please tell me it's normal...?

[MrsRV]

Morning all, posted under a different thread on Friday night to ask if I might be in early stages of labour. Had period pain/cramps about every 15 minutes for hours and got really excited that everything was starting... Then big FAT NOTHING. Until last night, more of the same for hours! This morning... Guess what? NOTHING again. Today is my due date. Feeling so fed up. Not helping that I know someone who wasn't due until Wednesday, who had her baby girl yesterday... Is it totally awful that I can't help feeling really jealous? Someone tell me that this is early labour and normal for it to stop/start?

Also, I the baby feels really high up in my ribs still and I can feel a big rounded part of her on my left side (just under ribs) and a not so big rounded part on my right side (again just under my ribs) - I'm starting to think she's turned and maybe that's the reason for the stop/starting?

Midwife appointment tomorrow so guess we'll wait and see what happens then but in the meantime I'm really hoping someone can offer me some reassurance here? X

It's not early labour I suspect but more likely the latent phase. It can go on for days/weeks but all of those niggles will be doing something.

If your baby has been confirmed as head down recently then they rarely move at this late stage but your midwife will check. Pregnancy lasts between 37-42 weeks. It's really helpful to think of a due period and not a due date as it's demoralising when you go past it.

You'll have a baby very soon indeed. Promise. They all come out in the end.

Thank you for that... I was told I was likely to be early so stupidly, I'd kind of set myself up for that and I actually feel like my due date has come and gone already! Just need to chill out.

Had hospital appointment 2 weeks ago and they said baby's head was 3/5ths down so guessing that she was not far off being fully engaged then.

As the ASDA advert says, every little helps, so all of these little cramps are moving things in the right direction!!

I was having painful braxton hicks from 37 weeks.... Sometimes coming quite reguarly - and then just stopping. Lots of period pains.... Tons of crazy nesting and reguarly had an upset stomach. All signs that labour is imminent. It wasn't! DD2 came at 40+3. MW told me all those symptoms are a sign stuff is moving but not that labour is necessarily imminent. DD2 now 3 weeks old and im so knackered I wish she had stayed put for a bit longer!!!!

QueenCee I do keep saying to my husband that when she does arrive we'll probably wonder why we were in such a rush!!

Why are they always telling women they'll labour early? It never blooming happens when they say that.

3/5 means that 2/5ths of the head is engaged and 3/5ths still palpable. But again it means nowt. DD was fully fixed and engaged for 8 weeks before labour started. DS never engaged.

Eat a lot of medicinal cake. It helps.

Good idea, must go out and stock up on more cake. And cherry tango... YES, that's what I'll do