Mid-to-late May mommas, check in!

[LuckyMommaToo]

It's so exciting to see all the babies arriving! But I thought I'd start a thread for the rest of us who still have a couple weeks (at least) to go.

I had my 38-week appointment today. Baby's positioned well, but hasn't dropped and no dialation. I think it'll be at least another week and doctor agrees. DH just told me he's supposed to go to this HUGE trade show (E3, the video game one) next Wednesday. I'm not sure his cell will work in the convention center, so I'm feeling kind of nervous about that.

Other than that, I've washed baby clothes, packed the suitcase, and started cleaning in strange places (under the stove, for instance). I'd love to start baking/cooking, but with a non-napping two-year-old, I don't have high hopes. Luckily, I'm mostly feeling good and energetic. A little freaked, b/c DS still doesn't sleep through the night, and now we're about to add another!! What were we thinking??

How is everyone else doing?
-Erin

[guestmama9906]

Pretty good, due 5/21-24, I'm sure we'll make it there, probably longer...

My blood pressure is high for some reason (130!!) but i'm not worried. No protein in urine, no swelling, headaches...

Baby feels about 6 lbs. right now, so I'm thinking I'll get close to an 8 pounder.

My other kids are doing fine.

Other than that, feel great, just tired.

[newmainer]

I'm due next weekend, on Mother's Day. i figure i'll make it and a bit beyond. last night i did have a ton of BH- more than usual. seems like everytime i rolled over or got up to pee, my belly was a rock. and nursing dd brought on some that were uncomfortable, and that was a first for that. ususally it's just a BH. Soooooo.... hopefully it's doing a bit of preliminary work for me! but i'm not in a big rush; i'm excited and anxious, but our weather is getting so good and i'm in a good place with dd so i'm basking in that.

definitely trying to keep the house tidy though- kitchen clean (mostly) at night, not letting the bathrooms get away from me and i gotta wash all the fingerprints and random things off the doors and trim- driving me bananas! nesting can be *such* a pain!

[Smithie]

Kelly, congratulations on living in the most beautiful part of the most beautiful state in the Union!

I'm due 05/24, feeling great and having preliminary contrax and my ultrasound yesterday showed a very healthy 6.5 lb girl, but. I'm only measuring at 33 weeks and my bp is 130/72, which is 30/20 higher than my normal bp. So I'm trying not to worry, but still am a little. Had a negative GBS culture, yay!

My mw is NOT worried, she is thrilled that we are now "in the zone" for my planned homebirth. I have purchased/washed/assembled all our stuff (except my baby carriers, gotta dig through ds' closet and find those!), had my pregnancy portraits taken, arranged for postpartum help (doula, mom and dh in varying combinations). Dh and I had our first paid sitter last weekend and have another sitter lined up for this weekend - we are trying to spend time together alone while we still can, because we know that this baby will do Nothing But Nurse until about May 2007

Except for worrying about size, I am feeling great. I can still sleep, which is amazing. I am trying really hard to appreciate these last weeks with ds, I know it won't ever be the same again once dd is born...

[ThatLinGirl]

First time mama here - due date 5/24 as well.

I've had some cramping on and off, but nothing major. My cervix is still pretty high, but baby's head is very very low, and I'm guessing I'm about 1cm dialated, and a good deal effaced, not that it means anything.

I think it will probably still be awhile. I'm trying to keep repeating that. I'm getting so excited to meet my daughter.

For the most part, I'm still pretty comfortable, but I am definitely having some pelvic pain. I'm quite clumsy and the relaxin is really doing me in. It feels as if every joint in my body is out, and things clicking suddenly when I stand up can sometimes be quite painful. I had a huge crunch come from my pelvic bone yesterday that made my jaw drop.

I have a 39 week appointment and then a 41 week appointment where I'd be offered a membrane sweep if she isn't here yet by then. I'm so glad I don't have to decline internals since they aren't even offered.

[KatSG]

I'm due 5/21 - 23 and I've had lots of BH and a few real contractions here and there. I went to a chiro today to get things in alignment as I was pretty wacked out all over my body. I feel so much better!

