Oh lordy are things starting to happen??

[StrangewaysHereICome]

Just need to share as I am driving myself nuts!! I am 37 weeks today and woke up at 2.30am which a very sharp pain to the side of my bump which I had to breathe through. It coincided with a BH contraction. I lay there thinking oh goodness I am not ready for this!! Then I started timing things as I couldn't get back to sleep because the tightenings and period type pains were coming every 5 mins and lasting 30 secs. Not painful as such, but uncomfortable.

After an hour I needed the loo and lets say I cleared my bowels out . I was awake for a further 2 hours before finally dropping off. I woke up at 7 still with the tightenings, just the same as before, which are still going now. I haven't had a show but have, er, done more bowel clearing.

Any ideas? This is my third so I should know really, but both my previous labours started with my waters breaking and then nothing for 12 hours before labour started in earnest.

I need to go to Tesco - dare I venture out?? DH doesn't believe things might be starting and we have a decorator coming tomorrow. I am planning a homebirth and all DH can say is wait until after the room has been painted !!

Sorry this is so long, I am feeling a bit edgy!

Well yeah it does sound like something is happening...

It sounds like good luck , It will be lovely giving birth with the decorators in and out

how are you now? Has any more happened? Am also 37 weeks with a Section booked for 39 weeks - though have never got to 39 weeks yet - both previous babies born at 37 and 38 weeks respectively.

Am having a very similar experience to you today! including either waters coming out in drips and drops (but i don't think so as have not had a show) or just cramping and additional discharge (more likely than waters). Either way am having same bowel issue as you !! Please let me know how you are doing?!

Ohh Grippingon that sounds exciting too.

Nothing much is happening here - I am still niggling but not as regularly before. I managed some sleep this afternoon and feel better now. Wonder what tonight will bring?

Good luck, let me know how you are getting on .

Oooh so we could have a birth thread later on :) Marking my place!!

Looks like baby is cunningly just scraping in under the 37 week deadline for homebirth! Glad he didn't take lessons from my DC1 - she decided to start showing up 6 hours before and I ended up in hospital, grrr!

Glad you got some rest :) Hope you're not in suspense too much longer!

Coincidentally I managed a nap and all rumblings and leakings have ceased !! This happened to me last weekend too, perhaps it's from overdoing it?

surely its best for baby to come BEFORE the decorating is done?

Tee hee changey you might be right but I sincerely hope I won't be pebble dashing the walls .

Another twingey night and now nothing much doing now. I thought things were moving at 3am, more pains and tightenings, got back to sleep at 5am then my DD1 woke me feeling poorly so she is home today along with the decorator so I am pleased it's all stopped. Today would not be convenient!

It's going to fun entertaining a 5 year old without a telly while keeping my legs crossed

How are you today gripping?

Hello strangeways - same here !! Apart from decorator and ill child. Had a few tightenings last night and what I hoped was significant leakage so stayed up until nearly 2 - so I didn't miss anything (Like I'm going to sleep through labour!!) anyway slept like a log and all is quiet and still today. Took the dog for a good half hour walk this morning to take DD and DS to school, came home, slept for another 2 hours and can report that absolutely nothing, a big fat zero, is happening here !!!

I really thought I was going to log on and see you that had given birth! I hope the wait isn't too much longer for either of us

Hi gripping Decorating is done - hooray can relax a bit more. I am a bit of your sleep, didn't manage any shut eye today. I really hope I either sleep tonight or have a baby - one or the other !!

Hope it's the same for you !

An evening of stabbing pains in the vagina. And still no sign of baby !! The joy of late pregnancy!

Any news today gripping. Nothing here, and have actually managed a decents night sleep but feel just as tired . Still getting tightenings but not regular or painful.

I am a bit on edge really as I dd1 is still really poorly with a high temp so not sure how I can fit in having a baby and looking after her! I suppose if it happens we will cope, but I am not feeling too rosy myself now and couldn't face labour atm!! Having read other people's experiences on here, once things get going it could be really quick with being the third - gulp!.

Happy Days!

Hello strangeways my goodness you have a lot on your plate, I hope you get a few days reprieve - just like I am doing !! aaarrrgh! BH's have calmed right down but the pains in the minge are sharper than ever. Apologies for TMI, but sat down earlier to try to relax through yet another fanjo assault and pissed myself. Have had enough now LOL
Seeing midwife tomorrow - pointless antenatal 5 minute chat about nothing, then onwards......

hello again - I hope we have turned the corner with dd1, she is now on antibiotics for a bladder infection and seems better today - phew. No school though til Monday as she has to drink drink drink!

Poor you, I'm glad to say I have not suffered the minge thing - oh the dignity of late pregnancy! HOpe it goes well with the midwife - seeing mine on Saturday.

A bad night for me last night, couldn't get comfy at all as the baby seems so low so rolling over and lots of loo trips meant lots of huffing and puffing. Then when I got comfy DH was snoring like a trooper and sulked when I asked him to be quiet .

Hopefully I will get a nap later if dd lets me .

Hello strangeways any more news? Poor little DD with bladder infection that's hardcore, am glad she was feeling better yesterday.

