December is finally here!!! - Page 2

[cwill]

Eesh!  A to-do list.  I guess it's time to make one, eh?

The 1st two are the biggest deal

• Put car-seat in
• Pack hospital bag
• Make something yummy for L&D nurses
• Buy sposies/health care items, nipple pads, a robe maybe?
• Take some stuff to thrift store/back to store
• Get shelves done in closet
• Put boxes of stuff we no longer have room for in the attic
• Christmas shopping!  I don't have a single present.  I have no ideas for anyone.  Luckily, I live very far away from everyone so amazon is my usual go-to shopping stop.  I was hoping to be crafty, but I think all the baby-having between my friends and I has left me crafted-out.
• Crazy-lady cleaning - like the carpets and walls and ceilings.  The house is clean otherwise.
• One last sort through clothes and diapers.  I know we're ok, I just want to count everything again, lol.  Oh, and one of the cats decided to go digging through some of my sorted clothes so they have become unsorted.

That's not too bad, actually!

[aeterna]

Originally Posted by Mummoth 

I'm about to wash my kitchen floor so maybe my water will break all over it 

ROFL! Here's hoping! ;)

[Mummoth]

No such luck. Mom came over and yelled "Anderson or Stephanie, you get out of there!!" at my belly and that didn't work, either. Tomorrow I will be more pregnant than I've ever been before.

[SierraBella]

Mummoth, you are my EDD buddy, we're in this together!!! I'm trying not to get discouraged that every time I think I start to get regular contractions, or that my undies are wet that my water could be leaking... it goes away. 

I've always gone to 41 weeks, however. 

3rd babies like to be the weird ones, right? 

[ElizaBird]

I'm due with #3 on the 12th, so I'm 39 weeks today! The first two were twins though and come at 38 weeks, so i have no idea when to anticipate this labor starting. I'm in the not quite ready boat, actually- not logistically really, but just kind of emotionally (i'm pretty sure my DH just finally wrapped his head around us having another baby in the las month!) so if i go another week or two i think i'll be ok with that.
But i'm definitely sick of cleaning/nesting every day, only to have it undone by life and my shedding dog and 6 years olds 3 hours later!

As for projects-
- i have a mobile to assemble! At my blessingway, everyone brought a little something to hang from the mobile, and my BF brought a gorgeous blueberry brach to hang it all from.
-I have nothing yet for my DHs stocking (we only do stocking gifts for eachother). Most of the kids christmas prep is done.
-wrap gifts.
- cook to fill up our new chest freezer!
-wash diapers. I have a full set of mother-ease one size with covers that i used with my boys, but they really aren't good till about 8 lbs. I think i'm going to start out using sposies during the newborn days...
-finish reading birthing from within, maybe. I have read SO. MUCH. LESS. during this pregnancy. I'm hoping it's all just gonna come back to me!

[mammamo]

My to do list is still pretty big, but really, the house is fine if I went into labor now. Just need to do some grocery shopping and finish christmas shopping. The baby's room just needs painted and that will take one day. Now, if I just had someone to come over and mop my floor. It's raining today, so I won't even think about it.

[Mummoth]

The chicken stew that I was planning on making while I'm in labour, I made while I thought I might be going into labour,s o we only need to reheat it while I'm in actual labour. My water refused to break on the clean floor, and DH went and got the missing piece of hardware to hang the drapes, so he's probably going to get that done before the baby comes, too.

I WAS in a really good, patient frame of mind until DH's boss started trying to push the issue of him going to Bowen on the 12th... I got in the mindset that the baby NEEDS to come early at that point... then they trained someone else because he has to be available HERE for his new job,so he's not going... but I can't get my patience back. Now DH is saying "I don't think we should mess with it, the baby will come when it's ready." about the stretch & sweep tomorrow and it makes me want to snap at him. If I hear that babies like to 'sleep in' in his family one more time I'm going to scream.

[aeterna]

Heh. I feel ya. I am impatient but not in the "I'm uncomfortable, GET OUT" sort of way... more in the "C'mon baby, I want as much time with you as possible, come see me!!" kind of way. Just excited, and ready, and have enough done that I wouldn't stress anything left to do.

It helps that I got enough sleep last night. The nights where I don't sleep well, I'm far less zen about the process!

[Mummoth]

Ds really didn't want to go to school today, so i told him maybe he'd be coming home early if I go into labour today, and let him give the belly a good shove down, LOL! Got him out the door. It's doing a headstand ON my pubic bone, things have got to be starting soon.

