25 weeks
They call it RLS for short. Its long form sums up the disorder nicely – Restless Leg Syndrome.
Curiously – and somewhat annoyingly – it only happens at night. Your legs take on a life of their own and insist on moving every few seconds. At best you become fidgety, at worst you have to get up, but get this – it is not generally helped by moving, stretching, or going for a walk. In other words, there's not much you can do about it. Sometimes you fall asleep with it, but then your bed partner suffers night-time spousal abuse by being continuously kicked and woken in the night.
There's talk of a link between it and your diet but who's got the time to do a laborious food and restless-leg-syndrome diary every day for three weeks to see if there is any truth in the matter? It's one of those we-know-it-happens-to-pregnant-women-but-we-haven't-a-clue-why type things. Still, it's not all bad. I must be using up loads of calories, right? I mean, when it gets really bad I practically run a marathon in my sleep.
This morning, I was fast asleep when RLS reared its ugly head – a violent kick of my left leg ensued which woke me. Alas, I wasn't the only victim. Oscar, the cat, had little inkling when he curled up on my leg to sleep that night that he was in grave mortal danger. All I heard was a "miiiaaaooow!" as the poor thing got propelled across the room... Oops.
Thursday 19 July 2007
Tuesday 10 July 2007
Hormones on the Loose
24 weeks
We have finally landed back in Blighty after a gruelling 13 hour journey – it has taken BabyG and me two full days to recover. Spent a blissful week with husband before waving him off to his new job on Monday morning. I'm back at Mum and Dad's and husband is staying the week at accommodation provided by the new job. We will reunite Friday, and at some point, go househunting to find ourselves a rented property.
In his absence, I have noticed something rather quirky. Those of you who have read previous posts know that I have been prone to hormonal mood swings during the pregnancy. I've actually got off quite lightly, IMHO, (although husband, I-grew-up-in-a-mostly-male-household-even-the-cat-is-a-bloke-so-haven't-a-clue-how-to-deal-with-hormones, may beg to differ). Anyway, I have noticed that whenever BabyG's father is absent I get a surge of hormones. I went away one weekend for a much looked forward to girlie weekend, and all I could think about was flying back into his arms.
After 12 hours of his most recent absence I say "I miss you" longingly down the phone. ("What, Already?" says husband); after 36 hours my bottom lip is quivering on a phone call and am having to resist the urge to say "Please, come home." And I think it's only going to get worse.
However, I think I have got to the bottom of it. The blame lays squarely at BabyG's feet. I think it's a primeval instinct from BabyG who knows that Daddy = provider = food + warmth + shelter (what he thinks Mummy's role is I'm not altogether sure. Mummy = nappy changer, I suppose). Upon not hearing Daddy's voice for a while, BabyG unleashes a surge of hormones in Mummy so great that she is bound to go find Daddy, bring him back and shackle him so that he does not disappear again. So Mummy pines for husband and is likely to be a gibbering wreck by the end of the week.
Daddy, as usual, remains unscathed by the whole affair.
Have stepped up the househunt.
We have finally landed back in Blighty after a gruelling 13 hour journey – it has taken BabyG and me two full days to recover. Spent a blissful week with husband before waving him off to his new job on Monday morning. I'm back at Mum and Dad's and husband is staying the week at accommodation provided by the new job. We will reunite Friday, and at some point, go househunting to find ourselves a rented property.
In his absence, I have noticed something rather quirky. Those of you who have read previous posts know that I have been prone to hormonal mood swings during the pregnancy. I've actually got off quite lightly, IMHO, (although husband, I-grew-up-in-a-mostly-male-household-even-the-cat-is-a-bloke-so-haven't-a-clue-how-to-deal-with-hormones, may beg to differ). Anyway, I have noticed that whenever BabyG's father is absent I get a surge of hormones. I went away one weekend for a much looked forward to girlie weekend, and all I could think about was flying back into his arms.
After 12 hours of his most recent absence I say "I miss you" longingly down the phone. ("What, Already?" says husband); after 36 hours my bottom lip is quivering on a phone call and am having to resist the urge to say "Please, come home." And I think it's only going to get worse.
However, I think I have got to the bottom of it. The blame lays squarely at BabyG's feet. I think it's a primeval instinct from BabyG who knows that Daddy = provider = food + warmth + shelter (what he thinks Mummy's role is I'm not altogether sure. Mummy = nappy changer, I suppose). Upon not hearing Daddy's voice for a while, BabyG unleashes a surge of hormones in Mummy so great that she is bound to go find Daddy, bring him back and shackle him so that he does not disappear again. So Mummy pines for husband and is likely to be a gibbering wreck by the end of the week.
Daddy, as usual, remains unscathed by the whole affair.
Have stepped up the househunt.
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