Last week or two of pregnancy

[squidkid]

Just a place for advice/suggestions or a place to chat for those of us in the last couple weeks of pregnancy. I am on a brilliant antenatal thread but my due date is the first there and I don't want to bore them all with nonsense about braxton hicks and how to fill my days when lots of them are still at work... and I think they would prefer their babies to stay inside for now! I'm not quite at the "get it out of me" stage yet... but I'm definitely at the "if you came now you'd be very welcome" stage.... :)

I am 38+5 today and this is first baby. I know most first babies come late, so I've been trying to tell myself I'll be late throughout the pregnancy, but now I'm term it's hard not to be excited. In the last three or four days I've had long periods of continuous mild period-like pain, and some painful tightenings (sometimes very close together, but then they stop). Are these imminent signs, do these mean nothing... I don't really know. I haven't had a show.

Baby has been engaged since 34 weeks (uncomfortable!) I'm pretty sure his/her back is on the left side at the front (all the kicks are upper right hand side) which I think is ideal. I'm a little obsessive about keeping baby in a good position - I spend time on all fours, make sure I get plenty of walking/standing, sit on a gym ball when I'm on the computer, sleep on my side, I don't lie back on the sofa. I'm probably overthinking this.

I am doing pretty ok for late pregnancy - still walking at least a few miles a day, or swimming, or walking into town every day. I actually did a charity night hike last night! (Boyfriend carried maternity notes in his backpack through the woods - it was a bit stupid really!) I am slow, but I thought I'd be a lot heavier and more immobile by this stage to be honest. I stopped work a while back - a very busy, stressful, physically and emotionally demanding job - so I've had a lot of time to relax, nest, exercise, see almost all my friends, sort my flat out. Everything is neat and sorted and stocked and ready.

I'm grateful that I've had a troublefree pregnancy and hoping the birth will go fine too. Feeling positive and relaxed about it, just impatient!

How are other people doing? Staying busy, getting anxious, waiting, over-analysing every tiny sign!? Any suggestions for good things to do in the last week or two? Please no one tell me to 'get lots of sleep' as this is the one thing I am completely incapable of at the moment - up every 30-60 mins through the night...

Off to see the consultant and be lectured to about induction...

No news from Milk yet

I texted her this morning and she's v good at getting back quickly when you text her....so am hoping the fact that she hasn't replied means she's in the throes of labour!

(Not often you wish for your friend to be in pain.... )

So, went on my walk - it was a beautiful day: sun shining, morning dew, smell of freshly cut grass, multi-coloured trees. I felt so relaxed and inspired to give birth, I listened to birth affirmations on a loop, surely that was going to help? Nope.... nada! I'm sure I did at least 4 to 5 miles for Pete's sake!

I'm getting worried about induction now, I'm only 40+6 but that only leaves me 6 days before they talk induction, which wasn't pretty with DS. I know you can ask for monitoring and delay things but I fear it won't be realistic to go to hospital every day with DS.

Bit now

Afternoon ladies (lovely sunny one it is too) Just wanted to make a suggestion to all of you that might help.

I've just been for lunch with my boss and chatted to a couple of other work colleagues and it was so nice to engage my (work) brain and talk positively about being due on Sat instead of feeling like I'm constantly sat anaylysing every twinge or discussing labour and babies with all my friends who have kids. I would recommend it - and I really didn't want to go this morning.

Also, am king of wondering if Milk is my good friend who I know is in labour at the moment after being induced last night - small world if it is!

Is your friend a H who's married to a C Spice?!

Good luck to everyone on here!

I like it on this topic...I may stay despite the lack of pregnancy :o

bloobies, I'm looking forward to that treat next week . Off to see the midwife now to argue over due date, because if I'm actually due tomorrow then I somehow magically managed to conceive before my last period and before I ovulated . Wish I had worked this out a few months ago rather than a few days ago but never mind...

IHYSOALP No, it isn't her then but at least I know now, thanks! :)

I agree Spice17. I worked until 2 days before my due date and meant I didn't have time to obsess about it.

It has been a surprise to me how going past the due date has left me in a weird state of (slightly obsessive!) limbo as I never expected it to bother me. I am still having a nice time and not at the get it out stage, but it is a strange time. And like all of you, I don't want to be induced, so I can see how I will get more fed up as that day approaches.

YompingJo - hope it went well with the midwife. Dates being wrong seems to be a very common reason for being wrongly thought of as 'overdue'

Whenhenshaveteeth, that does sound lovely. Hopefully it will kick the baby into gear tonight.

How did your consultant meeting go Blooblies?

Having thought I would be having a really chilled day, it's been like grand central station here. Birth pool arrived , yay, and I now have YouView (like virgin), yay, plus had visits from my bro-in-law and niece and 3 friends with babies. Everyone has just left and I am settling down with Lindor eggs and period pains excitingly. Funny how at this stage of the game you get excited about period pains!

Oh, and sending positive vibes to Milk!

Congratulations FirstTime. Sound like you were a warrior, and it must be wonderful to have your baby xx

Congratulations firsttime
I too have finally managed to give birth; our daughter arrived at just after midnight today (thursday 4 October). Induction with propess was horrible and I had them remove the thing in the end as they wouldn't give me any pain relief beyond tablets, and examinations repeatedly showed no progress in terms of the state of my cervix. However contractions continued and when DH was back next day during visiting hours with the TENS machine I coped much better. Next exam showed I was 6cm dilated so got moved to labour ward, had nothing but gas and air til fully dilated and then an epidural as contractions slowed up and they said it could be hours still to go! The epidural wad a godsend and I ended up being prepped for a c-section, but they gave it a go with forceps first and happily that went smoothly. Am now on the postnatal ward with our lovely DD but she is not letting me sleep!

