Weekly chat - August 27 - September 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[mole]

Greetings all. Happy new week. I am 39 weeks today. Still pregnant. Still no noticeable BH. Still no signs of mucus plug dislodging or any other sign of labor coming. I'm fine- the fetus is very noticeably active, I'm sleeping a lot, and I'm eating a whole lot. Clearly the fetus is happy to stay inside longer! I just didn't expect to be pregnant this long :). 

[Monkey Keeper]

Holy moly...we have mamas who are 39w!!!  I am still in denial that baby could come soon, I think??

Busy nesting around here which involves tons of laundry and cleaning. For whatever reason, I *need* to have the laundry caught up, and that task is not small since I am terrible about keeping up with laundry generally speaking. It's a good thing we have 2 washers and a clothesline!

I also just planned DS's birthday party for labor day. That means that when DD2 starts preschool 2 days after his party, I am clear to have this baby!

[Ava's Mama]

Hi!  I am 38 +4 today.  I have finally hit the tired stage, like I could maybe sleep all day if I was allowed to!  I got my GBS results friday and they are negative.  My BH's are definitely getting stronger but no other symptoms of labor.  We are still trying to get a bunch of stuff wrapped up for work before baby comes, but every day I am paranoid that today is the day.  Tick tick tick!

[WindyCityMom]

Holy cow, 39 weeks? I guess we are almost in September!!

My swelling thankfully went down overnight.. My BP is low as usual and I have no other weird signs. I just made sure to take my vitamins and eat a banana this morning.. Hopefully it will help because I'm jumping head first into a 12 hour shift today! Trying to get as many hours in as I can before baby comes.

On a similar note.. I read this morning that suddenly swelling up can be a sign that labor is imminent. one can dream! I still have quite regular braxton hicks, and baby seems to have finally gotten her head engaged.

[Princessjules]

I am exactly 37weeks today! I can't believe how close we are all getting... SO far I am feeling a lot better than I did a couple of weeks ago. I have had some mucus on the TP today and yesterday but idk if it was part of the plug.. Idr what that looked like last time.. I am also having some decent BH I really hope they are being productive! Last time  I went into labor at 4 cm so I am hoping for a similar situation this time!

DS still isn't sleeping well but instead of teething I think it is hunger now, he won't take a bottle and has taken milk from a sippy cup a few times this week so maybe he will get used to that and sleep better. I feel relatively rested though, thanks to DH pulling more than his weight of night time duty.

[help007]

I have been having BH for weeks, now (currently 36+5), but baby is not at all engaged.

My last hurdle is getting my mom here- my dad may need back surgery, so there's a chance she won't be able to come ahead of time. We'll know at the end of this week, but I'll already be full term by then! Luckily I have a friend an hour away who is incredibly helpful and has also experienced home birth. That said, it is so much easier to have my mom here with us than to have to call someone who has her own small kids to care for. Also, DH bikes 45 minutes to/from work, so I'm also nervous about a daytime labor- I've been coaching him through the fact that he can ask a coworker for a 15 minute ride home for something this important and rare.

Got through DS2's birthday party, and the prep beforehand. No more events before the baby- I don't think I can do that, again! Now to get into the schedule of things with the boys' first day of preschool.

[ascher21]

Any other FTM's having that holy-crap-my-life-is-about-to-totally-change feeling? I have three weeks left! In three weeks my whole life as I know it is going to be totally different. I wish I had some knowledge of what it will look like or feel like, this new phase of my life. It's a bit frightening, in a way, I won't lie. I don't have the confidence of knowing what motherhood is like already.

Well, Tropical Storm Isaac "missed" us yesterday, but today we've had all sorts of flash flooding and torrential rain/heavy wind. The storm shutters my landlord has on the house don't lock so I heard them flapping around all night, which made it so hard to sleep. So far no flooding in the house. I just hope this weather doesn't drive all those little ants into the house like heavy rain usually does. Then I'll have to get out my Borax again. 

The probiotics I'm taking are actually quite great. I've been a lot more regular on them. I should have started these a while ago, since I've had issues with IBS prior to this pregnancy, and I've had the opposite issues with constipation during the pregnancy.

