38 weeks and spotting signs of labour approaching - who wants to join me?

[theborrower]

I'm 38 weeks tomorrow and the symptom spotting has begun! Who wants to join me?

Have been having lots of Braxton Hicks for weeks now, and I've been practising my breathing when they've come recently. I get period type tummy cramps every day, sometimes with the BH. Yesterday I was in the mood to dust the house / batch cook etc but today I'm quite happy to do as little as possible. And I'm constantly googling things like "signs labour is imminent".

Last time I went into labour on my due date. I remember waking up with period cramps that morning, and in hindsight I realise I had been a bit mad cleaning and baking in the week beforehand, but otherwise I don't remember any signs that labour was approaching.

I know it could still be a few weeks away, but I guess I'm just anxious for spontaneous labour (aiming for VBAC) so humour me - if you're nearly full term too, come and join me for the 2 week wait!

Oooh the borrower sounds like the real deal.. how exciting !! Good luck and I suppose you may have had your baby by now !! ?

shitatusernames - I don't blame you !! Hard not get your hopes up though... My EDD is Wednesday... Arg ! I feel like labour is starting every night when I'm asleep (backache, bowels having clear out, period-y aches, braxton hicks and rock hard bump etc.. Then by morning - gone ! I do manage to sleep though which is amazing, phew. Maybe my body is doing some work at night - thinning cervix etc but haven't had anything resembling bloody show yet. More raspberry leaf tea for me then !

Ooh sounds promising princessdave... Hope this is it for you too ! Good luck & Keep us posted if you can - gripping !

Fingers crossed Princess!!

I get nothing at night, or maybe I do I just don't feel it, but I've been feeling iffy all morning, I'm really not getting my hopes up, I'm booked in for a sweep on Wednesday but I really hope she's here b then x

Forgot to say that last night I got different pains like shooting pains in my back and thighs... Not so bad that I couldn't fall asleep but was diff to anything I'd felt before so made me think things are progressing more...

shitat... how many weeks will you be for your sweep ? I'm wondering if my MW will offer to do one when I got for my next appointment on Thurs at 40+1 ... Don't really want one as sounds intrusive but maybe it's more normal than I think ? Anyone have any experiences of sweeps - what they entail & what are the advantages/disadvantages etc? Anyone else thinking of having one soon or politely declining ?

I got my VBAC! Baby girl born this morning 11.49. Story to follow

CONGRATULATIONS theborrower

Hoping to follow suit in the coming hours/days - breathing through the pain every 5 minutes at the moment so I've submitted the gas and electricity metre readings and paid the credit card online! Going to empty the dishwasher now.

How exciting that it's all getting going for everyone! :)

(eepie I had a sweep with DD that did nothing, couldn't reach it and when I was in labour they still couldn't reach so my experience was pain for no gain)

Congrats on your new arrival theborrower !! Xx

Wow congrats the borrower, I'll be 41 weeks when I have it, I'm praying that all the discomfort I'm feeling today is leading to something, think it works for some and not for others, love this thread . More details when you have a spare five minutes borrower lol xx

Princess I hope this is it for you x

11pm on my due date I had a baby boy to share a birthday with the borrowers little girl! :)
Shell shocked as got to Hosp at 7:30pm & he literally burst out once it got to the ARGH stage. I thought I was in for a long wait so yeh... Can't quite believe it!
Hope you are all doing good this Monday morning x

Wow princessdave congrats and well done !!!! Jealous of all the newborn cuddle you guys must be having ! Enjoy your little ones !
Loads more intense braxton hicks & loose BM's for me last night - kept me awake loads, didn't sleep well so hopefully something starts happening for real as my EDD approaches on Weds... There won't be anyone left on the thread soon !

Awwww congrats Princess

I'm still here, had the midwife out last night and I'm 3/4cm now, all contractions have stopped and the little madam is back to back, so I've got myself a ball to sit on to try and encourage her to turn, why on earthe the midwifes never told me so I could do this before my due date I'll never know!! So hopefully not much longer for me xx

Ohh I loved reading this thread. Whilst feeling knackered and ready to burst youve gave comfort and light at the end of the tunnel!!

Congratulations to you both & DP/DH x x

Congratulations princess our babies are birthday buddies :-)

So yep, it was definitely the start of labour. I had a bath which really helped the pains, but they were worse when I got out and so I woke DH up at 5.30am and asked him to put my tens machine on. We called my parents and the hospital at 6, and had to chase up my parents, because the pain was getting worse, and we got to hospital for 7am. On the way I joked to my DH (though not really) that I wasn't sure about a VBAC as it was feckin sore. I was 4 fully effaced on examination at triage, so it was up to the labour ward. Unfortunately (or fortunately) we got the last room as they were now on redirect to the next hospital over (although my notes recommended my hospital because of the possibility of another EMCS), so we didn't get a room with a pool or the telemetry monitors I wanted. BUT it was totally fine - gas and air, paracetamol and dihydrocodiene are wonderful things!! I laboured on the bed strapped to monitors which I had thought id be totally against, but I was more than happy to kneel and drape myself over the back if it between contractions, and you would have had to prise the tens off me. Anyway, baby born 11.51, all fine - had a second degree tear which seems ok so far. Still in hospital but going home tomorrow - I'm in no rush as I want to be confident with baby's feeding following my last experience, and it looks like that is clicking into place too

Thanks everyone! Keep going Eepie & shitatusernames!

