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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Last week or two of pregnancy

632 replies

squidkid · 16/09/2012 13:44

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...

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
seabuckthorn · 10/10/2012 20:58

Ah I see! DH and I are very much medical in that sense too.
3 boys all round then!
I hope it goes well for you. I did think about a home birth but I think my two are too little I think it would disturb them too much, their feathers are easily ruffled! Starting to hit me, having to give birth soon. I'm trying not to think about it too much!

seabuckthorn · 10/10/2012 20:59

Mind you people might actually give me a blinking break once I've given birth!

hufflepuffle · 10/10/2012 21:00

Hello! Hoping for hospital birth but without drugs or interventions, being as active as possible, water birth if available and natural 3rd stage. This is however DC1 and I may be completely and utterly deluded!!!!!!!

seabuckthorn · 10/10/2012 23:11

Hi huffle! You aren't deluded! Hope it all well for you, how much longer do you have to go?

seabuckthorn · 10/10/2012 23:12

Hope it all goes well that should say. Sorry its late I should go to bed!

PollyIndia · 10/10/2012 23:14

Thanks for your lovely words squidkid and orenishii. I am happy to say I think it might be happening!! I have been being period pains since the sweep yesterday then at monitoring this am it showed I was contracting regularly as high as 80 or 90 on their scale thing. I then went for a walk and walked home and had real pains on the walk which had turned into contractions by the time I got home. And that was 9 hours ago and I've been having contractions every 5-15 mins since. So I hope so... What do you think? Pool set up downstairs. It is my birthday in 47 minutes too! This would be the best birthday present ever!!!

Fingers crossed!!

OctoberOctober · 11/10/2012 01:36

pollyindia - hope you are well on the way to getting a fabulous birthday present with your LO making an appearance Grin

Glad to hear that the sweep seems to have kick started things, reckon I'll be heading that way next Mon if make it to 40+3

weezl74 · 11/10/2012 04:13

happy birthday pollyindia!

i hope it is all going well and that things progressed well after you posted :)

notjealous notjealous notjealous notjealous notjealous notjealous notjealous notjealous Grin

funchum8am · 11/10/2012 07:19

Oh Polly I am sooo pleased for you...I have in fact welled up here! Hope you have been progressing well overnight, can't wait for news!

Orenishii · 11/10/2012 12:34

Happy birthday PollyIndia and....maybe happy birthday to baby Polly too?? It definitely sounds like things are progressing, fo sho!

YompingJo · 11/10/2012 14:17

Fingers crossed for you Polly

PollyIndia · 11/10/2012 15:11

Well I am very happy to announce that baby rafferty Horne was born at home at 5 this morning at 42 weeks on the nose and my birthday. In the nick of time! The homebirth was amazing... Contractions much more bearable than expected (even weirdly enjoyable!), pushing way harder. But it was amazing and I feel so lucky that this happened in the nick of time. I would have been back there today fighting induction battles had this not happened.

I would like to thank you all for your wise words on this thread. And good luck to everyone else awaiting birth!

squidkid · 11/10/2012 15:20

Wonderful news Polly!!! Well done you for waiting, what an inspiration you are. On your birthday too, how adorable! And at home... you really are a posterchild for patience and good sense!

Massive congratulations, am tearing up a bit here Thanks Thanks

Enjoy the newborn snuggles.

I found contractions loads harder than expected and did better at the pushing :)

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Orenishii · 11/10/2012 16:41

Polly you are amazing and an inspiration!!! Bloody well done and congratulations to you and little Rafferty! Grin

You're all amazing, you all did so wonderfully. I have 5 days before my due date and currently wishing I didn't have to go through it :( I hope to change this frame of mind soon and you lovely ladies and your amazingness is such an inspiration.

Orenishii · 11/10/2012 16:43

Oh polly, does this also mean you share a birthday with your little one? Awesome! Happy birthday to you both Grin

mummy2benji · 11/10/2012 17:40

Polly huge congrats to you and glad you got your home delivery as you'd wanted, and on your birthday too! How lovely :)

Btw weezl74 I live in south wales too - small world!

I nearly slipped over in the mud today - horrid rainy weather - gave myself bit of a fright and lots Braxton Hicks today and achey bump. Thinking it would be nice if baby girl decided to make an appearance, but as I still have 2 weeks till D Day that is rather wishful thinking!

Greetings to all other achey bumps and impatient bump owners!

weezl74 · 11/10/2012 19:07

congratulations Polly! wow :)

yay for fellow south Wales mummies :) is your ds going to go Welsh or English pre school route?

Spice17 · 11/10/2012 19:28

Many congratulations Polly! And happy birthday to you both!

I had a sweep today at 40+5 doesn't seem to have done much but very bottom of my bump (and baby) moving all over the place and twinging quite badly, hope this could be something.........

seabuckthorn · 11/10/2012 20:45

Congratulations Polly! What a Birthday present!
Hope everyone is ok, I'll post properly later after my supper.

mummy2benji · 11/10/2012 20:55

weezl74 ds is going English route (we're both English) but in our village school they still learn some basic welsh - he started nursery this Sept and is already able to sing me a song in welsh! I'm thinking of learning some basics myself just so I can check he's not saying naughty words and telling me they mean something different!

funchum8am · 11/10/2012 21:03

Polly I am sooo delighted for you! And I LOVE his name! Let is know how you are getting on in a few days.

JessTT · 11/10/2012 22:19

Yay, huge congratulations Polly!!!! Sooooo happy (and slightly emotional) that you managed to avoid induction and have your homebirth! Well done you.....sounded amazing and like you coped so well! Did you use your pool in the end?

Happy happy birthday to you and Rafferty....enjoy the baby snuggles x x x

weezl74 · 12/10/2012 04:50

Hi all, is anyone else getting terrible insomnia at this point?

I am averaging 3-4 hrs sleep a night, and it has been going on for so long that I am a bit concerned about having the energy to do labour.

I am getting crampy pains a fair bit, (just period pain type ones nothing like a proper proper contraction yet), am feeling that end-of-pregnancy agitation feeling and also have my purple line, but nothing symptom-wise that makes me think this is anything too meaningful yet.

I am glad I've read that it is all getting me somewhere though :)

Mummy2Benji, that sounds very cool about the Welsh song :) Aw! my 2 DSs are in Cylch Meithrin (we're not welsh either, but decided to go for welsh-speaking nursery) and it is so so cool hearing their Welsh. DH and I know that we have to really pursue our own Welsh if we are going to properly go down the welsh-medium route, but then I got pregnant with number 3, and DH has been finishing off a PhD, so that hasn't quite happened yet!

Hope everyone is well, and not too fed up of being pregnant

Weezl x (3rd baby, third boy, 38+3, hopefully having a homebirth)

AliceHurled · 12/10/2012 04:59

Not posted here before, but yes that is precisely why I am up! Can never sleep at this time now

AliceHurled · 12/10/2012 05:00

Where do you get a purple line? Confused Do I want one? Grin