I also had a MW appt today and they seem to think I'm ready anytime soon, but I think I've got about 2 weeks. Some of this is just psychological. I really want to get a lot of cleaning done around the house and hope to get a good bit of that done today. I need to clean out the linen closet. I have a mother's helper, but I think I may be losing her! She may get a full-time job. She needs the job, and I want her to do this, but I'm a little sad. Maybe she'll be available on the weekends.

I also can't really drive anymore, which is a problem. The baby is so low and I drive a stick and can't safely reach the pedals anymore. I can make the car go, but yesterday realized if I had to make a quick move I wouldn't be able to do it. This is very inconvenient, but at least we do have good public transport around here. Dh had to play driver today to all my appts and missed 1/2 day of work. He was cool, but not super happy.

Ahhh, babbling now...I really do want to meet this baby. But I'm also pretty anxious about what life is going to be like with two...

[NYCVeg]

Due 5/29.

Had my 36.5 week appointment yesterday. Got the "official" diagnosis of a head-down babe, so that's one less thing to worry about. I don't do pelvics, so no idea if I'm dilated or effaced--I assume she'll come when she's ready! I don't think I'm too close, actually; I've had only a weensy bit of pelvic/cervical pain. I keep hearing about how "it gets so uncomfortable at the end, so that when the baby comes, you're really ready to get her out"--but I just don't feel *that* uncomfortable.

I had my GBS test yesterday, too, so I'll get the results on Monday. This is one I'm really worrying about, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

ETA: No BH yet. I've heard first-time moms sometimes can't feel them/don't get them? I wish I had SOME indication that this baby is actually going to be born, though!

[LuckyMommaToo]

ETA: No BH yet. I've heard first-time moms sometimes can't feel them/don't get them? I wish I had SOME indication that this baby is actually going to be born, though!

I was in the same boat last time. I think I felt two my last pregnancy (which was my first). This time I definitely feel them more, although if I'm drinking lots of water I usually don't have them even now. Don't worry, your babe WILL come!
-Erin

[KBinSATX]

Due May 27-29.
BP has always been good but I am starting to have really fat ankles. I had to go and buy new shoes to wear to work last night. Found some Earth Shoe sandals that are pretty comfy and seem to accommodate my swelling feet/ankles.
I almost made it to the homebirth zone!

[lily_fair]

I don't know if I count because the docs are going by two different due dates: May 9th and the 18th. I feel like I could go in any day on some days and other days I feel like it's still going to be awhile. I was late w/my first two: 14 days past due w/my dd and 10 days past due w/my ds so who knows what will happen this time around.

[JayGee]

Due 5/18 here.

Just back from my 38 weeks mw appointment and all is well. Head is pretty low and baby is in a great position. I have lots of BH contractions, but they don't hurt at all. For some reason I have it in my mind that I will make it to/past my due date. MW isn't so sure !

[newmainer]

Originally Posted by Smithie

Kelly, congratulations on living in the most beautiful part of the most beautiful state in the Union!

yes...we love it! (even if grudgingly so in march.... )

[Hollysmom]

Due May 31 and really happy to be here after my first was a 35 weeker. Today was my last day at work. What a relief, commuting is wearing me out. Now just waiting for the new babe while trying to avoid the 16th (dh's birthday) and the 24th (my birthday) I really don't want the babe to have to share.

I have been having a ton of Braxton Hicks for what seems like forever and since last time I had PROM with no contractions until much later I am not sure if I will know when I am actually in labor

[ecoteat]

Kelly--we love it here too (I live a little further up the coast from you, although I can't remember how I figured that out before). We lived in Boston for 7 years before moving to Maine and, even though I enjoyed it there, I could never imagine raising a child in a city. Here is perfect for us!

Anyway, I'm 39 weeks tomorrow and everything looks good. Yesterday my MWs said it looks like all my sugar-watching is paying off and I probably have a good sized, but not huge, baby in there that will fit quite nicely through my huge pelvis. (Well, they didn't say my pelvis was huge, but we all know that wide hips are one of the blessings of being a woman in my family.) I've had lots of BH contractions and the baby has been positioned well for about a month. My glucose has been perfect for a few weeks now and I'm feeling pretty good most of the time, so bring it on, baby!

