As I near 38 weeks, I'm struggling to understand how women can manage beyond 40 weeks

[flawless29]

As a first-time mom, the pain and pressure in my pelvic region during the final weeks of pregnancy were excruciating and sharp. I tried to stay active by going to the pool and doing those antenatal ex, but even simple tasks like cooking and shopping became difficult.

Sleep, sitting, and standing were all uncomfortable, and my stomach felt tight and painful. Sometimes I experienced dizziness and blurred vision, and I couldn't help feeling envious of moms who had already given birth.

I'm finding it really tough to cope with the discomforts of pregnancy, especially as I approach 38 weeks. I'm amazed at how some women can endure this for up to 42 weeks without a hitch. May be it’s tough for me as it my first time ☹️😢

It must be really individual. I went over 42 weeks, and felt fine, mostly. I walked ten miles on my due date to try and get labour started! On the downside, I turned out to be dreadful at giving birth.

Sorry you are having a crap time, OP, hope it gets better!

I’m being honest, not all women find the final stages hard at all. I found the second trimester a bitch (migraines), but the third trimester was no problem. I got about just fine, no pain, no breathlessness.

Oh, OP I totally sympathise you 🌸
I had all mine at 42 weeks (they were all 11lb, I must add! 😂) and with the first one, by week 40 I honestly thought I’ll be pregnant forever! I remember, very vividly, crying my eyes out to my mum saying exactly that 😂

I had a friend who always used to boast how easy she found pregnancy. All 3 of her DC were induced at 37 weeks so she never had to endure those torturous last weeks.

Haha, I remember doing ANYTHING to get my labour started with my eldest. I went to a wedding the day before my due date and stayed on the dance floor the ENTIRE time to try and get baby out. I had an induction booked and wanted to avoid reaching induction so I scrubbed every floor in our house by hand. I sat on my yoga ball instead of the sofa from 35 weeks. The day before my induction I was walking with one foot on and one foot off the kerb for hours, I was doing squats (it was not a pretty sight) and the tried to convince my boyfriend to have sex with me. He said no and I cried. For hours.

I have three kids. Two were 10 days late, one was a week early.

Guess which is my favourite 😄

Well you don't have much choice in the matter

I went to 41 wks 6 days. I was fine. Felt no different. It worked out better date wise actually

I mean… you realise you could go to 42 weeks right?

No point counting down to your due date. The majority of first time pregnancies go past DD.

It's just like anything else - you cope because you have to.

Each pregnancy is different though. DS1 came at 39+5 and I worked up until 38 weeks, could happily have worked another week 😂 with DS2 I worked up until 37 weeks and I wish I'd gone about 4 weeks earlier, I was exhausted!!

You can't even imagine what it's like with twins, and tbh it's all part of the pregnancy unfortunately

Some people are lucky enough not to have much discomfort in late pregnancy. I didn't find the last weeks particularly bad, other than not knowing whether I was coming or going because of the false labours. My second child was born at 43 weeks.

I went ten days over and it was hell. I hope your little one doesn’t keep you waiting too much longer

Everyone is different OP, I went full term with the first and well into 42 weeks with the second.
I didn’t have any real problems in pregnancy and although my bump was huge, I was still active, walking the dogs, cleaning and decorating the day before deliveries - in fact I was out walking my dog wondering why my tummy was hurting on the morning my contractions started!

Just luck that’s all! I didn’t do anything special that you won’t have done.

Best of luck, hope baby comes quickly for you!

It's hell! I was begging that 10lb madam to just make her entrance so I could sit down.

Of course I then had to be stitched, so sitting for any extended period was excruciating for a few more weeks.

I had three, two were two weeks late, can't say I noticed any difference. Swam til the end with all. Did try scrubbing carpets, moving furniture, full game of badminton with the first trying to make him shift..... All to no avail 🙄 wonder if its anything to do with height, I'm quite tall, always wondered if more uncomfortable for shorter women.

I wasn’t ready for my LO to come out so was quite happy to go over. She was induced and came by emergency section at 40+11! She didn’t engage at all though which is probably why I was reasonably happy just pottering around. She was also a lockdown baby and my first so I could just nap whenever I felt like it! I don’t think I’ll be quite as chilled about it all now I’m pregnant and have a 2 year old!

If you think this is bad wait til you have another baby and you have to deal with a toddler whilst coping with the pregnancy.
Put your feet up and rest OP!

If I hadn't had an actual date I think I'd have been fine. It was knowing they were late that pissed me off. But I agree with a pp- I think it's nature's way of making you relieved to give birth.

First was a breeze for me. No pressure, pain or anything and went 12 days overdue.
2nd was completely different- all the pelvic pain and pressure. Struggling to walk. Backache. Only 2 years apart and I’m in my early 30s. So yeah.. some pregnancies are just different to others, that’s how people do it! They get lucky. Plus, the obvious which is that you don’t have a choice really haha

I went to 42 weeks twice. Was shit and every hour felt like a day.

As a shorter woman with a ridiculously short abdomen, I think this might be part of it. I’ve only got a few fingers width between my hip bone and my rib cage; although my fundal height was at my belly button at 20 weeks; it was also as high as my ribcage!

I had a prominent bump from 12 weeks both times. Like, many people guessed I was pregnant. I was fully in maternity clothes since 16 weeks. My bump was pretty much full term size by 18 weeks - because I could only really go out. With my son (#2) my belly dropped so low that it was tear shaped by the midway point.

I only gained 20lbs with my first and 14lbs with my second, but my bump was bloody huge both times. Both small babies (under 7lbs) - it wasn’t actually huge; it just looked huge because I was all ribcage and hip bone so baby could only go out the way.

Yup, better out than in! I never made it past 37 weeks, how people manage 40+ i just don't know! I've still got the backache now and DS1 is 30! I spent the evenings of my last weeks of pregnancy literally on my hands and knees or in the heated swimming pool, everything else was too uncomfortable! Giving birth was a huge relief!

I genuinely felt fine all throughout the pregnancy, and went to 41.5 weeks! Labour, on the other hand, I wasn't so great at.

Only 34 weeks and feeling exactly the same. I had my first at 35 weeks so never experienced the late pregnancy uncomfortableness whereas this one is killing me. The thought of another 5 weeks to go made me sob to my DH today. The only upside is that I’ll be having an elective c-section so at least I won’t be going past 40 weeks.