The final countdown

By Emma Deadman on Dec 11, 11 08:35 PM

I am officially in the final stretch of this pregnancy! What a huge milestone.

For so long, my due date has always seemed so far and distant, and now it is right around the corner. Only seven days left until Sprout is due and he or she becomes a part of our lives.

The sudden realisation that there is only one week left has exponentially sharpened the reality of having a real baby in our household, and has led me to think a lot, and I mean a lot, about the nitty-gritty details and logistics of the baby being here. As a result, I have been feeling a range of emotions.

In this final transition into motherhood, I have to admit that I've been wavering between the excited anticipation of the baby's arrival, and a slight melancholy that this chapter of my life is coming to a close.

Gone are the days (at least for a while) where I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, and now my schedule will be dictated by a helpless little creature who will depend on me for everything.

I also have moments where I feel completely overwhelmed. Logically, I have spent the last nine months preparing for the baby's arrival. We have all the supplies in place. The nursery is erm, still only nearly ready, but it's on the way. I've taken the classes and know about breastfeeding, nappy changing, bathing etc

I seem to "know" a lot of things about how to care for the baby when we bring it home. But at the same time I feel so unprepared, having never done any of this before. And when it's your own baby, the stakes seem so much higher. I know I'll figure it out when the time comes, but for now the unknown makes me uneasy.

It's been a long nine months, and the funny thing is, the journey has only begun.