Do not go gentle into that good night

One of the biggest problems with the third trimester is the complete lack of sleep. I appreciate the dress rehearsal for when the bump comes screaming into my world. However, all the baby books currently tell me that I am supposed to be resting before labour and getting as much sleep as I can - clearly this was written by a different author to the one that tells you that you will manage 90 mins, maximum, without needing the loo at any time of day or night.

One of the books I have suggests that you take afternoon naps. Great idea, except that during nap time this afternoon I had a one hour conference call with our Head of Indonesia - I doubt he would have taken me dropping off mid conversation all that well. Although I doubt what I was saying was all that interesting.

Sleeping on my back is out (cuts of blood supply to the baby and is a bit like sleeping with a large laptop on your front). Sleeping on my side is fine, except it gives bump something nice and hard to kick against (the mattress) with me in between feeling more beaten up than usual. Were I to be breeding the next Becks, oh god forbid, then it would be perfect, but it does not make mummy sleep any better.

So I spend most of my nights now in a semi-coma, with exhaustion being the only thing that finally brings me to something resembling slumber. When I get there, I want to stay there.

Which led to a particularly testy exchange with the Boy this morning. I have been rather proud of the fact that while my other similarly pregnant friends have kicked boyfriends and husbands onto the sofa or spare room, I continue to allow my restless slumber to be shared by the Boy. Until last night. Apparently I snore (I always have, he knew what he was marrying). However last night he felt compelled to gently shake me awake each time. Of course, sleep is such a rare event and getting to sleep so hard that what I need in the middle of the night is to be woken up a few times by the father of my unborn.

I made it clear, perhaps a bit too clear, in the car on the way to work that he will just have to put up with it for the next two months and if he dare wake me again I will resort to physical harm.

He is off on a business trip tomorrow for two weeks anyway, and the cat doesn't seem to care if I snore or not.