*this* close to a home birth but ... ? (and, how premature is 36+ weeks)

[LaydieBugs]

Depending whose dates we use, I'm either 2 or 6 days shy of 37 weeks, the magic threshold for whether we can birth at home, or must make the long drive to the nearest hospital that has labor and delivery.

It's my first, so I really don't know what this cramping is. My midwife sent me to bed with a tincture that helped earlier when an odd allergy caused some contractions at 32 weeks. She was speaking on the phone both about how we just need to hold off till Tuesday to hit a "justifiable" dating of 37 weeks, and fussing about not having the tub yet, so I guess she's not assuming it's braxton-hicks contractions.

There is no regularity, they're not strong. Just mild cramping like PMS that started yesterday afternoon. The past few days were spent moving but I didn't lift things and stayed hydrated (at least I think so).

One of my worries is that I really think we're 36 weeks even (based on LMP, conception symptoms, and 11-week ultrasound). Though it may be convenient to use the former OB's date that puts me at 36 and 5 days (based on their mis-recording my LMP, and on a 20 week ultrasound), I'm concerned about the safety of those few days' gap. We're a few minutes from *a* hospital, 45 from one that delivers babies.

While it's a very healthy pregnancy and I trust my midwife I do worry about how much of a difference there would be in risk, if we hold off till Tuesday but are really 5 days shy of 37 weeks. (I'll ask her more in the AM but I'm awake now!) I'm due May 17 or May 22 or maybe May 19 ...

We also need to figure out whether to change Daddy's trip out of town ... he has to move his children from AZ to WA sometime in May, and we chose this upcoming weekend since I wouldn't really be at 37 weeks yet (and since the odds were that a 1st delivery would be "late"). If cramping is often early labor, it's easy to choose for him to stay here and replan for around May 31. If cramping is often nothing, it's easy to choose for him to go this weekend.

Not really looking for advice on what to do, just putting it all out there. I'm curious to hear about other personal experiences with this mild cramping before labor (how long after the cramping did you deliver), and with babies born right on the cusp of 36-37 weeks.

I don't feel anything like contractions, I had some of those at 11 and 32 in response to phenylephrine in Sudafed and Preparation H. It just feels like low-grade, about to start my period cramps. They're not progressing at all. When I'm lieing down or in the bath I feel almost none - when I'm up I do.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

[beckyand3littlemonsters]

They could be bh as they are easing off when you rest and bh tend to be noticeable more when your moving, i never got them with my 1st but know a lot of women do.
as for safety of delivering before 37 wks i'm pretty sure that some places allow hb's from 36 wks so i'm assuming that it must be safe to do so.

[matey]

When I had my son I started wiuth some cramping early in the day, which turned to waves of cramping in my back. That was the start of contractions for me. I had also lost my mucus plug during the two days prior. I had the baby, at 36.5 weeks, the next day. My first child.

but, that being said, I dont know that cramping means you are having a baby. My friend started cramping at 32 or 34 weeks, but didnt have the baby till 40 weeks +. But then, you did have that weird allergy thing that started coctractions, which would make me nervous.

With this pregnancy, I dont plan on going anywhere, me or DH, for the month before due date, because I just dont know what will happen.

[rparker]

My BH contractions would go away within an hour or two of drinking water and sitting still/lying down. They didn't hurt at all and felt more "global" or "diffuse" than actual labor did.

The first hour or two of my 6 hour labor felt like period cramps. I guess the difference between them and BHs was that they felt more focused and were more regular. They also didn't hurt at all. As labor progressed the contractions didn't actually get more painful per se, they just became more difficult to ignore and required more inward focus.

[etsdtm99]

if they go away when you rest, i would lean toward them being BH and your body telling you that you are overdoing it..

