Finding it hard to believe I'm about to give birth

[Iburntthecakes]

I'm 39+ 1. Obviously the bump is going to become a baby sometime over the next few weeks but it still feels completely unreal. I'm tired but don't feel too bad all in all and have become strangely accustomed to not being able to reach my feet or walk very fast. Its my first DC so I have no idea really but I don't feel like I'm about to go into labour anytime soon. I'm also hopelessly disorganised, the house is a skip, we're having the windows repainted (when it's not raining) and I have not packed my hospital bag yet...

I read the get out now threads and just feel ambivalent. Has anyone else felt like this?

If you can't believe that you are about to give birth just wait til the disbelief when you actually have given birth to your brand new baby. It really is totally mind blowingly, amazing. You keep looking and looking at your new baby in wonderment as though you have done something quite miraculous. The first six months or so of each of my DC's felt like an out of body experience so don't worry about feeling a little disconnected.
My eldest is 6'3 and I still can't believe I gave birth to him.
Anyway, congrats, good luck and enjoy your new baby.

I felt like this with DC2 i was dancing at an Easter party with DC1 on my due date, i think it was because i'd done it before and knew (thought i knew) what to expect, as it was she took another 8 days to arrive.
I would pack your hospital bag though, my labour with DC2 was 90 mins from start to finish, wouldn't of liked to be trying to pack my bag with contractions every 30secs-1min apart.

Yes I 2nd the pack your bag , I thought I was in labour early ties morning (bad pains) and thought oh no I need to pack my bag ! It was not a nice feeling that u need to do that whilst ur in quite a bit of discomfort :(

I had this with DD. I never once could seriously envisage my bump becoming an actual real life baby! Even now she's 22 months and here telling me how she's not going to through her crayons everywhere (lies!), I still can't believe she was ever inside me and I pushed her out.

I'm 19+4 with DC2 and it's the same again, I just can't imagine that I'm actually having a second child and I don't think I will until the baby's here.

(she's just thrown her crayons everywhere - I knew she was lying!)

I felt similar. Disbelief that there was ever actually going to be a baby. I was very used to being pregnant, but had lost sight of the inevitable end!
Was worried that I wasn't excited, worried that I didn't want/wouldn't love the baby.
Once he arrived, it took me a couple of days to fall in love with him, but he is now nearly one, and the most amazing person in the whole world.

But yes, pack your bag!

Thanks all, its reassuring to hear I'm not the only one :)

I really must pack that bag...

I feel exactly the same and I have the weird addition that I know it is going to happen on Tuesday (having CS). I have all the anticipation of the birth etc but can't really compute that after it all there will be a baby to look after. Mine! I have no childcare skills and, reading up on how to change nappies last night, have realised that for the first few weeks I will probably have to get a manual out every time he or she needs something. A step by step guide!

Although it all feels so enormously life-changing, the thing that also keeps on entering my head is this is actually THE most natural thing in the world. It's how we all got here. Having a baby feels so remarkable to the person having it but it also such an every day occurrence all round. A very strange dichotomy.

People keep asking if I am excited and to be honest I don't really know! It feels like one of those occasions where you know you should be excited - New Year, Parties, life-changing moves etc but something else reminds you that life is still here going on as usual.

I HAVE packed my bag though

Good luck on Tuesday freelancegirl and also to you itsmylastone for a few months time. Interesting you still feel the same with your second.

That sounds exactly how I feel freelancegirl. I've never really paid much attention to pregnancy before now and 90% of women go through it and must have also been struck by how amazing it all is. I can't believe there is a whole new person inside me who is going to be so important to me but I don't even know yet. I'm still stunned at the idea she has half my genes and half DPs.

Still, I have spent the afternoon packing a hospital bag. Only a few more things to go in it and then I can write out my birth plan

I couldn't believe the bump I had would become my DD who is 15 weeks old tomorrow. Pleased do pack your bag ASAP. My partner had his packed, and I had bought what I needed, but not packed it. Despite dp nagging me to do it. I still hadn't done it when my waters broke at 36+6! so I was busy flinging things into a bag! I still had to get my dp to bring things in. Bit nothing to major fortunately!

Pleased I'm not the only one ! First day of maternity leave today and I actually cried this morning as I didn't know what to do with myself. People keep telling me to relax and make the most of it bur I have spent the day checking my blackberry and wondering how everything is at work.
Good luck to everyone xx