Just how long now

Well I am 40 weeks and 3 days and still intact. Bump is feeling rather hard now but I am feeling ok. Well I am much better since I was told that I am Anemic, suffering from an extremely low iron store. Although I am taking enough Iron my body isn't storing Iron. This can cause a number of things, it can cause bleeding or your blood not to clot, a small baby at birth, tiredness, pale skin and general fatigue, which all happens in pregnancy anyway! Anemia a condition where red blood cells are not providing adequate oxygen to body tissue. This happens when your body has a deficiency of iron. Iron deficiency anemia is a decrease in the number of red cells in the blood caused by too little iron and effects 50% of pregnant women.

So there you have it, I need to eat more spinach and steak and take 600mg of iron a day and bingo I am back to normal. Well I feel much better within a day, so it must be working. However the midwife yesterday seem to be more worried than me. She opened her conversation with, 'I don't think you should have a home birth because their is a very high risk of a haemorrhage, so I would like to admit you to hospital'. I responded 'OK, when would that be?', she then discovered I had a show the on Sunday and talked me into thinking my waters had broken and decided that I should be induced today! I explained this was my third child and without sounding rather slack about the general upkeep of my body that my pelvic floor muscles weren't those of an 18 year old and may not be working as they should (you ladies will know what I am getting at!). After a number of calls to a consultant and hospital midwife, Claire (new midwife) was forced to examine me, she still was unsure whether my waters had gone and still insisted that I wake up at 6am and get into hospital, bags all packed for a short stay.

Holy moly, thank god it is my third child, even though I shed a tear it was only out of pure frustration at the thought of being in that hospital for a third time. I relunctantly rose at 6am, woke poor Erin at 6.30, still got a smile (bless her) and Clinton drove us to the delivery ward. I explained again to the student midwife that this was all a big mistake and there was no way anyone was sticking a drip in me if my waters hadn't gone. I did preempt my short visit by putting a call into another midwife the night before, (after their shifts had changed, another good thing to know that midwives shifts change at 8pm!!) I spoke to Vicky, a friend of mine and fellow NCT helper. She said don't worry, its probably nothing, down to a leaky pelvic floor muscle and after a quick examination I would at home in time for GMTV.....Which I am pleased to say I was.
So, I am here again, writing about my woes of waiting whilst I can hear Clinton battling with a set of shelves for Megans new bedroom. My poor little Megan has been with my parents for two nights now covered in Chickenpoxs. I did visit yesterday, even though I have been advised to stay away but I just couldn't resist. She was sick on Sunday night as well but thank god she is with my mum and dad, who she loves to be with so much, I know she is in the best hands but I really do miss her. Her room is looking lovely and I know she will really enjoy it when she comes back. Must dash as Erin is now seeking attention by head butting the underneath of the computer.