My body is teasing me. Hold my hand or slap me across the face. I need both.

[calimommy]

Nearly 38 weeks with baby 3#. I'm ready. He is so low I waddle and when I bend over I have pain and think he's coming out my bum. He's been engaged for weeks. Cervix is thin. Loads of strong, borderline painful BH. Constantly in the loo... no dilation. I know it could be imminent or another 4 weeks of the same. But my anxiety about he birth is kicking in as well as anxiety about who will mind the children when the one comes. I have laboured quickly before so I just worry about a delay. And I'll need an episiotomy again so I don't want to deliver at home by accident...
I need a crystal ball. And a G&T.

Aww bless you. I'm nearly 32 weeks and very uncomfortable at the moment! Not sleeping properly and have horrible heart burn!
Getting lots of pressure down below and midwife says baby is head down.
I hope you have a speedy delivery and are back home with the rest of your children without any problems.
Not long to go now - fingers crossed!
I don't know how I'm going to get through the next 8 weeks! The lack of sleep and waddling is killing me!

Try and take some deep breaths and tell yourself that you CAN do this. Is there anyone with you? Sometimes just talking it through (having a good rant) and having a hug can help.
Hope that doesn't sound patronising or like Im minimising your worries. I had a very scary pregnancy with 2nd child and she teased me for weeks with her arrival. After being terrified of her wing early she was 2 weeks late.
I left it so long to go in to hospital (as didn't want to be sent home with BH) that I was 5cm dilated by the time the midwife saw me!
You can and will get through this anxiety

I've never seen 39weeks so was assuming the same for this baby. And I'm also laying some blame at the feet of my consultant who, after examining me at my 36+5 appointment said "see you next week at the app, if not before then!" and raised my hopes SKY HIGH. Anyway! I've come back from the edge and I'm feeling much calmer. Thanks xxxx

I'm 39 weeks tomorrow and my goodness the anxiousness of getting the odd twinge and thinking 'this is it' and it going away after a few hours is way too much! I get the 'teasing' vocabulary because that is just what it's like at this stage lol. I'd rather just not feel any niggles until it's definitely the real thing because it puts you on edge big time. 🙈 xxx

39+4 here OP so can relate! DC1 came at 38 weeks. I was in so much pain last night (backache/cramps) that I did the washing at 3am thinking that was it. Nope, by 5am pain eased off ffs.
We're nearly there

sophie that's it, I keep thinking "ok this is it, this is th BH that breaks my membranes, what time is it? Who will I call to mind the children now? How long will it take DH to get home? Etc" and then it calms down again. I'm in no rush to have baby per say, because I know the work will kick up another notch trying to manage the three, but it's the uncertain that's making me crazy.