28 weeks and still do much to do!

[Beachcombergirl]

Hi all
28 weeks pregnant with my first and fluctuating between feeling pregnant forever and feeling there's not enough time. DH and I have spent the last 12 months living in the house we are renovating and all the dust and dirt is completely doing my head in. Starting to lose energy so trying to muster up the enthusiasm for another day of sanding. We are on schedule to get the house liveable by mid April so that should give us a monthish before baby arrives. Can't wait! I know it will be worth it in the end but just can't see light at the end of the tunnel yet!

Also got mild spd (which I start physio for on Monday) and slight anemia (10.6) just diagnosed. This I guess isn't helping with the energy levels!

Just need a bit of moral support! Anyone here in a similar boat?

I was in a similar position when I had my first, moving into a house that we were renovating, so that as I was in labour my partner was going round nailing sheets up at the windows so that I had some privacy!

There does come a point where you have to accept that your body is working pretty hard just to grow a baby, and so although you can keep working at the house you may have to just be a bit realistic as to what's possible. You don't want to exhaust yourself.

I found that in the last few weeks of pregnancy I was more use in supporting dp in his work on the house so that he could be more efficient himself, rather than me doing half an hour then getting knackered and having a rest, then starting again, etc. So I made him lots of tea and snacks, went to the wholesalers for bits that we needed, tidied up after him and was a bit of a cheerleader, so he felt ok about putting long hours to get it finished.

You'll be ok, and it's worth it in the end!

HUGE sympathy. We've just done the same - it's utterly horrible isn't it!

What've you been doing for the renovation? We had to gut pretty much the whole house - damp proofing, fixed roof, new electrics, new kitchen, back to brick & bare floorboards in all rooms then re-plastered and re-decorated.
Think the lowest point was doing the kitchen at 20 weeks pregnant. The nesting urge was really starting to kick in, but we'd packed the whole house up into 2 rooms (ready to do the upstairs straight after the kitchen) so everywhere looked horrendous/cluttered, and oh my goodness the DUST. The dust was awful. Felt like we were truely living in squalor.

Now the encouraging bit! 39+2 today, all major works finished, and it looks lovely I'll put some pics on profile if you like.
I did want all the finishing touches (sticking on skirting boards, touching up paint etc) to be done before the baby's born, but I've come to realise that it's less important than I originally thought - we'll have plenty of time once they're older, and at least the big things are done. Resting and spending time with DH is more important atm.

It's great that you're on schedule to get it wrapped up in just a few weeks though - it'll go quickly, honest! Are you able to push ahead with 1 particular room so that you've got at least 1 place that looks nice, is a haven in the evenings & encourages you with the rest etc? I've heard that helps loads (though for us it would've slowed things up so we made the choice to push on instead).

Also with the anaemia - I had this at about the same stage & the following helped for me (iron count now at 14.8 a few weeks ago, hurrah):

• Spatone, 2 sachets a day (much more effective than tablets, felt better within a few days of starting this)
• usual iron rich foods (beef, dried apricots, leafy green veg etc)
• have the above with orange juice (vit c helps absorbation)
• try not to have dairy 2 hours either side of have the above (dairy really reduces absorbation)

Sorry, this is mentally long now - just really felt for you as I remember how horrible the renovations were! Good luck