37 weeks - is it this much of a struggle for everyone?

[Goldi321]

Thankfully off on mat leave now I don’t know how I would continue working like this. First baby, bump is all in the front so from the side I look and feel enormous. Struggling with shortness of breath due to predicted 90th centile baby sitting with bum just under my diaphragm and a blocked nose that I’ve had through the whole of the 3rd trimester. Struggling to sleep due to peeing constantly and severe hip pain after a few hours of lying on my left. Of course, our bathroom has developed a leak and I’m now having to go to one at the end of the house each time I need to go!
My feet and ankles are so swollen and painful and I’ve got fluid going all the way up my legs. If I kneel down to do anything I feel like my skin is going to explode. lovely DP has been massaging me to try to shift some of the fluid but it doesn’t go anywhere. Midwife says all normal as no protein in urine and BP fine.
On top of all of this as soon as I try to do anything I get kicked under the ribs! Baby is so much more active in the last few weeks.
Please tell me other people have felt this way? I’m trying to do things but standing for too long makes my feet swell like balloons (and no shoes fit!), but equally sitting with my feet up is getting very frustrating and not conducive to running a household.

Hang in there! I found the last few weeks of pregnancy so tough and felt exactly like you did. I was in so much pain and couldn't sleep at all. I ended up sleeping on a blow up bed in the living room so that I could doze on and off with the telly on without disturbing DH - I needed the telly to distract me from the pain and frustration of now being able to sleep. listen to your body and even if it's frustrating putting your feet up, you're so nearly at the end and it won't last forever! Put Netflix or Audible on and try enjoy as much as you can

So glad to hear it’s not just me @Ellebee459! I read stories on here about people walking 10+ miles on their due date and I am struggling to make it around the supermarket!

This my first/likely only baby at 40 and I'm virtually the same at 36 weeks apart from the stuffed nose (but then I take NAC supplement) and luckily no leg swelling yet - but I have leg numbness/burning instead due to baby pressing on nerves.

Also big bump in front (large baby), babies bum under ribs so struggling to breathe (hence often dizzy), shooting pelvic pain when I walk or even stand for more than about 20-30 mins, needing to pee every hour or sometimes even half an hour at night.

It is incredibly frustrating, but I've been assured it's all normal - it's just that some women get worse symptoms then others. Are you young and slim OP? I'm older and was still slightly overweight pre-pregnancy (BMI was 27) so I'm wondering if that's why pregnancy feels harder on my body. I used to easily take the dogs for a 2 hour daily walk - even when I was technically much much heavier than I am now (at one point I had a BMI of nearly 50!), so it's hard to believe that only a couple of extra stone of baby/water/blood/fat can cause this much discomfort!

Im currently 36+2 and on my last week of work (finish on Friday thankfully). Ive got the blocked nose, nothing seems to help. Get hip pain so tossing & turning most the night and have swollen hands & feet. Had problems getting some shoes that fit & cannot wear my wedding ring.

My knees kill when i try to bend down & have heartburn quite a bit. Cannot wait for little one to be here and get back to a semi normal.

It's horrible OP, sorry. My elcs had to be scheduled for four days later than it could have been due to a bank holiday, I cried for hours! My DH said "it's just four days". It felt like four months!

I had my baby in the heatwave last summer and I basically spent all eve after work naked with my feet up applying various potions and ice packs to help with hip pain and thankfully she was five weeks prem because I don't know how bad it would have been to get to 42 weeks!

I was exhausted before she arrived from the hip pain keeping me up hours every night so not a great start to newborn life!

The household is going to have to run itself for the next six months. It's great prep for establishing breastfeeding though - trapped on the bed or sofa

@IamnotwhouthinkIam I thought I was young and slim (pre baby BMI 23, just turned 33) but am now thinking maybe not as young as my body was designed to be when having babies!

