Late December - Early January Thread 2!

[Bella1985]

Hi! We're on to our 2nd thread for babies due at the end of December/Early January. 3rd trimester is in sight...!

I second that lucy - can't wait to sleep on my back again and be comfy!

It's good that you're being closely monitored, I feel much better when they take things seriously rather than dismiss them.

emz you're having a tough time with your toddler- it sounds sooo hard, hope things get better soon.

I had my mw appt this morning and baby's head is still engaged - I must be used to the feeling of pressure and mw thinks it's stretching his little legs out which is causing the high movements. Either that or (s)he's playing games with me by bobbing in and out all the time!!

Next appointment is the 'birth plan' home visit at 36 weeks. This really does feel like the final countdown now!

It's all getting exciting! Yes my DS is being tiring but I think he's just sensing that things are changing. He went down for his nap today with no fuss! Just as the electrician has called to say he can pop in to finish off the job he started last week. Typical! Hopefully tonight will be better.

I fear that I am starting to waddle. The pressure has increased on my pelvic floor. It aches constantly when standing & I can't walk very fast. Maybe your baby is just stretching out Bella whilst it can. Stealth, you are making my eyes water! Let's hope they have over estimated the size of your little one and its not quite so big!

My MW did say that realistically a baby born after 36 weeks should be well enough to come home after a day or 2 unless there are health issues. I'll feel much better once Iv passed 34+6! DH is having his Christmas do Friday which then signals a dry December for him. I did point out that I haven't had a drink in a very long time (gave up alcohol before I got pregnant summer 2015! Not that I'm a big drinker anyway).

Oh wow I x posted you stealth so didn't see your msg- yikes! That head circumference! There's lots of tales of getting the size wrong so hope your baby isn't quite as big as they're saying! At least you know he's a good healthy size whenever he comes!

I am scared! Yes it's good that he is big as lots of benefits to that - but worried about the birth.

Stealth I keep hearing that the bigger the baby the easier the birth! Counter intuitive I know but I've heard it so many times it must be true!

Well I had a 5lber last time & it wasn't easy. He was long & thin. All worth it. Currently snuggled watching ice age together as he's coming down with a cold. I'm achey & waddly. Plus I slipped down a few stairs this morning. DH is not coming home til the early hours due to Christmas party. Quite looking forward to an evening by myself & stuffing my face without any disapproving looks even got some Ben & jerrys in! Just hope DS sleeps!

Just checking in as I'm still here! Have been reading the thread but not managing to reply....

Sorry to those who are struggling - we are nearly there ladies, just a few more weeks till we are full term . The December thread is scary, but I keep telling myself that most of the ladies there are nearly a month ahead of us and not to panic!

It must be so hard with toddlers, I hope they adjust well to life as a big brother

I've been overloading on courses over the past few weeks and am mentally knackered, NCT, hypnobirthing, baby first aid and active birth, combined with a full (and the rest) time job has hit me hard. Roll on 2 weeks when work (and all the classes) are over and I can relax and concentrate on maternity leave.

Bella- do you finish next week? Are you all prepared? Anyone else finished or finishing next week ?

Ouch emz. Hope the fall wasn't too bad and the evening on the sofa was suitably restorative.

admarks you sound like you've been running around like a crazy lady!

colonol yes, tbh it's mostly the head size I'm worried about. He's got a big bonce! -!: I think that measurement is fairly accurate as it's a linear measurement. Eep!

You ladies are all so busy! Make me feel very lazy. I'm struggling with the pelvic pain but just taking it slowly & trying to keep moving. It is worse when I rest as I do stiffen up. DS is sleeping better but now has a horrible cold. I'll look forward to that!

Starting to think about the labour & actually getting this baby out. Keep going from "I can do this" to "oh s**t isn't there another way out!"

Oh and I've got another 3 weeks of work left. Gah!

emz 💐 on the pelvic pain. I actually got my ribs strapped up yesterday as they are now so sore. It's definitely better when you keep moving but with declining energy keeping moving is a struggle, isn't it?!

It really is hard. DH was still out at 1.30 when I woke. He eventually made it home at 4.45! He went off to sleep & baby woke up giving me huge rib kicks. Think I got back to sleep at 6 then up with DS at 8. Eyes sting from not enough sleep. DH has pointed out that it's his last night drinking as he's dry now until the baby arrives. Not helping me right now tho. So tired. Already looking forward to bedtime.

