Due December 2024 - thread 2

[CatCaretaker]

Follow on from the first thread here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/pregnancy/5032929-due-december-2024?page=40

Please don't feel this way, pregnancy puts the body through so much (defo feeling it now myself!), and this is the 4th (I think?) time you've done this! If baby were to come now they'd be safe and healthy outside the womb, you're doing amazing!

@HelterSkelter224

That's how far along I am too

Do your babies usually come earlier?

My first daughter was late so I wasn't expecting her to come for another 5/6 weeks. I wish she'd come sooner, I'm so uncomfortable 😣

@RedRobyn2021 no my daughter was 2 weeks late and had to be evicted! I'm going for an ELCS at 39w ish but they wouldn't let me go over anyway due to complications last time so I know there are just a few weeks!! Hopefully sooner 🤞

I hope you get to meet your baby soon too. This stage of pregnancy is no joke!!! 😫😫😫

@OnNaturesCourse
Oh my goodness, no your body has not let you and baby down.
You're amazing.
You've grown human life!
And our bodies change every day in pregnancy. I had low blood pressure at my last appt. Then the next day back to normal.
Please believe in you, and your amazing body. From one mama to another. You HAVE got this.

And everyone else, 36 weeks tomorrow for me. As soon as I hit 37, it's time to encourage baby to be evicted! Any tips? I know the usuals...
But recently heard of Clary Sage and Kerb Walking?

Thanks ladies.

I eventually got let home last night despite contracting.

After medication at hospital my blood pressure stayed around the borderline mark, as soon as I got home it was 109/70. Despite being in hospital for hours I do think I had a lot of "white coat" anxiety going on especially as my contractions were getting sore.

High BP runs in my family and I've done everything I can to avoid it so far. I'm mid 30s and feel like this is the start of things going wrong with it so that's why I'm a bit down.

Had a good sleep and contractions have, annoyingly, stopped. Think I'll have a day on my ball and just taking it easy before going back into a day bed appointment tomorrow for a scheduled follow up.

@LilyJessie

You can also do crab walking up and down the stairs, have you had a look on the spinning babies website? With curb walking, you get the same effect walking across uneven farm land if that's something you have access to

I assume you've heard of having raspberry leaf tea? I started drinking it last week

@OnNaturesCourse oh that sounds super stressful 😔 hopefully as you say the blood pressure was just related to the situation. Can always be a shock to be told something you weren't expecting to hear. My contractions have stopped too and just back to normal so false alarm over here too 🤷‍♀️

I had a total panic not feeling prepared for baby's arrival so I've been on full nesting mode, spent the weekend washing and sorting newborn clothes, hospital bags and cleaning the house to within an inch of its life 🤦‍♀️a day on the ball sounds much more sensible think I'll do the same this afternoon!

Keep us posted on your follow up xxx

Oh @OnNaturesCourse these were my contractions, did you see similar? I can see they're between 40-60 somethings (bottom line which indicated contractions)

Yes! @HelterSkelter224 these were mine - glad its not just me that takes photos 😂

@OnNaturesCourse i had exactly the same thing with my first, contractions going on and off over a few days (and stopped when going to bed) and high blood pressure in the hospital. I did get induced as my waters eventually went but then didn’t go on to have contractions.

Hope things kick off for you soon. Just remember, these on/off contractions is baby getting into the right position to make their entrance.

@Firsttimetrier thank you for sharing your experience, helps to hear others stories.

Woke this morning with nothing. Was out of bed maybe a hour and the BH were almost crippling, stopping me in my tracks and I was breathing through them. They were coming 5 minutes apart to 15 minutes apart, no real reason or pattern. Movement, rest etc didn't effect them. Then I felt really sick eating my lunch with the pressure.

Ended up leaning over my birth ball and everything stopped for the half hour I was there.

Got back up and everything came screaming back. All the pressure is in my bum and tailbone like he is pushing out the wrong place, cramps and pain starting in low tummy and rising up until whole bump is sore and solid before easing off after approx 30-40 seconds. Again, no set pattern to them.

Just feel like early real contractions but no pattern makes me think BH, but never had the pain or discomfort with these before.

@OnNaturesCourse I’d probably go back and get checked as I’ve always been told that braxton hicks shouldn’t hurt, but will feel uncomfortable. Plus they should only be on your bump, not felt in your back.

