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...

AMAZING! That is wonderful news. Congratulations Paperclips. Just lovely xx

wow massive congrats paperclips !!!!

enjoy the amazing journey of motherhood

And another baby here! . This one's a girl thank goodness, would've been an interestingly dressed boy if the sonographer was wrong!

Name to be announced tomorrow (figured family should know first, sorry mnetters!!) arrived at 7.46pm. Have to say I really didn't enjoy the labour, I was definitely a screamer , and I had to be transferred from the mlu to the hospital during my pushing stage, which pissing hurt I now hate roundabouts with a vengeance and I ended up with an episiotomy . But all of the midwives were great, especially those in the hospital.

And I now have a beautiful (and big, 7lb12 to my 5'3"-ness!) little girl, so I can't be too sad!!

Congratulations to paperclip, hurray for not false labours! - and our babies now share a birthday with Meatloaf and Gwyneth Paltrow!!

Congratulations paperclips and turquoise! Enjoy your beautiful newborns!

I am hoping for a similar experience to you, paperclips - had two contraction type pains this morning and off to the MW at lunchtime....

Yay.....more babies!!!! Fantastic news, huge Congratulations Paperclips &Turquoise! Enjoy the snuggles.....

And hang on in there you ladies that are still waiting.....you'll soon have your babies and nothing else will matter!

Xxx

I want my baby!! :(

Massive congrats to you 2 girlies paper & turquoise. And fingers crossed for you too funchum

Massive congratulations to paperclips and turquoise... you guys give me hope... am beginning to feel like my body cannot go into labour.

Am only 40+3 though. I guess there's time. It just doesn't feel like it's going to happen now.

Really constipated and feel like this means labour will NEVER happen. Am eating a tin of prunes a day and been taking lactulose for a couple of days now. If I can't get my bowels moving will that mean labour will delay even further....? :( I feel like everyone I know said they had diarrhoea for a day or two before labour so there's no chance of it happening till after the weekend now. :(

Sleeping badly because I just feel like my body isn't working and is letting me and all my friends and most of all my boyfriend down. I am ok in the evenings but by the morning so sad again.

I am too sad to write on my normal thread this morning, I will try and cheer up before I go there.

Oh squidkid dont be sad. I felt a bit like that yesterday, but it passed soon enough.

Just think, this time in 2 weeks you will definitely have a baby. I know that seems like ages away, but honestly the time will fly. i'm on 40+10 now and my due date seemed like just yesterday. I'm off to be induced Monday unless it all kicks off before then. So i keep telling myself that by this time next week, i should be home with my baby.

Dont think you're letting people down, there will be a baby. :)

Massive congratulations to paperclip and turquoise!!!!! Wow ladies, you're so very, very awesome

squidkid don't lose heart. A - you're not letting anybody down, your body is doing it its thing. Trust that your body and baby know what they are doing :) Some have diarrhoea before, some don't. It's not a foregone conclusion. Just keep relaxing, walking, maybe some swimming - it's about the relaxation at this stage. Your body basically just wants to be in a safe and open place - physically I mean, not like in an open plan lounger/diner.

If you're all tense and beating yourself up for such things you cannot control, you're going to either go into labour tense, or continue to tense all your muscles up that need to be all relaxed. I'm not explaining this well but basically just trust that your baby will come when they're ready. You're body will kick into action when it needs to. You just concentrating on not stressing yourself out, resting and knowing that you're ready to KICK ASS when the time comes.

Echoing what orenishii and mikyahrose say, don't be sad squid kid. You started this thread so full of positivity and it was a breath of fresh air. You are so near the end. Definitely try and do some things that make you relax and it will happen. It will happen for all of us within the next few weeks.

Sending you lots of good vibes and love.

And congratulations turquoise. Mikyahrose, hope your baby comes today.

I am 40+1 and feel less like this baby is coming today than for the last few weeks. So I will almost certainly still be here in 10 days.

Xxx

I dreamt last night that DH and I were having a practice run at the birth, and as our baby emerged we pushed it back in because it was just the practice run.

sob

Thank you guys. That's really kind. I've just had a long, relaxing bath and feel a load better. I DO feel ok as the day goes on, and I KNOW I'm being ridiculous. It's rare to deliver before your due date for a first time mum, the way I am trying to view it is

40 weeks - now I'm due! (should never have really considered coming befoer - though I did have a lot of signs!)
40-41 weeks - hopefully I'll come naturally (I think about 60% of mums do at this point)
41-42 weeks - hopefully I'll come with a leeetle assistance from a sweep or two
Apparently 95% of mums will go into labour by 42 weeks naturally, which are GOOD ODDS!

And obviously it's not my fault, and I do loads of the stuff people rarely do in late pregnancy (proper long walks, sex) so it's not like I could have done anything more. I'm sorry for being so sad! Awash with hormones...

Orenishi of course, you are totally right. I'm useless, I concentrated so hard on getting relaxed about the thought of labour (I am totally chilled about the idea of giving birth, possibly naively so!) that I didn't think enough about the "letting it happen when it's ready" bit! Relax, relax, relax. Also that dream is SO UNFAIR! I had a dream about work - it was weird, I wasn't pregnant in it. Normally I am pregnant in all my dreams at the moment.

pollyindia thanks sweetheart, and ... I like to be positive, I will try and get back to that place. I have a lot to be positive/thankful about!

Mikyahrose all my fingers and toes crossed for you love. I know it must feel near the end but your odds are still good. And like you... There Will Be Babies.

