How unbelievably shit does late pregnancy have to be? Is it really supposed to be this rubbish?

[ZeroMinusZero]

I am somewhere between 38 and 40 weeks pregnant (been measuring big for months so MW has said scan date of March 6th might be wrong - a fortnight ago she said I should expect baby to come "any day now" )

I just feel sooooooooooooooooo rubbish. Back pain, SPD, having to sleep for hours in the day, extreme tiredness, not being able to walk further than the end of the road.

Because of all this I am desperate to get this baby out of me and I would love it if I was induced right now, but I am guessing MW won't be interested, partly due to my official date being March 6th... even though they have already said that this is wrong.

I'm especially worried because my baby is so big (or at least has been measuring big, I assume that means the baby herself will be big) and I am petite (5 foot) and have had a bit of SPD (though only moderate, not severe).

I don't really know where I'm going with this, it's just a rant really. It would be nice to know if anyone else felt/feels this shit in late pregnancy and generally any words of gentle reassurance would be appreciated.

Oh I do feel for you! I went 2 weeks overdue and those last 2 weeks were godawful. I hadn't had a difficult pg as such, but I didn't enjoy it at all - and by 40w I had Had Enough. DS had other ideas though and clung on in there until I was induced - and those last 2 weeks were Not Nice. Dreadful acid reflux (I ate a ton of vanilla icecream, it helped and is a heap nicer than gaviscon); horrific hip pain if I laid on my left side for more than an hour, so couldn't sleep; I suddenly expanded a lot more so was very uncomfortable doing most things, including driving; and to cap it all I had MIL over from Australia and DH expected me to entertain her!!! She didn't, luckily, and she had 2 SILs in my town to visit, so they took her out a few times.

It's not a nice stretch - but it WILL be over soon and then you'll forget all about it - I know it's trite but it is true so just hang on in there. And drink lots of raspberry leaf tea, or take the capsules - I started on them at abouto 40w, in the vain hope that they might bring labour on - they didn't, but I'm pretty sure they helped with labour itself.

Just do what you need to do to get through it - be nice to yourself, rest as much as you can, let the house go to hell if you can stand it - definitely do as little as you can get away with so that you don't exacerbate the SPD.

And have a ((hug)) - it IS shit, I remember.

Thank you tumbwitch that's reassuring to hear. I will try the raspberry tea... not sure how much I'll like it but I'll give it a whirl

Awww Zero, feel your pain! I had the SPD, swollen feet, awful heartburn, massive bump, too stiff to bend over, out of breath...everything and it was in late August in the middle of a heatwave so I just wanted to die lol

My GP recommended jumping up and down and my friend who is an obstetrician recommended sex and/or doing lots of exercises involving knee bends. I tried all of the above plus raspberry tea and spicy curry and the only thing that got the show on the road was a membrane sweep the day before my due date.

Good luck!! And I'm not sure if this is your first but if it is can I recommend you use the time to do lots of nice girly things for yourself like paint your nails, moisturise, get your hair done etc because it'll be a long while before you find the time to do it again he he

Oooohh, I feel your pain too! I'm 37 weeks and on dc#3 (The Last One)! For me it's more the emotional pain on top of the physical discomfort of not being able to walk far, be at all active, put my socks on etc.

I'm so tired, I'm hardly sleeping at all, I'm getting anxious about the birth, my teenage ds is away on holiday this week which always makes me feel a little bit wobbly at the best of times and I'm now having roller-coaster thoughts of "I really don't want a baby anyway - this was a stupid idea..." (despite this being a much wanted and much planned baby).

In short, I just feel terribly, terribly vulnerable at the moment and want my hormones BACK TO NORMAL. x

Oh my dears, I am so glad there are others out there who suffered like I did.
I was told to be grateful to be having a baby and to go full term (I am so envious of those who give birth a month early, although I shouldnt say that, but its a month less of feeling like shit)

I hated those who 'bloomed' where as I bloated, got spotty, couldnt walk, sleep, drank 2 large bottle of gaviscon a week and was sweaty and uncomfortable.

There is little sympathy from folk, so I hear your rant and second it.

BUT it WILL be over soon, and you will have the best 'prize' you can ever imagine. It is all worth it, you just have to hang in there.

I'm pg with my 4th and it was a tough decision knowing that I would feel crap for 9 mnths, and then have a c/s and be out of action for another few months. I didnt feel 'right' til a year after, I'm mad to do it again... but I wouldnt change having my babies for anything in the world!

Good luck and rant on here, you are not alone!

Ahhhh thanks for that notheroldie I agree with you so much. This is my first and I had originally planned to have an army of children but this pregnancy has been so rubbish that I can't see myself having more than two more, absolute maximum.

Sorry you're having a rubbish time. Hang on in there, it will all be over soon, and make the most of being able to get as much rest as possible.

Of all those things that are supposed to help get things going, I've heard anecdotally that the only one that sometimes works is sex. I didn't try it myself when overdue with DS, but I did have my overdue scan which involved an internal to have a look at my cervix, and I went into labour that night. All that poking and prodding around I think...

Oh, and those measurements can be misleading. DS was a whole pound lighter than the measurements had indicated.

Hi , hang in there I agree with all of the above: let the house go to pot, rest as much as possible, pamper yourself and Yes the baby will put a massive smile on your face when he/she arrrives. I went overdue with my first by 13 days and I was due to be induced an hour after he was born. My husband and I got bonking the night before and I drank raspberry leaf tea regularly which I think helped with the labour. If you can manage it sitting on a pregnancy/exercise ball helped ease my discomfort - lots of christmas photos with me and ball in various positons wearing silly crimbo hat - which gives us all a good laugh now. Also I was bowled over with DS1 our DC2 is due in 2 months so only a 14 month age gap (that's after me saying never again!)

Late pregnancy is miserable.

Just congratulate yourself on how far you have come - nearly 9 mths, bloody hell!

And also be reassured that the instant the baby is out you will feel totally normal and great again! (Though you might feel a bit bruised and battered, you'll still have the joy of having your own body back!)

Not long to go now - you've done most of it!

Thanks again for your advice ladies. Just to update you they said today that I have high blood pressure so are going to send me in for tests. Which is scary but at least they can attribute my feeling rubbish to a cause and try to do something about it. Thanks again.

Although I totally empathise that you'd like to be induced at this point, I hope the tests have gone ok and that you're alright.

FWIW the size and measurements aren't an indication of anything. I'm 5'2" and was also huge with DD1 - I mean, where are you going to hide a baby when there's only a few inches between your boobs and hips? It does make it harder to move around and even breathe sometimes!

Thinking of you (and hoping I too can skip the next four weeks and just hold my baby!)

I hear ya, and I'm only 28wks with my second. I'm pretty sure this baby is bigger than my last at this stage (this ones a boy, last was a girl). I had emcs at 34weeks with the last one due to PET, my bump was tiny compared to others on the ward that were mostly overdue. I'd love to go early with this one, maybe not 6 weeks but maybe to 36, definitely cannot go another 12 weeks of this.

I was in hospital for a while last time and couldn't wait to get out, this time it'll be like a holiday... decent nights sleep, food cooked for me, no housework, they'll have to kick me out! My OH is working away during the week and I'm a SAHM to a very boisterous 2yr old... so if your partner is around to help out, enjoy it!