[~*max*~]

Hi all. I'm a mid-May mama too, May 12th to be exact. I have been feeling ready to deliver for what seems like FOREVER! I was 4cm & 75% effaced at last check, lots of prodromal labor & false alarms, but nothing "real" yet. Overall I am doing well - healthwise. Emotionally, I am toast. I am just so wiped out from the stress.

[KindRedSpirit]

A few days short of 39 weeks here.
NYCVeg-I didn't have any BH until my third full term pregnancy,and even then only in the last month.And I had to pay attention to notice them.(This one is making up for all of that though.)
Holly'sMom-Dh's birthday is also the 16!He wants me to hold on til then.We'll see.It would be wierd to have a double birthday.Dd2 was born on halloween just 5 days before ds's birthday,and it's no easy feat to let them each have their own special day.
Also, my sister is getting married on the 19.If we had it then I'd always remember her anniversary,but she may miss some parties!And this Mother's day is also a neices birth day.I've got lots of good days to hit or avoid.I was really hoping for the 3rd for some reason.I hope it's not June 3rd!Also I'm glad I missed a Cinco de Mayo birthday-also my childhood best friends birthday.The 26 I think is another sister's graduation,the 30th is ds's kindergarten grad party,we're missing a class campout to Moab on the 19.We considered just inviting our mw,in case we birth there,but it seemed a bit much to set up. Pretty much,I just know too many people!!!Thankfully, the wedding and grads,etc...can only be a few hours, so I can fit a birth in there,if needed.
Haven't had any pelvic exams done here either.But we've got our home visit on the 10th.We'll see if I feel dilated by then.
I've kept the house in order all week,but am a hair away from giving up.Today is Saturday though,so I may be able to rile up a revival.Also going nuts over prints on walls,(I'm really just itching to paint!robin's egg blues,olive-sage greens,and khaki-tan browns....I'm drooling at the mention of it!)and mud on newly shampooed floors!!!The kids keep building "houses" with the front room couch cushions,and then bringing snacks in!!!also on a newly shampooed rug-not that you can tell now!So our entrance to our home looks like a tornado hit!
I've got a bunch of seeds I need to plant too,but I'm transfering the lawn to last years plot for a better sun location,and the lawn is HEAVY!Fun though.I've already done 1/2,all by myselfMakes me happy.
O.K. It's almost officially daytime,so I'm going to do wake up stuff now,like shower.Even though I've been up since 5!

[L'lee]

Due May 28 (37 weeks tomorrow), hoping for May 31...

I'm hanging in there, happy to wait for a few more weeks and try to get everything in line. The list is getting shorter gradually (especially since I keep adding things! LOL! Mostly it's really just to install/inspect carseat and finalize my Birth Plan.) I really want to finish my childbirth classes, which end on 5/30. I'd like to have the babe out by the end of May, though, which means May 31, one of my MWs birthdays! I'd just have the other MW if that happens, so hopefully none of their other women would go at the same time. All speculation, though! I loosened my Birkenstocks recently, glad for those! Who wants to buy "maternity shoes," after all?!?

[Smithie]

I found the bag with all my baby carriers in it! OK, now I'm REALLY ready

[newmainer]

Amy- who are your midwives? we have Morningstar Midwifery, out of Belfast. They're great!

one thing that is making me mildly nervous though is that a friend of mine is 1 week overdue (also using same mw's), i'm due a week from tomorrow, and then they have *another* mama due 4 days after me. if all conspires right, they will either have one birth after another, or all of us at once. ack! at least we are all second-timers... i think that would help.

at my dd's birth, i went into labor at the same time as 2 of their other mamas. also happened to be the only day their assistant was off-call. luckily we called early so we had one of the mw's we'd been seeing.. the other got called in (they alternated call days) and then they brought in a 3rd midwife from another practice. needless to say, this was only the 2nd time in their 20+ years of practice this had happened!

i wonder if i'm up for a repeat performance!