Feeling sorry for myself klaxon: y'all will well have had your babies by the time I get to my due date (only at 37+4). Need to round up some more MNetters

Orenishii you should go join the "due in October" club, the ladies there are really amazing, have been so supportive and cool and fun. I only defected to here recently because I was the first one due and so as I am going batty with the wait they are still finishing work etc, and the early inductions/sections are making me burst into tears! (and then I feel like a selfish cow, as I am the one with the low risk pregnancy!)

let me find a link :
here

Congrats paperclips and way-hey for gas and air . Love, love, love the name Noah - it was one of my choices for a boy and Alexander is a family name so love it too. Big congratulations too on your baby girl turquoise

Good luck for today funchum and hope the contractions turn out to be something, even though I will apologise in advance for being slightly jealous because we had the same due date

Just to reiterate that your body isn't letting you down squidkid . Have faith that your baby and body know when the time is right. Think I read somewhere that although they aren't sure of the mechanism to start labour they believe it may be something to do with the lungs of the baby signalling they are fully developed which initiates labour. Stress can also delay labour so relax (easier said than done eh)

40+8 today - or is it 41+1? Whichever I'm off to the hospital shortly to sign my consent forms for my section on Monday. I've been saying to my mum the whole way through what's the betting baby will hang on until I get my head round having a cs and will arrive just before it happens? Feeling much the same - no real contractions or anything, only thing different last couple of days is the pressure round my pubic bone. Feel like it's bruised, even on the outside. Going to have a lot of do this weekend between getting the house ready, maybe getting myself some more new pjs, repacking my hospital bag for a longer stay for me and baby, sorting out ds to stay with my parents and what I'm going to do with my dog. Cannae be bothered.

Hopefully things will change for you over the weekend firsttime . Would you consider an early epidural if things don't change and you have induction, back to back? You have my sympathies with the nerves being hit. Until a couple of days ago I've had weeks of baby hitting the nerves at the top of my thighs/groin area. So painful. Everyone though it looked really funny but really makes you double over and catch your breath.

Sorry to hear you've got the blues squid I felt the same earlier this week but feel better now even though baby isn't here yet and hopefully the same will happen for you!

Just been to visit a friend with a 3 day old baby and held her for half an hour so if that gets the hormones going I may have news later. Just sitting in Starbucks killing time til my Mw appt for my first sweep

Sorry to hear you've got the blues squid I felt the same earlier this week but feel better now even though baby isn't here yet and hopefully the same will happen for you!

Just been to visit a friend with a 3 day old baby and held her for half an hour so if that gets the hormones going I may have news later. Just sitting in Starbucks killing time til my Mw appt for my first sweep. Sadly haven't had any more contractions since two very early this morning but hoping they are a sign that things are ready enough for the sweep to work.

orenishii that is so unfair of your brain to send you a dream like that!! How rude :)

Sounds like we're in the same boat firsttime.

I'm also 40+10, with a back to back baby and booked in for induction on monday. Had a sweep Wednesday, which doesnt seem to have done anything (apart from make me bleed) Got another booked for tomorrow, then off to the hospital at 7.30am on Monday.

I've heard that b2b labours are harder, but the mw hasnt mentioned anything about having an epidural to me. i hope i dont have to, as i want a water birth, and she thinks thats should be fine providing i dont get hooked up to a drip.

I 'spose i'll find out more when we get to the hospital on Monday. Although i'm hoping it'll all start on its own before then.

Its odd how midwifes can differ so much.

I'm seeing a different one tomorrow, so will ask all the same questions and probably some new ones and see what she has to say.

Lets just hope our babies turn and that its not as bad a we're led to believe.

Ballroomblitz, how come you are going straight to c section and cutting out induction? Sounds kind of appealing When so many inductions end in emcs!

Firsttime, hope things do change. I don't think my baby's head is engaged either. Seeing mw today so will see what she says, but I think you now don't you?

Mikyahrose, it is good you can have a water birth even with induction. The thing I want least of all is to be hooked up to monitors flat on my back. I know by then it won't matter as all I will want is the baby, but would like to try everything else first.

Any movement funchum8am?

How are you feeling today squidkid?

I have been having bad period pains on and off but I know this can last for weeks. It's weird, I have always said I thought I would be late and always thought 11th oct (my birthday!) as the time by which I would have the baby despite a 27th sept edd, but having passed the 27th sept, I have started to get quite antsy. It has really surprised me how wedded to this date I obviously am, despite knowing how arbitrary it is. I was at my sister's for my mum's birthday last night and they were all getting hammered and I just wanted to be at home on my own.

Anyway, going to try and pull myself together and go for a nice walk in the park today and have lunch at the William Morris gallery up the road with some friends. I have to keep remembering that this is a precious time, as once the baby is here, life changes forever!

I had a cs before Polly cos of pre-eclampsia and placental problems. Labour can cause problems with the scar as it is hence why they like vbacers on continuous monitoring, but induction puts more stress on it and it can rupture or come apart. I think with my hospital they give you the option to try you on one pessary only and no drip but I just didn't see the point. I was keen to give vbac a go but from researching my risk factors are slightly higher than normal of rupture because I had ds premature with no labour. I'll just try to trust that if my body doesn't go into labour, it's for the best. Saying that I've been having a quite a few pains and feel just generally really uncomfortable from last night so you never know :) I watched my whole family getting drunk two weeks ago at my cousin's wedding fed up too. Lasted til about 10pm, party pooper that I am.

Going to spend some precious time with my son today and spoil him rotten so hope everyone has a lovely day (and maybe some with good news later??) x