Do you know his position? If so, is he back to back? Myself and another friend who had back to back labours had similar on/off contractions over a few days, so wondering if this might be the same thing?

Same happened to me for a couple of days before I went into labour

Pains that would stop at bedtime until they didn't

@OnNaturesCourse

These definitely sound like contractions to me, also the fact you felt sick, that will be your hormones

BH isn't meant to be painful

I am pretty sure he is "sunny side up" and I'm facing back labor. I did that with my first baby and the pressure in my bum feels the same. (like I need a poo but I don't, yet I am passing a lot of gas) but I never naturally went into labor with my first. I was induced so did experience the "build up" to labor.

**didn't experience

So sorry for the change of pace in conversation, but getting a bit frustrated trying to collect colostrum right now (37 weeks on Tuesday). What do you collect it in? I just started today and am finding it's coming out faster than I expected and it runs down my nipple onto my hand before I have a chance to collect it with the syringe. I know you can collect first into a sterilised container, but what should I use for that? And how do I sterilise it? I don't want to boil plastic, but I'm not sure what kind of metal container I could use instead...

PS wishing everyone the very best 💕

@GammaTheGecko I had a similar problem and I've resorted to just pumping - hand expressing was just a mess and waste. I manage to catch more this way.

@GammaTheGecko @OnNaturesCourse - I’m 38 weeks tomorrow and only seeing the tiniest of spots of colostrum. Sorry for stupid question but how are you expressing? Wonder if I’m not expressing correctly or if I should be concerned that I’m not producing x

Sounds like there's been a lot going on with you all these last few days!! Exciting that things are starting to progress with a few of you!! 🤞🏼
I'm 37 weeks tomorrow, feeling fed up now. Everything is just hard now, I feel heavy, my feet and legs are swollen, getting quiet alot of braxton hicks, and quiet a lot of period like cramping in my lower tummy and back.

Having never been pregnant before, I'll be honest, I've no idea what labour looks like! So any pointers would be great.

As much as I am fed up though, I'm hopeful he will stay put until my csection date (which I haven't got yet but should hopefully receive this coming week.) purely because it'll tie everything together really well with DH paternity leave, then Christmas break and roll into a weeks annual leave. Plus I don't finish work until Wednesday and would be nice to be able to have some down time before he arrives. Life's been so busy recently!

I haven't started collecting colostrum yet but would like to try. I've been given the tiniest syringes by my midwife though. I have given my boobs a light squeeze today and nothing. Again, Never done this before so really unsure what I should be doing 😂 I was given a peice of paper by my midwife explaining how but it's pretty vague.. any advice? X

on colostrum collecting..
have a warm bath/shower - it helps
i sit on my ball and bounce while massaging the breast and the use the thumb and forefinger to squeeze around the boob to the nipple

you should see tiny droplets forming

first few times you may not get much! But I’ve just done a full syringe tonight to try and get labour moving along and now it won’t stop leaking!

dont spend too long squeezing… can get painful!

warmth and massage will be your best friends for it!

@HopefulElle @Lunamoon23 this video helped me :)

I should note I've been leaking colostrum since unusually early which might be why I had no trouble yesterday. Apparently it doesn't mean anything for your milk production so don't let it stress you :)

I second that YouTube video.

Thumb and forefinger around your areola, push back slightly and slight pinch before bringing forward. You are trying to mimic the suck and release of a feeding baby.

Some people do get a lot, others not so much but it's nothing to do with how much you'll produce once baby is here. This is my 4th pregnancy and it's the first time I'm getting a lot - usually between 4&5ml which is way more than I am going to need but I do feel it helps my boobs feel a bit better plus anything to help stimulate the nipples as it prepares body for labor.

After another late night of pains and back ache I've woke up with nothing other than needing the loo, both ways, desperately all morning. This rate I'll be in the bathroom most of the day!

OK, slight update. I'm pretty sure my mucus plug has dropped out again but this time the whole thing - it's soaked through my liner and is stringy hanging out of me on the loo. Cleaned up, stood up only for it to happen again. It's like snot. And I keep needing to pee but only getting drips, same for pooping

Thanks everyone! Oooh good luck @OnNaturesCourse sounds like today could be the day…