36 weeks pregnant: bad days and baby brain

September 15, 2014

Here’s my latest pregnancy update at 36 weeks pregnant (and 35 weeks pregnant!)

36 weeks pregnant…what’s happening with the baby?

36 weeks pregnant - pregnancy update and bump shot

Does being pregnant make bad days worse, or do they just seem worse because you’re already balancing precariously on the high hormonal tightrope of pregnancy?

I’m not sure, but in the interests of sharing my pain, here’s the top three most ridiculous things I’ve done this time round. Baby brain? You decide:

Pregnancy and baby brain

3) Attempted to make our way to a hospital appointment that involved an epic walk-bus-long bus journey-walk trek. After waiting 20 minutes for first bus, then 40 minutes for the second, in the rain, with a pram-refusing toddler, I admitted defeat and went home. On calling the hospital to apologise, the receptionist pointed out that the appointment was actually for the month after. “Let me guess” she said. “Are you pregnant?”

2) We went up to Sheffield recently. Eliza and I were due to go up on the Friday, Alex on the Saturday. My organised husband ordered the tickets in advance, then apparently told me three times that mine was out on the side, not in the postage envelope. But I only realised just before arriving at the station that the ones I had in the envelope in my hand were for the Saturday. Alex had to take an early lunch break to meet us and pick his ticket up. And I had to pay £70 to buy a new one.

And 1), which happened this week. We went to the shop for food. Came home. Two hours later I went to make lunch but couldn’t find any of the food we’d bought. After searching the whole house and not finding it, I realised this was because I’d actually left all the food in the bag on the self checkout. I have no idea how. The lady in the shop was very sweet about it, telling me “You’re not the first, love, and I bet you won’t be the last.” Cringe, though.

36 weeks pregnant – bad days!

I do think some days are just bad days though, aren’t they? On the food-leaving day, the baby’s head was so far down with so much pressure that I couldn’t really walk brilliantly, so going back to the shop was a bit of a challenge in more ways than one. It’s also challenging when you’re tired and have an endlessly energetic toddler who doesn’t cope when you’re not in their eyesight. And the head/ pressure made me convinced that that baby would come early, which actually panicked me into getting things ready, Which is probably a good thing, with hindsight.

I wrote a post a while ago about ways to turn a bad day back around. I should really take some advice from that, shouldn’t I?

ANYWAY, here’s a couple of things that have been cheering me up in the past week of being 36 weeks pregnant:

SnuzPod and sheets

IMG_9765.JPG

IMG_9767.JPG

As part of my panic about the baby arriving early, I made Alex put together the SnuzPod bedside crib we’ll be reviewing. At 10pm in the evening after he’d had a long day at work.

It was pretty easy to assemble, but there were one or two difficult moments with inserting wooden poles into fabric tubes which are very tightly sewn together. Probably not a good idea to do at 10pm when you’re both tired. But it’s up now; ready for a newborn occupant in the next few weeks. It looks fantastic too.

We were also sent a set of the lovely Little Green Sheep organic bedding, but knowing the rate at which babies go through sheets – usually at 3am -I’ve been on the lookout for extra baby bed linen. I managed to find exactly what I wanted – some printed organic sheets from Quick Brown Fox. I know you don’t need printed sheets, but it’s the kind of small thing that makes a difference, isn’t it?

You can read my SnuzPod review here…

Seeing the midwife at 36 weeks pregnant

At 36 weeks pregnant I saw the midwife again. She was the usual one at my surgery, but due to random factors it was only the second time I’ve seen her. But she was absolutely brilliant – funny, pragmatic, reassuring. Whereas the midwife two weeks before wouldn’t give me a straight answer on anything, this one did. Again, only a small thing, but makes a massive difference.

She also said that in her opinion I wasn’t measuring that small, and despite the head down position, there’s no reason to suggest an early arrival. Thank goodness.

I also finally downloaded a hypnobirthing MP3, got ten minutes into it, then fell asleep. I’m hoping it will work subliminally. Also; totally putting this on next time I wake up at 4am.

Here’s to better weeks. And please tell me some ridiculous things you’ve done because of baby brain?

That was my 36 weeks pregnant update – here’s the rest of my pregnancy updates

18 Comments

  • Eleanor (thebristolparent)

    September 15, 2014 at 2:29 pm

    THAT CAKE IS IMMENSE! And I don’t care about your brain when your body still looks that amazing and beautifully pregnant!