[Ruthiegirl]

Oh December, I thought you would never arrive.

I am so overwhelmingly pregnant these days!   My belly is ginormous.   People back away from me when they see me coming.  All I can think about is giving birth ---like right now!   I can't think, I can't read, I am so completely obsessed with getting this lovely baby out of me.  

Rather than sitting around going crazy, I decided to paint my kitchen.  The guy at the paint store just eye-balled my belly and warily gave me the gallon of paint.  I took down some old shelves this morning and am going to to patch the holes now.  Sanding and then I'll start painting tomorrow.  

Either this will start labor or I will simply have a newly painted kitchen.  And if I am still pregnant when this is done, I am going to paint the bathroom.  

[cwill]

Originally Posted by aeterna 

Heh. I feel ya. I am impatient but not in the "I'm uncomfortable, GET OUT" sort of way... more in the "C'mon baby, I want as much time with you as possible, come see me!!" kind of way. Just excited, and ready, and have enough done that I wouldn't stress anything left to do.

It helps that I got enough sleep last night. The nights where I don't sleep well, I'm far less zen about the process!

Exactly this.  Somewhere in the last few days, the baby actually feels like a baby.  Not like, I'm finally grokking that we're going to have a kid.  But like, it physically feels like what's inside me could easily be outside me and it's just chance that it's not on the outside yet.  Snuggling is so much easier on the outside!  I know a lot of things are harder - they make noises, they don't ingest their own urine and poo anymore, they make your boobs hurt instead of your abdomen and hips and ribs, less portable... but there's snuggling! and sharing!  And I know there are biological factors that are keeping the baby in, but it still just feels like random, luck of the draw, pot-shot chance.  

But anyway, apart from my skin feeling like it's about to be ripped open, I'm still pretty comfy.  And while sleeping has become more restless, I get enough good nights in that it's not too bad.

Boring check up today at 37 weeks.  I'm measuring behind for the first time - so I guess he is still measuring my fundus.  I must have missed it last week.  I didn't gain any weight again despite wearing my heavy boots.  Doctor isn't worried.  Baby hasn't dropped.  

[Azadehhast]

I'm so right there with all of you mamas, and isn't it nice to have companions in all of this? Come on babies, come on babies, we want to meet you and cuddle you and (maybe sometimes, but not with MIL) share you! 

Today is the 5th, which means 6 days until the full moon! I'm really, really counting on some full moon baby birthing action for all of us. I'm so tired of all these mean cramps, but I can finally reach my cervix now. Maybe I'll actually give birth some day.

To occupy myself, I'm going to start spinning some lovely black shetland wool, to make into a new sweater for my soon-to-be-not-whale-sized self!

Oh! I have developed a real fear of my water breaking in a public place, namely on the bus. Every time I get on one, and the driver gives me his "oh, god, don't get on my bus!" look, I start thinking that it surely will break any second, and then how will I clean it up, and how will I get home while leaking fluids, with everyone staring at me?! Please tell me I'm not the only one thinking this! And also please tell me that none of you have had a public water-breaking episode!

(However, embarassing thought it would be, at least something would be happening!!!)

[Ruthiegirl]

4th baby and I have never had my water break in public.  And when my water does break, fluid doesn't flood out of me.  Once the water breaks, it feels like the baby drops a bit lower and the head sort of stoppers the flow of fluid.  I am wearing a heavier pad these days (more for urine  ) and that would help soak up a lot of the fluid if my water does break.  Might be worth wearing one if you are feeling anxious about leaking in public.  

[mamadonna]

I have so been having the water breaking fear as well, and I don't know why.  With my first, my water broke at home, early in the  morning when I was still in my pj's.  With my second, my water didn't break until well into labor.  But this time it seems that EVERY SINGLE public situation I find myself in, I find myself running through my  mind how I will react and what I will do if my water breaks.  I want my brain to stop!

I'm not due until the 27th and I waffle between the hope that I will go any time and the fear that I will go any time.  I am pretty much ready in terms of what absolutely needs to be done (got the car seats in this weekend; my bag and the kids' bags mostly packed, etc.), but I still have other things that I'd like to get done...laundry, clothes sorted, some furniture rearranged to make way for a few key baby items, Christmas tree completely decorated (it's got lights and about 10 ornaments on it right now), presents wrapped, stuff like that.

