I went along to my booking in appointment with the midwife on Tuesday with seven children in tow. I don’t know that she was very impressed. You tend to find that people assume you have a network of help and childcare available for such things. They know you have a few kids already but seem surprised when you turn up to an appointment with them. Why she was surprised when I had already forwarned her when we arranged the appointment that they’d be accompanying me I don’t know.
Still, it was a pretty non-event. It was mainly going through the paperwork. Although she’d posted out a bunch of leaflets, booklets and pieces of paper I was confused about what I had to complete and what she had to fill in. In the end I filled in what I could be bothered to until I got bored felt I couldn’t do any more.
The midwife proceeded to complete all the gaps I had left and started ticking through a checklist of things to cover.
“You do know you can still carry on with fun and games?” she told me.
“Fun and games?”
My eyebrows raised.
“You think I feel like any of that?!”
“I’m just telling you, just so you know, that you can, if you want to, you know, fun and games… I just have to tell you…”
And she ticked off a box.
Really?
You have to tick off that you’ve told me that my dh and I can have “fun and games”?
Really?!
To be quite honest, between the nausea and tiredness and general grumpiness for all things not silent and still at the moment I’d be hard pressed to finish off a game of Battleships. Put that as a sidenote. Fun and games, I ask you.
Soon enough the forms were finished. The kids were starting to fidget and I could tell they were like corn kernals about to start popping. It was hot and stuffy in the room and we all wanted to get out. Yet still I dutifully pulled my wee bottle out of my bag and put it on the table for the midwife to test.
“Oh I won’t bother with that today.”
I was a little stunned. For one thing, I wanted to ask, shouldn’t you be checking for protein and all that jazz? And secondly, do you know how hard it is to pee in those things? Not only should you be thrilled that I brought it in, and not only should you be checking it with the little PH strip thingys and praising me on how wonderfully healthy I am, but you should also be giving me credit for getting the wretched liquid in that tiny bottle in the first place!
But I just put it back in my bag and silently congratulated myself for simply remembering to take the unwanted specimen along with me.
And for keeping the hormones in check.
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Thanks for the giggle! I'm sure you were not amused at that point, but hopefully, you'll see the funny side of it ………….. er, one day!
Well done for keeping a lid on your hormones too! 🙂
Seriously – she had to tell you that about "fun and games"? :-0 that is seriously ridiculous and don't they think that maybe as you've already had x number of pregnancies you might already know that!!
Well done though on taking all 7 – I sometimes took my 4 during my last pregnancy and that was a challenge!! xx
I have been stalking your blog for a few weeks and I think you are one smart, brave, hilarious lady!
Congratulations of the twin pregnancy!!! I was surprised with twins after six single births, and the tiredness in the first trimester was INTENSE. Bone-deep, Falling dead asleep with my head lolling back on the couch in the middle of a kids' storybook, Not being to drive an automobile for more than 20 straight minutes without feeling as though I'd pass out at the wheel TIRED. It will pass.
The twins are now 4, and the past four years have been the biggest privilege in my life. People told me that having twins would make life one harried, crazy, sleepless, psychotic mess. What nobody told me is how much FUN it is to have two babies instead of one. Twins are MORE THAN twice as precious. It is literally the biggest blessing and delight of my life. I pray that you will all feel the same.
I have not been keeping up with the blogs i follow and just found out you are having twins! Congrats! Hope everything goes smoothly for you. I have been reading your blog for a while!