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...

I did manage some bouncing during film and DH is now home...we ate going for a curry (mainly because we like them rather than for baby purposes) and he has suggested a bit of bedroom action so clearly he is as keen as I am to get things moving!

Not sure curry then sex is the right order myself but that's what he is up for....poor fella....

Can I join please?! I am 40+3 and had a sweep today. Feeling absolutely nothing different. No pain nothing. Here they do 3 sweeps, one every other day so booked in again for Friday. I have now given up on other methods of inducing labour and am in the sit around, eat and watch telly camp! I am actually finding it quite stressful having no control and just having to wait!

I am having curry tonight too Funchum8am.

Namely, I don't think any of them really work anyway. Baby comes when he or she is ready! But am still going to have a curry and do my evening primrose oil tonight just in case!

And if I get to over 41 weeks then I may do the expressing thing....

Sending all you overdue peeps , , and sympathy - just wanted to say that it must be really hard to put up with when you are powerless to do anything to get things moving.

I completely expect to be in the same camp in a couple of weeks - due date is 5th October from scan but I know when my last period was and I felt when I ovulated and I calculated my own due date as 12th Oct, so not expecting anything to happen much before then. So when midwife thinks I am 41 weeks I think I will be 40weeks and when she starts suggesting induction etc I will have to battle it out - don't want to be induced, would rather be scanned and monitored.

Hang on in there everyone, it can't last forever.

Baby boy born yesterday by CS, was a lovely birth despite it being a medical birth. Very calm & genuinely enjoyable.

I'm so pleased he's here & so very glad for pregnancy to be over.

Wishing everyone still waiting the very best of luck, I hope all your aspirations for birth work out & that everyone has happy healthy babies.

PS its definitely boy season in this hospital!

40 weeks today! Having more trouble sleeping and just generally getting comfortable in bed... Starting to hate night time and the fact that everyone goes to sleep and im left wondering and feeling like crap!

MW went well yesterday, i measured ok etc but baby's head whilst in good position is not engaged yet?!?!? What is this baby think!!! I told MW im not prepared to go for a sweep yet, i will give it till next week at 41 weeks and then consider my options... I just hope i dont end up having to be induced!

Simpathy and encouragement to all of us going those painful last few days of our pregnancies! Hope so much its not long left for all of us

Anyone else awake? Since tea-time been having stronger "tightenings" to the point where I'm going to start using the word contractions. Also got low backache. Not managed to sleep yet. Doesn't seem to be a regular pattern in their timing. They are uncomfortable enough to keep me awake but not unbearable.

Worrying about lack of sleep is also keeping me awake! If this is really it I want as much sleep as possible. DH is snoring away, don't really want to wake him, at least one of us needs a good nights sleep.

I am expecting this all to be another false alarm. However its kinda getting more painful. Paracetamol has taken edge off backache. Might try a warm bath.

Just stressing about doing this on no sleep!

Wish me luck will let u gals know tomorrow if its all a false alarm or not!

Hi paperclips, yes me! Think I might be starting contractions though they're probably just fucking braxton hicks, I'm timing them now to try and see a pattern. I hope this is it, but at the same time it hurts and I want it to go away.

And good luck! To both of us - here's hoping they're not false alarms, and the dh's can be woken in a blind panic [evil maniac emoticon]

Well good luck to you too turquoise. Wonder how many women around the world are wondering the same thing at the moment!

Hope it goes well, look forward to hearing happy news, and to telling happy news!

I've been longing for this for days, (41 +1) just wish it wasn't middle of night.

Take care. X

Ooo exciting news paper and turquoise. Can't wait to log on in the morning and see what's happened.
I'm struggling to sleep here, not uncomfortable or anything happening, just awake.
Popped back to see the mw earlier as I continued to bleed a bit throughout the day after the sweep. She was happy with the type of blood (quite dark) as this means it was just the mornings bleed still coming out. Just been to the loo and there's no blood now, so all is good. Apart from the sweep has done nothing! Hmpf!

