“Are you having any contractions? Braxton Hicks?”
My doctor and nurse practitioner asked these questions at my last two appointments. My answer? HELL IF I KNOW. I don’t think I’ve been having any real contractions, since I do vaguely remember what those feel like from my labor with Nora. But Braxton Hicks? Maybe. But it’s so hard to tell because my entire belly is just so tight these days. Any movement from the baby causes at least a little bit of discomfort and stretching, so I’m often thinking, What was that? What’s this I’m feeling?
38 Weeks Pregnant
On Saturday night, I woke up at 3:00 a.m. out of a dead sleep to some pretty serious stomach cramps. They seemed to be coming in waves. Major discomfort, then they would ease. Discomfort again, then gone again. After a few times, I started to get suspicious. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, and half asleep, started hitting the start and stop buttons on my contraction timer app. After timing 2-3 “episodes,” I found that they were very irregular. And then I felt like I had to go to the bathroom. After a trip to the loo, things eased up and I was able to fall back to sleep. So it was just a really upset stomach. Boooo.
Once my dad left on Monday, it really hit me: All we have left to do now is wait. At work, my plate is being cleared and things are winding down as my team prepares for me to be out. At home, we’re pretty much as ready as we’re going to be, so there’s not much to distract me here, either. Time has suddenly slowed to a bit of a crawl as we await the arrival of this baby. TORTURE.
So, the last few days, we’ve started pulling out some of the tricks. I’ve been trying to do more walking. I had a pregnancy massage at a local spa last night, and asked the masseuse to work my pressure points. I sprinkled a bunch of red pepper flakes on my dinner tonight. All of this to try to encourage baby to get a move on.
At my 37-week appointment last week, I was disappointed to learn that I hadn’t made any progress from the week before. Still only 1/2 centimeter, and only 30% effaced, which the nurse practitioner said is really not even worth calling progress. It’s annoying since I made slow but steady progress each week when I was pregnant with Nora. Given this is my second child, I would expect BETTER progress this time, but no. At least not so far. I have another appointment tomorrow and I’m super curious. And I KNOW none of it really means anything. I swear I know that. But I cannot get over the unpredictable nature of this whole experience. It is so strange to think that it could literally happen at any moment, with no advanced warning whatsoever. Or that it could be another three freaking weeks if the universe decides it hates me. The not knowing literally drives me crazy.
I’ve been trying to talk up the baby more to Nora, saying things about how it will be here very soon. But of course, she has no concept of what “very soon” means, so she really has no clue what is about to happen any day now. Michael said tonight that it’s weird to think that we could put her to bed one night and by the time she wakes up the next morning, she could have a baby brother or sister. It’s so surreal. And not knowing when my “last day” or “last night” with Nora as an only child makes me really sad in a lot of ways. I sort of wish I was in a position to KNOW it was the last, just so I could cherish it. But since I don’t, I’m just trying to cherish all of it. Every night.
My sweet girl.
We go through stages with Nora’s bedtime books and songs, but we’ve been in the same routine for a LONG time now. We’ve been reading Mercer Mayer’s The New Baby before every bedtime and naptime for what seems like forever. Nora has memorized the book. She “reads” it to us actually, which never gets old. So stinking cute. The book’s pages and cover are worn, edges have been accidentally folded over. It looks like a book that has been around for years, but she just got it at Easter. She’s obsessed with it.
Nora was born at 39 weeks. I’m trying to prepare myself to go beyond 39 weeks with this baby, but it’s hard. It’s so funny to me that there is no rhyme or reason to when a baby is born. Just because you’re early with one baby doesn’t mean you’ll be early with the next. That’s a hard pill to swallow. You want to believe that after going through this once, you have an idea of what you can expect the second time around. But that doesn’t seem to be the case when you start asking around and Googling. I guess it’s true what they say, that every pregnancy is different.
Just before we had Nora, both Michael and I got “feelings” about it. On that Friday, we both suddenly had feelings we were going to have a 9/11 baby. I felt like I was not going to be returning to work the next week. Sure enough, I went into labor at 10 p.m. that same night. I keep waiting to get that type of feeling again…
I wonder if it’ll ever come.
7 Responses to 38 Weeks: Just Waiting
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About
I'm Heather. I'm 33 and have been married to Michael for seven years. Together, we have two beautiful little girls we love more than anything, and a miniature dachshund who drives us crazy. I'm a full-time working mom who has very little time for my own "stuff" these days, like home improvement, cooking/baking, cake decorating, and photography. Despite the team not making the playoffs since 1999, I'm STILL a Buffalo Bills fan, which I think speaks to my loyalty AND sense of humor. I can't wait to pick up the pace with travel again some day... you know, when we're done being ruled by tiny fists. Welcome to my blog.
