Is there any truth to the "burst of energy before labor" theory?

[limabean]

I felt absolutely awful last week -- lumbering around, napping constantly, letting DS watch lots of movies, etc., and then suddenly on Saturday I started feeling totally fine -- lots of energy, no naps necessary, up for going shopping/to visit people, plenty of energy for playing with DS, etc.

Of course, I'm hoping that *everything* is a sign of impending labor, but I'm curious -- did any of you new mamas experience a burst of energy shortly before your labor started?

[carriebft]

WIth my second, I kid you not, I suddenly had the urge to shampoo the carpets. So I went to the grocery store and rented a rug cleaner and did the carpets. Then I decided to go to a nursing moms meetings. Gave birth that night!

[mkmama]

i was going to post this as i left the house with my mom this morning at 9:30am and didn't get back until 7pm and with no nap, walking ALL day, in heavy crowds (which EXHAUSTS me usually)...i feel great and am up at 11 typing on here. hmmm. i wonder too...

[ChristyH]

Well I am exhausted and have been for days, I can't sleep at night and I'm lucky to get a nap during the day. I hope that's not the case because that means I'm going to be pregnant forever :

[tarajean56]

Yeah, I'm hoping that feeling insanely cranky is the sign for impending labor...because that's exactly where I'm at right now.

[paphia]

For me, my pattern has been having bursts of nesting energy and then needing to rest for a couple days. But I went and cooked and cleaned a ton and did yard work and all sorts of stuff that I did last time at the two-weeks-to-go mark, but this time it was more like two days to go. I made several dinners all in one day, had all the laundry caught up, finished all my pre-birth projects that were important to me, etc. But the energy came and went for at least the last month. I go kind of overboard with it at the end. I don't get a clean-the-whole-house burst, but I do take on projects that are normally too much for me, like moving furniture, etc.

[Alpaca Wacka]

Sorry to say- I just lumbered! I never did get the need to nest!

[anstar]

IDK - but I've been wide awake since 5 am, like a kid at Christmas. This is extremely unusual, since I typically sleep past 9 am....

[ChetMC]

My Experience with Nesting

This is my third pregnancy. I also feel that I've had constant cycles of nesting energy and followed by needing to rest for a couple days. The swings seem to get more extreme for me the further along I am too... I have definitely found myself 8.5 months pregnant scrubbing some random object with a toothbrush or organizing tupperware lids by colour and size, making sure we have a container for each one.

[sg784]

As soon as i started contracting i had to clean the house! good thing cause it was a mess for the next 3 days!

[merry-mary]

Originally Posted by limabean

I felt absolutely awful last week -- lumbering around, napping constantly, letting DS watch lots of movies, etc., and then suddenly on Saturday I started feeling totally fine -- lots of energy, no naps necessary, up for going shopping/to visit people, plenty of energy for playing with DS, etc.

Of course, I'm hoping that *everything* is a sign of impending labor, but I'm curious -- did any of you new mamas experience a burst of energy shortly before your labor started?

Not in your DDC (I'm in May) but I was lurking to see about the April babies and I saw your thread.

This was *definitely* the case for me. The week before I had DS, I was unable to do much but rest on the couch. I was so tired and swollen and sore and big. However, the day I went into labor (labor started at 10:30 pm), I had this insane burst of energy: I cleaned my bathroom from top to bottom including the floors and shower, cleaned the kitchen, made and froze two or three pasta dishes ... and did a couple loads of laundry. Of course after that I was completely wiped out, but yes, for me, there was a definite big burst.

[limabean]

Originally Posted by merry-mary

Not in your DDC (I'm in May) but I was lurking to see about the April babies and I saw your thread.

This was *definitely* the case for me. The week before I had DS, I was unable to do much but rest on the couch. I was so tired and swollen and sore and big. However, the day I went into labor (labor started at 10:30 pm), I had this insane burst of energy: I cleaned my bathroom from top to bottom including the floors and shower, cleaned the kitchen, made and froze two or three pasta dishes ... and did a couple loads of laundry. Of course after that I was completely wiped out, but yes, for me, there was a definite big burst.

That's what I want to hear -- thanks!!

[ZoshaMosha]

Yes! For me it is the cycles between crazy energy and crazy lethargy for the last few weeks before delivery.

But right before I had DD, I had an urge to create a container garden on my deck--it was 100 degrees in August and there I was in a bikini on my deck filling up huge planters with potting soil.

Last week I started in on the heavy yardwork, so DH took it as a sign to get ready

...but it wasn't.

[Incubator]

Originally Posted by TeresaZofia

Yes! For me it is the cycles between crazy energy and crazy lethargy for the last few weeks before delivery.

But right before I had DD, I had an urge to create a container garden on my deck--it was 100 degrees in August and there I was in a bikini on my deck filling up huge planters with potting soil.

Last week I started in on the heavy yardwork, so DH took it as a sign to get ready

...but it wasn't.

:roflmao

but yeah... me too

[pixiepunk]

with my previous two, the last month or so of pregnancy is always back and forth between exhaustion and energy spurts. i think everyone's different in this regard. my mom told me she spent the last week before i was born (dec 22nd - right before xmas) making hand-dipped homemade chocolates for everyone she knew - and it's even funnier when you know my mom

[Ironica]

I've been a total sloth pretty much constantly. Got more done yesterday, and felt like superwoman ;-) but still not in labor!