ST82 I am due today too!! I know it's an arbitrary date but am still excited to have made it.
Paper and turquoise, hope this is it for you. Fingers crossed.
Glad to hear the bleeding has stopped mikyahrose. I am refusing my sweep Saturday I think. Not sure they do much if your body isn't ready.
Had lots of period pains yesterday and needed the loo a lot, but feel normal again today and had 6 hours sleep so don't think it is anything.
If I feel ok when I get up, I might go to the gym and see if that does anything.
Got friends coming for lunch then out for dinner - I have been making lots of plans to dare the baby to come and disrupt them, but don't think it is working!

pollyindia i think the fact that i have prepared myself to go well beyond due date is proving to be very useful, though it feels great having reached this big iolestone!!! I finally managed to sleep 7 hrs last night with only 2 trips to the toilet and not fully waking up and staring at the ceiling for hrs... Have had more pariod like pains this am and baby is soooo active, but other than that, not a lot more to report on...

Bestest of luck to those of you who have started to feel the real thing!!! Pass the love around pls :)

Sending you all love and higs!!!

It does feel great doesn't it! I made it to the gym and just cycled for a bit on zero resistance, but between my music, the endorphins and the insane levels of hormones, I actually ended up crying! What an idiot.

I'll probably be crying in frustration in 10 days time when i still haven't had the baby, but for today I am just really happy to be here :)

So I am also sending lots of love!

Think my 'show' has just come out. i've googled imaged what it should look like. Mine was a lot dirtier than the pictures, but then i 'spose i've still got yesterdays bleed up there. But deffo looked similar to the pictures. Dunno if it comes out in one bit or a few little bits?

PollyIndia, I am impressed with your attitude. I had (I think) a very good attitude to late pregnancy until about 39 weeks and then I CRACKED! Am still staying very active but am tearful and emotional and want the baby now and having crises at the thought of baby not coming.

I'm 40+2 now. Had LOTS of signs last week (diarrhoea, tightenings, a period of contractions 5 minutes apart for 7 hours) but it's all stopped since Sunday. I am constipated again (boo) and the odd twinge but nothing like it was last week. I have been passing my mucus plug/show for the last three days, mine is coming out in bits and seems to mostly after exercise or sex.

Saw my midwife on tuesday and all is fine except no appearance from baby! She said she would be led by me as to sweeps/induction. I have decided to have my first sweep at 40+7. I don't think they do anything before then. So I am having one week of "I'm due, let's see if you come naturally" then I will have one week of sweeps every other day, and I'm not going to discuss induction until 42 weeks as I don't believe women are overdue till then.

This makes me sound a lot more patient than I am!

I have lots of things planned till the end of the weekend, but it's hard to think about anything except baby. Come and meet me honey, I'd like to say hi...

Mikyahrose - the google images of shows are awesome. Yuk!! It can come out in one piece (huge) or bits. Some women don't see it at all, I guess it comes out with all the rest of the gunk during labour!

Hoping there are some congrats for paperclips and turquoise today.

I bled after my sweep too mikyarose . Fresh blood that day and old blood for two days after. The doc said to expect it and not to worry unless it turned to fresh blood again after the first day. Also made me loose part of my show and was brown obviously cos of old blood. Again I was told this can be common after a sweep. Was six days ago so it didn't signal anything for me anyway. Hope you have better luck!!

Thanks squidkid - as I say, I am sure it will be a very different story in a week from now! I agree with you re sweeps. I don't want one before a week today at the earliest.

I also read on the how to induce baby thread about stimulating nipples through expressing. If I am still here in a week/10 days, I reckon I might do that. Right now though, definitely no desire to start expressing!

Surely good news re the show Mikyahrose? Although I guess not for you ballroomblitz. I really hope it happens for both of you very soon. And for all of us actually!

Nothing from paperclips or turquoise which is promising...

