I can tell that the end of the road is near. There have been bodily changes I've noticed over the past few days. Creature is still growing at a steady pace - I know because my belly started itching,meaning the skin is stretching even further. Movements are still going strong.
Thankfully, s/he seems to have settled in an upside down L position for the past few weeks. This does mean though that I'm off-centred, and that my right side gets all the kicks. S/he is getting somewhat cramped, meaning a kick is pretty visible, and I can actually feel the bottom of his/her foot clearly.I can distinguish the heel from the toes. Creature seems to have pretty big feet! Just like his/her mother I guess!
S/he is in the process of engaging him/herself for birth, meaning there now is somewhat of a pressure happening down below. It is also weird to feel punches so far down coming from inside! The building up of pressure means sitting down can be somewhat uncomfortable. It is an odd ache to explain. It somewhat resembles the achiness you feel after a good workout following along period with no physical activity whatsoever. Only, this is affecting the internal muscles of your Ladybits.
I'm constantly exhausted and insomnia is killing me. I pretty much am trying to crash as much as I can whenever sleep threatens to overtake me. My back is pretty achy, but my hips are aching even more. It feels as if I need to crack them to get some relief... but I can't.
38 and a half weeks
I have also noticed a change in my skin - which is the major indication of hormonal changes. Dry skin is back with a vengeance, and I'm getting spotty again.
Also, there have been changes when it comes to boobs as well.I can tell they're getting ready to turn me into a cow. With their filling in [even more than usual], it gives the breasts a more perky stance [yay!] so for the last few moments of this pregnancy, I can stop feeling as if they were inches away from becoming my belly button's new neighbours.
Tomorrow will be a day of potentially swearing my head off at the pram/pushchair/car seats as I try to reassemble them- wish me luck!
So, right now, as previously mentioned, I'm a ticking time bomb, ready to pop any minute. Just like the Pringles ad says, once you pop, you can't stop.
Anyway. I am trying to figure out how to distinguish Braxton Hicks Contractions [BHC] a.k.a. False Labour from the Real Deal. In theory, it is all well and good, and I understand what they are. Which leads to me sitting here, shaking my fist at the monitor and growl at it "Yes. I get that! But what the fuck do they feel like?!?!?!"
As you can imagine, Hugh [my laptop] said nothing. Which made me roll up my sleeves and angrily pound on my keyboard "What do Braxton Hicks feel like" in the Google search bar.
I did get quite a few hits - but no clear answer. Apparently, it is different for everyone. YAY!
Ok - allow me to take a breather and retrace my steps as some of you are probably lost.
What are Braxton Hicks Contractions?
Braxton Hicks Contractions are sporadic uterine contractions. They commence as early as of the 6th week of your pregnancy, although you probably won't start to notice them until sometime after mid-pregnancy, if you notice them at all. (Some women don't.) They get their name from John Braxton Hicks, an English doctor who first described them in 1872.
Look at them Mutton Chops! *wiggles eyebrows*
" If they occur for so long, what gives??"
I mean, it doesn't make sense, does it? Well, the thing is this... There will be a point where the BHC will stop being pretty much painless.... therefore it makes it hard to distinguish from early signs of preterm labour.
Play it safe - don't try to diagnose yourself. If you haven't hit 37 weeks yet and you're having more than four contractions in an hour — or there are more signs of preterm labour, call the hospital [if in Malta, you can call Emergency Services on 112 and ask to be connected to a midwife at Mater Dei Hospital and they should be able to do just that for you]. Alternatively, if you think it is easier, or you'd rather take a different approach, get your arse to hospital. It is better to have called/visited for nothing than to risk it.
By the time you reach your 38th week, your cervix will have more than likely started to "ripen" [i.e. to soften up in preparation for childbirth to occur.] Your BHC might be getting more intense & frequent and probably make you swear a fair bit out of discomfort. Unlike the earlier BHC, these new-and-improved BHC are probably causing your cervix thin out (efface) and maybe even open up (dilate) a bit. Congrats - you're in pre-labour.
"How on earth am I to know the difference between BHC and The Real Deal?!"
The main difference is this - BHC don't grow consistently longer, stronger, and closer together. If you start feeling contractions that are rather painful, and regular, do something relaxing - have a bath or something. Drink a glass of water just in case it is mere dehydration that is causing them. If the pain eases up after you're done with relaxing, it means it'll have been a false alarm. Otherwise, you'll know it is finally happening! Your minion is in the process of popping out! Well, within the next 20+ hours or so, anyway.
