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...

[zoey11]

oh no a lot of my friends said it doesn't do nothing, well fingers crossed he might come tomorrow when he's due lol wishful thinking thou lol

[zoey11]

funchum8am it's not very nice when I told my midwife about it she said it could be my waters leaking but I don't have no pains with it so just going to sit sight and wait till I start getting other signs of labour but I hope it's soon lol

[Mikyahrose]

Sexy time session. Done. Still no baby though. :/

Drinking a raspberry leaf tea as i type and curry booked for tonight.

My mums coming tomorrow for a few days, so maybe he'll come then, she'd absolutely love it if she could be there at the birth (i live 3 hours away from her, so she's only got so long booked off work)

Will probably do more swimming and walking next week while she's here too.

40+5 now.

[milk]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! A friend due a few days after me just had her baby yesterday How inconsiderate :P rant over :)

Hope all you other ladies are well this evening... sending labour vibes to you all :)

[ballroomblitz]

If you think it's waters leaking zoey I would get checked out. I just said thought it sounded normal as I have been getting a lot more fluid discharge, especially in the morning after getting up. My friend's waters leaked about her due date, but they scanned her saw there was still enough there and left her to start on her own a week later.

My sweep wasn't too bad (looking back :) ) . Not exactly enjoyable at the time but I found the second one far easier as the female doctor was lovely and I was more relaxed, compared to the strange, brusque male doc I had the first time. Neither one did anything for me though.

[firstbubba]

Been up most of the night with painful swollen ankles now concerned re lack of movement and cant get a hold of anyone to take me in to get checked over

[PollyIndia]

firstbubba can't you get a cab? Do you have other children to look after? If worried, best to go in.

How is everyone on this beautiful morning?

I had a good nights sleep last night - probably because the guy from british gas didn't get there to fix my heating and hot water until midnight so I was shattered! But still, lovely to get 8 hours although I woke up a lot - standard. My birth ball definitely has a slow puncture as I am sitting on it as I work getting shorter and shorter as it deflates.

Penultimate day at work, though don't have much to do so going for ribs in shoreditch for lunch then got a facial booked in that I paid for a year ago. Due Thursday and definitely getting much stronger period pains last night and today but not particularly hopeful that it means anything.

I am going to look into this acupuncture and reflexology too for when I get to 41 weeks.

Anyone feel like labour is imminent?

[JessTT]

Nope.....don't feel like its imminent here! Haven't even had any period pains for the last day or so after having them almost every evening for a week-ish! Feeling a bit rubbish today but not due to anything pregnancy related...more a raging sore throat so think am coming down with the cough/cold my DD is full of at the mo :-( - don't really fancy going into labour not being able to breathe properly so hope am wrong!

Got a midwives appointment tomorrow, sure they will offer me a sweep and start talking about induction but am going to say no to both at mo....whether I'll feel the same in a weeks time I have no idea! But sleeping really well and don't feel too fed up so making the most of it.

Apparently Clary Sage essential oil (good to add to baths and massage oils etc) is quite effective if anyone is getting to that point.....am kind of in the 'it'll come when its ready and not before' camp but then I have never got to that point when I have felt in desperate need to try anything to get bubba out so maybe I'll be covering myself in the stuff in a weeks time ;-)

Mmmmmm....enjoy your facial Polly! x

[whenhenshaveteeth]

Hellooo!

I tried clary sage + jasmine + lavender yesterday in the bath but didn't do much. At the same time it's not like I'm overdue (39 + 2)... Tried curry and sex too, nice but not effective - didn't think it would btw but just wanted to try for fun.

Planning on going for a long walk + (gentle) swimming on Wed and Thursday to see if that helps. Planned lots of stuff for the week, so surely the baby is bound to come and disrupt something!

[funchum8am]

I am now four days over but slept brilliantly last night as for some reason my sleep apnoea vanished, so feeling ok. I feel even less like baby is ready to appear than I did last week. Had my toenails done with Shellac and my legs waxed...am sure baby will be very pleased. It helped me pass the time at least!

[Orenishii]

Fingers crossed babies start putting in an appearance soon, ladies!

