Sound Off! How Did You Survive the Last Weeks of Pregnancy?
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Any expectant mom has been there — those final few weeks of pregnancy. While you’re proud of how far you’ve come, you’re usually ready to have your baby (and meet him or her!) already. New aunt Jessica Simpson revealed on Ellen last week that little sis Ashlee Simpson-Wentz was "trying everything" to induce labor (she eventually gave birth to son Bronx Mowgli on November 20th). Meanwhile, celebs like Naomi Watts (and Jennifer Garner) are entering those final stages of pregnancy, and are probably looking forward to the end of month nine as well!
So here’s your chance to sound off! Tell us how you survived the final weeks of pregnancy. Did you try to induce? Go on bed rest? Or enjoy the last few days of your pregnancy glow?
- Posted on Nov 25, 08 at 10:00AM
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- 50 Comments
November 25th, 2008 at 10:15 am
I just had my third child on the 14th…one week early. My cousin and a family friend were both due 4 weeks after me and both went into labor early…one at 29 weeks and one at 33 weeks. I made it through the last few weeks of my pregnancy focusing on how fortunate I was to carry a baby to full term and deliver a healthy little one.
That doesn’t mean I wasn’t anxious to be able to move comfortably after my two older children or that I wasn’t any less ready to meet my new little girl, but focusing on how blessed I was to have her growing in me gave me patience to persevere past the frustrations.
And I’m happy to report my cousin and friends’ babies are both healthy and home now as well!
November 25th, 2008 at 10:20 am
I pampered myself. I went to the spa. I spoiled myself. I plan on doing to same, when my second daughter is born in three months. I deserved it.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:24 am
I have been wanting to say Congratulations and well wishes to you uggamugga
I am a big fan of your blog! I had my little monkey in June in a very hot and humid Minnesota. I focus on staying cool and frozen yogurt and frozen blueberries!
November 25th, 2008 at 10:24 am
I was due on Sept. 28th and on Sept. 5th for some stupid reason I decided to go on a road trip to from L.A. to Phoenix to visit my brother and sister in law and their brand new baby girl. I felt great, so energize and healthy, of course my mom had to go with me because my husband at the time did not want me to drive at all, let alone by myself…anyway we got to Phoenix (4 1/2 hour drive) and I felt great with more energy then ever…we were there 3 days and on 9th we drove back, everything fine. On the 10th I started spotting really bad, I went to the ER and they sent me home to relax after they told me I was fine that it was probably from the trip, anyway I had my first born daughter on Sept. 12th. I went into labor at 3pm and gave birth to her naturally at 7:42pm healthy and big.
Now if I have a second child I would NEVER take a road trip on the last weeks of pregnancy! WHAT WAS I THINKING! lol
November 25th, 2008 at 10:27 am
With my first son toward the end of pregnancy I had PUPP so I was itching all over. I was miserable. I also was cleaning incessantly. I remember waking up one night needed to clean the baseboards and lampshades. My husband thought I was totally nuts. With my daughter on the day before her due date I was crying to my ob telling him that I was going to be pregnant forever and I couldn’t do it anymore. With my youngest I really enjoyed the pregnancy. I was tired and working full time, but I knew he was the last so I think I was calmer and more relaxed. Now the kids are 12,10,8 and boy did it all go so fast.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:32 am
I went on mat leave a mth before my daughter was born and walked everywhere up until the day of … she was ten days late. We lived in the Old Port of Montreal at the time and I would walk 2hrs average, all the way to the top of Mt Royal and down again, and I nested, balancing on the edge of the couch to dust corners of our century-old apartment that had probably never been dusted before, stuff like that.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:44 am
The due date the doctor have gave me, was aprox. Spt. 29th 2005, I remember that before that date, my mom and my mother-in-law kept calling me every day: “is the baby moving?, are you ok?, etc..? They were so annoying, I was worry and they just exacerbate that, the 29th came and past, I stayed in bed all the time just eating and relaxing with my hubby (I felt like a whale lol), then finally on Oct 6th my Dr. programmed an induction that didn´t work and end up in a c-section, I didn´t care then, I just wanted to meet my baby, who weighed 8.5 lb, was the biggest baby on the nursery!