Must be hard for you Stealth. When I worked full time with DS, I originally planned to work until 38 weeks. As it got closer I changed it to 36 weeks as I just got more & more tired, then DS arrived at 35 weeks (Monday morning of my last week). You have my sympathies, this last bit is so hard.

The waking up is awful. I am still snoring and waking myself up too. But at least I can nap during the day - I had a nice nap between 830-10am this morning. Don't know how you do it with a demanding toddler emz. I reckon you get your DH up and retreat to bed!

I just did an aqua aerobics class and it's amazing how much my body is starting to change. The relaxin is really kicking in - I can feel it in my shoulders and pelvis. Have to start being careful I think. Feel a lot better for being in the water though!

Yes I regret working through to 38w. Unfortunately it just isn't possible to move the date forward. At least my mat cover is coming in for 3 days this week and next week so I can start handing over. Beginning of the end!

emz glad that fall hasn't injured you. Impressed with your DHs stamina being able to stay out so late! Today will be a long day though, especially if DS is ill. Take it easy if you can I find my pelvic pain is worse when I sit for long periods of time too. Although we walked up to the local farmers market with friends and I had to stop 3 times on a steep hill, it was so I really struggled to walk round the market as my legs seemed to have seized up! I was so embarrassed! I'm back home now having a hot chocolate and putting my feet up to rest, I may have been over ambitious this morning!

Yes admarks I finish work on friday 2nd dec - I can't wait! I was so tired yesterday I could hardly focus, and wasted 2hours trying to solve a mystery payment on my work credit card which had the most obvious explanation - I really should have just gone home. I'm going to try and do reduced hours next week as I clearly need to rest more. I'm normally so meticulous and am known by colleagues for paying attention to detail so I don't want to do an epic cock-up on my last week!

That's a lot of classes admarks! You must be nackered! Hope they were useful and you get some quiet time soon.

colonol how was helping with the house move? Not too difficult I hope.

stealth it must be quite daunting knowing that the baby is big, making decisions at 38 weeks must feel like quite a long wait too.

It's always hard to know when to work until. You don't know how you are going to feel. My manager in my first job was still working on her due date in a busy office & still wearing heels! I don't think we will be venturing out today. DS is feeling very sorry for himself (so is DH!).

Aqua aerobics sounds amazing. I do love the weightlessness in the pool but it feels twice as bad when you get out.

I'm not sure we should be impressed! I think he still thinks he's 18 sometimes. Doing tequila shots at 3am, he should know better! Got my bump & family shots tomorrow. Hoping DS is ok for them & hoping after an early night we all feel more into it. My legs seize up, they sort of go stiff in the joints. Our bodies & brains are coping with so much that it's no surprise we struggle with more simple stuff. I find leaving the house & making sure Iv got everything for DS a challenge.

It's the simple things that seem the hardest. And they're the hardest to come to terms with! I want to bend down without grunting, and turn over in bed without huffing and puffing like I just ran a marathon. And I want to get up out of a chair gracefully. And to not forget everything and to not feel like a trip to the kitchen to fetch said forgotten item is like a hike and therefore too much to cope with!

Up until now I haven't been feeling too bad and haven't really hit the "get this baby out" stage but I think I'm close to it tonight! I'm having a pity party for one. I think I'm fighting off a cold as I slept this afternoon and felt rough all evening, my throat feels a bit sore and just feel a bit achey. Gah!

Sorry for the moan. I'm normally much more upbeat (I think!)

I rolled over this morning in the early hours & my pelvis made such a horrendous clicking & grinding noise I thought I was going to split in 2! I woke at 2.50 this morning & thought my waters had gone. Sorry for tmi but i was wet. I went to the loo in case it was that but it wasn't. I have also had period pain on & off & backache. Last time my waters gushed & there was no mistaking it. Not sure if it's just discharge making an appearance or slow leaky waters. Today I'm 34+6 which is when my waters went last time so worried it's my mind playing tricks on me.

Hope you feel better soon Bella. I think this last bit does feel a bit uphill but it will all be worth it soon.

Hope it isn't your waters emz but I too have had the awful feeling of wetness that turns out to have been pee/sweat/discharge
My lower back is achey now quite a bit. Gutted about your pelvis, it's a horrible feeling. Baby has started to really hurt either my lower ribs or an organ that's hiding round the side/back on my right so that's been feeling similar to period pain which has made me really dread the whole labour and giving birth thing as I don't seem to cope very well with pain!

