Mood swings just before labor?

[3pink1blue]

I am at that point in pregnancy where I just want it to be OVER already! I am carrying a pretty large baby, and have a couple more weeks until my due date, and I'm just annoyed witht he whole "being pregnant" thing.
Anyway, my question is for birth professionals and BTDT moms...

Did anyone notice major mood shifts before going into labor? I feel like I have PMS, crying for no reason coupled with agitation... if I didn't know better I'd think I had completely lost my mind! The baby is low in my pelvis and I have lots of cramps associated with that but I don't "feel" like labor is near.

My babies were all induced so I don't know if this major mood shift is normal or (crossing fingers) a sign of labor? I think I read that progesterone drops as your body starts labor, so I'm hoping its that. I never had this with my other children.

[boobyfeeder]

I'm right there with you, my first was induced but my second came on her own, but I don't remember how I felt. She was 41 weeks so I was exhausted and grouchy anyway. It's hard to say. But I'm feeling the same as you, even though I've still got 4+ weeks to go until EDD. My baby feels low and my pelvis is hurting, I'm moody and cranky and weepy and tired. No advice, just commiseration!

[NewTennMom]

My mood changed big time in the last 2 or 3 days before birth. I felt super happy, very energetic, and better then I think I did my entire pregnancy. I thought it was very strange! It was like the calm before the storm.

[paphia]

I was incredibly irratable on and off throughout my pregnancy. The last few weeks I literally stayed in my room with my toddler to avoid other people in the house. The week before I went into labor I felt antsy, made 2 weeks' worth of frozen meals, my baby dropped, I lost some mucus plug and my bowels cleared out. The whole time I was going "*lalalala* I need to stay pregnant for another three weeks" but I guess wishful thinking doesn't work when baby is ready. I wasn't feeling ready at 37 weeks, but oh well.

Yes there are some serious emotional shifts late in the game but it's not a sure sign. Rest up as much as you can in case you're about to go into labor.

[dahlsk]

I went into labor at 41+4 and that day I had a mw appt and my membranes swept, but otherwise I wasn't induced. I definitely had a "will I be pg forever???" meltdown that day, with thoughts of being induced stressing me out, and things started that night for me. (They didn't finish for 36 hours, but that's another story!!!)

[elanorh]

The day Ina was born, I worked all day and I was ticked off at my assistant. I thought she was being so smug ... I spent the day getting all the "must be done before the due date" things checked off my list, and (to me) it seemed she spent most of the day clucking around saying how good it was that I was getting this done, because "you never know" when the baby will come. I was ten days from my due date and thought she was acting like I was going into labor *that day* or something.



So Ina was born at 4:30 the next morning.

With SJ, I wasn't sure if I was in labor or not and called my sister to visit while I was putting away laundry (nested all day but I'd been nesting for over a month I suppose by then). It was my actual due date. My sister told me she didn't think I was in labor (she's had three and is an RN) -- then dh came into the house looking for me and yelled wondering where I was, and I bit his head off. My sister said, "Oh, yes, you're in labor."

And I was. SJ was born a couple hours later.

So .... I do think that there can be mood swings (or crabbiness) before labor. But it may not be imminently before labor, KWIM?

Incidentally, I apologized to my assistant for being so crabby the day before Ina was born, and she said she had no idea I'd felt that way, and certainly hadn't thought I was going to have Ina so soon either. So I was apparently also hyper-sensitive in a way that exaggerated things (she'd have told me if I'd hurt her feelings, and she's sensitive).

[mama2004]

The day before I went into labor, I was ready to cry because the only thing I wanted to eat was a sandwich from a particular place that had a line out the door when dh went to pick up lunch. He didn't know how badly I wanted that one thing, but he went back before coming home from work at a time when they were less busy and got me the lunch I wanted. I don't think I've ever been ready to cry over a turkey sandwich before, so for what that's worth... And later that night, we were watching random Bob Ross and John Denver clips on youtube, and I was almost blubbering over Annie's Song.
I'd call that a pretty big mood swing for me.

[foogoomomma]

I sure hope it's a sign because I was a massive crabapple yesterday!