What is "normal" at 33 weeks?!?

[KnittingTigers]

Twin mamas who have BTDT, what is normal at 33 weeks? My ankles are swollen beyond belief, I'm having occasional (multiple times per day, but not regular) contractions, and I feel like someone pounded my pelvic floor with a hammer. My midwives keep telling me that everything looks great - my BP is low, no signs of pre-e, my cervix is long and closed, the babies are di/di, etc. - but I feel horrible! I've gained about 55 pounds, and I know that isn't helping how I'm feeling (though the babies look great, measuring in at over 4 pounds each last week!). I guess I'm just trying to get a sense of whether labor is imminent, or whether this is just another uncomfortable phase of pregnancy.

Any thoughts/experiences would be welcome.

[Red Pajama]

I couldn't drive, as my belly was huge. I remember occasional contractions, and was on "house arrest", in that I couldn't leave the house except for drs appointments  and was supposed to stay off my feet as much as possible. I remember my feet swelling, and my rings not fitting. Pictures of me look really odd. I'm impossibly huge. I couldn't roll myself off my back in bed, and moving from one side to the other while sleeping required thought and planning.

Oh, and my skin itched like crazy, so I sat around with ice bags on my skin, or used sunburn gel with lidocaine in it.

Fun times. Good thing is, no matter how bad it gets, you are in the home stretch. One more month (approx)! 

[Brambleberry]

Sounds pretty normal.  I had a really irritable uterus starting around then.  I'd have braxton hicks any time I was up and moving around.  The contractions were painless, but walking while having contractions really irritated my pubic symphysis - the pain would radiate down my inner thighs.  I was pretty miserable all around.  But it doesn't last forever!  And as hard as it may be to care for two newborns at once, I was able to be thankful that at least I wasn't pregnant with them anymore :).  My quality of life definitely improved upon delivery. 

[macrandall]

The pelvic floor pain is going to haunt me forever. It's so horrible! It started in the second trimester for me and I was working from home by week 33 because I could no longer walk more than a few feet at a time. My swelling was moderate and I only had contractions here and there, but excruciating pain is very normal in my experience.