1 week to go and so paranoid

[pinsent]

I am currently 38+5, so almost at the end... Yippee! Have had a pretty straight forward pregnancy and have really only had symptoms for the last few weeks. However the closer I get to D day the more paranoid I get. For example, my bump has never been much of a kicker, I have an anterior placenta which doesn't help. However when I speak to my nct friends they are always telling me how their LO's don't stop kicking and they even get woken up at night by it. I never have this but then I haven't throughout my whole pregnancy, so why am I so worried now? I guess I'm scared that some problem has been missed along the way.
Other worries include missing my waters breaking. 1 of the nct ladies just had her baby and said that hers came out in such a little trickle that she barely noticed. She then had to be induced because her contractions didn't start on their own.
Also toxoplasmosis. I never got tested for this despite having two cats and holidaying in Thailand in my first trimester. Am I irresponsible & silly for not requesting this test.
Finally, at my last MW appointment the fetal heart rate was lower than usual. It was still in the normal range and MW didn't seem worried, but what if there was a more serious reason for this?
Sorry for going on so much. I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that it's normal to worry this much towards the end. I can't wait for LO to come along so I can check that he/she is ok.
Thanks in advance to anyone who replies. Xx

[SoldierKatnissEverdeen]

Worry=completely normal.
My advice is to rest as much as possible in the next week. Have coffee with friends. Watch crap tv, eat chocolate, and just enjoy the last few days of you and bump. Can you afford a pedicure or something? Just to distract the mind and make you feel good. And be clear, once little one is born you will continue to worry but it will be about different things. Worry is a big characteristic of being a parent. But it is worth it. Good luck.

[pinkyp]

It's normal to have worrys about everything, I remember crying to my midwife at 40 weeks scared I was going to die during childbirth or tell dh something stupid whilst high on gas on air. I have another ds now and I still live to tell the tail. Please mention your worries to your midwife, not because I think there's anything wrong just so she can reassure you a little enjoy your last week of sleep

[pinsent]

Thanks for your replies ladies. Helps to know I'm know I'm not the only worrier out there. My next MW appointment isn't until next Wednesday (39+6) but I will make sue I mention my worries. Obviously that's if baby doesn't come by then. %23wishfulthinking.
Thanks again.

[SoYo]

The heartbeat being lower than usual isn't anything to worry about. The range is 110-160bpm and gradually gets lower as you get closer to term and then can be anywhere in the range when you're in labour. Also depends on LOs sleep/wake cycle.....not something to worry about!

Movements are different for everyone and the best thing to do is keep an eye on what's normal for you and if you're at all concerned ring the antenatal day unit or labour ward, even if you know in your head it's fine, we'd all much rather see you than you drive yourself mad at home worrying about it!

As for toxo, the risks are very low and it's rare to see congenital toxo problems and very unlikely but no way of knowing and even if you had been tested you may have then had an amnio and complications from that so try to put your mind at rest!

[MyLastDuchess]

Did I write this? I am 38 weeks with DC2 and I swear I was never so worried about DC1! I had an anterior placenta with him as well. He was also not much of a kicker. This baby is just as bad and for some reason I am convinced there is something wrong. But I have no reason to think this.

They don't test for toxo here (NL), I have 2 cats. If you have had cats all your life then you have most probably been exposed already, at least that's what I've heard. Normal precautions like not digging in the garden with bare hands/not cleaning the litter yourself are more than enough.

Katniss is right that the worry never stops! With DC1 I used to watch him all the time to make sure he was breathing. Now I am always panicking that he's going to choke or something like that (I don't show my panic, I just take normal precautions, but oh do I worry!) My FIL has told me that he still worried about DP during his university years if he was out of an evening, it's natural and never stops!

[Droflove]

You have nothing to worry about so try to enjoy the last few weeks of having the baby under control! Firstly, the kicking thing. You are probably having a laid back child, lucky you! As for the toxo, I read somewhere that people are most at risk who have NOT had cats and then come into contact while pregnant. I seem to remember what I read saying tht people who have been around cats a lot prior to getting pregnant are usually immune from exposure to it over the years. Finally, Thailand, you would know all about it if you had picked something up over there. I lived in Asia for 8 yrs, and lots of my friends had babies while over there. Believe me, none of them would worry about what you are worrying about. Its just as normal life over there as it is here. Yes you do need to be careful not to drink the water or stuff like that but as I said, you would know if you had exposed yourself to something not great as you would be stuck on the toilet (and baby would probably still be totally fine). Oh, and the heartbeat, isn't it supposed to slow down towards the end? As the baby develops it gets slower I think...gradually getting closer to a normal human heart rate because it is super fast as they develop. So stop worrying. Thats what the midwife is there for and she isn't worried in the slightest! Good luck with the labour!

[shinyblackgrape]

Yup! I'm 37+5 and feel exactly the same.

I've got an anterior placenta too and on Tuesday hardly felt the baby at all. I'm such a bad Mum to be that I didn't really cotton on until the next day and felt the baby again! My NCT people all say the same re movement and seeing feet and hands poking out. again, never see that.

I'm currently convinced that the baby is deaf as it never seems to react to loud noises although it does seem to wiggle about when DH puts his hand on the bump. Have spent the last 2 weeks alternatively crying about it and feeling resigned. DH is . He's managed to convince me that all is probably fine and whatever happens we will deal with. However, I'm now fretting with no reason that the baby could be blind. I'm truly mental.

I'm also worried about the birth, breast feeding, SIDS, baby being too cold/too hot, dealing with crying, whether I've got the right clothes for it, the number of Muslins, how to work the car seat, driving with the baby, using the pram and someone falling on the Moses basket and squashing the baby. Oh, and whether the baby will like us! to bad if it doesn't says DH Also, what to do if someone bullies baby at school! FFS!

According to my sister and mum, this is all perfectly normal and up just the start of a lifetime of worrying!!