The waiting was awful for me, too – I had finished at work and was fully ready to have my second earlier than my first, who was born at 39.5 weeks. I assumed he’d be earlier and larger than our daughter. I ended up being induced last Monday at 40 weeks, 2 days and had a slightly smaller baby. I made no progress from my 37 week appointment to my 38 week – I was fingertip dilated. At my week 39 appointment I was 2 cm dilated and about 20% effaced, and that’s about where I was when I arrived for my induction a week later. The whole end of pregnancy/delivery was extremely different in my two pregnancies – I hadn’t really expected that, and it was mega frustrating.
I’m working on my birth story post now and actually hated knowing that Sunday was my last night with Elle and that it was our last day as a family of three. I wish I had gone in to labor on my own just so I wouldn’t have had the time to think of how much things were going to change for her by the next morning – I was a sobbing mess as I put her to bed that night. Over the last few weeks of my pregnancy, I would crawl in to her bed and just watch her sleep, wondering when her world would turn upside down, but that last night was just so, so emotional.
I hope the wait is over for you soon and you have a safe and easy labor and delivery!
Interesting perspective, Kristin! I guess in a lot of ways, it WOULD be harder to know that it was “the last” with your first baby. I hadn’t really thought of it that way. And gahhh, I am definitely sorry to hear that you went later with your second than you did with your first. Like I said, I am trying hard to prepare myself for that possibility but it doesn’t make it any easier to hear! Anyway, congrats on your son. I hope you and your daughter are adjusting well to your new normal. :)
This is one of my absolute favorite articles on the waiting period. http://www.mothering.com/community/a/the-last-days-of-pregnancy-a-place-of-in-between — a lot of my clients find solace in this article and end up embracing the waiting period. :-)
You’re still looking great. You only have 2 weeks to go…when you compare it to how long a pregnancy is, you don’t have much time to go. Do you think you’ll have another baby? If not, cherish these last few weeks. It’s so special and not everyone gets to experience it. I know you’re tired, and hot, and you just want your energy and body back but before you know it that baby will be here and these last couple weeks will be a blur.
I declined internal exams. I’d heard and read and learned that they do nothing other than annoy the mother and push the dr to “speed things along” when unessesary.
Funny thing with mine. I had Wednesdays and Thursdays off at work. I had been slowly cleaning things up bc I planned on working until I have birth. She was due 12/19/12. I figured being a first time mom I’d go “late”. (According to the Bradley method gestation is 41 weeks 1 day). Anyway the Tuesday before my days off I ended up cleaning everything in my office, emailing all my buyers and just reall took care of a lot. That Wednesday we my weekly check up. My mom and I went shopping for freezer meal ingredients. I had to stop several times bc I was tired and my stomach would feel weird. Came home and cooked of hours. That Thursday hubby and I did the deed, ate Thai food, and I finished up the day with a really warm bath and a small glass of white wine…NONE of that was intended to start labor. I didn’t feel very well and left my boss a message that I would t be making it in on Friday. It was our big corporate meeting and Christmas party but I just felt icky. Almost all of Thursday night I was in and out of the bathroom. Kept thinking I needed to poop lol but couldn’t! Figured it was lovely pregnancy constipation. A few times I came out of the barroom and did pelvic tilts before getting back in bed to see if it made my stomach feel better. At 4:30am I crawled back in bed and felt a trickle! Thought I peed and was bummed bc I made it my whole pregnancy without peeing myself hahaha. Laid there for a second and when I stood up more came out. I got excited bc I thought my water broke!
Long story short I had her that morning at 9:50…..lol I guess I subconsciously knew I wouldn’t be back to work!
Your baby will be here before you know it :) and Nora will love him! (Or her)
I was the first kid for my mom and I was 2 weeks early… My younger brother on the other hand decided to make a later appearance (2 weeks, I think) at the end of May…
It was so funny because when I was pregnant with my son, I fell in love with his due date (8/4/2012). I’m super weird with numbers… Not in the supernatural way, but in what sounds good, what adds up together, etc. My doctor scheduled me to be induced on my due date since she knew I liked it so much, would actually be working that day, and gave me “well, technically after your due date things start to expire” to make me not feel so bad about the decision. I’m so glad she did because I wouldn’t know an actual contraction anyways and would have gone in at 7cm.
I’m wondering if just because I had it in my head that he was going to be born on that day that I stuck it out that far… But I know I wasn’t really in control at all :)
Since I was induced after being a week late with Delfina & knowing that it was my last night/day with Kira made me even more emotional & I found it hard to really enjoy the moments rather I was dreading them being over. We had lots of dates & Mommy/Kira Daddy/Kira time that week leading up to my induction which I enjoyed but that last day was rough! Nora’s going to be a great big sister!!
Oh man, the last few weeks of pregnancy truly are the worst. I was going insane. I was mentally fine until I passed the day when I had Annie (39 weeks, 4 days) and from then until when I delivered (40 weeks, 6 days OMGGGG) I was a NIGHTMARE to be around. I knew I was being melodramatic and all that but I could not help myself. It was horrible. And I also knew that I had no right to feel that bad about myself, it wasn’t like they were REAL problems. But oh, they were, to me :) So I feel ya!