Week 22

Had a very calm, happy week this week. No real aches or pains to speak of. Had a bit of itching on arms and tummy and have been waking with pins and needles in hands during the night. The sleep situation has improved a little, although I'm still not going through the night totally. Darren has spent a couple of nights in the spare room as his sleep has been disturbed, but it does mean if I can't sleep I can put the lamp on and read for a bit.

I had a consultation with a Doctor at the LRI about my delivery method. She went through all the options and the risks including:

• a natural birth after a caesarean - 60-70% chance of delivering naturally

• a natural birth after a very traumatic birth the first time round ending in an emergency section - 60-70% chance of not being induced or having emergency section

• a straight forward, elective caesarean

As I had such a horrific time delivering Stefan and not wanting to run the slightest chance of that happening again, I have been booked in for an elective C-section on 12^th May (Stefan's due date funnily enough).

I can change my mind at any time, so if I do decide to give the natural birth a go, they have said they won't let me go as long in labour as I did with Stefan, knowing that I didn't dilate at all even after being induced and that Stefan was in trauma after 46 hours of trying to get himself out of there!

I have to consider all of the circumstances involved this time round, but I can't help feeling that it's a bit of a cop-out and that I'm somehow depriving the baby of a natural birth. Will no doubt mull this over for a few weeks anyway. It's not a decision I will make lightly.

So, if I have the section the baby will be here on 12^th May 2008 – 2 weeks before Stefan’s second birthday. If I let things happen naturally, it might be a joint birthday celebration.

Am getting really scatty and absent minded. I found the juice in the cat food cupboard this morning and the cat biscuits in the fridge.