November 25th, 2008 at 10:45 am
My last week of pregnancy (in the miserable heat of August) I was desperate to go into labor. So after my last day of work, I walked on the treadmill, my doctor stripped my membrances, and my husband and I had sex. The next morning my water broke!
November 25th, 2008 at 10:52 am
With my first I worked until the night I was induced…I was 8 days late, so it was nice to have work to occupy my time. When my second was born I had a 21/2 year old so I was at the park with him the day before I delivered. I had easy pregnancies and deliveries, so I just went about life as usual. Bren — with my second I wanted to go to a friend’s shower in two hours away, but my Dr. wouldn’t let me as I was at 37 weeks, she was afraid I would go into labor on the highway.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:57 am
I had my baby on October 1st and she was a week late. Those last weeks weren’t good–my legs swelled to balloon-like proportions and I developed cellulitis on my lower calves. I was so happy to be induced when I hit 41 weeks! Luckily, my daughter’s perfect, the infection didn’t affect her at all.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Even though my son was due at the beginning of a hot and humid Tennessee August, I felt quite content. As I approached 41 weeks, I started taking evening weeks because I was convinced that he would be the first baby never to be born!! I ended up scheduling an induction at 41 1/2 weeks, but my waters broke naturally before the nurses hooked me up to the pitocin drip. I was 11 days past my due date.
My daughter was due mid-January, but I was so uncomfortable, I was convinced I wouldn’t make it through Christmas. I felt like my belly was jammed under my chin, and I could never get comfortable. I was so miserable that I scheduled an induction (at my OB’s suggestion) for 9 days before my due date. 30 hours before I was due to go in, my waters broke and baby girl came 10 days early. Even though she was much smaller than her brother, and I gained less weight, I was much more uncomfortable with my second pregnancy. If we are lucky enough to have a third child, I plan on enjoying and celebrating my pregnancy, no matter how miserable I might feel, because I don’t plan on doing it a 4th time.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:21 am
My daughter was born a week and a half early, but she was ready to come out. I walked every day during my last trimester, which seemed to really help her drop into position. I tried walking up hills, eating hot peppers, having sex… finally the doctor stripped my membranes on a Wednesday. I lost my mucus plug and bloody show the next morning, and the following night I tried castor oil (YUCK!). I went into labor at 4am the next morning.
Needless to say, I was TIRED of being pregnant!
November 25th, 2008 at 11:36 am
The month before my son arrived on Oct. 15th 2006 (4 days early), I had started my maternity leave. My husband & I decided to make the most of our last month “alone”. We went out to dinners, movies, spa and tried to sleep as much as possible before the baby arrived. I actually never felt uncomfortable even at the end of my pregnancy & was actually sad that the pregnancy was almost over. I felt like my son was so safe inside my tummy & found myself saying many times that I would miss my belly. We are currently trying for #2 & cannot wait to get pregnant again. Although, for me the first 3 months were brutal. The rest went great!
November 25th, 2008 at 11:37 am
I just waited. Each morning, I would wake up and think, DARN! I didn’t go into labor! I just kind of kept moving… Didn’t really try anything to induce — just wanted baby boy to come out when he was good and ready! What if I had done castor oil or something and he wasn’t done ‘cooking?’ I would have felt terrible!!!
November 25th, 2008 at 11:45 am
I walked incessantly the last few weeks of pregnancy and rested up as much as possible. Once I dropped I was fairly uncomfortable all the time, and so my doctor stripped the membranes at 39 weeks. That night I had a spicy dinner, and the next morning had a baby! I actually finished a big work project from home while I was in labor, uploading files in between contractions, ha!
November 25th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
With my first, I worked the day he was born. He was a week early, so I biked back from work. Got off the bike and I walked into the house my my waters broke.