Sounds like everyone is still truckin' along! As for BH-- I have experienced barely any. I sure hope that doesn't indicate a slow birth. :(

[Faliciagayle]

I've never had BH cntx with any pregnancy - like everything else it depends on the woman :)  And FWIW I never had slow labors (yikes!)

I can't believe DD starts kindergarten NEXT WEEK.  Crazy!  And then we're full on into the High Holiday season.  This baby's EDD is on Rosh HaShanah but I have a feeling baby will come during Sukkot (beginning of Oct).

Just took DD to meet one of the girls in her kindergarten class... next up, the pool.

[ascher21]

Originally Posted by Faliciagayle 

I've never had BH cntx with any pregnancy - like everything else it depends on the woman :)  And FWIW I never had slow labors (yikes!)

I can't believe DD starts kindergarten NEXT WEEK.  Crazy!  And then we're full on into the High Holiday season.  This baby's EDD is on Rosh HaShanah but I have a feeling baby will come during Sukkot (beginning of Oct).

Just took DD to meet one of the girls in her kindergarten class... next up, the pool.

MMMm...you got me thinking of Apples and Honey, Faliciagayle!

[nukuspot]

I'm 38+4 in what feels like an eternal pregnancy. I've had so many crazy things happen this pregnancy, hyperemesis, SPD, superficial blood clot on my leg, now I can't walk. Literally. I use a cane but can barely move my right leg. Chiro says severe sciatica but I read more and I think it's (a related condition) called pelvic girdle pain. Chiro and massage do nothing but I keep going. I think the only thing that will help is having the baby. The problem is that she is super engaged. She's at +1 station and has been for weeks, so is pressing on my nerves and cutting circulation to my legs. Like with most super low babies at this point, my cervix is still posterior, way up behind baby's head. So the pressure isn't causing dilation, it's just causing pain. My MW managed to reach the cervix last week, it's 80% effaced and 1cm. I asked her to being it forward do she did (very uncomfortable) but it did not cause any labor. I suspect it just snapped right back. I sure can't feel it. But it did dislodge my mucus plug. However, that didn't start any contractions either. So I'm basically very uncomfortable to the point of severe pain at times and just hoping every day is labor day. But nothing yet. I'm not doing any labor induction stuff because I don't think it's fair to the baby who clearly wants to stay in longer and keep growing.... But I'd REALLY love to go into spontaneous labor.

[MamanFrancaise]

Originally Posted by mole 

Greetings all. Happy new week. I am 39 weeks today. Still pregnant. Still no noticeable BH. Still no signs of mucus plug dislodging or any other sign of labor coming. I'm fine- the fetus is very noticeably active, I'm sleeping a lot, and I'm eating a whole lot. Clearly the fetus is happy to stay inside longer! I just didn't expect to be pregnant this long :). 

Yep, I am 39+2 today and have absolutely NO sign of this baby coming out. Ever. I don't even have any nesting left to do. Seriously. My house is disgustingly clean. The only thing left to do is yell at everyone not to mess it up. LOL I follow everyone around to ensure they're putting things away properly. I think everyone wants me to have this baby. LOL

Asher - I've been taking a probiotic for over a week now and have already noticed a difference in how I feel and my digestion. It's been awesome!

[Ava's Mama]

I agree about probiotics!  I have been taking them for 8-10 weeks and I am amazed at my digestion.  With DD I was constipated and had hemroids at this point.  This time I am super regular and I love that!

[judybean]

Clearly, I need a good probiotic.... what are your recommendations? I need to get some EPO anyway.

Nukuspot-- my cervix is way high and back too... but I haven't had the issues you have! I can't imagine going through all that!! Ibreally hope your body realizes you just need this baby on the outside and spontaneous labor kicks in ASAP!!!!

Monkey Keeper-- I'm insanely jealous of your two washers! I'm so far behind on laundry and sooooo need to catch up before baby arrives!

BHs don't really mean anything, unfortunately. I never had them before dd4 but lost my mucous plug at 40w6d and dd4 was born the next day! My BHs have tapered off lately. Seems backwards. Dang.

My house isn't clean. Diapers haven't had their final get-ready-wash, nor have baby clothes. Gosh... I have a lot left to do Probably good that I figure nothing eill happen for two more weeks anyway. Ugh. 38w2d. Baby is low (referencing my pic in the belly pic thread) but probably not engaged I'm guesdi.

