Support Thread for not going crazy!

[Phoenix~Mama]

Seems so many of us are having babies that are having lots of fun giving us dress rehearsals!

I thought a support thread was in order.

I don't know about you ladies, but these are getting very very tiring. lol

I had contractions from Saturday til late last night... no baby! This is my second "dress rehearsal"... except now I'm actually "due" and it has made it so much harder to cope with.

They were strong! Like each one I could feel her head bearing down and doing something to the cervix... by the end when they finally went away and still this morning my uterus is soooo sore.

Like what is she doing in there? Why won't the contractions stay and get closer together? lol Ugh...

My Mother was not making it any easier. We went to visit her yesterday with my DSD and she was bugging me all day when I would be having contractions so she could time them, but I could tell they were too far apart to time and did not want to stress myself out with timing til I knew they were close enough together to mean something more interesting might be happening. They were only coming in intervals of 20 minutes, 15 and 10. Very frustrating to say the least...

[mzminty]

Thanks, JSMa! Yes, I need mental help!

I've been contracting so much for so long, and the latest string has been every 9 to 11 minutes like clockwork since last evening around 6 o' clock.

My first labor started with contractions every 5 minutes apart and a baby in my arms 2 1/2 hours later, so this feels like a really bad joke to me....

[Phoenix~Mama]

Oh, Julie! I can totally imagine the bad joke feeling when the first time was so very different for you!

All these stubborn Capricorn babies! lol

[kalirush]

Yeah, my first was a 37-weeker. Here I am, almost 39 weeks now. And I'd be okay, if I at least felt like an okay pregnant woman. But I'm tiny, and the kid is really far down in my pelvis, and my belly is insanely huge. I can hardly walk, and I'm in pain all the time. It's really to the point where I can barely take care of myself, and I definitely can't take care of my three-year-old daughter. I'm on light duty all quarter at work, but my husband needs to go back to work now. I really need to have this baby.

I'm trying not to think about it too hard, though, or it really does make me crazy.

[papschmitty]

Thanks for this thread. I had my third round of false labor on Saturday night. I didn't get my hopes up too much despite having regular contractions every 7 minutes for a couple hours. It didn't help that my in-laws were over and secretly hoping they'd see some labor action (they're not invited to the birth). They even called us on Sunday to make sure we hadn't forgotten to tell them that we'd had the baby.

Today is my due date. I had a VE last Tuesday and the MW said I was 3 cm dilated, my cervix was "like butter", and she didn't think I'd make it through the weekend.

I woke up at 3:30 this morning with painful contractions. Up until now, they had been uncomfortable but not painful. They were fairly regular, about every 10 minutes or so, and there was a lot more pain down low around my cervix. Finally, at 5:00 I hopped in the shower to get ready for work. That slowed things down quite a bit. I had 3 painful contractions in the car on my 45 minute drive in to work. That was not fun at all! I've had many more since starting work at 7 but nothing regular. I really don't want to waste any of my paid leave for false labor today but I'm so miserable being here! I warned my coworker that I'm going to be close to worthless today. I wish things would get serious so I could go home! I really don't like being in pain at work. I have to stop whatever I'm doing and breath through the contractions.

People keep stopping by my office with lovely comments like "You're here today?" (no, it's just an optical illusion) and "when is that baby coming out?". I know they mean well but it just doesn't help. I got a call my on cell phone at 7:07 this morning from a coworker at another office. She was curious when I didn't answer my office phone so she wanted to know if I was currently in labor or had already had the baby. If either of those were true, why on earth would I want a call on my cell phone before sunrise?! :::

Please excuse me, I'm crabby today.

[Phoenix~Mama]

s papschmitty

I am so sorry you have to be at work! I've been getting some uncomfy contractions on and off this afternoon.. nothing painful like this weekend though. But I could not imagine sitting at work today.

I have the option of working from home, thank God! My boss really doesn't want me there and wants me taking it easy.

DH and I just took down our tree, and are looking to do lunch now, and after that I'm going to talk him into going for a walk in the park down the street.

: *blows labor vibes to all the babies*

[LorenaAZ]

Thank you for this thread. I feel so physically and emotionally drained from all the rehearsals we've had. And I feel bad for my DH who stays up at night with me during contractions and still gets up early in the am to go to work. I'm 4'11" and it is so difficult to move around especially in bed - I feel like I'm beyond the beached whale syndrome. I get reflux every single night which makes me feel like the acid is burning holes through my esophagus and just hurts so bad it doesn't let me sleep. I pile a bunch of pillows to sleep in a sitting position. And our baby girl seems so happy in there, night time is the perfect time for her crack monkey speed aerobics class, which leaves me sore on the sides from poking limbs. oh baby, when are you coming?

[Phoenix~Mama]

s Lorena

I feel you on the acid reflux! Ick! I keep tums right on my night stand and they have helped take the burn out to get back to sleep at least.

[jr'smom]

I'm just going stir crazy! Today is officially my first day of maternity leave. (Although I've taken more time off with the holidays so I feel like I've barely worked at all lately.) I'm self-employed so it really took all I had not to go in today. (And I really ike my job. And handing it over to someone else is difficult!)

My DH reminded me that working until the last minute the last two times may have led to more difficult labors and C/Ss. So he won, I stayed home! Now I feel like I'm literally just sitting around waiting for baby. Why can't I relax and enjoy this relatively peaceful time? ("Relatively" because we do have a 4yr old and a 2yr old--so how "peaceful" does it get?)