With my second I was very uncomfortable! I was a week late, so I would take walks at night and hop on the bike praying she would come!
With my third, it was an unbelievably easy pregnancy, and she was born 2 weeks early which was amazing.
For my fourth, I vowed to love the experience no matter what, because we thought it would be our last. He came 3 weeks early, and I cried when I went into labour because I didn’t want it to end!
But then I got pregnant with twins. This pregnancy is miles harder than the other four, but I KNOW! they will be the last, so I am just trying to enjoy it. Go for little walks, lie down, you name it! I do hope they come before xmas though so that I can enjoy the holiday in comfort!
November 25th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
The question should be “how did my husband survive your final weeks of pregnancy?”. Seriously. I was cranky all the time. I think at some point I begged my son to get out of my belly. I was miserable. And fat. The only thing I really enjoyed during those weeks was my husband’s foot massages! But seeing the result, I’d do it all over again!
November 25th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
The only thing worse than being pregnant in Phoenix in the summer (baby #1) is being pregant in Phoenix in the summer with twins (babies #2 and 3).
At the end of my twin pregnancy there wasn’t a lot that I could do other than rest and go work. I stopped working on a Monday and was induced on Thursday. I was already dialating and had my membrances stripped but I was so big and hot that there wasn’t much I could do. So I laid in bed, watched trashy TV and went swimming.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
With my last baby(our 11th!)almost 2 years ago I had Cholestasis(a liver disorder which can be fatal to baby) so the last few weeks for me were very perilous and filled with extreme fear and worry.I had to go for 3 times a week non-stress tests to monitor the baby and it was a very fearful, sleep-deprived,and worrisome time. He was safely induced at 37 weeks but until I knew he would be ok I was in a constant state of heightened stress, terror and worry.I was also insane with the agonizing itching the disorder causes.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I hated being pregnant in the last few weeks because I was so uncomfortable- the baby was just too big for me. I could see the imprint of my son’s feet every time he kicked! My nickname for the baby was Petit Becks because he kicked so so much.
When I was 39 weeks, I just waited and waited by the phone with my friends, just in case I went into labour and needed to call an ambulance. But oh no, Pierre did not come when I was 39 weeks, or 40 weeks or even 41 weeks! He came exactly TEN days after his due date!
Gr. He was only 6lbs 9oz- the rest of my weight gain was because of water retention!
November 25th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I walked and walked and walked. I was so miserable the last week before my due date, not sleeping, never comfortable, feeling like I couldn’t breathe. My due date came and went and it only got worse. My Dr. wanted to wait before inducing because I wasn’t quite ready yet so we waited over a week. But within a few hours of scheduling an induction, labor finally started! My 9lb3oz baby was born 14 hrs later, exactly 9 days late. It was the happiest end to the worst few weeks of my life!
November 25th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I insisted that I would work up until the last minute – in fact, one of my co-workers had dropped out of medical school, and I had a dream that she just crawled under my desk and delivered the baby while I was on the phone with a client.
My job required a lot of face-to-face time with our clients and I remember that the day before my son was born, I went in to work dressed in a nice top and pajama bottoms and slippers. I guess I thought I could just hide my bottom half under the desk. My boss sent me home, telling me that if I’d finally outgrown my maternity pants, the baby was “done” and I should be at the hospital. She was close: just a few hours later I was on my way to the hospital!
November 25th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I only made it to 35 weeks, I am so jealous of all the ladies that made it to the end. No complications or NICU stay but still….
