30 Weeks and counting...

Once again I apologise for being so quiet, to be honest nothing much has been happening! The baby is constantly kicking/ moving and only seems to rest during the day -  this is worrying, will it be up all night?

We went for our 30 week check up on Friday, which was exciting as we hadn't been since 21 weeks and we got to hear the baby's heart beat. The baby's heart rate stayed around 130 so it's obviously a nice and relaxed baby (I refuse to believe the whole old wife's tale that 140 and above it is a girl and that below 140 it is a boy!).

The doctor told us that baby is head down, so it is in the right position and all ready to go. Hopefully it's not fully engaged yet as that would be slightly worrying, we would like it to stay in for at least 8 more weeks. The Doctor showed us how to feel the baby's head, it is tiny and, although she assured us that we couldn't, we worried about squashing it.

When the doctor asked whether we had any concerns or whether I had any questions I explained to her that I hadn't been as 'regular' as one might expect to be, her advice was to eat 2 or 3 prunes with my breakfast every day. Gregory looked strangely excited by this; later on he told me that he thought she had said prawns and he was imagining the many ways that he could eat prawns for his breakfast: Masala prawns, Coconut prawns, Fried prawns! Honestly!

After we had finished with the doctor we decided it was time to go and see the Labour Ward. This was very exciting, Gregory acted a little bit strangely, nervous perhaps? It is very unusual for Kenyan men to be in the room with you when the birth is happening. A great example of this was when I was on a recent training course about behaviour management; we were shown an incredible video clip about the development of a child's brain from birth all the way up to 24 (when the brain finally finishes developing). While we watched we were asked to make notes of 'wow' things we had seen and 'new facts' we had learnt. In the feedback session a Kenyan teacher immediately put his hand up to contribute to 'wow' things that he had seen, he explained that the most amazing thing he had seen was the man in the delivery suite!

Therefore, I am very grateful that Gregory is coming into the room with me - but really he has no choice!

The labour ward is reasonably small and as clean as they would be in England. There is a choice of 'ward beds' - 4 beds in a pod all sharing a bathroom, 'duplex rooms' - 2 beds, shared TV and bathroom or two different 'private rooms' - either in the labour ward or in the Princess Zahra Pavilion, Gregory is able to stay the night in these ones and you have your own bathroom. As the insurance is now paying I am going to go for the nicest, private ones.

The lady who showed us around informed me that I am not allowed to only have midwives delivering as they are not qualified. I also have to have the on duty Paediactrician and Gynae - it is going to be a full room. There is now a birthing pool in one of the rooms, so I am hoping that when I go in to labour it is free. I would love the option of a water birth.

In other news, we finally get to move in to the bigger flat tomorrow! Woo hoo! This means that we can start organising the baby's room. There is a lady from school who has started doing a PGCEi with us, her husband works in the army and she has very kindly let us use her BFPO to send things here from England. Everything is so much cheaper in England. We think we have the main things that we need now:

• moses basket
• cot bed
• reusable nappies
• sling
• car seat

Everything else we'll get as and when we need it, also Dad can bring bits over when he comes in February.

I am sure that with the end of term and Christmas, the next few weeks will fly by and our baby will be here before we know it so we are making sure we make the most of the weekends by having looooong lie ins.

October Half Term Trip to Mfangano Island

I have been meaning to visit Mfangano Island (in Lake Victoria) for ages as it is where Gregory's family is from and he has inherited land there. I am SO glad that we went this holiday as it is beautiful and there is so much of his family history there that it was really interesting.

 

It is a long 7 hour drive from Nairobi across to Mbita and then anything between a 20 minute to 1 1/2 hour boat ride, depending on the type of boat that you take. We were collected by Gregory's Uncle (his Dad's cousin), Jack, in his speed boat; the lake was rough and I wasn't really enjoying the ride (due to being 25 weeks pregnant) so we went slowly and it took an hour to reach Mfangano.

 

 

This is the Suba Luo Peace Museum that was set up by Jack. We stayed here all nights but the one when we stayed up in the hill with his Gregory's other family. Jack is an incredibly interesting man, he speaks English, Swahili, Luo and Suba and he told me all abou the history of the Suba and Luo Tribes on Mfangano and how they got there. Gregory's family is Suba and they intermarried into a Luo family, hence him having the Luo surname Nyakiamo. There are a number of family tribes on the island and Gregory is connected to all of them but two. There are also lots of cave paintings on the Island, thought to be at least 1000 years old, but we didn't go and see them as I had had enough of bumpy piki piki (motorbike) rides.