I have gone two days "late" with both of my sons, so I wonder if I'm less active, will this one stay in here even longer? (I have a very physical job and am on my feet ten hours plus at a time usually.) Any advice?

So I am at least trying to get a bunch of stuff organized and avoid just sitting. I wish I could call it nesting--but it seems more forced than that!

[mzminty]

I've given up trying to do anything to get labor started. I'd had so many scary false alarms that I agreed to go into the hospital on Monday night so my mw could strip my membranes. Two hours of ctx ten minutes apart did absolutely nothing to change my cervix.

So my mw gave us an emergency birth kit for home including chlorhexidine (for my group B strep), cord clamps, a bulb suction, etc. I figure if that didn't kick-start labor then nothing else will, and as long as we've got what we need for a homebirth, then I should just sit tight here at home until the baby's head appears between my legs...if in fact it ever does.

JSMa, you're so nice to be giving sympathy to everyone else, you deserve a really big hug! ((((((((((JSMa))))))))))

[kalirush]

Me three on the reflux. And also the stir crazy. Not being able to walk, I haven't actually left the house in almost a week now...

[dinan6]

I feel you all.... I'm officially due thursday, and have my weekly appt. tomorrow.. I was wishing I would be missing this appt.. but no such luck.. I'm so frustrated with being impatient to see this little one... I'm trying over and over again to give it up and just let it be.. It's so hard.. I usually run a week early with my babies but not this one... not yet.... ugggg....I'm so tired, still trying to have a good attitude... and so sick of hearing people say "what no baby yet" I really feel I could just smack them....

[jenniet]

Glad to have this thread as well! I am two days past my due date and feeling so up and down. One minute I am happy to wait and the next minute I feel like crying because this baby isn't here yet. Like everyone else, I have awful reflux (I also have Tums on my nightstand). Plus, I just can't seem to find a comfortable position. My back and hips throb. My two year old just came down with a nasty cold last night and as bad as I feel for him, I really don't want to catch it and be sick for labor. I am taking a bunch of vitamin C and hoping for the best. I think I am going to go watch Wall-E to try and distract myself. Hang in there everyone. Soon enough...

[mamajody]

I had 3 hours of contractions every 3-5 minutes that have just stopped. Nothing for more than an hour. It's a good thing I decided to wait things out before packing up the kids and heading out. I would be sitting in the hospital right now, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for my 24 hour window to expire. I am only just past 39 weeks, but we have more snow and ice moving in on Wednesday, so I would like to just get things moving. I think i am going to go for a walk.

[_ktg_]

Thanks Jen for the thread - and some big s for you too

After trying I think everything imaginable to coax this one out, I'm just going to relax and go with the flow. Stay busy, active and etc otherwise I will lose my freeakin mind!! My ctx are just infrequent but nasty when they are happening- silly second pregnancy!!

I just got back from some lovely prenatal yoga, now I'm sipping some RRL tea and imagining life is good and certainly I'm not under any pressure to get this baby out (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- plz baby just come out already!)

:

[_ktg_]

Originally Posted by papschmitty

People keep stopping by my office with lovely comments like "You're here today?" (no, it's just an optical illusion) and "when is that baby coming out?". I know they mean well but it just doesn't help. I got a call my on cell phone at 7:07 this morning from a coworker at another office. She was curious when I didn't answer my office phone so she wanted to know if I was currently in labor or had already had the baby. If either of those were true, why on earth would I want a call on my cell phone before sunrise?! :::

Please excuse me, I'm crabby today.

I would love that optical illusion!!! My last days in my office were filled with the same comments - well meaning, but sheesh!! And it doesn't help that I work just right next door to the hospital (literally over a skywalk). I had a number of people willing to escort me if I "suddenly" launched into labor.

I'm on my first day of maternity leave and somehow no one gets that I will not be answering questions via email or phone while I am on leave... maybe day 2 will be better!! Here's to no more pre-sunrise cellphone calls!!

[iowaorganic]

I am not due for another week and a half yet- but starting to get kind of impatient. DH and I discussed it last night and are taking the route of another MDC mama- starting Saturday I get a treat/day for still being pregnant to make that last little bit easier. So Saturday if all is calm we are going out for a great sushi dinner. Then Sunday we are going baby shopping. Monday is the quilt shop.... etc. A week of fun for me! That way I have something to look forward to every day instead of fucusing on the misery.....

[Mrs.Oz]

Originally Posted by iowaorganic

I am not due for another week and a half yet- but starting to get kind of impatient. DH and I discussed it last night and are taking the route of another MDC mama- starting Saturday I get a treat/day for still being pregnant to make that last little bit easier. So Saturday if all is calm we are going out for a great sushi dinner. Then Sunday we are going baby shopping. Monday is the quilt shop.... etc. A week of fun for me! That way I have something to look forward to every day instead of fucusing on the misery.....

Um, totally showing your post to DH right now...

[mzminty]

I just spent some time on the spinningbabies website and think my baby is posterior.

Maybe that explains all of the false alarms and contractions leading to nowhere? I'm now going to be the inversion queen until I have this baby!

Anybody else suspect this?

[papschmitty]

Holy crap, I had my baby this afternoon! Ellery Duncan was born at 4:18 pm after a fast, intense labor. Will post details soon.