There's quite a bit of gory detail about pregnancy, labour, and birth in this post. So avert thine eyes if this kind of content is upsetting for you.
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I'm so thrilled to have reached 37 weeks gestation! Baby is now considered to be early term, which means that if she were to make an appearance before her estimated due date at 40 weeks, she'd be a little early but fully cooked. I was born at 37 weeks exactly. With my first kiddo, I went into labour the day after his estimated due date, which is remarkable for a first-timer (they often arrive a little later.) Subsequent babies tend to come sooner, what with mama's body knowing the drill.
I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions since about 25 weeks. They are harmless practice contractions, and have been increasing in frequency and strength since week 34. In the past week I've been getting some that might actually be very gentle and mild real contractions, about 2-3 per day. They are actually a little painful and I feel them in my back and bum, which doesn't happen for me with the Braxton Hicks, which just feel like slightly uncomfortable uterine tightenings.
It's difficult not to symptom-spot at this point. With my little boy, I didn't have random twinges like this. Real labour started with a bang at 13:30 the day after his due date and continued until he was born. I didn't lose my mucus plug or have any sort of bloody show. The only thing that might have been a sign of imminent labour was sudden production of colostrum the night before. Phil and I were relaxing, listening to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon on vinyl (I've heard that a third of all British households have the album!), and I noticed a bit of booby leakage. I had my first contraction the following day after eating an entire pineapple, and that was it. They just kept coming and getting closer together. My waters didn't break until I was dilated to 8 cm. The entire labour from first contraction to birth was about 14 hours long. I was knackered! With any luck, this labour will be quicker.
I can't help but wonder how it's going to be different this time. My obstetrician will be checking my cervix in a few days to see if things are starting gradually rather than all at once. I'm seeing him weekly at this point and will continue to do so until the end. When I saw him last he said that baby has descended into my pelvis ever so slightly, which actually surprised me. First babies 'drop' toward the end of the third trimester to engage in the pelvis, which is called 'lightening.' But lightening doesn't always occur with subsequent pregnancies.
Does this mean labour will be starting for real sooner rather than later? Is it a fluke? We shall see. I'd like to hold out a bit longer for the sake of Phil's side of the family because they're all flying out to LA for the birth! My mum-in-law is a midwife. She'll be so disappointed if she misses out on the action. I'm not sure the little lass is going to hold out, though! In any case, having a little bit of pressure taken off my stomach and lungs has made it easier for me to breathe, although the heartburn is still a bother.
The urge to nest has definitely begun. Every room in the house I enter just begs to be overturned and reorganised. I want to throw out loads of seemingly unnecessary junk, detail each nook and cranny with a toothbrush, and roll around in clean sheets. Some mums-to-be and their partners find the nesting urge to be a bit disturbing, but I happen to love the euphoric rush of motivation to improve my living space. I think it's a fantastic instinct. Perhaps it's the ICU nurse in me. Man, I love to clean and organise. Yay, nesting. Along the same vein, I've also begun putting my hospital bag together. For the sake of efficiency, I'm using the nappy bag. It's stuffed with onesies, nappies, a change of clothes for both phil and myself, a couple of baby blankets, and a phone charger. Still to be added are travel toiletries, sanitary pads, wipes, baby mittens, breast pads, and some other bits and bobs that I'm sure I've forgotten.
I can tell some of you are still thinking about the pineapple. Contrary to what you may reasonably believe, I'm not simply a greedy moo who enjoys to eat unreasonable quantities of fruit. Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain which can stimulate the prostaglandins that soften the cervix, encouraging dilation. Whether or not it was a placebo, I can't tell you, but I certainly went into labour quickly after enjoying my tropical snack. I love pineapple and am really looking forward to enjoying it after having to abstain for the past 8 months!
Now, a birth plan - people have been asking me if I've written one. The answer is not really. Childbirth is so unpredictable that I feel most comfortable going with the flow. This doesn't mean that I don't have preferences, because I do, or that I won't make them known to hospital staff, because I will, but it will be fairly informal. Birth plans are a great way for some parents-to-be to organise their thoughts and make sure their needs are known, which is especially important for single parents who may not have anyone to advocate for them during labour. It's crucial to know your rights and demand respect during one of the most vulnerable moments of your life. Things to thing about include who you do or do not want present at the birth, what kind of pain relief you'd like (if at all), if you want to be active during your labour, minimise vaginal examinations, delay chord clamping, have skin-to-skin contact with baby right after delivery, among other options.
I'm feeling as ready for madam's arrival as I'll ever be. While I know some of the challenges that lie ahead (sleep deprivation, constant feeding, etc), I'm excited to meet her and not be pregnant anymore. I don't know what it is, but I've not really felt like myself throughout this pregnancy. I'm sure the SPD and family issues that required my travel to America have contributed a lot to that, but I can't put my finger on the rest. It's like I've purely been in survival mode the whole time. My pregnancy with my son was a romantic dreamscape in comparison. Looking at this pregnancy from a positive perspective, I'm proud of myself for my resilience. Now let's carry on and find a new normal.
