BEGGING for advice from experienced people!

[ItsMeYourCathy]

Hello ladies!
I am at the end of my very frayed tether. I''m 37 + 5 and every night now for about a week I've had what I'm assuming are braxton hicks - tightening that seems to make my bump swell and go hard like a bowling ball leading to a burny period pain feeling - and a sharp stabby pain in my fanjo. TMI ALERT - I've also noticed a thickening to my CM over the last few days and looser BMs.

I have had enough. I am afriad to leave the house after 6. I cannot walk for longer than about 30 mins and I have peed more times in a day / night than I care to think about.
It was so bad last night I had lovely thoughts about it being 'time' (which then led to crying in the vein of "dear me, I can't have a baby I don't know what to do with one!")

Advice wanted:
What can I do about the braxtons? Current method is roaming around the house whinging, baths, watching crap films and eating 2 for 1 easter eggs from Tesco.
Are there any REAL methods of 'naturally' giving things a helping hand? When I get to 38 weeks I may be tempted.

Even though I am clinging on to my sense of humour here, I am seriously distressed about the state of myself at the moment and any genuine advice is greatly appreciated.

p.s. midwife is a horrible, mean spirited personage and told me to scrub my kitchen floor to move my baby when she INCORRECTLY told me he was lying breech last week (consultant told me otherwise - he's fine and was 3 /5 engaged last Monday). I can't speak to her since that. Rang hosp last night who told me they only want to know when I'm having 3 min apart contractions. Fair enough!

Hi,

So sorry you are feeling rubbish. I'd also have lain in the bath. Also sorry I don't have much helpful advice except to say that I found life with two (yes I had twins) newborns less bad than the last few weeks of pregnancy.

It will pass.

Would it help if I told you that my ds was born after five days of what I thought were Braxton Hicks? In an hour and a half.

Godspeed, you're nearly there

Jenny, we must stop meeting like this......

My mum swears by walking loads. Mostly because that's what her grandad did with pregnant horses (i.e. walk them lots) to get them started on giving birth.

My mum swore by prawn cocktail, but that was in the 70s.

I've heard that energetic sex and a hot curry can get the baby moving, too...

I read in a yogic book that one must do inversions (shoulder stand or headstand if normal blood pressure) and the baby would come out in 24 hours... plan to test this myself when due and report results to you all. good luck!

you're on the home stretch now so do whatever makes you most comfortable. To encourage baby out keep on moving but important to get as much rest as you need. Go with what your body is telling you..oh and good luck!!

Also agree that the last few weeks of pg far more difficult than life with a newborn

Good luck

Scrubbing the floor brought on my 2nd...

Out of curiosity - did you have a scan with the consultant or did s/he know from palpating that the madwife was wrong?

Just marking my place incase I need any of these ideas (almost 37wks with baby measuring 2wks ahead )

My pregnancy yoga teacher knows an aromatherapist who can apparently help if need be, might be worth seeing if there's one in your area? Otherwise I only have the standard ideas: walking, curry, pineapple, speed bumps, sex.

Oh, and raspberry leaf tea!

I had one acupuncture session - she showed me how to stab treat certain points on my ankles. Two days later...it hadn't worked and I had to have a c section...but a few of my friends said it worked for them.