I have a sweep tomorrow at 41+1 and then if that doesn't do anything they may let me have one on Monday; booked for induction on Tuesday if baby hasn't arrived by then.

I really need to decide whether I'm going to agree to induction at that point - I desperately want to have the baby now but I agree with you squid that we're not really over due til 42 weeks (Tuesday will be 41+5) and if there is no medical reason to induce I'd rather wait. This because a) I can go to the midwife led unit that I'm booked into rather than the labour ward and b) they won't strap a monitor on me which traps you on your back on the bed.

My midwife said they won't make me stay on my back on the bed if I am induced BUT I have met a couple of people booked into the same hospital who were told this and then on the day had MWs who weren't trained on the mobile monitoring unit so ended up strapped to monitor and were told not to move from the bed. I am NOT comfortable with that idea and can imagine being rather uncooperative if they tell me I have to stay put during labour!

But on the other hand I can't imagine how I'm going to feel by Weds/Thurs if the baby still hasn't shown signs of arriving and I'll know that I could have been home with baby by then! And I'll feel bad for delaying it for DH (though he will support me no matter what I decide.)

Anyone got any ideas/advice?!

Well, I wouldn't feel bad for your DH - as you say, he will support you whatever. I guess you need to think about what is the right thing for you and your baby - and that will be the right thing for him too I am sure.

I am a week behind you, but already had the induction conversation with my doula. I feel right now like I want to go to 42 weeks assuming all looks ok with placenta etc - then take each day as it comes.

But easy to say at 40 weeks and I may be desperate in 10 days time. Thing is, my mum was 2 weeks late with me and my sister so I feel like maybe we need 42 weeks in our family to go into labour naturally.

I don't know Funchum - I'd like to say just take each day as it comes then go with your gut when you get to next week - but not sure that is helpful.

On another note, currently building labour playlists. Am I way off the mark to be putting together one that is upbeat songs that I love? Should it be very chilled music do you think? It is hard to know what I will want to listen to....

Thanks for your story ballroom nice to know its pretty common, the mw seemed a littled shocked by it, although sent me away, so obviously wasnt too worried.

The bleeding has stopped today and no more signs of the show or anything for that matter.

Feel a bit emotional this evening, picked dp up from work at 4 all happy, then suddenly plumitted. Not really sure why. Very strange, sure i'll be fine in a bit though.

Had to take the car seat and wheels back to the shop today as i'm really struggling getting the car seat on and off the wheels. They've give me a temporary carseat to take away, but i'm sad that i probably wont be bringing baby home in the proper kit. :( i know its petty, but has bothered me really. I'm annoyed at myself for leaving it so late too - i've been struggling with it for a few weeks, so should've sorted it sooner. Huff!

I'm sure your dh will be happy as long as you are happy funchum . I know it's hard thinking that if you refuse the induction you may think later in the week you may have had a baby by then. I kind of felt similar a couple of days ago knowing I'd refused the initial elcs to try for vbac and it doesn't seem to be happening and will probably have a cs anyway. Ended up thinking to myself wish I'd just got it over and done with, I'd be a week into my recovery and have bubbs by now. Have come round now to what's an extra week in the grand scheme. of things? At least I know that I gave it a proper go. In a couple of weeks I'll be looking back and thinking I should have just enjoyed the last week of relative peace to myself.

I have a mixture of the pregnancy mediatation music I have been listening to polly and the type of songs that keep me going when I'm out for a jog. I could be waayy off the mark also. My friend told me she brought a load of classical music for her labour and couldn't listen to any of it.

Hope you're feeling a bit better now mikyah . I swing from one mood to the other so quick these days. Takes the smallest thing to set me off.

It wasn't a false alarm, Noah Alexander arrived at 3.30pm today. Was all a bit mad, at midday went to community midwife 3cm dilated, in tears because og pain, sent me to labour ward then 3.5 hours later I had a baby! It's all a blur I was off my face on gas and air, dh has had to fill me in. He's so beautiful and little. It's amazing!