November 25th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
SY – I was crazy, stubborn and did not think straight. I don’t think I even asked my dr. permission, my brother called with the news of their baby (my daughter and his daughter are the same age) and I was so happy and excited I just packed up and go…my poor husband was so upset I did not listen at him he called my mom, my mom tried to talk to me and did not convince me to stay, so she decided to go with me…The last 2 months I was a mean, stubborn pregnant woman…lol I blame the hormones lol
November 25th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I took two weeks off of work before my due date, relaxed, went to the beach and ate whatever I wanted knowing it was the end of that free ride.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I had a tough end of my pregnancy… I felt HUGE and couldn’t breathe, sleep or walk easily. I tried EVERYTHING to induce naturally and she came when she wanted to (5 days late). I did however go get a pedicure, shave my legs and take a few baths before she came
November 25th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I just tried to keep up with my normal life until the very end. I ran 5 miles the morning before I went into labor, as I had virtually every day of my pregnancy. I really think that feeling physically fit and healthy, rather than being depressed about getting “huge” made those last few weeks enjoyable!
November 25th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
We enjoyed our last days of being jsut us We went out to eat several times, shopped and even stay the night in a posh hotel downtown. I though I would have Sunday to clean the house and get everything ready, for my Monday morning induction. Plans chaged when my water broke on Sunday morning. We came home to to not-so-clean house and not a whole lot ready. I didn’t mind, because it was great to spend our last few moments of being just the two of us.
November 25th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I’m so glad you guys posted this question. I’m due December 5th, my Doctor said that I’m MAYBE 1/2 a centimeter dialated. The nurse felt like telling me that I would most likely go past my due date.
I am glad that I had an easy, healthy pregnancy, but boy am I ready for my baby to be born.
November 25th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Hmmm….about a week before my daughter was born, I was so swollen I got stretch marks on my CALVES and I had a pretty nasty case of PUPPPS. I’d been due February 28, and lets just say I spent the days until March 5th (when I finally called and demanded to be induced!) crying and making my boyfriend’s life hell!
November 25th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Aurora Mia, thank you for your kind words! Enjoy your first holiday season with your new little one!!!
November 25th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I just gave birth to my second child on 10/20. With my first, I was so anxious to meet my baby that I wanted to rush through my pregnancy without really enjoying it. I was also a bit overwhelmed by how big I got. With my second, I gained more weight and got even bigger but I was in a better position to really enjoy it. I bought a few bikinis and spent a lot of time lounging on the beach (without cover-ups). I was so proud of my pregnant body. I took a LOT of belly pics and still enjoy looking at them and am looking forward to sharing them with my daughter someday, and teaching her to relish the time she has with her baby always with her and the beautiful changes in her body. With my first, I think I only have 3 pics total of me during pregnancy. I’m so glad I learned to embrace my pregnancy this time around.
November 25th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I spent the last few weeks of both pregnancies limping painfully (my ligaments softened early apparently), whining to my husband, and letting people do things for me, which saved me from heaving my huge tum off the sofa. My first child was a week early, and the second one was a day over her due date. I was sooo ready for baby 2 to arrive, I was not a happy bunny by that point.
November 25th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
My second child was born at home on the floor, not by choice, it happened so fast under 30 mins, so with my 3rd it was pins and needles. We had a million scenarios if this happens or that happens, Well i tried to relax the last month with little cat naps and just relaxed and enjoyed my belly.
Thank god I made it on time to the hospital, 3 hours all in all, we were all thankful I made to the hospital this time, TO a healthy Boy.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
We have three dogs and they were getting three walks a day at one point! I remember on the last walk we took them on pre-baby feeling like our son was RIGHT on my cervix. Turns out he was!
I was sick my entire pregnancy and only survived by the grace of Zofran, so at 37 weeks when they told me I was full term I got to walkin’! I had him at 37 weeks 3 days so the walkin’ worked!
November 26th, 2008 at 2:02 am
I’m 38.5 weeks pregnant eith my first and ready to be done. I think the baby has dropped as I can breathe again and the heartburn stopped. I am getting clumsy/tipsy and have no energy, but really enjoying my nap times. I feel like a puffy whale that floats around… can’t wait till this is done, actually looking forward to labour and meeting the baby
November 26th, 2008 at 3:44 am
My baby was due last monday (24th novemberd) and there are still no signs that the birth will come soon. Were I live, in the Netherlands, the inducing starts after 42 weeks, so there is not much else to do then sit at home, wait, go to a movie, have lunch with a friend, make sure everything is in order for the delivery (I’m planning a home delivery), take long baths, and analyse every little stomeaching feeling I have.
