Monday 30 March 2015

PREGNANCY: 38 Week Update


This week was my second full week of maternity leave, which went a lot quicker than the first. I tried to keep my mind busy with various little projects around the house - washing more baby clothes, organising the 3-6 month clothes we have, sorting out our spare room etc. I had planned to meet up with some of the NCT Mum's on Thursday but thanks to various pregnancy niggles I decided it wasn't best to go.

I've actually had a couple of 'Oh my goodness I'm in labour' moments this week, probably definitely wishful thinking on my part. I'm just so ready for her arrival. On Wednesday night I woke up at 4.30am with period like pains and bad back ache, I felt different. After an hour and a half of trying to get comfortable I woke my husband up, who just mumbled something, turned over and went back to sleep! I finally managed to get back to sleep myself and when I woke up in the morning the tummy/back pains had subsided somewhat and I didn't have any feeling that labour was imminent. Has anyone else found that pregnancy tummy/back pains were worse during the night? Mine have been constantly worse during the night, resulting in disrupted sleep. Luckily I can nap during the day now, which I certainly have been doing! 

Once again my emotions have been all over the place this week - I'm not exactly the best company some of the time! It's the combination of not really having much to do each day, a lack of focus, and the feeling of uncomfortable impatience. I really want to meet our daughter. I really want her to not be in my ribs every evening. I really want to get labour over and done with. I really want to start the hard journey of breastfeeding. I really want to stare at our baby for hours on end, just because I can. All of these and more are making me snappier than usual, it's just so frustrating knowing I'm being snappy but not really being able to control it. I'll be glad when my hormones settle down and I feel a bit more like me again.

In my desperation to meet our daughter I've been trying various techniques to bring on labour. A lot of the methods are old wives tales and won't work unless your baby is ready to make an appearance, but it doesn't hurt to try! I had an Indian Head Massage and Facial this week, my husband had got me them for my birthday (some last minute pampering) and I'd also read that massage can bring on labour. Other than me worrying my waters would break during the treatments it didn't kick start anything. I've also eaten pineapple almost everyday this week, although yesterday I read that you would need to eat at least 7 for it to have any effect at all! I've got a box of Raspberry Leaf Tea but haven't tried it yet. My yoga ball has seen some serious bouncing this week, with an attempt to bring baby's head down further and I've done a couple of longer walks. But nothing, not yet anyway.

I had my 38 week midwife appointment, which went really well as she said what I'd wanted to hear - the baby is now engaged! Even though that doesn't really mean much, as a baby can be engaged from 36 weeks, its a step in the right direction. My bump is measuring bang on - 38cm at 38 weeks and my blood pressure was fine. The next appointment is when I'm 3 days overdue, so I'm really hoping I don't need to go to that because our baby has arrived!

What were the first signs you were in labour?

Feel free to leave me a comment :)

Helen x
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3 comments

  1. My bump currently sleeps through the night - fingers crossed that continues once the baby's here! But I get Braxton Hicks every evening and it's SO frustrating wondering if THIS TIME they might actually mean something (and, if they did, would I recognise that it was the real thing?).

    I've established that curry definitely doesn't kick start labour...

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  2. I have had a few of those moments where I have thought, this is it I am going into labour but have been false alarms so far. Im due on thursday and I am getting so impatient now. xx

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  3. Do you know, that happened to me a lot in the middle of the night. I hope she comes soon for you. It is hard at the end and I had both of mine at 38 weeks so I take my hat off to you ;) keep bouncing #MaternityMondays

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