I had a cry today when the midwife came to book the homebirth :( The only fly in the ointment was my BMI was on the high side.

Now - I'm not completely delusional about my body: I'm short with a big rump and breasts. But. Pre-pregnancy my waist was 24 inches with a 13 inch difference between my hips and waist. My BMI was always on the high side anyway because my penchant for muscle building type fitness - Olympic lifting, gymnastics, martial etc, not fat reducing cardio. So I'd always dismissed BMI as a fairly stupid and arbitrary measurement - my pre-pregnancy ratio of height and weight in no way reflected my fitness levels or fat versus muscle. To add, my husband is a personal trainer and very knowledgable about how ridiculous BMI measurement is.

The MW took my height and weight and said my BMI might be too high. Literally she only measured those two things to determine weight gained - it's not like she actually measured my body fat. She then said I might not be eligible for either an HB or the MLU. I just burst into tears at this point because a) a labour ward was the last place I want to be and b) it seems so fucking stupid that something like a BMI measurement should be the thing that prevents the birth I'd prefer.

I promise you - if I was just fat, I'd suck it up. I've been overweight, I know what overweight is. If it was something like blood pressure or protein in urine or anything like that, I'd suck it up. But I know BMI is an arbitrary measurement. I've not even gained that much, about 2 stone which is within their guidelines - it's just the ratio of height to weight and it pisses me off!

Argh, anyway after that stress they looked at my activity and actually fucking looked at me, conceded I don't look "overweight" and that I would be eligible for the planned HB or going into the MLU if I wanted to. But I am still :( about the whole thing.

Sorry! This is long. It's not all about me, I know. I hope y'all are OK and edging ever closer to meeting your little babies. Safe arrivals all round, ladies!

[firstbubba]

What a day, fully checked over and both of us given the all clear. Being in the hospital with other mums to be made this feel very real only a week to go.

[squidkid]

orenishii I share your opinion on the BMI scale, ridiculous for the athletic. I'm really sorry they upset you (it would have upset me), though I am glad they decided it didn't matter in the end. SHould they even be measuring BMI in pregnancy....? For the record, anyone with a 24 inch waist who only puts on 2 stone in pregnancy is CLEARLY not overweight. I also weigh more than I look like I do - hover around a BMI of 24-25, wear a size 8/10. I mean I would look like death with a BMI of 19. Stupid.

[PollyIndia]

Firstbubba, very glad all is well.

Orenishii, that is bullshit. How dare they put you through that only to look at you and say actually there is nothing to worry about. I am sorry you had to go through that. I've been lucky with my homebirth team - they seem very pragmatic and supportive. Was that midwife the homebirth midwife or one of the community ones?

Jess, facial was actually quite uncomfortable! It's the lying on your back, even with my shoulders and head elevated. But was nice to get my skin seen to and not sure when I will get the chance to do something like that again. Am also thinking of getting shellac funchum8am, just as I like having my nails painted and again, don't see myself getting a chance to do it (or the inclination!) for a while.

Whenhenshaveteeth I have been planning lots too - almost daring the baby to come. Pretty sure it's not working. Though actually am kind of happy for another week at least. Though might change my mind when my due date comes and goes on thursday.

[squidkid]

I am due tomorrow.

I feel like baby is never going to come.

Had 7 hours of contrations 5-10 mins apart on sunday, but it came to nowt and I haven't really had anything else today. So I spent all day today crying, very constructive use of time... horrible torrential rain didn't help, I think this is the first day I haven't exercised at all in my entire maternity leave.

Boyfriend came home and decided he wanted to induce labour and we had some uncomfortable but fairly wild sex! For 40 weeks anyway... Then I went to the loo afterwards and, ta-da! Mucus plug. Huge and gross and brown. He is very pleased with himself, men eh.

I know it doesn't mean labour is imminent though. Meh.

I thought I'd be so happy getting to my due date but I just feel like crap. Hope tomorrow is better.

