Diabetes test

Did you know that some pregnant women refuse ultrasound scans because they believe it will make their baby left-handed?

Normally I am quite respectful of other people's decisions, but honestly, there are some cretins out there.

I discovered this by accident when trying to look something up on mumsnet, which is always fatal. Though it's great if you like finding out worst-case scenarios or reading a good slanging match.

I was attempting to discover why the nurse called yesterday afternoon to say I had to go back to the hospital for another blood test, because the sample had clotted. Actually, she had such a thick west African accent that I thought she said "flooded", and had visions of a Nanny Plum style 'jelly flood!' (if you haven't got into Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, you must do so now - much funnier than Peppa Pig and twice the length).

Earlier that morning I'd had my glucose test, which involves fasting from midnight, having some blood taken, drinking a bottle of warm rank Lucozade, waiting two more hours without food, then surrending more blood. It's a test for gestational diabetes, which is standard for anyone who had a large baby last time (Logan was 10lb). Although I couldn't help noticing that most of the women in the waiting room, including me obviously, weren't exactly a size ten.

But the nurse said I didn't need to fast again, and there was no rush to come in, so I was puzzled about repeating the test, as I wouldn't be duplicating the empty stomach/Lucozade circs. And looking up clotting issues in pregnancy online only yielded lots of scary things about miscarriages.

Anyway, I've just been back and it turns out to be no biggie - they also do a 'group and screen' test on the leftover blood to determine your blood group and screen it for something or other, and by the time they'd got to that my sample had clotted. The nurse cheerfully reassured me that it wasn't really necessary, because they'd already determined my blood group during two previous tests. It's in my notes and on the system. They just like to "have a bit extra"...

Plus I don't have diabetes and my iron level is fine. This is a good thing, as a reducing my impressive intake of carbs and sugar right now would not improve my mental health. There are still three mince pies left in the packet to dispose of.

The reason I feel so shit is because I'm getting about three hours sleep a night. So to ease the strain at the weekend, Jon cooked. He doesn't cook often, not because he doesn't like it or can't, but because it's my thing. The division of tasks in our household goes something like this:

Jon:

• Dishwasher
• Opening post
• Fanatical recycling and bins
• Earning all the money and paying for everything

Me:

• Cooking
• Laundry and housework (or supervision thereof)
• Reverse parking
• Planning and organising all 3.5 of our lives

If cooking goes over to his side the imbalance will be even more apparent, though I do find it rather sweet how carefully he follows a recipe. If it says 'fry onions for ten minutes' he meticulously sets the pinger, then announces incredulously that they appear to be done after six minutes.

He is also hugely self-critical, even though it was delicious. Pork and mushrooms and tagliatelle. All adding to the girth of my ginormous bump, which must be measuring big now, despite the midwife's assurance it is in the normal range.

Then again, Jon did read something the other day about a new set of recommendations for midwives, which include not using elastic tape measures any more. Cretinous? Blindingly self-evident? Someone should start a thread on mumsnet.