Checking into the Clinique

We have to check in at the Clinique St Roch by 1730hrs today. We're taken into the office in the reception area where we hand over a copy of my ID, an attestation from the CPAM and a copy of my mutuelle. We requested a few months ago a shared room (I like to chat to another mum when I'm in hospital) and a telephone line - I'm not bothered about having a TV rental. I'm allocated my room number. The lady declared us very easy, as 99pc of people want single rooms and there aren't enough to go around.... The phone line rental is Euro4 a day... plus cost of calls.

Then we are taken to the birthing room, where I have a urine test, a blood test, a visit from the anesthetist and at least 5 forms filled out by the mid-wife.The baby is monitored during all of this.

I'm given a bottle of antiseptic soap and some gauze strips (to wash myself all over tonight and then again tomorrow morning. I have to be up and showered tomorrow by 7.30am. (at this point I become rather confused as she tells me to use the gauze strips to wash myself as my own flannel will become yellow if I use it... at this point I'm worried I'm going to turn yellow all over and does she really mean I have to wash my hair in this stuff?)

Into the room and unpacked by 9pm - and they let me have some dinner.. which I didn't check until too late and then I realise they've given me fish - yuck - so I just eat the veg and pud and then feel absolutely famished all night - especially as I'm very pregnant and feel like I could eat a horse at any moment.

I'm sharing a room with a lady who had her baby boy by c-section that morning.. she's having problems with breast feeding and she's getting lots of help. All for tonight.

Gyne at 28 weeks

Just a routine appointment at the gyne in Montpellier today... especially as usual on check in they tell me that the doctor is running behind and 3 people are in front of me... ho hum.

Weight / blood pressure/ internal examination etc all fine - I also got an attestation medicale to give to my work's accountant to prove I'm pregnant - all it says is my name, address and estimated date of conception (ooh err) and birth.

I got an appointment for my third big and final scan for 8th August and another routine gyne appointment for 22nd August.

Euro45 thank you very much....

The Amnio...

Up at 6am to leave home at 7am (the clinique is awful to get to at rush hour and we can't very well go on the tram today) - the journey finally only takes 35 mins and thankfully we are allowed to park in the clinique's car park.

We are told to be there at 8am for our 8.15am appointment - 15 minutes to queue and do the paperwork. The ask for an attestation from the CPAM (no one told us to take one...) then she saw my carte vitale and said it would be OK... but then the carte vitale wasn't up to date. My husband runs downstairs to the 'borne' to update it - he then runs 4 flights upstairs again (he didn't want to wait for the lift) and we find the bloomin' machine didn't update it.. she promises to hold the papers as long as we bring in an attestation within the week.... She takes a signed authorisation form to saw we agree to the procedure - then Euro50 from us and another CPAM brown form for the actual lab. work required (no idea how much that is) and the carte vitale is to pay for our day room for after the procedure.

We then go back down 4 flights in the lift to the radiology department and are called within a couple of minutes. My husband isn't allowed into the room (apparently too many husbands faint) - my gyne is there and and the radiologist who will scan my tummy at all times.

To cut a long story short - it is over in minutes - it sounds an awful procedure but even without any pain relief - I can actually say it was more painful to have an injection in your arm... it really wasn't that bad.

Then I find that my legs have turned to jelly and I can hardly waddle to the waiting room again. 2 minutes later we are taken in the lift to the day rooms on the 4th floor for our 2 hours of lying down and a cup of tea and a baguette and jam breakfast.

Enroute in the lift with my husband, a nurse and a porter - I burst into tears and then continued to cry for another hour... all the stress of waiting for it I suppose.. but really in the end it wasn't so bad.

Somebody comes into the bed next to me... and then she bursts into tears... obviously it's catching...

We're told by the gyne that I'm meant to do absolutely nothing for 48 hrs... sounds bliss. The gyne will call me in 10 days with the results.

Back to the gyne on 5th May for a routine check up