  • Mouse

    September 15, 2014 at 5:27 pm

    I looked like an enormous waddling hippo at 36 weeks, and you look beautiful. Tiny bit jealous about that. As for the baby brain, I wasn’t actually that bad until after the birth. Just this week I went to the post office to post a parcel, but didn’t take the parcel with me. Oh, I do actually know how to make piñata cake! I made one back in June! Perhaps I’ll blog about it. Thanks for the inspiration.

  • Amy

    September 15, 2014 at 5:55 pm

    If it helps I found the last few weeks of being pregnant and having a toddler much harder than having a newborn and a toddler!

    1. gillian

      September 30, 2014 at 8:19 pm

      That’s good to hear! Just so tired at the moment, and my toddler’s really not understanding my need for a strategic sit down 🙂 x

  • Polly

    September 15, 2014 at 7:08 pm

    I know I said it before… BUT THAT CAKE IS AMAZING!!!! Me wanty :p I’ve total baby brain this time around, never have before, but I’m awful at the minute!! You look fab still though, love your leggings/trousers!

  • Jenni

    September 15, 2014 at 8:42 pm

    All this sounds very familiar and did make me smile 🙂 I tink you’ll look back on it and laugh. The Snuzpod sounds great, and I’m not sure whether to thank you for the link to Quick Brown Fox, currently trying not to spend all my money. Where have they been all my life!?

  • Fiona

    September 15, 2014 at 9:23 pm

    Haha, that hospital appointment story is so funny. Probably not for you, perhaps, but definitely something that would have happened to me during pregnancy. I got everything confused for nine whole months, hideous. x

  • lori

    September 15, 2014 at 10:17 pm

    You’re looking wonderful and I have even left a FULL trolley of shopping in the supermarket beofre and I wasn’t even pregnant. I bet the cake took the edge of it all though 😉 x

  • Lottie :: Oyster & Pearl

    September 15, 2014 at 10:45 pm

    I NEED THAT CAKE! OH EM GEE!

  • Kathryn (@KatGotTheCream)

    September 15, 2014 at 11:08 pm

    Oh I do sympathise. I sometimes wonder if I’m still suffering from baby brain and my youngest is two *pause for canned laughter*
    You look beautiful by the way. As an aside, I kept being measured small for dates with all 3 of my babies no matter how many times I tried to explain that I just had quite neat bumps. Cue laborious trips into hospital for extra scanning. They all weighed in at very respectable birth weights so don’t worry!

    P.S. That cake! X

  • Vicky

    September 16, 2014 at 1:08 pm

    My brain left during my first pregnancy and never came back. Along with my boobs after breastfeeding, ha! Oh the things we do for our little ones…!

  • fritha

    September 16, 2014 at 6:17 pm

    blimmy, I wish ASDA would send me that cake too, I’ve been stuffing my face with cake lately with no regard to having to fit into a certain dress in a few weeks! The train thing is so something I would do and I’m not even pregnant. That’s the worse though, poor you x

  • laura redburn

    September 16, 2014 at 7:00 pm

    i’ve often wondered how my brain would behave if i was to ever have a baby. it’s not that good now! and can i just say, you look amazing! 🙂

  • Adele @ Circus Queen

    September 17, 2014 at 7:48 pm

    Well, you know the silly thing I recently did – and I can’t even blame pregnancy. That cake looks amazing! Hypnobirthing apparently works even when you fall asleep. I was told so by our teacher and it did for us!

  • V

    September 19, 2014 at 10:36 am

    Aww I remember that stage of pregnancy well! I’ve huge cake envy..nom xx

  • Our new favourite children’s books from Paragon |

    September 20, 2014 at 10:45 pm

    […] as her bedtime book-fest, it’s a staple daytime favourite too. Which Is pretty convenient at the moment as it’s an activity that involves both of us sitting down (unlike dancing, spinning or […]

  • Picking a perfect maternity dress |

    November 5, 2014 at 11:43 am

    […] * Bodycon dress and t-shirt dresses from H&M – including the one I ended up wearing during labour […]

  • SnuzPod review: bedside crib / co-sleeper cot | A Baby on Board

    May 27, 2015 at 4:33 pm

    […] the SnuzPod? I had a slightly relaxed approach to baby prep with my second pregnancy, but at 36 weeks pregnant I suddenly panicked that the baby would be early and made my husband put the cot together at 10pm […]

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Prev Post Next Post