"WHAT?!"
Yep. Labour can last anywhere from the standard 15 hours, but often lasting over20 hours it seems! Oh joy! Before you panic, it won't be 15+ hours of "breathe breathe breathe breathe BREATHE PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSH!!!" We're talking about the whole process here. One which I'll delve into more detail about another time.
"I still haven't got a clue of what they feel like though..."
Yep. I know. Neither do I. According to other people's descriptions, BHC feel like:
"like a muscle cramping up (like a cramp in your leg), but without the pain. They don't hurt, they just feel a bit uncomfortable. Later in pregnancy they can make a hard "ball" on a section of your tummy."
"like my stomach muscles are tightening and my stomach gets rock hard."
"the muscles in my stomach are pulling to the centre and tightening,"
"a mild cramp just like you would feel during the period. "
"like I had a corset built into my back and someone was pulling the strings as HARD as possible!! (Lots of pressure on my back) & my belly went rock hard. It wasn't too painful, but it didn't feel good either."
I'm currently in my 34th week, and I can't wait for it to all be over and done with. Whose genial idea was it to make human pregnancy 40 friggin weeks anyway? It is waaaaay too long.
I miss sleeping on my belly - in fact that is one of the first things I plan on doing the moment Creature pops out. I also miss being able to do daily activities without running out of breath after 5 minutes. Oh, and eating a meal without having to stop half-way through to get up in order to stretch and try to lessen the back pains. Or bending down to pick up something without getting dizzy. And I'm so over mint-flavoured stuff! Whoever decided that the Gaviscon chewable tables should be mint flavoured out to be locked up in a mint-coloured room, surrounded by mint-scented stuff, forced to eat minty stuff and drink mint tea, and brush his/her teeth with mint-flavoured toothpaste. That way, s/he'll know what its like having to rely on them chewable tablets to try and limit the heartburn.
I know I will then probably complain about the stinky nappies, the constant crying, and a variety of other stuff. Honestly though... I just miss my body, and am really looking forward to having my internal organs shift back to their place and being able to move about, and sleep, comfortably. As far away from minty stuff as possible.
Unless we're talking about THE Mint. Then by all means, THAT Mint is always welcome!
No matter how knowledgeable you think you are, or how much you want it to happen, you can never be truly prepared for the horrors that pregnancy brings along with it.
Yes, I said horrors. Deal with it.
Everyone says that pregnancy is the most beautiful period in a woman's life. Yeah right.
Truth it, it is pretty much 9 months of constant PMS. The moodiness, the cravings, the aches, the irrational thoughts. the cramps. 9 whole months.
Forget all that is shoved down your throat in movies. They only show the good stuff.
Let us start with the famous "Morning Sickness".
Don't be misled. It is NOT solely limited to mornings. It pretty much lasts all day and all night. Some have it lucky, and it only lasts for a few weeks. In my case, it lasted for about 4 and a half months. Yes, that is half the pregnancy of being constantly nauseated, and not knowing if I'll end up spewing or not.
Then we have the aches. You know the classical pose of a heavily pregnant woman, holding her lower back with one hand as she goes about minding her own business? Forget it. You'll be doing that after only a few weeks - probably before the first trimester is over. And guess what? No one tells you that if you're gifted in the breast department BEFORE you get pregnant, it will be much more of a nightmare. You're in for having boobs that threaten to topple you over as they quickly try to reach your belly button, whilst wreaking havoc on your upper back. This means, your whole back is pretty much screwed.
Then you get the heartburn. I was lucky that it only made occasional appearances in the early stages of pregnancy. Not so much now that I'm in my 33rd week - it is my daily companion who comes to haunt me every day.
Toothache is also common. Since Baby needs calcium, s/he will deplete your own calcium sources, meaning you're more likely to get cavities and/or chipped teeth. I found this the hard way.
Rib ache is also common, especially as your belly gets bigger and bigger. The uterus ends up pushing up against your ribs [not to mention internal organs] thus causing aches and pains.
Still reading so far? Good.
I'm sure you're thinking that I complain a lot, and that I must think my pregnancy to be a curse.
Truth is, I don't. All of the above are things I deal with on a daily basis. And I am happy to suffer through all this, as it means that by the end of it all, I will get my very own minion. The aches will be gone after a while, and will be replaced by crying, whining, stickiness and stinky gifts.