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I'm so thrilled to have reached 37 weeks gestation! Baby is now considered to be early term, which means that if she were to make an appearance before her estimated due date at 40 weeks, she'd be a little early but fully cooked. I was born at 37 weeks exactly. With my first kiddo, I went into labour the day after his estimated due date, which is remarkable for a first-timer (they often arrive a little later.) Subsequent babies tend to come sooner, what with mama's body knowing the drill.
I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions since about 25 weeks. They are harmless practice contractions, and have been increasing in frequency and strength since week 34. In the past week I've been getting some that might actually be very gentle and mild real contractions, about 2-3 per day. They are actually a little painful and I feel them in my back and bum, which doesn't happen for me with the Braxton Hicks, which just feel like slightly uncomfortable uterine tightenings.
It's difficult not to symptom-spot at this point. With my little boy, I didn't have random twinges like this. Real labour started with a bang at 13:30 the day after his due date and continued until he was born. I didn't lose my mucus plug or have any sort of bloody show. The only thing that might have been a sign of imminent labour was sudden production of colostrum the night before. Phil and I were relaxing, listening to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon on vinyl (I've heard that a third of all British households have the album!), and I noticed a bit of booby leakage. I had my first contraction the following day after eating an entire pineapple, and that was it. They just kept coming and getting closer together. My waters didn't break until I was dilated to 8 cm. The entire labour from first contraction to birth was about 14 hours long. I was knackered! With any luck, this labour will be quicker.
I can't help but wonder how it's going to be different this time. My obstetrician will be checking my cervix in a few days to see if things are starting gradually rather than all at once. I'm seeing him weekly at this point and will continue to do so until the end. When I saw him last he said that baby has descended into my pelvis ever so slightly, which actually surprised me. First babies 'drop' toward the end of the third trimester to engage in the pelvis, which is called 'lightening.' But lightening doesn't always occur with subsequent pregnancies.
Does this mean labour will be starting for real sooner rather than later? Is it a fluke? We shall see. I'd like to hold out a bit longer for the sake of Phil's side of the family because they're all flying out to LA for the birth! My mum-in-law is a midwife. She'll be so disappointed if she misses out on the action. I'm not sure the little lass is going to hold out, though! In any case, having a little bit of pressure taken off my stomach and lungs has made it easier for me to breathe, although the heartburn is still a bother.
The urge to nest has definitely begun. Every room in the house I enter just begs to be overturned and reorganised. I want to throw out loads of seemingly unnecessary junk, detail each nook and cranny with a toothbrush, and roll around in clean sheets. Some mums-to-be and their partners find the nesting urge to be a bit disturbing, but I happen to love the euphoric rush of motivation to improve my living space. I think it's a fantastic instinct. Perhaps it's the ICU nurse in me. Man, I love to clean and organise. Yay, nesting. Along the same vein, I've also begun putting my hospital bag together. For the sake of efficiency, I'm using the nappy bag. It's stuffed with onesies, nappies, a change of clothes for both phil and myself, a couple of baby blankets, and a phone charger. Still to be added are travel toiletries, sanitary pads, wipes, baby mittens, breast pads, and some other bits and bobs that I'm sure I've forgotten.
I can tell some of you are still thinking about the pineapple. Contrary to what you may reasonably believe, I'm not simply a greedy moo who enjoys to eat unreasonable quantities of fruit. Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain which can stimulate the prostaglandins that soften the cervix, encouraging dilation. Whether or not it was a placebo, I can't tell you, but I certainly went into labour quickly after enjoying my tropical snack. I love pineapple and am really looking forward to enjoying it after having to abstain for the past 8 months!
Now, a birth plan - people have been asking me if I've written one. The answer is not really. Childbirth is so unpredictable that I feel most comfortable going with the flow. This doesn't mean that I don't have preferences, because I do, or that I won't make them known to hospital staff, because I will, but it will be fairly informal. Birth plans are a great way for some parents-to-be to organise their thoughts and make sure their needs are known, which is especially important for single parents who may not have anyone to advocate for them during labour. It's crucial to know your rights and demand respect during one of the most vulnerable moments of your life. Things to thing about include who you do or do not want present at the birth, what kind of pain relief you'd like (if at all), if you want to be active during your labour, minimise vaginal examinations, delay chord clamping, have skin-to-skin contact with baby right after delivery, among other options.
I'm feeling as ready for madam's arrival as I'll ever be. While I know some of the challenges that lie ahead (sleep deprivation, constant feeding, etc), I'm excited to meet her and not be pregnant anymore. I don't know what it is, but I've not really felt like myself throughout this pregnancy. I'm sure the SPD and family issues that required my travel to America have contributed a lot to that, but I can't put my finger on the rest. It's like I've purely been in survival mode the whole time. My pregnancy with my son was a romantic dreamscape in comparison. Looking at this pregnancy from a positive perspective, I'm proud of myself for my resilience. Now let's carry on and find a new normal.
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