Signs the end is near...

[boingo82]

You never thought about your cervix before, but you're now comfortable discussing it with the in-laws, or strangers in the grocery.

Deodorant - no longer just for underarms, it's now for under-boobs and under-belly. (Tell me I'm not the only sweaty one!)

Someone else has to tie your shoes for you.

Baby has "dropped" - meaning, you can no longer hoist your pants up high enough to meet the bottom edge of your longest maternity shirt.

EVERYONE you see asks you how you're feeling. (You're feeling sick of people asking questions, mostly..)

People think it's funny to comment on your girth.

Getting up off the couch from a reclining position requires the assistance of at least one other person.

Add more if you have them!

[boingo82]

How could I forget...

WATER gives you heartburn. As does milk.

[Marylizah]

WATER gives you heartburn. As does milk.

:

How about pooping 3-4 times a day? Gosh I hope that's a sign the end is near.

[Smithie]

I'm glad I'm not the only frequent pooper.

[dharmama]

Your phone rings a dozen times a day....which you don't answer because you are sick of talking to people....everyone is "just checking in to see how you are doing."

I know they mean well...and I'm blessed to have such a large circle of family/friends but ugh. Stop calling. I haven't even hit my due date yet!!!!

[gnutter]

YOu have to help your legs off the bed-I feel like I am 90 yrs old!!

I am changing my phone message to-"no we haven't had the baby yet-don't you think I would call you and tell you if I had!!!!"

[Peppamint]

Ugh, like a beached whale in bed or on the couch. I wanna relax again without having to roll out of bed or request assistance getting out of the couch!

Cervical twinges and feelings of my water bag being squished around (so paranoid it's gonna break).

Otherwise I'm feeling good. Baby is so darn low that I don't have heartburn anymore!

[luckylady]

When you stand after sitting, you need to stay still for a minute until the bruised pelvis feeling passes.

You can't reach the emergency brake release in the car ( true story folks )

Who knew skin to be so ITCHY for no reason???

and oh yes, the frequent pooping. Wish my body was always THIS effecient!

HOT flashes. HOT all the time. I stick my head in the freezer to cool off.

[Hevyne]

Hot Flashes!! I hope this isn't like menopause. Mine is seeing something fall out of my hands and dreading that I have to get ALL the way down to the floor to pick it up, then get ALL the way back up again.

Have my Dr. appt. today and am hoping that I have not lost fluid and won't have to be medically induced. Wish me luck!!

[saritabeth]

how about your baby waking you up to eat a sandwhich at 2 am?? Im hungry all the freaking time.

Or people looking at you in horror at the grocery store as if a baby is going to drop out of you at any moment....

[gnutter]

when you cough you have to check if you peed or your water has broken

[Peppamint]

: And also when you feel a trickle or gush-like and you wonder if it's your waters breaking and when you check it's another rush of cervical fluid. :

[waterbaby9503]

when you cough you have to check if you peed or your water has broken

I'm not even at my due date yet people!!!!
I'm starting to dread going to work. Everyone asks "So you haven't had the baby yet?" (mentally: oh, gave birth last week. This is just a basketball under my shirt)
"So when's baby coming?" (You're asking me? I would be the last one to know! Why don't you just come closer, ask my belly that question)
"Are you scheduled?" (Huh, yeah, I'm on the schedule to work a shift today) "No, does your dr have your induction scheduled?" (No, not planning one) "oh, I didn't know they still let you do that!" (*let* me do "that"???!!!!)

[Peppamint]

Ugh, I know! I overheard two women at the grocery store discussing how awful it was for a pregnant lady who wasn't due for *three* more *weeks*... and how they hoped she'd go early or be induced. Um, like hello?

God forbid the doctors "allow" a woman to go all the way to 37 weeks. What an awful mindset!

eta: when I went back to work after my first baby was born (my only hospital birth) I had a few co-workers make odd comments, then I realized they assumed that I had a c-section (no particular reason). I mean, they just assumed unless you said otherwise it was a c-section.

[KatSG]

I've got all the above, except the peeing! I have no idea how I avoided that this time. I had it last time. And I don't kegal. I'm sure it will be back after the birth.

For me I've got my to do list of things that gave to get done...and I'm a little afraid to get a few of the ones that have really been looming over my head because I'm afraid that when I do--BAM! the baby will come. And I'm not exactly ready.

I hear ya BBM about the inductions. There is a baby boom at dh's office and he came home all sad that a mom was going to be induced next Monday if she didn't go before then. At least she's already 40 weeks as of yesterday. Did you all know that in France full term is 42 weeks? I wonder if US OBs know this.

[Rowenta]

Oh i have never been told how GOOD I look!
I just want to ask the next person, does that mean I didnt' look good before??
EVeryone comes up (even people i dont' know) tellingme how GREAT I look, lolololol.
I have to laugh otherwise i would be paranoid on how I look, lol

My gf keeps calling to see if anything has *happened*. She looks for all the *signs* and got totally excited when yesterday I was CLEANING!!
I am like...he will be here in the next few weeks, HONESTLY!!

[Rowenta]

oh i am just LAUGHING at all of this!!
Mostly because it is sooo TRUE!!

People are NERVOUS to be around me!!!
I dont' think it is becuase i am getting close to my due date, it is mostly because i am dialated to a 5 and my labors are VERY VERY quick!!

[Sadiebug]

No more room so baby thinks it needs to be in your ribs

Being so thirsty that you drink water all the time and then makes u have to pee every 20 minutes

Feeling like the baby is poking you cervix into swiss cheese

Leg cramps

Hearing every 5 secs if I have any contractions!!!!(yes, but doesn't mean I'm in labor people!!!)

Having people say "You're going to pop", thanks for saying in a nice way I'm fat lol

[Marylizah]

Originally Posted by KatSG

Did you all know that in France full term is 42 weeks? I wonder if US OBs know this.

Just popping back in to say that full-term here is 41 weeks and you have basically no chance of being allowed to go more than 5 days past that before they induce.

That said, in one of my birth prep classes, the mw told us that roughly 50% of women give birth 1 week before their due dates and roughly 50% on or just after their due dates.

So, yeah, it's incredibly shocking to me that in the US it's considered *normal* to induce at 37 weeks!!

But back to the thread topic-- how about the people (mostly women) who staaaaaaaare at you as you waddle up the street as if they've never seen a pregnant woman before and are expecting to have to pick your baby up off the ground for you as you walk past them?

And another sign-- when you drop something on the floor, your first thought is "Oh, cr*p", because you know it's gonna take 10 minutes to get close enough to the ground to pick it up, and 10 minutes to get fully upright again.

[alexisyael]

Oh, these are GREAT!!!!!!!! I'm getting so many of those!

I'll add: you know you're getting to the end when your DH comes home from walking the dog, does the dishes (not bothering to come in to where you're lying on the bed, reading) and you freak out, b/c "he just doesn't care anymore!" (He was doing the dishes that I *can't* do anymore, b/c the belly bumps into the sink!)

Sheesh.

And then I made him eat pizza for dinner, b/c I had a craving (me, the non-pizza person). Oh so yummy... garlic and red pepper flakes!