Week 15 was the week I went back to work after the Christmas break. I was dreading the commute and not being able to get a seat, and so had put my ‘Baby on Board’ badge on my coat. But there was no need to worry and many people were not back yet, so the trains were quite empty. This reason I’ve been wanting a seat is because my back has started to hurt when standing up. It feels silly to have this backache when I have no visible bump, but it genuinely hurts, and I can only walk really slowly – no power-walking. What is happening to me?!

At work I’d been craving the smell of lavender and diet coke – very random. So I traipsed around Kentish Town in my lunch break looking for some lavender essential oil. I finally found a bottle in a little chemist for £1.95. And I bought a 6-pack of caffeine-free Diet Coke to keep under my desk. I’ve been putting drops of lavender oil of my wrist to get the scent. According to babycentre, my baby is the size of an apple now, and is getting hiccups. Baby can move his/her joints and limbs now. And I can vouch for that – I can feel stomach rumblings all the time, and that is the baby moving 🙂

As you may have read in my end of year post, my husband’s grandfather passed away at the end of the year. The funeral was this Friday which I would be attending with Tyler, no questions about it, I had to be there for my family. But at work, two girls said it was bad luck to go to a funeral if you were pregnant. Of course I had to google it, and I read all sorts of superstitions, involving spirits entering your unborn child, or your child being born with birthmarks, lots of crazy things.

I was a bit freaked out, so I asked my mother-in-law and family for her opinion and they laughed saying they’d never heard of such things. It’s not bad luck at all. I also asked one of my closest religious friends, and she had not heard of it being bad luck either. So my mind was at rest.

Well it wasn’t really. Thursday night was when my grandfather-in-law’s body was brought home and a wake was taking place all night. I stayed upstairs with my sister and Tyler, as actually I was a bit scared to see his dead body with all these thoughts of spirits in my head. Plus it was quite intense as there was a lot of crying from my in-laws, as is understandable.

That night I slept with my hand over my belly, just to make sure baby was still moving. I felt movements all night – phew. But I had an intense dream, and it was my husband’s granny that came to me. (She passed away 8 years ago) She was young, in a sari, with her hair in a plait, walking up the stairs in the house. I was at the bottom of the stairs, when she turns mid-way and tells me “It’s okay” before walking up the rest of the stairs. I woke up. This was a message. I had to tell the family. All I could think was because I am carrying the next great grandchild, the channels were open, so I got the message.

The funeral took place the next day, and it was fine. I passed the message on. The sun came out. It was a peaceful ceremony, interspersed with laughter from Tyler, which is what his Great Granddad would have wanted. His words running through my head, “I could listen to Tyler talk all night”. I did feel his presence at the funeral.

What do you think? Have you heard any superstitions about attending a funeral when pregnant?

Week 14
Week 13
Week 10 – 12
Week 6 – 9
Week 2 – 5