November 26th, 2008 at 11:02 am
With my first, I was planning to work up until my due date. My daughter dropped early and I started having very sharp contractions. About 2 weeks before my due date, my doctor took me off work just to be safe (I worked 45 miles from home). They finally did an ultrasound on a Friday to see why I hadn’t started full-on labor. They measured her head and told me I was looking at a 10 pound baby (and I only gained 26 pounds!), so they scheduled my induction for the next Thursday (3 days past my due date). I took my hubby to work that afternoon and went over to my parents house. At 10 pm, we went and picked him up and our daughter was born naturally on Saturday afternoon. (And she was only 7 pounds, with a really huge head!)
With our second, I had a much easier pregnancy (no morning sickness past the first trimester, whereas I was sick every day of my first pregnancy). About a month before I was due on December 4, I went to the doctor. She told me I was dilated to 4. 2 weeks later I was still at 4. My doctor wanted to send me to the hospital that afternoon to be induced, because I was really miserable (head on my pelvic bone, foot in my ribs, but thankfully a small weight-gain again). I asked her not to, since I was working on my Master’s and had a final that afternoon. They scheduled it for Sunday night, and she was born at 8 am on Monday morning, November 24 (5 years old this week).
We are currently trying to conceive number 3. I have decided that I don’t want to be induced with this one. This will be our last, and I want to enjoy every moment of being pregnant!
November 26th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
The Dr. told me my due date was Jan. 7, then Jan. 2nd I calculated it the same way they did and came up with Dec. 23. The eve of X-Mas eve, I went to the mall to finish shopping and walked and shopped. Christmas eve I went back to finish up from the day before, I was standing in line and felt something running down my legs and I knew my water broke. I was 4th in line, it was X-mas eve I was going to finish. Before I went to the hospital I went home took a shower, wrapped gifts, ironed my clothes, packed my bag and we had to drive 45 min to get to the hospital, but I had to drop off the X-mas gifts first and finally went to the hospital,and had my baby on Christmas Day. I literally walked her out. LOL
November 27th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I enjoyed every moment of my pregnancy. Going into it we ALL know it’s going to last 40 or more weeks. So get over it. It’s not worth complaining over. (Unless you have health problems of course)
Don’t get pregnant if you aren’t going to enjoy it. Besides, those are your last days to rest up before that new baby comes!
Pregnancy is a beautiful thing. Too few of us realize that.
November 27th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I spent the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy visiting my dad in hospital everyday and night. Luckly my labour only lasted 2 hours and my daughter arrived on her due date.
November 27th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
With my first I took no time for myself. I worked later than I should have and did things for other people that I would dread doing now. Well, now that i am just 4 days away from baby #2, I’m even busier. I cooked Thanksgiving dinner today and I have plans to be very busy pretty much all of the hours I’m awake over the next 3 days. Maybe I’ll get a chance to relax before #3…
November 27th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Each pregnancy is different and there is no way to really prepare.
I walked a lot and ate healthy throughout. My first pregnancy, I told everyone that my due date was too weeks later than it was because I didn’t want everyone calling me. Of course baby 1 arrived right on his due date, 8 hours of drug free labor and he weighed over 10lbs. I got pregnant with my second approx three months later. I started dilating in December, the doctor stripped me my membranes in January, tried everything and he never came until the end of February, the day after his brother turned 1. The entire labor was less than an hour and barely made it to the hospital. He weighed just under 10lbs. When I got pregnant with #3, I was definitely worried toward the end. I knew exactly when I got pregnant and was due in middle of May. My mother-in-law came to stay with us for 6 weeks. My father-in-law called every day. I tried everything suggested, sex, eating cherries, castor oil, the Dr. stripped my membranes, whatever. I didn’t deliver until the middle of June. Two hours of drug free labor. He weighed 10 lbs 8 oz.