Right there with you. 34 weeks and I am DONE. I almost want to cry at the idea there could be up to 8 more weeks of this. I ache all over, my bump is huge, front and centre, and I can just about manage one chore a day before I need to sit down in exhaustion. If I eat too much I get rib pain. If baby stretches into my stomach I get rib pain. If I sit wrong I get rib pain. Sometimes I just get rib pain. And I have a toddler to look after too. Annoyingly her pregnancy was easy. I could sit down and stand up off the floor with ease. Now when I actually need to? Impossible.
DONE!

Yea getting to 37 here too...and yea cant breathe anymore , cant do anything, cant bend, cant get down on floor to pick anything as then cant get up... was fine week ago... hip pain on the side i sleep, i dont dare move at night as have to then get up to pee... cant look at food in the afternoon makes my stomach turn... baby very active after 6pm...currently laying here in bed being stretched from everywhere it hurts like.... and getting hungry too...its 22:22... feeeeeed up... (same time scared of labour but uuuuugh!!!!!)

38 weeks and struggling to sleep because of restless legs but generally still fit and active thankfully as I have horses to look after. I did finish work suddenly last week as I felt too tired and overwhelmed after teaching a particularly awful lesson.

38 weeks pregnant with a big baby and honestly I’m done now, so uncomfortable and she’s so active, not sleeping and always need to pee because bladder is squashed. Was 21 when pregnant with ds and that was a piece of cake, 34 now so don’t know if it’s age or that daughters are more awkward!

Not just you, I had a list of ailments as long as my arm with DS2.

I was essentially that slug off monsters inc I was so massive, sweaty and immobile.

Also 42 weeks is still considered term, that’s 5 weeks away. 5 weeks of growing. I was insanely big at 41+5 when he actually arrived.

I literally could've written this myself 10 days ago (currently cuddling my 1 week old). I feel for you op, those last few weeks were hard work. Feet up, rest and don't be hard on yourself you're carrying around a small human and it's hard work! I suffered with awful swelling from 20 weeks, it reduced a lot on maternity as I sat with my feet up as much as I could and it really helped. Listen to your body and look after yourself

I felt exactly like you do. My baby was due today (14/2) but thankfully he was 10 days early. I don't think I could have coped much longer. Also he wasn't the 10lb predicted, just 8lb 6oz (there was audible disappointment from the nurses when they weighed him as he looked massive!). He was 82nd centile though . My first baby was only 24th centile!

All you can do is hang in there and hope it's over soon. I looked a right state going to hospital as I couldn't even fasten up my shoes and my hip pain was so bad I was crying with pain and hobbling like a 90yr old. Unfortunately I still have the hip pain and I'm in absolute agony and can't walk :(

Hi there, wouldn't normally comment in pregnancy as I'm way past that, but just wanted to flag something.

Certainly 10 years ago, there were still plenty of doctors and midwives who didn't get the blood pressure thing properly.

It's not whether your BP is "normal", it's whether it's normal for you.

My normal BP was 100/65. So when it suddenly went up to 120/75, the midwife who was doing the check said that was lovely.

It was only when I happened to see my GP (because I was feeling off colour), that he sent me to the MAU.

It was pre-eclampsia, and the icky sign at that point was the tight legs and swollen ankles.

Not trying to alarm anyone, just letting you know.

Hope you can enjoy some of the next couple of weeks! Congratulations too

Icky?! Only

@Dyra I can’t imagine going through this and having to look after another child!

I’m sorry everyone else is struggling, it’s rotten isn’t it? Not helped by miserable weather! Managed to get a bit comfier in bed last night as DH wedged a pillow behind my back- currently sleeping on an extra duvet, big BBhugme at the front and now another pillow at the back. Poor DH is squeezed on the edge of the bed!

