Today I am 31 weeks pregnant.

When Esther and William reached 31 weeks gestation they were allowed to wear clothes for the very first time. They were almost four weeks old.

I cannot help but make comparisons. In a way it is comforting knowing that Matilda May is getting stronger by the day just as Esther and William did in their incubators. By this time they were out of NICU and into SCBU. If Matilda were born now she would hopefully escape the horror of NICU and go straight into SCBU, with the radio playing and not quite so many beeps.

Already her bone marrow is producing red blood cells meaning that she would not need to be given blood as Esther and William were at the beginning.

If we manage to hold on for one more week her lungs will be mature and she should be able to breathe on her own when born, perhaps with oxygen, but without the need for CPAP.

I am hoping that we will go all the way now or at least to 37 weeks.

If we can get to 37 weeks then we might be able to give birth in our local midwife led unit rather than on the labour ward and I like the idea of that. I am tempted by a water birth and I am keen to get home to Esther and William as soon as I possibly can.

But there is still a way to go yet before we think about that.

I am struggling a bit with pain between my legs at the end of each day. I think it is pressure as baby is head down and quite low. I am also rushing around with the twins all day and so I really feel it when I come to sit down at night. And it is when I get up again that I really feel the stiff pain, the pressure down there.

I am also suffering from restless legs in the evening which is so annoying. I keep eating bananas for potassium but it does not seem to be doing much good.

I had a letter from my doctors’ surgery today asking me to book a telephone consultation about my 28 week blood tests. After chatting with some lovely ladies on Twitter I am guessing that I may be slightly anaemic and so have started taking some iron tablets today. I am hoping they might help my wriggly restless legs too!

This week I have been outside a lot with Esther and William as the weather has been positively balmy. It has really made me feel excited about Matilda’s arrival and how we might spend our time in the upcoming summer months. Our garden backs on to a beautiful village green so we do not have to go far at all to get out for a picnic and a play. We have spent a lot of time at Leeds Castle this week which is again somewhere nice and easy that I will be able to take all three. Especially now that I will be able to wear Matilda in my bright summery orange BabaSling!

On Monday David and I are taking Esther and William for a four day break at Center Parcs. We are going to Elveden Forest and staying in an Executive Lodge. I am really excited about going swimming each day and about taking Esther and William to some organised activities. We have booked soft play, messy play, a music session and Play Doh! I can’t wait to see how they react to going to the different classes. And will be so much easier than at home as Daddy will be there too!

On Friday we travel from Suffolk to the Isle of Wight for a 3 day antenatal break with media midwife Nikki Khan. I am really excited about getting some professional advice about labour and birth. I feel quite anxious about it as Esther and William’s birth was such a blur. I want to know what I am doing this time.

So we’ve a lovely week ahead and time to really be together as a family of four before Matilda comes along and makes us five.

9 weeks to go. Single digit countdown.

Keep growing stronger Matilda May. We really cannot wait to meet you. Esther keeps pulling up my top to see if there really is a baby there. I don’t think she is convinced but she is a baby helper in training. William too. I just know they are going to adore you. We all are. We love you already Matilda May x