I have had 3. The first is now a pregnant father himself.

Pregnancy was the best diet I have ever had, as I went off food in general and felt queasy with all of them for the first 5 months or so. With my second, having lost half a stone by 16 weeks, I had my midwife (one of the old school) threatening to turn up and force feed me breakfast. By 20 weeks I was back to pre-pregnancy weight. I put on most weight with my first (20lbs - and he was 8lbs 12oz). The girls were 7lbs 10oz and 7lbs 11½lbs, and I don't think I put more than 12 or 14 lbs on with either of them. My son had the biggest head, was nearly forceps delivery, etc. After that it was like shelling peas, and I had stitch free deliveries with the girls.

When I was pregnant the second time I used to take my toddler son to the local midwife/GP check ups, and he would watch how they felt and measured the development. He often used to climb into bed in the morning with me, and I used to let him feel the bump like the doctor/midwife did, and talk about the baby - he was fascinated. That was until at about 39 weeks when she kicked him hard... and they quite often took up the fight again after that! Now they're grown up nothing changes! (Imagine the play punch-up between a 6' 4" flood defence officer and a 5' 8" pharmacist. One aged 25, the other 23 (20 months between them). This was at the Christmas dinner table, pre meal, and resulted in a Chinese burns & fork jabbed into hand scenario. As he points out frequently, he still bears the scar!) There is a 5½ gap between the girls, so Ruth has been spared.

It's a pity I'm too old to be pregnant again - I need the weight loss!

Andrea