I named the title such so that I wouldn't get anyone's hopes up. I'm just into my 39th week (5 more days to go until the due date) but I'm already having painful contractions and my back is killing me worse than ever! Not to mention the annoyance of starting every phone/text/email conversation with "no, I haven't had the baby yet". From all you mothers out there, how long were you having contractions before the baby came? I've been having the braxton-hicks kind for just over a week now, but yesterday and today they've been painful where they weren't before. Ugh, I'm so ready for the pain, emotional swings, and temperature swings (sometimes I'm boiling and the next I'm freezing!) to end. Yes, I understand that I'll have a new set of aches and emotional/hormonal changes once the baby's here but I think I'm ready for that jump. I feel like I've been stuck in a state of permanent limbo. I suppose that's normal though.
Just wanted to use this opportunity to vent a little. No worries, Lincoln will post pictures here as soon as our little bundle of wiggles arrives!
-Michelle
You've only been having Braxton Hicks for a week?! Lucky dog! I had them forever! Only occasionally were they painful though. I didn't get the back pain/cramping until I was induced, so I'm no help there. Braxton Hicks mean nothing though. Over 2 months of BH that were at least 4-5 an hour only got me dilated 1cm.
ReplyDeleteI also didn't have emotional swings/temperature swings. I was always hot because of my little radiator as well as my high blood pressure.
I hope your boobs are ready for breastfeeding! If you have the opportunity to talk to a lactation consultant in the hospital, totally do it. It makes all the difference. At least it did for me. When I got home and didn't have nurses to help me out (and they ALWAYS did) I at least had the lactation consultant's advice to help me out. And Lincoln had better support you!
Good luck with it all! Having a baby is totally worth the 9 months of pregnancy and labor/birth. I didn't even have an epidural and I still think it's totally worth it. :)
I hardly had any braxton hicks... though I guess I had painful contractions for about 2 hours every morning, and then for nearly 24 hours leading up to the birth. They started Sunday morning, and then we were sure it was "the real deal" about 12 hours after that, 5 hours after that we went to the hospital, and 6 hours after that Rebekah was born!
ReplyDeleteHand in there! You're so close! With all the contractions you're having, it sounds like you WON'T be a week late like I was. And since this was updated on Saturday and it's now Thursday, maybe I'm totally late and you're already in labor! ;)
I TOTALLY agree with Megan's advice! Also, I recommend the book "The Nursing Mother's Companion" it seriously covers everything! :) And get some lanolin! I don't remember if it was you or someone else that said their mother was allergic, but you can get it in a tiny little tube, and a little goes a long way, so I hope you're not allergic. It's seriously a miracle worker while you and your little one are figuring out the best hold/position etc for breastfeeding.
Hang in there, she'll be here soon :)
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