[Orenishii]

Awww thanks squidkid and pollyindia - I am going to shake myself out of it because I've been super positive throughout, and it's been the first wobble - maybe it's just nerves and hormones and stuff :)

squidkid MUCUS PLUGNESS!! This is awesome! I know, I know it doesn't mean instant labour but it's BEGINNING. Things are happening. Props to boyfriend

polly all that pampering sounds so good - although I'd have the same issues with lying on my back. But all that pampering must have relaxed you, definitely :)

firstbubba glad to hear everything is well and good!

[ballroomblitz]

Also no feeling of imminent labour here. I feel like this baby is never going to move tbh and have been getting myself a bit upset about it today. I feel like I've reached my physical and emotional limits.

I have heard that your body can sometimes delay labour if you are coming down with something Jess . You have my sympathies. I'm convinced I'm about to get a virus or something too. Have been feeling fluey and generally like poo the last two days. Have no energy whatsoever and ds has started coughing with a bunged up nose. The joys of him starting back to school means the two of us will be dying with this and that for months.

Glad everything is ok firstbubba . I have days bump goes fairly quiet but always best to trust your instincts and get checked out.

You are brave getting waxed funchum . I couldn't face that atm.

Kudos to your boyf squidkid (and you for even attempting sex)

[JessTT]

Well I take back what I said earlier about it not being imminent......my waters just broke!!!!! (luckily had just got out of bed to go to the toilet so just avoided soaking the mattress!) Suddenly my snotty nose seems less significant ;-) getting a few tightenings but nothing major yet so gonna try snoozing while I can.....

Wish me luck ladies! X x x

[funchum8am]

squidkid hope you are feeling better, or indeed that labour is beginning...I would be so excited to have a show (that is sad isn't it? Being keen to have mucus fall from your nethers...but I AM keen!)

Still zero signs of labour here and I can't sleep either.

pollyindia Shellac is great, it lasts for ages especially on your toenails.

Waxing was actually ok though the lady had to get me to stand up so she could kneel down and do the backs of my legs.since I couldn't lie on my front! Luckily it is a salon where I know the staff so we had a good laugh about it.

Here's to some overnight labouring action everyone!

[funchum8am]

Ooh good luck jess!!!

[ballroomblitz]

Wow loads of luck Jess .

Not jealous in the slightest

If it's any consolation I had a show 3 days ago funchum . Nothing happened after it for me.

[ST82]

jessTT good luck!!!

39 +4 and still no real signs of anything, expect for random period like cramps, pains and lower back ache pains, nothing regular and very sporiadic.... ,u bump is still quite high up, i think, and i don't feel like the bby has dropped or engaged!! due to see MW on wednesday...

Come on baby - mummy and everyone else is ready to meet you.....

[paperclips]

Gave up on sleep at 4am as mind all over the place. This is the first time the tightenings have ever continued overnight. General back pain more so. Not really believing this is "anything" but the "tightenings" are feeling significantly stronger, more uncomfortable though not painful. Think I'll ask dh to work from home unless it all stops.
Feels "different" but then that might not mean anything. Going to relax with my book on the ball then go back up and try to get as much sleep as possible.

I have put a contraction counter app on my phone- you press it to count frequency and duration.

Hope you are all ok...

[PollyIndia]

Good luck jess! ST82 I am the same as you.. Pretty sure baby not engaged.
Squid kid, I thinking would be excited to have a show too. Hope it has kick started something.
Funchum8am I was contemplating a bikini wax but don't think I an be bothered. If still no signs of labour in a week though, I probably will just for something extra to do. Maybe I can practice my hypnobirthing breathing!
Paperclips, that sounds positive! Hope you got a bit more sleep.

I was awake at 5 too... I am going to get up and do my preg yoga DVD I think. Then got a bit of work to finish off, lunch with my 38 week preg friend, haircut and a birthday dinner tonight in shoreditch if I feel ok. I think it's 45 people and a set menu though so I might just show my face and go home.

Here's hoping we have some babies today!

[whenhenshaveteeth]

Haven't got time to post, just wanted to say good luck Jess, soooo exciting!!

Paperclip, thinking of you too. Hope this is it, will keep an eye on my phone for updates!