I'm back in hospital after going home Monday, uterine infection. Blagh. Still, best place to be & I'm on the mend.

borrower and princess, I am a little bit jealous. I am 40+2 today. I am not really minding being pregnant - I just hate the not knowing when baby will come. I feel bored waiting for baby!

I had a sweep on my due date, got some contractions in evening but now nothing. Yawn.

Any movement eepie and shitatusernames?

40+2 here ! On due date had long walk, then yesterday DTD, went out for curry and before our main course had arrived I was already feeling very achey ... Then me & DP did hypnotherapy relaxation together before bed & I put an evening primrose capsule inside.... Strange but was recommended by my friend who's a doula to be very effective. Then at midnight when lying in bed I had a definate contraction !! Followed by 5 more within the hour... Tried to sleep but felt too excited so got up and had a snack, walked around house, bounced on birth ball... Contractions stopped. Was doing a few yoga stretches when I had one more definate contraction & then went to bed listening to my hypnotherapy tape and fell asleep. Was v uncomfortable & achey whenever I woke up in the night to turn over... But nothing substantial to properly wake me up. This morning woke up and too excited / restless arrrrrg. Contractions haven't picked up or continued though so... Maybe more of the same tonight ? Will do all the relaxing and stuff again to get the oxytocin going again and we have left over curry in the fridge !! Come on babbbbbbby !

I had a curry two hours before waters broke......it still haunts me!!!

Watching the midwife take away a very messy looking sheet, dont think i will be having a curry this time!

Oh gosh I've been eating curry non stop. Got a really funny tummy, hoping it's a clearout. Also been twiddling my nips enough that they're now sore. So eepie - you're saying evening primrose oil capsule inside your vagina? I may have to have a google!

gotagoldtoof - yes my doula friend told me to do it... You pierce the capsule with a needle and then pop the capsule up like a tampon !! In the evening before bed is best I think so it doesn't leak out whilst you're walking around. Apparently helps to soften your cervix. I had those few contractions last night about half an hour after I popped it up there ! Not sure whether it that or the sex from earlier ... Or I also did some nipple stimulation/ practising hand expressing colostrum as my Breastfeeding workshop lady told me to try it out & that I can bring on labour !

gotagoldttoof it looks like curry worked for me, or was at least a coincidence. I was thinking "oh god, I wish I hadn't" though, as I was vomiting too, but nasty. On the plus side, i think it did such a grand job of clearing me out, I didn't poo in labour. At least DH swears I didn't. I did vomit though :-(

Oh borrower, bless you. I think curry or no, your body tends to try to force it all out, so being sick is apparently quite normal even though it's the last thing you need when in labour. I was sick a lot with my first baby. I hope you're enjoying your snuggly little baby now and forgetting all about giving birth!

Thanks eepie I will pop in to Holland and barrett tomorrow and put a couple in tomorrow night. I read it's supposed to help efface cervix, not so much dilate, but yep I'll give it a go, why not! I have a feeling this baby will come this Monday 7 july which will be 5 days after edd. Have you got any funny feelings about when baby will arrive?

gotagoldtoof -- I was hoping she'd come today as then we'd be a family of birthdays on the 5th - me and DP both born on 5th ....but then I thought 7th of the 7th would be a good birthday to have too...lucky number 7 ?! I hope it's soon for both of us. Just went for a long walk which was knackering but I think it did some good as I can feel the baby so low down it feels like she is in the top of my thighs !
My EDD by dates is today....EDD by scan was on 2nd July....but my scan was at 14 weeks not 12 weeks so maybe that has a bearing on the accuracy?
Definately try evening primrose as both nights I have used the capsule as a suppository (and taken 3 tabs in the morning orally too), each night I have felt STUFF happening for sure....that one night I had 5 or 6 contractions in an hour that stopped when I got out of bed and started moving around.....and then last night I was woken in the night by very strong cervix stabby pains as baby moved - think def the evening primrose oil is helping the effacement or dilation or whatever process along. I just keep thinking that the more work our body's do now (laying the groundwork) the less they have to do in labour...hopefully it'll be quicker and smoother when it actually does start as our cervix's will be well prepared ! ha.