Very best of luck to everyone still waiting - I have to say if I do this again I will be refusing induction but it was still an amazing experience and well well worth it!

Mini milk is here!!

He arrived at somepoint this afternoon :o

Will let her properly announce it :)

Ah, amazing news, congrats Funchum8am and Milk. And I wonder if maybe st82 has had her baby as she has been quiet.

Funchum8am were you 42 weeks? I am 8 days over now, need to think about what I am going to do re induction. I really want this home water birth, but obviously don't want to put the baby at risk and also might be quite fed up in another 6 days.

Anyway , must be so lovely to finally have her!! Xx

Congratulations firsttime (ouch!), funchmum (what an epic!) and milk!!

Polly, I'm in the same boat as you. According to the scan date I'm 41wks today and still no real sign of anything. Got lots of snot like discharge today but no blood in it so I don't think it's that significant.

Fed up and scared of being induced. I'm going to walk some more, do some visualisation, acupressure, more clary sage and jumping up and down. I want him out!!!

I was induced at 41+5 and gave birth at 42 weeks. I personally would not go for induction again but I now know for a fact that my body reacts to prostaglandin with extremely strong contractions, which others don't know. It is a risk, not a guarantee, that it could be more painful. There are risks to waiting as well, though they are small and can be mitigated by scans and monitoring after 42 weeks. It is a really personal thing!

I have just had the midwife round which has made me feel loads calmer. I am going to have a chat with the consultant about induction this weekend and they will scan me to check all ok with fluid and placenta but they will support my homebirth post 42 weeks assuming all ok. And if all not ok, then I wouldn't want to wait anyway. So that's good :)

I have booked in for acupuncture monday and might have a sweep tues or weds. Then Thurs is my birthday and I will be 42 weeks. So if I get to that day without anything happening, will need to make a call then based on how I feel and baby movements etc.

My sister had same experience as you Funchum - hyper contractions off the drip. It is a tough decision at 42 weeks though. I don't yet know what I will do. But I am very pleased you have your beautiful healthy baby! That is ultimately what all of this is about :)

Whenhenshaveteeth, that sounds like a good day of action. Let's face it, that's all any of us can do as we have zero control over this! Good luck :)

hello all, i am still here and still no baby!!! My trapped nerve is still causing me too much pain! 40 +8 today... or smth like that... appointment booked with midwife and consultant on Tuesday, if nothing has happened till then, we may go ahead with induction on Wednesday. I am really praying he will make a move this weekend though. My birthday is on the 7th of March so i am hoping he wants to come on the 7th of October and share the same date me me (?!?!) or maybe it's just me and my wishful thinking.

The frequency of my cramps has increased in the last couple of days and i have had more back pain, but nothing regular yet. These are all signs, i am sure, but still no sign of the real labor. My bump is quite hard, and it gets a lot harder at times, depending on the way baby positiones himself as well i guess.

As we have recently moved to our new home, my mum dropped off a few of my pre-pregnancy clothes this morning. Feeling quite optimistic as i realised there are a few things i should be able to fit in within the first 1-2 months, which is fab!

best of luck to everyone!!!

Sorry everyone just have to say OMG! Just suddenly vomited and had diarrhoea, and then the bump dropped down massively and the top of my abdomen looked like it did pre-pregnancy with six pack! It's gone back up a bit now but....yay??

Sorry everyone will post less me, me, me things when the episode has passed completely!

Meant to say I'm 38+4

Go orenishii, go!

Feeling a bit queasy and have some back and stomach pain - trying not to get excited!!

That sounds very exciting Orenishii - well as exciting as vomiting and diarrhoea gets! Funny how you welcome the oddest things in very late pregnancy.

And bring on the queasiness and pain whenhenshavetteeth.

ST82 - sorry to hear you are still with us though glad to have you here, if that makes sense. We are the same days so 40+9 tomorrow. I now have a really sore throat ( but zero labour symptoms) so am feeling quite sorry for myself tonight. Must do better on the positivity tomorrow!

It's taken me a while to get on and update. But I had my little boy on Monday.
Was due to be induced on Monday at 40+13. But naturally went into labour Sunday night (40+12).

We arrived at the hospital at 11pm, was examined but only 1cm. Was given cocodomol and told to rest. Examined again at 4am, 2cm. Given a shot of diamorphine to help me get some rest. Was told this wasn't a pain relief but would make me very sleepy, so I could sleep between contractions. Would also make baby drowsy, but would only last 4 hours and I wasn't even in active labour yet.
Examined at 8am hoping to be at least 3cm. And was 8!! Best news ever. :)
Started on the gas and air then, my waters were broken at 11am, i started pushing at midday, although I wasn't quite 10cm, but the mw said to just go with the contractions. He was finally born at 14.10 after over 2 hours of 2nd stage labour. Nearly had an episiotomy, got as far as having an anaesthetic put in, but managed to push his head out in the next contraction. Official labour time was 6 hours although my times from getting to hospital to birth was 14hours. Suffered a 1st degree tear, so had a few stitches.
All in all a good labour experience. Didn't get my water birth or delayed clamping, but hey ho.

Now all tucked up in bed feeding. The first night was great and he slept lots in his crib. But since then he's decided he doesn't like it. He sleeps well, but only on me. So I find myself managing to sleep but in awkward positions around him. But he's just too cute to be annoyed by this. :)

Congratulations to all you other new mums. And thinking of the rest of you, fingers crossed it won't be too long a wait. x

Just wanted to say hello & big thanks for listening to me whinge the other day. Great news....I avoided induction, my baby arrived safe & well in early hours after quick labour. We're both well & enjoying lots of cuddles. I'll be watching thread & wishing everyone still waiting lots of luck. X

Congrats mikyahrose and poppyt. Lovely to hear you have your beautiful babies safe and well.