[ascher21]

Judybean-I'm taking udo's choice adult probiotic. It was in the refrigerated section at whole foods market.

[judybean]

My selection will be limited since I live so rurally :/ The nearest Whole Foods is at least seven hours away... I just have a small local HFS to search at!

Oh, and ascher, I'm not a FTM, but still go.through that panic before a new baby arrives! All babies are unique and bring their unique personalities to the world! It's always a wild ride!

[Ava's Mama]

Judybean - I just finished a container of Culturelle, which is unrefrigerated at the regular grocery store and it worked great.  I just bought the Whole Foods Brand yesterday.  but typically I just try to buy the one with the highest number of bacteria (ie 4 Billion etc).

Ascher - This weekend I was definitely in the S#@$ I am going to have another baby soon camp!  I know everything will be fine, but DD was giving me a really hard time this weekend and I was freaking out trying to figure out how I am going to be sane AND have two kids.  you will do great and you will be suprised at how those maternal instincts will kick in and you will know what to do!

[MamanFrancaise]

I take Ultimate Flora Critical Care Probiotic. 

[teegan db]

36w1d here. No sign of anything birth-ish yet, and I feel less achy than I did a month ago, though the creaking of bones when I roll over in bed seems like it's here to stay.
 

People keep asking if I'm ready and if I'm excited. But no matter how I respond, they tell me I can't really be ready and I know they don't expect me to say I'm not excited (which I am). I feel like there's no good response that isn't cliche. The other thing I keep hearing is that I look so tiny. For a girl who's never been 'skinny,' it's a bizarre experience to not be worried about my weight gain (25 lb on the dot, and most of that before the third trimester). My fundal growth is spot on, and the midwives keep saying the baby feels perfect, so I'm not worried about the baby not growing properly, and I know that I'm eating plenty. 

ascher21, I've been trying to keep the whole-world-changing in mind all summer so that DH (a teacher) and I would take advantage of it with lazy breakfasts together and road trips and adventures and snuggling and all, but the other day I had my first real moment of, "Wait, there's a 6+ pound baby that has to come out of me? Seriously?"

I've watched birth videos. I know it can happen. I know I'm designed for it to happen. But it's still a little shocking. 

[hyde]

Oh, nukuspot, you poor thing. :( That sounds just miserable. I've got my fingers crossed for a peaceful, easy birth for you to offset the rough pregnancy- hoping it happens soon for you. Hang in there.

Ascher and teegan, right there with you. Recently, probably more of the 'oh @#$%, I have to GIVE BIRTH' stuff. One of the books I have has little diagrams of the timing/intensity of contractions during the different stages of labor as well as what the cervix looks like (more or less) at these points, and the one for transition in particular is just.. :-O I never felt like I was scared of giving birth, and I don't think scared is the right word now either, but the 'how the baby gets here' part is certainly sinking in more.

BH- these were last really noticeable for me around Labor Day weekend, when we were outside in the sun a ton. Recently I'm pretty sure I've gotten some while out walking, but they felt different--more soreness than tightness--maybe because my uterus and what's in it are so much bigger all these months later.

AFM, I was supposed to have a follow-up appointment this afternoon but my midwife had to assist at a birth so rescheduled me for tomorrow. Today I've felt a little more relaxed about the BP thing. Too bad I couldn't get a reading after this morning's hour-long massage, but.. ;) We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Anybody else's pelvic/hip joints super loose? I'm getting these pops here and there that I swear feel like my pelvis is separating. Not particularly painful, but I could do without it. (I couldn't believe it when the chiro told me that relaxin stays in your system for as long as you BF.. well, okay- as long as it's not as these levels..)

[nukuspot]

So funny MamanF---thats exactly what I am doing! All nesting done and since I can't walk, I just hit things with my cane or foot and yell at people to put them away . I think my family is also totally ready for this baby to come! I'm super grouchy cause of the pain and also because I can't clean up so I have to rely on everyone else to maintain my level of nesting.

Thanks all for your labor wishes for me

Ps--I also take Culturelle. I have for years, I think it's a good quality probiotic and it works well for me. My daughter takes Udos Infant/Toddler, I also like Udos brand but the adult version doesn't agree with me.