I just took each day as it came, you get through it and the end you hope for a safe delivery and a healthy baby.
November 28th, 2008 at 2:50 am
I never had a “glow,” and being pregnant wreaks havoc with me emotionally with all those hormones flying every which way. Nor did I do any resting so to speak.
With my first, I left work a few hours early at 40weeks for an induction that didn’t work (he was born on *his* terms, not the hospital’s at 40w3d).
With my second, I think we tried that one “tried and true” thing to get him out, which didn’t work. His brother didn’t notice a thing other than when he went to bed, mommy had a baby in her belly and when he woke up mommy was taking a nap next to a new baby (homebirth at 40w3d).
With my third, I was still a sahm and chasing my other two while planting my garden. And fwiw, planting 125 asparagus crowns and over 100 tomato plants won’t send you into labor unless the babe is truly ready. May give you a few hours of false labor though. After 40w came and went, I started trying tons of natural induction stuff because everybody in our house was miserable – mostly because I was (if mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy). At 41w6d I was more than ready to get that girl out of me when she finally decided to.
(She was another homebirth and my quickest labor at barely an hour and a half – talk about a wild ride.)
If I could do it again, I’d definitely try to take a few days off before having a baby just to have a few days to myself (since it wasn’t going to ever happen again!) and maybe get a few things sorted/cleaned/put away. Rather than planting the garden and staying caught up on laundry and making sure parts of the house are clean enough for the midwives to hang out without sitting on piles of laundry.
November 28th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
With my first son, I was due on Christmas Eve. And there I was, at the mall on Christmas Eve, shopping! I walked the entire mall for hours just hoping that my water would break. That never happened so my Dr. scheduled an induction for a few days later. I spent those last few days cleaning, getting a manicure/pedicure and packing my and baby’s bag for the hospital. I was overly prepared
November 28th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
The doctor told me to walk walk walk. So, I did just that. I would wake up at 9, walk for an hour, come back home for an hour, and do this over and over again until about 7 p.m.
Had my baby on my due date.
December 1st, 2008 at 9:08 am
I swam! My son was born in August, in Georgia, and if I could’ve slept in a swimming pool, I would have. It was the most comfortable place to be. Pregnant women float really well, so once I got too tired to do laps in that final month, it was fun to just lie on my back and enjoy the weightlessness. The lifeguards always teased me about the fact that they were certified in CPR but not in labor and delivery!
December 1st, 2008 at 1:31 pm
After I was told I couldn’t drive anymore at 8 months pregnant I got really bored. I had to depend on people taking me places! And I hated doing that. So what I did was read, read and read and oh yeah like the last week before my daughter was born I cleaned like crazy and got everything in order. It was like I got this BIG SPURGE of energy that came out of nowhere!
December 4th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
I am living my worst nightmare. I have been let off of bed rest (14 weeks later) and now we are coming down the home stretch (34 weeks). I am miserable and in pain from skin stretching constantly and my belly up around my throat and yet the baby is down bouncing on my cervix and cerclage. I did not gain a lot of weight-but its ALL belly so the stretch marks radiate from the belly- button like a hideous sundial (no more running bras only when running). I am now back at work and cannot sit up at the computer for long without stretch mark pain or discomfort. How am I living through this time? I am focusing on having a paycheck for the holidays-3 months prior without. I am focusing on the filled wine fridge that I cannot wait to raid onnce my son is born.
I am focusing on once again being able to walk (and run!!) 10 feet without panting like an obscene caller. The best part about this time is my 3 year old racing to rub my belly to calm his little brother when he thinks I am in pain from the kicks.
December 25th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I was due October 11. By October 24, I was finally induced. I was in labor for 40 hours, so finally welcomed 9 pound 14 ounce Max on October 26. Believe me, i tried everything to induce.