Welcome to Gaia! ::

I've been having problems with insomnia myself. I think it's moreso the excitement of being close and having a lot on your mind. I just try to take a bath before bed, stick to a winddown routine. Most of my sleep problems comes from just generally discomforts, but I just try to go to sleep earlier to make up for it.

Although Scary Movie 3 was so awful, it put me and my husband to sleep last night. rofl

I was feeling SUPER drained and tired, have they done another CBC (blood check) on you yet? I found out that I had low iron levels and since I've been taking them, it's made a big difference so I'm not quite as exhausted everyday.

Well, our little bundle has finally dropped. I called my doctor and she had me come in just to make sure everything was okay, and she's all "don't get to excited. This stage can last for weeks."

Whcih was confirmed by my aunt who called me later that day to say "we're all excited for you" and to tell me, when my cousins dropped, she looked at 5-6 weeks after that on all of them.

So my excitement didn't last too long. But its nice to be able to breath again.

Yeah, if they check your cervix too, don't get too excited either. I had a friend who was 3-4 cm dialted for 3 weeks. It's so neat how different each woman's body handles getting ready for birth.

I have my 37 week checkup today. I'm hoping taking Logan with me they won't check my cervix, I prefer not to know. xd

I'm surprised your doctor's office isn't answering any of these questions, especially that 37 weeks is considered full term. Is this going to be the same place you will be delivering?

The hospital were I'm delivering, they do the tours and they also gave me a handout to read called, "Getting Ready to have the baby" which goes into detail about labor and such.

I know it's annoying to hear the "it's different for every woman" but honestly, it IS. It's impossible for someone to tell you a set way, you'd have to hear every woman's story on the planet and it still wouldn't answer every question. xd I'm copying this from my sheet:

A good office should have given you information on when to go in. If you experience the signs of labor or are unsure , or even just have questions, call the L&D. The above guidelines do not hold tru for all women. Some don't have contractions every 5 minutes, many have contractions closer together and are not in labor. The nurses on L&D can answer questions you have and can help you decide if it is time to come to the hospital. Be ready to answer the questions they will ask: your name, phone number, when did the contractions start, how long from the start of one to the start of the next, did your bag of waters break, when is your due date? If you are bleeding like a period (more than bloody show), or your bag of waters has broken, you need to call and go in right away, even if you have no contractions.

Signs of Labor
-Lightening or baby dropping
-Mild, irregular contractions
-"Show" is a thick mucus vaginal discharge; bloody show is red or pink colored/
-Contractions that are far apart-more than 5 minutes between contractions
-Contractions that go away, either on their own or when you walk or move around.

Most women are admitted to the hospital when they enter the Active Phase of labor. At this point, you will be dialted at least 3 cm and having regular contractions. The only way to really know if you are in active labor is to have your cervix checked to see if the contractions are causing it to dilate. There are some clues though that can help you know when to come to the L&D to get checked:
-Contractions become more regular-instead of some close and some far apart, they are all equally spaces
-The contractions are stronger. They may start in the back and spread around to the abdomen in the front.
-An hour later the contractions have NOT gone away, they just keep getting closer together and stronger.
-Each contraction is strong (hurts!) and lasts between 30-70 seconds.
-A lot of pelvic pressure and an urge to push is the first thing some women notice
-Come to L&D right away if your bag of water breaks or you have heavy bleeding.

Link on contractions

Everything is still going well and I'm just anxious to get the show on the road. I still have some things to get done, but I've just been trying to take it easy till then.

Sorry, had to pop back in. I can understand your frustration, Hikari, but it's true: things are so different from woman to woman that you can't really give a straight answer at times.

My contractions were nothing like text book ones so I had to go in at my own discretion--you can feel free to call, go into your L&D anytime you like. They won't think any less of you and will happily check and see how you're doing.

So here I was waiting for them to do as they're 'supposed' to do: get closer together and when they hit 5 minutes apart and stay that way for an hour, go in. Well, mine never got closer together then 7 apart the entire time I was in labor and they lasted longer then textbook contractions. So while textbook says contractions at their height are about 45-90 seconds long, mine were all 2-3 minutes in length. I went from mild ones to extremely strong right away as well: there was no transition. So the first ones felt like menstrual cramps, they started in the back and sort of 'hugged' forward. But when mine shifted, they started coming up from my pelvic floor. That isn't the most clear, but it's the best I can describe them. I just knew when the next was coming because I'd feel a minor 'tingle' and knew I'd have to be ready for it. Had I waited for the textbook signs, I would have had Ethan in our living room.

You won't really know until you're in labor but when you are, you'll know it. xd



As for real vs. braxton hicks, there are a few ways to tell the difference: do the tests the books tell you about. If the contractions go away and lessen when you drink water, pee, lay down, or walk, they're BH and not real. Now if when you walk they get worse, that's a sign they're real, as well as getting progressively stronger and longer.

Hikari is super prepared then smile You won't just have AJ panicking, it will be the whole lot of them lol!

Is anyone else over being pregnant and just want to have their baby NOW? I still have 8 weeks till my bub is born and i just want to go into labour now. I'm a bit sick of not being able to sleep on my stomach or get comfortable at night.