What to expect from now until labour....

[moglie]

Hi everyone, just wanted to know, given this is my first pregnancy, what should I expect to happen between now and when I go into labour? It seems just to be a waiting game, but not knowing what's coming. I would be grateful if you could share some of your experiences. It would be good to have some idea of what I can expect.
Thankyou

[Trillian]

One thing i do know is that it is so hard to tell at the time, that what you're feeling could be the start of labour until after it is over - hindsight is a wonderful thing LOL. Like the whole nesting caper, quite often you don't realise you are nesting at the time, but later on it makes sense, and there are just other little things. Like for me it was never really nesting, but I had itchy feet kwim? like I wanted to do something or go somewhere. When i was pg with Erin, two days before she was due Bathurst 1000 was on and I was deadset going to watch it but I just couldn't sit still for long enough so I just came and went. She ws born two days later.

As for the weeks leading up to the birth, physically you can expect to feel tired and maybe any m/s nausea may come back and just a general feeling of being uncomfortable - but not all women will experience anything like that be get through the last weeks OK.

mentally you can have all sorts of things going through your head and if there is anything that is overly worrying, talk to someone about it. Also you naturally start to wonder about the birth and how that will go too.

[Jacqui]

For me....I become a lot of things:
* I finally show that I am pregnant
* I clean everything, and keep everything clean
*Organised
*Emotional
*Energetic & more tired at the same time

I do anything to keep moving, yet make sure I take time to put my feet up.
Confused yet???

Trust me the waiting game begins, and you will go crazy if you don't do everything you need to do before this bubs comes. Make sure you get your hair done, meet up with friends, go out to dinner....do all the things your about to give up and devote to the new love of your life bubs.

JAc

[RhiChiChi]

What a good post, cos I have no idea what to expect either!
I thought last night I was having contractions, but I don't even know what they 'should' feel like, other than what the midwife explained in antenatal class. So I have no idea if they were contractions or not but I haven't had anymore of these types of pains today............

[Karina]

For me, the last few weeks of my pregnancy, I had shocking heartburn. I was definately looking pregnant but not enormous and I did find it hard to get a comfy possie to sleep in. It wasnt really terrible though - I felt a bit tired, but I still felt really fit and healthy.
I did have bh frequently - in bursts throughout the day. I was tired, but energetic kwim?

[Tobily]

I know it's probably not the most positive slant on things but for me those weeks from 33 until the end were mainly about getting bigger...and bigger...and more and more uncomfortable.
I also felt very tired and hormonal in the last month or so - like having the worst PMS for a month straight...no fun for hubby
I also became a total control freak about keeping the house clean and getting all my nesting done. I had a big excel spreadsheet with shopping lists, cooking lists, freezing lists, to-do lists....Lists for everything. And god help any DH who tried to mess with my plan or tell me I was being unreasonable. My nesting was scary at the end of my second pregnancy. It even freaked my mother out.
These last few weeks are a good time to just reflect on what is about to happen too - cliched as it sounds your life really will never be the same again in a month or so. So do some of things you love - get a massage, go out for dinner with DH, go to the movies, shop if you feel up to it, have your nails done etc. It's impossible to do for a while until you find your groove with the baby which can take a few months.
Oh yeah one other thing - SLEEP