The end is nigh

I'm 37 weeks pregnant today, so technical baby B is free to arrive any time he fancies in the next 5 weeks. Though he's more likely to make an appearance within 5 days either side of his due date (with a strong likelihood that he, as a first baby, will be late.)

Like a lot of mums-to-be, I've signed up to all sorts of helpful advice e-mails. This morning, this little gem, from Aptamil arrived in by inbox:

"Some mums-to-be are full of energy and although it’s still a good idea to keep reasonably active, just don’t overdo it! You could do some gentle, last minute spring cleaning (leave the hard to reach bits to your partner"

I've had quite a few of these types of e-mails throughout pregnancy, that suggest that at the times of day when I'm not bent over the loo, sat on the loo, running to the loo or thinking I'm in labour I will turn into some kind of domestic goddess; dusting and rearranging furniture, whilst doing lunges and pelvic floor exercises at the same time. 

I've also read that pregnancy should have made into a rampant nymphomaniac and that I simply won't be able to sit still due to my desire to learn to knit and make mobiles. 

This differs wildly from I've heard- (weirdly, from men about their partners, rather than women about themsleves) most women spend pregnancy feeling knackered, sick and worrying about their changing shape. 

The other day I cried for a really long time (properly cried) because I found it really hard to put on my socks: It's December, so no pregnancy flip-flops for me. I've found myself sat on the kitchen floor for 10 minutes at a time, I can't bend to get anything out of the bottom kitchen cupboards. 

I have taken on a few domestic projects, but this have all been as physically taxing as the time I walked a half marathon in my bra. Every time I've walked anywhere in the last week, my feet have swollen up like 70-year-old's and my walk is a slow as an octogenarian's. 

'Reasonably active' for me, at the moment is on a entirely different level to 'reasonably active' for me 9 months ago. 

I know I've used this blog, basically, to have a moan for most of this pregnancy- but this isn;t the purpose of this post. I'm fairly comfortable, I know my body's limits and I'm welcoming the signs that soon I'll get to meet my baby. 

However, I do wish the advice coming into my inbox was a little more realistic. By and large I'm eating healthily, but chocolate biscuits are the only thing that make me feel truly well- so I'm eating them in addition to my five a day. I'm not beating myself up about using this time to sleep in and take knaps while my body will let me- I spent the last month, while I was still at work, getting about 4 hours a night, so I'm making up for it now. 

I'm taking this opportunity to watch crap telly and girly films and to do exactly what my body is telling me to. 

I know it makes for less exciting e-mail copy, but how about just telling women to do what they feel and not to eat too many Mars bars?

Just a thought.