really not coping well

[JenMidwife]

I am thankful that I've had such an easy pregnancy... but I just need to vent.

It's 3:30am, the first time I've ever been wide awake during the middle of the night during my pregnancy. Last night was tough... I'm finding baby's movement really uncomfortable/painful for the first time (except for the day when s/he moved constantly for 2 & 1/2 hours a couple weeks ago), especially the ones down low in my pelvis. Last night I was having a lot of cramping (like period pain) that radiated down my thighs & lower back.

I was just so uncomfortable, I think I cried off & on for nearly 3 hours & am getting teary again thinking about it. & crying over that discomfort made me doubt my ability to labor & it just spiralled. DH was great... I just wish I knew if this was a sign that I was going to go into labor in the next couple of days or if I'm going to have to deal w/ this for the next 2+ weeks (edd 8/6). Ugh.

ETA
P.S. I have wicked-itchy bug bites on my ankles that are just pissing me off. Okay, I think I'm really done whining now.

[KarmaChameleon]

Hang in there Jen The ned is so near -- the emotional breakdown (had a few myself yesterday) is a sign that things are going to start happening...I had a stomach bug this weekend and sent my husband to the store for ginger ale, and when he came home he got ginger ale AND coke, which was what I really wanted, adn when I saw that he had gotten both I burst into tears in the middle of my kitchen -- actual tears falling off my face because I was so happy that he bought COKE.

He says, "Where do you keep all the midwife's phone numbers honey?"

After two babies, he sees this as a sign.

So the end is almost here for you -- if it weren't for this last month I would have more babies -- this is the WORST....even labor is better than the last month of pregnancy IMO. And you will be ifne for your labor -- because you will feel supported and empowered....being in (uneccesary) pain in the middle of the night is a very isolating experience, and not at all what you can expect frm your birth experience, frm what I "know" of you.

Again, s

[veganf]

You're getting close, try to hang in there just a bit longer (I know, I know, we've got no choice).
I had that crampiness and pain yesterday afternoon. It's no fun, but I'll take it, since it probably means less my body will have to do when labor really begins. I'm still feeling crampy this morning.
What a pleasant group of women we'd all be to have brunch with, LOL.
It must be hard having a lot of pain with your baby, but not be in labor yet. I hope things are better tonight and the baby lets you get some rest (or else just comes right out!). I'm sure you'll do wonderfully when the time comes.

[SummerTwilight]

Hang in there Jen, the hormonal levels definately intensify everything...and sleep deprivation DEFINATELY doesn't help!
It can't be too much longer and I know you will sail through with a beautiful baby- pain has to be much more endurable when there is a lovely end result, right?

[Robynee]

I was miserable last night too. My hips hurt so bad that I can't get comfortable not matter how I toss and turn. I had a really painful contraction. I've been having a lot of crampy ones and thinking that it isn't too bad, but the one I had last night scared me. I never went into labor with ds. Here I am all set on natural childbirth and what if I can't do it? I feel better this morning so maybe it was just the 'fear in the middle of the night' thing, but it did eat at my confidence a little. I really hope you guys are right about the emotional breakdown being a signal that the end is near. I feel so moody and out-of-control. It hit all of a sudden a couple of days ago. I was doing so well and then WHAM! I am a mess. I just want to have this baby already!

[coop_mom]

Hi Jen-

Sorry you're feeling so icky, I'm right there with you (and I partciularly sympathize about the bug bites -- darn mosquitos!!). I woke up in the middle of the night with a bug on me, which freaks me out and gets my adrenaline racing...so helpful when I can barely get to sleep ever anyway!

Anyhoo, this is my first baby, so I can't reassure you that your reactions indicate that labor is on its way, but I appreciate the other posters' thoughts and it sounds like this means things are moving along, yay!

Wishing you some relaxation and maybe a few hours of peaceful sleep!

--kristin

[boobyfeeder]

Oh hon, I think we ALL know where you are coming from, especially those of us with due dates closer to the beginning of August (8/9 here). The end is no fun, it feels like a really long wait and every day is the same over and over. It's all worth it in the end, and you won't be pregnant forever, but it's so hard to keep telling yourself that. You'll get through this and then you'll have a beautiful new baby to keep you awake at night. Hang in there!

[LillyGrace'sMommy]

YES!!! I'm there with you too! My insomnia is back, everything hurts....from my toes to my head, and getting sleep is next to impossible.....Everything makes me cry, or break down, and everything in my life is literally falling apart!!!! It is almost over, and be thankful for those cramps, they really do their job!!!!! I have ot keep telling myself that, so I am right there with you.....not too much longer for me either.....8/8...... my first was a day early, so we will see what happens this time!

[ambotchka]

Jen (and everyone) -- I'm sorry you're miserable. So am I... backache, contractions (they're so irregular, and most are painless), moodiness, exhaustion, etc. It's such a pain to turn from side to side in the bed; I feel like my legs are separating from my spine. Just a bit longer, right? I've got until the 10th, but since it's my first, it supposed to take longer. Don't you just wish there was a way to "know" when labor would really start? If I just knew, I think I'd be able to handle all of this a lot better!

Oh, and I've got flea bites down my shins and on my knees. Our dogs got their flea medicine right away after I discovered that one. DH, of course, is bite-free. Our preggo blood must be sweeter.