Do you think you're still leaking water?

Gosh hope it wasn't your waters emz. I also have huge amounts of discharge & pain now so hopefully it is "just" late pregnancy moans & groans.

I have really hurt myself today - was trying to clean out my study for baby and really was lifting too much. Now sitting in the bath. DH and I have decided we are just going to have to pay through the nose and hire a packing & storage service to take all our excess stuff away and store it for 6 months as we have run out of time to deal with it. So frustrating. DH is adamant that "we've got a month!" to deal with everything but the reality is that I have 3 incredibly intense weeks left at work & what if the baby comes early?! The earliest I finish this week is 8pm and that's on Monday - have full days + evening functions every other night. When are we meant to do all this stuff?! Plus we're meant to be completing on our house in 2 weeks and I haven't so much as called an architect yet!

Oh Stealth that sounds stressful. At least you have a plan now. Work sounds tough. Not my waters! Iv been into triage. Was put on monitor. Babys movement & heartrate was good. No contractions found (just Braxton hicks). Baby is engaged though! it wasn't on Wednesday when I saw the midwife. 2/5s engaged. 35 weeks tomorrow so at least this one has stayed in longer their big brother!! Glad you have mentioned the discharge as that's obviously what it was. Hope you are Bella.

Glad it's not your waters emz!
stealth what an incredibly busy week you have, good luck and hope you're not seriously injured. the bath sorted it hopefully... also, bloomin typical that your DH is so optimistic - mine's the same and every now and then I ask him to tone down his optimism and ramp up the realism. I wonder if it's a man thing or if it's a balance thing - one partner has to be optimistic to counteract the other's pessimism realism...

Has anyone downloaded any apps for counting contractions? Not sure if it's worth it or which ones to look at...

I'm relieved it was false alarm. Felt like a drama queen but the midwife was really nice. Better to get checked especially after my slip down the stairs. I have to remind myself that this is all new territory now. These pains & wetness all resulted in DS arriving. We are treating lastnight as a dry run, at least we know where to go now. 35 weeks today! I wasn't sure I'd make it. Off to a yoga/hypnobirthing 2 hour session this afternoon. Poor DS is suffering with this cold & now I'm getting it but he's sleeping again (other than a continuous cough through the night) and I'll take that.

Bella, I think it's a man thing. It's easy for them to think it's far off (most go by due date) and they aren't uncomfy or having their body change. It's easy for them to forget. We have a constant reminder that it's happening. Having said that both DH & I are on tenterhooks to see when this one arrives.

emz it must have felt like deja-vu when you thought your waters went. I'm mostly convinced that this baby would be early term like DD, but there is a small doubt in me - now that DH and I are planning and prepping for a 37wk delivery this bubba may make us wait until 42wk. omg, i don't know what I'll do with myself (and my in laws! gah!) for 5wks!!

I have a cold too. Bound to happen as I commute daily on the train and tube. And my kitchen reno is halfway through. We hope that it will be mostly completed this Friday and we can take DD to choose a tree this Sunday. There are already trees, lights and wreaths on our road, it's only November (!).

my DH is quite disconnected from the new baby as well. He hears me complaining all the time about the pregnancy - particularly these last few weeks, he probably blocks out half of it. To him baby's not due till January and that's ages away.

With DS my waters suddenly gushed whilst I was laying in bed. This time it wasn't like that so I didn't think much of it. Then my mind kicked in & kept me away worrying. Those early hours spent lying & thinking too much!

I'm glad you said Lucy. I don't actually know what I'm going to do with myself if I'm still pregnant after NY, I have been so sure that baby will be born in December. It could well & truly bite me on the arse!

I can't wait to get all decorated & feel Christmassy. Feeling very sorry for myself with this horrible cold. Sleeping tonight is going to be even tougher than normal. Throats horrible & such a tickly irritating cough. Hope you feel better soon Lucy

Oh god there is no way I'm waiting til
January! Absolute worst case scenario is that I am going to instruct my doctor to Get Him Out on my due date. Natural birth be damned!

lucy I've just ordered a Christmas tree to be delivered to the house. Have decided to simply minimise all errands and bring people to me between now and baby's arrival.

Just leaving work now - yawn. 14 days and counting!