Hormonal pressure etc
Apr. 21st, 2011 10:13 pmThere's an evening concerto outside, a dramatic symphony for three cats and one peacock. The cats have taken their seats around my car, where Caesar the uphill neighbours' cat yowls at 'náro and Darcy; the peacock is perching on the ridge of the uphill neighbours' roof. As every spring, he is in desperate search of a wife. A few days ago I actually saw him opening his fan: He had apparently realised that hens, too, are female birds, and now tried to "talk" them into sex. So as I said he opened his fan and wiggled his sexy copper-feathered butt. I found it quite impressive (with the fan open, the peacock is rather taller than I am!). The hens, alas, did not. They ran around, scratched in the lawn, pecked up seeds or worms, fluttered onto their perch, fluttered back down... and didn't even so much as glance at the poor peacock.
By now I am seriously tempted to get a peahen, because our neighbours obviously won't ("too expensive") and the peacock is close to a hormonal collapse. I wonder what peafowl chicks look like? Pitifully ugly, I suspect, like swanlings.
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Speaking of hormones, Offspring has been extremely fitful much of yesterday and all of today, spending most of the time kicking and turning around - and often moving so violently that it hurt. Today I had an appointment with the gynaecologist anyway, and she was somewhat worried because apparently there was pressure on my cervix where there should be none, and the fetus was lying head-down right on top of it as if about to come out any moment. She duly asked whether I was exerting myself, physically, which I am not - I am by now too short-winded and unwieldy for any sort of exerting work. Gyn was slightly puzzled as there were no other signs of premature labour. Cervical canal was of perfectly normal length, with some to spare, too. CTG didn't show any worrisome activity, either (aside from horrible acoustic feedback whenever Offspring bumped against the sensors on the other side of my abdominal wall, which apparently annoyed him; at any rate, they provoked violent kicks, which the CTG translated into a noisy rattle). So we don't know what exactly is going on there, but of course I am worrying. I keep telling myself that there's no actual cause for alarm yet (which is exactly what the doctor said), and even if push comes to shove (how... appropriate in this context), at this point there's a pretty good chance that the child will survive premature birth, but. But. But. *wibbles*
Just in case it's as simple as that, I've been prescribed magnesium supplementation. I hope that does the trick and I hope Offspring settles down a bit again. I like feeling him move around regularly, but surely even a bright fetus needs sleep occasionally. And shouldn't be hurting his poor old mother at the tender age of 28 weeks.
*wibbles some more*
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On plus side, I made Gründonnerstagssuppe ("Maundy Thursday soup") for the first time. I was worried that it might be too... too green for the hubby's taste, but he says he loves it.
Then again, perhaps he's just being nice to his anxiety-belaboured (hah) wife. >_>