[2 in August]

Sorry you had such a bad night. I'm with you all. I've been having more and more contractions, the crampy ones too. I was up last night with them too. Then I fell asleep and they went away. Bummer! I sure hope they are doing something. I want my baby!!

[ColoradoMama]

Take it as a sign to pamper yourself! Your body is working hard getting ready to birth this baby. Crampy contractions are a good sign because they are the ones that are DOING something. I'm sorry you're so uncomfortable. Me, too! When dh and I went to dinner the other night, I had to stop THREE times on the way to the car because I was in so much pain - and it was just around the corner! It's not going to be long now - you can do it. And soon you'll be able to say that it was all worth it. Hang in there.

[JenMidwife]

Oh my goodness, you guys... I almost started to cry again reading your responses! Thank you SO MUCH for your support... I knew that I wasn't the only one going through this stuff, but it just felt so good to put it out there & get it off my chest... & then to read your sweet responses... wow.

Krista, you're right, I think we would have an absolute ball together if we could all meet IRL!

So for better or for worse, I'm on the computer & not in labor! I slept really well from about 6:30-10:30am (like always, can't imagine what I'd do if I was also caring for older children!) & have not been having the discomfort I was last night. It will be interesting to see what tonight brings when baby's activity level archs up again.

I am thankful to be rested & renewed. Thanks again to you all

[minimunklemama]

I am glad that you at least got that stretch of sleep and are feeling a little better.this is so hard sometimes.I hope you have a better night tonight

[2 in August]

Glad to hear you got some rest and feel better now. Take care!

[pandora665]

It's amazing how different it gets in the last month, isn't it? I'm glad to see you're getting some sleep now, it'll help, I feel sure.

I totally am on the same page. I've got 21 days still (I'll be induced on 8/22 if the littl'un hasn't made her appearance (I'm high risk for a blood clotting issue, and that's my due date... it was a compromise getting them back that far )

Thursday night, my DH and I got into a random argument (I can't for the life of me remember why) and I couldn't sleep all night with contraction/crampy/low pelvic pain. Guess how well Friday went??

Saturday and Sunday were better, but today, I'm back to feeling like my pelvis is going to crack in half.

I wish I'd done this even once before, so I had some kind of intuition as to when she'll show up. I'm really excited that she's officially full term as of tomorrow, but that means nothing, I know.

P.S. the ginger ale and Coke thing would be the type of thing that:
a) DH does on a regular basis, and
b) I can see myself bursting into tears over --> pg hormones are wacky!
Congrats on having someone who reads you so well!

Erin

[JenMidwife]

Originally Posted by pandora665

I wish I'd done this even once before, so I had some kind of intuition as to when she'll show up.

Yes, I feel the same way! But then I read posts by 2nd+ time moms who have gone way later than w/ previous babes & that must be pretty miserable too!

[2 in August]

Originally Posted by JenMidwife

Yes, I feel the same way! But then I read posts by 2nd+ time moms who have gone way later than w/ previous babes & that must be pretty miserable too!

That's me!! I'm so surprised that I'm still pg, let alone know what's happening. : I envy moms who seem to have some sort of clue about what's going on.

[AmieV]

Yeah, having done this once before hasn't given me any major intuition if it makes you feel any better.

I've always found it so, so, so, so cruel that the quality of sleep you get the last month of pg is so crappy when you're staring down the barrel of REAL sleep deprivation aka life with newborn. It seems you should be allowed to stock up or something.

as for how you'll do it when caring for older children...you just do. You'll find after caring for your baby awhile that your standards/requirements for sleep go WAY down. you just get used to being tired and are able to function on less sleep. And then you also nap when they nap!! I never thought I'd be able to deal with as little sleep as I get on a regular basis...prebabies I was a 10 hour a night gal. I don't think I'd know what to do with that kind of sleep if I had it at this point!!

I will say that DD's spell of getting up between 5 and 6 the last couple of weeks has made me cry more than a few mornings lately.

OH, and this pain is nowhere near the same as labor. Trust me, I'm a huge wuss and I seriously feel like if I can have natural childbirth anyone can. My husband really didn't know if I could do it while I was pg last time...I self medicate at the first sign of any pain when not pg!

[veganf]

Originally Posted by AmieV

And then you also nap when they nap!! I never thought I'd be able to deal with as little sleep as I get on a regular basis...prebabies I was a 10 hour a night gal.

I used to sleep 9 hours every night. But sadly I've never been a good napper, no matter how deliriously tired I get. I wish I could fall asleep at the drop of a hat the way my husband does or my father used to. My husband says he learned to do it in the Army, or he wouldn't have gotten enough sleep. And my father was in the Navy. You'd think parenting newborns would bring about the same ability, but apparently I've yet to learn it! The second they're asleep I try to "do" stuff instead. :

[AmieV]

Krista, you know what? I can't nap either. I mean, I don't ever really fall asleep unless I've gotten literally NO sleep the night before. I stopped trying to actually "sleep" when I nap, and I still just lay down. It's at least somewhat restorative. It sucks because I used to be able to nap just fine. One more thing that kids have robbed me of.

I do the same thing sometimes...I'll be banking on a 2 hour nap from DD so I'll "do" stuff the first hour, then the minute I lay my head down *bing* she's up! I've learned to always nap first!