24 weeks, 6 days (Post 1)

Stomach size: 102cm (as of a couple of days ago - it may have grown again since)

First of all, some good news. Went to midwife Thursday last week and my BP has gone right down to 120/72 which is really good. All other tests were good and baby's heart beat was strong 148-155 bpm which is good apparently.

While there, I got the application form for maternity exemption. I get a card to say I'm exempt from prescriptions, dental expenses etc. I didn't realise I had to apply for this - stupidly. I thought that once I got my MATB1 form somehow everyone would suddenly know I was pregnant and that I was exempt. Some advice to others, you can actually ask for this from about 12 weeks pregnant I think.

I seem to be getting scattier by the minute. Very forgetful and very clumsy. I think I'm going to start taking the cod liver oil tablets with pregnacare again. Hopefully, that will bring some of my mind back or stop me losing more. If I don't write things down I forget everything.

A few things from today i) I kicked over a glass of water I had left on the floor ii) I walked into town today with a bottle of water. By the time I had gone in a couple of shops, I realised the water had gone and I must have left it in one of them; iii) I went into a beauty shop and got a drink of water from their machine and promptly threw it all over the floor. These are just the most recent examples but it is like this all the time. Strange that all these relate to water - I wonder if that means anything (other than I'm thirsty!!!).

My ankles and feet are starting to ache now when I stand for a long time or do lots on my feet. I think this is worse at the moment because the weather is quite warm. I guess this is only going to get worse. Lou's feet (my pregnant friend who is about to drop!!!) swelled loads the other day and this seems to happen regularly. Other than this though, at the moment, I'm not suffering too badly with the heat. Baby is a lot quieter when it is hot.

I think I have hayfever too which is worse than it has ever been. Usually I just suffer a couple of months of sneezing but it is worse this time. Not as bad as others though, I don't get itchy eyes (though do get itchy throat). I wonder if it is worse because of the way the environment and global warming is changing or whether it is allergic rhinitis which is a symptom of being pregnant and makes you feel like you have a cold.