32 Weeks

32 weeks down...only 8 more to go!

Im short of breath, not due to excitement but rather because things are becoming a little crowded inside my womb. The kicks have become really hard and I often feel bruised. Baby thinks it is fun to start his kickboxing lessons when Im trying to sleep. Not particularly conducive to a good night's rest.

I finish work on 10 Aug and quite honestly, I just CANT WAIT. Strange how my opinion around this subject has changed. Initially I was unhappy with the fact that Holland forces you to start your maternity leave 4 weeks before the due date. In South Africa you can work until you pop and then save your maternity leave for after the baby is born.

However, now I realise the value of that time BEFORE the baby is born, particularly with my type of job. I suddenly see the value in getting time to wrap my head around becoming a parent. I want to take a moment to enjoy life with just me and Dan. When Im constantly working and traveling it is hard to really make time for reflection.

I had my first Kraamzorg appoint last week. This is a unique postnatal service for all women in the Netherlands and essentially one of the BEST things about living here. Basically, a Kraamverzorgster is a trained health care professional that helps new mothers in the first few days after delivery. I have heard people say that your Kraamverzorgster is a cross between Mary Poppins and a Fairy Godmother. The purpose of Kraamzorg is to help the mother recover after the delivery and provide advice or assistance on how to care for the new baby. They will come to your house for 8 days and do things like: help you with the baby, cook your meals, advise you on breastfeeding, monitor your health, clean the nursery, etc.

I was so excited about doing a 4D scan of the baby. In Holland they call it a "pret echo" and you have to pay for this separately. However, I didnt realise that they only do this scan from 24-30 weeks. So I just missed the cut-off date (sad face). Oh well, will have to wait to see that cute little face.

My next (normal) scan is at the end of July and Im really looking forward to it. Apparently they will tell me how large his head is and estimate his birth weight. Of course this is not 100% accurate because baby could decide to come early...or even late. Either way, Im keen to see him again.