn't rest as much as I wanted and I had to move around and do things every day. What didn't help was the two day hospital trips every week since I was 27 weeks pregnant. But it was all worth it.

I struggled a lot in the last two or so weeks. I really felt the difference from week 36 to week 37 and then a huge difference again from week 37 to week 38. I found it difficult to walk and extremley difficult to get up from the chair or the bed. I was miserable and just so uncomfortable but still having to look after two children and do every day things because you just can't relax, was tiering. I was lucky I had help with the school runs and if I remember I only walked one or two school runs in my 38th week. I just found it too hard. I was out of breath a lot and all I wanted was my baby to arrive.

I had two appointments every week at my local hospital due to the liver disorder I had called Obstetric Cholestasis. I went every Tuesday and Friday. Every Tuesday I would have my bloods taken and get monitored, I would then get reviewed by the doctor before going home, so I would be at hospital usually from 10am until 1pm {or later!}. Every Friday I would just be monitored and I could go home straight away. I also had other appointments some weeks such as extra consultant appointments, growth scans and the times I went in when I was worried with movements and my itch getting worse with OC. 

My bile acid results were getting higher but luckily they went back down after I took a higher dose of my medication. But I also had to balance the medication out to make myself feel ok as I had bad side effects from the medication. On the Tuesdays where I needed to be reviewed after my blood test results before going home, I had different doctors most times but most of them all said I should be induced between 37 and 38 weeks. This got my mind thinking that I didn't want to wait until 39 weeks to be induced. I wanted the risk of my baby dying to be lower. I wanted him out sooner than 39 weeks and that is when I asked for another appointment with my consultant as it was only her who could make that decision unfortunately. 

{My last bump photo taken the night before I started labour}

I had my consultant date and yet again, it wasn't my consultant but another one. If I am honest - I disliked her the minute she walked into the room. There was just something about her. She was rude and I felt she didn't listen to my worries. I was worried because of how late they were keeping me and also, I was worried with the weight of my baby. She wasn't bothered and I was really dissapointed and upset after the appointment. The only good thing that came out of the appointment was she allowed me to have a sweep at 38 weeks.

At 37 weeks 4 days pregnant at my usual Friday appointment I had my first sweep. I was really nervous. But there was no need because it didn't work. I tried many things such as going for a long walk, moving loads and bouncing on my birth ball. Nothing. I had my second sweep at 38 weeks 1 day, and again, nothing happened. Although, I did have a show every day since my first sweep but that was it. I had one last sweep on a Friday when I was 38 weeks 4 days pregnant, 3 days before my induction date {19th of July} and I didn't put my hopes up. I just relaxed but I did go on the ball again that evening like I did most of my evenings in the last few weeks of my pregnancy. 

The next morning at 8.30am labour started. You can read my birth story here. 

I really wanted to enjoy this pregnancy because it was my last pregnancy. I am not going to carry a child again. But I just couldn't enjoy it. I was full of worries, I was fed up of doctors and consultants telling me different things, some doctors making out that I didn't know about Obstetric Cholestasis {even though I know a lot about it} and just feeling so uncomfortable all the time. Looking back I do wish I would have enjoyed it more but it's done now. I have my healthy little boy. The boy I have always wanted.