Week 34Week: 34

Waist: 40 inches (+ 1.5 inches, possibly owing to engagement)

Feeling: Nice and comfy

It’s official: the baby’s head is engaged. The midwife confirmed the momentous milestone on Tuesday morning, but I already knew because I felt it happen last Friday. I cannot describe the relief – my whole bump has dropped a good inch or so, meaning I can breathe again, eat a whole meal again, I no longer have heartburn and my whole upper body feels free. I’m so much more comfortable – for now.

The realisation this had happened sent me running to Boots for all the necessary for my hospital bag, which I’ve now started packing. It also reminded me how unglamorous the immediate aftermath of child birth is. Big pants, breast pads and super strong night-time pads (or ‘wadding for every orifice’ as Misery Guts helpfully called them) are now in a bag by the bedroom door, as are new born nappies and enough pound coins to feed the hospital car park for a day or so.

I’ve also dug out BB’s first clothes, which I washed before packing away and can’t decide whether to wash again. It’s probably a bad idea after Misery Guts dyed a pair of cords navy blue in the washing machine, and a good 10 washes on there are still traces of the dratted stuff in the drum. But on the other hand, the clothes were last washed 3 years ago so aren’t technically clean.

To wash or not to wash, that is the question…