I saw midwife yesterday, she noted that baby's head is 4/5ths in relation to the brim - now as far as I am aware that's not engaged, it's barely down there, I know it's common in third pregnancies for them not to engage until labour but it felt like another blow that actually nothing is happening and it's all in my head! Lots more BH's since but nothing really of note.

Anything kicking off for you?

Oh that's disappointing for you, but I think you are right that later babies don't engage until labour. Still 4/5ths is heading in the right direction so look on the bright side.

I had another panic this morning, period like cramps during the night, regular tightenings and a sharp pain at the base of my bump just before I got up. So I made a song and dance about DH being near the phone at work, and gathered up my numbers for friends who could have the children and quickly wrote a birth plan ..... and now nothing . I felt sure today was the day, but doesn't look that way now. The baby feels lower though. I am seeing the mw tomorrow so we'll see what she says then.

I am also ravenously hungry so I wonder if my body might be gearing up for something?

Goodness this could go on forever!!

OMG you poor poor thing !!! I did literally LOL about your song and dance about DH being near the phone etc etc and your birth plan. Sorry it all came to nothing !! Interestingly today I have been ravenously hungry also and I wondered if it was a sign, although my very kind best friend insists its a sign of hoggishness and not much else !!

Was so fed up today I collected the children and spent ten quid on chocolate, sweets and inappropriate fizzy drinks for us all for tea. Can cook, can't be arsed !! We all washed down our mars bars with fanta and do you know what, it felt good !!! Even my BH'S have stopped now but baby keeps moving so he's happy where he is, I have decided to be happy too.

That said, I have arranged to go to the cinema tomorrow night and even gone to the bother of arranging a baby sitter....if anything triggers him off that will !!

Good luck seeing midwife tomorrow - if i have got that right. Keep me posted and keep making a song and dance whatever you do xxxx

Nothing like a lovely pig out to put the world to rights and make you feel better . I've been craving crisps and chocolate too . And no doubt you will settle into your seat at the cinema and your waters will break - sorry I hope not!!

Well the midwife has just been and I'm 3/5ths engaged - whoop whoop! All these niggles are the baby getting into position. So it might not be long. I am just about to take dd swimming so that might get things going - am I brave or stupid?

Lovely evening at the cinema and a stressful trip around the supermarket today - still nothing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Any news strangeways?

No nothing here, the usual niggles, BH's coming and going and nothing else - humph!

Glad you had a lovely evening at the cinema , and at least you have food in the house if something happens .

Will see how you are doing tomorrow

Well I'm still here Strangeways - are you love? I had a couple of delightful hot gushes at 2.30 and then again at 3.00 pm today so I rang the labour ward! I had organised a lift from a friend to get there and sorted childcare, only to be told that the labour ward was rammed full and not to bother going down - they would ring me back when they had a space!! They did ring me back a couple of minutes ago and asked what, if anything is happening, had to inform them that actually nothing much! Still leaking but no contractions just a bump that really hurts if I move or anything touches it :-(

Have my pre-op booking in appointment tomorrow for a section on Thursday so will see if it's normal to be in this much non contraction pain then. I can also hardly walk. Moan Moan Moan

Hope your DD is better strangeways xxx

Goodness that all sounds exciting gripping and to think you'll be holding your baby on Thursday! Hope the pre-op booking goes well adn all your aches ease off. Just think it really isn't long now .

Yes I am still here and resigned to the fact that all these niggles mean diddly squat! I did sleep much better last night which was good but I reckon I will be lumping this bump around for a bit longer yet . The midwife is coming tomorrow so we'll see if she has any pearls of wisdom or any idea when we might be meeting this baby!! I suppose I can't moan too much as I am not actually due til the 27th but I just felt so sure it would be early like DD2 .

Thanks for asking about DD, she is much better now thanks but after a week of not eating much she has lost lots of weight and just looks so skinny . She is eating better now so hopefully she will fill out again soon.

Can't wait to hear your news xx

Can I join in? I am 38+1 and I've been convincing myself for the past week and a half that I'm on the verge of going into labour (with my second child). I'm also planning a home birth.

So far, I've had regular BHs which last for a full minute each and a regular 5 mins apart for hours every evening and the digestive clear out you mentioned above. And weird vaginal mucousy things (sorry, tmi).

I can also make up some more symptoms, along the lines of feeling a bit "spaced out", being unusually hungry or not fancying anything to eat, needing to sleep suddenly at 5pm and other feeble imaginings.

My DH thinks I'm insane.

Well hellooooooo there BUnder!! I have missed you from the antenatal board, so glad you are okay .

Isn't that strange, you are exactly like me! My DH has given up listening to me! I am imagining other symptoms too . I am 38+3 so we are very close in dates.

I am much more uncomfortable today, the baby feels so very low down. The mw cancelled me today (how dare she?!!) so won't see her til Saturday now. I am not sure how much longer this will go on!! When I had my regular BH's for a few nights, at the next check the baby was engaged so the mw said it was getting the baby into position - maybe that is the same with you. Is your baby engaged yet?

Best of luck with the homebirth and let us know how you are getting on .