Depression pre-labor?

[mizznicole]

Just wondering if anyone has experienced depression/blues in the last few weeks of pregnancy, and how you dealt with it.  I was feeling mostly fine until 38w 3d.  

[MegBoz]

Well, it kicked in more at 40W 0D - and mostly because I had been convinced I'd deliver by then. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know average for FTMs is 41W1D, but I exercised vigorously & exercising women deliver earlier. Other women in my family didn't have a tendency to go late, so I thought for sure I'd be 38-39 weeks.

I wasn't even having any BH Ctrx at that time! & THE PRESSURE - oh, man, the PRESSURE at work. Every stinkin' day, numerous people said, "YOU'RE STILL HERE!? NO BABY YET?!" Starting at like 38W! (Oh how I wish I had known to lie about my due date!)

I felt 'betrayed' by my body. I was terrified of having to be induced - afraid my uterus just didn't work. (I know, silly.) I was miserable & a mess. I quit working at 40W 0D only because I was going to just flip out on the next person who gave me one of those, "Any day now, huh?" comments. (even though I felt fine physically.)

It was rough. I decided to see a psychologist & it actually helped. (Although it took a ton of phone calls to find anyone who had any appointments open in the next several days, so that was a pain.)

Eventually, at 41W4D, I asked to have my membranes stripped. Turns out I was already 3cm, went to 4 as she did the stripping. Labor kicked in only 2 hours later & baby was born 6 hours later in a great natural birth. But that wait was hard. Really hard. I still can't look back fondly on that wait. It was a dark time - a time I don't wish to reminisce on.

Sorry you're having a rough time.