The manatee

When I look down at my belly (which I do with un-erring regularity), I think I see a manatee staring back. The baby's bottom is the sticky out bit to the side of my ever deforming belly button which resembles the manatee's head.

I once went on a snorkel trip in Tampa, Florida searching for Manatees - but we didn't see any.

I'd like to...One day.

There were a lot of things on my to do list - I used to say 'before I die', but now it is 'before kids', and specifically 'before labour starts'. In the last week or so the ambition has been to build up sleep credit and relaxed kama; go to the cinema; have a civilised meal; sit idly in the pub - but now Alex and I have gone past that point and we're willing that first contraction on it's way....sitting on the precipice - now actively willing the tumble forward, however painful it is bound to be.

I truely hit that point yesterday - Wednesday 27th Jan - 3 days overdue - I had a good lie-in watching the French Open. By the time I got up, I felt ready - and as predicted - the nesting urge took over and I manically got a wash on, put the dishwasher on, dusted - yes dusted the tv in our bed room, cleaned the bath, cleaned the oven hob - all in a frenzied, illogical order. I phoned the living centre in Raynes Park to say that Neil's first reflexology session had not yielded the baby and I was ready for a second attempt. My mate - Felic - had recommended Neil, after he successfully triggered the birth of Lara when she was one week overdue, and likewise for another two of her friends. The statistics sounded good enough to me.

Now a word about Neil Woodrow....Neil is a small, squat little man - striking for his empathetic pose and hair style - which is dark brown, short with some peculiar long strands that stroke the back of his neck. He has a double chin and strong hands. The hair is Neil's way of telling the world that he's spent some time studying the spirital side of things in China. AKA - if he suggests that sticking pins in my ears and wrists and kneeding my feet in an alarmingly painful way is a better route to inducing a baby than the invasive techniques that they try at hospital - then I should give it a go....which I have now done - twice.


Such are Neil's alleged successful statistics with overdue women, that I kind-of thought the second session would be a free-be - a near guarantee of a baby popping out within 48 hours. Alas - no, but he definitely put his back into it - and with each trigger point, the baby moved a litte bit more - according to Neil - more than anyone else he has seen - I agree it triggered something. The theory is that he gets the pituitary gland working, which stimulates the endocrine glands which generally help to kick things off and the little one down and out.

So I left the funny looking man in Raynes Park with flushed cheeks and a sense that something was going to happen, and I should drive carefully and promptly home. Indeed, I only spent 20 mins in Wimbledon Village taking advantage of a distressed sale, before making it back. I could feel the tell tale back ache returning, so siezed the moment by consuming left over curry, half a pineapple and a a strong raspberry tea. When Alex returned home carrying chocolates for the midwives - I was hoola hooping on my birthing ball in front of the tv, announcing we were close.

And it felt exciting - we felt - ready..... Together.

..............

But today is a new day - now 4 days overdue.

Murray has managed another emphatic aus open win to make it the final - and all the signs of yesterday have gone. The text msgs still come in from enquiring friends and family - but there is NO NEWS - and I'm starting to wonder if the body's natural reflexes will do their thing - before a dreaded invasive intervention. For the time being - the manatee is pretty chilled out where it lies and like those in Tampa, has no compulsion to come to the surface to meet us just yet..