 

 

 

The day after we arrived we headed up the hill to visit some of Gregory's other family and to see his land.

 

 

Gregory's land is on the middle hump, with the forest growing on it.

 

 

The view from up on that hill, with the forest behind us and beautiful Lake Victoria in front.

 

Inside Gregory's forest, where there are monkeys!

 

We spent a night with Gregory's Great Uncle, Fredrick Obogno.



 

Me with Gregory's Great Uncle, his Dad's Cousin, Kesia, and Dad's other Cousin's (Odhiambo) baby, Kate Zawadi (this means Gift in Kiswahili).

 

Babu (Grandfather in Kiswahili) and me eating lunch - they killed a chicked for us; it was very tasty but SO tough!

 

Family photo: (L-R) Dad's Cousins wife , Gregory, Babu, Me and Kate, Dad's Cousin Odhiambo, Odhiambo's other children Robert and Cecelia. Just after this photo was taken Kate did a wee on me! Babu said that this is a blessing and it means I am having a baby girl and should name it after my mum... we will find out if this is true in a few months!



After spending a night sleeping on the floor of Odhiambo's mud hut we headed back down the hill. Early the next morning we woke up for sunrise over Lake Victoria and met the fisher people collecting their nights catch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later on that day we took a 10 minute boat ride over to Takawiri Island (this is the only island on Lake Victoria that has natural sand) to have a swim. Luckily there are no hippos hanging around here! 

 

 

 

After 5 days on the Island we headed back to the mainland, this time the Lake was calm and the boat ride only took 20 minutes!



25 weeks and 2 days

Quite a lot of growth since last week!

 

 

24 weeks and 2 days

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but...

 

 

this is how big my bump has got, not huge but it's slowly getting there. Judging by the amount that I'm eating now the baby will start piling on the pounds soon.

 

Things that haven't been brilliant... I have started getting a little bit of heart burn, but it's not too bad. The worst thing are the calf cramps that I keep getting. I had them really badly the other night and since then my calves have been really tight, Gregory has been massaging them but it's not enough. I think I need a long hot bath...  

Things that have been brilliant... The baby is SO active now! It moves all night and morning long, when I'm at work it settles down. Fortunately I have been so tired in the evening that the kicks have not kept me awake. It is AMAZING feeling and seeing the strong kicks. The baby even responds to touches from us. We cannot wait to see it, not long now. I've also been swimming in the school pool at the weekends, which is lovely in the hot sun. Topping up my tan and stretching out my muscles. I plan to go to pre natal yoga classes in a few weeks, when my arm is fully recovered, that is if I make it out of school early enough.

 

Some more EXCELLENT news is that Braeburn has changed out health insurance provider so the birth will be covered by our insurance! It will save us a lot of money that we can put toward the baby once it is born.

20 weeks and 6 days scan

Went for our 20 week scan today. Was amazing to see the baby opening and closing their mouth and sucking their fingers. It looks really big now and the sonographer said it weighs 409g! The experience wasn't as nice as the first time as the lady didn't speak for the first bit, which made me worried, and then she wasn't going to give us a photo.

But we got one and as you can see it has a VERY Kenyan face: small nose, pronounced jaw and big mouth! Just like Gregory.

I have been feeling really run down this week and I decided to go to the doctors this evening. I have got some infection, she wasn't sure what (not a UTI which is ususal). So I am on antibiotics and am not allowed to go to work for 2 days, which is really annoying as there is so much to do. I tried to persuade her to let me go in but she reminded me that I have someone else to think about now.

20 weeks

We went for our 20 week check up yesterday, decided to go Kenyan stylee, which is cheaper than visiting a gynaecologist and just as good. The trouble with Kenyan style, as with anything Kenyan, is that you can't be in a rush!

We arrived at the clinic the moment its doors opened, 1pm, hoping to beat the rush as Tim (my Head) had advised me to get there early and we'd only be waiting for perhaps half an hour to forty five minutes. 2 hours and 45 minutes later I had been weighed, had my height measured and my stomach felt by a doctor and we were done.

As this was the first appointment at the clinic I couldn't book but I have booked for the next visit, I do wonder, though, whether this will speed anything up. We shall see.

18 weeks and a kick

On Thursday 23rd August I was 18 weeks pregnant and not much seemed to be happening... until this morning. 18 weeks and 2 days pregnant and we finally felt three gentle little kicks! Woo hoo.

12 week scan