I'm only 35 weeks and I am very done. I just want to feel normal and not like an enormous beached whale. I hate catching sight of myself in the mirror.
I can't remember the last time I slept properly. I feel tired and achy all the time with really bad acid. Cleaning the house wears me out for the day. I still have two weeks of work but luckily it's half term so I have this week off then two more. Unluckily DD is off for half term too and cannot entertain herself for love nor money .
Been up since six on about 4 hours sleep so it feels like the middle of the day 😴

I was like that! It's the luck of the draw whether you're a glowing active supermama or a massive grouchy slug with throbbing piles.

Some of this is handy - when the baby comes, chores will also not get done (drop your standards now!) and you'll be tired and cranky. Though babies are also the luck of the draw, enragingly some people get ones that feed and sleep sweetly and some squawk night and day.

If you have a little money, acupunture or reflexology can either help or at least give you the impression you're doing something. I found hypnobirthing tapes were also good. You can only get through it one month or day or hour or minute or second at a time. Try not to think of the time ahead, just be in the now and get through it. The same applies to difficult newborn times. It doesn't last forever but it feels like it at the time.

@lborgia thank you for your comments. I’m off to the midwife again tomorrow to keep an eye on my BP and check my urine. I’ll show her my puffy feet and compare my BP to my booking one.

You're welcome! Would be really happy to hear all is going OK if you think of it! I remember those last weeks vividly.

Oh, and by the way, apparently there's something in very dark chocolate that can help with PE, so if that's something you like eating, it's doctor recommended

Chocolate consumption in pregnancy and reduced likelihood of preeclampsia

I remember asking MN something similar last year. Along the lines of please tell me it gets better.
But truth is it doesnt. It is rotten. You are fed up and huge and tired.
I had PGP so if I walked more than 20min the following day I couldn't move.

You have to do what you feel like your body wants. It it's rest then rest... 😌

I went to 41weeks and 2 days. I was literally crying to my midwife on the phone at 41 weeks asking to schedule an induction and she did! But thankfully baby girl decided to arrive the day before!

Hang in there!!!!

Went to see my (very experienced) community midwife yesterday who gasped at my oedema and said it was the worst she had ever seen. She spoke to the hospital midwives who advised to send pre eclampsia bloods and a plan was made to call me back (which I ended up having to chase lots and got me quite upset because I was feeling so unwell). Urine was clear but BP has increased from booking 100/60 to 130/80. My community midwife had already told them I was keen for a review and felt I needed one even if bloods are normal.
Hospital midwife phoned me back and told me that because bloods, urine, and BP are all normal (despite big jump!) that they won’t see me. I did push because I am a Dr myself (not in obstetrics!) but the wall was firmly up and the midwife told me that she only asked for bloods because she was pre empting the next steps.
Feeling very frustrated and desperate to speak to a clinician rather than a midwife who can pull everything together and be less protocol based. Even if they say everything is fine and continue with plan for weekly monitoring (which seems like a long way away!)

Well done for getting that far, and honestly, the MAU at King's had me in every 2-3 days at the same stage.

I think a week, at this stage in your pg, is way too long.

In fact, they ending up admitting me to correct a 24hr urinalysis (that was fun!), which is when the + protein first turned up.

What were the rest of your blood like, crp? esr?

Do you have an MAU at your nearest hospital? I'd be presenting myself on Monday, unless I was feeling tons better, or tomorrow if they're open on Saturdays.

Now I know you're a doctor I know you'll understand I'm not trying to freak you out when I remind you that PE is one of the main reasons for maternal perinatal mortality.

Take your care in your own hands, and become annoying. Apologise afterwards, if necessary, but this is literally your only concern right now. The midwives are breaking under the weight of their case loads, so be your own advocate.

Good luck!

Baby arrived at 38+1 we’d had a scare with movements 2 days before so has been moved to twice weekly midwife apts- we never got to them! Whoops! BP all totally normal during labour and delivery and on postnatal ward (a bit low from 1.2L PPH) and I can see evidence of ankle bones again! Still swollen but hoping it will continue to improve. I’m feeling so much more comfortable now despite 3rd degree tear! I can breathe again!