38+4 and obsessed with 'signs' something is happening!!

[Bellyrub1980]

Driving myself slightly insane here...

In reality, being my first pregnancy I'll probably go over my due date and therefore have another good couple of weeks to go!

However.... Every evening around 7pm (for the last week) the baby becomes very active. It feels like she's forcing her head down into my pelvis and I can feel the pressure on my cervix. It genuinely feels like she's trying to push her way out! This feeling is accompanied by braxton hicks and back pain, but nothing regular. Infact, the only regular thing about it is that it only seems to happen in the evenings.

The other 'signs' I'm wondering might be an early warning is that when I first became pregnant I was getting a lot of mild headaches (something I always get with every period). These seem to have come back over the last few days. Certainly not an intense pain or enough to warrant worrying about blood pressure... But enough to wonder whether something hormonal is underway... Like labour!!

And the other thing is that in the first tri I woke up at 1.30am every night starving hungry and this symptom has been back for the last week also!!

So am I just going mad by analysing these things? Or did you feel these kinds of symptoms in the lead up to early labour too?

Or is this just the way it will be for the next 1-3 weeks???!

PS is there any point in trying to 'help the baby along' when she's forcing her head down (if that is what she's doing!) with active birthing positions etc??? It really feels like my waters could break when it happens but then I go to bed and everything calms down!

you body is defiantly getting ready it can take along time for it to prepare itself for what's about to happen. early labour can last days you sound like your doing all the right things. baby will arrive when its ready i know not much use but there's not clear answer as to when these things will happen good luck xxx

Okay so I'm not going completely mad then! It really does feel like my body and the baby is preparing for labour but it's as if I'm a spectator watching it from the outside at the moment.

However, I'm sure when things really do kick off it will become very real!

I was exactly the same from about then.... DD was 40+6! Good luck and enjoy these few days/weeks of being pregnant :)

I'm 39+1 and the same! Everything feels like a sign, especially the head butting down. I'm trying not to think about it too much, but it's hard to concentrate on much else right now.

I guess like everyone says they'll come when they want to!

Im 38+5 and have had ten days of head pressing down, insomnia, starving hunger, heartburn and braxton hicks each evening.

Twice now Ive sat and timed contractions (3mins apart) for an hour and a half and theyve eased off. Am pissed off now like.

Hacked, I've been following your progress on the full moon thread! I'm only a day behind you so I shall be very keen to know when your labour kicks off properly!!

Part of me thinks another couple of weeks wouldn't be too bad. Time to cross off everything on my list. But then again... I just can't wait to meet her!! (Plus I can't think of a better reason not to sort out the kitchen cupboards!)

Ahh I shall jeep you informed! Ive liked the Moon thread can never keep up with the full antenatal ones they move far too fast.

Just hope we are not all still waiting when the next full.moon comes round.

Also 39+1 here. Also finding that she's extremely active, like she's trying to find her way out. Getting a lot of punches on my bladder and she seems to be playing my sciatic nerve like a guitar string at times.

This has been going on for at least a week and seems to get worse if I have been active myself. Going for a coffee with my NCT lot tomorrow, expecting to be beaten up internally a few hours later...

It feels like limbo land! When the baby's head is bearing down do you think there's any merit in active birthing exercises? Like going for a walk or bouncing on a gym ball??

Really not feeling right tonight. Can't settle in bed at all. Tummy feels like achy period pain, mild in comparison to how contractions must feel, but enough to make me feel restless. Feel quite nauseous, could hardly eat a thing for dinner. But most of all after feeling really happy and contented all week, tonight I feel pretty emotional and panicky.

Bowels are a bit dodgy too... Infact, I guess all of the above could be attributed to food poisoning!!! Maybe it was that pasty earlier... :(

Could be the start of things! Warm bath might help relax you enough to snooze a bit?

Since writing that last post I've had 6 braxton hicks, but with no regular pattern (lasting between 20 seconds and 2 mins, with gaps between each BH lasting 1 - 10 mins) but definitely more regular and uncomfortable than I've ever had before. But not really painful, only as bad as period pain. From what I've read, this kind of thing can go on for weeks right?

(Would have a bath but DP is sleeping and is up at 4 for work tomorrow so trying not to disturb him.)

You feeling anything Think?

I can't help thinking my feelings are just psychosomatic because the midwife told me I'm 2/5ths engaged today!!

Sadly yep can take a while. Ive been out for dinner with some friends tonight and had a rock hard stomach all night. Steak and chips.went down well though!!

No twinges or anything this evening for me though. DH is out on a Stag do.tomorrow afternoon and evening (on the shandies!) so if the baby wants to be a little bugger he could come then

You should have had a curry tonight!! During your DP stag do would be typical... So maybe!!

Good luck.

I think I'm massively over-thinking my tightenings tonight. I've even downloaded a labour app and they're definitely not regular!!

Ahh the italians arent known for their curries

Sometimes just being able to time them helps though - I quite enjoy waiting and clicking nerd for each one and seeing the timings.

Do you have a birthing ball? Might a little bounce on that spur things on?

No but I have a poofee (if that's how it's spelt!!) so have been sat up on that doing pelvic tilts and hip circles! Also tried some deep squats hanging off the banister and kneeling and leaning forwards onto poofee. Only have the energy to lie on my left side on the sofa now!!

Braxton hicks still coming but less frequently and more painful... So in the wrong direction frequency wise and the right direction pain wise. Makes no sense!!! At least Stand Up to Cancer is on the telly!

After a pretty exhausting night of variable strength 'tightenings' which became a lot more painful and frequent when lying on my left or right side I finally passed out at around 3 only to be woken by my partners alarm at 4 :(

Have managed about an hour of sleep since then but this constant period cramp feeling and occasional tightening (sometimes a few minutes apart, sometimes a good 20mins apart) continues.

I feel like I should be getting up and doing the 'active birthing' thing to encourage it along but quite frankly I'm shattered, so just gonna stay in bed!!

What do you think?? Early labour?? Can this really last for weeks?!

Sounds really promising and probably a bit more than a long drawn out weekly affair.....do you think you will he able to sleep at all this.morning?

Cheers Hacked, no, haven't slept since my nap this morning. Think it may be time to accept this isn't labour. Still getting period pain, braxton hicks (some painful, some not) and the feeling of pushing down but the severity of the tightening feeling is getting less if anything.

At least DP is coming home in a few hours :) hopefully he'll distract me!!

I've had the same signs since week 38. I am now 40 plus 7 and still waiting!!

Oh lord....!!! Okay, definitely time to think about something else for me then!!

Hope things get going for you soon firsttimerG

I honestly sent myself a bit barmy obsessing about it up until my due date. The truth is everyone seems to have different symptoms and each labour and birth are different. Just relax and enjoy the ride!

Yeah if I continue to think about every little twinge for the next three weeks I will drive myself (and DP!) insane!!

I'll just wait for the nesting instinct to kick in!!