I've been feeling crampy off and on and have had a few moments where I've thought, maybe this is it, maybe labor is starting, but it goes away.  Haven't experienced this part of pregnancy before.  With my first my water broke at 37 weeks and I was induced (didn't know I could do things any differently back then). With my second, I felt nothing--no cramps, no achiness, no contractions really--before my membranes were stripped at my 39 week appointment since they were giving me super heavy pressure to induce and I went into labor that night.  It was super fast--started fast, went fast, ended fast.  This time around this off and on, will I or won't I, is an entirely new experience for me.
 

Originally Posted by Azadehhast 

I'm so right there with all of you mamas, and isn't it nice to have companions in all of this? Come on babies, come on babies, we want to meet you and cuddle you and (maybe sometimes, but not with MIL) share you! 

Today is the 5th, which means 6 days until the full moon! I'm really, really counting on some full moon baby birthing action for all of us. I'm so tired of all these mean cramps, but I can finally reach my cervix now. Maybe I'll actually give birth some day.

To occupy myself, I'm going to start spinning some lovely black shetland wool, to make into a new sweater for my soon-to-be-not-whale-sized self!

Oh! I have developed a real fear of my water breaking in a public place, namely on the bus. Every time I get on one, and the driver gives me his "oh, god, don't get on my bus!" look, I start thinking that it surely will break any second, and then how will I clean it up, and how will I get home while leaking fluids, with everyone staring at me?! Please tell me I'm not the only one thinking this! And also please tell me that none of you have had a public water-breaking episode!

(However, embarassing thought it would be, at least something would be happening!!!)

[Mummoth]

Water breaking isn't even nearly as dramatic as they make it out to be... it wasn't in public, but mine broke in bed at the start of labour when I had DS. I felt/heard the pop and leapt out of bed so I wouldn't get it on the mattress, felt a gush and thought "Oh no! The carpet!" and made a mad dash to the bathroom. I think I soaked my undies pretty well & it did go down my legs, but I couldn't find any evidence on the bed or the floor when I went back to inspect. It's probably only about 1/2 cup of fluid that comes out. Worst-case scenario, you look like Mrs.Pee-pee-pants... which isn't great, but just have a sweater on hand to tie around below your waist to hide it. 

[SierraBella]

I've been having a fear of my water breaking in public too! My biggest fear has been about it breaking in my classroom at my university! Hahaha. Also, in the car when I am picking up or dropping off my older 2 kiddos from their dad's house, and worrying that it will happen during the 45 min drive there or back! 

My water broke before labor with my #1, but it wasn't a gush, it started out leaking in spurts and then got heavier and heavier. With #2, it was broken by my mw after 24 hours of labor. You never know! 

[LilMomma83]

Haha my water has always been broken by my midwife after many many hours of labor, but, for some reason this time I have been nervous about it breaking at work...I keep thinking I will go to work in early labor (I probably will unless I go into labor over the weekend...no point in wasting a paid day off) and that my water will break and all of the sudden the contractions will be really hard and one of my co-workers will have to drive me to the hospital and I will mess up their car....what a wild imagination and completly irrational. It's also occured to me, what if I am in the pool and it breaks? I would never know! LOL

[BennyPai]

My water broke in the birth pool at my home births.  It felt like my ears popping, and the first time I could clearly see the fluid, and all its tiny vernix particles,  streaming into the clear pool water.  My water was broken by hospital staff at my first birth.  CNM wanted to check for meconium before allowing my water birth.  That was an awful feeling -- I was so pleasantly surprised at how different it was for my water to break on its own.  :)

[Azadehhast]

My mother's story of her water breaking before my birth has been repeated so often in my family, I'm sure it's the root of my fear! I was born at exactly 38 weeks, just hours after my parents' first wedding anniversary. My mother was sewing last minute Christmas gifts, wearing knee-high, fur-lined boots. She stood up, and BAMM! water gushes out of her. While she calls the hospital, my dad pours the fluid out of her boots--they were full!

Maybe I'll just stay home for the next few weeks. :D

[aeterna]

I had an incredibly weird (and intense) sensation yesterday while I was doing dishes - I felt something snap or pop, very sharp and sudden, deep in the uterus/cervix area. I've had cramping and I've had some mild contractions and this was nothing like either - it was fast and blindingly painful, made me catch my breath and my knees buckle before I caught myself. I wondered if maybe my water had broken (?!) but I had no fluid (or at least no more than usual lately -.- ) and it didn't happen again. And, from what I can tell, nothing else has changed - it's not like the Cx have picked up or anything. So I have no bloody idea what that was all about... maybe the kiddo tried to shove a hand through my cervix?!