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Do you find the end of pregnancy maddening?


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I hate surprises. Yet, here I am and every day could be a surprise. I've had babies at 38w3d, 39w2d and 41 w, currently I'm at 39w- so right in the "window." If I start having contractions, which of course is often now, I think is this going to lead somewhere? I wake up and think is this the day? Of course life doesn't stop though, however I don't want to schedule a lot of things for good reason. I'm wondering how much time do I have?

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Having never reached the normal end of a pregnancy (I have never made it so far as even 36 weeks), I don't know. I've never had to endure that "could it be today" having never moved beyond "please let it not be today."

 

Be grateful for the time you've had, that your baby will almost certainly not have to be in the hospital post-birth for any longer than you yourself, and just do like you are doing in not planning much other stuff, just in case.

 

:grouphug:

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Well all 5 of mine have fallen within a very narrow around my due date (ranging from 2 days early to 3 days late), so I just expect that time frame this time around. So I haven't had as long as time frame to be wondering if "this is it" but it's frustrating none the less. To make it worse I have a very hard time actually identifying labor until it's pretty intense (by which point everyone around me has already figured it out).

 

So while we do stuff during the waiting period, I don't plan anything that can't be changed at a moment's notice. I'll get together with friends who understand if I suddenly don't show it's because I went into labor but I won't buy tickets to a show or signup for a paid field trip for example. I try to plan some outing (even if it's just errands) because having "something" to do each day keeps me from going crazy wondering when "it" will happen. Mentally I just do better planning that today is NOT the day and then I'm pleasantly surprised when it finally happens.

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Yes. It's maddening. My fourth pregnancy went to 42 weeks. We had kids with stomach bugs off and on from 38 weeks on. My friend who would watch the kids traveled out of the state at 41 weeks.

 

I was constantly stressed about going into labor and trying to figure out who would take the kids (and potentially puking kids) for weeks. Along with the regular stress of knowing at any moment you will be forever changing your family!

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after 2dd was two weeks late when I was positive she'd be early - I learned. I set a date by which I "knew" I'd have had the baby, and just focused on that date as when everything would be over. It helped my sanity. the next two were each about a week late, and #5 was a week early - he shocked me. but my membranes ruptured so there was never any question of whether it was real or not.

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It was especially maddening last time because my other 2 were early. Now I'm thinking is it going to be early or late this time!!! I tell dh every night before bed the house has to be super clean because who knows if I might wake up in labor and then, well, I'm going to be busy a bit! Of course will labor be fast or slow, come on strong or slow, who knows! My in-laws just came to get the kids, so should I be productive or lazy, hmmmm!

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It is maddening. With my pregnancies, I felt done at 34 weeks. I was miserable until I gave birth. I think our gestation period is much too long. :)

 

I hope you have an easy labor & delivery soon!

 

 

:iagree:I'm only 34 weeks and already stressed about when he's going to get here. I'm not ready for him to be out yet--the bassinet is still hidden somewhere in our garage, but I'm to the uncomfortable wake up every two hours, can't sit, can't stand stage already.

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after 2dd was two weeks late when I was positive she'd be early - I learned. I set a date by which I "knew" I'd have had the baby, and just focused on that date as when everything would be over. It helped my sanity. the next two were each about a week late, and #5 was a week early - he shocked me. but my membranes ruptured so there was never any question of whether it was real or not.

 

Yes, this. I don't think about my due date, I think about the 42 week date. But still...you can't help but wonder. My first was 38 weeks 2 days, so JUST in the window of "could be now), and so the next kid, I assumed, being the second, would be just as early or earlier. Nope. 41 weeks 5 days, a full 4 WEEKS later than the first. That's a LOT more pregnant. The third kid I was nutty, because I knew it could be anywhere from 38-42. And he was 41 5 the same as his sister.

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Yes.

 

Our daughter was 10 days early, our son had to be induced he was so late. The doctor said that if he was any later he would have been too big to come out any way but a C-section.

 

It was maddening. Even the last few weeks with our first were maddening, but the last month with our son was maddening and miserable. I also gained a lot of extra weight in those extra few weeks.

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Yes.

 

. I also gained a lot of extra weight in those extra few weeks.

 

Say it isn't so! I'm so done with weight gain !

 

Katie- You'll just know the next time to prepare to be late, huh?

 

I'm not sure what normal is here for me obviously. I'm having some "good" pains today but they seem sporadic. I don't understand how the baby can feel so stinking low already and yet they don't actually fall out. It seems that pushing should be so easy with as low as they get. I love that bowling ball between my leg feeling. I told my dh he isn't allowed to complain about any pain right now(he twisted his neck this weekend), unless he plans on pushing a small baby out of his private parts. Yep, I'm full of empathy right now :)

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Oh, I hear you -- I'm 41w1d today, and I was sure I was having my baby two weeks ago. (5min apart contractions and all.) I've been to 42w1d before, and I've had one at 40 weeks. I much prefer the 40 weeks version. :tongue_smilie:

 

The worst for me is meal planning -- we've been eating out or heating up frozen dinners for the last week or so, because if the baby came, I didn't want to be worn out from cooking or left with a huge mess in the kitchen. But today I got fed up with everything and cooked. I'm tired, but the kitchen is clean, and there are leftovers in the fridge.

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