I had cramping and take-my-breath-away contractions starting at 36 weeks with my first and she was born at 39 weeks.. with my 2nd i didn't have any of that until 38/39 weeks and he was born at 41 weeks via induction..

you could very well have the baby earlier... and many babies born at 35-36-37 weeks are just fine.. some people cook babies faster than others.. the close hospital should be able to stabilize a baby that gest. age if she were to have issues.. you cuold always call the hospital and ask if they are prepared to deal with that sort of situation (don't don't have to tell them you are homebirthing, just that you are afraid the baby might come too fast or something)

[Katielady]

For me, I had BHs (with the tightening of the belly and the have-to-pee feeling) off and on throughout the third trimester. I didn't have the crampy, PMS type sensations until I was in early labor.

Everyone's different though. What does your intuition tell you?

As far as the risks of home birth for 36-weeker, I don't know enough to say. I do think that when mom goes into spontaneous labor on the early side, the babies seem to do better than if the mom was being induced early for whatever reason.

Good luck as you make your decision. And drink lots of water and rest rest rest!

[wills_mom]

My water broke the morning after a night of period like cramps. I had my son 23 hours later. I was not dilating at this time though, as I was barely a fingertip when I got to the hospital after my water broke (we got there about 2-3 hours after it broke). By 12 hours later I was fully dilated. DS was 37 weeks and was a good size, no breathing issues, etc. He did need help with some very high jaundice numbers and had low blood sugar when born. He went home after 4 days (with me, I ended up with a c-section due to FTD and maternal distress). I think our only real 37 weeker issues is we struggled with a weak latch and suck. We never got over that, but I think you can. My other DS was a 33 weeker and his Latch was much better by his adjusted 37 weeks.

I would move DH's trip back to the end of May. If you end up going to the hospital, you really do not want to be alone (not that you want to be alone for a HB either).

[is it puppies?]

I am 33-34 weeks and have had some period-crampy feelings off and on for a while, and it never occurred to me to worry. I had asked my Dr a few weeks ago and she didn't seem concerned (before I transferred care to my MW). My MW also seems to have no concerns about my sometimes near-constant BH but I don't remember if I mentioned the crampy-ness. My MW tells her clients that she isn't supposed to do HB or even the birth centre births before 37 weeks... but that being said if we are a few days off she says she'd rather deliver us than send us to a hospital! The biggest concern she has with babies that are a week or so early is that they may have issues establishing nursing which she can help with unlike most hospitals.

[LaydieBugs]

Thanks everyone! Those experiences are reassuring.

My midwife confirmed that my cervix is changing, so she says she'll be shocked if I don't deliver this week, but it probably won't be "today." By this morning the contractions didn't stop when I rested, but they did become painless later in the day, and they aren't anything remotely organized.

She also noted what some people mentioned: in other states, midwives commonly deliver at home at 36 weeks. It's a Washington State thing that they want 37.

So I guess I don't get to unpack what we just moved into my new apartment, but I do know where the diapers are so ... good enough! Daddy brought me flowers at lunch (we don't live together), we reorganized our long to-do list into some short things, he rescheduled his trip to June 1 since it's pretty clear LO won't arrive that late.

[Just1More]

My labors always start with what I think are BH. I might have a day or two where I just assume I'm dehydrated, need to rest more, etc. And then, bam! Baby. My second one was like that for 2 days. And then when labor really started...he came very fast. (The first contraction that I thought was "active labor" was actually transition, and he was born 30 minutes from then. Heh...I thought I had a while since I was finally "in labor.")

[LaydieBugs]

Originally Posted by Just1More

My labors always start with what I think are BH. I might have a day or two where I just assume I'm dehydrated, need to rest more, etc. And then, bam! Baby.

Funny - that's what my midwife predicted after seeing me yesterday: she said it's actual productive prelabor, and having several days of light prelabor is often followed by a rapid birth.

Interestingly she also noted that this is better for the early baby: several days of light stress gets the steroids going that prime his lungs. He's very reactive to stimuli and moving a lot, which is also reassuring as we're still a bit early.

Thanks all, for the voice of experience ... this is my first so ...